While the two members of the Liyue Qixing were lost in thought over his words, Su Ming had already returned to his residence.
It wasn't that he hadn't considered staying out a bit longer. However, listening to operas or traditional storytelling didn't exactly align with the tastes of a modern youth like himself. He much preferred lying in his courtyard, soaking up the sun while leafing through a light novel published by the Yae Publishing House.
Why didn't he read the local storybooks of Liyue?
Admittedly, the martial arts and mythological novels found in the Wanwen Bookhouse were well-written and profound, but… they weren't "mindless" enough. He just wanted a novel to help him relax. Thus, he gravitated toward the light novels from the Yae Publishing House; they felt very similar to the web novels he had read before his transmigration. In short, they were familiar.
Thanks to his identity as a "boss," the Sakoku Decree didn't hinder the distribution of the Yae Publishing House's novels across Teyvat. This was a luxury Su Ming thoroughly enjoyed.
Of course, he occasionally read detective novels from Fontaine. The only drawback was that those stories were serialized in The Steambird. To read them, he had to buy the newspaper and then hunt through the pages to find the specific column for the story he was following.
It was a bit of a hassle. In his estimation, they couldn't compare to the standalone volumes and bound magazines from the Yae Publishing House. After all, The Steambird was mostly dedicated to celebrity interviews and current events.
Just as Su Ming was getting ready to enjoy a beautiful sunbath in his courtyard, he spotted an uninvited guest at his door.
Tartaglia, his body still partially wrapped in bandages, was squatting on the steps before the main gate, his feet twitching restlessly. He was looking around as if searching for someone. Su Ming wanted to turn and leave, but he was a step too late.
"Aya! Mr. Su Ming, you're finally back! I've been waiting for you all morning!"
Looking very much like a street thug who had just been given a thrashing, Tartaglia trotted over the moment he saw Su Ming appear. To be honest, if it weren't for his injuries, he probably would have pounced over in a single leap.
"What are you doing? You don't actually want to spar with me like that, do you? I'm afraid I'd kill you."
Su Ming silently took a step back, maintaining a healthy distance from Tartaglia.
Tartaglia scratched his head and chuckled. "Haha, well, I do love combat, but I'm not a madman who fights to the death. Do you remember? You said that as long as the Northland Bank covered your expenses, you would give me a few pointers."
As he spoke, Tartaglia's eyes practically glowed with anticipation.
Su Ming looked at the impatient Harbinger and replied, "I did say that, but given your current state… I'm really afraid something will go wrong during your training."
"I know, I know. I was just a bit anxious, so I came over to ask."
"Don't worry. I don't have many virtues, but I never fail to follow through on my word."
Tartaglia grinned. "With that assurance, I'm relieved. I'll go back and focus on recovery now."
With that, Tartaglia departed. He had actually come all this way just to ask a single question!
"He's certainly got a lot of free time… Wait, that's not right. He couldn't have forgotten why he came to Liyue, could he? If he has, what happens to the rest of my plan?" Su Ming muttered. "Forget it… Since the guy is acting as my sugar daddy, is it really okay for me to plot against him like this?"
Su Ming felt a tiny prick of conscience, but the guilt vanished as quickly as it had come.
"Oh well, just consider it for the sake of my system rewards. Dada-duck, you'll just have to suffer a bit more. Who told you to be such a troublemaker with such a simple mind? If you weren't like that, I wouldn't have built my plan around you. I truly hope you've forgotten your goal; otherwise, you might have to experience prison life ahead of schedule."
Su Ming shook his head as he watched Tartaglia's retreating back. Truth be told, Su Ming's "trap" wasn't even that complex. It was nothing more than utilizing an information gap to set a small snare. It would be easy to avoid: all Tartaglia had to do was behave lawfully and mind his own business. However, if he were capable of being that well-behaved, he wouldn't be Childe the Harbinger.
"Hey, Zhongli, is everything finally collected now?" Lumine asked weakly, slumped into a chair inside the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
Paimon was already "lying like a corpse" nearby, too exhausted to even speak.
Zhongli offered a small smile. "Yes, everything has been gathered. What we sought were merely the items for the ceremony that couldn't be easily purchased within Liyue Harbor. In truth, had time not been so pressing, we could have simply placed an order with the merchants and waited. It was only due to the sudden nature of the situation that I had to trouble you with all this running around."
Lumine felt a wave of relief. "Does that mean it's over?"
"Not quite… For the final step, I must ask you to borrow the Cleansing Bell on my behalf."
"The Cleansing Bell?" Lumine looked confused.
"The Cleansing Bell is kept by a friend of mine named Madame Ping. She lives near Yujing Terrace. If you ask her about it, she will know what you mean."
Lumine shot Zhongli a glare. "If she's your friend, why don't you go yourself!?"
"I have reasons that make it inconvenient for me to show my face. My apologies for the trouble."
"..."
Resigned, Lumine headed back out. Fortunately, the task went smoothly. Yujing Terrace wasn't particularly far from the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. Upon meeting Madame Ping, the old woman handed over the Cleansing Bell without any hesitation.
When Lumine returned to the parlor, Zhongli smiled, looking somewhat relieved himself.
"Everything is ready… We can now notify the Qixing and select a day to hold the Rite of Parting."
Lumine took the opportunity to ask, "By the way, I've been busy helping you for days, but I still don't know where the Rite of Parting is being held. And didn't you say you'd help me find the Exuvia? Why does it feel like I've done nothing but manual labor these past few days?"
Zhongli laughed. "Do not worry. Before the Rite of Parting takes place, the Exuvia is being kept in the Golden Housewhich is to say, the mint for Liyue and the entire continent… Eh?"
"What is it?"
Zhongli continued, "It's nothing. I simply recalled that Childe has provided quite a bit of assistance this time. Now that the preparations for the Rite of Parting are complete, why don't you go inform him? You should invite him to observe the ceremony."
Lumine nodded. After all, Tartaglia was the one paying her commission, and he was the bridge that allowed her to participate in the ceremony's preparations. Now that everything was set, it was only right to give him the word.
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