Chapter 479

Liyue.

"Um?"

Zhongli suddenly looked up at the sky.

It's not that I'm watching Raiden Ei with arrows.

What kind of grand scene hasn't I, Rock King, seen? Electro Archon sniping the enemy from a distance is nothing to be surprised about.

The main reason was that he seemed to sense that someone was talking about him behind his back.

But then I thought, in Liyue, where is there a place where no one talks about the Vago Rock King?

Zhongli thought she might be overthinking things, so she turned back and continued to select jade stones from the stall that were suitable in shape, size, and appearance.

"Mr. Zhongli, what do you think of this piece?"

"It's a little small and not round enough."

"And what about this part?"

"The transparency and color are slightly lacking; I'll take another look."

Zhongli continued to examine the jade stones on the table, but could not find a suitable one for a long time.

His main goal was to find a stone that was the same size as Azhdaha's current body.

After all, it always feels a bit strange to carry a round stone in your pocket or around your neck when you go out.

If there were one more, two stones could be held in the hand and twirled around. That would be normal, and quite elegant, befitting the style of the Vago Rock King.

"Buzz buzz buzz!"

The stone in his arms trembled violently.

Zhongli gently patted him.

"You're looking forward to it too, aren't you, old friend?"

His tone was full of sincerity and earnestness.

After all, Azhdaha had been trapped in the sealed space for over a thousand years. He couldn't even turn over, let alone take a few steps. Having been unable to move for so long, now that he's free, he must be eager to get moving, right?

This is all for Azhdaha's own good!

The events described above have absolutely nothing to do with the events of a thousand years ago, such as his relentless struggle against Azhdaha, his constant calls to his mind going unanswered, his desperate fight from the Chongyan Giant Abyss all the way to the Jueyunjian, and finally, his heart-wrenching pain as he personally sealed Ruo Tuo beneath Hulao Mountain, and his later shedding tears before the Fulong Tree when no one was around...

It really was just for Azhdaha's own good.

"Buzz buzz buzz!"

The stone in his arms trembled even more violently.

Zhongli didn't bother to hear the specific meaning, since it was indeed a bit vulgar.

He just felt that his old friend was indeed very much looking forward to it.

"Don't rush, don't rush, hurry up and choose."

Zhongli spoke softly to the vibrating stone, a gentle and elegant smile unconsciously curving his lips upward.

As for the Electro Archon's power that just grazed the Liyue sky...

It doesn't matter anymore.

There's still a Descendant lurking in the house right now. The Electro Archon sisters can do whatever they want, as long as they don't land on Liyue's land, Zhongli won't even bother to look up.

As winter approached, the familiar thunder rumbled down over the capital.

Then it split into more than ten streams, crashing down in different corners of the Snezhnaya.

It is far more magnificent and terrifying than the previous arrow book; this time it is truly divine power.

At the same time, in the Harbinger council chamber, the Harbinger were unusually silent.

"Dottore will never appear again. Nor will Scaramucci."

After a long silence, the Pantalone recounted the truth.

Then, he was met with an even more deathly silence from the Harbinger.

Has his mindset and enthusiasm been severely damaged? The Pantalone thought to himself, and sighed inwardly.

'Well...'

To be honest, how could Shizuka not know that he had been tricked by Inazuma? He didn't realize it at first, but so much time has passed since the contract was signed. No matter how confused he was at the time, he has come to his senses now.

Even if they had realized from the beginning that it was a trap set by Inazuma, the result would still have been the same.

Some things are weightless until weighed, but once weighed, they become immense. When Electro Archon shot out those six arrows, losing face and laying the whole matter on the table, Winter and Cryo Archon had no choice.

The Cryo Archon would never risk her life against Electro Archon, nor would she sit idly by and watch herself completely lose the trust of the six gods, causing her five-hundred-year plan to come to a standstill at this final step.

The price to pay is that the morale of the Harbinger will be severely damaged after the Doctor and the Scaramouche are handed over.

Everyone knows that the Queen can't truly protect them from the Outer God. Once they step outside their borders and begin plotting to seize the Heart of God of Outer God, their lives will depend entirely on their own abilities. But knowing in one's heart and seeing it clearly are vastly different—especially since this time they didn't even sacrifice themselves in the process of seizing the Heart of God, but were simply forced by Electro Archon to hand over their own people.

Even with such consequences, the Pantalone still acknowledged the Queen's decision. Morale could be gradually restored; at least the Harbinger wouldn't betray them and would still serve the Queen's ideals. But if they weren't handed over, that would truly end their plans.

"Scaramucci's power and influence will be dismantled, with most of it handed over to Arlecchino. As for Dotore... his position is crucial, and we need to find a replacement. If any of you have suitable candidates, whether or not you are from Wintersend, please recommend them to me, and I will consider them carefully."

The Pantalone got down to business, trying to lighten the mood a bit.

He was met with silence, and it was difficult to discern the thoughts of the Harbinger.

The Pantalone didn't insist, and continued:

"The sacrifices of Dottore and Scaramucci will not be in vain; we will remember their contributions, as will the Empress. The plan to seize the Heart of God will continue. Rosalyn, who is in Mondstadt, will obtain the first Heart of God for us, but it will take some time. And the biggest variable standing in our way right now is, without a doubt, Inazuma."

The Pantalone's cold and sharp gaze swept across the faces of the Harbinger, finally settling on the servant's face.

Arlecchino knew it was time for her to speak.

"Inazuma is not weak. Even excluding Electro Archon, who is impossible to defeat, he has several experts who are unmatched by anyone other than Harbinger. I saw five or six of them at the Divine Banquet alone, and I don't know how many were absent. In my opinion, the biggest variable here is..."

"The Inazuma Imperial Advisor suddenly appeared, Hōraisan Kaguya."

The Pantalone picked up where the servant left off, speaking in a cold tone.

He said in a confident tone:

"Based on our observations over the past five hundred years, Electro Archon Beelzebul is not the type to be skilled in scheming, which differs from historical records. It's possible that historical records overemphasize her, or perhaps something unknown happened five hundred years ago that changed her. In any case, a scheme like the Divine Feast, which involves tearing off the mask of pretense and taking advantage of the situation, leaving no room for defense, is not something Beelzebul could have orchestrated."

"I think so too. This Imperial Advisor is not easy to deal with. She not only seems intelligent, but she is also very strong. Pantalone, if I may be so bold, I feel that she might be stronger than you."

"Is that so? Then she is indeed the biggest variable and needs to be paid special attention to... Let's set a tone first: no matter which Harbinger is in charge of Inazuma's mission in the future, the first priority is to please Hōraisan Kaguya. Or rather, we should start collecting information about her preferences now and begin trying to please her."

The Pantalone said something that was almost a complete 180-degree turn.

However, the vast majority of Harbinger showed no surprise. The few who were initially taken aback quickly recovered.

To be appointed as the Imperial Advisor and possess the special qualities described by Arlecchino, this person must be very special in Electro Archon's eyes. He is very likely a trusted confidant of Electro Archon.

She was incredibly strong, so strong that even the Harbinger might not be able to withstand her. And after the Divine Feast, no one dared to provoke Electro Archon anymore.

If you can't touch such a person, then the only option is to curry favor with them.

"I have a candidate here for Dotole's successor."

"I also recommend someone; you can take a good look at him."

"I'll take Scaramucci's spare parts."

"I think it's time to finalize the selection for Liyue..."

Gradually, the Harbinger regained their composure and began discussing serious matters.

Outside the council chamber, a biting winter wind blew through the air.

Some of the areas were shattered by lightning. However, many of these areas were hidden in regions unknown even to the other Harbinger, so it's unlikely anyone will be able to properly handle Dotole's affairs afterward.

At the same time, the World Tree summarized all the information about the Dottore slices and nodded in satisfaction.

"The quantity is plentiful, we made a profit."