Even with Lin Yi urging the horses onward and pushing the convoy to make haste, it still took three days to reach the outskirts of the Guili Plains.
They had rushed the entire way without getting any proper rest. By now, even Ningguang, let alone everyone else, looked listless and out of sorts.
She even nodded off a little while reporting the contents of the documents.
"Goddammit, it took three whole days to cover this tiny distance! I got nothing done. All that precious youth, wasted!"
Lin Yi became more determined than ever to begin building highways and energy-powered cars as soon as he finished the Land Reclamation project.
Of course, the system's lottery had to deliver, too. If he couldn't draw what he needed, all that talk would be useless.
"We're here! Everyone, take a break. Once you've helped unload all the materials later, you can clock off!"
Lin Yi had intended to let his subordinates rest for a while.
But this concerned Liyue. Tired as they were, every one of them rushed to the front as though they had been pumped full of adrenaline.
In less than two hours, all the materials had been neatly arranged according to Lin Yi's instructions.
An advance team had even built a temporary factory compound here.
Looking out over the bustling scene, he was reminded strongly of his own world.
They had started with nothing and built a powerful, prosperous nation in less than a century.
But Lin Yi's ambitions were even greater. With the system, three years should be enough to achieve his goal of a flourishing Liyue.
That night, the workers settled into the completed temporary factory compound.
Although the device required no manual labor, once it was completed, the actual Land Reclamation work would still require a great deal of manpower.
After finding a deserted spot, Lin Yi remembered Zhongli's reminder and decided to summon the adeptus Xiao.
"I am in distress and hereby summon the Three-Eyed, Five-Manifestation Adeptus!"
This adeptus-summoning incantation was rather embarrassingly awkward.
Whoosh!
The moment Lin Yi finished speaking, a light breeze swept past, carrying a faint, sinister air.
Sensing movement behind him, he turned around to find Xiao, who had appeared in a flash.
"Xiao, the Three-Eyed, Five-Manifestation Adeptus, has answered your summons to resolve your troubles."
Seeing that Lin Yi had summoned him, Xiao naturally understood the situation and knew what he wanted to ask.
He briefly surveyed their surroundings.
"This is no place to talk. Come with me."
A small courtyard with a windmill stood out in the wilderness, looking as though no one had lived there for a long time.
There were even signs that monsters had rampaged through it.
Thanks to the Monster-Clearing Incentive Plan, which had been proceeding in full swing lately, this place had also been cleared out and turned into a temporary stopping point.
They pushed the door open and entered. Only a little dust remained, stirring in the moonlight.
Xiao flicked his fingers, and a blue-green flame began to burn.
"Ignite!"
At his command, the candles left behind by the previous occupants lit up inside the room.
"What is this all about, being so secretive? Bringing me out into the middle of nowhere-surely you aren't planning something untoward with me, Adeptus Xiao?"
"Please refrain from joking, Lord Geo Archon. There are others in this room."
!?
Lin Yi was startled by those words.
As he turned, the candlelight flickered, and he actually saw a decidedly inhuman shadow flash past behind a screen.
His face immediately went pale, and he drew his Geo-Forged Pistol.
"What's going on? Is this place haunted?"
Lin Yi asked warily.
"Haunted, indeed! Look closely, Lord Geo Archon. I am Cloud Retainer!"
Cloud Retainer Skies-Cleaver emerged in her crane form, her eyes heavy with sleep. Clearly, she had been waiting for some time and had taken a short rest.
"Ahem, don't forget about this old woman, either."
Then he saw Madame Ping step out from the other side.
Before her retirement, Madame Ping had been Liyue's Streetward Rambler. Her standing and strength needed no explanation.
People said that time could never vanquish a true beauty. Though Madame Ping now looked like an old woman, traces of her former, peerless beauty remained.
As she was his elder, Lin Yi took the initiative to bow respectfully.
"I've heard much of your reputation, Madame Ping. To have the chance to meet you today leaves this junior deeply humbled."
Madame Ping was naturally pleased by Lin Yi's polite, gentlemanly manner.
She suddenly recalled that her recently accepted disciple needed experience out in the world. Placing her at Lin Yi's side might be a good choice...
After exchanging pleasantries, everyone sat around the table.
With a sweep of his hand, Lin Yi conjured a set of expensive tea utensils.
Cloud Retainer then drew water through the air, and soon a pot of fine tea filled the room with fragrance.
It tasted refreshing and soothing, though it still lacked the excitement and merriment of liquor.
"Let's get down to business. Back in Liyue, Mr. Zhongli told me something had happened on the Guili Plains. What exactly is wrong? This affects my upcoming plans!"
After speaking, Lin Yi noticed a weary melancholy on Madame Ping's face. Even Cloud Retainer was gently patting her stooped back.
"Allow me to explain."
Xiao spoke.
"When the adepti learned of Mr. Zhongli's true identity, they traveled with him to Wangshu Inn to reminisce. However, Madame Ping had to leave to attend to something, which was why Lin Yi didn't see her when he arrived at Wangshu Inn."
In fact, during her absence, Madame Ping had not returned to Liyue. Instead, she had spent a long time in the Guili Plains, apparently investigating something.
An unexpected incident had occurred during that time. By chance, Madame Ping had saved a little girl and taken her as a disciple.
"Leaving your disciple aside for now, Madame Ping, what were you investigating?"
After Lin Yi asked, Madame Ping let out a sigh.
"Ah, life is unpredictable, and the world is ever-changing. I never imagined that I would find traces left by an old friend who should have been long dead, here on the Guili Plains."
!?
Madame Ping then recounted a story from the past. Aside from herself and Morax, its central figures included a True Adeptus named Guizhong, an expert in mechanical creations who had been dead for a hundred years...
"Does that mean... Senior Guizhong isn't dead?"
Lin Yi's knowledge of Genshin Impact's story only extended through version 3.0. He could only gradually discover the many stories and characters HoYoverse had added afterward.
Of the five great Yakshas under Morax, only Xiao had survived.
And the death of his old friend Guizhong had also been accompanied by endless strange plots and intrigue.
Madame Ping shook her head.
"I'm ashamed to say it, but Guizhong's life faded before Morax's very eyes. She has long since passed away.
Yet the traces of Guizhong we've now encountered on the Guili Plains are deeply unsettling.
Teyvat is such a vast place. Why would they appear on the Guili Plains, of all places?
It felt like seeing a ghost in broad daylight. Even Xiao felt a chill run down his back.
Just then, Lin Yi suddenly remembered something.
"Right, where's Venti? Zhongli told me he was here, too!"
Oh no!
Before you continue