On the third day after the great battle with Osial, the Rite of Parting, with no adeptus to send off, finally began.
The venue at Yujing Terrace was packed with people from Liyue who had come to pay their respects. Discussions about the Rite of Parting abounded. Some suspected that the person who assassinated Rex Lapis might also have been the one who released the god, while others found it hard to believe that Rex Lapis had truly been killed. Still others said that the Fatui Harbinger Childe had assassinated him.
Amid all the speculation, Fengyan, an instructor of the Millelith, finally issued an official proclamation from the Liyue Qixing:
[Let all be informed: though soaring dragons and scaled creatures may live as long as the mountains, they must ultimately return to dust. Rex Lapis was an immortal whose lifespan rivaled the sun and moon, yet even fair skies must sometimes darken, and a lightning tribulation befell him. Having met with a heavenly tribulation, Rex Lapis's soul has returned to High Heaven. Thus do we proclaim this to all of Liyue, praying that all people temper their grief and spare themselves anguish. Furthermore, do not heed rumors in the streets or indulge in unfounded speculation.]
The Qixing's proclamation was couched in flowery language, but its general meaning was that Rex Lapis had not been assassinated, but had unfortunately died while undergoing a tribulation. To Lumine and Paimon, who knew the details, this explanation seemed decidedly perfunctory.
But after a moment's thought, they had already guessed what had happened. Presumably, Zhongli had informed the Qixing that he was not dead, which was why they had stopped pursuing the murderer.
But that did not mean the Qixing would go easy on the Fatui. It was an indisputable fact that they had sent