The Childe paused, stunned, after stepping out the door.
He looked down and reached into his clothes.
I touched a light, slightly warm talisman.
He slapped his thigh suddenly.
" Sigil of Permission!"
"I forgot to give it to her!"
He sprang into action and gave chase.
Ying and Paimon left the Northland Bank.
She did not return to the inn.
With the incident at Yujing Terrace, the Millelith has sealed off the entire city. As the "prime suspect," she is now unsafe to go anywhere.
She walked briskly along the quiet alley towards the old docks of the port.
It's a place where all sorts of people mingle, making it an easy place to hide.
"Ying! Ying! Wait for me!"
Paimon's little wings flapped rapidly, bouncing behind her.
Do we really believe in that Fatui?
"I don't believe it."
Ying answered decisively.
"Then you still..."
"He's right, I have no other way out now."
Ying's steps did not stop.
"But I'll look it up myself."
"Wait until we find out if what he said is true or false..."
Her voice suddenly stopped.
Behind me, I heard a series of hurried footsteps.
"Hey--"
"Hey, you blond Traveler up there—wait a minute!"
Ying turned around.
The Childe was jogging up from the other end of the alley.
Her orange hair was disheveled, and the hem of her coat was fluttering wildly; she was a far cry from the confident and composed woman she had been in the secret room.
Ying stopped and placed her hand on the hilt of her sword.
"What are you doing following me?"
"I'll pursue you!"
The Childe ran up to her, leaning on his knees and catching his breath.
He straightened up, took out a talisman from his pocket, and handed it to her.
"I almost forgot about this!"
Ying looked at the talisman but did not take it.
"What?"
"Something that can let you see the Three-Eyed Five-Manifestation Immortal."
"Otherwise, you'll have made a wasted trip."
The Childe spoke with absolute certainty.
"I was thinking of giving it to you at the bank, but we got distracted in our conversation and I forgot."
"By the time I remembered, you were nowhere to be found."
"I chased you for three blocks!"
Ying stared at the talisman, remaining silent for a moment.
Ignoring her "Are you kidding me?" expression, the Childe pushed the talisman forward again.
"Take it!"
"I really didn't mean to keep you in suspense."
Ying looked down at the talisman.
He handed the talisman to Ying again.
Ying lowered her head and then carefully examined the talisman.
The talisman was small, painted entirely with a very light, almost golden pigment. The patterns on it were ancient and intricate, faintly exuding a heavy, rock-like aura.
"What is this?"
" Sigil of Permission."
"Childe said."
" The Geo Archon once traveled far and wide, occasionally bestowing these talismans upon those destined to receive them."
"By possessing this talisman, one can be free from the restrictions of the immortals, enter the places of immortal cultivation, and even gain an audience with an immortal."
"For an ordinary person, catching a glimpse of the Three-Eyed Five-Manifestation Immortal is harder than ascending to heaven."
"But as long as you carry it, you can see it."
Ying did not answer immediately.
"So, I'll ask you one more time, why did you help me?"
"What do you want from me?"
"What I want and what you want are, for now, the same thing."
The Childe answered frankly.
"I want to know how the Rex Lapis died, and what secrets are hidden within his immortal body."
"You want to clear your name and see the Rex Lapis."
"Our goals are not contradictory."
"First, go find the immortals and tell them the news of the Rex Lapis's death, and that will be enough."
Ying put the talisman into her bosom.
She didn't look at him again and turned to leave.
She walked a few steps, then stopped.
"Remember what I'm saying now."
She didn't turn around.
"If you take advantage of me..."
"I will not let you go."
The Childe watched her retreating figure, but this time, he did not smile.
"I've got it."
He said softly.
Ying's figure disappeared at the end of the alley.
The Childe stood there, gazing in the direction she had disappeared, for a while.
Then, he turned around and slowly walked away.
Ying was gone for two days.
In the past two days, Bai You and Varesa have not returned to their original inn.
After the incident at Yujing Terrace, the Millelith tightened its checks on all outsiders. Those who had stayed at inns with official documents were now being taken for a ride back.
The Childe arranged a room for them at the Northland Bank for them to stay temporarily.
Bai You and Varesa were delighted.
The first immortal Ying found was the Moon Carver.
That immortal was cultivating in seclusion in a cave Jueyun Karst. The cave was protected by a celestial barrier, making it impossible for ordinary people to enter.
Ying was able to enter only because of the Sigil of Permission".
After listening to Ying recount the news of the Rex Lapis's murder and the hiding of his immortal body by the Liyue Qixing, Moon Carver remained silent for a long time.
He did not express his opinion on the spot, but instead asked Ying to find the other immortals and make a decision after everyone had gathered.
The second is the Mountain Shaper, residing on Mt. Hulao.
When Ying found him, the immortal's cave on the mountain was being disturbed by a Treasure Hoarders.
Ying intervened and helped, which is how they met the immortal.
Upon hearing the devastating news, Mountain Shaper was furious and gave Ying a piece of advice.
He will come down the mountain.
The third is the Cloud Retainer, residing on Mt. Aocang.
This immortal's cave dwelling is the most troublesome.
The cave was filled with traps, with interlocking mechanisms for the three elements of fire, water, and wind. One wrong step and you would be trapped inside.
Ying spent most of the day wandering around the cave, and with Paimon's help and her own superb skills, she finally managed to unravel the mechanisms one by one and meet Cloud Retainer.
This immortal was notoriously stubborn and had a strange temper; he was never one to back down with his words. But after hearing about the Rex Lapis's affairs, he still agreed to go down the mountain.
The news kept coming back to the Northland Bank.
"Okay, you blond little guy."
The Childe leaned against the window, listening to his subordinate's report, and raised an eyebrow.
"She ran all the way down Jueyun Karst, Mt. Hulao, and Mt. Aocang all by herself."
"I sent people to explore the cave where Cloud Retainer; ordinary people couldn't get in at all, yet she actually managed to unlock it."
Bai You sat to the side, saying nothing.
She knew that this was Ying.
That Traveler who traversed Seven Nations in search of his only remaining relative.
There was no mechanism that could truly stop her.
On the evening of the day the second immortal descended the mountain, the Childe hosted a banquet at the Liuli Pavilion in Liyue Harbor.
He said he would introduce someone to Ying.
Someone who can break the current deadlock and allow Ying to see the immortal body.
This time, Bai You and Varesa were also there.
The Childe's reason is very simple.
"It wouldn't hurt to meet up."
The Liuli Pavilion is one of the top restaurants in Liyue Harbor, situated on a high terrace offering panoramic views of the entire harbor.
The banquet was set at the innermost table.
Bai You and Varesa arrived first, followed by Ying and Paimon.
The Childe has not yet arrived.
Who is that person?
Paimon asked in a low voice.
Why did the Childe say that he could let us see the Rex Lapis's immortal body?
Just as Bai You was about to speak, footsteps sounded.
The Childe has arrived.
There was a person following behind him.
He was a tall, slender man.
Her long, brown hair was tied into a braid at the back of her head, the ends gradually turning orange-yellow, as if dyed by the sunset.
He wore a dark robe embroidered with subtle patterns, walked with a leisurely gait, and was playing with a jade pendant in his hand.
Bai You's breath caught in her throat the moment she saw that face clearly.
Isn't that Zhongli?