Genshin Impact's Incense Burner Of Liyue [141] [DDD!]

December Double Drop!

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"Do you feel any… differences?" Decarabian asked.

"Hah… hah…" Gu Sanqiu lay sprawled on the ground, gasping for breath. "Differences? There are plenty of those."

Pushing himself up, he shot a withering look at Decarabian. "Would it have killed you to try a gentler approach?"

"Heh. By a god's standards, that was the gentlest approach," Decarabian replied dismissively, waving a hand. "Now, get going. Remember not to let the others notice anything unusual. I don't want to hear you complain about the trouble that'll cause you."

"Yeah, yeah, no need to spell that out." Gu Sanqiu took a deep breath, steadying himself. "Since I'm already walking away with your power…"

His eyes shifted to the tower. "Think I could take this thing with me?"

He'd had his eye on it for a while now—Albedo himself hadn't managed to carve an alchemical symbol into it, so the material alone must be one-of-a-kind. Not to mention the sheer divine power within it! Far better than dropping his sister's savings into the ocean any day.

After all, wasn't the whole purpose of the legendary "Treasure Tower" to seal away evil spirits?

With a loud bang, Gu Sanqiu was promptly slammed back into the ground. If Decarabian had used just a bit more force, he might have left Gu Sanqiu flattened into a permanent mural.

"This is my current residence. Quit getting ideas."

"Besides, with my power, you could recreate something similar. It may not be on the same scale, but it will suffice."

Right, sure, Gu Sanqiu thought, dusting himself off. Why else would I even be asking?

In truth, any reverence Gu Sanqiu might've once had toward gods had long faded, thanks to his travels with the unflappable Zhongli. In fact, he'd grown almost immune to their otherworldly presence. And maybe the main reason for his flippant attitude toward deities was due to a certain carefree bard...

"Sir." Jean, Kaeya, and the other members of the Knights of Favonius stepped forward and bowed in respect as Decarabian emerged.

"We've reached a decision. We'll choose the first option—to retain your power in this area, so we may use it as a trial ground for Mondstadt," Jean said. "Thank you, Lord Decarabian."

They bowed again. Although this being was one of Mondstadt's greatest historical foes, he had offered them a considerable gift. Showing him courtesy was the least they could do.

"Hmph. Enough with the empty gestures." Decarabian cast a glance at Jean and Kaeya. "Your choice was as I expected. Compared to those of the past, you seem weaker—but that is your concern, not mine."

He looked over the others, his gaze pausing on Tartaglia. Aside from Gu Sanqiu, they were all wary of him—something any god could plainly see. It was clear that the rest were playing defense, conserving energy. However, this young man in particular carried a battle fervor practically overflowing.

"A mindset of defense and caution… Clearly, there's more going on here than meets the eye, and whatever it is has taken root in their outlooks."

His attention lingered on Diluc for a moment. "Interesting, the redhead."

"Cautious. Guarded?" Decarabian snorted. "Hmph! Make sure you grow stronger, mortals who dared wrest freedom from my hands!"

"Be it the stagnant, orderly wind or the free-flowing wind, the one eternal truth is that it will always blow."

Decarabian raised his head, staring at the unseen heavens above. "And I will not abide this land's people growing weak!"

"Remember, this domain is a pact. Should you let this land's winds stagnate, I'll unleash calamity and reclaim my rule—bringing back the winds that once filled these lands."

"For this place is my territory!"

"My name… is Decarabian!"

With his declaration, a fierce wind howled, and in the blink of an eye, the group found themselves standing outside the domain.

Looking around at the disarray, and hearing the distant sounds of battle echoing from further away, they realized they had returned safely from the domain.

"Even with a trial ground, we need to consider one thing," Kaeya mused, ever practical. "Can we guarantee the resources the domain provides?"

"No need to worry about that." Gu Sanqiu's tone was relaxed. "If people run into him every time they venture in, he'll be bored out of his mind. No doubt he'll adjust the terrain and reset it regularly."

"So, just send out a notice. Let any adventurers who go down there know to stay alert, and they'll bring you fresh reports of what's changed," he added.

"Ha! Look at you," Kaeya remarked, sidling up and throwing an arm around Gu Sanqiu's shoulders. "So, what did he say to you in private? Or was it something he did?"

"Could you not make it sound so sketchy?" Gu Sanqiu chuckled. "He only asked me to help him take a look at what Liyue's like these days and maybe find a place to crash."

"My response? If he actually goes to Liyue, it'd just mean the next celestial sighting of our Geo Archon—and a new guest room in Guyun Stone Forest."

…

Kaeya stifled a laugh. If Decarabian ever did decide to visit Liyue, he'd probably end up witnessing the people of Liyue behold a falling stone spear from the heavens, pinning a barely-visible figure into the sea.

Still… would that really need a private chat?

Kaeya frowned, something clicking in his mind. Something's off here. Really off.

"Hey, we're friends, aren't we?" he said, tightening his grip on Gu Sanqiu's shoulder. "Come on—give me the truth."

"The truth?" Gu Sanqiu sighed. "Fine. That guy decided my dashing looks and brilliant mind made me prime material for godhood, so he's passed a bit of his power to me. Think of it as… preparing me to return one day to Mondstadt and inherit the title of Anemo Archon. Satisfied?"

"…Is this a joke?"

"Hey, I swear it's the truth. You asked for honesty, didn't you? Why wouldn't I be straightforward with a friend like you?"

Kaeya narrowed his eyes. "If that's true, I'll drink every drop of the sea from Guyun Stone Forest!"

╮(╯▽╰)╭

The question now was whether he'd prefer his drink cold… or hot.

Sometimes, even the truth can be too hard for people to believe. Sure, the part about returning as the god of wind was a stretch, but everything else? One hundred percent true.

"Uh… a word?" Bennett tentatively raised his hand, pointing to the source of the distant battle cries.

"Shouldn't we… be lending them a hand?"

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Thanks for reading! Let me know if you spot any mistakes or inconsistencies!

Posture and water check! Remember this is a fan translation!

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