readytorunbook Chapter 248 Asking Zhongli: Who is the Emperor?
Chapter 248 Asking Zhongli: Who is the Emperor?
Inside the Northern Bank.
Zhongli, who was sitting at the table, put down his teacup and said, "Your country's channels are indeed extraordinary. Even I haven't tasted such good tea in a long time."
The young master's anger was rising again, and he said, "Hey, that's not what I want to hear..."
The lady stood up, interrupting the young man.
"Don't waste time. If you want to chat, wait until I finish my business!"
The woman extended her white palm to Zhongli, "As agreed, I have come to take your Heart of God, Morax."
Zhongli glanced at the lady's palm and said calmly, "I met with the Ice Queen the day before yesterday, and we agreed to cancel the original contract."
"Although I retained a period of meaningless time in my hands, the Heart of God ultimately fell into the hands of someone who had a purpose, which can be considered a very good ending."
The woman's outstretched hand suddenly clenched into a fist, and her face stiffened.
"Haha, I've been waiting to see you like this for a long time."
The young master laughed heartlessly to the side; he naturally already knew that Zhongli did not possess the Heart of God.
"As I said before, it's an eye for an eye. If you don't tell me about the Heart of God, I won't tell you any information about the Heart of God either."
The woman angrily withdrew her hand and coldly asked Zhong Li, "Since you have lost your divine heart, what are you doing here at the Northern Bank?"
Zhongli was not offended by the lady's attitude at all, and turned to the young master and said: "I have to say, your plan in Liyue has helped me a lot, allowing me to witness the arrival of the 'Age of Man' in Liyue. Although your actions were malicious, I still have to give you a reminder."
The young master smiled and said, "Oh, then I must express my gratitude to Mr. Zhongli. May I ask what you have to teach me?"
Zhongli stood up and said solemnly to the young master, "Liyue is a country that abides by contracts. Even in the human era, the Liyue Seven Stars, led by Tianquan, are undoubtedly the guides who practice this principle."
"But Xu Ning is a variable who is used to ignoring the rules and may even break them. You have directly confronted him in this operation, and I believe he will definitely target you in a planned way in the future. Be careful!"
Upon hearing this, the young master laughed heartily and said excitedly, "Then let him come! I didn't get enough of the last battle..."
Zhongli shook her head slightly as she looked at the young master's battle-crazed appearance, then turned and walked out of the bank.
"That's what I said, you can do it yourself!"
After Zhongli left, the lady suddenly turned to the young master and asked in a cold voice, "Do you know who Morax gave the Heart of God to?"
The young master smiled and said, "Of course I know. And as far as I know, he now has more than one Heart of God."
The woman suddenly realized what was happening.
"It's that drunkard!"
Xu Ning sneezed twice at the dock, thinking to himself, "Something's not right. Logically speaking, the news should have spread throughout the world by now. We should be receiving news of the Beidou fleet's return by now. How could there be no news at all from the merchant ships coming and going?"
Today was the day Zhongli was holding his own farewell ceremony for immortals. Xu Ning watched for a while and couldn't help but feel that the upright Zhongli had a wicked sense of self-deception, which seemed out of place with the somber atmosphere of the crowd.
Ningguang had the Thousand Rock Army announce that the Emperor's death was caused by a heavenly calamity, while secretly sending word that the person who released the Sea Demon God might be the executor of the Fools—the Prince.
Amidst mutual suspicion, the people of Liyue immediately attributed the two incidents to one.
Evil deeds are all committed by fools, therefore the young master deserves to die!
Xu Ning expressed his appreciation for the consensus reached by everyone and said that this consensus should be put into practice when the opportunity arises.
I stood at the dock for a while and didn't get any news about Beidou.
Xu Ning decided to head towards the location of the Liyue Adventurers' Association, thinking that with the organization's capabilities, they might be able to find some clues.
Since the returnee group from Guili Plains was established a few years ago, and after the Adventurers' Guild met with the Seven Stars of Liyue with the Emperor's approval, it has taken root in Liyue and flourished.
After several negotiations with Minghua Trading Company, they rented a detached building next to Minghua Money Exchange at a reasonable price, and began accepting commissions and distributing tasks daily.
Xu Ning often obtained information by checking the commissions issued by the Adventurers' Guild, but every time he came into contact with the receptionist, Miss Catherine, Xu Ning always felt something was strange.
It is said that among the executors of the Winter Fools, there is one executor who is skilled in making mechanical puppets—the Puppet. It is unknown whether the robot Catherine, who is spread throughout the seven kingdoms and can even share information, is her creation.
If the two are indeed related, then the waters behind this Adventurers' Guild are far more complex than one might imagine, and the connections between the seven kingdoms are also closer than one might have thought.
As Xu Ning stepped onto the wooden stairs of the Adventurers' Guild, he saw Kong and Paimon standing at the bulletin board, checking the new commissions for the day.
Xu Ning greeted him with a smile.
Seeing that Xu Ning looked nervous, Kong immediately pulled Xu Ning into a small alley.
Paimon flew up and down several times to make sure no one was around before approaching him mysteriously and saying, "Xu Ning, we've discovered a huge secret that's crucial to your life and death!"
Xu Ning asked in surprise, "A matter of life and death? With me? What secret?"
Paimon took a deep breath and said, "Let Kong do it!"
Xu Ning said irritably, "Don't keep me in suspense, I still have things to inquire about!"
Paimon stomped his foot angrily and said, "It's very important. You'll find out when you hear it."
Kong said in a deep voice, "Ever since I overheard what the young master said in the Golden House, Paimon and I have been subtly observing the reactions of various forces to the Emperor's ascension these past few days, and I have come to a conclusion..."
"...The Rock King Emperor might not be dead!"
Xu Ning was taken aback. "That's it? Nothing else?"
Paimon stamped his foot and said, "Are you so slow-witted because you've had too much fake wine? I already said it's a matter of life and death. Think about it, if the Emperor hadn't died, you would have stolen the Heart of God first, and then used the Immortal Ancestor's Dharma Transformation to set a trap. Wouldn't the Emperor have come after you if he found out?"
Xu Ning poked Paimon with his finger, which made the little white-haired boy glare at him angrily.
"Who told you I stole the Heart of God? This was a gift from our Emperor himself."
Kong suddenly realized, "No wonder I always felt that you seemed to anticipate the enemy's moves. It turns out that the Emperor is standing behind you! Brother Xu, you also know the reason for my travels to the Seven Kingdoms. Could you introduce me to the Emperor?"
Xu Ning frowned and said, "I can't make a decision on this. It requires the Emperor's approval. I'll ask him for you when I have time!"
Paimon immediately chimed in, "I've heard that in Liyue, '空' means 'never.' Let's ask Mr. Zhongli. He knows so much; he'll definitely have information about the Geo Archon."