Chapter 256

【Ganyu.】

【"Oh, it's Ganyu."】

【Zhong Li nodded in greeting.】

【Then he asked, "Has my elder brother already gone to sleep?"】

【Ganyu shook her head and said, "Lord Su Bai has not gone to sleep; he only sent me to try and persuade you."】

【"Right now is the time of the Archon War — either we swallow up others, or others swallow us."】

【"If we are swallowed up by others, you can well imagine what life will be like for the people of Liyue."】

【Liyue...】

【Zhong Li fell silent.】

【He could not help recalling the days when he and Su Bai had founded Liyue together.】

【He and Su Bai had long depended on each other for survival.】

【Su Bai's birth was wondrous — as if blessed by the Moonlight Goddess, bathed in the power of moonlight, he was born from a sword.】

【From the force of his birth, the rock that split open gave rise to Morax — that is, Zhong Li.】

【Before either of them became Archons, they would often communicate through their will alone.】

【A sword and a rock, conversing.】

【And since Su Bai was born before Zhong Li, Zhong Li addressed him as his elder brother.】

【Only, Su Bai disliked his Archon name, and so cast it aside.】

【But without a doubt, he and Zhong Li were both participants in this Archon War.】

【The Geo Archon, Morax, Zhong Li.】

【The Sword Archon, Su Bai.】

The Geo Archon was, as his name suggested, just so.

Cold on the outside, warm within; steady and mature.

Just as the name implied.

The Sword Archon's temperament, one feared, belonged to the sort that was sharp and unrestrained.

At the very least, from the fact that he cast aside his Archon name on the spot simply because he disliked it, one could sense this Sword Archon's style of action — swift and decisive.

Venti: "Huh? This time Su Bai actually became that old coot's big brother?"

Hu Tao: "Hahaha, Lord Geo actually became the little brother — that feels so funny."

Zhong Li: "Did we just reincarnate straight back six thousand years? Su Bai really can run."

Dragon King Jiuzao: "Hahaha, Morax, so this is your day too."

Cloud Retainer: "Ahem, no matter, no matter — at the very least Su Bai is still on Liyue's side."

Yae Miko: "You can't think of it that way. I bet he isn't on anyone's side — haven't you noticed Zhong Li looking troubled? Presumably his views have clashed with Su Bai's."

Kamisato Ayaka: "I understand now. Given Rex Lapis's steady temperament, he must be thinking of holding onto this stretch of Liyue and helping Su Bai become one of the Seven Rulers of the mortal world. But given Su Bai's temperament, he should be thinking of the second step — directly unifying all the factions at once. Yet carrying out unification by swallowing them up would erupt into even more wars, and Rex Lapis couldn't bear it in his heart."

Alhaitham: "So Rex Lapis's meaning is to protect, while Mr. Su Bai's meaning is war."

Furina: "My lord has finally straightened his back at last — is he going to take the initiative and choose war this time?"

【"Lord Morax, you also know that the Salt Archon, Hovail, can use her power to produce salt crystals. Converting them into edible salt can bring richer fare to her people and help raise their standard of living."】

【"She herself is weak and timid by nature. In an environment like this, even if we don't go and swallow her up, she will be swallowed by other Archons."】

【"Actually, Lord Su Bai knows you can't bring yourself to swallow up that pitiful Salt Archon, which is why he sent you. After all, if Lord Su Bai went in person, he would very likely take Hovail's life."】

【"I still hope you'll give it proper consideration."】

Chapter 140: Guizhong is not as easy to fool as Hovail

The Salt Archon, Hovail.

She was a deity born from salt, able to generate salt crystals and control them.

She was a deity full of compassion and benevolence.

But her authority was not strong enough — she was too weak, too soft, too accommodating.

And she foolishly believed that as long as she did not go looking for trouble with the other Archons, and withdrew from this Archon War, she could keep to herself in a corner.

Unfortunately, the other Archons did not think that way.

In the struggle for the right to become one of the Seven Rulers of Teyvat's mortal world, every Archon exerted all their strength and wits.

Only Hovail chose, again and again, to flee, to yield.

In the end she could only lead her people to the land of salt near Liyue.

She had thought that, having already withdrawn to the most overlooked corner of Teyvat, the Archons would no longer come troubling her.

But in the end, unexpectedly, she was killed by her own people.

Zhong Li: "Sigh, I remember Hovail, wanting to make up for her people's fear during the Archon War, would come up with many warm activities for them. What a pity..."

Cloud Retainer: "I remember it that way too, but in the end she was killed by her own people."

Sustainer of Heavenly Principles: "When it comes to war, weakness is the original sin. There's nothing worth mentioning."

Paimon: "Hey, how can you be so cold?"

Sustainer of Heavenly Principles: (puzzled · Collei)

Collei: "..."

Sustainer of Heavenly Principles: "She was weak. The best way was to pledge herself to someone powerful. But the Archons all feared that others would not look after their people well."

Sangonomiya Kokomi: "Speaking of which, Lord Orobashi, he..."

Yae Miko: "What do you think the autonomy of your Watatsumi Island comes from?"

Sangonomiya Kokomi: "You mean it..."

Yae Miko: "Hmph! It was our little Shadow who saw through his deliberate attempt to seek death, so she showed you mercy. And your Sangonomiya still wants to take advantage of the chaos to seize Inazuma's land."

Sangonomiya Kokomi: "That's only because the Sakoku Decree has locked down Watatsumi Island to the point where we can barely survive."

Kujou Sara: "Kokomi, you are absolutely not an eel."

Sangonomiya Kokomi: "....."

Kamisato Ayaka: "Then why did the Salt Godess's people end up killing her in the end? Was it because they rebelled?"

Zhong Li: "No. It was because her people eventually discovered that this kind and gentle deity could not protect them. But the Archon War was extremely brutal. Her people, fearing that Havria would be defeated by other Archons and subjected to endless torment, took it upon themselves to kill her."

Lumine: "Actually, when I was investigating Havria's past with Rex Lapis earlier, I felt the truth was absurd too. That reason just feels..."

Furina: "My goodness, the people themselves killed the deity who loved them. No matter the reason, it just feels absurd."

Buer: "I also wonder how Su Bai Society would treat Havria."

Yuanshang: "From what Big Sister Ganyu meant, if Havria doesn't submit, Su Ye will really kill her."

Lisa: "Not submit?"

Yuan'er: "What counts as submitting?"

Jean: *(dreaming of Paimon)*

【The Land Amidst Salt.】

【The Salt Goddess's people in the forest were scrambling for flower clusters.】

【Havria, in a long white dress, smiled as she looked down below.】

【But soon, her face was once again covered with an imperceptible gloom.】

【How could she not resent her own weakness? In such a brutal Archon War, she could neither persuade the former Archons to stop, nor fight against them.】

【She could only lead her people to this place, overlooked by other Archons, to eke out a meager existence.】

【Fortunately, Havria could produce salt crystals and exchange them with the neighboring Archons for supplies, trading for quite a bit of food for her people.】

【Otherwise, even after coming here, the environment where crops could hardly grow would sooner or later starve her people to death.】

【"Lady Havria."】

【At that moment, a certain guardian came to Havria's side.】

【He said respectfully, "Lady Havria, Zhong Li of Liyue has brought two Adepti and wishes to see you."】

【Zhong Li?】

【Havria paused for a moment.】

【She hurriedly asked, "Is it the Geo Archon Morax?"】

【"Yes!" the guardian immediately replied.】

【One of the two terrifying Archons of Liyue.】