Chapter 267: All the Various Schemes Hidden in the Dark

This time.

Zhongli finally isn't borrowing money to invite people.

Because the venue for this victory banquet is the famous Immortal's Cave Dwelling Amber Prison Mountain in Liyue.

There's no need for Zhongli to spend money at all.

To welcome back an old friend.

The immortals have all brought out their hidden treasures.

Things like fireworks mechanisms, prayer talismans, golden bells and jade qins—it can be said that if you can't imagine it, these immortals can produce it as a novel gadget.

Luo De and Nadixa, attending such a gathering for the first time, quickly became dazzled.

Unlike Venti, the street‑loafer god who has wandered the Tiwatedalu continent since the Archon War.

Venti shares deep bonds with all the first‑generation gods.

Including the Thunderbolt General's stoic predecessor shadow‑warrior—even though she was merely a peripheral attendant at the godly gatherings back then, to Venti, whose personality is extremely unrestrained, she remains vividly remembered after over two thousand years.

A spectacle similar to an immortal gathering.

Back when visiting Zhongli, he never missed a single one, attending whenever possible.

Thus, Venti, who is extremely familiar with such banquets, simply gave Nadixa and Luo De an explanation as they traveled together.

"Did you see that?"

"True Lord Liuyun's multi‑purpose Cave Heaven Clearing Treasure Scroll can automatically clean every nook and cranny of an immortal's abode, preventing dust and cobwebs from building up when immortals are in seclusion and emerge."

Following the direction of Venti's finger, one can see a fully automated puppet taller than a person.

This puppet has eight arms, each equipped with different cleaning tools—brooms, buckets, rags—everything you need.

What amazed Luo De was.

That this puppet even has weapons like swords on its hands.

"Is that also a cleaning tool?"

Nadixa, equally curious, asked.

"After all, immortals in seclusion have no sense of time."

"A typical seclusion lasts ten to twenty years."

"During that period, monsters or other outsiders might wander in by mistake."

"If it's a human,"

"it can be thrown out by intimidation or force."

"If it's a monster,"

"those weapons would have to be put to use."

Venti's explanation was thorough.

But before he could finish, a harsh shout cut him off.

"Liushui!"

"Didn't you tell me last time that my multi‑purpose Cave Heaven Clearing Treasure Scroll had a problem and wasn't cleaning the abode properly, so I had to upgrade it again for you!!"

"What is this!!!???"

"Old coot, if you don't give me an explanation today, I'll definitely tear down your abode!!!"

Then appeared the tall, red‑glasses‑wearing True Lord Liuyun Borrowing Wind, stepping on a strong wind, aura raging, charging toward the one who was boasting with Zhongli about something, the True Lord Water-Managing Mountain-Stacking.

Hearing the furious roar of True Lord Liuyun Borrowing Wind.

True Lord Water-Managing Mountain-Stacking's face instantly changed, and he let out a gasp.

"Hiss——"

"Oh no, I forgot to put this away while tidying the abode."

"Sliu, sliu."

Having said that.

True Lord Water-Managing Mountain-Stacking immediately revealed his true form and vanished in the blink of an eye before everyone's eyes.

While pursuing him to demand an explanation, True Lord Liuyun Borrowing Wind simultaneously revealed his own crane true form, flapped his wings, and swiftly gave chase.

Everyone present was a sharp‑witted person.

Naturally, it was obvious that the guilty True Lord Water-Managing Mountain-Stacking, no matter how fast he could run, would eventually be caught by True Lord Liuyun Borrowing Wind.

Those who could see his ending, regardless of what they were doing, all burst out laughing.

Even Guoba, whose intellect has long diminished and whose memories of old friends are fuzzy, was hopping about laughing "liao liao liao".

"Looks like I've let you all see a joke."

Zhongli, who had come to greet Nadixa and Luo De, walked over with a slight smirk.

He said he was just watching the joke.

In fact, he himself couldn't stop laughing.

Luo De, who had never seen Zhongli so happy, likewise smiled and bowed with clasped hands, saying: "Congratulations, Mr. Zhongli, on finally being freed from the burden of contract wear."

The clasped‑hand salute.

This is a ceremony quite similar to the ancient rite Luo De remembers.

It is also the most commonly used greeting among Liyue people when they meet.

"It's all thanks to you, little friend."

Zhongli nodded.

After he finished exchanging pleasantries with Luo De, the purple‑haired man standing beside him also offered a clasped‑hand salute, saying: "Mr. Luo De, your grace in remaking me is unforgettable; should you ever need anything, just tell me—I will go through fire and water without hesitation."

Even though this body of Fushé was personally crafted by Luo De.

Throughout the process of Fushi having his consciousness revived by Xiao's touch, Luo De was also present.

But when seeing Fushi at this time.

Luo De still subconsciously compared the person before him with that lifeless puppet body.

Although it wasn't the first time he marveled at the wonder of this puppetry technique,

But Luo De couldn't help but exclaim in amazement again.

The Fushi before him had lively eyes, agile joints, clear speech, and most importantly, the obvious characteristics of the puppet structure when it was first completed were no longer visible at all.

Fushi now had only two of his four arms.

Luo De remembered this very clearly.

Back then, he had indeed modeled four arms after Fushi's original body.

However, the Fushi now standing before the crowd showed no discernible difference from an ordinary human.

One could say that.

If Luo De hadn't known beforehand that Fushi's body was handcrafted by himself, he wouldn't dare say that the person before him was a non-human body.

"Truly a miraculous technique."

Nadixa also sighed in admiration.

The puppetry technique provided by Zhongli truly deserves the praise of being almost supernatural.

At the very least.

Besides the Golden Lai Yin Duo Te's creation of A Bei Duo's creation alchemy and the current Electro Archon Lei Dianying's puppet technique of the San Bing, this is still the most miraculous puppetry technique known to Nadixa, the God of Wisdom.

"Huh?"

"Vision?"

In the midst of his admiration, sharp-eyed Luo De immediately spotted a purple Vision hanging at Fushi's waist.

"An Electro Vision? Isn't it said that after the Electro Archon sealed the nation, no more appeared? Could this be Fushi's original one?" "It's a newly acquired one."

Fushi's explanation came just in time: "After my consciousness returned, this Vision appeared, but it is not my original one; it is another."

Speaking of this matter,

Fushi's face also showed something strange.

Logically speaking,

After Fushi's death, his Vision should have become an empty shell left in the Layered Rock Abyss.

But the reality is.

His empty-shell Vision is missing.

This was witnessed jointly by Luo De, Xiao, and Yelan. Moreover, Fushi, who had spent over a thousand years living with his previous Vision, is also very familiar with what it feels like to use that Vision.

"Although this Vision is still an Electro Vision,"

"but I can be certain."

"This is a brand-new Vision."

Fushi gently shook his head and said: "Perhaps it's because I have lived two lives as a human, making me different from before."

These were unintentional words.

But they aroused Luo De's vigilance.

Because what Fushi said is fundamentally unfounded.

The mechanism for granting Visions is based on the wielder's wish.

No matter how Fushi has lived two lives as a human,

his soul has not changed; he remains the Grand Marshal of the Flying Snake who fought to the end to protect Liyue.

Logically speaking,

Unless someone resonates with his Vision to reignite it, otherwise the Vision Fushi can currently use is the one he himself previously used.

As for the chance of an outsider awakening his Vision,

That probability is directly zero.

It is completely impossible to happen.

Fushi's empty-shell Vision was left in the sealed space underground in the Layered Rock Abyss.

Humans simply cannot enter that place.

Let alone taking that empty-shell Vision out to resonate with others.

Unless, while they were receiving Nadixa and Venti, Luo De took Zhongli aside, frowned, and asked: "Mr. Zhongli, have you examined Fushi's soul? Any abnormalities?"

Unexpectedly,

Originally, Luo De merely had a somewhat unfavorable guess.

But Zhongli directly confirmed the guess that made Luo De uneasy: "Fushi's soul has been marked by A Pei Pu, which is why Fushi severed his own arms, cutting his recently restored strength in half."

"Ah—?"

Luo De, who had never expected such an answer, had his mind short-circuit temporarily.

After a good while,

Luo De, coming back to his senses, said with an inexplicable expression: "Did A Pei Pu give Fushi a mark?"

"Hmm."

"Just when she was preserving Fushi's remnant soul."

Zhongli glanced sideways at Fushi, who was chatting and laughing with Venti, then turned back and said: "Her reasoning is that if she didn't do this, Fushi's remnant soul would clash with her elemental energy."

"You already knew that back then?"

Luo De, puzzled, said: "Then why did you still agree to let me?"

"Because what she said is correct."

Zhongli had his hands behind his back, gazing toward a certain place outside Amber Prison Mountain, and sighed: "It's terribly difficult to retain a remnant soul that is about to dissipate; I know this well, and Apep has no need to lie to me about this."

"Sigh—"

Luo De sighed, roughly understanding Zhongli's difficulties.

Although he knew Apep had tampered with Fush's soul, he still agreed to Apep's condition in order for Fush to return smoothly.

Could it be that the present Fush is merely a pair of arms, and that's the reason?

"The mark on the soul."

"It can't be eliminated just by cutting off the arms."

Under Nadixa's influence, Luo De, who had some research on the soul, naturally understood how difficult it is to erase a soul mark.

What's more, it's a mark left by a soul of Apep's caliber.

It's almost impossible to erase.

"So that's why I invited you, little friend, to help back then."

Zhongli's answer once again shattered Luo De's understanding, leaving him slightly dazed.

"What does this mean, Mr. Zhongli?"

Luo De furrowed his brows slightly.

From his experience back then when he was making a body for Fush, Zhongli couldn't personally make a body for Fush, because the materials were incompatible; given Zhongli's elemental energy attribute, the failure rate would be far higher than Luo De's, who can resonate with the Rock Dragon Crown.

But now, hearing Zhongli say this.

This matter might still have another hidden aspect? Zhongli no longer concealed it, speaking bluntly: "Your elemental energy is precisely the weapon that can help Fush resist the soul mark."

"Hah—?"

Luo De's mouth hung open, and after a while he drew out a long "ah".

"What the heck?"

What does it mean that one's own elemental energy is something that can help Fush resist the soul mark?

"Little friend, do you underestimate just how strong the will of a Descender is?"

Seeing Luo De's bewildered expression, Zhongli kindly explained again: "Anyone who can be called a Descender necessarily has a will strong enough to match a world; little friend, haven't you noticed that since you came to Tiwatedalu, no matter how powerful an illusion, it never affects you?"

Upon hearing Zhongli say this.

Luo De also recalled.

That's exactly right! He has encountered many dangers in Teyvat, but none of them were due to illusions.

Even the seal space underground of the Layered Rock Abyss that can read memories to create illusions—when Luo De entered there together with others at the time, he was the first to react to the illusion; others, even after receiving Luo De's warning beforehand that there would be an illusion, were dazed for a while before snapping to awareness under his warning.

What's more, Luo De later instantly saw through that Apep was a genuine consciousness descent, not an illusion produced by the seal space.

All of this proves that Luo De has extremely strong resistance to illusion-type attacks.

Especially after he later fused with a leaf of the World Tree.

He moreover gained the ability to see through falsehoods.

That is to say.

Illusion-type attacks are equivalent to being completely ineffective against him.

Before, Luo De really didn't think of these things in relation to his soul being a Descender; he simply thought he was benefiting from advance information.

"So Zhongli's true intention."

"Is it that you intend to use, via my hand, elemental energy tinged with a Descender's will, as a weapon for Fush to resist Apep's will?"

Luo De roughly understood Zhongli's intention.

At the same time, he also couldn't help but click his tongue inwardly.

Starting from when Apep obtained Fush's remnant soul.

Zhongli and her game of wits has never ceased.

It's no wonder that for such a big event as the victory feast, Apep, as a participant, did not show up.

Originally, I thought it was because Apep deemed it beneath him to attend a gathering composed entirely of gods and immortals.

Now then.

Luo De guessed that Apep had obtained the result she wanted, and Zhongli did not let her get too much of her way.

Their relationship of half cooperation, half opposition.

Indeed, it's not suitable to mix them together to hold this victory feast.

"The result is great."

"Isn't it?"

Zhongli smiled and replied to Luo De.

"Indeed."

Gazing at Guoba as he carried out dish after dish of delicacies from the small kitchen of the cave abode, then looking at the immortals and gods laughing and chatting, and finally setting his sight on the tardy Xiao being reprimanded by Fush tapping his head, Luo De suddenly laughed: "This really is a great result."

At the same time.

The True Monarch of Liu Yun Jie Feng, who had gone to pursue the True Monarch of Li Shuidie Mountain, also returned.

Seeing her pull on the True Monarch of Li Shuidie Mountain's wings, as soon as she entered the door she burst into laughter in a victorious posture, saying: "Haha, everyone's here, let's begin the feast."

(End of chapter)