After the dust settles, a date is fixed for the Rite of Parting...

A few days went by and today was the Rite of Parting.

Paimon: Today's the day of the Rite of Parting. Although the star of the show is fake, we've spent so much time trying to organize it. It would be a real shame not to go there now.

As we walked up, we heard everyone talk about what has happened.

Fu Hua: Even though we've managed to prove that the Fatui are criminals, some are still here in Liyue.

Kallen: In the shadows. To avoid arrest.

Sakura: And in disguises too. Northland Bank isn't shut down.

We got up to Yujing Terrace. A soldier made the announcement.

Fengyan: Hear ye all the Qixing's words: Though a dragon soars ageless as the mountains, it too must return to dust. This is common knowledge. Gods and adepti live glorious lives, but both light and shadow have their season. So, too, must they face divinely-appointed trials. Rumors and hearsay abound on the streets that Rex Lapis was murdered. Now, let the truth be revealed. Having been thwarted in his trial, Rex Lapis' soul has recouped the celestial heights. He beseeches the people of Liyue to grieve not, and to not let their hearts be saddened. Nor are they to believe street-borne rumors or indulge in baseless speculation.

Paimon: Ah... Um, Paimon needs a translation on what the Qixing's announcement said.

Aether: They said that Rex Lapis wasn't murdered.

Fu Hua: They say that Rex Lapis was not assassinated by anyone.

Paimon: ...So that's how they're spinning it... Something feels off. Why would they suddenly give up looking for the murderer? Not to mention how this excuse sounds like something they just made up on the spot. Could the Qixing already have known that Rex Lapis wasn't dead? But Zhongli said that neither they nor adepti knew anything.... Hmm... Did Zhongli tell them in secret after his Gnosis changed hands?

Aether: That's possible.

Fu Hua: Ningguang hasn't told me anything yet.

Paimon: Exactly, right? Ooh, seems like the Rite of Parting has been going on for a while now. Let's go have a look.

We approached the Rite of Parting area where there were Ningguang, Keqing, and Ganyu.

Paimon: Look, it's Ningguang and Keqing.

Fu Hua: And Ganyu too.

Paimon: Are they saying something? Are their speeches over?

Fu Hua: Oh no. I think we are just in time.

Ningguang: ....As said previously, Rex Lapis' soul returning to the heavens is the end of the contract, and it is also the end of an area.

Shitou: 3,700 years of contracts, burnt and reduced to ash...

Ningguang: We, the people of Liyue were indeed prosperous. But blinded by our prosperity, we forgot that time can be pitiless.

Ying'er: The long, unending dream of our archon walking among us...

Madame Ping: Mm...

Ningguang: Now that we have awoken from our dream, we must learn to say farewell. Will you stand with us as we reestablish our contracts — as we build a new age of prosperity?

Ganyu: So concludes the words of her Eminence, the Tianquan. Does Her Eminence the Yuheng have anything to add?

Keqing looked in our direction.

Paimon: Eh? Is she looking this way?

Keqing: Travelers.

Paimon: Yikes! She really is looking our way!

Crowd: Are those the travelers who they say defeated the ancient god? So young... A party of 3 boys and 9 girls plus mini beings with them.

Keqing: The Liyue Qixing always repay their debts. And as you have heard, our eyes see far and our reach is long. Name your price. You deserve that much.

Paimon: Whoa...

We remained silent before Aether spoke up.

Aether: ... Well... could you help us put up some missing person posters...?

Patrick: We have missing friends and family that we are looking for and we ask for your help to find them and to put up missing person posters.

Keqing: Very well. We will help you put up missing person posters.

Now we had the rest of the Rite of Parting to enjoy.

Ying'er: Ha, and to think I'd put my best perfume on before coming here, thinking you'd like it... But it seems as if those perfumes really were meant to be offered to Rex Lapis Well, that's fine. Suffer no rivals in love, they say, and that's three gone in one stroke. *chuckles*.

Madame Ping: As for the mortals and adepti of Liyue... what shape shall our relationship take from now on?

Keqing: Heh. Why, you... Were you just trying to look cool earlier, or are you really that selfless?

Kiana: No no no. We're not. We weren't trying to look all cool.

Keqing: If you were looking for someone, you could have just told me that in private...

Mei: Well we couldn't.

Bronya: Because we didn't think of doing that.

Fu Hua stood by Ningguang.

Ningguang: Roping you in was possibly the most masterful move we could have made. I believe that future generations will say so too, when our deeds come up for their review.

Fu Hua: I'm glad that we met you Ningguang.

Ningguang: So am I, Fu Hua.

Ganyu: The clean-up of the premises, managing the crowds as they exit, making an account of the Rite... There's much that remains to be done. I didn't miss anything, did I?

Fu Hua: *giggles*. No you haven't, Ganyu.

And then we shared a laugh. Once we stopped we went up to Zhongli.

Paimon: Hey, Zhongli! Look at this. Everyone in Liyue's caught up in their emotions, thinking they'll never see Rex Lapis again... ...And here you are, looking all relaxed!

Zhongli: Hahaha. Why would I not feel more at ease after laying down the burden I have borne for 3,700 years? Right, if the two of you can spare the time. I should treat you to a meal at the Xinyue Kiosk.

Fu Hua: That would be nice, Zhongli.

Paimon: Hah! That sounds like big talk, Zhongli. Paimon might have believed you if you were treating us to some Third-Round Knockout, but you'd have to pay out your nose just to stand inside Xinyue Kiosk. Are you sure you can afford it?
Zhongli: Hmm... You're right, I do lack the Mora.

Aether: You've been this way this entire time, but...

Paimon: But why would Morax lack Mora?

Zhongli: As the Rex Lapis Morax, I can easily create Mora. But since I have chosen to walk this earth as the mortal Zhongli, I should abide by the same rules that mortals do. When I was journeying with you, though I still had the Gnosis in hand, I knew that I must soon retire from my role as an archon. So I had to... rehearse a little, for my new life.

Paimon: Oh, no wonder! Paimon gets it now. You didn't look at the price tags when we were spending because you've never had to. But since you weren't used to not being able to just make some Mora as and when you wanted to, you had to try becoming a parasite to society who lives off of other peoples' credit...

Zhongli: Well, we were only spending Fatui money. You don't have to say it like that... In the city of commerce, we do not merely exchange money or goods. We also exchange knowledge, memories, and foresight, as well as positions, roles, and lives. The archon Morax could never experience life as the true mortal Zhongli could, no matter how many times he descended to be with his people. Haha, I must thank you for that, Travelers. I will treasure the memories that I made as Zhongli, traveling the streets of Liyue with you all.

Aether: It was a fine journey.

Fu Hua: We enjoyed the journey with you.

Zhongli: That is true, but there is no journey that does not end. No meetings without partings.

Paimon: Mm... Paimon thinks that we should make a move and continue our search for The Seven.

Zhongli: I fear that continuing your journey may be difficult. The nation that neighbors Liyue by sea, Inazuma, is presently closed.

Everyone: "Closed"?

Zhongli: Yes. The nation has been closed by order of its deity.

We turned to Sakura and Kallen.

Sakura: It's true.

Kallen: Inazuma is closed off.

Patrick: Then how did you get to Liyue?

Sakura: Kallen and I managed to sneak out of Inazuma.

Aether: Who's the god who rules Inazuma?
Zhongli: The Electro Archon, Baal — and just as the people of Liyue preferred to call me Rex Lapis, she too goes by another name among locals in Inazuma.

Paimon: Um, Paimon thinks we've heard that one before. Uh.. Rai... Raiden?

Sakura: Yes. Her other name is Raiden. Just like Mei. And she's a Goddess.

Zhongli: That is the case. And since Raiden is also the Shogun of the Inazuma Bakufu, people call her the Raiden Shogun.

Aether: The Inazuma Bakufu... The Shogun...

Paimon: That said, thought people at the wharf were saying that the situation in Inazuma is very tense, Paimon doesn't remember that always being the case. It wasn't that bad last year... Zhongli, since you're Rex Lapis, shouldn't you know something about what's happening there? Just how did Inazuma become a closed nation?

Zhongli: It's because of Visions.

Paimon: Visions?

Zhongli: When faced with circumstances beyond their control, humans often bemoan their lack of power. But if a person shows true strength of will at a desperate and fateful moment in their life, the gods will look upon them with favor. That is what Visions are. Magical foci bestowed upon those who have been acknowledged by the gods.

Paimon: Uh-huh. That's how people in Teyvat see it.

Zhongli: But starting from last year, the Raiden Shogun began promulgating the "Vision Hunt Decree."

Paimon: ...Vision Hunt Decree?

Zhongli: Yes. It was an order to seize all Visions within Inazuma's borders, and to inlay them upon the hands of a statue of the Thousand-Armed, Hundred-Eyed God.

Sakura: That is correct. When Kallen and I received our Visions, we had to hide them. Then we had to leave.

Paimon: They want to seize Visions? But why? Aren't Visions blessings from the gods?

Zhongli: I should think that in the Raiden Shogun's eyes, it is precisely because they are divine blessings, that they should be under the sole dominion of divinity.

Paimon: Whoa... That's harsh.

Kallen: Yes it is.

Zhongli: The Anemo Archon is the God of Freedom, and the Geo Archon is the God of Contracts. For her part, the Raiden Shogun is the God of Eternity. It seems as though she has finally decided to eliminate any unstable elements that could pose a threat to her eternal realm. The fact that even I, the oldest of The Seven, have now "passed away" will only strengthen her resolve to pursue eternity. Knowing her, she must have again quoted that adage she is most fond of when proclaiming that decree to her people: "Seven ideals for seven gods, and of these, Eternity is nearest unto Heaven."

Aether: Heaven...

Zhongli: Alright, then. Was there anything else you wished to know?

Patrick: Yes there is.

Aether: So, about the "trial"...

Zhongli: Haha... Ah, that was a good one. Failing a divine trial? How they came up with that excuse, I will never know. That said, the reason why the Qixing were so eager to resolve the incident and stop pursuing the culprit was indeed because they received news in secret that Rex Lapis was not dead. I hinted as much to the adepti as well.

Fu Hua: Ana's how did you accomplish that?

Zhongli: How did I accomplish that, you ask? Hmm... Have you ever heard of this particularly convenient adepti art known as "gifting dreams and visions"?

Fu Hua: Yes we have. Next question.

Aether: What about Childe...

Seele: What's going to happen to him now?

Paimon: Yeah, about that. Before the Qixing made their announcement, we listened to a lot of people talking on the way. Most of them put the blame of everything on Childe.

Himeko: Especially after we've proved that the Fatui are criminals.

Zhongli: These are indeed false accusations, but it remains undeniably true that Childe did send people to the Jade Chamber to prevent the adepti and the Qixing from defeating the ancient god. I've heard that Ningguang is busy milking that for all it's worth on the foreign relations front at the moment, browbeating the envoys of the Fatui. Ah, those poor Snezhnayan diplomats. If it were not for Childe's exalted position as a Harbinger, I'm certain that they would have shifted all the blame to him and called for his dismissal by now.

Aether: As for the Liyue Qixing...

Zhongli: "The time of the adepti has long passed. If even the Liyue Qixing don't want to face that truth, then what future is there for Liyue?" Keqing is absolutely right in saying this. Now, though I did laud Ningguang's desire for power, believing this to be a good thing, and thought as a matter of course that she must have been behind the Qixing's plan to take governing power over Liyue from the hands of the gods and adepti... Could the original person who brought up the idea of seizing power have been...? Hmm...

Aether: Now, about Mora...

Paimon: That's right! Zhongli, now that you don't have your Gnosis, what's going to happen to all the Mora in Teyvat? Since Morax is "dead," are they all just gonna disappear? Also, isn't the Golden House the only mint in the entire continent? Will it even continue to work?

Zhongli: The Mora present now will not vanish. But the Golden House will indeed have to cease operations for a lengthy period of time, since creating Mora requires the use of the Geo Archon's power.

Paimon: Argh! This is terrible. We're all about to run out of Mora! The world is coming to an end!

Zhongli: Yes, this is indeed a major issue from a financial standpoint... Uh... Well. I suppose we'll just leave such troublesome matters to the Liyue Qixing to debate.

Paimon: Then... did you at least set some private funds aside for yourself?

Zhongli: Oh, a private fund? Hmm, this does seem like a good, logical, common-sense idea. Ah, it's a shame...

Paimon: What's a shame?

Zhongli: It's a shame that I didn't think of it at the time.

Aether: There's nothing else...

Theresa: We've heard every thing we need to know.

Zhongli: Well then, I suppose you'll have to find a way to get inside this closed nation. Have patience... I suspect that some serendipity must first come into play...

Paimon: Well, what are we going to do now?

Patrick: Well since Inazuma is closed, we should head back to Mondstadt.

Theresa: That would be a good idea.

Sakura: We'll think of a way to get into Inazuma for another time.

Bronya: The Bronya wants to work in Lisa's library again.

Sakura: I'd very much like to see Mondstadt myself.

Kallen: And so do I.

We walked out of the Yujing Terrace to leave. Another Archon quest was finished. We've decided to spend a few more days in Liyue before returning to Mondstadt.