“The Tsaritsa herself, huh? My, what an honor.”
Gu Sanqiu dismissed the shield he had summoned. It had served its purpose as a symbolic prop, but if things came to a true battle, it wouldn’t stand a chance against a powerful ranged attack.
“That said, you’re not really my main target.”
His tone turned lighthearted, almost amused. “I must say, I’m impressed. Snezhnaya’s technology has reached this level, huh? All I wanted was to lure out that unruly elder of mine and see if I could pry out something he hasn’t told me.”
“What do you wish to know?” The voice from the gem grew colder, but there was a sharp clarity to it. “I can answer your questions—but only if you guarantee their safety.”
“Relax. I never actually planned on killing these two ‘couriers.’”
Gu Sanqiu gave a casual smile. “Shame, though. It seems your methods have been seen through by that Wind Archon. Otherwise, my interference would have been stopped long ago.”
“They’re just trivial tricks,” the Tsaritsa replied, her voice sharp as ice. “Nothing worth keeping secret. Now, what is it you really want?”
“Oh, nothing much. Maybe I’m just having some fun?” Gu Sanqiu spread his hands, his tone mischievous. “How about we strike a deal? You can take the Gnosis, but you’ll have to pay me a fair price for it. What do you say?”
“What do you want?”
Gu Sanqiu rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Hmm, how about making me the equivalent of a prince in Snezhnaya? Would you agree to that?”
The icy glow from the gem flared dangerously. “Repeat that.”
“Alright, alright, I surrender. No need to get so worked up. Strong emotions are terrible for your skin, you know,” Gu Sanqiu said, raising his hands in mock capitulation. “All I want is the method you used to extract the Gnosis.”
From the beginning, he had sensed something off.
Even though Venti was a seasoned actor, it seemed unlikely that someone like Rosalyne could have handled him so easily. Sure, if Venti were a mere mortal, it wouldn’t be surprising if they could extract anything from him—including his heart or brain. But to reach directly into his body and pull out a Gnosis? That was on a whole other level of improbability.
Where exactly is a Gnosis stored?
Does it normally exist in the form of a chess piece, or does it integrate itself into the Archon’s body, dispersed through various organs? Or perhaps, like that odd Zhongli character, it was just handed off to someone to do with as they pleased?
Rosalyne had lived a long life, and her past exploits were nothing short of extraordinary, but there was no way she could instantly discern the truth about a Gnosis’s location.
So Gu Sanqiu deduced that the Fatui Harbingers must possess some kind of tool or method for extracting it—something likely passed down by the Tsaritsa herself.
“Clever.”
A faint ripple of energy radiated from the icy gem. Rosalyne froze for a moment, then turned to look at Gu Sanqiu with a mixture of shock and disbelief.
“Give it to him. Consider it your Tsaritsa’s ransom.”
“Tch.”
Rosalyne didn’t hesitate long before retrieving a delicate glove from her belongings and tossing it to Gu Sanqiu.
“This is what you want.”
Gu Sanqiu caught the glove, his expression suddenly unreadable.
This is it? A glove?
He had expected some sort of unique, divine technique—something intricate and trainable.
But then it hit him. If there’s a women’s version, why not a men’s?
Gu Sanqiu’s eyes darted to Childe. “If there’s a glove, that means all the Harbingers probably have one, right? Hand yours over.”
“Don’t look at me. I don’t have one,” Childe replied with a shrug. “Believe it or not, this is the truth. As for any deeper secrets, I’m not at liberty to tell you.”
Gu Sanqiu nodded thoughtfully. “Got it. I’ll pick a time when your Tsaritsa and this one here aren’t around to press you for answers.”
“Could you be any more blatant with your attempts to sow discord?”
“Leave the elemental gems here and take the Gnosis back as quickly as possible,” the Tsaritsa’s voice commanded.
The icy gemstone floated closer to Gu Sanqiu, deliberately rising until it hovered just above his eye level.
“I’m not one of your subordinates. Do me a favor and stop using this tone with me.”
Gu Sanqiu wasn’t one to yield, so he flew up to match the gem’s height, his gaze meeting it head-on.
“Interesting. You’re taking that thing from me. Does that mean you’re planning to move against Morax?”
The Tsaritsa’s voice remained as cold as ever. “If you find yourself unwelcome in Liyue, I might consider naming you as the final seat among my Harbingers.”
“Such an honor,” Gu Sanqiu said with mock reverence. “But your Harbingers’ pay and benefits seem… less than appealing. I’ll pass.”
His tone turned serious. “Now then, Your Majesty—or should I call you a god? From what I know of you, you’re not the type who enjoys idle chatter. If you’ve got something to ask, just spit it out.”
“I’m merely curious. If my people brought you to Snezhnaya at full force, would the outcome be any different? I find the idea intriguing,” the Tsaritsa mused. “And I’m sure Sumeru would find you fascinating as well.”
“Sumeru? You mean those scholars who’ve let knowledge and ignorance consume them?”
Gu Sanqiu sneered. “Those people are probably interested in any information they can’t completely control. It’s a well-known fact.”
He recalled rumors about Sumeru sending agents to capture Baizhu, the renowned doctor from Liyue, only for those agents to be intercepted and soundly beaten by Liyue’s exorcists.
“If the rumors are true, I wouldn’t be surprised if they’ve already tried something similar before.”
The Tsaritsa’s voice softened unexpectedly. “Such a clever little creature. A companion through countless millennia… Morax is lucky to have your lineage by his side.”
“My apologies, little one. It must be exhausting, bearing the weight of so much alongside me and my people.”
The sudden shift in tone unsettled Gu Sanqiu. Hearing warmth and gentleness from someone as ruthless as the Tsaritsa felt surreal.
“Goodbye, little one. If fate allows, visit Snezhnaya someday. The Doctor seems particularly eager to meet you… ‘friend.’”
Her voice lingered for a moment before delivering one final message:
“Though I do not know what drives you to endure, those who suffer often do so for the sake of warmth and hope.”
“Carry on, little one. For your god, and so others may know they are not alone in this world.”
“To bear sorrow and pain, yet yearn for hope and light.”
“In time, the future will come. Even the faintest spark can ignite a flame that melts the coldest of winters.”
—
This is a fan translation of 原神之璃月奉香人 by 淡白蛋清. All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!
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