Hu Tao Is Monetizing My Existence. [97]

Huixin took out a small notebook and carefully jotted down what Zhongli had said. Then she brought out a large assortment of incense pastes.

“What about these incense blends? I’ve prepared several types, but I’m not sure which scent the Lord of Geo might prefer…”

Each one was a small sample; the final versions hadn’t been produced yet.

As the various aromas wafted up from the neatly arranged samples, Zhongli pondered for a moment before offering, “I’m not sure either. Perhaps… setting them before the divine statue and letting it choose would be a good idea.”

“You can do that?!” Huixin’s eyes lit up—another trick learned.

While the group was talking, a young woman approached. Her hair was styled into twin tufts resembling cat ears, and a long sword hung at her waist.

“Huixin!”

“Miss Keqing!” Huixin’s eyes widened in surprise at the sight of the newcomer.

“I didn’t see you at Yuelai Pavilion, so I figured you’d be here.” Keqing stopped in front of them.

She wore a pale white, silver-embroidered jacket with sleeves slightly wider than usual, fluttering in the breeze. Her waist was cinched, and her layered skirt reached to her thighs. Black stockings hugged her slender legs.

Large almond-shaped eyes, a high-bridged nose, fair skin, and soft pink cheeks—she looked like the daughter of a noble household.

Yet she stood ramrod straight, her gaze sharp and commanding. Though she appeared quite young, no one would dare underestimate her.

She glanced toward Zhongli and Jiang Bai beside Huixin.

“And who are these two?”

“This is Mr. Zhongli and Mr. Jiang Bai from Wangsheng Funeral Parlor,” Huixin explained, then introduced Keqing in turn to the two men. “This is Yuheng Xing Keqing, one of the Liyue Qixing. Today’s Rite of Descension is being organized under her direction.”

Among this generation’s Qixing, only Yuheng and Tianquan were known to appear regularly in public. As such, they represented the face of the Qixing to the outside world.

“You’re the Yuheng Xing Keqing? You look about the same age as our Director… Truly impressive for someone so young!” Jiang Bai couldn’t help but marvel, and complimented her along the way.

After all, the Qixing were the governing powers beneath the Lord of Geo himself. It was hard to imagine someone so young holding that kind of authority.

He’d always assumed people in charge of big things were older—middle-aged at the very least.

This Yuheng Xing had completely upended his expectations.

“A pleasure to meet you.”

Zhongli, as always, kept it simple.

His tone remained calm and even, showing no change whatsoever despite the identity of the person before him.

“Nice to meet you.”

Keqing gave a slight nod. Though she was one of the Seven Stars, she wasn’t difficult to get along with. Nor did she display the slightest arrogance toward two ordinary civilians.

However, she also didn’t respond to Jiang Bai’s compliment.

“Miss Keqing, is something the matter?” Huixin asked, puzzled.

For Keqing to come find her in person, it was surely no trivial errand.

Keqing didn’t hesitate. “The Rite of Descension has grown too stagnant over the years. I believe the Lord of Geo must be tired of seeing the same things again and again. I want to add something new.”

“Something new?” The sudden proposal caught Huixin off guard.

“Yes.” Keqing circled the ceremonial table once, her gaze sweeping over the various ores displayed. She spoke slowly but firmly:

“Every year, it’s the same old minerals and Glaze Lilies. Pretty, yes—but of little real value. None of it helps the Lord of Geo understand the present-day Liyue.”

“The Lord descends but once a year. That single moment must convey what has happened over the past year—otherwise, how can he know whether his policies are truly effective?”

Though young, Keqing’s presence was commanding. Her words landed with the weight of conviction.

“But we’ve never done that before. Wouldn’t putting government records on the ritual table be… inappropriate?”

Not to mention, there was an entire year’s worth of administrative reports. Even all eight tables combined likely wouldn’t be enough to hold everything.

Huixin was genuinely troubled—on one hand, there was Keqing’s new directive, and on the other, the weight of long-standing tradition. She felt trapped between the two.

“Never having done it before… does that automatically mean it’s right not to?” Keqing’s tone was unwavering, and she had no fear about expressing her views in front of others.

“Liyue Harbor is like a grand castle built upon sand. But the tides are not controlled by mortals.”

She gazed down at the bustling harbor below. Her eyes shimmered with too many emotions to name—chief among them, a quiet worry for the future.

People had grown too comfortable under the gods’ protection. No one stopped to think about what humanity’s future might look like.

But what if… one day, the gods disappeared?

Would the people, so long coddled by divine favor, still be capable of building another Liyue Harbor?

Keqing had always thought further ahead than others. She could see the hidden dangers in Liyue more clearly than most.

The entire nation rested upon the foundation of the Geo Archon. Should he falter, all of Liyue would follow.

But just as one eats a meal bite by bite, the path of challenging divine authority must also be walked step by step.

“Humans make mistakes. Why must a god always be right?” she asked loudly, without the slightest fear of being overheard by someone with ill intentions.

Her question didn’t just stump Huixin—it caught Zhongli and Jiang Bai off guard as well.

Can a god make mistakes?

Jiang Bai had no clue. He’d never met one. He didn’t know, and couldn’t say.

But Zhongli knew.

Gods were not omniscient or omnipotent. Without a doubt—they could be wrong.

He let out a quiet sigh. “No one is always right—not even the gods.”

“In the earliest Rite of Descension ceremonies, official reports were displayed,” Zhongli added. “But over time, the volume of paperwork grew too great, and the Lord of Geo reviewed them less and less. Eventually, they vanished from the table altogether.”

With Zhongli’s support, Huixin finally felt freed from the tug-of-war she’d been caught in.

“I’ll compile a summary of the year’s major events and try to have it ready before the ceremony begins.”

Whether the Lord chose to read it or not was his decision. But whether or not they presented it—that was their stance.

Keqing gave a satisfied nod and walked over to the railing of Yiuyan Hall. She gazed out at Liyue Harbor below and murmured softly to herself:

“The Lord has protected Liyue for a thousand years… but will he continue for the next thousand? The next ten thousand? A hundred thousand?”

Her voice wasn’t loud, but it was clear enough for Zhongli to hear.

A thoughtful smile tugged at his lips.

“Mr. Zhongli, what are you smiling at?” Jiang Bai looked over, puzzled.

He’d been a bystander this whole time, but he still had no idea what was going on.

From what he could tell, this Yuheng Xing Keqing seemed to have quite a few complaints about the Lord of Geo. Was Zhongli smiling because he’d found someone who shared his views?

If you’re going to rebel, fine—just don’t drag me and the Director into it.

“It’s nothing,” Zhongli replied with a soft chuckle. “Just thought of something that made me happy.”

And it was true—Liyue Harbor having someone like her was something worth being happy about.

Only with people like that… could he seriously consider whether it was time to entrust Liyue to them.

—

This is a fan translation of 胡桃拿我冲业绩 by 余溯. 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!