Genshin Impact's Incense Burner Of Liyue.

Gu Sanqiu waved goodbye to Ningguang and her companions, then crossed his arms behind his head and dropped off the deck.

Or rather, he fell—without bothering to summon Anemo energy to cushion or lift himself back up.

"Whatever. Let's see what everyone's up to. I'll pick a few lucky folks at random and drag them out for some fun."

Finally settling on a plan, Gu Sanqiu allowed the wind to carry him toward Feiyun Commerce Guild.

"Ah Xu, is your young master around?"

"Huh? Oh, it's you, Sir Xiangjun! Please, come in and have a seat."

Ah Xu seemed surprised to see him. "Aren't you with Young Master Xingqiu and his friends?"

"Out with them? Why would I be?"

Ah Xu handed him a cup of tea. "The young masters went out again shortly after returning. They mentioned finding traces of some sort of demon. I thought you'd gone with them."

"A demon?"

Gu Sanqiu frowned. Demonic traces near Liyue Harbor? What kind of demon was bold enough to stick around? Did it not fear getting skewered by a green spear falling from the sky?

"Alright then, I'll leave you to your work."

Gu Sanqiu took off for the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, pushing the door open as though he owned the place.

He didn't resort to kicking it open—this place had symbolic significance, and barging in like that would've been inappropriate. Now, had it been the Feiyun Commerce Guild, he might've gone for an 1800-degree spinning kick to boot the door off its hinges.

"Where's your boss?"

"The director is out on business, Sir Xiangjun," replied one of the staff.

What?

Gu Sanqiu wasn't buying it. "What about Brother Zhongli? Don't tell me he's out too."

The staff nodded. "Yes, the director and Mr. Zhongli left together. There was a strong earthquake near Nantianmen earlier, so they went to handle it."

…So it was his own fault all along?

The disturbances in that area must've been caused by Lord Azhdaha's emotional outburst and subsequent energy leak. It also explained why Xingqiu and Chongyun had picked up traces of demons.

With such a commotion, there was no way Liyue's celestial and terrestrial observation agencies would miss it. And if no treasure had surfaced, the only logical explanation would be demonic activity in this peaceful age.

"Alright, sorry for bothering you."

Still unconvinced, Gu Sanqiu headed to Wanmin Restaurant. "Chef Mao, is Xiangling around?"

"Oh, it's you, little Gu. Xiangling's off in Dihua Marsh; you won't find her here."

Huh?

"What's so fun about Dihua Marsh? Don't tell me she's out looking for some secret recipe a master chef left behind in the wild?"

Chef Mao rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Not quite a secret recipe, but something close enough."

"Hu Tao told Xiangling you were raising an especially handsome eagle out in Dihua Marsh. She said it could help Xiangling gather rare ingredients growing in precarious spots. The girl got so excited she promised the funeral parlor three days of free catering."

What the—

Gu Sanqiu's jaw dropped, his mind reeling in disbelief.

What was up with these past few days? He couldn't even find anyone to hang out with. Had Liyue been affected by some bizarre "universal good karma" rule?

Wait. Some of this chaos is probably my own doing.

Well, that's settled then.

"Tch. Are you all forcing me to head to Mondstadt for a change? I refuse to believe everyone over there is working overtime too."

If nothing else, those two pyro and cryo "brothers"—one who loved slacking off and one so rich he didn't need to work—should have time to spare.

Call it a reconnaissance mission for when the Traveler eventually stirs up trouble in Mondstadt and Liyue. Maybe scope out spots where Dvalin could be taken down in one strike. Or perhaps plan for tossing Paimon and the Traveler into a burlap sack before they start yelling.

See? This isn't goofing off—it's a noble undertaking for the sake of the future. A righteous cause!

"Let's move out!"

After a moment of self-convincing that this was anything but a slacker mission, Gu Sanqiu leapt into the air and sped toward Mondstadt.

"If I leave early enough, I can make it in one go. If it gets late, I'll decide between staying at Wangshu Inn or snagging a meal at Dawn Winery."

Rubbing his chin, Gu Sanqiu mused, "Eh, if I have to stop midway, Dawn Winery sounds better. A change of cuisine wouldn't hurt."

Having settled on his route, he surged forward, speeding across the skies.

On the way, he narrowly avoided a spear of teal energy aimed at his forehead. Only after hurriedly identifying himself to Xiao did he avoid a midair collision.

"Be careful in Mondstadt. Don't fly around recklessly like you do here in Liyue."

"Got it, Xiao. Later~"

By sunset, Gu Sanqiu successfully skipped over Dawn Winery, arriving in Mondstadt on time. On a whim, he handed Timmy some high-grade bird feed infused with elemental energy.

"Buttered fish, Fisherman's Toast, sweetened carrot meat rolls, two servings of meat sauce noodles, and two cold cut platters, please. Thanks."

"Huh? I remember you! The Liyuean who visited Mondstadt last time!"

Smiling warmly, Sara nodded at him. "It's been a while. Still quite the appetite, I see."

"Not bad."

Gu Sanqiu casually swiped a plate of mint jelly off the counter to whet his appetite.

"Well, well, look who we have here."

From across the room, Eula and Amber approached at a leisurely pace.

"You just got to Mondstadt?"

Eula sat down naturally at Gu Sanqiu's table. Compared to her usual interactions with Mondstadters wary of her family name, she found dealing with Gu Sanqiu much more comfortable. At least they'd shared drinks at the same table before—friends, of a sort.

"Yep, just arrived."

Eula turned her head with a huff. "Coming to Mondstadt without informing us so we could host you—how audacious. I'm keeping a record of this slight!"

"Well, I just decided to come on a whim."

Gu Sanqiu smiled helplessly and gestured for Amber to take a seat too.

"A whim? When did you leave?"

"Today."

What?

Eula's eyes widened. "You left Liyue today and made it here by afternoon?"

"Yep. My pace wasn't even that fast. I could've arrived earlier."

If he had Xiao's abilities, he could've leisurely toured the outskirts and still made it back to Mondstadt in time for dinner.

"You call that slow? Are you mocking us? I'm writing this down too—"

"Alright, alright. No more grudges."

Gu Sanqiu raised a hand to stop her from pulling out her notebook. "This meal's on me. Plus, I brought some premium aged wine from Liyue. Let's meet later at Angel's Share."

"Deal."

Eula accepted the offer without hesitation.

Gu Sanqiu turned to both of them. "By the way, I'm surprised the Knights of Favonius are eating on time. Is it your day off?"

"Not quite. We were leading training exercises near the domain. These things can't be rushed, so we keep regular meal breaks."

Eula sighed. "Also, the one who skips meals is Acting Grand Master Jean. We constantly have to remind her it's time to eat. She works herself far too hard."

Amber grinned at Gu Sanqiu. "Sir Gu Sanqiu, is this visit purely personal? Need any help touring Mondstadt?"