Genshin Impact: The Sharpshooter of Teyvat

Chapter 1195 The Soul of the Wind God Who Stole the Faith of the Rock God

Beidou realized that Ningguang wasn't serious and was clearly just teasing her.

She immediately grinned and lightened the pressure on her shoulders, kneading them gently as if she were playing around with her best friend.

"Hey, there's no one else in this house, why are you being so cautious with your words?"

"Who doesn't know? Without your support, Keqing's temple fair would have been in chaos on the first day, and she might not even have been able to collect the rent from the merchants!"

That's true. Although Keqing is energetic and good at promoting reforms, she is ultimately no match for Ningguang when it comes to the intricacies of the business world and the handling of interpersonal relationships.

As he spoke, Beidou simply leaned down and gently rested his chin on Ningguang's hair.

She shook her head and suggested with a smile, "By the way, Ningguang, the temple fair has gone smoothly and we've made so much money, shouldn't we have a celebration banquet or something?"

"Let everyone have some fun, and also give Keqing a shout-out."

Ningguang lowered her head slightly under her pressure, but when she heard the words "victory celebration banquet," the first thing that flashed through her mind was Keqing's strong-willed appearance. She then smiled and shook her head, not overstepping her bounds.

"Whether or not to hold a celebration banquet depends on Ke Qing's mood."

"To be honest, I would like to help her organize a grand event, invite all the important people in Liyue Harbor, and make her shine."

"But you also know this girl's personality. She's very concerned about her image. If I steal her thunder, she might turn around and give me a hard time, saying that I'm 'meddling'."

Upon hearing this, Beidou nodded in agreement.

She had been dealing with Ke Qing for quite some time and was well aware of Ke Qing's temperament of "wanting to do everything herself and not wanting to fall behind others".

In name only, Ke Qing was in charge of the temple fair, and the celebration banquet would only be valid if she gave her approval.

So she didn't dwell on it any longer, and changed the subject, remembering something else, and took the opportunity to suggest:

"Alright, I'll mention it to Keqing when I have a chance. By the way, Ningguang, if we're having a victory celebration, should we invite Shao Yun, Ying, and Paimon over?"

"We've been busy with the temple fair all this time, so we haven't seen the three of them show up. But this celebration banquet is different. We should invite these three great heroes who saved Liyue to join in the fun and share in the joy."

The moment the name "Shao Yun" left Beidou's mouth, Ningguang's relaxed shoulders stiffened instantly, and she felt a slight tremor.

Her heart was filled with a mixture of respect, gratitude, and a fear that even she herself had to admit.

Ningguang casually made up an excuse to change the subject.

"This family... I overheard someone mention them a few days ago. They seem to be busy managing the ranch in Nata lately."

"With taking care of the newborn baby and dealing with ranch chores, he probably didn't have time to come back for the celebration banquet."

She was being half-true and half-false. Shao Yun's family was indeed in Nata, but "too busy to have time" was more of an excuse for not wanting to continue the topic.

After all, whenever Shao Yun was mentioned, she couldn't help but think of the "fox borrowing the tiger's power" incident, and that little bit of unease in her heart would resurface. It was better to change the subject by saying she was "busy".

Upon hearing that Shao Yun's family genuinely didn't have time, and recalling that he hadn't seen Ying and Paimeng at all during the temple fair, Bei Dou sighed helplessly.

"Sigh, this is really not like Ying and Paimon's style."

“In the past, no matter if it was a big or small festival in Liyue, as long as there was excitement, you could always see the two of them. Paimon would always come over to freeload.”

As she spoke, she couldn't help but shake her head, feeling a deep sense of regret.

As Ningguang looked at Beidou's dejected expression, the image of Ying involuntarily surfaced in her mind.

That energetic girl who's always willing to go to great lengths for her friends (sometimes a bit of a jerk), and her daughter—you can vaguely see Shao Yun's shadow in that little baby's eyes.

She sighed softly, and said with a sense of loss, "I guess this is what it's like to settle down and start a family."

"Now that I have a family and children, my mind is naturally more focused on my family. Things like liveliness are not so important anymore."

These words were both a reflection on Ying's changes and a subtle reminder to himself that he probably wouldn't be able to use Shao Yun's "tiger skin" for much longer.

If he doesn't seize the time to consolidate his power, his position as "Tianquan Star" might really become unstable.

Beidou had no idea about Ningguang's inner thoughts. She only saw Ningguang suddenly fall silent and look away, and assumed that Ningguang was annoyed with her.

Sigh, it seems I won't be able to squeeze any hard-earned money out of Ningguang for my brothers.

She pursed her lips, suppressing her regret, and said with some disappointment:

"Alright, since they really aren't available, then forget it."

"Once you and Keqing have finalized the details of the victory celebration banquet, remember to send someone to call me. I'll definitely be there to show my support. I won't disturb you any longer while you're busy with your work. I'll be going now!"

Ningguang watched as Beidou turned to leave. How could she let Beidou leave "empty-handed" like that?

Just now, Beidou was patting my shoulder and trying to get a "hardship fee"—it was all in my mind. Although it was a joke, the Southern Cross fleet had indeed been busy with the temple fair, so it was only right and proper to show some appreciation.

She casually pulled a blank bank draft from the Liyue Bank in the drawer and wrote down a number.

It was enough for the Southern Cross fleet crew to have a good meal, and there would still be plenty left over for the crew as pocket money.

After finishing writing, she folded the draft in half, held it gently between two fingers, and said, "By the way, Beidou, wait a minute. Didn't you ask me for the crew's hardship fee? Consider this as payment for the tea you've had. Thank you for your help during this time."

At this moment, Ningguang, with the bill of exchange held between two fingers, exuded the air of a wealthy, extravagant queen.

That gesture seemed to say, "Baby, I'll take care of you."

Upon hearing the sound, Beidou immediately turned around and saw the bill of exchange in Ningguang's hand at a glance.

Her eyes lit up instantly, and she rushed back in three steps, snatched the draft, unfolded it, and saw the number on it that made her grin from ear to ear.

This isn't just "tea money," it's real tea money...

She quickly and carefully put the draft into her pocket, patted it to make sure it wouldn't fall out, and the disappointment on her face had long since vanished, replaced by a big smile.

"Oh, I'll gladly accept! I'll take the brothers out for a proper celebration later, and I'll say it's your treat!"

As she spoke, she suddenly moved closer to Ningguang, and before Ningguang could react, she raised her hand and gently touched her chin, her tone becoming inappropriate.

"I didn't expect our Lady Ningguang to be so generous. Are you perhaps worried that I won't come to massage your shoulders next time?"

The teasing came so suddenly that Ningguang was taken aback for a moment, then shook her head helplessly.

She looked at the unruly Beidou in front of her, her eyes filled with satisfaction.

Beidou is now the only person she can let her guard down and who can be considered her "only good friend".

She gently slapped away Beidou's teasing hand and threatened, "You're so unserious... Hurry up and leave, or I'll regret asking for the draft back."

"No way!" Beidou immediately took a step back and laughed heartily, "I'm leaving now! I won't disturb your official business! Remember to call me at the celebration banquet later!"

……

Meanwhile, the main venue of the temple fair is located west of Tianheng Mountain.

The once bustling and brightly lit main venue of the temple fair is no longer as lively as it used to be.

The vast majority of vendors had already packed up their stalls and left.

The remaining scattered stalls are also being packed up in a flurry of activity, and it is expected that they will be completely cleared out within the next day or two, allowing the place to return to its former tranquility.

Overall, this festival, comparable in scale to the Liyue Lantern Festival, can be seen as adding a significant boost to Teyvat's economic engine.

Of course, if we're talking about who's the happiest, it's definitely Barbara, who stole the Liyue people's faith in the Geo Archon during the festival.

She avoided the few staff members and sneaked around to the back of the two-person-tall rock god statue in the center of the venue.

This statue was provided by the Feiyun Chamber of Commerce and was the object of countless worshippers' prayers and prayers during the temple fair.

But no one knows that a secret hidden in the base of the idol is enough to overturn Teyvat.

Barbara looked around for a moment, and after confirming that no one was around, she found the hidden compartment of the statue.

With a soft "click," the door to the hidden compartment popped open.

She eagerly reached in and took out the bottle containing the soul of the wind god.

A faint golden and cyan halo lingered in the bottle, and a blurry outline of a soul could be vaguely seen. That was the soul of the wind god, which had been reshaped by the power of the abyss and absorbed the faith of the rock god.

Barbara held the glass bottle up to her eyes, her almost manic emotions overflowing.

However, Barbara did not express her joy aloud; instead, she kept her excitement to herself and in her mind.

"Hehe, it's finally over... My god, you must have accumulated a lot of faith during this temple fair, right?"

"Look how devout those Liyue people are. They kneel and worship before the Geo Archon statue, but they don't know that their faith will ultimately become the nourishment that sustains you..."

The soul inside the bottle seemed to sense her gaze, and the blue halo trembled slightly, as if in response.

Seeing this, Barbara's smile twisted even more, and she roared inwardly:

"My god, judging from your appearance, nourished by the faith in the Rock God, your soul is becoming more and more solid, and the time for your resurrection is drawing ever closer!"

"It won't be long before you return to Teyvat. All my efforts have paid off!"

After the initial excitement, Barbara gradually calmed down.

She carefully put the bottle away, making sure no one would notice.

Then, she stood before the cold statue of the rock god and began to ponder her future plans.

"But what should I do next?"

Go back to Mondstadt? She immediately dismissed the idea.

Mondstadt offers too little faith these days; going back would be a waste of time.

Should we stay in Liyue? But the festival is over, and the "sources" of Geo Cult worship have greatly decreased. If we stay any longer, it will be difficult to gain more faith.

Barbara thought about it again and again, and became more and more conflicted.

Where should we go to continue gathering faith for the god so that he can be resurrected as soon as possible?

Since she left that place with the inverted statue and eerie atmosphere, carrying the soul of the wind god reshaped by the power of the abyss, the man in the tall hat has never appeared again.

There were no instructions, no support, not even a single question.

This feeling of being "abandoned" left her with a persistent sense of unease.