Genshin impact: investing in small Ningguang

Chapter: 80-82

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Chapter 80: The Key to Unlocking the World Is the Glazed Lily

Amon tried bringing the Memories of Dust closer to the Gnosis.

As he guessed,

under the influence of the Memories of Dust, the Gnosis gradually began to shine.

Although the light was not very bright, it was far better than the initial gray and dim state.

It now seemed that if one wanted to make the Gnosis shine again, the Memories of Dust might be the key.

According to the background story, the Memories of Dust is a token of the covenant that the God of Dust, Guizhong, gave to Zhongli after her death.

The shackles of the world contain all the wisdom of its end. If they can be unlocked, perhaps the answers can be revealed.

But... how could this lock be unlocked?

Amon remembered that the Memories of Dust frequently mentioned the Glazed Lily.

The first time Guizhong met Zhongli was in a field full of Glazed Lilies.

In the end, she fell into Zhongli's arms amidst the same flowers.

Additionally, Zhongli often associated Glazed Lilies with her memory.

Amon surmised that Guizhong must have had a deep connection with the Glazed Lily.

Could the key to unlocking this lock be the Glazed Lily?

With this theory in mind, Amon decided to test it. He retrieved the Memories of Dust and turned his gaze toward Ganyu.

The reason was simple: as a half-Adeptus Qilin, Ganyu had extremely high standards for food.

It was likely that she possessed a clean and pure Glazed Lily.

At that moment, Ganyu was standing by the shore, watching over the three little ones.

Seeing that Amon appeared to be preoccupied, she had voluntarily taken up the responsibility of looking after the children.

"Qiqi, those baits are meant for the fishhooks. Why are you feeding them to the little sparrow?"

"Beidou, you just cast your line into the water! Why are you already pulling it back? You're scaring the fish away."

"Ningguang, stop crying and tell me what's wrong."

"You think the fish you caught isn't big enough for Mr. Amon's praise? Don't worry—you'll definitely catch a big one."

"Yae Miko, it's one thing not to help take care of the children, but must you bully them too? That's too much."

At this moment, Ganyu was busy managing the emotions of all three children at once.

Fortunately, the three little ones were engrossed in fishing and soon calmed down, no longer making much noise.

This allowed Ganyu a moment to relax.

She realized that taking care of children was just as exhausting as her work with the Liyue Qixing.

If she had to choose between the two, Ganyu would much rather work overtime than look after children.

It was so stressful.

After finally settling the three adorable kids, Ganyu felt a bit tired.

In the past, whenever she was exhausted from work, she would eat something to lift her spirits and prepare herself to continue working.

Her favorite foods were Qingxin Flowers and Glazed Lilies.

(T/N: I'm glad I imagined Ganyu when translating this—it made it easy!. Qixing and Qingxing is look similar after all)

Every time she ate these two delicacies, Ganyu would feel immense joy, and her worries would disappear.

For her, no problem was unsolvable with a meal.

If one meal didn't suffice, then she'd eat two.

Ganyu took out the freshly picked Glazed Lily.

Just as she was about to indulge, her eyes met Amon's.

Their gazes locked.

It was clear—someone wanted her food!

The next second, Amon approached her.

He looked at Ganyu and asked gently, "Ms. Ganyu, could you give me a Glazed Lily?"

Ganyu blinked her large eyes, clearly not expecting Amon to have any interest in the Glazed Lily.

However, she handed it over without hesitation.

At the same time, Ganyu tilted her head up and looked at Amon with a hopeful expression.

She said softly, "Mr. Amon, I don't have many Glazed Lilies or Qingxin prepared today."

"But it's okay! If you think it's not enough, I still have more..."

"Please, feel free to take them."

For Ganyu, who simply loved eating,

offering her cherished food at this moment

truly demonstrated how much Amon meant to her.

Amon couldn't help but smile at Ganyu's cute and nervous demeanor.

He knew how much joy Ganyu derived from eating.

Taking the Glazed Lily from her was akin to taking away her happiness.

She looked so sad and reluctant that even the little hair on her head drooped in disappointment.

Yet, despite this, Ganyu was still willing to give Amon all her Glazed Lilies.

What a silly girl.

If Ningguang was a "little fool," then Ganyu was definitely a "big fool."

Why were these girls so endearing?

They were so adorable that Amon couldn't bear to tease them.

Instead, he only wanted to protect them.

Amon smiled and reassured her, "Ms. Ganyu, I'm not going to eat the Glazed Lily. I just need to borrow it for a moment. I'll return it to you afterward."

He brought the Glazed Lily close to the Memories of Dust.

It reacted immediately, producing clicking sounds and spinning like a Rubik's Cube.

But despite all its spinning, the lock wouldn't open.

It stopped at the most crucial point.

Amon frowned slightly in confusion.

Could it be that this Glazed Lily wasn't pure enough to unlock the secrets of the Memories of Dust?

That must be the case.

Amon was certain that Guizhong cherished Glazed Lilies deeply.

But back in her era, all Glazed Lilies were wild and bloomed magnificently in open fields.

That must have been the key to unlocking the world.

However, over time, wild Glazed Lilies had vanished.

Nowadays, they could only be cultivated artificially.

Retracting his thoughts, Amon looked at Ganyu and asked softly, "Ms. Ganyu, do you know where I can find wild Glazed Lilies?"

He firmly believed that the key to unlocking the Memories of Dust lay in finding wild Glazed Lilies.

Hearing his question, Ganyu thought for a moment before gently shaking her head.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Amon, but I can't answer that."

"There aren't any wild Glazed Lilies left in all of Liyue."

"It's strange—thousands of years ago, they were everywhere in the mountains and fields."

"But at some point, wild Glazed Lilies stopped growing naturally. Now, they can only be cultivated artificially."

Ganyu's regret was evident, as she was unable to help Amon in this matter.

Amon sighed in frustration.

The key to unlocking the Memories of Dust was a wild Glazed Lily.

But if none existed in Liyue, then the lock might never be opened.

Just then, a childish voice called out from nearby:

"Big brother, are you looking for wild Glazed Lilies?"

"I have some!"

Amon looked down in the direction of the voice.

Standing before him was a little boy in simple clothes, his bright eyes full of spirit.

Why did this child look so familiar?

Could it be... Timmy from Mondstadt?

(T/N: Smug Azidahaka.)

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Chapter 81: If We Can Find the Dragonfall Stone, We May Be Able to Awaken your Memories

Amon knew clearly in his heart: the little boy standing before him couldn't be Timmy from Mondstadt. After all, the current timeline was twenty years earlier than the canon. At this time, Timmy hadn't even been born yet.

All he could say was that the two looked remarkably similar.

The little boy stretched out his hand and waved it in front of Amon. "Big brother, are you listening to me?"

Amon came back to his senses and nodded. "I'm listening, Timmy."

The boy tilted his head curiously. "Timmy? Who is that? My name is Li Sinan. Please don't call me by the wrong name."

Amon immediately assured him, "Okay, okay, I won't call you the wrong name again. Your name is Timmy, right?"

Li Sinan's face darkened. He pouted and said angrily, "Big brother, people can't—or at least shouldn't..."

Seeing the boy's helpless expression, Amon chuckled. "You just look so much like someone I know that I couldn't help but make a joke."

"Li Sinan, I remember your name now. You mentioned having wild glazed lilies. Is that true?"

Amon was still skeptical. After all, there were no wild glazed lilies in all of Liyue. Even Ganyu couldn't find any. Was the boy before him trustworthy? Or was he teasing him?

"Of course! If you don't believe me, I'll prove it to you."

As he spoke, Li Sinan opened his hand, and a glazed lily appeared in his palm.

This glazed lily was vastly different from the cultivated ones seen today. The one in Li Sinan's hand was more colorful and emitted a far stronger fragrance.

When the wild glazed lily appeared, its scent filled the area. Ningguang and Beidou, who had been fishing nearby, turned their heads in curiosity.

Ganyu, upon seeing the lily in Li Sinan's hand, nodded and confirmed, "Mr. Amon, this is indeed a wild glazed lily."

Thousands of years ago, Ganyu had once eaten wild glazed lilies. The specimen in Li Sinan's hand matched those she remembered.

Hearing Ganyu's affirmation, coupled with the resonance between the Memories of Dust and the wild glazed lily, Amon believed Li Sinan's claim.

He crouched down and looked at the tiny boy. "Little friend, would you sell me this glazed lily? You can name your price—any amount of Mora."

Liyue was a city of trade. Everything had a price. Amon was willing to spend millions, even tens of millions, to acquire this extinct wild lily. He could always recover the money later.

Moreover, judging by Li Sinan's simple clothing, his family likely wasn't wealthy. Surely the boy would agree, right?

To Amon's surprise, Li Sinan shook his head. "Money is useless to me. My brother has so much Mora you couldn't even count it all."

For a moment, Amon was stunned. If Li Sinan had been dressed like a wealthy child, such words might have been believable. But the boy before him looked anything but rich.

"Then what do you want?" Amon asked, unable to suppress his curiosity.

Li Sinan tilted his head, pondering for a moment. Then he said, "Big brother, please help me find my brother."

"Find your brother? That's all?"

"Yes. If you help me find my brother, I'll give you this glazed lily."

Amon was taken aback.

So the boy had been separated from his brother.

"Alright," Amon agreed. "I'll help you find your brother. What's his name? How old is he? What does he look like? Tell me everything you know about him."

Ganyu, standing nearby, also listened carefully. As a resident of Liyue, Li Sinan had her full support. Moreover, helping Amon was a personal motivation for her.

Li Sinan hesitated, then shook his head in frustration. "I'm sorry, big brother. I don't remember much about him."

"You don't remember?"

The boy nodded, looking downcast. "I only know that I slept for a very long time—so long it felt like a lifetime. When I woke up, I was at the port, not at home."

He clenched his small fists in frustration. "I try so hard to remember, but nothing comes. It's useless!"

Ganyu, experienced in calming such situations, gently said, "Tell us anything you do remember. Even the smallest detail could help us find your brother."

Li Sinan fell silent, deep in thought. Finally, he spoke.

"My brother and I have been inseparable since I was a child. With him around, I never felt lonely."

"I remember needing to find him as soon as possible. There's something important I have to tell him. If I'm too late, it could mean trouble."

After pausing to think, he added, "My brother loved stones—every kind of stone. Because of him, I developed a special fondness for them, too. Whenever I feel upset, I touch stones, and it calms me down."

"What impressed me most was the Dragonfall Stone."

"If I can find the Dragonfall Stone, I think I can awaken my memory and find my brother."

Amon raised his eyebrows at the mention of the Dragonfall Stone. In the game's lore, this stone had been mined to extinction centuries ago. It was even rarer than the wild glazed lily.

Why would a child, who seemed no older than five, be searching for such a rare relic?

Amon glanced at Ganyu, hoping for answers, but she shook her head. While adept at administrative tasks, she wasn't knowledgeable about ores.

In this moment, Amon thought of someone else—Rex Lapis, Morax, Zhongli.

Zhongli had once promised to assist Amon

with a task.

If anyone could help him find the Dragonfall Stone, it would be Zhongli.

...

Chapter 82: Zhongli: Old Friend, Long Time No See—Did You Bring Mora With You?

Amon looked at Li Sinan and said softly, "Maybe someone can help us find the Dragonfall Stone. Why don't we go over and take a look?"

"I guess he should be listening to a story in a teahouse at this time."

Amon was not sure where Zhongli was at the moment. After all, this Old man was mysterious —hard to find and entirely dependent on chance to encounter.

"I can only try my luck in the teahouse," he thought.

Hearing that there was hope of finding the Dragonfall Stone, Li Sinan's eyes lit up with excitement.

"Yes, big brother, let's set off now without further ado!"

Seeing Amon preparing to leave, the three cute kids immediately put down their fishing rods and stood up. Their bright, clear eyes stared at Amon.

As long as Amon left, they would follow without hesitation. In the eyes of the three little ones, Amon was everything to them. No matter where Amon went, they would follow him.

Amon was at a loss as to whether to laugh or cry when he saw this. Faced with these three cute and clingy little ones, he naturally couldn't bear to refuse them.

"Let's go. I'll take you to the teahouse for tea."

When they heard that they were going to the teahouse to drink tea, the three little ones were overjoyed.

Ningguang loved the tea from the teahouse; it always tasted good.

Qiqi, on the other hand, enjoyed listening to storytelling there. As long as the storyteller kept talking, she would sit quietly and listen.

As for Beidou, she had never been to a teahouse but had occasionally heard people talking about them, describing them as interesting places. Over time, she grew curious and yearned to visit one.

Amon looked at Ganyu and Yae Miko. "You two, do you want to have tea together?"

Ganyu heard this and shook her head with regret. "Mr. Amon, I'm sorry. I still have a lot of work to do today, so maybe I won't be able to go to the teahouse."

She seemed afraid that Amon would be disappointed, so she hurriedly added, "But if there is a chance in the future, I would still be happy to have tea with you."

After saying this, Ganyu immediately lowered her head, not daring to look into Amon's eyes. A blush rose on her pretty face, and her eyes filled with nervousness and shyness.

Looking at the lovely Ganyu, Amon nodded gently. "Then I will wait for a chance to have tea with Miss Ganyu in the future."

Yae Miko couldn't help but interject with a teasing tone. "Oh, Mr. Amon may not understand what Sister Ganyu means. Let me translate for her."

"She means she wants to have tea with you, but just with you—just the two of you. Should I have explained that more clearly?"

"My sister clearly wants to get close to Mr. Amon, but she's too embarrassed to say it directly, so she made me her translator."

Yae Miko shrugged, looking mock-reluctant.

Ganyu's pretty face turned even redder from embarrassment, and she wished she could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

"I-I still have work to do, so I'll leave now."

She looked up at Amon, stammered these words in a panic, and then hurried away like a frightened deer.

Watching Ganyu's retreating figure, Amon couldn't help but laugh. Ganyu was the kind of person who expressed her thoughts subtly and euphemistically—completely unlike Yae Miko, who was straightforward and blunt.

That was why Ganyu had fled, embarrassed beyond measure.

Amon turned to Yae Miko and asked, "Miss Yae, what about you? Do you want to go to the teahouse with us?"

Yae Miko glanced at the three cute kids and then at Amon.

"Forget it. These little ones would more or less affect my performance."

"I don't want to lead them astray, and I'm afraid Mr. Amon won't be able to handle it."

She covered her mouth and giggled, her laughter seductive and enchanting.

"However, if Mr. Amon invites me to tea alone one day, maybe I'll agree."

"When the time comes, I'll show Mr. Amon that tea has other uses besides drinking. Like, washing my feet?"

"Alright, I'll continue fishing. I can't go back empty-handed—that would be too embarrassing."

With that, Yae Miko politely declined Amon's invitation.

The three little girls tilted their heads in confusion.

Ningguang blinked her big eyes and asked curiously, "Brother Amon, isn't tea for drinking? Why did Sister Miko say tea is used for washing feet? It seems like such a waste."

Amon, worried about being a bad influence on the children, quickly made up an excuse.

"Because your Sister Miko wears black stockings, and her toes are reinforced to lock out unpleasant odors."

"You have to soak your feet in tea to get rid of the smell."

It was clear that Yae Miko couldn't be left with the little ones. She might lead them astray at any moment.

Without letting the three dwell on it, Amon took them and Li Sinan toward the teahouse.

---

Liyue, Inside the Teahouse

Iron Tongue Tian, wearing a mandarin jacket and long gown, fanned himself while passionately telling a story from the high platform.

"How could the Geo Archon, as the patron god of Liyue, tolerate the chaos caused by the demon gods?"

"He wielded his elemental power to suppress the powerful demons, leading to the prosperity and peace of Liyue today."

As soon as they arrived at the teahouse, Qiqi was captivated by the storytelling.

Beidou, curious about the bustling teahouse full of guests, observed everything with interest.

Meanwhile, Ningguang quickly found the shop assistant and adeptly arranged for a tea table.

Li Sinan, listening to storytelling for the first time, found it fascinating. Hearing the name "Rex Lapis," he felt a sense of familiarity.

Though it was his first time hearing such tales, the stories seemed oddly familiar, as if he had heard them somewhere before. Yet, he couldn't remember where.

As for Amon, he searched the crowd intently for Zhongli.

Finally, he found him seated in the front row.

"Didn't you say you weren't interested in your own story? Why are you listening so intently?" Amon thought.

Zhongli noticed their approach. Looking up at Amon and his group, he greeted them calmly. "Old friend, long time no see. Did you... bring Mora?"

Amon: "…"

Zhongli, this guy, really treated him like a walking wallet!

Despite this, Amon was amused. "Mr. Zhongli, I'll treat you to tea. I've come to ask for your help with something."

"I'm looking for a Dragonfall Stone. Could you help me find one?"

Zhongli, who had been calmly sipping tea, set his cup down upon hearing those words.

"From a common sense perspective, Dragonfall Stones have been extinct for hundreds of years. There are only a few on the market now."

After

pausing, he continued, "However, I do know the location of one."

"Once we finish our tea, I'll take you there."

...