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[Genshin Impact] Chapter 405: The Versatility of Command Seals (2-in-1 Chapter)
🕑 Added 2025-01-26 16:07:07 +0000 UTC"Alright, since it's the Hall Master’s request, I’ll do my best to complete it."
Zhongli looked at the slip in his hand with a hint of helplessness. Compared to work, he still preferred strolling through the streets.
After thinking for a moment, he added:
"However, Hall Master Hu, in our line of work, the demand has already reached its limit. If we invest in expanding our business, the likelihood of financial loss is high."
The vast city of Liyue inevitably faces life and death every day.
But even so, there is an upper limit. The funeral industry in Liyue is already in a state of balance after years of optimization. Expanding further would essentially waste Mora.
"Oh? Seems like you’re quite knowledgeable, Consultant!" Hu Tao crossed her arms, a look of surprise on her face. "Well, in that case, I’ll leave the Mora to you."
"If you find any worthwhile new ventures, feel free to invest. If nothing comes up, just deposit it in the Liyue Bank."
With that, Hu Tao walked off, playing the perfect hands-off manager.
"Heh, it seems even the Geo Archon’s retired life isn’t all that smooth," Nolan remarked with a chuckle.
"You flatter me. Assisting the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor is simply part of my duty as a consultant," Zhongli replied with a light laugh.
"Ahem, Mr. Zhongli, I have a little matter I’d like to ask you about." Nolan nodded, transitioning to a more serious tone.
"Go ahead," Zhongli said, gesturing with a raised hand for him to speak freely.
"You know I’m an adventurer. Not long ago, during an expedition to the Sal Terrae, I discovered a sealed ruin. After some investigation, I learned it was part of the Salt Kingdom and had been sealed by you."
Nolan briefly explained the situation.
Hearing this, Zhongli rested his chin on his hand, nodding thoughtfully.
"You’re saying you wish to venture there and came to inform me first?" Zhongli inquired.
"Uh, something like that. As an adventurer, I’m always drawn to the allure of unknown treasures. A ruin associated with an Archon is certainly enticing.
"However, since it was sealed by you, I don’t know the exact situation. I was worried that breaking the seal rashly might cause unforeseen problems. So, I came to seek your opinion."
Nolan nodded lightly.
Of course, he knew the specifics from the original story, but since his goal was the treasure, there was no need to reveal everything.
"The God of Salt, Havria, was a gentle Archon. Yet, the world at the time did not offer her the same kindness.
"She was assassinated by her own people. Upon her death, her remains unleashed an endless tide of salt crystals, engulfing the entire Salt Kingdom. Only a few of her people managed to escape.
"To prevent the salt crystals from spreading further, I sealed the area. Thousands of years have passed since then; I believe the disaster should have subsided by now. If you wish to explore, go ahead.
"Reviving the legacy of the Salt Kingdom isn’t necessarily a bad thing."
As Nolan had anticipated, Zhongli did not oppose his exploration of Havria's ruins.
"Assassinated by her own people? Even if her power wasn’t great, she was still an Archon. Could she have been so gentle that she didn’t resist, even in the face of betrayal?" Nolan asked, feigning curiosity.
"Indeed. Even when her people raised their weapons against her, she faced them with a calm smile. She was a truly admirable Archon," Zhongli replied, his gaze tinged with nostalgia.
Havria’s kindness had been her undoing. Fearing that the Archon War would endanger her people, she continuously fled until they settled in Sal Terrae.
Ironically, she ultimately fell at the hands of the very people she sought to protect—a fate both tragic and bitterly ironic.
---
After listening to Zhongli recount the tale of the God of Salt at the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, Nolan left to meet Keqing outside the city.
Though, to be precise, Keqing was known for her punctuality, so there was no need for him to wait.
Sure enough, as soon as he reached the archway, he spotted Keqing, her lavender twin tails swaying gently, standing on a wooden arch bridge.
"Keqing, I hope I didn’t keep you waiting too long," Nolan said apologetically, quickening his pace.
"I just got here myself. Let’s not waste time and set out immediately," Keqing replied with a small shake of her head.
Their journey to Sal Terrae was made with the use of wind gliders. With Nolan's ability to manipulate Anemo energy, their flight was swift.
By around one in the afternoon, they had successfully arrived near Sal Terrae.
They did not approach recklessly to avoid being discovered by the Treasure Hoarders stationed in the area. Instead, the two descended to the ground, where Nolan activated his stealth field, rendering them invisible as they moved toward Sal Terrae.
"This secret technique of yours is pretty handy," Keqing remarked as she walked beside Nolan.
"It’s effective against enemies who can’t extend their spiritual senses, but it doesn’t work as well against those who can," Nolan replied with a smile.
"Even so, it’s not like anyone capable of extending their spiritual senses does it constantly," Keqing commented, believing Nolan was being modest.
Recently, her own strength had improved slightly, but she was still a ways away from her sixth breakthrough—the point where she could project her spiritual senses outward.
"That’s true," Nolan nodded before asking, "Keqing, do you know Yelan? She seems to have a similar stealth technique. I’d like to find an opportunity to exchange insights with her."
"Yelan? I do know her, though we’re not particularly close. She’s Ningguang’s intelligence officer. If you want to meet her, you should probably ask Ningguang. Of course, if I happen to run into her, I can pass along a message for you," Keqing replied after a brief moment of thought, pressing her soft lower lip in contemplation.
"Alright, I’ll leave it to you then," Nolan said gratefully.
As they chatted, they soon arrived in the vicinity of Sal Terrae.
"Where exactly did the adventurers report seeing the Treasure Hoarders?" Nolan asked, glancing at Keqing.
"I’ll guide the way—just follow me," Keqing said, striding confidently toward the wooded area to the right, her legs clad in black tights moving gracefully.
As Nolan followed, he extended his spiritual senses. Soon, he pinpointed a group of Treasure Hoarders approximately two kilometers away. He relayed this information to Keqing.
The two picked up their pace, sprinting silently toward the group. In just two or three minutes, they closed the distance.
---
At the Treasure Hoarders’ makeshift camp, about a dozen members were gathered.
"Boss Bao’er, are you sure the intel you got is reliable? We’ve been searching for two days now, and we haven’t found even a grain of salt, let alone the God of Salt’s ruins. Maybe we should just leave."
A male member, wearing a headscarf, complained after finishing the last piece of roasted meat.
"We’ve driven off so many adventurers in the past two days. If we don’t leave soon, they might bring the Millelith Army down on us!"
The leader, a young woman wearing a hood, glared at him. "Idiot! Salt doesn’t have fur!" she snapped. "Besides, even if the adventurers report us, it’ll take the Millelith at least four or five days to respond."
"As long as we find the God of Salt’s ruins and claim the treasures within the next two days, we’ll never have to worry about money again. And you’re scared of a few adventurers?" she scoffed.
"Alright, Boss Bao’er, don’t get worked up. It’s normal to be frustrated after two days without any leads," a bald member interjected, attempting to mediate.
"We’ve searched the forest, the southern hillside, and the eastern and western areas separately. Since we found nothing, the ruins might be in the northern territory—the one controlled by the Stonehide Lawachurl and Abyss Mages.
"We can’t handle them on our own. Should we call in Fat Gang and Strong Tiger? With their help, we might stand a chance."
"Call them? Are you an idiot too? If we rely on them, we won’t get a scrap of the loot!" Bao’er rolled her eyes, frustrated by the lack of intelligence in her subordinates. Then again, if they were smarter, they’d be bosses themselves.
After a moment of thought, she said, "Alright, here’s the plan. We’ll retreat for now, gather more elemental potions, and bring something heavy-duty next time. Once the heat dies down, we’ll come back and blow those monsters to kingdom come!"
"Understood. Let’s retreat for now," the other Treasure Hoarders agreed.
Just as they were about to leave, they suddenly felt as if their heads were struck by an invisible hammer. Their minds went blank, and with a series of heavy thuds, all of them collapsed to the ground.
[Defeated Powerful Enemies ×16, Obtained 11,069 Adventure EXP.]
"They were indeed after some treasure. The God of Salt... I think I’ve read about her in historical records," Keqing remarked.
The two, who had been hidden nearby and eavesdropping for some time, revealed themselves after using spiritual energy to knock out the Treasure Hoarders.
"They were too weak. I didn’t even need to summon my threads—just a burst of spiritual energy, and they were all out cold," Nolan said with a faint smile.
Using his golden eye of judgment, he had checked Bao’er’s stats. She seemed to be around Level 50, the same person from the daily quests in the Liyue region of the original story, who had once tricked the Traveler into handing over archaeological relics.
She was, unfortunately, the strongest member of the group.
For someone at level 90 like him, capturing them without allowing anyone to escape was effortless.
"Well, it's thanks to you that we managed to capture them all so neatly without anyone running off," Keqing said with a faint smile.
"I brought enough rope. Tying them all up won't be an issue. I'll notify the Millelith later to have them take these criminals away."
"Speaking of that, I actually have an idea," Nolan said as he glanced at the unconscious treasure hoarders, a sudden thought forming in his mind.
"What idea?" Keqing asked, crossing her arms over her abdomen. Her striking purple eyes glanced curiously at the young adventurer beside her.
"I have a skill that can forcibly bind someone's behavior," Nolan explained, introducing Keqing to the effects of his Command Seal ability. "Do you think it would be possible to make them obey us, then release them back into the Treasure Hoarders as spies?
"That way, whenever the Treasure Hoarders plan something harmful, they can alert the Millelith in advance. You’d be able to ambush and apprehend even more of them."
"Forcibly binding someone’s behavior? Such an incredible ability exists?" Keqing was visibly surprised by Nolan’s revelation. After a moment of consideration, she said, "The Treasure Hoarders are indeed a large but loosely organized group, often divided into smaller factions—like this one here.
"In other words, they wouldn’t have knowledge of the other factions' plans for any significant activities. Sending them as spies wouldn’t be very effective.
"Besides, even if it worked, the Millelith doesn’t have enough manpower to arrest them all. There are simply too many of them."
Keqing shook her head. It was a good idea in theory, but with only a handful of spies, the impact on the world’s largest and most widespread international criminal organization would be negligible.
If the Treasure Hoarders discovered the deception, they might retaliate with actions that could harm innocent people.
Nolan gave it some thought and acknowledged Keqing's points. Even if the plan was feasible, it would be impossible for the Millelith to apprehend all the Treasure Hoarders. Managing them afterward would be an even bigger problem.
But... what if they could manage themselves?
A new idea sparked in his mind. "Keqing, what if we secretly control this group of Treasure Hoarders and help them grow stronger, eventually making them the dominant faction in the Liyue region?
"If the largest faction of Treasure Hoarders were under the control of the Millelith, wouldn't that effectively solve the problem of the Treasure Hoarders harming society?"
"You’re suggesting that if we can’t completely eliminate the Treasure Hoarders through arrests, we should instead bring them under our control and prevent them from doing harm?" Keqing asked, her expression one of surprise.
"Using the Command Seal on everyone would indeed be too extreme," Nolan admitted. "If ordinary citizens caught wind of this and thought we were using some kind of dark magic to control people, it could cause an uproar.
"Instead, we just need to control a few of the higher-ranking leaders among the Treasure Hoarders. Then we can direct their actions—have them explore new lands, farm, or even form legitimate adventuring teams to make a living.
"As long as they stop harming society, that would already be a significant success.
"Of course, for those who have committed severe crimes, they must still be brought to justice and face the punishment they deserve!"
Nolan understood that the seven human nations of Teyvat were relatively peaceful places. Anyone willing to work hard wouldn’t go hungry. The Treasure Hoarders were made up of people who were either foolish, malicious, or both—individuals chasing quick riches with no regard for morality.
However, the sheer number of them made it impossible for any nation to apprehend them all. Wild beasts and monsters in the wilderness further complicated large-scale operations.
Risking the lives of soldiers to apprehend them seemed wasteful, and pushing them too hard might incite widespread conflict—or even war—with the Treasure Hoarders.
The ones who would suffer the most in such a scenario would be ordinary citizens caught in the crossfire.
Thus, the best solution was to become one of them, infiltrate their ranks, and ultimately take control. By turning them into a disciplined and cooperative group, many problems could be resolved.
"This idea has potential," Keqing admitted after considering his words. "But whether or not we should proceed with it would need to be discussed with the other members of the Qixing. We can’t make such a major decision on a whim.
"That said, we can use this small group of Treasure Hoarders for a trial run. If it proves successful, it could truly be a monumental achievement for society."
Keqing was a visionary and a reformist. She was open to innovative solutions that could help curb the rampant activities of the Treasure Hoarders.
[Keqing Has Developed Good Feelings Toward You. Obtained 260 Affection Points. Current Affection Level: Lv. 5 (360/500)]
(End of Chapter)
