Kapitel 28: I Am the Xiao Long Junzhu!
As the Adepti vanished from Liyue Harbor, Hu Tao put away her Hakushin Oath, tilting her head in confusion. "What's wrong with those Adepti? They changed their minds just like that?"
Lin Yuan pondered for a moment. Just moments before, the Adepti had seemed respectful, as if they were listening to someone, and after that, they had given up on taking him back to the Absolute Cloud.
In Liyue, only one person had the authority to command the Adepti—Old Lord Zhongli.
A glimmer of realization crossed Lin Yuan's eyes. Old Lord Zhongli wouldn't let Hu Tao and him clash with the Adepti. From their sudden change in demeanor, it seemed Zhongli didn't share the same hostility towards Lin Yuan as the other Adepti.
Regarding the collective expectation for Lin Yuan to become the next Geo Archon, Zhongli appeared to have an attitude of tacit approval. It seemed the old man had grown fond of his retired life and had no intention of returning to the divine stage.
Ganyu let out a sigh of relief as the Adepti departed. She had felt a pang of anxiety when she realized her mentor, Liuyun, was about to duel Hu Tao. If they had fought, Hu Tao would certainly not have been able to defeat her mentor, and Lin Yuan would have been taken away.
Fortunately, the Adepti's earlier aggressive stance against establishing a new Geo Archon and their sudden respectful demeanor hinted at something else. Ganyu resolved to discuss it further with Liuyun upon returning to the Absolute Cloud.
The departure of the Adepti relieved the citizens of Liyue's bustling main street. People began pointing at the sky and chattering.
"Why did the Adepti leave? What happened just now?"
"When I was on the ground, I thought I heard them mention the Archon."
"What kind of creature is that held by the Parlor Master? It looks somewhat familiar…"
"That little one has scales and horns—doesn't it look a bit like the Archon?"
"Could it be? The Archon isn't…"
As the crowd regained their composure, they noticed Lin Yuan's striking appearance. Although the citizens had only seen the Archon a few times, some felt a resemblance between Lin Yuan and the Archon.
Curiosity drew the crowd closer to Hu Tao, but the Millelith quickly stepped in to maintain order, preventing Lin Yuan from being overwhelmed.
The members of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor stood behind Hu Tao, still in shock from the encounter with the Adepti.
"Master, did the Adepti really just leave like that?"
"What's going on? They won't punish the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, will they?"
"I didn't want them to take away Lin Yuan either."
"What do you mean 'Lin Yuan'? Didn't you see how that little one brought the Adepti down a notch? You should show it more respect!"
Though the parlor often faced financial difficulties, this was the first time they genuinely worried about its potential collapse.
Lin Yuan, however, was carefree, continuing to drink his milk. The Wangsheng Funeral Parlor was a place connected to Zhongli; it could never truly fail.
Hu Tao waved her hand dismissively. "Oh, stop worrying! You're hurting the parlor's image!"
Ganyu looked at Hu Tao with admiration. "You remained calm and stood up to the Adepti. That's truly impressive."
While Hu Tao likely had no chance of winning, her courage to draw her weapon and protect Lin Yuan earned her Ganyu's respect.
Feeling a bit bashful, Hu Tao scratched her head. "Just call me Hu Tao like before. Ganyu, to be honest, I was also thinking about how to make a quick escape!"
Ganyu nodded. "You managed to think on your feet in front of Liuyun. That's truly bold and careful."
Speaking of Liuyun, Hu Tao tilted her head back to vent her frustration. "That bird! If I could defeat it, I'd turn it into a delicious roast chicken!"
The members of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor gasped in shock; that was highly disrespectful towards a mentor. Ganyu felt a bit awkward, whispering, "Actually, Liuyun is my master…"
Hu Tao paused, quickly responding, "Hehe, I was just joking!"
If she had known that bird was Ganyu's mentor, she wouldn't have said that.
Just then, two figures approached from the other side of the street. One was dressed in a purple gown—it was Keqing. The other had short hair and wore a white coat—it was Yelan.
Keqing called out as they approached, "Ganyu, what happened? Why did the Adepti appear in Liyue Harbor?"
Upon hearing about the Adepti's appearance, Keqing and Yelan had rushed over immediately.
Ganyu explained softly, "The Adepti must have sensed this little one's presence and came to investigate."
Keqing nodded, introducing Yelan to the others. "This is Yelan, who is helping me look into this matter."
Yelan glanced around, her gaze lingering on Lin Yuan for a moment before asking, "Please recount what happened in detail."
Ganyu recounted everything that transpired when the Adepti arrived.
After listening, Keqing's eyes widened in surprise. "This little one could emit pressure? And even brought down the Adepti?"
Even knowing Lin Yuan was of the same species as the Archon and held great potential, Keqing hadn't expected him to possess such formidable abilities at this stage.
Yelan calmly noted, "It seems that after this incident, the Adepti have acknowledged the existence of this little one."
This incident, which could have turned dangerous, ended with Lin Yuan—who might become the new Geo Archon—gaining some recognition from the Adepti.
"If the Adepti wanted to take this little one back to the Absolute Cloud, they would consider him one of their own," Yelan concluded.
Ganyu felt a bit happier; regardless of the Adepti's sudden change of heart, the outcome was good.
Keqing blinked and said, "If this little one is considered an Adeptus, shouldn't we give him a proper title?"
"Keqing is right; we should bestow upon him a title worthy of an Adeptus," Ganyu agreed.
Not wanting to keep calling Lin Yuan "little one," they needed a more dignified name.
After some thought, Keqing said, "Since he is a dragon, let's call him the Xiao Long Junzhu!"
"Xiao Long Junzhu? That name sounds great!"
Everyone nodded in agreement; it suited Lin Yuan perfectly.
As Lin Yuan drank his milk, he patted his little claws upon hearing himself being called the Xiao Long Junzhu.
( (Xiǎo) = Little (Shén Lóng) = Divine Dragon (Jūnzhǔ) = Monarch))
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A/N:
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