bookbashuk Chapter 1059: Ningguang raising a tiger to harm herself?
Chapter 1059: Ningguang raising a tiger to harm herself?
Keqing looked at Barbara's clear blue eyes and was so moved.
From the very beginning of the temple fair planning, Barbara had been busy running around, coming up with ideas and running around. Now she'd even secretly ordered such a large statue, even considering every detail so meticulously...
Her throat moved, and she suddenly took a step forward and gently held Barbara's hand with both hands.
"Thank you, Barbara." Keqing's voice was soft and sincere. "Really... thank you."
Barbara was stunned by her grip, then she smiled softly like an angel, her golden hair glowing warmly in the sunlight. "Seeing Miss Keqing smile is better than anything else."
She gently withdrew her hand and took out three incense sticks wrapped in gold foil from her waist bag, which also had a faint sandalwood scent.
"I heard that Liyue has the saying of 'opening incense'," Barbara handed over the incense, her eyes full of anticipation.
"How about... Miss Keqing, would you please pray first? Ask the Emperor to bless the temple fair to go smoothly?"
Keqing held the three incense sticks wrapped in gold foil and her eyes fell on the two-person-tall statue on the hot air balloon.
She was silent for a moment, then took a tinder and started a fire.
The three wisps of green smoke that lit up carried a bitter sandalwood scent.
Facing the statue, she held the incense sticks between her eyebrows with both hands, closed her eyes, and prayed in her heart:
"Please pray to the Emperor's spirit in heaven that this temple fair will awaken the kindness in the hearts of the people of Liyue."
"May everyone remember that friendship is more valuable than Mora, and perseverance is more precious than profit... Don't lose your sense of proportion due to arrogance, break the rules due to recklessness, or lose your original intention due to greed."
"I, Keqing, am willing to dedicate my life to protecting the peace of Liyue. If there are any unfulfilled responsibilities or unfinished business, I beg the Emperor for guidance..."
After finishing the prayer, she opened her eyes and gently inserted the incense into the ground beside the statue.
Barbara stood aside, a kind smile on her face, the glimmer of incense in her blue eyes.
But no one noticed what kind of twisted ecstasy was hidden under that smile.
"Hehe... Oh my Lord God..." She roared silently in her heart, her voice filled with uncontrollable madness, "Did you see that? Even Liyue's Yuheng Star is bowing its head in prayer to you!"
This statue is indeed sculpted in the image of the Rock King, but there is a secret compartment hidden inside.
In the secret compartment, a glass bottle was emitting a dark green light, and sealed inside was the residual soul of the Wind God that she had reshaped.
The purpose is to allow this remnant soul to quietly absorb the faith of the Liyue people.
As for being afraid of being discovered, come on, this is a statue of God. Who would have the time to inspect it thoroughly? Shouldn't they just pay their respects?
People only know how to kneel, only know how to pray, and only know how to pour their most pious hearts into it.
These beliefs would eventually flow into that glass bottle, nourishing her god, allowing him to gather strength again in this land that did not belong to the wind and reappear in the world!
The theft in the name of faith has just begun.
……
At the edge of the cliff of Tianheng Mountain, Xiao stood on the rock, his eyes fixed on the wilderness of Lishajiao below, where the temple fair was under construction.
Xiao is in a complicated mood. Will holding a temple fair near the temple in Tongque disturb him?
But on second thought, I felt that I was worrying too much.
Tongque has protected the ancestors of Liyue throughout his life, and what he most hopes for is peace and prosperity in the world.
If he could see what's happening today, he would surely smile gently.
Suddenly, some fragmented memories were mixed into the wind.
Xiao looked at the figures gathering in the wilderness, and in a trance he felt that they were not craftsmen, but the ancestors who were working on the Guili Plain.
I could also hear Brother Fushe's hearty laughter, as well as the voices of Yingda, Fanan, and Minu...
Back then, the five of them were still gathered together, guarding Liyue's long night...
"elf."
A soft call pulled him out of his memories.
Xiao turned around suddenly and saw Zhongli standing beside him with his hands behind his back. His eyes were fixed on the temple fair below with a warm smile on his face.
"What do you think?" Zhongli asked.
Xiao's heart tightened and he quickly knelt on one knee, his ears feeling slightly hot.
"Your Majesty, please forgive me! I have left my post without permission and stayed here..."
"Get up." Zhongli waved his hand. "No need to be so polite."
Then, he turned to look at Xiao and asked, "Was the Demon-Subduing Great Sage just reminiscing about the past?"
Xiao was stunned for a moment, then nodded, his voice lowered: "Yes, I came to take a look at Tongque..."
"Tongque has an open-minded personality and never finds the hustle and bustle of the world annoying." Zhongli looked at the small temple, his tone filled with nostalgia. "Besides, he and you have a very good personal relationship."
"How about I go with you to burn some incense for him when the temple fair opens?"
Xiao raised his head suddenly, his cheeks slightly hot.
He lowered his head somewhat nervously, his fingertips unconsciously clenching the Nuo mask at his waist.
"This... Thank you, Emperor."
……
The Jade Pavilion floats above Liyue Harbor, its glazed tiles reflecting tiny glints of light in the sunlight.
Ningguang sat behind the desk, holding the information handed to her by Ye Lan in her fingertips, and her eyes swept over the temple fair venues listed on it.
There is also a Liyue Harbor parade route, a Qingce Village blessing event, a list of river lanterns in Yilongbu, and even a small blessing ceremony has been arranged at the entrance to the Layered Abyss.
"Tsk," she put down the intelligence and clicked her tongue.
Then, she took a sip of tea and said with emotion, "This girl really spent a lot of money. I thought she would just find a vacant lot to build a few sheds, but I didn't expect her to set up a shed according to the Lantern Festival."
Ye Lan stood in front of the desk and truthfully reported Keqing's current difficulties.
"It's a big deal, but it also brings a lot of trouble. People are saying that Yuhengxing is trying to compete with you and use the temple fair to establish his own prestige."
She paused, then added, "It wasn't that long after Lord Maocai's incident, and merchants are afraid of being on the wrong side. If Barbara hadn't personally interceded for the Feiyun Chamber of Commerce, Xingqiu wouldn't have dared to accept the order for the statue."
Ningguang gently placed the teacup on the table, a smile on her lips.
"I see? Keqing, Keqing, why are you so stubborn... You make me seem like some unforgivable villain."
"Forget it." Ningguang finally sighed, her tone a little helpless, but more of a sense of relief. "After all, you and I are the ones holding up the sky of Liyue together."
She raised her eyes to look at Ye Lan, ready to help Keqing again.
"Go and do something. Spread the word to those merchants who are waiting to see what's happening. Tell them... I, Ningguang, also agreed to this temple fair. It's like Tianquan and Yuheng joining forces to bring some vitality to Liyue."
Ye Lan raised an eyebrow and asked, "Do you have to do it so obviously?"
"Of course, we have to do it cleanly," Ningguang corrected. "Don't let Keqing know I was involved. She's so strong-willed, she'd be mad at me if she knew."
She picked up the teacup and looked out the window again. Her tone was as light as the wind. "The important thing is to make everyone have fun. As for who takes the lead, it doesn't matter."
Ye Lan nodded and agreed.
"No problem, this kind of thing is a small problem for me."
Although she agreed, Ye Lan was still a little puzzled by Ningguang's unconditional and secret support for Keqing.
Could it be that he just thinks he is invincible and wants to cultivate an opponent to play with him?
"However, I still can't understand. Your position in Liyue's business world is already so powerful that it can dominate the world. Why would you bother helping her to strengthen your own position?"
"In times of peace, be prepared for danger. Aren't you afraid of... raising a tiger as a threat? What if Keqing really becomes powerful one day and shakes your foundation?"
Ningguang tapped her fingertips lightly on the tabletop when she heard this.
The sunlight filtered through the windows of the Qun Yu Pavilion, casting flickering spots of light on her face.
She smiled knowingly, but didn't answer directly. Instead, she asked, "Do you think Keqing has this ability?"
……
It would be a lie to say Ningguang isn't worried about Keqing.
But, if you really think about it carefully, you will find that Keqing simply does not have the strength to fight with you?
Economically, Keqing is no match for me; politically, I am at the peak of my career thanks to Shao Yun's reputation, the recognition of the immortal family (Xianyun), and the tacit approval of the Emperor!
Even if it means assassinating me with force, do you have the guts to do it, Keqing? Don't you consider the consequences?
Besides, how can you, Keqing, assassinate me?
Not to mention that my intelligence network is so far-reaching that I could have known about your actions long ago, but my Qun Yu Pavilion is in the sky. How could you assassinate me? Would you use the Guizhong machine to blow yourself up?
Ningguang leaned back in her chair, her posture lazy, her fingertips casually sliding across the desk.
"Let her do whatever she wants, just treat it like a child playing house."
Then she chuckled, her tone full of the calmness of someone in control of everything.
"Besides, the property rights and ownership of those shops and industries are all in my hands. Without my approval, she wouldn't even be able to hang a decent piece of red silk at the temple fair."
At this point, she changed the subject and talked about Keqing's "favor" to her.
"But then again, when I was besieged by my political enemies, led by Lord Maocai, it was she who drew most of the attack, both openly and covertly. Later, when I was trapped in the Qun Yu Pavilion, it was she who humbled herself and begged Shao Yun for help. This favor must be repaid."
"Besides, she's organizing this temple fair to please the immortals, so why should I bring bad luck upon them?"
……
Ye Lan stood aside, thinking.
Ningguang's words sounded reasonable, but the uneasiness in her heart could not be shaken off.
She thought of Barbara's overly clear blue eyes, and the unadulterated enthusiasm with which she ran about.
Too passionate, as passionate as a deliberately lit fire, always making people feel that there is something hidden behind it.
But, what can she, a Mondstadt native and a Mondstadt nun, do to Liyue?
Little did Ye Lan know that this seemingly harmless Mondstadt girl, taking advantage of Keqing's trust, had placed the statue, which held a secret, in the center of the temple fair.
She used gentle words to bewitch the stubborn Yuhengxing, causing her to deviate from her original track step by step.
While Ningguang was still calculating the balance between human feelings and power, and Ye Lan was still struggling with her inexplicable intuition, no one noticed that a storm caused by the theft of faith had been quietly brewing in the shadow of the statue.
In the future, when Keqing is complacent about the success of the temple fair, when merchants join in one after another at the suggestion of Tianquanxing, and when the people of Liyue walk towards the statue with incense in their hands.
Who knows, Liyue's political arena will usher in an unexpected earthquake because of this temple fair.