Genshin Impact: The Sharpshooter of Teyvat

Chapter 1029 The price demanded by the devil began to take root.

Combining the information she heard from Keqing with the current situation in Liyue, Barbara said with a firm tone:

"I believe that the current conflict between the Liyue Immortal Clan and the Seven Stars, as well as the internal divisions within the Seven Stars, stems from a lack of faith!"

"After the death of the Rock God, power was passed to Qixing. However, in their hearts, they had long lost their reverence and restraint for the 'god'."

She raised her hand and tapped the table, pointing the finger directly at Keqing's past.

"Just like Miss Keqing, she's lost the restraint of faith and always thinks 'human strength can overcome everything.' To put it bluntly, that's arrogance!"

"Back when she was fighting Ba Che, if she had even a shred of reverence for 'divine wisdom', if she had faith in it, would she not have hesitated to ask the immortals for their advice first..."

"Will you still charge headfirst with the Thousand Rocks Army?"

Barbara's voice rose slightly, with a hint of regret that she was disappointed with her child.

"Precisely because she had no constraints, she became single-minded in proving that 'rule by man' could work. In her haste to achieve her goal, she ultimately sacrificed 80% of the elite Thousand Rock Army!"

"If she had a sense of reverence and faith, she would have thought calmly and made a more prudent decision, rather than being blinded by the obsession of 'proving herself'!"

She paused, then changed the subject, mentioning Ningguang again, her tone becoming more critical.

"And then there's Liyue's Tianquan Star, Lady Ningguang. Why is she so gradually becoming a 'dictator'? Isn't it because she no longer has the checks and balances of the immortals, and no longer has the restraint of faith in her heart?"

"Without restraint, she believed she was the only one who could stabilize Liyue. She dared to seize control of both commerce and military power, turning the Seven Star Council into her own single-handed authority."

"Look, isn't all this caused by a lack of faith and restraint? If she had faith in her heart, and knew that power should be respected, how could she have ended up like this?"

Zhongli listened to the argument that Liyue’s core conflicts were all attributed to a “lack of faith” and slowly raised his hand to touch his chin.

He never thought that interpreting these contradictions from the perspective of "faith constraints" would have such logic.

Although I don’t completely agree with it, I have to admit that this statement is indeed somewhat “novel”.

"Hmm? A novel point of view." He said thoughtfully.

"Attributing power imbalances and decision-making errors to a 'lack of faith' is a rare perspective."

"This is nothing new!" Barbara immediately shook her head, her tone suddenly becoming radical.

"This is the most basic truth! People need guidance and constraints from the moment they are born."

"Parents' teachings are constraints, legal regulations are constraints, but faith is the constraint that is most deeply rooted in people's hearts and most likely to be consciously followed!"

Her voice rose a few notes, carrying a strong criticism of "lack of faith".

"When people lose their faith, the 'string' in their hearts, they will act recklessly and be led by desires and obsessions!"

"Keqing was blinded by her obsession with 'proving the rule of man,' and Ningguang by her desire to 'control power.' Aren't these extreme actions simply due to a lack of guidance and restraint from faith?"

When Zhongli heard Barbara's words "Without faith, you will be led by desire", his eyes gradually became distant, and he recalled the turmoil in Liyue after he faked his death.

Combined with what Alice told her, about the various behaviors of the "devil" man in the flattering hat.

Those who lose their shelter will be tempted by the devil and go astray.

The ending of the Lawrence family in Mond is still vivid in our minds!

Now is no longer the time to let Liyue develop freely. God knows whether this devil will attack Liyue!

"Using faith to restrain everyone's behavior, that's true..." Zhongli said to himself.

Seeing this, Barbara knew that this was a rare opportunity, so she immediately struck while the iron was hot and quoted from classics:

"As the saying goes, 'There's a god above you,'" the elders of Liyue often say. It's essentially about this sense of 'reverence.'

"No matter what you do, you know there's a 'god' watching over you. You'll be more cautious and won't do anything out of line easily."

"As a local, Mr. Zhongli, you should understand the weight of this statement better than I do, right?"

She deliberately mentioned Liyue's ancient language, which not only brought her closer to Zhongli, but also cleverly tied "faith constraints" to Liyue's local culture, making her point more convincing and more difficult to refute.

After listening to Barbara's speech, Zhongli nodded slightly and said thoughtfully, "I have benefited a lot from this. Thank you, Miss Barbara."

"It's getting late, I won't disturb you to rest."

Seeing that Zhongli had no more questions, Barbara felt relieved. She remained calm on the surface and said, "You're welcome. If you still want to chat with me, you can do so anytime."

"If it's a coincidence, Mr. Zhongli, Ms. Keqing, and I can have a discussion together."

When Zhongli heard this, he thought it was worth a try.

"Okay, I'm sure I'll make the time."

……

After saying goodbye to Barbara, Zhongli slowly walked out of the yard and blended into the night of Qiaoying Manor.

The streets were no longer noisy from the daytime. The doors and windows of every household were closed. Only a few lanterns hanging under the eaves were still lit. The dim light shone through the thin paper, casting tiny spots of light on the bluestone road.

Zhongli walked with his hands behind his back, following the street towards Lingmeng Mountain.

The conversation with Barbara just now had left him with some thoughts about the "future of Liyue", and he wanted to find a quiet place to sort them out.

Lingmeng Mountain is not very high. The mountain road is paved with simple stone steps, which are bathed in the cold white light of the moon.

When they were almost halfway up the mountain, Zhongli suddenly stopped.

Not far away, beside a rock, a green figure was standing, his black clothes fluttering gently in the night wind, and he was holding the Hepu Kite in his hand.

It's Mandrill.

The injuries he suffered when suppressing the monsters before have not yet healed, but in order to protect the Emperor, Xiao still insists on staying here so that he can provide support at any time.

Zhongli looked at Xiao, who hadn't recovered yet, and said with concern, "Great Sage, your injuries haven't healed yet, why are you doing this?"

Xiao, ignoring his discomfort, jumped off the rock and immediately knelt on one knee, his right hand pressed against his chest. He lowered his eyes slightly, his tone filled with loyalty! Sincerity!

"For the Emperor's safety, Xiao has no choice but to do his duty."

Zhongli took a step forward and gently raised his hand to help him up.

"Your injury hasn't healed yet, so there's no need to be polite."

Xiao stood up as he was told, but still maintained a slightly bowed posture, his eyes fixed on the ground, waiting for the Emperor's instructions.

Zhongli turned his head and looked at Qiaoying Village at the foot of the mountain. The village under the moonlight was like a quiet ball of ink, with only sporadic lights flickering.

He thought of the "faith constraints" and "desire control" he had just talked about with Barbara, and also thought of the various turmoil in Liyue after his fake death, and suddenly he was inspired.

"Xiao, tell me, in a world ruled by humans...will the people of Liyue, having lost their reverence for the 'gods', gradually become self-righteous, magnifying their desires to the point of losing even their own control?"

"Finally, was it the devil's scheme?"

Are Keqing's eagerness for quick success and Ningguang's monopolization of power signs of "lack of awe and the emergence of desire" as Barbara said?

Xiao was slightly startled when he heard this, and frowned slightly.

He spent years in the mountains exorcising demons and monsters, and had never understood or thought about the complexities of mortal politics and human hearts.

After a moment's silence, he still lowered his head and spoke frankly, "Emperor, Xiao only knows how to slay monsters and protect the peace of Liyue. He doesn't understand the disputes and trade-offs among mortals..."

Xiao's world is simple and pure, with only two things to do: "protect the emperor and eliminate demons." The thoughts and schemes of mortals are too complicated for him.

Zhongli sighed softly upon hearing this, without blaming him, and muttered to himself:

"Just now, I had a long chat with Miss Barbara, a follower of Barbatos, and it was quite beneficial. She said, 'Faith is the line that binds the heart,' and now that I think about it, there's some truth to that."

"Liyue under human rule is indeed more vibrant than when it was ruled by immortals. Mortals are bolder and more adventurous. Even if something goes wrong, I believe the people of Liyue will eventually learn to correct themselves and stay true to their original intentions. But right now..."

"Liyue has just experienced a crisis on the border of life and death, there are divisions within the Seven Stars, and the demons are becoming increasingly powerful. And there's also the unstable factor of Shao Yun..."

"We don't have much time to wait for them to grow up. If the devil exploits the greed and desires of human hearts, I'm afraid it will cause more trouble."

Xiao stood aside, listening carefully, but only caught a few key words such as "desire control" and "seven-star divergence".

The first person he thought of was the powerful Liyue executive: Ningguang of Tianquanxing.

So, he raised his head slightly and asked directly, "Does the Emperor think that Lady Ningguang is untrustworthy?"

Zhongli shook his head. There was no distrust of Ningguang in his eyes, but instead a bit more consideration of reality.

"It's not that I don't trust Ningguang. Her ability, as evidenced by her management of the Jade Pavilion and her ability to stabilize Liyue's commerce, shows that she is truly capable of shouldering this heavy responsibility. It's just..."

He paused, his gaze turning towards the misty mountains in the distance. His tone deepened, with a subtle solemnity:

"Ningguang's power now isn't solely due to her Seven-Star prestige and her own abilities, but rather to the intimidating power of Shao Yun. As you know, Shao Yun is a follower of the 'devil' and possesses power unmatched by ordinary people."

"Everyone in Liyue, from the immortals to the wealthy, has to give Shao Yun face. Ningguang can use this intimidation to consolidate power more quickly and become a dictator."

"While this 'deterrence' can temporarily stabilize the situation, it is also like a sword hanging over our heads."

At this point, Zhongli sighed softly.

"We still don't fully grasp Shao Yun's stance or the intentions of the 'devil' behind him. Ningguang relies on this deterrent. If the situation changes in the future... I have to be cautious."

Xiao listened quietly on the side. Although he did not fully understand the complex entanglement of "power deterrence", he could hear that the Emperor's concerns were not groundless.

When in doubt, just be loyal!

"No matter what choice the Emperor makes, Xiao will support you. As long as Liyue can be protected, Xiao will never back down!"

Zhongli was deeply moved when he saw his sincere look.

"I feel more at ease with you here."

Immediately afterwards, Xiao changed the subject and brought the topic to Barbara.

"So, what does the Emperor think about this Mondstadt girl?"

How should I describe Zhongli's attitude towards Barbara? It can be considered welcoming. What kind of trouble can a little girl cause?

"Let's wait and see what happens. However, I do agree with what she said. Gods may not be omnipotent, but demons can always do more than mortals!"

"The Immortals' devotion to protecting Liyue will never change. Since she wants to promote Liyue's traditional culture, that's not a bad idea."

Xiao didn’t understand these things very well, but he remembered the liar “Wang Ping’an” who pretended to be a god and was called “Tianjun of Picking Stars and Seizing Stars”.

Although he has changed now and built a temple for Tongque, Xiao still has doubts in his heart.

"But if she uses this to make money..."

Zhongli, however, thought it was harmless and said, "If she really wants to make money from this...it depends on the situation. If she truly promotes our traditional culture of Liyue, she deserves some hard-earned money."

……

At this moment, Zhongli half acquiesced to Barbara's spreading of "faith". He thought that Barbara was imitating the Church of Favonius's praise of the God of Wind and replicating it in Liyue.

If this is true, Zhongli's attitude towards this is acquiescence.

After all, Liyue also has the custom of building temples for immortals and worshiping the Kitchen God.

Besides, Liyue is different now than before. Alice is uniting various forces to attack Shao Yun, and Zhongli certainly doesn't want Liyue to be in chaos.

So, it's okay to use faith to restrain everyone in Liyue, especially Ningguang, from doing things differently now...

The pain of changing times...

But, in fact, Barbara is just using your name as the God of Rock to promote the god in her heart.

Barbara really doesn't want money, she wants her life!

Now everything begins to take an unusual path when the major forces on the continent of Teyvat pay attention to Shao Yun.

Barbara's cult began to infiltrate Liyue with Zhongli's semi-tacit consent.

Devil: Today is my lucky day, "Number 13", I want to give you one more answer, making it five answers in total.

The price the devil exacted for a limited monarchy began to take root.

……