bookbashuk Chapter 1027 Bewitching Keqing
Chapter 1027 Bewitching Keqing
Everything has its limits, and that's how it goes. She was once Liyue's most steadfast advocate of "rule by man," but reality dealt her a slap in the face, each time more harshly than the last.
Of course, this isn't Keqing's fault. She led the elite Thousand Rocks Army to fight against Bazhe with great ambition, but in the end, 80% of the elite Thousand Rocks Army died, nearly destroying Liyue's national defense! She was so angry that she vomited blood...
Then, the person he had always dreamed of, Zhi Liyue, was denied by the immortals.
We were finally getting through this, and everything was about to get better, but then Ningguang suddenly went emo. For some unknown reason, she locked herself up in the Jade Pavilion and refused to come out, ignoring government affairs and business operations.
This caused Liyue to fall into a chaotic business war that lasted for half a year.
Finally, she knelt down and asked Shao Yun to take action, and finally calmed down the chaos. Now Ningguang has become the dictator again.
No matter how strong Keqing's will is, she would doubt the path she has chosen at this moment. She can't see any hope at all!
"It's all my fault. If I had been a little calmer, or even thought more about what the Emperor would do, this problem wouldn't have happened!"
At this moment, Keqing thought of the wisdom of the ancients. If she had calmed down, perhaps this situation would not have happened?
After listening to Keqing's story, Barbara patted Keqing on the back, comforted her, and said surprisingly:
"Ms. Keqing, stop blaming yourself. After listening to everything you've said, I think I understand the reasons behind all this!"
"What?" Keqing suddenly raised her head, her eyes full of surprise.
She thought Barbara would continue to comfort her by saying "try a little longer", but she didn't expect her to suddenly say "I know the reason".
Barbara met her gaze and nodded seriously, her fingertips quietly brushing the fanny pack at her waist.
She leaned forward and lowered her voice, which had a bewitching magnetism.
"The root cause of all this is that you gave up your faith. Liyue lacks faith!"
"Belief?"
Keqing was stunned on the spot, her brows furrowed tightly, and she repeated it subconsciously.
"What do you mean? The people of Liyue have always believed in the Geo Emperor. Even after he abdicated, everyone still respected him. How can there be a lack of faith?"
She really couldn't connect things like "the contradiction between immortals and mortals" and "Ningguang's dictatorship" with "faith".
What does this have to do with "belief in God"?
Barbara didn't give her much time to think, and continued to press her with her "sweet words", her tone seeming to be guiding and confirming.
"As you said before, Liyue is now ruled by man. Everyone is groping forward on their own, without the guidance of the gods, right?"
Keqing nodded, confused, and admitted, "That's right... But what does this have to do with faith? The fundamental way to govern oneself is to rely on oneself..."
Barbara interrupted her sporadic mumbling and continued to ask questions, her eyes fixed on Keqing, not allowing her to avoid them.
"Just now you said that you're feeling lost now. When you encounter a problem, you wonder, 'What would a god do?' You envy the Emperor's composure and the wisdom of the ancients, right?"
Keqing paused. Barbara was right. She had indeed been thinking, "It would be great if I could be calmer like the Emperor." But this was her deep-seated vulnerability, a sense of dependence that she was unwilling to admit.
She opened her mouth to say it was just a passing thought.
"Things... this is what happened, but..."
"No buts." Barbara shook her head slightly, cutting off her defense neatly.
"You are not facing your own heart right now. This is the root of all problems!"
As she spoke, she stretched out her right index finger and gently poked it in the center of Keqing's chest.
Keqing felt anxious and panicked when Barbara's fingertips poked her chest, but she still refused to completely remove the last remaining "fig leaf".
That was her last pride as a pioneer of human rule. She shrank back suddenly, avoiding Barbara's fingers.
"But...but Morax is not omniscient and omnipotent!"
Barbara heard the lack of confidence in her tone and accurately grasped the key word "Morax is not omniscient and omnipotent", and hit Keqing's most shaken point with this sentence.
"Ms. Keqing, do you think that gods really have no merits?"
"Just because he's not omniscient and omnipotent, does that mean he's defended Liyue for thousands of years?"
These words were like a thunderclap, which stunned Keqing on the spot.
Yes, the Rock God has governed Liyue for thousands of years, from protecting the land of Liyue during the war with the Demon God to establishing the ritual of summoning the immortals to stabilize the order. Even if there are imperfections, it is impossible that there is no merit at all.
Just as the thought of "I think I was wrong" came to her mind, Keqing suddenly suppressed it.
I can't be persuaded just like that! She took a deep breath, raised her head again, and insisted on her opinion.
"I know that the Emperor has his own wisdom. I have never denied this. But..."
Barbara shook her head and continued with her own thoughts.
"My point isn't to rely on the wisdom of the gods, but to emphasize 'faith' itself. It's faith that provides guidance, not wisdom that provides answers."
She deliberately emphasized the words "faith" and "guidance," tapping the table lightly with her fingertips, as if to emphasize the weight of these two words.
"You are denying the Emperor's 'kingship'. You are denying his 'rule' that makes decisions for humanity and deprives humanity of opportunities for growth. That's correct."
"But you can't deny the 'divinity' of God simply because you deny 'royal authority'! These are two different things."
"Divinity?"
Keqing's brows suddenly relaxed slightly, and her shoulders, which had been tense just now, also relaxed a little. The defensiveness in her tone faded, replaced by genuine curiosity.
Seeing Keqing's serious desire for knowledge, Barbara put away her previous somewhat abstract "divinity" rhetoric and replaced it with a more understandable expression.
"In short, you lack faith in the gods, and you lack the strength to hold yourself back."
"When you encounter problems, no one helps you restrain your desire for quick success and instant benefits, which is why you have ended up in this situation step by step."
"Use faith to restrain yourself?" Keqing repeated this sentence in a low voice, her eyes gradually becoming heavy, and she began to slowly reconcile Barbara's words with everything she had experienced in her mind.
The resistance in her heart was gone, and instead she felt a little thoughtful.
Seeing the hesitation in her eyes, Barbara knew the time was right, so she struck while the iron was hot, added a bit of "yearning" to her tone, and described to her the greatness of "God".
"That's right. Think about it, a god who has been able to protect a piece of land for thousands of years must have his own virtues. Calmness, tolerance, and the ability to make choices are undeniable."
"Just like the 'God' in my heart, no matter how great the crisis, he can always remain calm and guide his believers in the most appropriate way, never being led astray by emotions or impatience. What do you think?"
Keqing suddenly raised her head, the confusion in her eyes gone, but instead there was a glimmer of recognition.
She nodded heavily, her voice filled with unprecedented certainty: "That's right! Miss Barbara, you are absolutely right!"
Barbara looked at Keqing, who had completely let down her guard and was full of conviction, and a barely perceptible smile appeared on the corner of her mouth as she continued to guide her gently.
"That's your problem right now, Miss Keqing. You're so eager for success, thinking you've ushered in a new era of rule by man. So you're blindly denying past experience, obsessed with proving yourself capable."
"But you forget that true growth isn't about overthrowing the past, but about moving forward with good things. Just like a god guides his believers, he never abandons those precious virtues."
"Then, what should I do?" Keqing asked anxiously before Barbara finished speaking.
It was the first time she saw hope of "turning everything around" after being lost for so long.
She even forgot her previous resistance to "faith" and only wanted to find a way from Barbara to "stand up again" and make Liyue "better."
……
Barbara felt the desire in Keqing's eyes like a burning flame. Perhaps, if she added "The god in my heart can give you this guidance", this Yuhengxing would most likely immediately ask "how to believe".
She really couldn't suppress the urge to continue to bewitch. After all, Keqing's current state was the best time to spread "faith in God".
But as soon as the thought came to her mind, she suppressed it forcefully.
She didn't dare to gamble. What if Keqing became wary of "deliberate guidance"? What if it backfired? All the preparations before would be in vain.
"Some things can't be rushed," Barbara said softly.
"I think we've talked enough today, and you've resolved a lot of the knots in your heart. It's getting late now, so go to bed early. You still have work tomorrow, right?"
Keqing was brought back to her senses by these words, and subconsciously followed Barbara's gaze and looked up at the sky.
Only then did she realize that the two of them had been chatting until late at night and they really couldn't stay up any longer.
Keqing stood up reluctantly, bowed slightly to Barbara, and said gratefully:
"Thank you very much for clearing up my confusion tonight, Miss Barbara. If I didn't have so much to deal with tomorrow, I really would have liked to have a long chat with you all night and clear up all the confusion in my heart."
Seeing that she seemed unsatisfied, Barbara also stood up and patted Keqing's arm gently.
"It's okay, I have plenty of time. I'll be helping out at Qiaoying Manor from now on. After I finish the rescue work during the day, we'll have plenty of opportunities to chat in the evening."
"I will tell you everything you want to know slowly."
These words were like a reassurance, making Keqing feel relieved instantly.
She let out a long sigh, and the frustration that had been accumulating in her chest for a long time seemed to be completely cleared away with this breath.
The confusion in his eyes was replaced by clarity, and there was a bit of sudden enlightenment.
"I feel relieved when you say that." She said with a smile, her tone full of ease.
"After talking with you, I feel... I really need to get to know the Emperor in my heart again. Thank you for giving me a good start."
She hadn't realized at the moment that her idea of "re-acquainting the Emperor" had already quietly shifted towards "accepting faith" under Barbara's guidance.
Barbara was waiting to slowly direct her "awe" towards the "god" in the glass bottle.
After agreeing on the next communication, Keqing happily went to rest. I believe that she may not be able to sleep tonight!
Barbara whispered silently to the "god" in the bottle: "My Lord God, do you see? I have found your second believer."
……