After casually dealing with Tartaglia, Fu Ning felt that there was no need to attend the Rite of Descension to invite the Immortal.
But now that he was here, it was a good opportunity to see the world. After all, he had never witnessed a ceremony to invite the Adepti.
It was a good chance to see what Zhongli's true appearance was like.
…
During the Rite of Descension, Fu Ning sat in a corner, recalling what Zhongli had said.
"You're from Fontaine. As far as I know, people from Fontaine are particularly fond of things like drama." Zhongli sipped his tea slowly, speaking in his usual unhurried tone.
"How about we sign a contract? Liyue is about to stage an unprecedented drama, and all you have to do is watch."
"I guarantee you will be satisfied with this performance. When you return to Fontaine, you can tell this story to your Hydro Archon. But do not reveal my identity to other mortals."
"At the same time, you promise to help me with something that won't exceed your capabilities and will not cross your bottom line."
"When everything is over, I will naturally tell you everything I know about the prophecy concerning Fontaine."
"But I must tell you in advance—I don't know much, and most of what I do know is about the previous Hydro Archon, Egeria."
"I haven't conducted much research on the prophecy you mentioned, and I'm unsure if Egeria's matters have any bearing on Fontaine's current prophecy."
"The choice is yours, Dark Demon God."
Zhongli spoke to Fu Ning in a semi-compromising manner.
After all, Fu Ning's identity was unique, and it wouldn't be wise to reject him outright—it could provoke discontent.
It would be better to sign a contract to protect both sides' interests.
Fu Ning had no choice but to agree to Zhongli.
"Well, the contract is sealed. Anyone who breaks it shall be punished—by being eaten by stone."
Fu Ning looked perplexed.
Eaten by stone?
…
At the Rite of Descension hosted by the Liyue Qixing, Fu Ning kept his eyes on a blonde girl and a floating white creature.
The two were wandering around, chatting with people, and seemed very sociable.
Moreover, that little floating white creature… was quite interesting. Fu Ning narrowed his eyes.
Then, the pair came up to him.
The floating spirit greeted him: "Hi there, young man! I'm Paimon, and this is the Traveler, Lumine. What's your name?"
Fu Ning nodded. "Hello. I'm Fu Ning."
"Traveler… Paimon… I heard a few days ago that two outsiders helped resolve the dragon disaster in Mondstadt. Was that you?"
"Yes, that was us!" Paimon grinned, clearly pleased to be recognized. "Fu Ning, are you here to watch the Rite of Descension too?"
"Me? I am Fu Ning, the Supreme Guard of Fontaine. I came under orders from the Hydro Archon to discuss matters with the Geo Archon."
Paimon blinked in confusion. "Uh… Supreme Guard? Fu Ning, you're a guard? Wait—though you're tall, why do you call yourself Fontaine's 'supreme' guard? Even if you're proud of your height, you don't need to brag like that!"
"And you're from Fontaine… discussing something with Morax… uhh… that just sounds weird no matter how you say it."
Lumine also cast a curious glance at Fu Ning.
Fu Ning smiled faintly. It seemed these two didn't know his true identity.
"Here's how it is. There are three people with the highest status in Fontaine: Lady Furina, the current Hydro Archon; Neuvillette, the Chief Justice; and Fu Ning, the Supreme Guard."
"This 'Supreme Guard of Fontaine'—that's me."
"'Supreme Guard' is a title, not an adjective."
"So, in terms of hierarchy, my position is officially higher than that of the Liyue Qixing, and just beneath that of the Geo Archon himself. It's perfectly reasonable for me to hold talks with Morax."
Paimon was stunned.
"Wow! So Fu Ning, your status is that high? I thought you were just some ordinary guard from Fontaine!"
"You must be super strong too!"
Fu Ning curled his lips into a slight smile. "I'm not particularly talented, but I am the strongest fighter in Fontaine."
Paimon covered her mouth in shock. Even Lumine seemed a bit surprised.
"Wow! We actually ran into Fontaine's top warrior here in Liyue!"
Paimon mentally compared Fu Ning to Klee, the strongest fighter she knew from Mondstadt.
She felt Fu Ning and Klee must be on equal footing.
But Klee was really strong!
Just then, Ningguang clearly noticed Fu Ning and quickly approached. "Mr. Fu Ning, you're here as well."
Fu Ning nodded. "This is the proper attitude."
"I came to see the Geo Archon. Why wouldn't I be here?"
Ningguang gave a slight nod and gestured to her attendant.
The attendant understood and retrieved a small object from his pocket.
"Mr. Fu Ning, this is a blessing charm often given out during the Rite of Descension. I offer it to you in hopes that today brings you good fortune."
Fu Ning raised an eyebrow and accepted the small charm. "Then thank you, Lady Tianquan Ningguang."
"It would've been better if we'd known this earlier. That way, there wouldn't have been any unpleasantness."
Ningguang exhaled subtly.
"Yes… Mr. Fu Ning is right. My previous attitude was… less than ideal."
With that, she turned and left, not staying long.
To her, it was best if Fu Ning didn't stir up trouble.
"Hey, Fu Ning, are you familiar with that Tianquan lady? You two seem to have a pretty good relationship," Paimon asked curiously.
Fu Ning's mouth twitched.
You little fool. How could you possibly think Ningguang and I get along?
"It's just superficial. In fact, we had a conflict a few days ago."
"Huh? Why? Why would you argue with Ningguang?" Paimon asked, puzzled.
"It's simple. I looked down on her for trying to challenge me just because she's a member of the Liyue Qixing. She, on the other hand, feared my overwhelming strength."
"To be honest, I do admire her ability to govern Liyue well. But I can't understand where her confidence comes from—to challenge me."
"So, a small show of force likely scared her."
Fu Ning clearly had a low opinion of Ningguang and wasn't particularly friendly toward her.
"Uhh…" Paimon turned her head toward Lumine and muttered, "Fu Ning seems to care a lot about ranks and social standing. Maybe we should stay away from him…"
"I can hear that," Fu Ning said calmly. "As Fontaine's Supreme Guard, I serve directly under the authority of the entire nation. When I travel abroad, I represent Fontaine's honor and more importantly Lady Furina."
"Truthfully, I don't care much for such things personally…still I can't let it slide."
"You two are Travelers. If you ever come to Fontaine, you'll see another side of me."
Paimon scratched her head awkwardly.
"Hehe… turns out you've got really good ears, Fu Ning."