"Osial..."
When Osial was mentioned, the Geo Archon seemed to recall something, and his expression turned grim—almost like Baizhu and the others when they saw the sunsettia Bai Luo handed them.
As if oblivious to the Archon's darkened expression in the rain, Bai Luo continued, "As the Vortex God who has been sealed away by you for thousands of years, its power must be greatly diminished. If present-day Liyue can defeat it, then the petty villains lurking in the shadows will have to think twice before daring to invade Liyue."
"Hmm, beings like gods and demons are still quite difficult for Liyue to handle. I remember there's a dragon-shaped elemental beast, the Chi, in the mountains. What if we bring it out?"
"The Chi has been dead for thousands of years. How are we supposed to bring it out? Besides... no matter how dragon-like it is, it's still just an elemental creature at its core. It doesn't have the same deterrence as a god or demon."
"How about... you lead an army to attack Liyue? I believe your presence would be just as intimidating as Osial's."
"..."
First of all, Bai Luo didn't want to get blown up by the Jade Chamber for no reason, because he wasn't sure if he could open his eyes again at the nearby Statue of the Seven.
Secondly...
Was this old man seriously suggesting this just to have an excuse to beat him up a few times? Bai Luo gave the Geo Archon a suspicious look, feeling that this might indeed be the case.
"Let's discuss this later. I think Liyue still needs some time to prepare before it can handle the test of Osial."
In the end, the Geo Archon didn't agree to Bai Luo's somewhat outrageous proposal.
The real reason was that the Geo Archon didn't fully trust Bai Luo. Even though the two of them were quite close, it didn't change the fact that Bai Luo was a Harbinger of the Cryo Archon.
Bai Luo's arguments were logical and well-reasoned, but who knew what role he might play in all this? The Geo Archon needed to have a clear understanding of the situation before he could confidently proceed with the plan.
This wasn't the era of the Archon War. There were many things he couldn't afford to gamble on, or else he might lose not just his divine status but also the fruits of thousands of years of effort.
As for this so-called "clear understanding," it would have to be explored gradually during their sparring session in three days.
At this moment, Bai Luo made a request that many would find utterly outrageous.
"Geo Archon, can I see your Gnosis?"
The Seven Archons pursue seven ideals, representing the seven elements.
However, the Seven Archons do not possess Visions. They already wield immense power and do not need such rudimentary organs. Instead, their divine power is connected to Celestia through their Gnosis, the divine chess pieces.
As the symbol of the Seven's authority, the importance of the Gnosis is undeniable. Even though Tartaglia (Childe) had come specifically for the Gnosis, he never dared to openly demand it.
Not being able to find the Geo Archon was one thing, but more importantly, such a demand would be seen as a provocation. It's like going to another country as an envoy and immediately asking to see their national treasure.
Not killing you on the spot would already be a sign of respect.
"Sure."
To Bai Luo's surprise, the Geo Archon didn't take offense. Instead, he smiled casually and, with a wave of his hand over his chest, pulled out a golden, chess-piece-like object.
This Gnosis, pale gold in color, somewhat resembled a rook in international chess.
The Geo Archon wasn't afraid of Bai Luo trying to steal it, as the power contained within the Gnosis was beyond Bai Luo's control. In his hands, it would merely be an exquisitely crafted chess piece.
Even if used as a paperweight, it would probably be too tall, much like a certain cunning fox's use for it.
"Can I touch it?"
Bai Luo reached out but then hesitated, looking at the Geo Archon for permission.
"Go ahead."
The Gnosis wasn't particularly important to the Geo Archon at this point. He already possessed power far beyond that of mortals. The reason he was reluctant to hand over the Gnosis as per the contract was largely due to its symbolic significance.
As long as he held the Gnosis, he would remain Liyue's Geo Archon.
Bai Luo didn't do anything drastic, like grabbing the Gnosis and running. Instead, he lovingly examined the exquisite chess piece, seemingly wanting to memorize every detail.
This made the Geo Archon feel a bit uneasy.
After about a minute of observation, Bai Luo reluctantly returned the Gnosis to the Geo Archon.
"Done playing?"
Taking back the Gnosis, the Geo Archon was like a parent finally reclaiming their phone from a child. He wiped away imaginary drool with a look of mild disgust and asked, "Done?"
"Yes, that's enough."
Hearing the system's notification in his ear, Bai Luo smiled mysteriously and nodded.
This was indeed a perfect opportunity to take Morax's Gnosis. If he used his invisibility and quantum teleportation, he could complete the mission flawlessly.
But doing so would inevitably sour relations with Liyue, and the little reputation he had painstakingly built in Liyue would likely be ruined.
That wasn't what he wanted.
If he could obtain it peacefully later, why go through all this trouble?
"If Liyue truly reaches a state of human governance in the future, I'll gift this Gnosis to you."
When Zhongli said he would gift it to Bai Luo, he was essentially gifting it to the Tsaritsa, as this was part of the contract.
In fact, the Geo Archon was employing a bit of rhetoric here.
If Bai Luo didn't know the contents of the contract, it would seem as if the Archon was specifically offering it to him, which could win some favor. Even if Bai Luo did know, this was just a way of fulfilling the contract.
It was a common tactic among those in power.
For example, when the Tsaritsa promoted Bai Luo to the 12th Harbinger, from Pulcinella's tone, it seemed as if he had put in a good word with the Tsaritsa to make it happen.
He had indeed spoken up, but only after the Tsaritsa had already decided to promote Bai Luo. It might have been a case of adding icing on the cake, but it certainly earned him Bai Luo's goodwill.
Even if internal conflicts arose among the Harbingers in the future, at least the Instructor would be on his side.
After all this discussion, the Geo Archon finally bid farewell to Bai Luo. Regarding Bai Luo's suggestion about Osial, he needed more time to analyze the pros and cons.
Left alone, Bai Luo wandered the streets of Liyue.
Before long, he arrived at Chihu Rock.
As one of Liyue's bustling marketplaces, it was always lively. Not only was Wanmin Restaurant, Xiangling's family's eatery, located here, but so was the Zhongyuan Chop Suey stall he had been longing for.
He just hoped the stall would be open in the rain, so his trip wouldn't be in vain.
However, as he entered the area near Chihu Rock, he didn't see the famous Zhongyuan Chop Suey stall. Instead, he ran into someone unexpected.
"Bai Luo!"
Tartaglia seemed to have known he would come here and was already waiting with a group of Fatui agents, all holding umbrellas.
Though, judging by Tartaglia's drenched appearance, it didn't look like he had been caught in the rain. More like he had fallen into the water, turning into a soggy duck.