RNP Chapter 868 Countermeasures (8)
Chapter 868 Countermeasures (8)
On the first layer of the gift box, a jade token is quietly placed. On the warm and smooth jade, a phoenix spreads its wings as if about to take flight, its feathers fluttering and exuding an ancient and noble aura.
To be honest, if there was still a trace of doubt or confusion among the people before...
At that moment, when the phoenix-patterned token came into view, all the fog had dissipated, and the realization dawned like the first light of day.
—The phoenix is the most core totem symbol of the Junbai lineage.
No one would believe that this gift had nothing to do with him. The graceful phoenix figure seemed to emerge from the depths of his memory, carrying an undeniable sense of destiny.
If the person giving the gift has a deep connection with Jun Bai, then calling Naxida "Miss" would no longer be a baseless statement, but rather seem natural and reasonable.
Those who possess such tokens must be extremely close to Jun Bai, and their identities must be extraordinary.
Upon further consideration, Naxida was born from a young branch of the World Tree through Junbai's Nirvana Fire.
In terms of kinship, she might not be as close as Iya.
But in terms of bloodline and destiny, she is indeed a blood relative of Jun Bai, and could even be called... his daughter.
Therefore, it seems that Jun Bai's former subordinates' respectful address of her as "Miss" is not only in accordance with etiquette, but also full of respect and warmth. Logically, it fits perfectly and is convincing.
"So... the Gongming Trading Company is actually one of Father's people?"
Naxida gently picked up the jade pendant, her fingertips tracing the smooth outline of the phoenix, her voice filled with surprise and emotion.
Iya, standing to the side, stared at the familiar pattern, his expression slightly somber, as if recalling distant memories. After a moment, he slowly spoke:
"This... seems to be the universal token of the Hall of Heroes. Everyone who enters the Hall of Heroes is given such a token."
Paimon blinked, then suddenly realized: "So, the person who gave Nasita the gift might be one of the fallen generals of Liyue? Or perhaps one of the former Liyue Seven Stars?"
They were no strangers to the Hall of Heroes.
The Hall of Heroes is the final resting place for all the Heavenly Phoenix Feathers.
Whenever a generation of Heavenly Phoenix Wings falls, the mark of their kin, imprinted deep within their soul, will guide them to that eternal realm, where they will continue to exist as heroic spirits, guarding the beliefs and land they once swore to defend to the death.
However, Ying and Paimon later truly understood that the Hall of Heroes was not only open to Tianfeng Lunyu.
Because these warriors were renowned and their deeds were widely known, people mistakenly believed that only they were qualified to be stationed there.
Actually it is not.
Anyone who has made significant contributions to Liyue, or possesses extraordinary abilities, can apply to Junbai to enter the Hall of Heroes to continue their will if they sense that their lifespan is about to end and they are unwilling to completely dissipate their obsession.
Junbai has never rejected any sincere soul.
If there is any affinity between them, he would even reserve a place for them—whether it is Shen He, the mortal disciple of Liuyun Jiefeng Zhenjun, or Hu Tao, Zhongli's superior and the head of the Wangsheng Hall.
He would gladly open the door to the Hall of Heroes for them, if they so wished.
As for the so-called "lifespan is predetermined" argument?
Jun Bai simply smiled indifferently: You want to talk about the cycle of destiny? Go ask my Hall of Heroes first if it will allow it.
Zhuge Xun, who now teaches at the Sumeru Academy, is a member of the Hall of Heroes—he was one of the Seven Stars of Liyue who died on the battlefield five hundred years ago, and his wisdom and loyalty still shine brightly after a thousand years.
For three thousand years, the Hall of Heroes may have seemed desolate and quiet, but in reality, it was a gathering place for heroes and a place where hidden talents resided.
Countless loyal souls rested, contemplated, and watched over this place, building an invisible yet indestructible spiritual Great Wall.
However, on ordinary days, Ying and her group had the most contact with the five original Tenhou Rinyu who had first settled in.
Most of the other heroic spirits remain hidden behind the scenes and rarely appear in the mortal world.
Unexpectedly, today a friend from the Hall of Heroes has crossed mountains and seas to send this birthday gift from faraway Fontaine!
--Reality
Star's live broadcast room.
On the screen, Paimon tilted his head, wondering with curiosity who had given him this gift from Fontainebleau.
The camera shifts, and Xing leans back lazily, sinking into the soft cushions, her tone flippant and playful:
"Oh dear... it seems this trip to Fontaine will be another enjoyable journey of bullying others with one's power."
She smiled slightly, making no attempt to hide her teasing: "Anyway, I don't believe that those big shots from the Hall of Heroes, backed by Jun Bai, could have a bad life if they really set foot in Fengdan."
According to the Hall of Heroes' lore, those who can enter its ranks are either exceptionally strong in combat or possess extraordinary intelligence. Such individuals are destined to be prominent figures wherever they go.
Besides, didn't we just introduce the Gongming Chamber of Commerce? That's a behemoth renowned throughout Teyvat.
[Either possessing extraordinary strength, specializing in a particular field, or having made outstanding contributions—I really can't imagine how someone of this caliber could end up in such a miserable state.]
Try reading some female-oriented novels.
[↑I can't argue with that, okay? Even the most powerful characters in female-oriented novels have to bow their heads and follow the rules. Even founding fathers can be called trash by some "innocent and naive" fairy...]
[↑The plot in the novel is already fantastical enough, but the behavior and logic of some "little fairies" in real life are truly shocking and mind-blowing.]
The barrage of comments scrolled rapidly, with various opinions flooding in like a tidal wave.
Xing glanced at the screen, her brows furrowing slightly, a hint of disgust appearing on her face. She complained, "Don't discuss these unclean things in my live stream! It's making my brain splatter!"
In fact, Xing is very clear that she is not "normal".
Her thought process has always been unique, always leaping to dimensions that are difficult for ordinary people to reach;
His romantic orientation also goes against the mainstream, and he is an openly gay person.
By any universal standard, she does not belong to the category of "ordinary people".
Even so, she firmly believes that compared to those so-called "fairies" who spout outrageous statements and write absurd stories, she is rational, clear-headed, and mentally sound.
At least, her brain is a brain in the truest sense, filled with memories, wisdom, and genuine emotions and thoughts.
And some of these "fairy-like" girls' heads... are probably just filled with meaningless mosaic fragments. Otherwise, how can their seemingly inhuman words and actions be explained?
——Teyvat
Inside Jingshan Palace, the night was still and quiet, with only a gentle breeze blowing through the gauze curtains, bringing a touch of serene coolness.
"That should be the case."
Nasita responded softly, her tone gentle, yet tinged with hesitation. She lowered her eyelashes, her gaze falling on her palm, as if it reflected the mists of the past.
Paimon's earlier guess still echoed in her ears, but even she herself couldn't give a definite answer.
In name, she is Junbai's daughter—an identity that stems from an almost miraculous connection.
That flame of Nirvana ignited from the Pure Good Palace of Mount Sumeru, transcending the barriers of time and space, and setting a life bud that should not have existed.
If not for the gift of that cluster of flames, she would not have been able to be born into the world as a branch while the Great Tree King was still alive.
After all, there can only be one incarnation of the World Tree, and her birth was a gentle exception by fate.
However, this father-daughter relationship was ultimately a one-way connection.
She had never set foot on the land of Liyue, never looked up at the lights of Liyue, and never personally witnessed the Thousand Rocks Army commander who was revered by the world.
How can a "daughter" who has never returned to her homeland truly be considered a blood relative?
In contrast, although Yi Ya only calls Jun Bai "brother", he is a pure and noble descendant of the phoenix, born from fire, and inherits the purest bloodline of fire.
And what about myself? I am nothing more than a branch extending from the World Tree, a spirit tree growing in a dream.
Thinking of this, Naxi Da felt a pang of melancholy.
She truly didn't know how to answer Paimon's question.
She knew less about the Hall of Heroes than Ying and Paimon, who had traveled far and wide; as for Jun Bai's past, it was like a mountain peak shrouded in mist, unreachable.
"What's certain is that this matter is definitely related to my brother," Yiya said firmly, a familiar light flashing in her eyes. "If we're unsure, why don't we just go ask him?"
“Let’s check if the gift box explains the origin of the gift first.” Nasita shook her head slightly, a hint of hesitation in her eyes. “It doesn’t seem appropriate to bother him for such a small matter.”
After saying that, she slowly lifted the second layer of the gift box.
A faint, ancient scent of ink wafts out, revealing a letter and a heavy book.
She took out the letter, read it carefully for a moment, and then looked up, her voice as gentle as the wind rustling through the treetops: "The person who sent the gift is the founder of the Gongming Chamber of Commerce—one of the Seven Stars who perished five hundred years ago to protect Liyue and eventually entered the Hall of Heroes."
"He was one of my father's former subordinates. After learning my identity, he joined forces with the others to present me with this birthday gift."
"Another book?" Paimon's eyes widened as he stared at the massive volume, which was far thicker than Serena's Fairy Tales, and he couldn't help but click his tongue in amazement. "Could this senior also be a great writer or author?"
“The letter says,” Nasita said gently, her fingertips tracing the spine of the book, “that this book records…some of my father’s deeds during his lifetime.”
She looked at everyone, "Want to take a look together?"
Although she hadn't gathered everyone here for this reason, it was still early, and she didn't mind staying a little longer.
Ying hesitated for a moment, then shook her head: "Let's forget it, business is more important."
“Alright.” Naxida nodded, carefully put the book away, and placed it on a bookshelf deep inside the Jingshan Palace.
Yiya smiled and reached out to gently ruffle her hair: "But sister, this was originally a gift given to you, so of course you should keep it."
“That’s not what I meant…” Nasita smiled slightly and explained, “I meant that if you want to learn about the contents of the book in the future, you can come to me anytime to see it.”
As the words fell, the gift box closed, the candlelight flickering, as if drawing a gentle conclusion to this brief moment of warmth.
Hey, no, don't download it yet, just look at it here. I'm really curious about what's inside.
[They're not planning to continue with filler content, are they?]
[If she had said it directly, I might have thought the screenwriter was dragging things out, but she chose to keep it to herself... so I'm really starting to get curious.]
That concludes this matter; let's move on to the main topic.
Paimon blinked and asked softly, "Hmm... Nasita, do you have any ideas about how to find out the royalists' plans?"
Nasida tilted her head slightly, her gaze calm as a deep pool, her tone gentle yet profound: "Actually, I've already made some attempts. But now, I'd like to hear your opinions first."
(Player perspective dialogue options:)
(1. Directly "possessing" a key figure?)
(2. Possessed by a student to infiltrate the royalist office?)
(3. Should we arrest a royalist and question him?)
Ying Ning pondered for a moment, recalling Nasita's mysterious possession ability, which she had previously displayed. She then suggested, "How about we directly 'possess' a core member of the royalist faction and gather intelligence from within?"
Nasita shook her head slightly, her expression calm but with a hint of helplessness: "Doing that would be too risky."
"I can possess someone, but that doesn't mean I can perfectly mimic their words and actions—"
"The slightest flaw will be immediately exposed."
Paimon scratched his head, then had a sudden inspiration:
"Then... could we possess a student, sneak into their office, and look for clues?"
Nasita shook her head again, her tone firm yet gentle: "No. We can't drag innocent people into this conflict."
“If the operation is exposed, the possessed student will face unpredictable danger. I will never let the children of Sumeru become victims.”
After a moment of contemplation, Yi Ya said in a low voice, "In that case, why not arrest a member of the royalist faction for interrogation? Perhaps we can get him to talk."
Nasita's eyes flickered slightly, as if she were weighing the pros and cons, before she nodded seriously: "This plan... is indeed worth considering."
"But the premise is that we must first eliminate all concerns and ensure that nothing goes wrong."
Her voice grew cold: "The experience of the Flora Festival has proven one thing to us—"
"As long as the people of Sumeru City continue to wear Void Terminals, they will forever be hostages in the hands of the royalists."
"With just one command, they can plunge the entire city into a collective dream, imprisoning the consciousness of millions in an illusion."
Paimon's heart tightened, and his voice trembled slightly: "But...but...they are sages of the Order of the Church, would they really do such a despicable and cruel thing?"
Nasita remained calm, but a hint of coldness flashed in her eyes: "If it were the royalists of the past, perhaps they wouldn't have done it. But the current ones... are no longer what they used to be."
She paused for a long time, as if suppressing some deep-seated emotion.
As a demon goddess, her love and responsibility for her people prevented her from ruthlessly killing the royalists. But this does not mean she was unaware of the dark deeds hidden behind the light.
In fact, she had struggled with this question more than once: whether to sever ties with the royalists who had been willing to give everything to welcome back the Great Compassion Tree King, and who would also sacrifice their lives to protect Mount Sumeru.
It even severed ties with the people of Sumeru City.
Nasita felt that only in this way could she truly harden her heart and end it all.