Genshin Impact: Past Events in Dust Rock

The timeline of this extra chapter is after the end of the Demon God War, so let’s just think of it as a time before the main storyline.

Liyue is a place where rare treasures gather in the world. If there are treasures, there will naturally be discerning people who can recognize them.

Xiguju.

This is a unique little shop.

And this uniqueness is naturally due to Wen Gui, the first generation owner of Xiguju.

Wen Gui is such a maverick collector.

The antique shop Xiguju in Feiyunpo is often visited by elegant customers.

This shop is closed during the day and only opens when the moon rises.

The customers we receive are by no means ordinary customers, but those with extraordinary taste for luxury goods.

Whether it is the wooden bench where the immortal sat on, or the gadgets that the dust god once discarded, or even the jade cup that the emperor once tasted a sip of tea, or the celadon wine bottle that the neighboring god of wind accidentally broke... they are all properly displayed in the store. Waiting for the lucky customers to come.

That night, a noble gentleman accidentally stopped in the store and carefully looked at the many antiques on the display shelves.

The shopkeeper noticed that he was wearing a black robe as solemn as a mountain rock, and his eyes were like gold amber.

This noble young master is definitely an extraordinary person, Wen Gui can tell at a glance.

"Welcome to Xiguju, please feel free to choose which antique you like." The soft voice of the owner broke the silent atmosphere of the night.

There were not many visitors to Xiguju, and Wen Gui basically knew them all. Although the person in front of her was a stranger, Wen Gui still had some guesses.

"Um...oh, I'm sorry." Your Excellency smiled, with a slightly embarrassed tone, "I'm just very interested in this exquisite fake."

What he focused on was a mutilated ancient jade plaque. The moonlight falls on the slightly complete side of the pattern, revealing the shadow of fluffy jade flaws, and flowing down along the vicissitudes of the jade plaque's surface. The surface of this jade plaque is severely worn and the edges are damaged. It is no longer possible to see what kind of handwriting or pictures were sketched on it. It seems that it has gone through an uncomfortable time.

"Fake... how can you see it." Wen Gui was accustomed to provocations from her guests, but such a straightforward ridicule still made her angry.

However, these words made Wen Gui even more convinced of the identity of the visitor.

"I have long heard that Mr. Zhongli is well-read and has elegant taste. I wonder if I can comment on him in detail."

What's more, this ancient artifact was once unearthed by an adventurer from under the ruined palace in the abyss, and she reluctantly bought it at the expense of almost half of her fortune. If it is really a fake, not only will the assets suffer losses, but the reputation of Xiguju for recognizing treasures will also be greatly reduced.

Therefore, Wengui secretly decided not only to send Zhongli away, but also to find a way to sell him the jade token.

"As we all know, 2,500 years ago, the land of Teyvat was plagued by disasters, and the demon gods led the people to fight. Now all the seven mortal kingdoms were affected. Although there were no seven kingdoms at that time, mortals also had their own settlements, city-states, and kingdoms. ...The demon gods who lost their names in the long oblivion were once commemorated, worshiped, and even loved by their people. Therefore, the ancestors used pearls from the beach, nephrite from the mountains, stubborn rocks in the grass, and stones from the ground. Salt crystals, each shape the image of a god." Zhongli's words were about the war between demons and gods a thousand years ago, which makes people wonder where he learned this knowledge.

Or maybe it was just made up.

After all, only the emperor and the immortals had experienced that period of time.

And they obviously would not come to refute a little guest from the Hall of Rebirth.

"This kind of jade tablet is a relic of that era, from the old Liyue who worshiped the Rock King." Zhongli continued to talk hurriedly.

"In that era when the gods were fighting on the heads of mortals, the King of Rocks had not yet established a currency for the seven kingdoms and created Mora. Therefore, Jiu Liyue used the gold and stones unearthed by chance as intermediaries and the portrait of King of Rocks as its value A sure guarantee."

"So it can be seen that... the wisdom of mortals is so miraculous. He even found a way out for himself ahead of King Yan's arrangement." The noble prince paused, seeming to be thinking about his previous comments. The silver moonlight shrouded him, seeming to shrink his figure slightly.

"Or maybe it borrowed ideas from other city-states."

"This kind of jade tablet is rare in the world and is often buried in mountain streams. And because it is carved by mortal hands, each one is extremely precious... so it is often fetched sky-high prices in the market. It is no exaggeration to say it is worth a fortune."

"It's a pity that the one in your store is a modern imitation. It's so close that it may only be traced back to their father's generation."

"The so-called 'flawless jade' in the jargon, this jade has too few flaws, and the jade quality is too translucent... instead it does not look like a relic from the ancestors' era." Zhongli paused slightly when he said this, and observed more carefully. .

"In addition, the image carved on the jade plaque is that of a woman. This image is rare among other relics of our ancestors." Zhongli raised the jade plaque and looked at it carefully under the moonlight. "Although there are some legends among the people, the rock The theory that Wang Dijun turned into a female body has never been seen in any historical records, and there is no physical evidence..."

As she spoke, Wen Gui felt that although this guest from Zhongli was young, he had the temperament of an old scholar.

"Or maybe, the woman in this pattern is Lord Chen Shen, who often accompanied Emperor Yanwang at that time?" A clear female voice sounded.

I saw another customer coming to the door of the store.

Wengui noticed that this guest was dressed similarly to Mr. Zhongli.

It must be another guest from the Hall of Rebirth, the final guest.

It was rumored that these two were happy enemies, and that was indeed the case when they met today.

"This is guest guest Zhongli who is unaware of something..." Wengui smiled, as if a cunning fox was provoking an inexperienced hunter, "I wonder if the guest would be willing to listen to the owner tell a story."

"But it doesn't matter." Zhong Li said bluntly.

The shopkeeper narrowed his slender eyes and then told the story...

Wen Gui tells the story of the time when Emperor Yanwang transformed into a mortal form and walked around the world. Among the jade-covered mountains, tangible appearances and intangible lies are suddenly contrasted.

In an era when gods still roamed the earth, Emperor Yanwang, who is revered by all people today, was also one of many gods. At that time, it was rumored that Lord Yan was a cold and selfless god. He is fair in dealing with things and ruthless in decision-making, but he lacks the emotions that a mortal should have and is as cold and hard as an eternal rock.

Despite this, people still respected him and trusted him.

Because all his laws can ensure fair transactions and safe and orderly life. The Rock God also strengthens his existence and power from faith.

But even gods cannot influence the beliefs and doubts of mortals; even the patron saint of justice cannot nail clear rules into everyone's heart.

There once was a jade craftsman in Mingyun Town who was playful and cynical.

Whenever a commission is accepted, it will be completed in an unexpected way and on the last day of the deadline. If a customer orders a portrait of a hunter who conquered wild beasts, he will probably receive a wild boar fleeing in panic.

If asked, the answer would be something like this: "Even if a hunter who is conquering a ferocious beast does not show his face, his heroic spirit will make the beasts fearful."

If a customer orders a jade sculpture of a high-ranking person, he or she will probably receive a gorgeous throne.

If pressed, the answer would be something like this: "If a person in a high and powerful position only holds power for a hundred years, he may not live longer than the seat of power itself."

In this way, the jade craftsman was regarded as a "weird" in Mingyun Town.

However, in Liyue Port, where commerce is developed, wealthy buyers found this a gimmick, and most of them were willing to order his jade carvings just to experience his various tricks.

One night, a girl came to the jade craftsman's workshop. She was wearing a slender black robe, and under the glass-like crescent moon, her eyes were shining like amber.

The jade carpenter didn't know her before, but soon discovered that they could always have a good conversation.

Strange to say, she knows every mineral vein and jade deposit in Mingyun Town. She talks about the wonders of the world as if she were talking about sisters, and talks about beautiful jade and gold as if she is talking about her beloved daughter...

He simply knows everything about astronomy and geography.

In any case, this person must have an extraordinary background, at least that is what the jade craftsman speculated.

She wanted a jade tablet with a portrait of the Rock King and Lord Chen Shen when they went on an expedition together.

After they had finished chatting and left the house, the girl finally made the request.

However, the faces of the Rock God and the Dust God cannot be carved out of imagination. Things that have been seen with one's own eyes must be used as templates to carve out real portraits of the Rock God and the Dust God.

Otherwise, she would not have paid a mola.

So, the two agreed to a three-day period.

On the first day, the jade craftsman just had a banquet with his friends and refused to accept any commissions.

The next day, the jade craftsman went out to visit the jade mountain and did not receive any guests for the whole day.

On the third day, the jade craftsman began carving rough jade behind closed doors. From early morning until late at night, he finally finished the work in one go.

When the crescent moon rose in the night sky again, the girl with eyes like gold and amber came to the door again. The jade craftsman handed over his favorite work - a magic tablet carved from beautiful jade, with a girl-like figure on it. Figures of men and girls.

The girl was confused and asked with a frown.

The jade craftsman explained: "On the first day, I asked wise and learned people, and learned how the Rock King's principle works; but this was only the skeleton. On the second day, I personally went to the mountain and spent a whole day observing the mountain. Rock, listening to the growth of the elements, and speculating on the creation of the Rock King, but this is just flesh and blood; on the third day, I blindfolded myself, carving and cutting on the jade as I pleased, rising and stopping as I pleased. This is the soul. "

As he spoke, the jade craftsman smiled slightly awkwardly, "Actually, I don't know why it was carved like this."

End of story.

"Interesting." Zhongli Keqing commented.

After all, the guest played with the jade card and said thoughtfully: "Interesting. This reminds me of another story."

As she spoke, she raised her stone-colored eyes and spoke eloquently...

The story of the Rock King who transformed into a mortal form and walked around the world.

The rigid meaning of rules and fairness will also be dissolved in illusory stories.

Liyue is a place where rare treasures gather in the world. If there are treasures, there will naturally be discerning people who can recognize them. It was an era when Liyue Port was extremely prosperous, and a lot of money came and went from department stores.

Like now, it was an era that belonged to wealthy businessmen and captains, an era dominated by people who fought for their lives against the storms in the mall and the giant beasts in the sea.

Similarly, in that era, there were always countless busy sailors and workers on the grand docks of the port city. Legend has it that the King of Rocks was instigated by the God of Dust.

He often transforms into a nobleman and interacts with the adults in Yujingtai. He also often transforms into a commoner, walking among miners, fishermen, sailors and traders to experience the world of mortals.

At that time, there was a fishing boat owner on the dock in Liyue who was harsh and picky and treated his workers very roughly.

Whenever things don't go as he wants, he often scolds the helpers and even deducts their wages, regardless of their excuses.

On this day, the fishing boat owner met a young man who was the newly hired help of the boat owner.

Wearing short brown clothes and a turban on his head, he is no different from an ordinary boatman. But his skin color and expression revealed that he was a mountain man who came from Qingce Village looking for a way out. His face had the contours of the mountains and rocks.

He was as clumsy and wooden as any other mountain man. Even more irritatingly, when sorting his catch, he always avoids the tentacled, slimy seafood in disgust.

"Pfft." After saying this, the guest chuckled softly for some unknown reason.

"What's the point of being picky? Is this young man from a rich family?" This sentence became an excuse for the fishing boat owner to deduct wages.

In the past, the young man would always smile dully and continue his work as usual.

But finally one day, the young man asked: "Since everyone has their likes and dislikes, why do they choose the evil ones?"

The elm-headed apprentice was startled, and the owner of the fishing boat angrily slapped him on the head: "The rules of the world are like this. If no one does a job they don't like, they will never succeed."

"But I'm afraid this is not the original intention of Emperor Yan Wang in establishing the rules..."

"There's so much nonsense."

"Well, why don't I tell you a story, boss." The young man suggested.

His eyes sparkled in the sunset, like gold and stone in the mountains.

"Hey, the boy can tell stories." Hearing that this elm-headed man could tell stories, the fishing boat owner became interested, "Tell me...hey, don't stop."

The young man smiled slyly and told the story with a little light in his eyes.

In this way, in the boy's story, the shopkeeper lost track of time, and also forgot that the income he had deducted from his servants was being quietly taken away by another pair of hands and distributed to everyone.

……

In an era when the world's treasures are clear, a small joke can expose lies. It was an era when thousands of rare and exotic goods gathered in Liyue Port.

That night, Wen Gui, the owner of Xiguju, was studying ancient artifacts and telling stories with two guests from the Palace of Purity.

At the center of their dispute was a jade plaque.

As we all know, forging an ancient jade does not require much investment in Liyue.

Creating a beautiful fake may be a little expensive, but it is acceptable to merchants.

Perhaps the difficulty lies in forging a polished story.

Just like the jade craftsman wandering in the mountains or the fisherman boy who behaves strangely, the deviant is always closer to his heart.

The King of Rocks establishes rules and contracts, but does not force mortals to live according to the template, because he knows that rules and contracts are only means and not ends. The true balance and meaning lie in everyone's awakening and decision-making.

The harsh fishing boat owner did not understand this, so he only received fear and ridicule from his workers.

This is true for mortals, and so is antiques.

Although it is limited by scarcity and craftsmanship, what truly determines its value is often the "story" behind the "object".

Perhaps a certain guest did not fully understand this, so he would point out that the jade plaque was a fake without any scruples, devaluing its value.

But there are countless treasures in Xigu's house. If they are all cut with the sharp eyes that can see through gold and stone, they will probably turn into dust.

For example, the tears shed by a lover in the sea for the captain turned into eternal pearls; another example is that in the old days, a mortal king carved a portrait for his deceased wife and sealed his soul into it.

These are stories that are destined to disappear, but they are also legends that are preserved under the shell of ancient artifacts and are ready to flourish.

"The story is very interesting. I bought this fake." Zhongli Keqing nodded, with a smile in his golden eyes.

"After hearing this story, do you still think this is a fake?" Wen Gui sighed softly.

"Of course." Guest Qing Zhongli couldn't help but smile. It seemed that he had never smiled so happily since entering the store.

Just like the story of the rose, the fact that jade tokens are ancient currency is also made up by myself.

"Well, it seems that the hall master has to worry about this month's expenses again." After all, Ke Qing sighed and couldn't help but shake his head.

Reference: "The Travels of Emperor Chen"

But the version of "Once Upon a Time in Dust Rock"

The wrong volume was assigned, and it seems that it cannot be changed.

Uncomfortable(?﹏?)