Genshin Impact's Incense Burner Of Liyue.

"Not at all."

Gu Sanqiu didn't so much as blink. "You're just overthinking it. If that had been my plan all along, then why would you have trusted Sucrose alone to chain me up?"

"The land of Liyue holds much unknown knowledge," Albedo replied, "so it's possible you used abilities that fall outside known limits, slipping past my surveillance."

Gu Sanqiu let out a derisive laugh. "And what about my physical data? Breathing, heart rate, blood flow, mental fluctuations—are those all things you think can be faked?"

"When faced with challenges, immediately chalking it up to the 'unknown' without careful analysis—is that behavior worthy of an alchemist? What makes you any different from those who dodge responsibility by coming up with excuses?"

"...That's a reasonable argument. And I've detected no abnormal readings from you whatsoever," Albedo admitted, gazing steadily at Gu Sanqiu. "It sounds absurd, but as an artificial human, I'll trust my instincts on this one."

"Believe whatever you like," Gu Sanqiu replied dismissively, putting down his cup. "In five days, that so-called Vision Conference will start. We'll carry out our experiment three days from now, somewhere wide open and uninhabited, with no landmarks around."

"Three days? Isn't that rushing things a bit?"

"No. I've been planning this experiment for quite some time."

Gu Sanqiu's eyes sharpened. "There's some risk, but it's not fatal. When it comes to this kind of testing, you probably know the protocols better than I do. No need to explain further."

"One last question," Albedo ventured, "You didn't seem too surprised to find out I'm an artificial human."

"Anywhere across the Seven Nations, artificial humans are a pretty rare phenomenon, wouldn't you say?"

"First of all, don't refer to yourself as a phenomenon; afford yourself a little respect, please."

"Second, what's so special about an artificial human?"

Gu Sanqiu shrugged, concentrating briefly as tiny flames, crackling sparks, and flecks of stone materialized, dancing in his palm yet not colliding.

"I'm half-adeptus myself. Does that seem so strange to you? In Liyue, most people only reach such a state when they're on the brink of the grave. For someone my age, being a half-adeptus is probably one of a kind across the Seven Nations."

"An artificial human with that level of mobility must be some high-level scientific masterpiece—a result of combining endless technical achievements to bring you into being. Same as me, a 'regular' human who became half-adeptus."

"A miracle."

Gu Sanqiu gave Albedo a sly grin. "We are miracles incarnate."

"A...miracle?"

As Albedo pondered this, Gu Sanqiu stood, dusting himself off.

"Alright, I'm done chatting. I'm heading back. In the future, if you need to reach me, just leave a message at the Goth Grand Hotel. No need for the bizarre methods."

He paused, lifting a hand in farewell without turning. "A word of advice."

"You might master truths, command principles, influence minds, and wield the powers of this world as if you were a god."

"But never let them wield you."

---

Perched in the shade of a large tree with a mint leaf between his teeth, Gu Sanqiu glanced back in the direction he'd come, mentally scanning the area.

"Good, no one's following."

Yawning, he removed the Vision from his waist, turning it over in his hands.

"So close to being found out. Does an artificial human really need to have intuition?"

Then again, with all the bizarre things he'd seen, he supposed it wasn't any stranger than artificial humans that could have children. Intuition didn't seem such a stretch.

As he felt the gem's cool surface and reattached it to his belt, a thought lingered.

Albedo's intuition had been correct.

Everything tonight had unfolded exactly as planned.

And his trump card? A technique from his family—a breathing technique nearly akin to a turtle's hibernation.

By manipulating his body metrics with this skill and drawing on his vast "otherworldly" knowledge, he had managed to deceive even Albedo.

Initially, his intention wasn't to mislead Albedo, though.

When he'd first noticed his body feeling off, his mind jumped to the usual suspects—monsters, abyss mages, or maybe Treasure Hoarders testing a new area-of-effect weapon.

Encountering either type would've been simple: he'd have an excuse to fight back and make quick work of them.

But when he found himself airborne in that balloon and spotted Sucrose, he immediately knew who was behind this.

And he had been furious. No one would enjoy being reduced to a test subject, so he devised an elaborate plan to turn Albedo into his experiment subject instead—and even planted the notion of "forgiveness" in Albedo's mind.

In short, he intended Albedo to feel indebted to him, planting the idea of a debt owed. Unlike many others, Albedo, as an artificial human, was unlikely to be fickle or selfish.

If Albedo had approached him openly, Gu Sanqiu would have gladly agreed to experiments as long as they weren't dangerous or invasive. But since Albedo had taken such a sinister approach…

He'd be rewarded in kind.

"Still, it seems Albedo hasn't yet spent enough time among people."

Gu Sanqiu mused quietly. Based on the original path, Albedo was known as a refined and gentle alchemist.

But today, he'd met someone vastly different—a White Chalk Prince wielding science recklessly.

Though his affection for Mondstadt restrained him from causing true harm, Albedo's attitude when it came to others…was definitely questionable.

In short, Albedo acknowledged rules only when he saw fit. If anything interfered with his work, it was just another obstacle to brush aside.

Seeing this, Gu Sanqiu had offered that final piece of advice.

As the White Chalk Prince and a Vision wielder, most of the world's truths lay bare before Albedo.

To wield truth is one thing; to let it wield you is quite another.

That simple.

And later, Albedo would even have the presence of mind to think, If the day comes that I threaten Mondstadt, stop me.

Sucrose, Timaeus, Klee—all of them would be gentle comforts to Albedo's heart.

But, fundamentally, there would always be something deeply unsettling within him—an affliction no cure could mend.

"Enough philosophizing. It's time to figure out how to word this letter to the Doctor."

---

T/N: Ayanokouji who? I only know Sanqiu. ALSO HES HALF ADEPTUS AHHHHHH

Thanks for reading! Let me know if you spot any mistakes or inconsistencies!

(IN THE STORY)

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