Zhongli let out a soft sigh.
"Strictly speaking, the one who once protected Vindagnyr was a silver-white ancient tree. When the nation of snow was destroyed by a falling celestial star, even that tree could not escape disaster. Later—five hundred years ago—the dragon Durin died upon the snowy slopes of Dragonspine. Its poisonous blood fused with the remnants of the silver-white tree, giving birth to what we now call the Frostbearing Tree."
Severin felt the same sense of regret.
"That tree must carry the hopes and memories of the people of the snow nation."
That silver-white ancient tree had, in essence, been a newborn ley line tree. Through it, the people of the snow nation drew upon ley line power and built a brilliant civilization. Back then, Khaenri'ah had dispatched large forces to the ruins—most likely in search of the tree's remaining branches.
Still, Severin's interest in the Frostbearing Tree itself was limited. As for Frostbearing Fruit—consumables that could only be used once—they were far inferior to a Cryo Delusion in practicality. So he simply sat with Zhongli, drinking tea, listening as others bid and fought over the item.
After three rounds of fierce competition, the Frostbearing Tree's remnant branch sold for 45 million Mora, purchased by a local Liyue merchant.
Though the process was rather dull, Severin's expectations for the auction rose slightly.
Before entering, Zhongli had described the items as merely "ancient relics." Now it was clear that these lots were far more than just old—they were inheritances of ancient civilizations across Teyvat.
Once the Frostbearing branch was auctioned off, the proprietress, Ji Fang, announced,
"The seventh item has an extraordinary origin. It is a divine relic of a god from Liyue's history!"
Across Teyvat, people often heard tales of rare treasures, but anything tied to a god—or demon god—was a true supreme treasure. In the hands of an ordinary person, such an item could alter fate itself.
As expected, before Ji Fang could continue, the crowd erupted.
"Liyue has so many gods—which one is it?"
"Boss Ji, stop keeping us in suspense!"
"The last time I heard of a divine relic was ten years ago! Back then, an expedition team uncovered the tomb of the God of the Valley. After countless hardships, they retrieved its relic, which a wealthy Liyue merchant surnamed Li bought for five hundred million Mora. Li himself told me he later met Rex Lapis in person and exchanged the relic for three hundred years of lifespan!"
"Nonsense. I drank with that Li fellow—he said he made a contract with Rex Lapis using the relic, securing eternal protection for his descendants."
"Hah, that's not what I heard. I heard he sold it to Rex Lapis for five billion Mora—net profit of 4.5 billion!"
"How could that be? Forget meeting Rex Lapis—shortly after buying the relic, Li went bankrupt and retired to the countryside."
Naturally, the discussion reached Severin and Zhongli.
Before Severin could ask, Zhongli spoke first.
"To my knowledge, that merchant never met Rex Lapis. The so-called relic of the God of the Valley was a fake. Spreading rumors was merely his way of saving face and avoiding ridicule."
"Cough, cough."
Ji Fang cleared her throat. "Everyone, please calm down and let me finish. This time, the relics come from the Salt God, Havria. And there are not one, but two items: the Salt Ruler and the Salt Chalice!"
"The Salt Chalice contains salt that can never be exhausted. The Salt Ruler, when planted in the earth, can generate vast salt fields—symbols of Havria's divine authority. Unfortunately, these relics have already lost their godly power and are now little more than special commemorative items."
"Even so, they are still divine relics—priceless to those who cherish them, worthless to those who don't. Bidding starts at twenty million Mora!"
"Thirty million!"
"Fifty million!"
"Seventy-six million!"
The hall instantly erupted.
Even without divine authority, relics of a god were enough to drive ordinary people mad. With a starting price considered low for such items, bidding enthusiasm soared, quickly pushing the price past one hundred million Mora.
Seeing Severin remain perfectly calm, with no intention of bidding, Zhongli said,
"Havria was a benevolent but weak god. During the Archon War, she constantly compromised, leading her people into hiding again and again—yet in the end, she was betrayed by them. She was not killed by enemies, but by her own followers, under the guise of 'freeing her from suffering.'"
"Even so, a true god's relic is valuable. Personal artifacts may contain traces of divine power—or even secrets. You show no interest at all. Have you noticed a problem?"
Severin replied calmly,
"Anyone thinking rationally would realize that the Land of Salt was the final refuge of Havria's people. Beneath it lies a sealed underground cavern. If Havria left relics behind, they would be in that domain."
"That seal has remained unbroken for over a thousand years. Even the Treasure Hoarders, experts at exploring ruins, failed to open it. No one else could have done so."
"Furthermore, both the Salt Chalice and Salt Ruler are externally intact. If they were never damaged, how could they so easily lose divine authority? My conclusion is simple—both items are counterfeits."
Zhongli couldn't help praising him.
"Sound reasoning. Mr. Severin, your understanding of Liyue surpasses that of many retired elders. These are indeed forgeries—crafted so skillfully that even the auction house's experts failed to detect them."
His gaze then turned solemn.
"Fairness and integrity are the most fundamental contracts between Rex Lapis and the merchants of the world. Whoever violated that contract and disrupted Liyue's commercial order—once this auction ends, the buyer will surely report the matter to the Millelith."
Severin sipped his tea leisurely.
"Those capable of forging divine relics are exceedingly rare in all of Teyvat. Such work requires not only exceptional skill, but extraordinary audacity. In Liyue—under Rex Lapis's direct oversight—the only ones with both ability and nerve are the Liyue Qixing. If my guess is correct, the mastermind is the Tianquan herself—Ningguang."
"Ningguang?"
Zhongli frowned, puzzled.
"Of course, this is only my personal speculation," Severin continued.
"Ningguang is said to understand human nature deeply and excel at strategy. She wouldn't risk everything for a few hundred million Mora—that would endanger her position as Tianquan, which is far too foolish for someone like her."
Zhongli asked, "Then why do it?"
"Fishing," Severin said lightly.
"Let's keep drinking tea—and see who bites the hook."
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