"This is a rule of Vies, and I hope Mr. Ajev will respect the local customs!" Meg explained softly to Yu Sheng'an, who was looking utterly bewildered.
"Why don't I know about this custom?" Yu Sheng'an's brow furrowed slightly, feeling somewhat resentful that the Kvir Empire's diplomatic work was truly too poor!
"Foreigners entering our Vies have always been required to sing a song to show their sincerity.
Is Mr. Ajev perhaps not from the southern provinces of Azeria?" Meg looked strange.
Vies has been established for over four hundred years, and there is hardly any noble who doesn't know this rule.
Even among the various tribes of the snowy regions at the northern tip of the Azeria continent, known for being backward, savage, and brutal, there are many who know this rule.
Alright!
Listening to his tone, it seems it's me who is inexperienced...
Yu Sheng'an suddenly felt a headache coming on.
Being a deity is truly capricious, isn't it?
They dare to pull off any bizarre move.
Aren't they afraid of being ridiculed?
Well, that's right.
They've become deities, who are they afraid of being laughed at by?
Besides, habit becomes nature!
Putting myself in their shoes, there's even the custom of kissing cheeks on Blue Star, which on the Azeria continent would probably be mistaken for taking advantage and asking for a beating!
"Mr. Meg, I truly was unaware of your country's rules.
As you can see, I am unprepared.
How about we simplify the ceremony this time and skip this step?"
Yu Sheng'an tactfully refused.
Singing in front of an audience was something Yu Sheng'an really couldn't bring himself to do.
On one hand, he was thin-skinned.
He only dared to hum to himself when alone taking a bath.
On the other hand, he was tone-deaf.
He was the type who only dared to order songs like "Love Till Death" or "Xi Shua Shua" when going to KTV.
How could you ask him to sing?
"This..."
Meg hesitated for a moment, even asking his superior privately for instructions, before finally nodding in agreement.
There was no other way, Ajev's status was, after all, unusual.
The delegation finally moved again amidst the surprised gazes of a group of dancers, slowly driving towards the city.
As soon as the delegation entered the city, it attracted the attention of the citizens of Vies.
Vies was too closed off.
Although the opening of the Academy of Music each year would attract a large number of nobles, big and small, sending their children to study, the excitement was limited to that period.
For most of the rest of the time, it was a closed city-state.
This sudden arrival of foreign envoys naturally drew considerable attention, especially since Vies had arranged high-level courtesy.
It was hard not to be noticed.
"Are they the people from the Kvir Empire?
They look so fierce and evil."
"Indeed, their armor looks really crude."
"I heard they are a group of madmen who desperately pursue magical power, even summoning abyss demons for strength."
"They are not like us, who have the protection of the Goddess of Music.
Without divine protection, they can only trade with demons for power and struggle to survive."
"How pitiful!"
"Hey, by the way, what song did they sing when they entered the city?"
"They didn't sing."
"Ah?
Didn't sing?"
The citizens of Vies were discussing among themselves.
When they heard that the Kvir Empire delegation had not sung when entering the city, the crowd of onlookers immediately erupted!
This news spread with astonishing speed!
The way people looked at the Kvir Empire also changed.
"They didn't even sing?
What do they think of our Vies?
I remember Prince Howard sang a song called 'Praise the Goddess' last year!"
"This is simply blasphemy against the Goddess!"
"How could a bunch of madmen pursuing magic sing?"
"What's the meaning of life if you can't even sing?"
"Simply crude!
I really don't understand why they were even allowed in?
They should all be driven out!"
The citizens of Vies were boiling!
Some were filled with righteous indignation; others sighed pitifully; still others showed contempt and disdain.
Yu Sheng'an, completely unaware, looked at the hostile and contemptuous gazes of the citizens on both sides of the road, feeling a wave of depression in his heart.
What was going on?
The rumors were indeed not unfounded.
The people here really did reject outsiders!
Of course, not all rumors were true.
For example, the rumor that Vies "doesn't engage in production, but is devoted to music," and that the people couldn't even get enough to eat.
However, walking along the way, Yu Sheng'an rarely saw anyone with a sallow complexion.
On the contrary, judging by their complexions and clothing, the quality of life for the citizens here was probably three points better than in Willis.
On the streets, there were no mercenaries galloping on horseback; no child laborers struggling to make a living; and certainly no piled-up shantytown buildings.
The buildings here looked like musical scales, orderly yet with a scattered and rhythmic charm.
It made sense, after all.
Since it was a city-state ruled by a deity, how could they not even be able to fill their stomachs?
Moreover, this was just a city-state with a population of a few hundred thousand.
If she couldn't even rule this small piece of land well, the Goddess of Music would be shamed out of her divine status!
The delegation finally settled down at the Delegation Office.
After a short rest, bathing, and changing clothes, Meg came to inform him that he was to meet the Goddess of Music.
Immediately, Yu Sheng'an entered the palace by sedan chair and the main hall on foot.
Passing through a corridor of stone pillars carved with musical scores, Yu Sheng'an finally met the Goddess of Music, Avnera, in the Vies Music Divine Palace, the [Feather Palace].
The grand hall, so bright it reflected people, was tall and spacious.
On both sides of the hall stood statues of men and women holding various musical instruments.
At the end of the statues, a woman in a plain black robe with her hair tied back in a casual ponytail sat quietly on a high-backed divine throne, her gaze fixed on Yu Sheng'an as he entered the hall.
"Ajev greets the Goddess of Music!"
Yu Sheng'an stood below the hall, adopting a gentleman's posture, bowing with his hand on his chest, but his eyes were restlessly sizing up the Goddess of Music's appearance.
White hair and green eyes, fair skin and large eyes, and a beauty mark on the bridge of her nose on a face free of makeup.
However, the Goddess of Music wasn't stunning; in Yu Sheng'an's aesthetic, she would score seven points.
It was just the aura she exuded, full of ethereal charm.
It was absolutely not an exaggeration to give her overall appearance a full ten points.
"You are the seventh deity to step into this land since the founding of Vies, though merely a projection."
The Goddess of Music spoke, her voice unexpectedly husky and soft, as if she had a sticky rice ball in her mouth.
"State your purpose, outer god."
Yu Sheng'an wasn't surprised by the address "outer god."
Whether it was the divine name he chose for himself, "God of the Internet," or the information in the prayer words, it indicated that he was not from this world.
Speaking of which, the reason Yu Sheng'an dared to reveal his identity as an outsider was because outer gods were not uncommon in this multiverse.
Many deities would have multiple hideouts, spreading their faith in multiple planes to prevent their followers in a certain plane from suffering devastating blows, which would affect the supply of Origin Energy.
"Before answering my purpose, may I ask you a question?"
Without waiting for the Goddess of Music to reply, Yu Sheng'an continued on his own:
"The cold-resistant, high-yield black grain was just developed not long ago, and your delegation arrived in Willis City.
Your reaction was quite swift."
"The world also widely rumors that Vies doesn't engage in production but is devoted to music, but as I walked here, I found that your country is not short of food."
"So, beautiful and noble Goddess of Music, I am very curious, since you are not short of food, why do you want high-yield seeds?"
Avnera's expression remained unchanged: "Grain concerns the survival of my subjects.
Is there a problem with me seeking high-yield seeds?"
"Of course there is a problem!" Yu Sheng'an's voice rose: "Everyone says the Goddess of Music has no great ambitions and only looks out for herself.
So I am very curious, if that is the case, why do you still want high-yield grain?"
Avnera's expression remained indifferent, silent.
Yu Sheng'an answered for her: "You want grain to feed more people and expand your Spring of Origin Energy!
Am I right?"
Avnera's face was calm: "The territory of Vies is limited.
No matter how high-yield the black grain is, it cannot support many people."
"Who knows if you have followers in other planes?"
After saying that, whether it was an illusion or not, Yu Sheng'an felt the temperature in the hall seemed to drop a few degrees.
However, when he looked at Avnera, he found her saying with a calm demeanor: "You are overthinking, Your Excellency.
There are thousands upon thousands of multiverses, but where we can traverse are all inhabited lands.
How could I possibly spread my faith?"
Something's fishy!
A warning bell rang in Yu Sheng'an's heart.
If she truly had no followers elsewhere, why bother with this extra explanation?
It's good that something's fishy!
It means she has ambition.
It's easier to persuade someone with ambition; the difficult ones are those who have no desires.
Yu Sheng'an smiled, skipping over this topic: "I came here to form an alliance with you and share my twenty million followers!"
As his voice fell, Avnera, who had been as still as an ancient well, her pupils suddenly constricted.
She then chuckled softly: "Share?
Are you joking, Your Excellency?
How to share?
Even the five great true gods of Azeria rule separately."
Yu Sheng'an said seriously: "Have you heard of NetEase Cloud Music?"