"You can all come out now." Zhongli turned his head toward the group whispering behind the trees, utterly speechless.
Everyone else knew the truth, yet he alone had been kept in the dark. He truly wanted to hit someone.
Of course, he knew—it was Guizhong's doing. She was impossible to handle.
"Emperor."
Madame Ping and Cloud Retainer greeted him with smiles. Zhongli was a little surprised. It had been countless years since he had last seen them in their youthful forms. Clearly, Guizhong's return had stirred changes.
"Thank you, my friend." Zhongli expressed his gratitude sincerely.
"I would buy sweet osmanthus, with wine in hand. Today, an old friend has returned again…"
Koji waved a hand. "Hahaha, don't mind it. Reviving Guizhong was just a coincidence. Besides, I happened to need a construction elder sister to build houses."
"What do you mean, if not for building houses, you wouldn't need me?"
Guizhong pointed at herself. She was a god, after all, and this phrasing bruised her pride.
"Exactly. I wouldn't." Koji replied dead serious.
Guizhong puffed up like a fugu fish about to swell.
"Traveler, could I entrust you with something?" Zhongli said after some thought.
"What is it?" Lumine asked curiously.
Was it something the Geo Archon himself couldn't do? If so, could she?
"Please seek out the other adepti. Don't reveal the truth—just say the Geo Archon has fallen."
He couldn't go himself.
"Wait. Why not send Cloud Retainer?" Lumine suggested.
"If it's Cloud Retainer… better not." Zhongli shook his head. He feared that big mouth would spill everything.
"That works too. But how much mora?" Lumine stretched out her hand.
Even if she wasn't hurting for money now, she wasn't about to work for free.
Mora…
Zhongli stiffened. This was bad. He didn't have a single mora on him.
"No way. Morax without mora?" Lumine blinked. Could that be true?
"Hahaha! The old man never carries mora. He just charges everything to someone's account," Venti laughed, unable to stop himself.
He had seen it firsthand during his stay in Liyue. Morax didn't pay—he just had everything put on Wangsheng's tab.
Venti was envious. He had to sing for his wine, but Zhongli had found a wealthy patron to foot the bill.
"Zhongli, have you worn yourself down so much these years?" Guizhong asked in disbelief.
Morax had created mora, yet had none himself. Was this some kind of Liyue joke?
"I had heard rumors," Madame Ping said. "Xiangling once mentioned that her friend, Hall Master Hu Tao, always complains that their guest consultant never carries money." Her expression twisted.
She had never dared ask him herself. But it was true—he really had none.
Now… how was she supposed to face her Emperor?
Cloud Retainer opened her mouth, wanting to explain that he wasn't some societal deadbeat. But she couldn't find the words. Better to believe the Emperor had his deep reasons (illness).
"How about this?"
Zhongli produced a Vision—Geo element. A treasure every mortal coveted.
"I don't need a Vision." Lumine twitched. To think that while broke, Zhongli could just casually pull out something priceless.
"Zhongli, I heard Yun Jin's Vision came from you. Supposedly you once went to the opera without money and gave a Vision as payment," Koji said curiously.
"?"
Guizhong and the others all stared at Zhongli in shock. Could he be any more ridiculous?
It sounded like gossip, but seeing him actually offer a Vision… maybe it had happened.
Zhongli felt roasted alive.
If only Wallet Tartaglia were here—he could have paid.
"I have some mora."
Madame Ping couldn't stand it anymore. She handed over a pouch of mora. Better that than let her god keep losing face.
"Perfect. I'll make sure to deliver the message."
Lumine weighed the coins, satisfied. With mora, there was motivation to work.
"Here."
Guizhong placed a construction helmet on Zhongli's head.
Since he now knew she had returned, it was time for him to work.
"?"
Zhongli froze. What was she planning?
"Zhongli, you're the Geo Archon. Your command of the element surpasses mine. Time to help build houses together," Guizhong declared confidently.
Cloud Retainer said nothing. If it were anyone else, she'd call it disrespect. But if it was Guizhong—even making the Archon step down would be no problem.
"Emperor, Ping and I will leave first. Later we'll coordinate with Mount Aozang and the others to meet the Qixing."
The two vanished. They still needed to help the adepti stage the drama.
"What's wrong, Zhongli? You don't want to?" Guizhong asked, hands on hips, feigning displeasure.
"No. Since our friend revived you, building houses is nothing." Zhongli shook his head.
"My friend, can you revive others as well?" Zhongli asked.
He meant Bosacius and the others.
"Guizhong was revived because her remnant will lingered within the Seal of Dust. I forged a new body with alchemy," Koji explained.
"The Seal of Dust?"
Zhongli stroked his chin, thoughtful.
"So, Guizhong, when you said that if the Seal of Dust were undone…" Zhongli now understood.
"Yes. If you broke it, my remnant could meet you one last time, to say farewell." Guizhong nodded.
"But in truth, I hoped you would not. Undoing it would worsen your erosion."
"…Forgive me. Back then…" Zhongli's voice was heavy with guilt.
Had he arrived sooner, Guizhong might have lived.
"No need to apologize, Morax. In that situation, protecting Liyue was enough. That satisfied me," Guizhong said softly.
Gods were made to love humanity. That was the law imposed by Heaven.
"So… to revive someone, their soul must remain?" Zhongli asked.
"Not always. I have other methods. But with a soul, it's simple—I just forge a body," Koji replied.
"I understand."
Zhongli nodded. He would search later.
"By the way, my friend—you once purified Xiao's karmic debt. Could you also restore sanity to those driven mad?" Zhongli asked.
He meant Azhdaha. Over the years, the Dragon King had grown ever more lost to madness. Seals were no permanent solution.
"Of course. That's simple."
Koji knew who he meant. With proper payment, he wasn't about to play the saint.
(End of Chapter)
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