At the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor in the real world—
Zhongli felt utterly, deeply exhausted.
It had only been two hours since the so-called "Exposure System" appeared—two mere hours of chatting with those lunatics in the group—and yet the wear and tear on his soul felt worse than two centuries of erosion!
He was beginning to seriously suspect that this system had been specially designed by Celestia just to accelerate his erosion.
Turning to glance at the projection of his "past self" on the glowing screen, Zhongli took a long, steadying breath. Watching his other self look so calm and unburdened, he gradually composed himself and focused.
In the video:
"Hey, Zhongli! Look! The people of Liyue all think they'll never see the Geo Lord again—
look at this atmosphere of mourning and remembrance!
But you… you look way too relaxed!"
Paimon stared at Zhongli, completely baffled.
Ever since she met him, she'd always felt that this man—who looked no older than a young scholar—carried a strange, ancient weight in his eyes.
A calmness that didn't belong to mortals.
But now, there was something lighter about him.
Seeing her puzzled face, Zhongli gave a quiet chuckle.
"To lay down the burden of three thousand seven hundred years…
would you not feel a little lighter as well?"
Then he turned to Gu Chen.
"By the way, when are you all free? Allow me to treat you at Xinyue Kiosk."
"Ha! Yeah right!"
Paimon crossed her arms and puffed her cheeks.
"I might believe you if you said Third-Round Knockout,
but Xinyue Kiosk? They even charge a tea-seat fee!
Are you sure you can afford it?"
Zhongli paused for a moment, thought seriously, then admitted:
"Now that you mention it… I am short on Mora."
Lumine tilted her head.
"Zhongli's always like this… but why would Morax—of all people—lack Mora?"
"As the Geo Lord, I can of course create Mora with ease," Zhongli explained.
"But since I chose to live as a mortal under the name Zhongli,
I must abide by mortal conventions.
Though I still hold the Gnosis in my hand,
I knew I would soon retire from the position of one of the Seven.
So… why not rehearse a little for my future mortal life?"
"Ah, that's why!"
Paimon's eyes widened in sudden realization.
"Now it makes sense!
You never check prices because you're not used to looking at them!
But since you're not used to not being able to make Mora whenever you want,
you turned into this free-meal-eating, bill-dodging, freeloading social parasite!"
[Azhdaha]:Well said!
[Hu Tao]:So that's why! (Hu Tao·shock)
In the video, Zhongli sighed again, reminiscing for a moment, before the topic shifted to Gu Chen and the others' journey.
"If your travels are to continue, you may face some difficulty," Zhongli said.
"For the nation across the sea from Liyue—Inazuma—has entered isolation."
[Yoimiya]:It's coming! You have to visit Inazuma! (Xiangling·sparkly eyes)
[Arataki Itto]:Heh! If you come to Inazuma, you'll definitely see this great Arataki Itto's unmatched style! (Itto·laugh)
[Kuki Shinobu]:...
[Kamisato Ayaka]:(excited)
[Sangonomiya Kokomi]:(Kokomi·energy up up)
[Raiden Ei]:(Shenhe·stare)
[Yae Miko]:Oh my, is someone hoping they won't show up in Inazuma? (mischievous)
[Kaeya]:Oho? There's a story here?! (alert)
[Kujou Sara]:Yae Miko, I believe you're overthinking this.
[Yae Miko]:We'll see soon enough, won't we? (Yae Miko·smirk)
In the video, the topic turned to the Vision Hunt Decree.
"The Vision Hunt Decree?"
"Doesn't matter—we don't have visions, so what's she gonna confiscate?"
Gu Chen shrugged, utterly nonchalant.
"Haha, in any case, be careful," Zhongli chuckled.
Then their discussion drifted—first to the official cause of the Geo Lord's "death" (the Qixing had announced he'd perished during tribulation), then to the current Qixing themselves.
Zhongli expressed genuine admiration for the seven leaders, even saying he trusted Liyue's future to them completely.
After that came the topic of Tartaglia.
The Qixing had dumped the blame for the entire incident squarely on him.
Although many of the accusations were proven false, the Fatui still paid dearly for their involvement.
Finally, they came to the question of Mora.
"Right—Zhongli, now that you don't have your Gnosis, what happens to all the Mora in Teyvat?" Paimon asked nervously.
"Now that Morax is dead, will Mora disappear?
And the Golden House—the only mint on the continent—can it still function?"
Zhongli replied calmly:
"Existing Mora will not vanish.
However, the Golden House will cease production for some time—
for the creation of Mora requires the Geo Archon's power."
"What?! That's terrible! We'll all go broke!
The world's economy is doomed!" Paimon shrieked.
"Indeed, it's a major issue," Zhongli said thoughtfully.
"From an economic standpoint… well, such troubles are better left to the Qixing to handle."
"So… did you at least save up some private funds?" Paimon asked curiously.
"Hmm? Private funds?"
Zhongli raised a brow, then nodded approvingly.
"By general reason, that is a sound suggestion. Unfortunately…"
"Unfortunately what?"
"Unfortunately, I forgot."
The video shifted to a few days later—Gu Chen's trio had heard from Ganyu and Lan-jie that the Treasure Hoarders of Mondstadt and Liyue were planning to join forces to plunder a Fatui-related ruin.
The pay was high and the experience worthwhile, so the three accepted the commission.
[Transcendent Chat Group]
[Venti]:@[Zhongli] Hey, before you fully retire, shouldn't you stash away some private funds?
Then when we old friends meet up, you can buy me a few drinks! (Venti·sparkly eyes)
[Zhongli]:By general reason, indeed. (nods)
Whether his past self had truly "forgotten" or not, Zhongli now took the matter very seriously.
No private money at all—he couldn't keep mooching off the Hall Master forever.
Hu Tao wouldn't care that he was the Geo Lord—she'd nag him for days!
[Gu Chen]:A retirement without a pension is a failed retirement! (serious)
[Paimon]:Exactly! Zhongli, you've learned your lesson—you'd better prepare before you retire this time!
[Ningguang]:The Qixing have decided to establish a special fund for the Geo Lord's post-retirement life.
It's essentially the same as a pension.
We simply hope that after setting down his burdens, the Lord may live contentedly and well.
[Zhongli]:That is acceptable.
Then at this year's Rite of Descension, I'll announce my withdrawal from the seat of divinity.
[Paimon]:Zhongli's finally going to be rich! But spend carefully, okay? Don't blow it all at once!
[Zhongli]:Understood.
[Venti]:Quick! Quick! Quick! @[Jean]—is it still too late for me to retire?!
[Jean]:Too late. (shrugs)
[Venti]:Then it's decided! I'm moving in with the old man!
[Zhongli]:We're not close. Don't get familiar. (Keqing·refusal)
[Barbara]:Wait—look at the Statue of the Anemo Archon!
Why is it hanging upside-down… and why does it look so creepy?! (Barbara·terrified)
The mood in the video grew heavy.
The upside-down statue of one of the Seven exuded an unspeakable, eerie dread.
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