"Lord Childe, was this done by that shopkeeper?"
The wounds on his comrades' bodies were horrifying, each one was a clean, fatal strike. Clement might've been useless, but even so, these people together shouldn't have been taken out so easily.
Tartaglia shook his head. "Not necessarily, but at the very least, his identity isn't that simple. Forget it, we'll head back for now. Also, tell everyone below, before taking any action in the future, they must report first.
Otherwise, if you end up disrupting Her Majesty's plans, you couldn't pay for it even with your lives."
As his tone grew colder, everyone felt a chill down their spines. No one liked subordinates who acted without orders.
"Yes, my lord."
...
When Su Han returned to Liyue, the clerk immediately came running up. "Boss, Mr. Zhongli has been waiting upstairs for quite some time."
"Huh? When did he come?"
"Not long after you left."
"…"
Su Han froze for a moment, a bad feeling creeping up inside. Don't tell me this old man followed me the whole way again…
Speaking of the Lord of Geo, he was fine in most regards, except for two habits.
First, he wanted to retire.
Second, he loved to secretly follow others and watch the show.
When Su Han reached the second floor, Zhongli was sipping tea made from Qingce Village's finest leaves. Seeing Su Han return, he smiled warmly. "Brother Su, you've finally returned. I was starting to think I'd have to wait all day. Still, next time you leave the city, you'd best be careful. With your fame now, it's easy to attract the attention of… unsavory sorts."
Su Han was speechless. So the old man did see everything!
He couldn't be bothered to expose him, so he simply said, "Heh, no big deal. I was born with divine strength. A few small-time thugs don't bother me. And if real experts tried to kidnap me, wouldn't the Adepti of Liyue intervene? I happen to have quite a good relationship with Miss Ganyu, the secretary of the Liyue Qixing."
"Oh? I see. That's reassuring," Zhongli nodded, then suddenly shifted the topic. "However, I've heard that the Adepti have secluded themselves from mortal affairs for centuries. What's your opinion on that?"
"Ahem… I'm just an ordinary man, how could I dare to comment on the matters of the Adepti? Drinking tea, selling comics, and earning some Mora is more than enough for me."
Su Han smiled faintly, refusing to take the bait. This old man was full of schemes, say too much, and it'd spell trouble. The last time he got drunk and ran his mouth, Hu Tao ended up leaving the country! If he somehow caused Zhongli to retire early this time, that'd be a sin too great to bear!
Seeing Su Han's tight-lipped attitude, Zhongli wasn't annoyed. He chuckled softly. "It's just casual talk. But if your answer satisfies me, I'll give you a generous gift today."
"What kind of gift?"
The mention of a reward immediately perked Su Han up, his laziness vanishing like smoke.
Zhongli placed a contract on the table. "A deed for a shop at Yujing Terrace. Your business has been booming lately, but the current space is too small, many customers have begun to complain. If you open a branch now, you'll surely make a fortune."
Su Han picked it up and his heart skipped a beat. It was a real land deed. The old man must have gone insane from wanting to retire!
"You're serious? That's a five-hundred-square-meter shop! You'd need at least a billion Mora to buy that!"
"That depends," Zhongli said, smiling faintly, "on whether your answer pleases me."
That sly, knowing look made Su Han's heart skip, but gods, he wanted that shop so badly.
It wasn't even about the Mora. The real issue was that land in Liyue Harbor was priceless, and no one was willing to sell. And this particular location was prime property, right by Yujing Terrace, near the city's administrative heart, and perfectly secure.
Su Han coughed lightly. "Since you're being so generous, I suppose I can share a few thoughts. But let's be clear, this is just my personal opinion. If anything's wrong, don't take it to heart."
"Understood."
Zhongli straightened up, his expression growing serious.
Where should he start? Su Han pondered for a moment, then decided to begin with the current situation in Liyue.
He took a sip of tea, then began his performance.
"Honestly, there's not much difference between Adepti and mortals, is there? I've read a bit of Liyue's history. Five hundred years ago, during the Chasm War, white mourning banners filled the streets, every household was in grief.
Tell me, how many mortals died in that war? And how many Adepti?
To protect Liyue, everyone gave their all. Back then, no one cared about dividing mortal from divine."
Zhongli nodded with satisfaction, smiling approvingly. "Well said, Brother Su. Indeed, in Liyue's darkest hour, all stood as one."
To Zhongli, events from five centuries ago were as vivid as yesterday. Back then, there was no gap between Adepti and humankind.
Seeing Zhongli's pleased smile, Su Han knew he'd struck the right chord. He pressed on.
"Still, to be honest, Liyue's got problems nowadays."
Zhongli raised an eyebrow. "Oh? What do you mean?"
"The Adepti hide away in the mountains, and mortals have no one to guide them. The decline in strength is terrifying. I was only out for a short while today and already got targeted by people from Snezhnaya. Good thing I was born strong, otherwise, you wouldn't be seeing me right now."
Zhongli frowned slightly. "Decline? In what sense?"
"Hasn't it?" Su Han chuckled, glancing out the window. "Mondstadt has its dragon crisis, and Liyue's crawling with Fatui agents and Treasure Hoarders. You know why?"
Zhongli shook his head slightly, waiting for his answer.
"The main reason," Su Han said seriously, "is that there aren't enough mortal experts. And that all comes down to Liyue lacking an organization as strong as the Fatui. That's why this keeps happening."
He paused, then added boldly, "If I may be blunt... The Adepti hide away, ignoring Liyue's safety, forcing the Geo Archon to manage everything himself every year. That's just ridiculous!
Even mortals get vacation days, but when has the Lord of Geo ever rested?
Meanwhile, those Adepti hide in the mountains, coming out only when they feel like it. They've gotten far too comfortable!"
Zhongli's chest swelled with satisfaction. Just for those words alone, the deed was already worth it.
Because beyond the divine weariness, what truly burdened him was the growing distance between the Adepti and mankind, and that was exactly why he'd come today.
"So then," Zhongli asked with a faint smile, "what does Brother Su think Liyue should do? How should we mend the bond between mortals and Adepti?"
Su Han smiled. Now this was the key moment, whether he got that shop depended on it.
After gathering his thoughts, he said, "It's simple, really. To strengthen the bond between humans and Adepti, what's needed is a mediator, someone who's close to the Adepti or those around them.
This person must also have made great contributions to Liyue. Over time, the Adepti would grow more accepting of mortals.
At the same time, we shouldn't focus solely on the Adepti. We should also promote their deeds among the common folk, we might not seek to become immortal, but we must never forget their sacrifices.
Only when the people of Liyue stand tall on their own will they earn the recognition of the Adepti, and only then can our weary Lord of Geo finally take a rest."
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