Episode 174.10: Discussing the Awkward Moment When the Archon Joins a Drinking Party
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[ Paimon (Genshin Impact): "I knew it, Zhongli is still that Zhongli whose pockets are cleaner than his face." ]
[ Xinyue Kiosk Owner (Genshin Impact): "Oh my, if His Imperial Majesty is craving something, just grace us with your presence anytime, I'll have a banquet ready. Xinyue Kiosk is one of the best in Liyue!" ]
[ Liuli Pavilion Owner (Genshin Impact): "What are you talking about? Clearly, our Liuli Pavilion is Liyue's number one cuisine! His Imperial Majesty, please do come and try our fresh dishes." ]
[ Xinyue Kiosk Owner (Genshin Impact): "That's called self-praise! Our Xinyue Kiosk's taste is the most authentic. His Imperial Majesty, Liuli Pavilion's dishes aren't that great, you know." ]
[ Liuli Pavilion Owner (Genshin Impact): "Hmph, look in the mirror before you talk about others, Xinyue Kiosk's dishes are the worst!" ]
[ Xingqiu (Genshin Impact): "Why are you two arguing? Doesn't everyone say Wanmin Restaurant smells the best?" ]
[ Chongyun (Genshin Impact): "Exactly, exactly, Wanmin Restaurant's dishes are absolutely superb!" ]
[ Tartaglia (Genshin Impact): "Mr. Zhongli, our Fatui can still solve your financial problems. Just remember to go to the Northland Bank." ]
[ Hu Tao (Genshin Impact): "Zhongli, just put the bill on Northland Bank. Our Wangsheng Funeral Parlor is a bit tight on funds these days." ]
[ Hu Tao (Genshin Impact): "That person called Tartaglia, compensating us more would also work." ]
[ Zhongli (Genshin Impact): "That works too." ]
[ Tartaglia (Genshin Impact): "Once I return to Liyue, I'll definitely come find you." ]
[ Paimon (Genshin Impact): "You actually dare to come back?" ]
[ Tartaglia (Genshin Impact): "We've even prepared compensation, so why can't we return? To assist with Rex Lapis's test for you, I've really put in a lot of effort and even lost money, sigh~" ]
[ Paimon (Genshin Impact): "But that hasn't happened yet, has it?" ]
[ Ningguang (Genshin Impact): "Heh heh, he knows what he did himself. Come on, let's discuss the compensation details." ]
[ Tartaglia (Genshin Impact): "...." ]
[ Keqing (Genshin Impact): "Heh, heh." ]
[ Dori (Genshin Impact): "Childe is truly generous, my money…" ]
[ ..... ]
『 Yet, Lumine was puzzled by this matter.
After all, the Geo Archon, as the God of Gold, was the creator of Mora himself.
She muttered to herself: As the Geo Archon Zhongli, how could he not even have a single Mora?
Zhongli did not offer much explanation for this, merely stating calmly: "When I was the Geo Archon Morax, creating Mora was naturally effortless. But as the ordinary human Zhongli, learning to live like a true mortal is paramount. At the very least, I cannot simply conjure Mora out of thin air. This is a promise I made to myself."
Paimon, on the side, joked that Zhongli probably hadn't gotten used to living without money yet, which was why he had become a "social idler" who freeloaded everywhere and had others pay the bill.
Zhongli, however, argued that he had merely used a tiny bit of the Fatui's money and that they shouldn't describe him as so useless.
Bringing up this topic, Lumine curiously asked Zhongli: "What do you think of the cause of death the Qixing fabricated for you? That whole 'perished in tribulation' thing."
Mentioning his "cause of death" again, Zhongli smiled helplessly.
"Heh, I'm quite curious myself. How did they come up with such a reason? Failing a divine trial? What considerations were truly behind that?"
"That said, the reason why the Qixing were so eager to resolve the incident and stop pursuing the culprit was indeed that they received news in secret that Rex Lapis was not dead."
"Not just the Qixing, but even the Adepti, I had given them some hints."
Little sister Lumine suddenly became very curious and asked, "How did you get in touch with everyone? I've never seen you go find them."
Zhongli gave an unexpected answer: "Oh, you're asking about that. Hmm… Have you ever heard of this particularly convenient adepti art known as 'gifting dreams and visions'?" 』
『 .....』
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[ Keqing (Genshin Impact): "'Gifting dreams and visions'?" ]
[ Keqing (Genshin Impact): "Then what Ningguang said in the previous scene, that must have been Lord Rex Lapis personally intervening?" ]
[ Zhongli (Genshin Impact): "I suppose that would be the case." ]
[ ..... ]
『 After a moment of speechlessness, Paimon suddenly remembered a crucial question: "Zhongli, you no longer have your Gnosis. What will happen to Teyvat's Mora then?"
As everyone knows, Mora was created by the Rex Lapis himself, and now that the Archon has stepped down, the Gnosis no longer exists.
In this case, what will be the future of the Mora produced in the Golden House?
"After the Geo Archon Morax passed away, will that Mora disappear? Also, I heard the Golden House is the only mint on the continent. Can it continue to operate?"
Zhongli pondered for a moment, then slowly revealed a startling fact: "Existing Mora will naturally not disappear, but the Golden House will indeed suspend production for a period because the process of creating Mora requires the power of the Geo God."
This news immediately made Paimon nervous: "This, this is terrifying! Are we going to run out of money? Is it the end of the world?!"
One must know that the entire Teyvat has only this one Golden House responsible for minting currency, and now it has lost the ability to produce new Mora.
In other words, no new Mora will circulate in the future.
Mora will become increasingly scarce, and its value will likely skyrocket.
The thought of potentially having no money to spend in the future made Paimon incredibly anxious.
At this moment, Zhongli calmly began his thought process.
"Your point of view is valid, this matter is indeed no small thing, purely from an economic perspective…"
But before he finished speaking, he suddenly realized his current status.
"However, in the end, it's nothing major. Such a headache-inducing problem should be left to the Liyue Qixing to worry about. As for me now, I'm just the mortal Zhongli."
As he said before…
Such troublesome matters should naturally be worried about by important figures.
And Paimon, who had just been looking melancholic, suddenly had a flash of inspiration and raised a very interesting question.
"Then... did you at least set some private funds aside for yourself?"
Paimon's sudden suggestion made Zhongli fall into contemplation, and then he slowly nodded.
"Oh, a private fund? Hmm, this does seem like a good, logical, common-sense idea." At this point, Zhongli's tone shifted, carrying a hint of regret: "However, unfortunately…"
"What happened, what happened?" Paimon's eyes widened, staring at Zhongli with anticipation.
As the incomparably wise Geo Archon, at such a critical moment, he should have quite a bit of private money on hand, right?
After all, they had all witnessed Zhongli's lavish spending habits.
If he didn't have a considerable sum of private money as backup,
How could he maintain such a luxurious lifestyle?
Therefore, Paimon was full of curiosity about this answer.
Under Paimon's expectant gaze, Zhongli calmly revealed the truth:
"Unfortunately, I didn't think of it at the time." 』
『 .....』
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[ Chika Fujiwara (Love Is War): "Ah? 'didn't think of it at the time'? Doesn't that mean no money?" ]
[ Ningguang (Genshin Impact): "That's fine, we in Liyue can still support Lord Rex Lapis." ]
[ Haibara Ai (Detective Conan): "That, those are all future events, he hasn't done those things yet." ]
[ Paimon (Genshin Impact): "Oh, right! Then this time, you have to save up Mora for yourself properly." ]
[ Zhongli (Genshin Impact): "…" ]
[ ..... ]
/Screen goes black.
/"Ding! Fourth Scene: " The Contract God's Last Contract " ends."
/"Ding! Fourth Scene Easter Egg: " The Awkward Moment When an Adeptus Attends a Drinking Party and I Don't Dare Move a Muscle! " begins."
.....
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[ Umaru Doma (Himouto): "Adeptus? And awkward moments? What is this?" ]
[ Cloud Retainer (Genshin Impact): "Oh? Who is that referring to this time?" ]
[ Lumine (Genshin Impact): "What does this mean? Dare not move? Did they encounter some danger?" ]
[ Yanfei (Genshin Impact): "It feels like someone needs legal aid, looks like I have business again." ]
[ Hu Tao (Genshin Impact): "Perhaps I have business instead?" ]
[ ..... ]
『 The scene begins.
Paimon and Lumine were strolling through the bustling streets when suddenly, Paimon seemed to be struck by a bolt of inspiration, her eyes sparkling with excitement, eagerly nudging Lumine.
"Traveler, hurry! It's almost time for us to join Hu Tao for dinner!"
"Heh, heh, guess what? The location is actually the Xinyue Kiosk, which requires reservations months in advance! What luxurious treatment, as expected of the parlor director— always so generous! C'mon, let's go!"
After speaking, Paimon tugged at Lumine's sleeve, wishing she could grow wings and fly there immediately.
Lumine, looking somewhat helplessly pampered, allowed Paimon to lead her forward. 』
『 .....』
〜Dimensional livestream, Chat Room〜
[ Hu Tao (Genshin Impact): "I'm treating?" ]
[ Hu Tao (Genshin Impact): "Is there anything wrong with me treating? Xinyue Kiosk, what a grand gesture!" ]
[ Paimon (Genshin Impact): "Treating us to dinner! I'm so excited." ]
[ Xingqiu (Genshin Impact): "It's not easy for Hu Tao to treat." ]
[ Hu Tao (Genshin Impact): "It wasn't Zhongli before; the finances were difficult!" ]
[ Zhongli (Genshin Impact): "Ahem, thank you, Director." ]
[ Ningguang (Genshin Impact): "Not anymore, right, Director Hu?" ]
[ Hu Tao (Genshin Impact): "Now with the support of you two wallets, it's much better." ]
[ Tartaglia (Genshin Impact): "Caught in the crossfire…" ]
[ ..... ]
『 Before long, the two stood before the grand entrance of Xinyue Kiosk. The doorman, seeing them, greeted them with a beaming smile and led them into the reserved private room.
The sounds of conversation from within immediately drifted to their ears.
Xiangling's eyes lit up, excitedly saying, "Wow! There's even this kind of technique, thank you so much for Mr. Zhongli's suggestion, I have to write it down quickly."
Xingqiu chuckled in agreement: "I've long heard that Mr. Zhongli is incredibly knowledgeable, but I never expected him to also be quite skilled in cooking. It's truly admirable. To be acquainted with you is our generation's good fortune!"
Facing the compliments, Zhongli merely smiled calmly, responding with gentle elegance: "Not at all, everyone here is young and promising, each with their unique talents. I have many areas where I fall short compared to you all. Learning from each other and progressing together is the right path."
His humble demeanor, like the style of the former Geo Archon, earned the admiration of everyone present. Chongyun looked shy, his eyes filled with reverence: "Mr. Zhongli, you flatter me, I really don't deserve it…"
"If possible, in the future, could I also ask for your guidance on exorcism techniques?"
After speaking, Chongyun looked expectantly at Zhongli, awaiting the wise man's response.
Zhongli pondered for a moment, then smiled and said to Chongyun: "Exorcism? I can't say I'm an expert in the field, but if you don't mind, we could start by discussing..."
No sooner had he spoken than Paimon's surprised voice came from outside the door.
"Wow! So many people are already here!"
"We knew Hu Tao invited Zhongli, but we didn't expect to meet so many old friends!"
Paimon, seeing familiar faces, smiled and offered blessings to everyone.
"Happy Lantern Rite, everyone!"
Lumine smiled as she looked at everyone…
"Happy Lantern Rite!"
Hearing this, Zhongli immediately motioned for the two to sit down.
"Likewise. Please, take a seat." 』
『 .....』
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[ Paimon (Genshin Impact): "So it's Lantern Rite, no wonder it's so festive." ]
[ Hu Tao (Genshin Impact): "Then for this year's Lantern Rite, I'll treat you all to dinner too!" ]
[ Tartaglia (Genshin Impact): "How could we impose?" ]
[ Hu Tao (Genshin Impact): "I didn't say I was inviting you." ]
[ Tartaglia (Genshin Impact): "Ah, how can you do that! Mr. Zhongli and I are good friends!" ]
[ Teucer (Genshin Impact): "Brother isn't popular!" ]
[ Tartaglia (Genshin Impact): "…" ]
[ Hu Tao (Genshin Impact): "Fine, for your brother's sake, you can come." ]
[ Tartaglia (Genshin Impact): "Hahahaha! Thank you!" ]
[ Paimon (Genshin Impact): "Heh, heh." ]
[ Paimon (Genshin Impact): "Tartaglia, you're so thick-skinned." ]
[ ..... ]
『 After sitting down, Xiangling, on one side, smiled brightly and asked Lumine.
"Traveler, Happy Holidays! Did you have fun?"
Another festive occasion, it must have held new and interesting joys for Lumine.
Unfortunately, with a restaurant at home, it was rare enough to be able to go out for a meal,
Let alone travel around.
Lumine nodded seriously, summarizing her experiences from the day.
"I gained a lot, and my understanding of music deepened."
Xiangling smiled slightly upon hearing this.
"Me too! Although I've seen Xinyan perform before, this style was truly a first for me!"
"I heard the audience reaction was particularly good this time, and she's been getting continuous performance invitations recently."
"Both of them are so busy now, Yun Jin also went to help!" 』
『 .....』
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[ Xinyan (Genshin Impact): "Oh? Our concert for this Lantern Rite was very successful, very good!" ]
[ Yun Jin (Genshin Impact): "Congratulations, Xinyan." ]
[ Beidou (Genshin Impact): "Hahahaha! Such interesting things should be enjoyed by everyone." ]
[ Xinyan (Genshin Impact): "I'm already starting to prepare for this year's Lantern Rite!" ]
[ ..... ]
『 Chongyun sat nearby, conveying the regards of Yun Jin and the others.
"Mm-hmm, Yep, and they asked us to pass on their season's greetings to everyone. They hope we'll have a wonderful gathering."
Xingqiu pondered for a moment, then nodded lightly.
"The performance was spectacular indeed. However... it gave Xiangling a huge burst of inspiration, which in turn gave us a bit of a headache..."
Chongyun suddenly looked at Xingqiu with a puzzled expression.
"Huh? 'Us'? Wait, didn't Xiangling just ask me to try her new dishes?"
Earlier, he had always been the only one to enjoy Xiangling's newly created dishes; Xingqiu had never touched his chopsticks.
But now, Xingqiu unexpectedly said that he could also taste this deliciousness,
This filled Chongyun with confusion, his eyes almost popping out.
Xingqiu clearly didn't tell him this before.
Upon hearing this, Xingqiu quickly tried to gloss over the topic with a forced casualness.
"Ahaha! That, my friend, is beside the point. Watching you eat was enough for me, haha."
(Xingqiu secretly muttered: Come to think of it, I probably shouldn't have burdened Chongyun with eating my share too...)
Chongyun had doubts, but he always listened to Xingqiu.
Paimon's eyes suddenly lit up upon hearing this, staring intently at Xiangling and exclaiming, "Hold on, Xiangling came up with a new recipe? Gasp, let Paimon try!" …
Xiangling, who was originally a little displeased with Chongyun and Xingqiu's attitude, immediately turned her anger into joy when Paimon said that, playfully chiding the two with feigned annoyance: "See, see? Our Paimon knows how to cheer me on! Thank you so much, little Paimon!"
Despite the playful scolding, Xiangling didn't forget to wink gratefully at Paimon.
In her heart, she was just a little chef obsessed with innovative cuisine, and every dish was her labor of love.
But Xingqiu always loved to use her as a shield, making Chongyun the guinea pig to try everything.
Chongyun, being a simpleton, always obediently fell into Xingqiu's 'trap.' Although the later evaluations were good, Xiangling had some "resentment" towards Xingqiu's tactic…
Thinking of this, Xiangling suddenly looked up, her gaze fixed on Zhongli: "Oh! I almost forgot, Mr. Zhongli also gave me a lot of incisive suggestions just now!"
Paimon suddenly realized: "Oh, so that's what you were talking about before we arrived!"
Zhongli, who had been silent, slowly spoke at this moment: "Hmm, since it's a dinner party, the topic naturally revolves around food. Chef Xiangling's craftsmanship is like a sword dance; the ingredients and seasonings are bold and novel, like musical notes dancing on the tongue. My suggestions are merely a slight embellishment to this brilliance."
Zhongli's words seemed to carry deep meaning yet also appeared to be light and understated.
As expected of the Geo Archon, six thousand years of accumulated wisdom, his words always carried an air of profound mystery.
To Lumine and Paimon, such remarks were simply a high-end version of "flowery language," pleasant to hear but not necessarily practical.
However, Paimon still looked at everyone present with adoration: "Ohh! The two of you always deliver!" 』
『 .....』