[Genshin Impact] A world where only travelers are alone.

Chapter 73 Seeking Tea

Zhongli turned his gaze away from the necklace and said to Xun Ming, "Miss Xun Ming, have you considered selling this? If you're willing, I'm willing to take it for three million."

Three million Mora is a pretty good price, but unfortunately, Xun Ming, the owner of the necklace, has no intention of selling it.

She shook her head: "I'm sorry, Mr. Zhongli, although my relationship with my grandfather wasn't good, these are his belongings after all, and even I have no right to deal with them. Let's just leave them be."

Zhong Li pursed his lips tightly, the corners of his lips pressed down.

It was quite impolite to try to buy someone else's family's belongings, but no one present cared. Hu Tao just thought he was excited because he saw a treasure that caught his eye, while Xun Ming didn't think it was a big deal.

Her attitude was resolute, and Zhong Li's gaze towards her grew increasingly unfathomable.

He rarely spoke more than a few words: "I thought Miss Xun Ming would choose a jade bracelet as payment because she was short of money."

Xun Ming was slightly taken aback, and an embarrassed look appeared on his face: "I just don't like carrying Mora with me."

"You don't like Mora?" Hu Tao exclaimed in surprise, as if she had heard something outrageous.

In fact, this is indeed outrageous. After all, in this country of commerce and trade, as children of Morax, the god of precious metals, no one would dislike Morax.

Xun Ming waved his hands repeatedly, indicating that she had misunderstood: "No, no, I just don't like carrying Mora with me. I actually really like Mora—"

The last sentence was drawn out, carrying an indescribable meaning.

Zhong Li's eyes flickered, and he stopped looking at her.

However, Hu Tao suddenly thought of him: "What a coincidence! The guest elder never carries Mora with him either. Although he forgot that you don't like it, it's still a kind of fate."

Seeing Zhongli's brow furrow slightly, Xun Ming simply smiled in response, subtly changing the subject: "Alright, next time you see me, I'll definitely bring Mora with me. I'll head back now."

Hu Tao bid her a warm farewell and watched her walk out of the Hall of Rebirth and disappear into the crowd.

*

Xun Ming did not return to Chenyu Valley along the route the three of them had taken before; more accurately, she had no intention of going back at all.

Having already traveled some distance from the Hall of Rebirth, she found a secluded spot where no one was around, made a hand gesture, and the scenery before her suddenly changed, transforming into a cave filled with towering stalagmites.

This place is a grotto in Shenyu Valley, and it was also Xun Ming's usual place of rest.

In the center of the grotto was a bottomless pool of water. Xun Ming took off his veiled hat and casually tossed it aside before lying down by the pool.

Her long, ankle-length black hair fell into the pool with a chance due to her movement, creating ripples.

The commotion attracted the attention of the creatures in the pool, and a golden-red koi carp emerged from the depths and swam to her side.

The fish's mouth opened and closed, emitting a gentle female voice: "You're back. How was it? Did you see that person this time?"

With his eyelashes trembling slightly, Xun Ming lowered his eyes and replied, "It took some effort, but the result was acceptable. It's just that who would have thought that the mighty King of Rocks would be willing to live in a small place as a human?"

Fu Jin stared in shock, mouth agape: "But I heard that the Geo Archon has been guiding Liyue's development all along, doesn't he appear at the annual Summoning Ceremony?"

Xun Ming chuckled: "Immortals have countless forms, and the Rock King Emperor, as the head of all immortals, is no exception. However, none of this concerns me; his current actions have actually made it easier for me to approach him."

Fu Jin got really excited when this topic came up, bubbling out a string of bubbles: "Did he recognize you?"

Xun Ming propped his chin on his hand, looking at the veiled hat on the ground: "No, there isn't one."

"Huh!?" Fu Jin almost jumped out of the pool. "Didn't you deliberately leave without changing your appearance?"

It was said to be special, but it was only because Xun Ming knew that this trick couldn't fool Zhong Li's eyes.

The lofty and unapproachable Rock King, she had worshipped a deity for hundreds of years—

Everything she knows comes from him; how could she possibly hide it from him?

"So, he forgot about me." Xun Ming said in a flat tone, as if he were talking about a trivial matter.

Instead, Fu Jin on the other end was even more anxious than her: "How can you be so calm! Didn't you go out this time to try and get back together with him? What will you do if he forgets about you?!"

To mend fences?

Xun Ming's lips curled up, a hint of sarcasm in his smile, but his words were still soft and gentle: "It's alright. Since we've forgotten, it's good to start over. Now he walks the world as a human, and I'm no longer a priest. Perhaps we can have a different ending."

Fu Jin became happy again and wagged its tail joyfully in the water.

She and Xun Ming have lived here for a very, very long time.

She only stayed here because she needed to nourish her spiritual body and couldn't leave this pool of water. Even so, she would occasionally feel bored and pester Lingyuan to take her out.

Xun Ming, who was completely unrestrained, actually stayed here for thousands of years without ever leaving for a single moment.

Fu Jin didn't understand why, just as she didn't understand why Xun Ming, as the most favored priest of the Rock God a thousand years ago, would choose to cooperate with her master and have her master help her fake her death to escape from the Rock God.

Humans, though insignificant beings, possess complex thoughts that no one can fathom.

Fu Jin's head ached from thinking, so he simply stopped thinking about it and dived back into the depths of the pool.

The grotto returned to silence.

Xun Ming opened the box, took out the face chain inside, and put it back on his face.

This item, which had been with her for a long time, was sealed away in a box after she left Morax.

The so-called grandfather was fake, the relics were fake, and the black mist was fake; it was all just a deception she devised to get closer to Morax again.

Even the promise of reconciliation with Fu Jin was a lie; she wanted far more than that.

"I can't forget—" she stroked her cheek and the cold necklace, "Even if I forget, I'll make you remember again."

Xun Ming knew that time could erase everything. As a long-lived being, everything in the world was nothing but fleeting smoke to the Demon God. Even if she had left a deep mark on him, it would eventually fade away.

Just like now—

Apart from a brief moment of surprise at the beginning and his loss of composure upon seeing the face chain, the man using the alias "Zhong Li" did not make any further mistakes and remained calmly watching her from beginning to end.

He might still have some recollection of her, but that recollection is far from sufficient.

Therefore, Xun Ming had a backup plan.

*

Morax was not a warlike man, but in this era of demons and gods, inaction was a mistake.

His power enabled the tribe to flourish, but it also attracted the covetousness of other demons. Even in order to end the current situation as soon as possible, he would often take the initiative to attack and eliminate any potential dangers in the vicinity.

So this was probably the first time he had stayed in the tribe for so long.

Morax disliked being disturbed, so no one was allowed to enter the temple while he was there. Only the young girls who had followed him from the very beginning were given the honor of being summoned by him to serve him personally.

But for some reason, Morax didn't summon her for several days in a row this time, and instead stayed in the house alone.

At first, the girl was able to stay quietly in her room without disturbing him, but this situation did not last long. After all, she had never been neglected like this before, and on the third day, she couldn't help but come to Morax's residence.

"My lord..." she knocked on the door, "Is your injury serious? You haven't shown up these past few days, I'm very worried about you."

Inside the room, Morax paused in his hand, which was carving gold ornaments, and subconsciously looked at the wound on his chest.

The demon god has a strong self-healing ability. The injuries he suffered a few days ago have already healed to almost complete. He didn't even take it to heart. Who would have thought that the girl was still thinking about it and even thought that he stayed at home because of this.

Morax's hands unconsciously caressed the gold jewelry.

Could he say that he was actually spending all his time on this?

Actually, there's no need to consider this at all. After all, he's going to give this thing to the girl eventually, and anyone with eyes can tell that it's his work.

Morax rubbed his temples. His long period of concentration had left him exhausted, and he desperately needed rest. However, the knocking on the door continued. The girl probably wouldn't leave easily unless she was sure he was alright.

Thinking of this, he got up to open the door for the person.

The girl's hand, which was about to knock on the door again, froze awkwardly in mid-air.

Morax looked down at her.

Upon being stared at by those inhuman golden eyes, the girl immediately remembered her purpose and hurriedly glanced at his chest.

The marks from the sharp blades were still visible on the tight-fitting divine armor, but the exposed skin was smooth, making it almost impossible to tell that she had been injured before.

The girl visibly breathed a sigh of relief: "I'm so glad you're alright. In that case, I'll take my leave now."

She was about to leave when Morax called her back.

"You've come at the right time. I have something to give you." Morax stepped aside, making room for her to pass through, and gestured for her to come in.

The girl tilted her head blankly and obediently followed his instructions to enter the house.

Morax picked up the gold necklace on the table, brushed aside the strands of hair that had fallen by her ear, and put it on her.

While he was doing all this, the girl remained stunned, as if she was shocked by the fact that he had personally carved gold ornaments for her, and couldn't react for a long time.

Morax chuckled, his voice softening slightly: "How does it feel? Is there anything uncomfortable that needs adjusting?"

The girl finally came to her senses and shook her head repeatedly: "No."

But Morax frowned.

The girl immediately realized why, and carefully reached out to press the face chain on her face to make sure that the hook and earlobe fit well and would not cause discomfort from wearing it for a long time before nodding seriously again: "It fits perfectly."

Morax's expression finally softened: "If it's suitable, then it's fine."

He put the other ornaments on the table into a box and handed it to her: "Here are some more. Try them on when you get home. They're meant to be hung on clothes. If they don't fit, you can let me know."

"Thank you, sir." The girl looked up at him with a sweet smile, very grateful.

But even after Morax finished speaking, she didn't leave. Instead, she mustered her courage and pointed to Morax's chest: "The master's clothes..."

Divine armor is ultimately just clothing; it can't heal itself like a demon god's body. The girl volunteered to help him repair it.

Morax agreed.

He simply took off his clothes, revealing a strong, lean, and powerful physique with well-defined waist muscles.

The girl looked away instantly, her ears turning bright red.

Morax didn't notice her reaction and lay down on the bed on his own.

The girl composed herself, took out her needle and thread, sat down next to Morax, and carefully began mending the tear in his clothes.

The atmosphere was quiet; the room was so quiet that only the girl's soft breathing and the rustling of fabric could be heard. Morax unconsciously closed his eyes.

He didn't know how much time had passed, but he heard the girl put down her needlework, fold the clothes, and place them beside her pillow.

"……grown ups?"

The girl, who should have left then, suddenly spoke up for some reason, her voice tinged with a hint of probing.

She probably thought he was asleep.

Morax suddenly wondered what she would do if he were really asleep, so he stopped himself from opening his eyes and lay motionless on the bed, pretending to be fast asleep.

The girl called out again, but still received no answer.

Morax heard deliberately light footsteps approaching him, and by the time the footsteps stopped, the light in front of him had been blocked.

She seemed to be leaning closer to him, and a warm breath fell on his face.

Morax's body tensed involuntarily, unsure whether he was anticipating or resisting, but he ultimately felt a sense of resignation and waited quietly.

What is she planning to do...?

*

The dream abruptly ended there. Zhong Li opened his eyes in the darkness, a dark glint flashing in his amber pupils.

He rubbed his temples and sat up in bed.

Lately, I've been having more and more dreams about that person, and even some trivial things that I had no recollection of have become clear.

Is it because of Xun Ming?

Zhongli got up, poured himself a glass of water, put on his coat, and sat down at the desk. On the Xuan paper on the desk was a portrait of a person drawn with just a few strokes. It was none other than Xun Ming, who had appeared in the Hall of Rebirth a few days ago.

No, perhaps there are still some differences.

The person in the portrait is clearly younger than Xun Ming, and the small black characters next to him are not Xun Ming, but two other characters—Mingxun.

Mingxun, the name of the girl who looked just like Xun Ming a thousand years ago.

Zhong Li lowered his eyes and pondered.

He had deep suspicions about Xun Ming, which goes without saying. After all, Xun Ming was exactly the same as that person in terms of appearance and personality, and even their names were the same, with the characters "Ming Xun" reversed.

The person's performance was impeccable, and apart from that, there was almost no other evidence to prove that they were the same person.

Zhong Li leaned back in his chair, calmly thinking that whether his guess was right or wrong, all he had to do was wait.

If she wanted something, Mingxun would not have appeared in front of him only once. And once there was a second time, a third time... one day, he would be able to figure out what she really wanted to do.

It's just a pity that tonight will be another sleepless night.

Zhong Li dug into her memories, trying to find an ending to the abruptly ended dream.

But so much time had passed that he had completely forgotten about the dream before it happened, and now, despite his best efforts, he could only recall a vague memory.

In his memory, he finally opened his eyes, but by then Mingxun had already distanced herself from him, holding a thin blanket in her hand, as if she wanted to cover him with it.

She cared so tenderly about Morax that even though she knew that a demon god with such physical strength couldn't possibly catch a cold from sleeping naked, she still had the idea of ​​covering him with a blanket.

How ridiculous.

He reached up and pressed his hand to cover the corner of his upturned lips, concealing the sarcasm on his face, and stopped thinking about anything related to her.

He sat at his desk for several hours, and as the sky outside gradually brightened, he realized that the vacation that Hu Tao had granted him was coming to an end, so he got up and prepared to go to the Hall of Rebirth.

Walnut in the hall seemed to have just woken up. When she saw him, she rubbed her eyes and mumbled, "Guest, why are you here so early? It seems you had a good holiday. You're so energetic on your first day back at work."

Zhong Li smiled but didn't say anything.

Hu Tao didn't care whether he responded or not, and continued talking to herself: "At this hour, I haven't even had breakfast yet. Xiangling said yesterday that she came up with a new recipe and asked me to go to her place to try it. Do you want to come with me?"

"Since it's Chef Xiangling, then naturally she should make a trip to Wanmin Hall." Zhong Li nodded.

Hu Tao shook her head and said, "Guest, oh guest, I don't think you can find anyone in Liyue Harbor who knows how to enjoy life better than you."

The two set off for Wanmin Hall.

Hu Tao greeted Xiang Ling and was immediately led to the seats that had been reserved for them earlier.

In addition to the new dishes, the two also ordered a few familiar dim sum items.

"Alright!" Xiangling laughed heartily, "You guys sit here for a bit, the food will be here soon!"

Hu Tao propped her chin on her hand and looked at her: "Speaking of which, there are always so many people eating at Wanmintang. Are you really able to manage with just you and Chef Mao in the restaurant?"

While busy taking orders from other customers, Xiangling replied, "Of course we're too busy, so we hired someone to help out a couple of days ago. It's just that it's not her turn to start work yet, but you should be able to see her soon."

Zhong Li didn't take their conversation to heart, but little did she know that a familiar figure would appear in front of her the next second.

(End of this chapter)

The author says: Yay! Everything's been replaced, now I can start writing the new chapter!