Chapter 10: Zhongli

Words : 613 Updated : Sep 17th, 2025

Using the Teleport Waypoint, Ye arrived in Liyue in an instant. Unlike the convenience of the game, where one could open the map and teleport anywhere, here, he needed to be near a Teleport Waypoint to travel to another recorded location. In short, teleportation required proximity to an activated Waypoint. This aligned with Genshin Impact's lore. Though trivial, it saved time—time Ye intended to spend on a meal. After asking Ganyu, whom he encountered by chance, to deliver his invitation to Ningguang, Ye headed straight to Wanmin Restaurant. If Xiangling wasn't on duty, he'd have turned to Xinyue Kiosk instead. Fortunately, spotting Zhongli seated inside confirmed Xiangling's presence. Sensing Ye's gaze, Zhongli turned and widened his eyes slightly. Ye approached calmly. "It's been a while, old friend." "Indeed, it has," Zhongli replied, gesturing to a seat. "Sit. To celebrate our reunion, I'll treat you today." Ye refrained from asking, Did you bring Mora? Hu Tao would cover the bill, so he sat without hesitation. "Do you have a menu?" "Um... sir, what would you like to order?" Xiangling, who had been discussing new dishes with Zhongli, steadied her nerves and forced a smile. "Aside from the menu, I also have many new experimental dishes—" "All of them." "Huh?" Xiangling blinked in shock. Ye glanced at her. "My stay in Liyue is brief. Logically, shouldn't I sample every dish I haven't tried within this limited time?" "Hmm. While that sounds excessive," Zhongli mused, "it is reasonable to taste all untried dishes within a constrained period." He nodded to Xiangling. "My friend rarely leaves seclusion. By his next visit, you may no longer be here. Please accommodate him. I'll cover all of Wanmin's business today." "S-seclusion? Are you... an adeptus?!" Xiangling's eyes sparkled with excitement. Cooking for a reclusive adeptus was an honor—one she might never get again. She dashed to the kitchen without another word. Once she left, Zhongli turned to Ye. "What brings you to Liyue? You never leave Fontaine unless necessary. Have you reconsidered becoming my envoy? I could announce your authority over Liyue at the next Rite of Descension and retire." "Just passing through. My destination is Inazuma." Ye replied bluntly. "And don't say such things. Lady Furina still grits her teeth at the mention of you." "Inazuma?" Zhongli's tone sharpened. "Whatever you plan, your methods are too risky there. I'd rather not hear news of my old friend being slain by the Electro Archon." "...Do you all truly see me this way?" Zhongli sipped his tea. "You've spent five centuries making it clear to all of Teyvat that even gods mean nothing to you." "I have self-awareness." "Your arrogance isn't blind pride or ignorance. It's genuine indifference—to everything, including gods. You neither look down on the weak nor revere the strong. You see all as equals... which is to say, you see all as nothing." Zhongli—Rex Lapis—understood Ye's nature well. Ye's "arrogance" was transcendent detachment. He treated even a god like Rex Lapis as he would a mortal: with neither reverence nor defiance, only dispassionate neutrality. The heavens are impartial; all things are straw dogs. This described Ye's mindset perfectly. His "arrogance" stemmed not from strength but from viewing all existence as equally insignificant. To cherish everything was to cherish nothing. To see all as equal was to dismiss all. Zhongli admired this detachment—a mindset even he couldn't attain. But whether the Electro Archon would appreciate it was another matter. She might simply cut him down on sight. Thus, Inazuma was perilous for his old friend.

Chapter 10: Zhongli

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