Chapter 152 - 150: The Harsh Reality Is, How Can Someone Who Doesn’t Repay Their Debts Have Any Rights?

Words : 1150 Updated : Sep 27th, 2025

When Venti found Zhongli, the latter was having a meal with Astrea. Although she had long been forgotten by most, Astrea was still under Zhongli's supervision. Of course, "supervision" was more like care. Zhongli deeply sympathized with Astrea, who had been constantly pestered by Director Hu Tao, which was why he often treated her to meals... though 90% of the time, Astrea ended up paying the bill, as Zhongli rarely remembered to bring Mora. "Old man, did you know?" Venti plopped down unceremoniously at the table and asked Zhongli in a mysterious tone. Zhongli glanced at him, his expression calm. "Know what?" "About Ye using our likenesses to make and sell cards." "Oh, that. Yes, I know." Zhongli nodded faintly. "So, what do you think? Should we go to Fontaine together?" Astrea blinked, tilting her head as she looked at Venti. Zhongli, meanwhile, took a sip of tea and asked leisurely, "What would we do in Fontaine?" Venti widened his eyes, looking incredulous. "Of course, to settle accounts with him! He used our likenesses without permission and is about to expose our identities. Can you really allow that, old man? You've only just retired!" Faced with this argument, Zhongli looked at Venti and calmly replied, "When did Ye use them without permission? He signed a contract with me, and I even received a fee for the use of my likeness." Venti: "???" "Moreover, Ye said he would use my Morax form when I transform into a dragon. Right now, I'm Zhongli. How could my identity be exposed?" Venti: "??????" Venti's expression changed dramatically. "Wait, wait, what? You got paid for your likeness? Why didn't I?" Zhongli replied calmly, "He said he couldn't find you." Venti: "..." "And he also said that if you ever found me and wanted to go to Fontaine with me to sue him, I should relay a message to you: regarding your likeness fee, he has already deducted it from your debt. As a special offer, he wiped out half of it. From now on, your interest won't increase anymore. You just need to pay back the remaining half." "I only borrowed two million Mora back then!" Venti grew even more dissatisfied. "Is my likeness really that cheap? I'm the Anemo Archon, after all! A single photo of me could sell for a hundred million Mora! How is my likeness as Barbatos worth less than one of his photos?!" "Um... Lord Barbatos, I have something to say." Astrea timidly raised her hand. "Rea, go ahead. What is it?" Venti's tone softened completely when speaking to Astrea, losing all the fierceness from before, as if he was afraid of scaring her. Indeed, he genuinely liked this child. It was hard to believe she was a puppet created by Ye. Venti was very curious about what kind of mindset Ye had to create such a kind girl who was so unlike him. "Well... Lord Barbatos, you've owed the Southland Bank for four hundred years. Although the agreed interest was only 3% per year, the interest on that Mora has been compounding for four hundred years now..." Astrea didn't continue, and Venti fell silent. After a while, Venti suddenly said, "I've been played." Zhongli nodded. "Isn't that normal? Why are you so surprised?" "He's my friend! How could he charge me interest when I borrowed money from him to buy wine?!" "I don't believe you didn't see the interest." "I did see it, but the wine was sold by him! He made it so tempting and expensive just to trick me! And back then, he even said he didn't think I'd be able to repay it, so it didn't matter if I didn't—but he was just waiting for me here, wasn't he?!" "You can't blame others for not repaying your debt for four hundred years, can you? You can only blame yourself." "Old man, whose side are you on?! It's like you've never been tricked by him before!" Venti couldn't help but glare at Zhongli. Zhongli stroked his chin, thought for a moment, and said, "I really don't think I've been tricked. Ye and I have always been upfront with each other. If I lost in the past, it was because I was outmatched. In all our subsequent transactions, he has been honest, never hiding or deceiving me, and never breaking a promise. Everything has been in accordance with the 'contract.'" "...Why is his attitude toward me so different from his attitude toward you?" Astrea answered Venti's confusion: "Well, the Supreme Bishop once said that in Liyue, there's an old saying: 'If someone treats me with sincerity, I repay them with sincerity; if someone tries to trick me, I repay them with tricks.'" Zhongli stroked his chin again, thinking seriously. "I know the first part of that saying, but when did the second part come about?" "Obviously, Ye made it up," Venti couldn't help but twitch his mouth. "He really has the nerve to say something like that. If anyone's good at tricking people, it's him." "Anyway, Lord Barbatos, if you want to sue the Supreme Bishop over this, you actually can. Your debt to the Southland Bank is one thing, but the Supreme Bishop using your likeness without permission is another. According to Fontaine's laws, what the Supreme Bishop did is unjustifiable. Even with his eloquence, he couldn't win in court." As a puppet from Fontaine, Astrea was very familiar with Fontaine's laws. In a case with such clear evidence, even the Supreme Bishop couldn't twist the truth. He would indeed lose. "If you want to be extra cautious, you could also hire Yanfei, the most famous lawyer in Liyue Harbor. I've heard she's well-versed in the laws of various nations. Even facing the Supreme Bishop in a Fontaine court, with such an advantage, she shouldn't lose." "That makes sense." Venti also stroked his chin, nodding thoughtfully. "One thing is one thing. Just because I owe him some Mora doesn't mean he can use my likeness however he wants! I have rights too... oh, no, I have divine rights!" Though something still felt off. "So, are you prepared to repay your debt?" Zhongli cut to the chase. "You can sue Ye, but he can also sue you without any issues. After all, you've owed him for four hundred years. At most, Ye would just have to compensate you for the use of your likeness, pay some damages, or withdraw your card from sale. But if you can't repay your four-hundred-year debt..." Astrea blinked her big eyes and added, "Lord Barbatos, you'll be caught by the Supreme Bishop and forced to work to repay your debt." Venti: "..."

Chapter 152 - 150: The Harsh Reality Is, How Can Someone Who Doesn’t Repay Their Debts Have Any Rights?

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