"Sir, it's just a few bowls of tea. It's no trouble at all."
Old Zhou, upon hearing Zhongli ask Bailuo to pay for his tea—and even mentioning debts dating back to his grandfather's time—realized that this man's identity was anything but ordinary.
He didn't dare guess that Zhongli was the Geo Archon himself, but he at least assumed he was some immortal from the mountains.
For an immortal to descend from the mountains just to drink his tea was already a great honor. Asking for money? That was out of the question.
"Don't worry, my... my young master can easily afford this small sum." Bailuo declared with extravagant bravado, his posture radiating the confidence of one tossing gold coins carelessly. His words, however...
Somewhere, Tartaglia gritted his teeth: "Instructor, I dare you to duel me properly."
"How do you want to fight? A friendly spar? Or a fight to the death?"
Zhongli's tone was very calm, and when he said the words "fight to the death," it was as if he was talking about what to eat for lunch, sending a chill down one's spine.
"Excellent!"
Bailuo drained the large bowl of tea in front of him, a row of "+1" symbols appearing above his head, and declared with great confidence.
"A friendly spar, of course! But since I'm the junior here, could you go easy on me?"
When he shouted "Excellent!" everyone thought he was agreeing to the fight to the death. Zhongli was even considering whether to hold back during the duel.
But then he followed up with such a timid statement.
Using the most confident tone to say the most cowardly words—that's exactly what this was.
"Then I'll let you have three moves. How about that?"
For thousands of years, Liyue has been filled with rule-followers, but in recent times, a new generation of unique individuals has emerged.
For example, the Yuheng of the Liyue Qixing, who often speaks of "revolution," is like a blade of the new era, already stirring discontent among many old-timers.
The Tianquan is no different. Though more reserved compared to the Yuheng, the Jade Chamber floating above Liyue is a testament to her ambition and vision.
Especially the array within the Jade Chamber. While it's said to keep the chamber afloat, Zhongli knows better than anyone that in critical moments, its power can rival that of a god.
As times change, a new generation of talented youths emerges. Even Snezhnaya has produced talents like Tartaglia and Bailuo. On the stage of Teyvat, they are sure to carve out their own place.
Given the chance, everyone wants to compete for the position of the chess player, not the pawn.
Looking up at Celestia, Zhongli's expression became thoughtful.
He recalled the contract brought by the Fatui Harbinger Pulcinella, which was personally drafted by the Tsaritsa.
From a universal perspective, the contract was far from fair. What he was giving up and what the Tsaritsa was offering were not equal.
But... from another angle, a mere Gnosis in exchange for what she offered didn't seem like a bad deal.
Just wait a little longer... If the Tianquan and Yuheng can truly win over the people and secure the right to govern, then he might consider signing that contract to end all contracts.
Then, after millennia of toil, he might finally be able to rest.
"The contract is formed. A promise is a promise. Those who break it shall suffer the Wrath of the Rock."
Bailuo had no idea how much Zhongli had thought about in that brief moment. All he knew was that Zhongli would let him have three moves, and that was enough.
Three moves might not seem like much to others, but for him... he could do a lot, like unleashing a Nine-Headed Dragon Flash.
"Very well, I acknowledge your contract."
To others, Zhongli's words might sound arrogant, as if he were Morax himself. But in reality... well, he was.
"Shall we head up there?"
With Zhongli's acknowledgment, Bailuo finally felt at ease.
The reason he dared to challenge Zhongli so boldly, aside from his natural affinity for Liyue, was primarily because of Morax's adherence to contracts.
As the God of Contracts, Morax valued contracts above all else and would never break one, nor would he stab Bailuo in the back after agreeing to let him leave.
"Wuwang Hill? Very well."
If there was a place suitable for a fight, Wuwang Hill was definitely one of them. It was a place where living people were rarely seen, minimizing the risk of collateral damage.
Wuwang Hill was a mysterious place in Liyue, overrun with monsters and haunted by ghostly shadows. Eerie will-o'-the-wisps drifted everywhere, and the sky seemed to darken as one approached.
Judging from the ruins of buildings, this place must have once been inhabited, but perhaps due to the harsh environment, the inhabitants eventually left.
Most importantly, real ghosts could be seen here, and there were rumors that members of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor often appeared nearby because this was where the gates to the underworld lay.
In reality, the truth was far simpler than the rumors.
The ley lines here were highly unstable, causing phenomena that ordinary people couldn't comprehend. The so-called ghosts were actually ancient "memories" brought to life by the ley lines' energy.
After Bailuo and Zhongli stood up, the soldiers of the Ninth Company also rose, seemingly intending to accompany them to Wuwang Hill.
"Katarina, take your people and wait here. Take care of my Slime for me."
"Yes."
Katarina actually wanted to go with them. From Bailuo's attitude, it was clear that this Zhongli fellow was no ordinary man.
But their company valued discipline above all else. Since Bailuo had given a direct order, they could only wait here. All they could do was cheer for their leader from afar.
Under Zhongli's guidance, Bailuo set foot on Wuwang Hill, a place he had run through countless times in the game. Not because he had any strange fetishes, but because there was a domain here that he had to farm.
He had suffered quite a bit to get a suitable Crimson Witch set for his Klee.
Zhongli was very familiar with Wuwang Hill. Whether there was a path or not, he walked smoothly, not even needing to look around, as if he could find his way with his eyes closed.
Bailuo, on the other hand, seemed distracted, as if he were waiting for something, but whatever it was, it hadn't appeared yet.
It wasn't until they reached a clearing with a small pool of water that Zhongli finally stopped and turned to face Bailuo.
When he turned around, his elaborate attire, unsuitable for combat, had transformed into the combination of a Zhongshan suit and a Western suit that Bailuo remembered from the game.
Fighting a Harbinger wasn't the same as a war between gods. Zhongli didn't need to don his divine attire for this. His current state was more than enough.
"Three moves, remember? No take-backs."
Seeing Zhongli standing still, not even drawing a weapon, Bailuo reminded him again.
"Don't worry. Those who break their word shall suffer the Wrath of the Rock. I said it myself, and I won't go back on it."