Zhongli and Guizhong were not only allies who supported each other—they were also lifelong friends.
Lu Chen had never met Guizhong in person. By the time he arrived in Liyue, it was already three thousand years after the people had migrated south to Liyue Harbor. Only a few fragmented historical texts still vaguely recorded stories from that era.
Stone Book Compilation mentioned that Guizhong and Zhongli's people had once established a settlement north of Mt. Heng, where they forged an alliance and jointly governed a place called "Guili Assembly." Under their divine rule, Guili Assembly flourished in peace for a long time.
Until the brutal Archon War struck. Guizhong fell in battle, the once-prosperous Guili was reduced to ruins, and the Rock King relocated the surviving citizens south to Tianheng Mountain, where Liyue Harbor was founded.
To Lu Chen, Guizhong had always been a somewhat blurry figure—brilliant and adept in the art of mechanisms. The Guizhong Ballista, once used to defend Tianheng's ancient city, was one of her creations.
She was also graceful and lively, well-liked by the Adepti under Zhongli's command. Those must have been joyful and radiant times.
But the blossoms had long since faded, and the lady herself was gone.
After Guizhong's death, Lu Chen sometimes wondered—did Zhongli ever, while walking through the bustling port of Liyue, recall the field of blooming glaze lilies where they first met?
Lost in these thoughts, Lu Chen realized he had wandered into a garden filled with cosmos flowers.
Inhaling their gentle fragrance, he pondered how best to portray the relationship between the two Archons.
Were they truly nothing more than lifelong friends? Or was there something deeper—something akin to what he and Ei shared?
One thing was certain: this kind of ambiguous, tension-laced dynamic would be a big hit in a novel.
Hmm... it would definitely pack a punch when the knives started falling later in the plot.
"The development of their relationship is undoubtedly tied to Guili Assembly. This place is absolutely key..." Lu Chen muttered as he held his laptop.
But there was a question lingering in his mind—one that might even shape the nature of their relationship.
Guili Assembly was later renamed Guili Plains. Yet there were two accounts of how the name came to be.
One account stated: "Now that our people live in peace and harmony, it's almost as if we've returned home. Let's call this place Guili Plains."
"Guizhong said to the Geo Archon, 'Now that our people are safe and content, it feels like we've returned to our homeland. Why not call this place Guili Plains?'"
But the stone monument at the site tells a different story: "Named after the two gods—Gui and Li—this place shall be called 'Guili.'"
"So was it a poetic comfort born of nostalgia... or did they actually each contribute a character to the name?"
Lu Chen spoke softly to himself, "The latter would definitely stir readers' emotions more. Just mentioning the name 'Guili Plains' would naturally remind people of that wide-sleeved girl standing in the field..."
"From a literary standpoint, the latter interpretation does feel more meaningful."
"Right?" Lu Chen said proudly.
"But the image of Morax in your novel... seems quite different from the one I remember."
That stung—a lot. Lu Chen, a very confident writer, immediately snapped back, "Oh please! Who knows the Rock King better—you, or me?"
"Hmm..." came the calm reply. "I'd say I know a thing or two."
Lu Chen was so deep in his thoughts he hadn't even noticed someone standing behind him. It wasn't until the man spoke that he snapped back to reality.
The voice was steady and resonant—like a stone worn smooth by the passage of time.
And... male?
Wait—besides him, the only guy in the house was Venti, right? Had Venti's voice started changing?
Lu Chen spun around—and nearly jumped out of his skin.
"Holy crap!!"
"Yes, yes..."
"It's... it's really you?!"
Zhongli looked just as startled by Lu Chen's reaction. He gave the young man a puzzled look.
"Little friend Lu Chen, it has indeed been some time since we last met... but isn't that reaction a bit excessive?"
"It really is you!" Lu Chen rubbed his eyes. "I'm not excited—I'm shocked!"
"When did you even get here? That's way too sudden." After double-checking again, he finally accepted the reality: Old Man Zhongli had arrived.
He let out a helpless laugh.
He had just been racking his brain trying to write Zhongli's scenes, and now the man himself had appeared behind him—without a sound.
Even more surreal, he had been calmly reading the novel that starred... himself.
"If I'm not mistaken, you're writing a story about me?" Zhongli asked.
"Yeah..." Lu Chen gave an awkward laugh, feeling an odd wave of embarrassment.
Just then, a thunderous bang came from the villa's entrance. A streak of purple lightning flashed through the air.
"Lu Chen! What's wrong?"
Ei's voice was filled with worry. The air felt charged and tense.
"Ei! Wait, stop! He's one of us!"
Lu Chen raised his hands in a panic as Ei rushed out, sword in hand, like thunder descending from the heavens.
When she saw Zhongli speaking with Lu Chen, she froze.
"Morax?"
"Oh? Beelzebul," Zhongli said as he saw the Electro Archon arrive. A look of fond remembrance crossed his face, and he smiled.
"What's happening? What's happening?!" Venti, startled by the noise, came running out as well.
Holding a half-finished bottle of wine, he froze when he saw Zhongli.
Then his face lit up in surprise. "No way—it's really you!"
The three Archons stood together in the garden outside the villa, and the sight made Lu Chen smile.
Raiden Ei still held her crackling sword, Venti clutched his wine bottle, and Zhongli stood with his usual composed smile. Hmm... a sunny afternoon, the amusing daily lives of three retired gods had begun.
Seeing they clearly had a lot to catch up on, Lu Chen said, "Let's head back inside—this isn't really the place to chat..."
As he led Zhongli and the others into the villa, a system notification popped up.
[Challenge Mission: Zhongli's Leisurely Tour of the Mortal World]
[Accompany Zhongli, who has entered the real world, to experience all walks of life and savor the many flavors of the human experience.]
[Completion Reward: 8,000 Primogems, 8 million real-world currency]
The reward was surprisingly generous—equivalent to 50 pulls—but Lu Chen's attention was on the quest description.
It was... oddly vague.
"Experience all walks of life and savor the many flavors of the human experience"? What was that supposed to mean?
Was he supposed to just take Zhongli out sightseeing? Let him experience a life totally different from Teyvat's?
On the surface, sure—but for a quest worth 8,000 Primogems, Lu Chen figured it wouldn't be that simple. This was the system's first time throwing riddles at him.
Watching Zhongli chat away with Ei and Venti, Lu Chen shook his head.
Whatever. Since he's here, let's just go with the flow.