"Hm? Yes, that is me." He turned his face slightly so that he could eye the newcomer.
Sai hesitated once more but went ahead with his request:
"May I sit here with you? I would like to talk to you about something."
This time, Zhongli turned his whole head to face him for a moment. He placed his tea cup down and invited Sai:
"Please, do have a seat."
Sai did not sit in front of him, so as to not disturb the storytelling anymore than necessary. Sai's eyes moved from the tea cup to its owner a number of times.
'I'm facing a literal god this time… despite not feeling any danger I can't help but be anxious…'
"…And we come back to Rex Lapis' side, where the enemies of the gods were forced to face the wrath of the Lord of Geo… Records have shown that the enemies of Morax almost always ended up with severe trauma, one way or the other, after battling him, which led to the spread of fear and loss of morale, eventually donning him with his old moniker…"
The storyteller spoke, and neither Sai or Zhongli said a word. One silently thinking, the other silently listening and drinking from his tea.
Although his mind had been somewhere else, Sai eventually started paying attention to the old legends, even learning (or remembering) about several details of the Archon War.
At the same time that Zhongli finished his cup, the storyteller finished his story.
Before Sai realized, the sun had reached its peak in the blue sky. It shone brightly, but he didn't feel discomfort with the heat. It was a very pleasant afternoon.
"So…" Zhongli broke his train of thought. "How can I help you?"
"Mm? Oh, right. Excuse my intrusion, Mr. Zhongli. My name is Sai, and I've come to you to ask for advice."
"Advice? Is this related to my parlor's services?" His voice calm and collected.
"Er… no, no. It's a matter of…" Sai had pondered exactly how to proceed beforehand.
To state his intentions and give away that he knew about Zhongli's secret identity or to pretend not to know a thing? Which one granted the greatest threats and rewards? Sai looked around just to make sure no one was listening.
"It's a matter concerning your other identity. If you know what I mean… milord."
Zhongli barely raised a brow at that.
"I see… in that case, perhaps we should find somewhere else to converse… This place is a bit… clamorous… at this hour."
"Indeed."
"How about going back to the parlor? I can attest to its tranquility. Well… as long as that individual isn't there…"
'That girl, huh?'
"Sounds good for me. Please, lead the way."
Zhongli and Sai left the restaurant without anyone making a fuss. Sai didn't know if that was because he had already paid or for some other reason, but he knew that Zhongli didn't walk with a single Mora around.
Although the current Zhongli was a nice and gentle guy in the game, there was no way of knowing whether that would still be the case in this reality. For that reason, Sai almost rejected his request of leaving that public space. Nonetheless, he figured that he had to show some trust if he wanted a favour. And what he wanted was by no means a small favour.
With Zhongli walking a couple of steps ahead of him, they eventually entered a building that looked very similar to the one in the game. It was clearly the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. Zhongli led him to a guest entrance, where a traditional Chinese curtain stood behind a sitting area.
"Please, have a seat."
"Thank you."
As he sat down, a woman carrying a wooden tray arrived, pouring a cup of tea for the two of them.
"Thank you." Sai smiled, but dreaded drinking that steaming hot tea.
The woman curtsied and left without another word.
"Why don't you tell me what you came to me for?" Zhongli asked as he drank a first sip.
Sai adjusted his position on the chair.
"I will get straight to the point, and I hope you can forgive any transgressions or offences I might make." Sai then looked up to Zhongli's eyes. "I want your Gnosis."
"Hm? So that's what this is about… Who sent you here?" Despite seeming a bit surprised, there was not much of a change on his face.
"No one. I'm all by myself."
"By yourself? So how do you know about the Gnosis?" Zhongli put his tea cup down and looked at Sai with slight curiosity.
"I can tell you if you accept to give it to me."
"I see… And what do you want it for?"
"To become stronger."
"Hmm… You seek power?"
"…Yes."
"With your physique… I'm afraid you wouldn't be able to withstand the power of my Gnosis."
"That—"
"For someone without a Blessing to withstand this much elemental power…It would be outright impossible." He interrupted. "But your body is not common, either… I can feel a strange void within you… and there's something more…" Zhongli mumbled as he measured Sai up and down.
"As long as I can use elemental power, I'm willing to do anything." Sai was resolute.
"Even if you might die?"
"…There is no other option for me." Although that wasn't completely true, he was saving the last option for a last resort.
"Hmmm…"
Zhongli put a hand on his chin as he fell into thought. Not too long after, he stretched his hand and a yellow light glittered for a moment. Floating above his hand was a small version of the pillars Zhongli was known for making. It also looked like a chess piece, the rook. Sai observed entranced as it rotated in mid-air.
"That…"
"This… is my Gnosis. It represents my status as one of the Seven, and allows for a direct connection to Celestia." He paused.