A familiar figure, one that was known to the depths of the soul, came into view. Though he appeared as an ordinary god, his aura was anything but.
His appearance, his temperament—any demon god who had seen his true form could never forget it.
His eyes trembled, and his thoughts suddenly froze.
Master Tianli... Master Tianli was here, and she had been shouting just moments ago.
Was this already an act of transgression? Thinking of this, her face turned pale.
Although she knew that Master Tianli would not be as harsh as Mones, that was only if one did not overstep.
Xianyun and Aping were better off, as they did not possess the same innate fear of heaven as the original demon gods.
Takumi looked playfully at the three gods who had turned to stone upon seeing him. This glance made them snap out of their daze instantly.
"You three, don't be so stunned. Even someone in a high position can't stay in the office all day—you might encounter me occasionally.
"Besides, you haven't done anything wrong. Why are you so afraid of my presence?"
Xiangling saw the three gods and said happily, "Lord Guizhong! Master, Lord Xianyun!" She then quickly apologized. "I'm sorry, Lord Guizhong, Master. I don't have time to entertain you right now."
The three gods quickly came to their senses and responded.
"It's alright, it's alright, Xiangling. We were just wandering around."
"Yes, don't worry about us."
The three gods knew that Master Tianli was very fond of Xiangling and even came to eat at her place often, but they had never met Master Tianli before. They had not expected to run into him today.
They couldn't tell if they were lucky or unlucky.
"Lord Guizhong, Master, do you know Brother Takumi?" Xiangling blinked in confusion. She knew Brother Takumi was a high-ranking god, but she didn't know exactly how high. She was accustomed to seeing high-ranking gods, as her Master and others knew many of them.
She didn't pay much attention to the rankings of gods, spending her days studying cooking.
Guizhong hurriedly said, "Yes, we do." She was nervous, knowing that Brother Takumi was actually Master Tianli. Only with his permission could they refer to him in such a casual manner. Xiangling must have been favored by Master Tianli because of her delicious cooking.
After all, it was hard to stop eating Xiangling's food. Once someone tasted her cooking, they couldn't go back to any other dishes.
Guizhong quickly bowed to Takumi, speaking cautiously. "Lord Takumi..."
Takumi waved his hand dismissively. "I'm not working today, so you don't need to be so formal. Just show respect in your heart. Since you're here, come and sit. I insist."
Guizhong felt the peaceful aura of Lord Tianli and her heart settled. She carefully made her way to the stone bench at the dining table, like a student who had made a mistake.
Xianyun and Aping stood quietly behind Guizhong. Though they had become superior gods, they were not allowed to speak unless given permission by Lord Tianli.
Xiangling quickly retrieved bowls and chopsticks for Guizhong.
Though Xiangling was simple in nature, she understood proper etiquette and knew that Brother Takumi was a big figure. Since this was his meal, her master and Lord Xianyun could not sit without permission.
Guizhong hesitated, then asked cautiously, "Master Tianli, are you here to have some fun?"
In her mind, the term "Heavenly Principle" was synonymous with "supreme," "sacred and majestic," "untouchable." It was difficult to imagine someone like that visiting casually.
Takumi looked at Guizhong and said jokingly, "I'm not the 'center of the universe' with absolute order. Why wouldn't I want to have some fun?"
Guizhong was startled by the question. "No, no, I—I didn't mean it like that, Master Takumi."
She was interrupted before she could finish.
Takumi's golden eyes focused on her. "I understand what you mean. You haven't done anything wrong, and you don't need to explain yourself.
"In my universe, as long as the gods fulfill their duties, they are free to do as they please. Of course, all of this must be done under the rule of order."
Takumi added with a playful tone, "Even if you saw me on the street and decided to pat me on the shoulder, I'd laugh it off. Perhaps I'd even find it amusing."
Guizhong laughed nervously. The idea of patting Master Tianli on the shoulder? She wouldn't dare.
Takumi gestured to the dinner table. "Join us for dinner. You two can sit as well."
Guizhong quickly picked up her bowls and chopsticks, nodding. "Of course." She sat down carefully.
Xianyun and Aping also took their seats, their backs straight. Seeing this, Xiangling brought over two more sets of bowls and chopsticks.
Takumi looked at Marcusius. "Marcusius, prepare some more dishes."
Marcusius responded quickly, "Yes, right away." He hurried off to cook more food.
...
Seeing that Takumi's teacup was empty, Xiangling broke the awkward silence. "Brother Takumi, let me pour you more tea.
"Master, Lord Guizhong, Lord Xianyun, let me pour for you as well."
With Xiangling's help, and Takumi's own light-hearted demeanor, Xianyun and Aping soon relaxed. The initial tension began to dissolve, and they allowed themselves to enjoy the gathering.
Still, their reverence for Takumi only grew. None among the gods were foolish; they understood that Master Tianli appearing so casually was an expression of true holiness.
Don't immortals also have the ability to 'return to simplicity'?
To make Master Tianli happy, they needed to follow his lead. If he was happy, then they would be happy too.
Guizhong finally revealed her more lively nature and asked, "Master Takumi, do you drink? Wanmin Restaurant has a limited edition sacred wine imported from Mondstadt."
Xianyun added, "It is said that this wine comes from Dawn Winery, the largest business community in Mondstadt. They begged the God of Wine for ages before getting a few barrels."
Takumi smiled with interest. "Oh~ The God of Wine, Diona, and Mondstadt seem to have some interesting stories. Tell me about them."
He didn't have his 'omniscience' turned on all the time. It would be too dull to know everything about the universe. "The greatest joy in life is the unknown."
Guizhong chimed in cheerfully. "This is really fascinating. All the gods in Mondstadt practically begged on their knees just for a sip of the wine made by Dionysus. In the end, she refused to make more."
Xiangling was surprised. "Ah? Is it really that exaggerated?"
Xianyun chuckled. "Oh, it gets even more ridiculous. The gods of Mondstadt did embarrassing things just for a taste of her wine, and drunkards from all pantheons came to Mondstadt to drink it.
"There were even queues that stretched for a year just for one sip of wine."
Aping added, "That's not the most outrageous part. Business communities from other gods were willing to spend hundreds of millions of god coins just to gain the right to sell the wine in their own domains."
Xianyun sighed. "I thought only mortals could be so obsessed, but I didn't expect gods to be any different."
Takumi raised an eyebrow as he listened. Why did this sound so familiar?
Wasn't this just like the hype methods of the modern world? Clever. And now it was being applied here as well.
If things continued like this, it wouldn't be long before the 'gift games'—competitions of wisdom and courage—began to play out in the various pantheons.