Liyue Harbor
"Long time no see. I didn't expect you guys had moved."
"That's right. A few days ago, I subdued Osial. You've changed quite a lot."
"Is that so?"
In a quiet little teahouse near the harbor, two figures sat across from each other. Zhongli sipped his tea slowly, savoring each taste, while Yu downed his cup in one swift motion.
Zhongli: ...…
Forget it. He probably doesn't know that drinking tea like that is practically telling someone to leave.
"By the way, how are my fellow Yaksha brothers? Still petrified?"
"It's a bit complicated. Rationally speaking, all the offerings over the years have had some effect… but something's still off."
"What do you mean?"
"One of Bosacius' statues—part of the stone around his abdomen has crumbled, revealing his midsection. But he's still frozen in place."
Thus, the world's first stone statue with visible abs was born.
Just mentioning this gave Zhongli a headache. Ever since that part of the statue broke off, plenty of young women had been sneaking over to touch it. The worst offender, however, was none other than his own daughter, causing him endless frustration.
"Father! Sneaking out again, are you?!"
In the distance, a young girl with chestnut-colored hair came running towards them. The perspective shifted upward—from her long, slender legs, to her slim waist, and finally… a completely flat chest. That was probably her mother's doing. Her delicate features completed the look.
"Yu, this is my daughter. Just call her Xiaochen. You should remember her."
"Of course, I remember. I took three thousand stab wounds saving her, after all."
Zhongli: ...…
"Xiaochen, this is Mr. Yu."
Xiaochen had hurried over, eager to drag her wandering father back home. After all, her mother had warned her: either she or her father had to stay home. And she, as a proud young lady, had no intention of spending all day listening to her mother's endless nagging. The vibrant world outside was calling her! But upon arriving, she found her father having tea with a handsome white-haired stranger. How infuriating! Her father was secretly meeting attractive men without inviting her!
As the saying goes, heredity is a strange thing. The good traits don't always get passed down, but the quirks? Oh, they're inherited without fail. Clearly, Xiaochen had inherited her father's peculiar tastes.
"Hello, Mr. Yu. My name is Zhong Xiaochen. If you don't mind, just call me Xiaochen." She immediately put away her previous brash demeanor, transforming into a refined young lady with the grace of a noble daughter.
"No need for formalities, Miss Zhong. I'm just a rough traveler."
"A rough traveler? You're being too modest, sir. In my eyes, you have the air of a great general. How about I call you General Yu?"
Yu instantly felt a chill, as if he had just encountered a snake. He instinctively recoiled.
"Just 'sir' will do."
Zhongli cleared his throat awkwardly. Seeing his daughter's behavior, he decided it was best to stay silent for now.
"Xiaochen, no need to be so formal. Speaking of which, you two share quite a bit of fate. It was Yu who saved both you and your mother when you were born."
"Thank you, Mr. Yu."
"No need to bring up the past."
Yu stood up, feeling a little restless. He had no interest in sitting in the teahouse any longer. He wanted to head to the seaside to feed Little Blue. Over the past hundred years, Little Blue had grown to a tremendous size, nearly as large as Little Green. He couldn't even bring her into the city anymore, fearing she might scare the children.
Zhongli finished his tea and stood as well. Just then, something occurred to him.
"Yu, did you bring any Mora?"
Yu: !!!
Yu froze. What's going on? I'm the guest here, right? Besides, I don't usually carry Mora. As a former god, he could go without food for years if needed. This sudden question caught him off guard.
Xiaochen's eyes sparkled. A perfect opportunity! She knew her father's habits well—despite her mother making him a personal wallet, he often forgot to bring it. Clearly, this handsome traveler didn't have any money either. No Mora, good-looking, and powerful—a prime target for wooing.
"I'll pay." Xiaochen gracefully offered, then whispered, "Father, really? You finally have a guest, and you forgot your wallet again. This is terrible hospitality! We must make it up to him, right?"
Zhongli silently endured her scolding.
"Mr. Yu, next time I'll take you to the best restaurant in Liyue. With the finest wine and food, I promise you'll be satisfied. I'll even bring out my mother's treasured vintage—guaranteed to impress!" Xiaochen declared with elegance.
Yu felt a bead of sweat form on his forehead. How should he respond? He didn't care much for food or drink. Sometimes, he ate raw meat during battles in the wild, and he never touched alcohol. Over time, he had lost his sense of taste. Even sweets failed to bring him joy anymore. The only food that ever left an impression on him… was the desserts made by Ei. Those were the only things he could truly savor.
"Xiaochen, that's unnecessary. Yu doesn't drink. Otherwise, I wouldn't have brought him to a teahouse."
"Is that so? My apologies."
In her heart, Xiaochen screamed: Father, you buzzkill! You get to enjoy yourself, but I can't?! Just you wait!
"So, Yu, what brings you here this time?"
"A woman."
Zhongli: ??????
Yu had meant to say, 'How to pursue a god.' He was here to learn from this expert who had once been pursued by a god, hoping to gain some insight.
"Mr. Yu, you may have asked the wrong person. My father may know everything else, but when it comes to women…"
Zhongli felt his dignity as a father take a severe hit. No, he couldn't let his daughter see him as incompetent. He had to step up!
"No problem. I'll summon the others. They are wise in many ways, and surely they'll have a solution for you."
And so, Yu, who had initially sought reliable advice from a trustworthy friend, ended up gathering a group of decidedly unreliable 'advisors' to pursue an equally unreliable goal. This peculiar twist of fate would lead him on a bizarre journey.
Meanwhile, Xiaochen could sense that a grand spectacle was about to unfold.
~~~~~~
Advance Chapters!
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