[Genshin Impact] A world where only travelers are alone

Zhongli withdrew his gaze from the noodle chain and said to Xun Ming, "Ms. Xun Ming, have you ever thought about selling this thing? If you are willing, I am willing to take it over for three million."

Three million Mora is already a very good price, but it’s a pity that Xun Ming, the owner of the noodle chain, has no intention of selling it.

She shook her head and said, "I'm sorry, Mr. Zhongli. Although my relationship with my grandfather is not very good, this is his legacy after all. Even I am not qualified to deal with it. Let's just forget it."

Zhongli pursed his lips tightly, with the corners of his lips curved downward.

The act of rashly trying to buy other people's family belongings was actually considered rude, but no one cared. Hu Tao just thought that he was excited because he saw a treasure that caught his eye, but Xun Ming didn't think it was a big deal.

Her attitude was firm, and Zhongli's eyes became increasingly obscure as he looked at her.

He rarely said a few more words: "I thought Miss Xun Ming chose to use the jade bracelet as a reward because she was short of money."

Xun Ming was slightly stunned, with embarrassment on his face: "I just don't like carrying Mora with me."

"Don't like Mora?" Walnut was shocked as if she had heard something outrageous.

In fact, this matter is indeed outrageous. After all, in this country of commerce and trade, as the people of Morax, the god of precious gold, no one would dislike Morax.

Xun Ming waved his hands repeatedly to indicate that she had misunderstood: "No, no, I just don't like wearing Mora with me. I actually like Mora very much--"

The last sentence's ending sound was drawn out, with an indescribable meaning.

Zhongli's eyes flickered and he no longer looked at her.

But Hu Tao suddenly thought of him: "What a coincidence! Ke Qing never carries Mora with him. Although he forgot that you don't like him, it can be regarded as a kind of fate."

Seeing Zhongli frowning slightly, Xun Ming just smiled in response and calmly skipped the topic: "Okay, next time you see me I will definitely bring Mora with me. I will go back first this time."

Hu Tao said goodbye to her warmly and watched her walk out of the Hall of Rebirth and merge into the crowd.

*
Xun Ming did not return to Chenyu Valley along the route the three of them had taken previously. To be more precise, she had no intention of walking back at all.

It was already some distance away from the Hall of Rebirth. She found a deserted, secluded place and made a hand gesture. The scenery in front of her suddenly changed into a cave full of towering stalagmites.

This is a cave in Chenyu Valley, and also the place where Xun Ming usually rests.

In the center of the cave was a bottomless pool. Xun Ming took off the veil on his head, threw it aside casually, and then lay down beside the pool.

Because of her movements, her ankle-length black hair fell into the pool, creating ripples.

The movement attracted the attention of the creatures in the pond, and a golden and red koi fish emerged from the depths and swam to her side.

The fish mouth opened and closed, but a gentle female voice came out: "You're back. How was it, did you meet that person this time when you went out?"

With his eyelashes trembling slightly, Xun Ming lowered his eyes and replied to her: "It took some effort, but the result is acceptable. But who would have thought that the great King of Rock would be willing to live in a small place as a human being."

Fu Jin opened his mouth in shock. "But I heard that the Rock God has been guiding the development of Liyue. Doesn't he appear at the annual Summoning Immortal Ceremony?"

Xun Ming laughed: "There are many different forms of immortals, and the Yan Wang Emperor, who is the leader of all immortals, is naturally the same. But these have nothing to do with me. His current behavior actually makes it easier for me to get close to him."

Speaking of this, Fu Jin became excited and spit out a string of bubbles: "Did he recognize you?"

Xun Ming propped up his face and looked at the veil on the ground: "No."

"Eh!?" Fu Jin almost jumped out of the pool, "Didn't you go out without changing your appearance on purpose?"

He said it was intentional, but in fact it was only because Xun Ming knew that this trick could not fool Zhongli's eyes.

The high and mighty Emperor of Rock, the god she had worshipped for a hundred years—

Everything she knew came from him, how could she possibly hide it from him.

"So, he forgot about me." Xun Ming's tone was flat, as if he was talking about a trivial matter not worth mentioning.

As a result, Fu Jin on the other side was even more anxious than her: "How can you be so calm! Didn't you go out this time just to find him and reconcile? What will you do if he forgets you!"

Is it better to rebuild the old one?

Xun Ming's mouth curled up, with a hint of sarcasm in his smile, but his words were still gentle and soft: "It doesn't matter. Since you have forgotten it, it's good to start over. Now that he walks in the world as a human being, and I am no longer a priest, perhaps there will be a different ending."

Then Fu Jin became happy again and wagged its tail happily in the water.

She and Xun Ming have lived here for a very long time.

She stayed here reluctantly because she needed to nourish her spirit body and could not leave the lake. But even so, she would sometimes feel bored and pester Ling Yuan to take her out.

However, Xun Ming, who was free from all constraints, actually stayed here for thousands of years and never left for a moment.

Fu Jin didn't understand why this happened, just like she didn't understand why Xun Ming, as the most beloved priest of the Rock God, would choose to cooperate with her master a thousand years ago and let her master help her fake her death and escape from the Rock God.

Although they are tiny humans, they have complex thoughts that no one can see clearly.

Fu Jin felt a headache from thinking about it, so he simply stopped thinking about it and dived back into the deep water of the pool.

The cave returned to silence.

Xun Ming opened the box, took out the face chain inside and put it on his face again.

This item, which had been with her for a long time, was sealed in a box by her after she left Morax.

The so-called grandfather was fake, the relics were fake, and the black fog was fake. They were all just a scam she designed to get close to Morax again.

Even telling Fu Jin about the reconciliation was a lie, she wanted much more than that.

"I can't forget it—" She stroked her cheek and the cold face chain, "Even if you forget it, I will make you remember it again."

Xun Ming knew very well that time could erase everything. As an immortal, everything in the world was nothing more than a passing cloud to the Demon God. Even if she had left a strong mark on him, it would eventually fade away.

Just like now——

Apart from the brief moment of daze at the beginning and his loss of composure when he saw Mianlian later, the man with the alias "Zhongli" did not show any mistakes and looked at her calmly from beginning to end.

He might still have some impression of her, but it was far from enough.

Therefore, Xun Ming still had a backup plan.

*
Morax is not a war-loving person, but in this era when demons and gods are rising, inaction is a mistake.

His strength enabled the tribe to thrive, but it also attracted the covetousness of other demons. Even in order to end the current situation as soon as possible, he would often take the initiative to attack and eliminate possible dangers nearby.

So this was probably the first time he stayed in the tribe for so long.

Morax doesn't like to be disturbed, so when he is here, no one is allowed to enter the temple. Only the girls who have followed him from the very beginning can get the honor and be summoned by him to serve closely.

But for some reason, Morax did not summon her for several days this time, but stayed in the house alone.

At first, the girl was able to stay quietly in her room without being disturbed, but this situation did not last long. After all, she had never been ignored like this before. On the third day, she involuntarily came to the door of Morax's residence.

"Sir..." She knocked on the door, "Is your injury serious? You haven't shown up these days, I'm worried about you."

Inside the house, Morax paused while carving gold jewelry and subconsciously looked at the wound on his chest.

The demon god had a strong self-healing ability, and the injuries he received a few days ago had already healed almost completely. He didn't even take this matter to heart at all. He never expected that the girl was still thinking about him, and even thought that this was the reason why he stayed at home.

Morax's hands unconsciously rubbed the gold ornaments.

Can he say that he actually wasted all his time on this matter?
In fact, there is no need to consider this at all. After all, he will always give these things to the girl. Anyone with a discerning eye can tell that these things are from his hands.

Morax rubbed his brows. The long period of concentration made him a little tired and he needed to rest urgently. However, the knocking on the door outside the house continued. If the girl was not sure that he was okay, she would not leave easily.

Thinking of this, he got up and opened the door.

So the girl's hand, which was about to knock on the door again, froze in mid-air awkwardly.

Morax looked down at her. Staring at her with those inhuman golden eyes, the girl immediately remembered her purpose and glanced at his chest hastily.

The marks of being cut by a sharp blade were still on the tight divine outfit, but the exposed skin was now smooth and it was almost impossible to tell that it had been injured before.

The girl was obviously relieved. "I'm glad you're okay. In that case, I'll take my leave now."

She was about to leave, but just as she turned around, she was stopped by Morax.

"You've come at the right time. I have something to give you." Morax stepped aside, leaving a gap for passage, and motioned for her to come in.

The girl tilted her head in confusion and obediently followed his instructions and walked into the house.

Morax picked up the gold face chain on the table, lifted the hair hanging by her ears and put it on her.

While he was doing all this, the girl was stunned from beginning to end, as if she was shocked by the fact that he carved gold jewelry for her with his own hands, and she couldn't react for a long time.

Morax was amused and couldn't help but lower his voice: "How does it feel? Is there anything uncomfortable that needs to be adjusted?"

The girl finally came back to her senses and shook her head repeatedly: "No."

But Morax's brows furrowed.

The girl immediately realized why this happened. She carefully reached out and pressed the chain on her face to make sure that the hook and ear were well fitted and would not cause discomfort due to long-term wearing. Then she nodded seriously again: "It fits very well."

The expression on Morax's face finally eased: "As long as it's suitable."

He put the other ornaments on the table into a box and handed it to her: "And these, try them on when you get back. They are all hung on clothes. If they don't fit, you can tell me."

"Thank you, sir." The girl looked up and smiled sweetly at him, very grateful.

But after Morax finished speaking, she still did not leave. Instead, she mustered up the courage to point at Morax's chest and said, "The adult's clothes..."

Divine armor is just clothes after all, and it is impossible for it to heal itself like the devil's armor. The girl volunteered to help him repair it.

Morax agreed.

He took off his clothes without hesitation, revealing his muscular body, well-defined waist muscles, and lean and powerful body.

The girl looked away for a split second, the tips of her ears red.

Morax didn't notice her reaction and just lay down on the bed.

The girl calmed herself down, took out her needle and thread, sat down next to Morax, and began to carefully mend the hole in her clothes.

The atmosphere was quiet. The room was so quiet that the only sounds could be heard were the girl's shallow breathing and the sound of fabric rubbing against each other. Morax closed his eyes unconsciously.

He didn't know how much time had passed, but he heard the girl put down her needle and thread, folded the clothes and placed them next to the pillow.

"……grown ups?"

The girl, who was supposed to leave at this point, suddenly spoke for some reason, with a hint of tentativeness in her voice.

She probably thought he was asleep.

Morax suddenly wondered what she would do if he really fell asleep at this moment, so he stopped his plan to open his eyes and lay motionless on the bed, pretending to be asleep.

The girl called out again, but still received no response.

Morax heard a deliberately light pair of footsteps coming towards him, and when the footsteps stopped, the light in front of him had been blocked by someone.

She seemed to be leaning closer to him, and a warm air flow fell on his face.

Morax's body tensed unconsciously, and he couldn't tell whether he was expecting or resisting, but he always had an indulgent thought and waited quietly.

What is she going to do...

*
The dream came to an abrupt end here. Zhongli opened his eyes in the darkness, and a dark light flashed in his amber eyes.

He rubbed his eyebrows and sat up from the bed.

Recently, he has had more and more dreams about that person, and even some small things that he himself has no memory of have become clear.

Is it because of Xun Ming?

Zhongli stood up and poured himself a glass of water, then sat down at the desk with his coat on. On the rice paper on the table was a portrait of a person sketched with just a few strokes. It was Xun Ming who had appeared in the Wangsheng Hall a few days ago.

No, maybe there is some difference.

The person in the portrait is obviously younger than Xun Ming, and the small black characters next to it do not say Xun Ming, but two other words - Ming Xun.

Mingxun, the name of the girl who had the same appearance as Xun Ming a thousand years ago.

Zhongli lowered his eyes in thought.

There is no need to explain that he had deep doubts about Xun Ming. After all, Xun Ming was exactly like that man in terms of face and personality. Even his name was Mingxun reversed.

It's just that person's performance was impeccable, and other than that there is almost no evidence to prove that they are the same person.

Zhongli leaned back in his chair and thought calmly, no matter whether his guess was correct or not, he just had to wait.

If Mingxun wanted something, she would not appear in front of him only once. If she appeared a second time or a third time... one day, he would understand what she wanted to do.

It’s a pity that tonight is another sleepless night.

Zhongli dug into his own memories, trying to find an ending for the dream that had come to an abrupt end.

But too much time had passed, and before he had this dream he had completely forgotten that such a thing had even happened. Now, after trying his best, he could only find a vague impression.

The self in his memory finally opened his eyes, but by that time Mingxun had already distanced himself from him, holding a thin blanket in his hand, as if he wanted to cover him with it.

She was so considerate and cared about everything about Morax. Even though she knew that it was impossible for the demon god to catch a cold from sleeping without clothes, she still thought of covering him with a blanket.

How ridiculous.

He reached out and pressed the corners of his lips, hiding the sarcasm on his face and no longer thinking about anything related to her.

After sitting at the desk for about a few hours, the sky outside gradually brightened. Thinking that the vacation granted to him by Walnut was about to end, he simply got up and packed his things to go to the Hall of Rebirth.

Walnut in the hall seemed to have just woken up. When she saw him, she rubbed her eyes and muttered, "Guest, why are you here so early? It seems that this holiday is good. You are so energetic on the first day of work."

Zhongli smiled and said nothing.

Hu Tao didn't care whether he responded or not, and continued to talk to herself: "At this time, I haven't had breakfast yet. Yesterday, Xiangling said that she had developed a new dish and asked me to go to her place to try it. Do you want to come with me?"

"Since you are Chef Xiangling, you naturally have to go to Wanmin Hall." Zhongli nodded.

Hu Tao shook her head and said, "Guest, guest, I don't think there is anyone else in Liyue Harbor who enjoys life better than you."

The two set off towards the Hall of All Peoples.

Hu Tao and Xiang Ling greeted each other and were immediately and enthusiastically taken to the seats that had been reserved for them early in the morning.

In addition to the new dishes, the two also ordered some common dim sum.

"Okay!" Xiangling smiled cheerfully, "You guys sit here for a while, the food will be here soon!"

Hu Tao held up her face and looked at her: "Speaking of which, there are always so many people eating at Wanmintang. Can you and Master Mao really handle it with just two people in the restaurant?"

Xiang Ling was busy taking orders from other customers while she replied, "Of course we are too busy, so we hired someone to help us a few days ago. But it's not her turn to work yet, so you should be able to see her soon."

Zhongli didn't take their conversation to heart, but the next second a familiar figure appeared in front of him.

(End of this chapter)