In Teyvat, it all begins with rescuing the grass god.

Mondstadt, lacking divine intervention, faced considerable diplomatic pressure; had it not been for Falgar's strong support, it would have been utterly bullied long ago.

Keqing has interacted with many Mondstadt players before.

But that was the conclusion she ultimately reached.

That is, the two countries have completely different national conditions, so it is not appropriate to learn from Mondstadt's methods of protecting its people.

Now that someone who had experienced the atheistic era of another country had come into view, Keqing could no longer suppress the urge to ask him questions.

This question also made Rhodes ponder for quite a while.

He thought a lot and pondered what he wanted to say.

At last.

He pursed his lips and concluded, "Well, 'a complete mess' is a more accurate description."

"what?"

Ke Qing's mouth gaped open, and she asked incredulously, "A complete mess?"

Rhodes's words and Sumeru's public image are not entirely inconsistent; rather, they are completely different.

At least those Sumeru scholars who came to Liyue mostly complained about how difficult it was to write papers, but not a single one of them said anything negative about the chaotic security situation in Sumeru.

Why is that?

"I bet nobody's ever told you what the desert is like, right?"

Rhodes shook his head: "That's true. Someone of your status probably wouldn't have any contact with those mercenaries from the desert."

Before Nasida's return.

Very few of the people living in the Sumeru Desert are able to leave, and even fewer can travel to foreign lands.

Only those who work as mercenaries have the opportunity to travel abroad with merchants who do long-distance trade.

This also means that the mercenaries and Keqing who know the true injustice of Sumeru will not be able to access it.

Even if Ke Qing conceals her identity to visit the common people.

Given the unique nature of mercenaries, it would be very difficult for them to encounter them.

As for the scholars who can go to Liyue to do scientific research, most of them are wealthy. Regardless of their academic performance, their family wealth is enough to support them to live and do scientific research abroad for a long time.

After all, things are not as convenient abroad as they are in Sumeru. Doing scientific research requires time-consuming and laborious reporting to the authorities.

How could these scholars, who come from wealthy families and have no worries about food and clothing, possibly know how life is on the other side of the desert?

Or rather.

Even if they knew, they wouldn't bother to say it.

Rod briefly described the scene before the desert.

He recounted many of the events firsthand, describing them vividly.

After discussing the desert...

He then started talking about the rainforest region.

"Compared to the desert, people in the rainforest, with their superior climate, at least don't have to worry about food."

"The free education provided by the Order of the Fathers is also universally available."

"Perhaps the only difficulty is that the graduation thesis is hard to write, and it is very difficult to become a scholar or someone of high standing."

At last.

Rhodes concluded, "Without gods, we must rely on people. As for whether a country can remain peaceful and stable, that depends on the personal qualities of its ruler."

"you mean."

"Can a country be without gods?"

After saying this, Ke Qing fell into deep thought.

She hadn't anticipated the situation that had occurred before.

She, who always devoted herself to her work, never imagined that the spiritless Sumeru would be in this state.

However, just as she began to doubt herself...

Rhodes shook his finger and said to her, "Look at Mond."

"Mondstadt without the Wind God?"

This readily available example plunged Keqing into silence once again.

Compared to Sumeru, Mondstadt and Liyue have much more trade relations, and Keqing is more familiar with the situation in Mondstadt.

have to say.

If we disregard the diplomatic pressures faced by Mondstadt, they did indeed govern their country very well in the absence of gods, a stark contrast to the chaotic state of Sumeru in reality.

So where does the problem lie?

"people."

Rhodes and Keqing uttered the word together.

Yes.

people!

The key lies in the people who, after the atheism, became rulers.

"The Knights of Favonius of Mondstadt are steadfast in their beliefs, sacrificing their own freedom to bring freedom to the people of Mondstadt."

"The Gunnhildr family, which controls the military and political power of Mondstadt, teaches their children the first phrase: 'Protect Mondstadt forever.'"

"These four words are the unchanging ancestral motto of their family."

"If such people were in charge of Mondstadt, would they possibly do anything detrimental to Mondstadt?"

“The negative example is the Clerk’s House of Religion.”

"They incite racial antagonism in their thoughts, suppress the desert in their actions, and commit blasphemy and murder in their ideology. How can chaos not ensue when such people rule over Mount Sumeru?"

Rhodes analyzed the situation of the two countries for Keqing, and then said meaningfully, "So, it's not that being without a god is impossible, it's just a matter of whether the person who succeeds the god can do it."

For the rest of the journey.

Having already obtained the answer, Keqing did not ask any questions that went beyond her duty. After sending Rhodes to the Jade Pavilion, she hurriedly left.

The attendant in charge of receiving him knew that Rhodes was a distinguished guest from Sumeru, and without the slightest negligence, led Rhodes all the way to the Jade Pavilion, where he arrived before Ningguang, the famous Tianquan star of Teyvat.

"I am honored to have such a distinguished guest. I am Ningguang, Tianquan of the Seven Stars of Liyue. Please forgive my rudeness."

This star, Tianquan, who symbolizes power and law, as well as wealth and wisdom, is wearing a high-slit cheongsam with gold, white and black interlaced colors. The hem is shaped like a bird's tail, and the neckline is decorated with golden phoenix patterns. Unlike Dolly, who is full of jewels and looks like a nouveau riche, Ningguang, who stands in front of Rhodes, is decorated with simple yet luxurious accessories and wears light makeup that is elegant.

"Hello, I'm Rod."

There's not much to say about Rhodes, who doesn't hold any official position in Sumeru; all I can say is his name.

Ningguang didn't mind this small matter and directly reached out to lead the way, saying, "Mr. Rhodes, please come with me. The Emperor has been waiting for a long time."

"Is the Emperor waiting for me?"

Rod let out a soft "hmm".

That's not polite!

According to Teyvat's understanding, one must first submit official documents to the gods and obtain their permission before ascending to the temple to pay homage.

The Mondstadt delegation, and that haughty lady, all followed this procedure.

How come the Geo Archon is already waiting for me in the Jade Pavilion when I've only just arrived in Liyue and haven't even officially submitted my documents yet?

"."

Rhodes' lips twitched slightly, and he quickly followed Ningguang, walking briskly into the depths of the Jade Pavilion.

Anyway.

Making a deity wait for you, especially a deity with great power and authority, is always an act of disrespect.

Qunyu Pavilion is not large.

soon.

Rhodes then went to the deepest room.

"Mr. Rhodes, please come in."

Ningguang opened the door for Rhodes, and after he went in, she closed the door and quietly left. Although it was unnecessary, she still ordered everyone to leave and no one was allowed to approach.

The meeting of the Rock King Emperor with distinguished guests is not something that ordinary mortals like them can meddle in.

the other side.

Upon entering, Rhodes' gaze did not fall on the young man dressed in gorgeous black and gold attire, but rather on another green-clad boy sitting on the table with his legs crossed, chatting happily with the young man.

"."

Rod momentarily forgot what he was going to say.

"Hey friend, we meet again."

Wendy greeted Rhodes happily upon seeing him again, and then explained why he was there: "Well, I was bored on the ship, and it just so happened that I hadn't seen the old man in a long time, so I came to visit him."

"."

Rhodes did not respond to him, but turned to look at the Rock King, whom Wendy called "Old Man".

This is different from the image of Zhongli that Rod is familiar with.

His appearance as the Rock King Emperor was even more majestic and aloof, giving off an air of unapproachability. Upon closer inspection, he did bear some resemblance to the mortal Zhongli, but at first glance, no one would recognize that they were the same person.

Despite his cold and aloof appearance, Zhong Li's words were as gentle as a spring breeze.

His first words to Rhodes were: "Hello, young friend Rhodes. Could you tell me more about how a country should maintain stability after the atheism is abolished?"

再！

Rod felt a pang in his heart.

He said 'again'!!!