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

Rod couldn't help but grin at Wendy; there was no doubt he'd been betrayed again.

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 212 Fake Death Isn't Necessarily Required

Rod wronged Wendy.

The reason why Zhongli noticed what he and Keqing were saying and even came back to ask about it was because of this.

It's because Zhongli had been paying attention to him for a while.

This story begins when Sumeru welcomed the Grass God back.

before this.

While strolling through Liyue Harbor, Zhong Li overheard a merchant praising his subordinate: 'You have fulfilled your duties well; now go and rest.'

Having just experienced Keqing's question during the Summoning Ceremony about whether the Geo Archon could protect Liyue forever, he immediately memorized those words.

Have I fulfilled my responsibilities?

After asking himself this question and receiving an affirmative answer, Zhongli began to consider retiring.

This wasn't an idea that came to me suddenly.

It wasn't a sudden thought that arose because of Keqing's words.

Having protected Liyue for over three thousand years, even though it is the most solid rock in the world, it has begun to feel weary.

He was still worried about Li Yue.

It's a coincidence.

Just as Zhongli was secretly pondering how to retire in a proper and natural way, an explosive piece of news came from Xumi.

The grass god, imprisoned by the Order of the Church, successfully escaped with the help of a mortal and regained control of the Sumeru regime.

Zhongli wasn't particularly concerned about this matter originally.

He merely offered a perfunctory blessing from the Geo Archon and ordered Liyue to send a diplomatic team to Sumeru to pay homage to the Grass Archon.

However, after he looked at the information about Sumeru that Ningguang had sent him,

He became engrossed in watching without even realizing it.

The difference between a godless Mount Sumeru and a Mount Sumeru with a god is like heaven and earth.

This change made him temporarily put aside his plan to retire.

Should the power of governance be returned to mortals, or should one continue to bear the wear and tear and maintain the divine rule of Liyue?

This put Zhongli in a dilemma.

During that time.

He has always focused his attention on Sumeru and Mondstadt.

When news arrived from Sumeru that Rhodes, representing the Grass God, had come to pay homage to the Rock God, he became even more concerned about Rhodes' whereabouts.

Keqing will be the person in charge of receiving Rhodes at the dock.

It was also arranged through his hands.

In Liyue.

There aren't many people as unconventional as Keqing.

Ke Qing is the only one with such a high status.

So he used Keqing's words to ask the question he wanted to ask.

As for Wendy...

He was just an accident.

Zhongli knew that Wendy, who had disappeared for hundreds of years, had now returned to Mondstadt.

However, he didn't have time to see his old friend.

Moreover, given Wendy's personality...

If he wants to see Zhongli, he will come on his own.

It turns out.

This is true.

After the Mondstadt delegation's official ship arrived at the port, Wendy immediately came to Zhongli's door, bringing him a bottle of fine wine that he had treasured for five hundred years.

Unfortunately.

This bottle of wine, which Wendy treasured so much that he couldn't bear to drink even when he was treated as a minor in Mondstadt and no one would sell him wine, has become bland and tasteless after five hundred years, and he can no longer taste the flavor he once had.

When Rod entered.

Zhongli and Wendy were still regretting this matter.

"Uh"

Realizing he had misunderstood Wendy, Rhodes scratched his head awkwardly and then said, "My view on atheism is that there must be a leadership group that can maintain its original intentions for a long time."

Before he could finish speaking, Zhongli pointed and said, "Sit here and talk."

The location he pointed to.

It was clearly the same seat he was sitting in.

If this were said to a mortal in Liyue, that person would definitely be filled with trepidation and subconsciously wonder if they had somehow angered Zhongli.

However, this was nothing to Rhodes.

He sat down confidently, facing Zhongli, and said, "Your Majesty."

"Young friend, you can call me Zhongli."

Zhongli was very polite and did not show any condescension just because he was still the Rock God.

And then he mentioned the name Zhongli.

This also represents his complete trust in Rhodes.

After all, in Liyue, aside from a few immortals, practically no one among the mortals knows that the mortal Zhongli is actually the Geo Archon Morax.

"That"

"Mr. Zhongli."

Rhodes' expression relaxed further, and he asked knowingly, "Are you asking me this question because you want to emulate this person and abandon Liyue?"

"Do not."

Zhongli didn't intend to hide anything, and nodded, saying, "It's just that even rocks will occasionally feel tired after thousands of years of erosion."

The words were spoken very subtly.

But this also indirectly acknowledged his desire to step down.

"That's it."

"So what are you worried about?"

"Are you worried that Liyue will become the next Sumeru ruled by the Faith Council? Or are you worried that Liyue will become like Mondstadt during the old aristocratic era?"

These are the two time points proposed by Rhodes.

These were among the most tragic periods in atheistic countries.

The Sumeru under the rule of the Religious Council used oppressive and cruel methods internally, causing internal division and turmoil, but externally it was all about peace and prosperity, without exposing the chaotic state of the country to other countries. It was a completely hypocritical country.

The old aristocratic period in Mondstadt was even more significant.

The old nobles, led by the Lawrence family, were not only cruel and tyrannical to their own people, but also arrogant and domineering to their foreign counterparts, completely lacking the image of a free city-state like Mondstadt.

The most outrageous thing is...

As the earliest family to follow the wind god, the Lawrence family's first matriarch, Vanirari, led her masters in personally building a tall statue of the wind god in the plaza to commemorate the miracles bestowed by the wind god. Beneath the statue, they inscribed a vow to eternally protect Mondstadt, made together with the leaders of various tribes, which were still in tribal form at the time.

As a result, these unfilial descendants overturned the statue, personally shattering the spirit of their ancestors who protected Mondstadt.

This has a far more serious impact than what the Church of England did.

At least the announcements made by the Church of Jesus to the outside world still follow the example of the Great Tree King.

These old nobles of Mondstadt are openly declaring that they will no longer follow the wind god, and are therefore no longer bound by the wind god's beliefs and family precepts.

Rhodes was right about Keqing.

If the Gunnhildr family, who truly hold power in Mondstadt, forgets their family's unwavering belief in protecting Mondstadt, then the chaos of the old nobles could very well be repeated.

This is also something Zhongli is considering.

If you completely let go.

Let alone him, even the current Liyue Seven Stars cannot guarantee that they can always maintain their original intentions and always put the safety of Liyue first.

If they are like this, then it's even more difficult to say what will happen to their successors.

But what if we don't completely let go?

Then my retirement doesn't seem to have much meaning anymore.

Seeing that Zhongli did not respond to the question, Rhodes grinned: "I think you are overthinking it. You should just say that you want to abdicate and travel the world with the wind god Barbatos, and hand over the power of Liyue to the Seven Stars of Liyue."

"It's that simple."

"As long as you are not dead, the Geo Archon will always be a sword hanging over the heads of the rulers of Liyue."

"Oh, right."

"The man beside you happens to be the best bard in Teyvat."

"He wrote the epic history of the Lawrence family."

"With a slight alteration, the Lawrence family forgets the teachings of the Wind God, wreaks havoc in Mondstadt, and is ultimately struck by the Wind God's thunderbolt. A thousand years later, they are still suffering the punishment of starvation."

"Write it as exaggeratedly as possible, make it as unbelievable as possible."