Mr. Pantalone has no crazy plans today.

As Zhongli accepted the teacup from Pantalone, he closed his eyes slightly and savored the fine tea in his hand.

As the Rock King Emperor, he disguised himself as a mortal and traveled with people in the mortal world, so he was naturally aware of the rumors circulating among the people.

There is a mysterious gentleman who always appears in various places by chance. Whenever someone asks him about their confusion, he will point out the way and help them out of their predicament.

However, compared to the rumors that this mysterious man was actually an incarnation of the Rock King Emperor, he could see through the true nature and intentions behind everything more clearly.

Rather than saying he was trying to enlighten those who were lost, it would be more accurate to say that he was deliberately using this method to wait for the person he wanted to be with.

Although the person in front of him did not say it explicitly, he still had a general understanding of Pantalone's identity.

In fact, Pantalone has never hidden his identity, which makes it easy for anyone with a discerning eye to know his true identity.

From another perspective, he also had ample reason to believe that the person in front of him knew his identity the moment he asked to sit down.

To others, he may appear to be just an ordinary Liyue person, but if someone is equally observant, they can easily guess his identity.

Therefore, Zhongli was not bothered by these things; she simply wanted to know Pantarone's opinion on Liyue.

He wanted to know what words Pantalone, as the representative of the will of the Ice God behind the Seven Gods (who was also one of them), and as an impious person standing in the guise of a former Liyue citizen, would utter in response to him.

At least he was willing to meet in this way, which means he was willing to abide by the laws of Liyue.

The rules he set for himself were a way of showing sincerity to himself, and this was also a kind of contract.

As the lingering bitterness in his mouth dissipated, he opened his amber-like eyes and met the gaze of the refined young man. With a soft exhale, he spoke calmly.

"I have heard rumors that you possess extraordinary talent, that you are knowledgeable in astronomy and geography, and that you are well-versed in both ancient and modern times."

"Therefore, I would like to ask you, sir, from the perspective of a Liyue person, what your views are on Liyue today, and even on the Geo Archon himself, and on the relationship between humans and gods?"

Pantalone, who was staring at the owner of those golden eyes, couldn't help but chuckle when the handsome young man asked him for his opinion on Liyue.

He seemed to find it quite amusing that the young man in front of him would actually ask him for his opinion on Liyue and the Geo Archon.

Although he found it amusing, he had no intention of refusing to answer the question.

Rather than discussing his views on Liyue or even Morax himself in front of Morax himself, he considered it an interesting affair in a certain sense.

“Mr. Zhongli has asked me a good question. Since that’s the case, there’s no need for me to avoid it. I might as well say that I do have some opinions about Liyue.”

"Appreciate further details."

Zhongli made a gesture of invitation.

After receiving Zhongli's consent and reply, Pantalone smiled calmly.

"Then I must offend you. Mr. Zhongli once said that the responsibility of the gods to humanity is to guide human civilization, and the duty of the gods is to protect human civilization and make it bear fruit. Am I right?"

"exactly."

After receiving this answer, Zhongli pondered for a moment and, finding no error in it, nodded in agreement.

After Zhongli gave such a reply, Pantalone continued to laugh.

"But even the most ordinary people know that children who grow up under the wings of their elders are ultimately hothouse flowers, unable to stand on their own and withstand the storms of life."

"Just as overly domineering parents can cause children to lose their own opinions, overprotected children lack the strength to withstand disasters and changes."

"The Geo Archon has been in existence for over six thousand years. Even the founding of Liyue was three thousand seven hundred years ago. The Geo Archon has protected Liyue for three thousand seven hundred years. So, in the next era, can the Geo Archon continue to protect it?"

"Nothing is permanent. Even the immortals who protect Liyue today, or even the Geo Archon himself, will one day remain in the past."

"This is an eternal principle that has never changed since the beginning of time, and even the gods on this continent cannot resist it. This is the sacred plan that was forged in the beginning."

"One day, the fledglings living under their parents' wings will eventually fly into the sky. Parents cannot protect their children under their wings forever. They may still be young, but they will eventually grow old."

"For the past 3,700 years, Liyue has lived under the protection of the Geo Archon. But what if one day in the future Liyue loses its god?"

Pantalone's words made Zhongli fall into deep thought, even he had to admit one thing.

That is, even gods have an end to their lifespan. Perhaps this time is very long, but it will come one day.

Having endured over three thousand years of wind and frost, even the most solid rock will be worn down.

Even though everything Pantarone said was still a very distant future for him, it still made him think about what Liyue would be like if he were gone one day.

Just as Zhongli was pondering this matter, another remark from Pantalone caught his attention.

Pantalone smiled and stared into his eyes with a grin.

"Don't you think the world needs some changes?"

"how do I say this?"

After a moment of contemplation, Zhongli, not understanding what Pantalone meant by "change," inquired.

Upon hearing Zhongli's question, Pantalone smiled slightly and calmly began to explain his answer.

"Everything in the mortal world relies on the order established by the gods. If the gods who maintain this order suddenly disappear one day, can this order still be maintained?"

Even money, which is meaningless to the gods, is merely one of the countless powers held by the gods and is in their hands.

"For 3,700 years, human civilization has remained unchanged. Humans have always believed that they have built a great civilization, and that human civilization should be what it looks like, passed down from generation to generation in the eyes of the world."

"But this is just an arrogant idea. We are still no different from the grass and trees on the ground. Such humans are just toys supported by the gods. Because we are the gods' favorites, we are able to be far superior to other things."

“Apart from that, we are no different from other creatures on this land.”