Man in Xumi: I can copy the authority of the seven gods

After pondering for a moment, Lin Feng asked:

"Since the Emperor has proposed such a price, I believe he must have a plan for the specific operation, so I will not ask about the feasibility for now."

"But even if you are still alive and the transfer of the throne can be completed, in my opinion, such a transaction should not be considered equal bargaining chips, right?"

"——Judging from the value of the throne, this should be a treasure that is not inferior to, or even far superior to, the Heart of God."

Thinking of the power fluctuations he felt from the throne when he obtained the authority of the rock element, Lin Feng had no doubt about the preciousness of this aggregate of ancient dragon authority.

"Haha, if we use common sense, the value of the throne is no less than that of the heart of God.

It's just that you actually raised the price for the seller during the negotiation. Considering the customs in Liyue, this is really rare."

Zhongli knew that the throne would not be of any benefit to him at the moment, but would only bring him extra pressure.

Seeing that the boy opposite him was actually trying to help him raise the price, he couldn't help but laugh.

——If it were his old friend in Mond, if he thought there was an opportunity to get a bargain, he would not only not ask for it, but would probably take the opportunity to ask for more gifts.

Knowing that his initial statement was indeed confusing, he thought about it and explained:

"——The throne is naturally valuable under normal circumstances, but the value of the chips is not always fixed. It will change depending on the status and needs of the parties involved."

"Just like this bowl of tea in my hand and this piece of jade,

If it were in this prosperous commercial port, its value would naturally be far different and could not be considered as an equal bargaining chip."

As he spoke, Zhongli took out a finely crafted jade pendant from his waist.

While bringing the free cup of tea to his front, he motioned Lin Feng opposite him to look at them.

Seeing that the boy's attention was attracted, he continued:

"But no matter how valuable jade is, its existence ultimately depends on society."

"--If I were a traveler in the desert, desperate because of thirst,

So for me, this glass of water, in addition to its own value, also represents the hope of survival.

That would naturally be far better than this worthless stone in the yellow sand."

"——And the current situation is like this. The throne no longer has any value to me. It only exists as an unbearable burden.

So if you can help me transfer it from this body, how can it not be considered as paying a bargaining chip that is comparable to the value of the Heart of God?"

After Zhongli finished speaking, he picked up the teacup in his hand, took a sip, and looked at Lin Feng who was thinking about something across from him.

".burden"

"—Is it because of the 'wear and tear' I mentioned earlier?"

Thinking of the negative entries on Zhongli's panel, Lin Feng also had some guesses about his current behavior that was somewhat incomprehensible.

"."

"Haha, my friend is indeed very insightful."

"——Yes, my action is precisely because of this word 'wear and tear'."

After hearing Lin Feng's question, Zhongli nodded slightly and admitted his motives for doing so.

Recalling that the two had previously discussed the issue of wear and tear, he continued:

"My friend, you have consulted me before about the meaning of wear and tear. For some reason, I was unable to explain it clearly last time. Now is a good time to explain it."

Thinking about his speculation that the principles of heaven had completely fallen asleep during this period of time,

Zhongli paused and said:

"——In my opinion, the word "wear and tear" actually represents one of the unchangeable laws of this world. It is also the "law of nature" and something that cannot be touched by ordinary things."

After looking up at the sky and seeing nothing unusual, he continued:

"All living beings in this world constantly give up and lose for the sake of the right path. In their repeated choices, they become more and more deviated from their original intentions.

The longer the life span and the greater the power, the more susceptible it is to wear and tear.

Sometimes I wonder if this is a restriction imposed by the 'high heaven' on variables like us."

"I have been in this world for too long, too long, since I had memories."

"I have invested too much effort in this land of Liyue."

"Starting a business, pioneering new land... everything is difficult at the beginning, and a lot of emotions are invested. Once everything is running normally, the emotions will gradually "wear out".

If you are not careful, your soul will be damaged beyond repair."

As if he was lost in memories, in Lin Feng's opinion, Zhongli in front of him, under the appearance of a young man, actually revealed a kind of decadent air like an old man.

"My friends and I realized the existence of wear and tear a long time ago."

"But even so, all my efforts seemed powerless in the face of such a 'law', and I was ultimately unable to reverse the fateful ending."

When Zhongli said this, he looked far toward the northwest of Liyue and for a moment he showed a rare look of fatigue.

"."

Seeing the Emperor's behavior, Lin Feng probably guessed that he was talking about the Ruotu Dragon King.

After all, looking at the entire Liyue, the one most seriously affected by wear and tear is probably the rock elemental dragon.

But when I think of this,

Lin Feng also suddenly realized something unusual, that is, the immortals between Gan Yu and Jue Yun were obviously immortals like the Emperor.

But there were obviously no signs of serious wear and tear on their bodies.

——Not to mention that Ganyu is at least three thousand years old, the several immortals in Jueyunjian, if we only look at their age, are probably not much younger than the Emperor.

Why are there such obvious differences in the wear and tear suffered by the same immortal species? Lin Feng felt that this was probably the reason why the Emperor wanted to move the throne.

Thinking of this, he asked directly:

"——If, as the Emperor said, 'wear and tear' is a law of equality, then why are the effects on different individuals so different?"

"Is this the real reason why you want to move the throne of God this time, old man?"

"."

Zhongli was silent for a moment, and after feeling the throne that was closely connected to him, he slowly spoke:

"As my friend said, that's exactly the case."

"As I said before, the throne is a 'gift from heaven,' a 'reward' for the victor of the Demon God War."

"When the ruling class first met, most of them believed that the throne was just a 'collector' of the people's faith, apart from the power it possessed."

"The rulers appointed by Heaven can use the throne to gain the power of the human world like you to supplement their own authority while governing the country."

"But doesn't this seem to be a good thing?"

Lin Feng asked.

"It is indeed beneficial and harmless, in the short term."

Zhongli felt the impact of this so-called "gift" on him and smiled somewhat self-deprecatingly.

"Since you know about the existence of the throne, you should also know that the ruling position can be inherited, right?"

"——Except for some special countries, after the previous god falls, the throne will also choose the most suitable successor to become the new ruler.

Even if I die one day, a new Rock God will naturally be born in Liyue."

"That's true, although in my opinion, the new ruling party is often weak in strength.

There is a big gap between you and me, old man, but the throne was indeed passed on in a very short time in some way."

I thought of Fufu of Fontaine and Nashida of Xumi,

Lin Feng felt that the power level of the successor to the throne was often much weaker than that of its first owner.

But the speed at which the throne reacts is quite efficient.

Zhongli nodded after hearing this and continued:

"——But the existence of gods should be so long that it cannot be counted.

Why do you think such a mature inheritance method exists?"

"You mean"

Lin Feng seemed to be thinking about something.

"Yes, while the throne grants power to the holder, it also increases the share of "wear and tear" borne by the individual.

The more it receives faith from the public, the more serious this phenomenon becomes."

Zhongli stated straightforwardly the results he had obtained after thousands of years of research.

"Therefore, it is not difficult to understand why the succession of gods seems so efficient and convenient."

"——It's simple to say that in his eyes, governing is ultimately just a consumable.

Such rules are like a machine. Only when dealing with 'perishable goods' will it be necessary to design such a convenient replacement method. "

"——I guess, in his eyes, someone like me is just a temporary substitute that is not trustworthy after all."

Zhongli sighed. When facing Lin Feng this time, he surprisingly did not behave like the riddle teller in the plot at all. Instead, he directly gave the final answer.

"."

"So the more diligently one governs the country and performs divine duties, the more severe the "wear and tear" will be, causing the gods to be replaced more quickly."

"This is really true."

Although Lin Feng had already made some guesses, after hearing such an answer, he still found it difficult to understand Tianli's inexplicable train of thought.

But Zhongli's words perfectly answered some doubts that always existed in his mind.

For example, Venti is a god who is always offline. Why doesn't he mention wear and tear like the Emperor?

For example, why has Zhongli gradually moved away from the center of power in the past thousand years, preferring to watch the country's development slow down rather than personally participate in decision-making like he did when Liyue was first established?

".So, old man, you chose to transfer the throne to me because you saw my characteristics of not being bound by "rules" and therefore not being afraid of "wear and tear"? "

Lin Feng completely understood Zhongli's thoughts.

But he then asked:

"But even if you have a way to transfer the throne, how will the responsibilities of the God of Rock be arranged?"

"——You should know my character, old man. If I were to manage the affairs of two countries at the same time, it would be fine for a short period of time.

But if it takes too long, even if it's not worn out, I'll probably have to think about replacing it."

Liyue is not like Xumi. Xumi is actually under the dictatorship of gods, so there are far fewer things to consider when making decisions. Moreover, there is also the omnipotent little grass god to help, so Lin Feng’s pressure is actually not that great.

However, the various forces in Liyue are complicated and intertwined. Based on Lin Feng's understanding of this country over the past period of time, he has no confidence in being able to govern it well.

And he actually didn't think that the old man who loved Liyue so deeply would just quit after getting rid of the wear and tear. It was very likely that he had other arrangements.

Sure enough, after Lin Feng raised the question, the old man shook his head and said with a smile:

"Haha, I know your temper very well, so I won't put any responsibility on you.

This transfer of the throne is actually just the transfer of the 'god'. For Liyue now, it will not be announced in the short term, nor will it cause any impact."

“Even if I lose my godhood, my contract with Liyue will not become invalid.

If there is any impact, it is probably just that it has removed some constraints on me and allowed me to deal with some long-standing problems. "

"——And the various commissions you have in the future will not be in vain. I will also give you some additional rewards that you may be interested in."

After Zhong Fa spoke, Lin Feng instantly understood what he wanted to express.

——The Emperor has been restricted by the wear and tear of the Godly Position for too long. Not only has his own strength not been able to change qualitatively because of the existence of the Godly Position,

Even many of Liyue's policies have become restricted. The old man's move this time is just to throw away the shackles and make it more convenient for his subsequent governance.

What he had to do was actually just to help the old man withstand the pressure from Tianli, and then take on some commissions from Liyue.

For Lin Feng, apart from obtaining the Heart of the Rock Elemental God and the identity of a "Rock God", there will be no change compared to the previous situation.

After much thought, for me who is already going against the rules, this transaction means I can make money no matter how I want. It is a textbook win-win situation.

With this thought, Lin Feng looked at the Emperor in front of him and said solemnly:

"The conditions offered by the Emperor are so generous, I naturally have no reason to refuse."