Chapter 85 - 85: I'll Let You Have Three Moves
"Sir, it's just a few bowls of tea. It's no big deal," Uncle Zhou said.
When he heard Zhongli asking Bai Luo to pay the tea debt—dating back to his grandfather's generation—Uncle Zhou imdiately realized this man's identity was anything but ordinary.
Though he wouldn't dare assu Zhongli was the Geo Archon himself, he figured he must be so kind of Adeptus from a mountain.
For a tea capable of enticing an Adeptus to co down from the mountain, its value was already a great honor. Asking for money was completely out of the question.
"Relax. For this amount, Childe can handle it," Bai Luo said boldly, exuding a magnanimous aura that would make anyone envious.
Though, his words... left sothing to be desired.
"How do you want to fight? A friendly spar? Or a duel to the death?"
Zhongli's tone was utterly calm, as if the words duel to the death were no different from casually discussing lunch plans. The chilling calmness sent shivers down Bai Luo's spine.
"Deal!"
Draining the large bowl of tea in front of him, a row of " 1" seed to float over Bai Luo's head as he declared, brimming with confidence.
"A spar, we'll stop before it gets dangerous. But since I'm the junior here, could you give
a bit of a handicap?"
When Bai Luo enthusiastically shouted "Deal!" Everyone thought he had accepted the life-or-death duel. Zhongli even began to consider whether he should hold back during the fight.
Then ca Bai Luo's next line, so... deflating.
To say the boldest words with the most cowardly intent—this must be the very definition of it.
"Then how about I let you have three moves?"
In his millennia of life, Zhongli had encountered countless orderly and rule-abiding individuals in Liyue. Yet in modern tis, a new generation of remarkable young talents had erged.
Take Yuheng from the Liyue Qixing, for example. She often spoke of reform and was like a sharp blade of the new era, much to the dismay of many traditionalists.
Tianquan was another such figure. Though subtler than Yuheng, the ever-floating Jade Chamber symbolized her imnse ambition and vision.
Especially its defensive formation: while ostensibly designed to keep the Jade Chamber afloat, Zhongli knew better than anyone that, in critical monts, its power could rival that of an Archon.
Tis were changing. A new era was ushering in a wave of youthful talent. Even Snezhnaya had individuals like Childe and Bai Luo who could stand out. In this grand stage of Teyvat, surely they would claim their places.
If given the chance, anyone would want to contend for the position of the player, for not everyone was content to be a re chess piece.
Zhongli glanced up at the Skyfrost Nail in the heavens, a contemplative look appearing on his face.
He thought back to the contract brought by the Fatui Harbinger Pulcinella, drafted personally by the Tsaritsa.
By common logic, the terms were far from fair. The price he would pay was not equivalent to what she offered in return.
But... from another perspective, if a re Gnosis could be exchanged for what she was offering, perhaps it wasn't such a bad deal after all.
Just a little longer... If Tianquan and Yuheng could truly win the hearts of the people and secure the authority of governance, he might consider signing that final contract—a contract to end all contracts.
When that ti ca, after a thousand years of toil, perhaps he could finally rest.
"Once a contract is made, it is set in stone. Those who break it shall suffer the penalty of the rock."
Bai Luo, of course, had no idea how much Zhongli had contemplated in that brief mont. He only knew that Zhongli had agreed to let him have three moves, and that was all that mattered.
Three moves might not an much to others, but for Bai Luo, it was more than enough to unleash sothing like Kuzu-Ryu-Sen.
"Very well, I accept your terms," Bai Luo said.
"Shall we go up there?"
With Zhongli's acknowledgnt, Bai Luo finally felt at ease.
Bai Luo's confidence in challenging Zhongli wasn't just because of his inherent affinity for Liyue; the most critical reason was the assurance provided by Morax's unwavering adherence to contracts.
As the God of Contracts, Morax held the sanctity of agreents above all else. He would never break a contract, let alone strike Bai Luo from behind after promising to let him leave freely.
"Wuwang Hill? That works."
If any place was suited for a fight, Wuwang Hill was certainly among them. The area was desolate, devoid of living inhabitants, and therefore free from the risk of collateral damage.
Wuwang Hill was one of the most mysterious regions in Liyue. It was overrun by monsters and haunted by ghostly shadows, with eerie will-o'-wisps flickering across the landscape. Even the sky seed darker upon approach.
Judging by the ruins scattered about, the area had once been inhabited, though it was long since abandoned—perhaps due to its oppressive atmosphere.
Most notably, the area was said to have real ghosts, and rumors suggested that mbers of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor often frequented the vicinity because of a gateway to the afterlife located there.
In truth, the reality was much simpler.
The energy of the ley lines in this area was unusually chaotic, which gave rise to phenona beyond ordinary comprehension.
The so-called "ghosts" were ancient mories manifested under the influence of ley line energy.
After Bai Luo and Zhongli stood, the soldiers of Bai Luo's Ninth Company instinctively followed suit, as though prepared to accompany him to Wuwang Hill.
"Katarina, stay here with the others and take care of my slis."
"Understood."
Although Katarina was eager to accompany Bai Luo—especially given how extraordinary this "Zhongli" appeared—she knew the Ninth Company prided itself on strict discipline.
With Bai Luo's explicit order to remain behind, they had no choice but to obey. All they could do was stay behind and silently root for their Harbinger.
Guided by Zhongli, Bai Luo stepped onto Wuwang Hill—a place he'd visited countless tis in the ga.
It wasn't because he had a peculiar fixation on it but rather because he had spent countless hours farming the domain here for an ideal set of Crimson Witch of Flas artifacts for his Klee.
The grind had been grueling.
Zhongli was exceedingly familiar with Wuwang Hill. He moved effortlessly through both paths and trackless terrain, showing no signs of hesitation or need to orient himself. It seed as though he could navigate the place blindfolded.
Bai Luo, however, appeared distracted, as though waiting for sothing that had yet to appear.
The two eventually arrived at a small clearing with a water pool, where Zhongli finally stopped.
He turned to face Bai Luo, his elegant formal robes transforming into a blend of a Zhongshan suit and Western attire—exactly as Bai Luo rembered.
This wasn't Zhongli's true divine attire, of course.
Fighting a Harbinger didn't warrant such asures.
This battle-ready form was more than sufficient.
"Three moves. Don't go back on your word."
Seeing Zhongli standing calmly, not even bothering to draw a weapon, Bai Luo couldn't help but remind him again.
"Rest assured. Those who break their word shall suffer the punishnt of the rock. I said it myself, and I never go back on my word."
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