In Sumeru, pretend to be a scholar

"Haha, esteemed guest, you may not know this, but Mr. Yun's plays are never sold in advance. Previously, some resellers copied the 10 Mora tickets and sold them for several hundred Mora, which gave our teahouse a bad reputation," the young man explained.

Wang Yan nodded: "So that's how it is. I was being presumptuous."

"You flatter me, esteemed guest. It was my fault for not telling you beforehand," the young man said with a smile. "Would you like us to arrange a table for you?"

"Let's arrange one."

“Alright.” Upon hearing this, Xiao Ci’s smile widened. He stepped aside and gestured for Wang Yan to enter the teahouse, introducing the tea as they went: “Please come in, esteemed guest. Our He Yu Teahouse is one of the best in Liyue Harbor. Since you’re here, why not try some of our most popular dishes?”

He led Wang Yan through the entrance hall and into the main hall. The main hall was quite spacious, with tables and chairs neatly arranged, and many guests were enjoying tea and watching opera.

Directly in front of us is a stage about half a person's height, where a female lead in a Qingyi opera is singing sweetly, accompanied by melodious string and wind instruments.

The young man didn't linger in the lobby, but instead led Wang Yan towards the stairs on one side, asking as they walked, "What kind of tea would you like?"

"Any recommendations?"

"Our tea is mainly divided into three categories."

"The first category is everyday tea drinks that 'clear the mind and calm the spirit,' such as Spring Tips, which are made from the first batch of tender buds in early spring at Qiaoying Manor. They have a fragrant aroma and a long-lasting sweet aftertaste, and are the best for quenching thirst and soothing the throat. Many old tea drinkers can sit for half a day, listening to music while drinking this tea."

"The second category is blended teas that are good for health and well-being, such as our signature Rainbow Flower Tea! Fresh Rainbow Flower petals are blended with aged Pu-erh tea to create a bright red tea soup. It has the mellowness of Pu-erh tea and the unique and rich aroma of Rainbow Flower. It is said that regular drinking can soothe the mind and body. Many busy business owners love to order this."

As they spoke, the two went up to the second floor. The environment on the second floor was more elegant, with screens or bamboo curtains separating semi-open rooms, which offered better privacy and a clear view of the stage downstairs.

The servant led Wang Yan to a spot near the railing with a good view, and then said:

"As for the third category, that would be famous teas like Shenyu Xianming. The taste goes without saying, but the price... is indeed not cheap."

After speaking, the young man looked at Wang Yan with a smile: "Honorable guest, would you like to try our Spring Tip or Rainbow Flower Tea, or perhaps this Agarwood Immortal Tea? Or do you have any preferred flavors that I can recommend to you?"

Wang Yan thought for a moment. He had just eaten a spicy lunch and still had a lingering taste in his mouth, so he said, "How about a pot of Rainbow Flower Tea? It'll help cleanse your palate. Also, do you have any snacks to go with it?"

"Yes, yes, yes!" the young man nodded quickly. "Our teahouse's lotus flower pastries are also exceptional."

“Then bring me a little of everything.” Wang Yan nodded.

"Alright! A pot of Rainbow Flower Tea and a serving of Lotus Flower Pastry! Please have a seat, the tea and snacks will be here shortly!" The servant noted it down and quickly turned to go downstairs to prepare.

Wang Yan leaned back in his chair, his gaze fixed on the stage downstairs.

On the stage, a woman in green robes with flowing sleeves sang a mournful song, recounting an ancient legend of Liyue.

It's funny, before he transmigrated, he had to read subtitles to listen to operas, otherwise he wouldn't know what was being sung. But now, he can understand the opera singing downstairs.

He was proficient in language and directly translated the opera singing style into vernacular Chinese.

The teahouse was filled with the aroma of tea and melodious music, which complemented the tranquility and prosperity of the surrounding hills outside the window. Wang Yan thought to himself, "This is indeed a good place to while away the afternoon."

Before long, the servant returned with a tray, gently placing a pot of steaming hot, pale red Rainbow Flower Tea and two plates of delicate pastries in front of Wang Yan.

But after putting his things down, he didn't leave immediately. Instead, he smiled respectfully and said, "Honored guest, would it be convenient for you to share a table here?"

"Sharing a table?"

"Yes, esteemed guest."

"Heh, judging from your appearance, could you be some important person?" Wang Yan asked curiously.

"He's not some big shot, he's Zhongli, a guest elder of the Rebirth Hall. He's a regular here, so I just asked him for help."

"Zhongli Guest Elder?"

Wang Yan's lips twitched, and he almost couldn't hold back. It really dropped gold! It refreshed the rankings?

Despite inwardly complaining, Wang Yan didn't keep his young master waiting long. He nodded and said, "Since you're a regular customer, I won't make things difficult for you. Let's go all out."

"Alright, thank you, esteemed guest. I'll bring you some more fruit later." The servant bowed respectfully and turned to leave.

Chapter 114 Records of the Hall of Rebirth

Before long, Xiao Ci brought in someone who looked familiar to Wang Yan.

The outer garment, similar to a tailcoat, also incorporates the hem of an ancient Chinese robe. The inner layer consists of a shirt and a sash, forming a three-layered structure. The garment is covered with patterns such as dragon scales and phoenix feathers, knot patterns, and meander patterns.

Although he approached slowly, he appeared calm and composed, with steady and unhurried movements, exuding a sense of gravitas that would remain unmoved even if Mount Tai collapsed before him.

Zhongli, Morax, is an ancient being who personally experienced the battle between demons and gods, laid the foundation for Liyue with unparalleled combat power and firm will, and whose true nature was unknown until Wang Yan's time travel.

"Mr. Zhongli, this is the distinguished guest who agreed to share a table with you," the waiter introduced.

Zhong Li looked at Wang Yan, a strange light flashing in his golden-brown pupils before he smiled and said, "Thank you for your generosity. Please put this tea on my account at the Hall of Rebirth."

Zhong Li is indeed Zhong Li; the moment he opened his mouth, Wang Yan almost couldn't hold his tongue.

He had just thought of several scenarios of how he and Zhong Li would communicate after meeting.

But to my surprise, Zhongli immediately suggested putting it in the account of the Rebirth Hall.

“No need for that, it’s just sharing a table.” Wang Yan quickly waved his hand and said with a smile, “I have long heard that Mr. Zhongli, as a guest elder of the Hall of Rebirth, is a truly learned person. When I was studying at the Academy of Teachings, I respected learned people the most. It is my honor to share a table with Mr. Zhongli.”

"I dare not presume to be so knowledgeable; I merely know a few minor tricks." Zhong Li waved his hand politely, then sat down opposite Wang Yan and looked at his servant, "The usual protocol will suffice."

"Alright, a pot of Agarwood Immortal Tea and a serving of Lotus Flower Pastry! Zhongli Guest, please wait a moment, you'll be right there." The servant nodded and turned to go and prepare.

Seeing this, Wang Yan smiled and said, "The fragrance of tea awaits a connoisseur, and its wonders can be shared with you. If Mr. Zhongli does not mind, why not try this pot of mine first?"

“Then I shall accept your offer.” Zhong Li was clearly not going to stand on ceremony. He reached for the teapot, poured himself a cup, took a sip, and nodded with a smile. “Although I don’t drink flower tea much, this one does have a unique flavor.”

Wang Yan smiled and said, "Tea has the qualities of a gentleman, and it cannot be passed on to the wrong person."

"I dare not accept the title of a gentleman; I only wish to remain true to my conscience." Zhongli naturally understood what the king meant.

This uses the virtue of a gentleman as a metaphor for the purity of tea, emphasizing that only those with matching virtue and talent can truly appreciate the flavor of tea.

To put it simply, Wang Yan flattered Zhong Li, saying that because Zhong Li was a virtuous and capable person who could appreciate the quality of tea, Wang Yan shared the tea with him.

“To remain true to one’s conscience is already the mark of a gentleman,” Wang Yan said with a smile, picking up another lotus-shaped pastry. “I rarely had the chance to eat such exquisite pastries when I was studying in Sumeru. If you ask me, only a Liyue person would know how to eat one like this.”

Zhong Li looked at Wang Yan, a hint of a smile flashing in the depths of his eyes.

In his eyes, Wang Yan may be a person, but he is unlikely to be a Liyue person.

As the guardian of Liyue, Zhongli may not know every Liyue person, but when someone stands in front of him, he can still tell whether that person is from Liyue or not.

However, seeing Wang Yan's air of "I am a Liyue person," he couldn't help but smile inwardly, and naturally didn't expose him.

“Each country in Teyvat has its own unique cuisine, so it can’t be generalized,” Zhong Li said with a smile.

Upon hearing this, Wang Yan nodded: "Mr. Zhongli is right. I was one-sided. However, Liyue cuisine is indeed the most suitable for my taste, haha."

"I've already eaten at Wanmin Hall since I returned to Liyue. In the next few days, I need to eat at Xinyuexuan, Liuliting, and other places as well."

"Judging from Mr. Wang Yan's tone, does he still intend to leave Liyue?" Zhong Li asked.

Wang Yan had finished the lotus flower pastry and poured himself another cup of tea: "I still have studies to do in Sumeru, so naturally I have to go back."

As he spoke, he also poured tea for Zhong Li.

Zhong Li didn't stand on ceremony, looking at Wang Yan with a smile: "What did Mr. Wang Yan study at the Academy of Teachings?"

“Words, runes, mechanisms, and the like.” Wang Yan naturally wouldn’t hide it. “I’m an epistemologist.”

“I’ve also heard of Shravasti. I recommended the book ‘Logical Concepts in Rune Language’ to many academies in Liyue back then.” Zhong Li inadvertently showed off his knowledge.

Wang Yan smiled and said, "This is an advanced book for our school of thought; most people can't understand it."

"Logical Concepts in Rune Language" is a book that Al Heysen used as an introductory text, but who is Al Heysen? He certainly can't be considered a normal person.

For most epistemological scholars, it would be quite an achievement to thoroughly understand this book before graduation.

“Yes, so soon after, only a few academies were still recommending this book.” Zhong Li shook his head slightly and changed the subject. “I heard that you intellectualists are either interpreting ancient texts or creating new characters. Is that true?”

Wang Yan's heart stirred, and he nodded, then shook his head: "We regard language and writing as the core and essence of the world, but it would be somewhat one-sided to say that we are only interpreting ancient texts and creating new characters."

"Take me for example, I recently went on a desert research trip with my mentor."

“While text is certainly the core of our research, murals, reliefs, and other artifacts that can transmit knowledge and stories are also a target of our research.”

Calligraphy and painting are inseparable.

Those who study calligraphy will likely study painting, and those who study painting will probably also be quite good at calligraphy.

The epistemological school is the same, especially when it comes to runes. To ordinary people, runes are just scribbles; without a certain level of understanding of how to draw them, it's really hard to study them.

Zhong Li seemed not to have heard Wang Yan's explanation, but simply spoke with great interest: "Oh, an expedition in the desert? That must be very interesting."

'Old Deng is definitely trying to lead me into speaking.'

Wang Yan understood this perfectly.

Just now, Zhong Li suddenly changed the subject and talked about the little secrets of the epistemological school. Wang Yan felt that the other party was guiding him into a certain topic.

Then Wang Yan talked about his desert expedition and the intellectual school's research on calligraphy and painting.

As expected, Zhongli was only interested in the desert expedition.

'So… he knows I'm a time traveler, or did he sense the angelic blessing upon me?'

There are actually quite a few Teyvat transmigrators, but few are transmigrators with the rank of Descendant. Given Zhongli's age, he has probably seen quite a few.

However, the time travelers he had met were all from other planets, essentially interstellar travelers, while Wang Yan was the real 'time traveler'.

As for the angel's blessing... Zhong Li must have seen it before. He even taught Zibai how to sever the three corpses, so he must be familiar with angelic things.

Considering that Zhong Li immediately responded as soon as she mentioned the desert... So, the other party felt the blessing of the Flower Goddess on her?

Thinking about it carefully, it seems to make sense. For Zhongli, someone entering Liyue with the blessings of other gods is no different from someone turning on the bright lights at night.

Wang Yan pondered inwardly, but outwardly remained composed: "Indeed interesting. Does Mr. Zhongli know about the Flower Goddess?"

“The Flower Goddess… I know a little about her.” Zhong Li nodded slightly. “Legend has it that Mount Sumeru was once ruled by three demon gods: the Grass King, the Flower King, and the Red King. This Flower Goddess is the Flower King.”

I even think Morax is Zhong Li!

This old man is not only a riddle teller, but also a master of nonsense.

For some reason, it seems that after meeting Zhong Li, Wang Yan's inner吐槽 (tu cao, meaning to complain or criticize) gene was activated.

In just a short time, I've already complained several times.

“Yes, this is the one. My advisor and I were investigating the ruins and found that they are related to the Flower Goddess,” Wang Yan said, then showed a hint of apology. “However, the paper has not yet been published, so I cannot say too much to you, Mr. Zhongli, for the time being.”

"I understand." Zhong Li nodded, and just as he was about to say something, the servant returned with a teacup and pastries, placing the tea and pastries in front of Zhong Li. "Mr. Zhong Li, please enjoy."

"Okay, thank you for your hard work. Just put the bill at the Rebirth Hall."

"Haha, okay, I understand."

The young man chuckled, then took his leave.

Chapter 115 Rights and Responsibilities

After the younger brother left.

Zhong Li changed the teacup and brewed Wang Yan a cup of Chenyu Immortal Tea: "Try this one."

He pushed the teacup in front of Wang Yan.

The opera music on the first floor hadn't stopped yet, and Wang Yan, not knowing what Zhong Li was up to, didn't refuse and picked up the teacup.

Actually, Wang Yan knew without even tasting it that this was definitely a good tea.

Previously in Sumeru, he had drunk Zachariah's tea, which Zachariah said was a gift from him after he saved a Liyue merchant.

That tea king said it had a sweet aftertaste, and it tasted good.

The aroma of this pot of agarwood tea was so rich and lingering that Wang Yan could smell it from afar when his servant brought it over.

Taking a small sip, a unique fragrance filled his mouth, and Wang Yan felt a sense of tranquility and peace of mind.

This Jade Immortal Tea... could it really be an immortal tea?

Seemingly noticing the surprise in Wang Yan's eyes, Zhong Li smiled and said, "Liyue people mostly value value for money when doing business. There are good and bad teas in Shenyu Valley, and naturally there are different levels of quality among Shenyu Immortal Tea. However... this pot costs 50,000 Mora, so the quality is still quite good."

50,000 Mora!?

Wang Yan looked at the teapot in front of him, and his expression became somewhat uneasy.

His Rainbow Flower Tea costs only about a hundred moras per pot... and even then, Wang Yan still thinks it's expensive.

Fifty thousand mora for a pot of tea, and you're a regular customer... Tsk tsk tsk, Walnut is truly blessed to have met you.

“Perhaps it’s worth the price, but I wouldn’t dare order it.” Wang Yan put down the teacup and shook his head.