In Sumeru, pretend to be a scholar!

Chapter 116 Records of the Hall of Rebirth

Before long, the servant brought in a person who looked familiar to Wang Yan.

The outer garment resembles a tailcoat, while also incorporating 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, knotted patterns, and meander patterns.

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

Zhongli, Morax, personally experienced the chaotic battle between demons and gods, laid the foundation for Liyue with unparalleled combat power and unwavering will, and was an ancient being 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.

Zhongli 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 back his emotions.

He had just imagined several scenarios of how he would communicate with Zhongli after they met.

But to my surprise, Zhongli immediately put it on the account of the Hall of Rebirth.

"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, the people I respected the most were those with knowledge. It is my honor to share a table with Mr. Zhongli."

"I dare not presume to be so learned; I merely possess a smattering of knowledge." Zhongli waved his hand politely, then sat down opposite Wang Yan and looked at the servant, "The usual arrangements will suffice."

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

Seeing this, Wang Yan smiled and said, "The fragrance of tea awaits a kindred spirit. I will share its wonders with you. If Mr. Zhongli does not mind, why not try this pot of tea 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 certainly has a unique flavor."

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

"I dare not claim to be a gentleman; I only ask that I do not go against my conscience." Zhongli naturally understood what the king meant.

This uses the virtue of a gentleman as a metaphor for the nobility 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 Zhong Li.

"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 ate 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 might be a person, but he was unlikely to be a Liyue person.

As the guardian deity 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, but naturally he didn't expose him.

"Each country in Teyvat has its own unique cuisine, so it can't be generalized in a single sentence," Zhongli 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."

"When I returned to Liyue this time, I already ate at Wanmintang. In the next few days, I need to eat at Xinyuexuan, Liuliting, and other places as well."

"Judging from Mr. Wang Yan's tone, are you planning to leave Liyue again?" Zhong Li asked.

Wang Yan had finished the lotus 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 casually refilled Zhongli's teacup as well.

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

"Words, runes, mechanical arts, 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." Zhongli inadvertently showed off his knowledge.

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

"Logical Concepts in the Language of Runes," a book that Al Heissen used as an introductory text, but who is Al Heissen?

He certainly can't be considered a normal person.

For most scholars of the epistemological school, 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 your school of thought is 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 expedition with my advisor."

"While text is certainly the core of our research, murals and reliefs—a series of objects 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 same applies to the epistemological school, 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 impossible to study them.

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

Old Deng was indeed trying to steer the conversation.

Wang Yan understood immediately.

Just now, Zhongli suddenly changed the subject and talked about the little secrets of the Zhilun School. Wang Yan had a feeling that the other party was guiding him into a certain topic.

So Wang Yan then talked about his desert expedition and the Zhilun School's research on calligraphy and painting.

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

So—did he know I was a time traveler, or did he sense the angelic blessing emanating from me?

There are actually quite a few transmigrators in Teyvat, but few are transmigrators with the rank of Descendant. At 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 Lian Zibai how to sever the three corpses, so he must be familiar with angelic things.

Considering that Zhongli immediately responded when he mentioned the desert, "So, the other party felt the blessing of the Flower Goddess on me?"

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 headlights 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." Zhongli nodded slightly. "Legend has it that Mount Sumeru was once ruled by three demon gods: the Grass King, the Flower King, and the Crimson King. This Flower Goddess is the Flower King."

I even think Morax is Zhongli!

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, a Chinese internet slang term for complaining or sarcasm) gene has been activated.

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

"That's right, it's this person. My advisor and I were investigating the ruins and discovered that they were related to the Flower Goddess," Wang Yan said, then showed a hint of apology, "However, the paper hasn't been published yet, so I can't say too much to you, Mr. Zhongli, for the time being."

"I understand." Zhongli nodded, and was about to say something when the servant returned with teacups and pastries. He placed the tea and pastries in front of Zhongli and said, "Mr. Zhongli, please enjoy your meal."

"Okay, thank you for your hard work. Just keep the account at the Rebirth Hall."

"Haha, okay, I got it."

The servant chuckled, then took his leave.

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