While I was in Mondstadt, I never imagined becoming a god.

She walked quickly without looking back.

After Ying walked away, Zhongli opened his palm.

Two rings, one black and one white, lay in his palm. The ring faces were smooth as mirrors, without any extra decorations, except for extremely fine runes engraved on the inside.

"The two spatial rings you asked me to make are finished."

Xu Chuan accepted the ring with delight.

When he probed into it with his consciousness, the space inside was much larger than he had imagined; it was not the kind of space that was only a few feet square like ordinary storage items.

It is a small world that truly embodies the concept of a hidden paradise.

Within the Black Ring, clouds and mist swirled, and wide platforms floated in the air.

From a distance, it looks like many interconnected mountains, forming a fairyland paradise.

It truly lives up to its name as a grotto-heaven.

The only drawback was that the cave was completely empty, without a trace of human presence.

As for the other white ring, it also has a considerable amount of space inside, but it is far less impressive than the black ring.

"I didn't expect it to be completed so quickly."

“You brought back the remnant soul of the Floating Abode from the Abyss of Layered Rocks. To me, that is far more important than these two external objects.”

Zhongli's voice was very solemn.

He went to Kanria to suppress the disaster, and when he returned to Liyue, he experienced many partings.

Those familiar faces have disappeared one by one in the river of time.

Some died in battle, some grew old, and over the long years he experienced constant wear and tear, but those people and events still shine brightly in his memory.

But these feelings were far more unbearable than the wear and tear that time had inflicted on him.

Therefore, his gratitude to Xu Chuan was genuine.

Xu Chuan carefully put the two rings away.

“Mr. Zhongli hesitated for a moment at the Northern Bank just now,” he suddenly said.

Zhong Li did not deny it.

“I see a certain possibility in you,” Zhongli said. “Perhaps you can bring unexpected variables to Teyvat.”

"However, as I just said, you are a visitor outside the fate of Teyvat, and you don't have to get so deeply involved in this."

"If you can still hold onto this original intention after witnessing all that has happened in Teyvat..."

Zhongli did not continue speaking.

But Xu Chuan understood the implied meaning.

Grandpa Zhongli is leaving him with a choice.

There was no rejection, nor was it a refusal to withdraw.

He was subtly telling Xu Chuan that he still had a way out and didn't need to tie himself to the Teyvat ship.

For Zhongli, who witnessed the long history of Teyvat, he had his own plans.

In other words, he will not place his hopes on others for the future of Liyue and Teyvat.

As for Xu Chuan and Ying, he probably just hoped that visitors from the Star Sea like them could spread the story of Teyvat among the Star Seas.

In this way, even if Teyvat is swallowed by the Abyss, they can still leave some traces of themselves in the vast universe.

Before they knew it, the two had arrived at the entrance of the Hall of Rebirth.

Walnut stood outside the door with her hands on her hips, the plum blossom on the brim of her hat swaying slightly in the night breeze, her expression somewhere between anger and helplessness.

"You two are in high spirits," she said, drawing out her voice. "It's the busiest time at the Rebirth Hall, so don't even think about slacking off."

"You flatter me, Master," Xu Chuan said with a smile.

"Mr. Zhongli and I have been working hard for quite some time on the Wangsheng Hall."

"It's really disheartening to hear them criticize us like this."

Hu Tao stepped forward and looked Xu Chuan up and down.

This guest, who was lying on a sickbed in Bubulu just a few days ago, is now standing in front of her, full of energy and still able to talk witty.

"Leaving aside Guest Elder Zhongli," she poked Xu Chuan's arm with a finger.

"Your injury has just healed, why are you running around and busy for the Rebirth Hall?"

"The hall master will know tomorrow."

"No, no, no." She waved her hand, her tone softening. "I was just joking. You don't want to get hurt again."

She paused, then added, "Liyue Harbor is not peaceful these days, so you'd better stay put."

Xu Chuan looked into her eyes, and there was no calculation or probing in them, only genuine concern.

"Don't worry, Master." Zhongli walked past the two of them and pushed open the door of the Hall of Rebirth. "Guest Elder Xu Chuan knows what he's doing."

Hu Tao watched Zhong Li's retreating figure, then looked at Xu Chuan, and sighed.

"Alright, alright, you two are both guest retainers, I can't argue with you."

"Come in, don't stand in the doorway in the wind."

"I won't go in. I'll come to the Rebirth Hall tomorrow."

"Alright then, be careful."

Hu Tao glanced at Xu Chuan, and a thought involuntarily surfaced in her mind.

Seeing that Zhongli didn't offer any explanation, she couldn't help but feel a little hopeful.

Could it be that this guy wasn't lying to me just now?

Xu Chuan left the Hall of Rebirth and strolled through the Liyue Islands, recalling Zhong Li's words.

He didn't really know what Teyvat's future would hold.

But there was one thing Xu Chuan didn't want his time in Teyvat to be filled with regret and resentment.

Behind him, the lights of Liyue Harbor went out one by one, and the night deepened.

In the distance, fishing lights dotted the sea, like scattered gold dust on dark silk.

Chapter 131 "Open and Honest"

There were few pedestrians on the streets.

The once bustling port was now deserted except for the Thousand Rock Army soldiers on duty, who paced back and forth with their long spears, their footsteps echoing clearly on the empty stone slabs.

The calamity of the Vortex Demon God had just ended, and the entire city was like someone recovering from a serious illness, still not fully recovered.

There were far fewer fishing boats at the dock, and not many shops were open.

But the lights at the White Horse Inn are still on.

Xu Chuan pushed the door open and went in; the hinges made a slight creaking sound.

The innkeeper, Lu Weng, was old, with gray hair and a slightly hunched back, but his eyes were still bright.

He did not flee when disaster struck, not because he was unable to walk.

On the contrary, he guarded this inn, simply because he was unwilling to give up this inn passed down from his ancestors.

According to him, he's lived to a ripe old age and isn't that afraid of death.

Guarding the White Horse Inn and passing it down, these are the only thoughts in my heart.

Lu Weng was sitting behind the counter, working on his abacus. When he saw him come in, he raised his eyelids slightly and pointed to the table in the corner of the hall.

"The two people over there have been waiting for you for a while."

Ying and Paimon sat by the window, with several dishes on the table, kept warm by inverting bowls.

Paimon lay slumped on the table, chin resting on his arm, eyes half-open and half-closed, looking like he was about to faint from hunger.

Ying was slowly sipping her tea when she saw Xu Chuan approaching, so she put the cup down.

"So, did you get anything?" Ying lifted the upside-down bowl, the food still steaming.

"About the same as you," Xu Chuan said, sitting down opposite her and picking up his chopsticks.

Old Master Zhongli is very shrewd.

It seems like a lot has been said, but the history of the Seven Gods and Kanria is still only scratched the surface.

He didn't reveal any of the truly crucial information.

Every word is like a precise weighing, neither too much nor too little, just enough to make you feel like you know something, yet you haven't grasped anything at all.

If Xu Chuan hadn't already known the plot's direction, he probably would have truly believed what he said.

Paimon propped herself up on the table, crossed her arms, and tried to adopt a superior posture, but her half-open eyes betrayed her.

"Be grateful Paimon went easy on you, otherwise you would have gone hungry tonight."

"How could this little glutton resist the temptation?"

Xu Chuan picked up a shiitake mushroom from the matsutake and minced meat stew and waved it in front of Paimon, saying, "It's truly impressive."

"Of course... No, I'm not a little glutton!"

Paimon lunged to snatch the mushroom, but Xu Chuan deftly twirled his chopsticks and the mushroom landed steadily in his own mouth.

Paimon missed his target and glared at him angrily.

Ying watched the two bickering but did not stop them.

She was used to this kind of scene.

This was the case in Mondstadt, and it's still the same in Liyue.

Xu Chuan always managed to pinpoint Paimon's trigger point, and Paimon always managed to trigger it precisely.

Like a well-choreographed two-person play, it's endlessly watchable.

"So what are your plans next?" Ying asked softly.

"I'll stay in Liyue for a while," Xu Chuan said, picking up a piece of green vegetable with his chopsticks. "I might go back to Mondstadt later."

He made a careless move, and Paimon took advantage of his distraction, snatched the meatball from his bowl with one paw, stuffed it into his mouth, and puffed out his cheeks like a hamster.

He chewed twice and mumbled, "Hmph, getting distracted at a time like this!"

"I won't be going to Mondstadt."

Ying shook her head helplessly as she watched Paimon eat.

"Since Kong has appeared in Liyue, it means there might still be a possibility of finding him."

She spoke calmly, but Xu Chuan noticed that her fingers, which were holding the cup, tightened slightly.

If they could meet again, she would have many questions for her.

Why did you join the Abyss Order? Why did you abandon her? Why won't you show yourself?

Xu Chuan knew better than Ying that Kong had appeared in Liyue.

The Abyss Order does indeed have plans underway in Liyue.

Without his intervention, Ying and Kong's first reunion would have occurred when Dain discovered the plan to defile the reversed idol.

The two intervened to stop the Abyss Order, and then Ying met Kong, who had become the Abyss Prince.

But now that the core of the first tiller has fallen into his hands, the Abyss Order is destined to be unable to complete those plans, and the future of the story is still uncertain.

"Your idea makes sense." Xu Chuan scraped the last piece of fish into his bowl and finished it in a few bites.

"I suggest you keep an eye out for any strange things happening in Liyue lately; you might find some clues."

"Okay, I've got it." Ying took Xu Chuan's suggestion very seriously.

From Mondstadt to Liyue, his judgments have been almost never wrong.

“Oh, right,” Ying said, putting down her teacup.