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

Xu Chuan was stunned for a moment, unsure of what she was thinking.

And so, the two stared at each other strangely for a moment.

One was standing, and the other was squatting.

The shop assistant from the Rebirth Hall peeked out from the door, glanced at it, and then withdrew.

The others, however, remained unmoved.

They were already used to their leader's unusual behavior.

This guest, Xu Chuan, seems to have a rather unusual relationship with the hall master.

Hu Tao ignored the probing gazes.

She stared at Xu Chuan one last time, then stood up and let out a soft hum.

"There aren't many people who can be personally greeted by this hall master."

"That would be my honor."

"No need, no need," Hu Tao waved her hand. "It's because I, the head of this hall, value you so much."

As soon as she said it, she suddenly muttered something to herself.

Something's not right, something's very wrong.

When did I become like this?

Chapter 146 Seeking Advice from Zhongli

At the entrance of the Hall of Rebirth, the two figures remained locked in a stalemate.

Xu Chuan stood there, looking down at Hu Tao.

The morning light filtered through the gap between the two, casting a thin slit of light on the bluestone slab.

A moment later, a figure slowly walked out of the door and came into Xu Chuan's sight.

He walked to the door, his gaze lingering on each of the two men for a moment.

"What are the Hall Master and Young Friend Xu doing here?" he asked, his voice calm and unhurried.

"I happened to run into the hall master and we chatted for a few minutes."

Xu Chuan straightened up and greeted Zhong Li.

Zhongli nodded slightly.

Xu Chuan noticed that ever since he handed over the remnant soul of Fushe to Zhongli, the old man's way of addressing him had quietly changed.

Xu Keqing has become Xu Xiaoyou.

This change is not just about how he's addressed; to some extent, it's a sign of Mr. Zhongli's approval of him.

Zhongli is a shrewd fellow. He is polite to everyone, but that is just the result of thousands of years of experience.

It is no easy thing to gain the true recognition of this god who has experienced the world.

Hu Tao suppressed the jumbled thoughts in her mind.

Let's worry about these minor emotional issues later.

Now, she has more important things to ask.

Hu Tao turned her head and stared at Zhong Li.

"Your arrival is just in time, guest."

She placed her hands on her hips and slightly raised her chin. "I was just about to ask you, why are the expenses in the Rebirth Hall's accounts exceeded the limit again this month?"

What does it mean to exceed the standard "again"?

Upon hearing this, Xu Chuan subconsciously glanced at Zhong Li.

It's clear that this isn't the first time Mr. Zhong has done this.

However, Xu Chuan still found it somewhat puzzling.

If he remembered correctly, there was a human wallet-like wallet belonging to the young master.

Logically, the bill should have been recorded in the Northern Bank's account.

Could it be that after the young master absconded, the Northern Bank defaulted on its debts?

Thinking of this, Xu Chuan smiled and shook his head.

The Fools knew Zhongli Yanwang Dijun's identity.

They wouldn't make such an unwise choice as to cheat a god of contracts.

But Hu Tao's appearance was clearly not unfounded.

It was only then that Xu Chuan noticed.

Walnut held several crumpled sheets of paper in her hand. The papers were frayed at the edges, with creases of varying depths, and the numbers on them were indeed quite astonishing.

If he wasn't mistaken, it should be a payment reminder slip.

If it weren't for the fact that Wangshengtang is a large and wealthy family, they really wouldn't be able to afford to support this great deity.

Zhongli took the receipts, glanced at them, and nodded.

His expression remained unchanged, as if the numbers on the screen had nothing to do with him.

"What the hall master said is true."

"Those things are indeed very useful to me, but I never expected that they would cause the hall master so much trouble."

Hu Tao stared at him for two seconds.

In the past, when Zhongli encountered such matters, he would always say that the item had a remarkable history and was worth the price.

Or perhaps, it's to satisfy that bottomless desire to appreciate and collect.

Then, it was brazenly recorded in the accounts of the Rebirth Hall.

He has an excellent eye and has almost never made a mistake.

But the Hall of Rebirth isn't an auction house; buying so many things is really pointless.

But this time, the situation is different.

“Since it’s something useful,” Hu Tao withdrew her gaze, her tone softening slightly, “then let’s not do it again.”

Xu Chuan stood aside, watching this scene with a sense of awe.

There are probably very few people in the entire Liyue who can get Hu Tao to voluntarily give in.

The three of them entered the Hall of Rebirth.

Walnut instructed her servants to go to the storeroom and retrieve the belongings and ashes of several Mondstadt adventurers.

Before long, several neatly wrapped bundles were carried onto the table in the front hall.

The bundle was wrapped in plain white cloth and tied tightly with hemp rope.

Each bundle had a slip of paper attached to it, containing the deceased's name, place of origin, and date of death.

Hu Tao stepped forward, unfolded the slips of paper one by one, and placed them on the bundle.

"These are identification details. When you get to Mondstadt, use these to find your way."

She turned around and looked at Xu Chuan.

Those eyes, which were usually full of smiles, were now filled with only seriousness and solemnity.

When it comes to the matter of the deceased returning home, the head of the Wangsheng Hall never hesitates.

"They're in your hands now."

Xu Chuan didn't say much.

He raised his right hand, and with a flash of his ring, the bundles disappeared from the table and landed safely in the cave.

"Don't worry," he said.

Hu Tao nodded and said nothing more.

She picked up the crumpled bills on the table, sighed, and turned to walk towards the accounting office.

Fortunately, the Northern Bank covered the bulk of the funeral rites, so the Rebirth Hall didn't have many expenses besides sending people.

After that, go to Qixing to settle the remaining payment for the gift of immortality, and that should make up for the overspending.

Her figure disappeared at the end of the corridor.

Xu Chuan withdrew his gaze and turned to Zhong Li.

“Mr. Zhongli,” he said, “I would like to ask you to take a look at something.”

Zhongli raised an eyebrow slightly: "Oh? I'd like to hear the details."

Xu Chuan raised his right hand.

With his palm open, golden light leaked out from between his fingers, and a core wrapped in golden threads emerged from the void, hovering above his palm.

On the light blue core, the golden lines are sparse yet dense, like cracks on porcelain.

The golden threads grew out from the depths of the core, enveloping the entire core in a faint golden halo.

With such an unfathomable figure by his side, Xu Chuan would not miss the opportunity to learn from him.

“I have infused a part of my soul into it.”

"But progress is quite slow. I wonder if Mr. Zhongli has any solutions?"

Zhongli took the core, held it in his palm, and examined it carefully.

His gaze swept across the surface of the core and then penetrated into its very core.

Zhong Li spoke, his tone more serious than usual, "This thing is indeed extraordinary."

He looked up and glanced at Xu Chuan.

"Your method of integrating into the soul is a bit crude, but the general direction is correct."

As he spoke, his gaze fell on the golden threads wrapped around the core's surface.

The power hidden within those delicate golden threads is extremely pure, and its essence differs from the elemental power of Teyvat.

It does not originate from the outside world; it is an extremely pure life energy, originating from Xu Chuan himself.

Zhongli's gaze lingered on the gold thread for a few seconds before returning to it.

He simply handed the core back, stood with his hands behind his back, and looked at the old locust tree in the yard, as if he were looking at the tree, or as if he were looking at something further away.

"The path of fusion cannot be rushed," Zhongli said calmly.

"But if you use the gentle, consistent approach of water and water, immersing yourself in it day and night, and nurturing it night and night, it will eventually become a seamless whole."

Xu Chuan's heart sank; what he lacked was time.

Zhongli glanced at him, and the corner of her mouth twitched slightly.

"This is the best method for you. If you follow it step by step, you will also gain a lot from it."

Xu Chuan was taken aback, realizing the unspoken meaning in Grandpa Zhongli's words.

Looks like there's a chance.

"Please teach me, Mr. Zhongli."

Chapter 147 Becoming Fellow Daoists

The stones from other mountains can be used to polish jade.

Xu Chuan has already put this into practice.

Using the Golden Light Mantra to cultivate life force, Skvornugg's soul was fused with the core of the cannon.

From the perspective of an alchemist's assistant, this should be considered his research topic.

Of course, this is also a development and reuse of the Golden Light Mantra practice method.