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Chapter 236 Hall Master, stay away from him!

“He is an envoy from the Kingdom of Winter, the eleventh executive officer of the Fools, [Prince] Dadalia,” Zhongli introduced briefly.

Upon hearing the words "Executor of the Fools," Jiang Bai's gaze instantly turned dangerous.

"What a coincidence! I just met your eighth seat [lady] not long ago..."

D'Artagnan was taken aback for a moment, but quickly realized why Jiang Bai was hostile towards him.

"It seems you and the lady had some unpleasantness going on. Although we are both executives, I don't like that woman either..." He spread his hands slightly and gave a wry smile, distancing himself from the lady.

Jiang Bai wasn't going to let him off so easily!

The fact that such a dangerous person is here, and is even acquainted with the Hall Master and Zhongli, is itself a sign of danger!

Zhongli is one thing, but he's been secretly plotting something all along. It's fine if he's involved with the Fools, but let's not drag Hu Tao into it too.

He shielded Hu Tao behind him, staring intently at him, not missing a single expression.

"Is that so? She did some really outrageous things in Mondstadt in the name of the Fatui. Are you really going to say you didn't know that?"

D'Artagnan sensed that the other party was quite hostile towards him, and that the source of this hostility was his colleague.

He raised an eyebrow and asked with a puzzled look, "Although we are both executives, everyone has a different style of doing things. What did she do?"

Although the Fools had means of communication, the news that the lady had obtained the Heart of God had not yet reached his ears.

Seeing Jiang Bai's hostility, he guessed what was going on, but he didn't show it.

Jiang Bai narrowed his eyes. "You don't know?"

D'Artagnan scratched his head innocently. "What should I know?"

Hu Tao watched quietly as Jiang Bai questioned the Winter Solstice envoy, without interrupting.

She was really curious about what had happened in Mondstadt and what that "outrageous" thing was, but she would have plenty of time to ask when she got back, so there was no rush.

Jiang Bai lowered his eyes slightly and remained silent.

The fact that the lady took Wendy's Heart only happened this morning, and it probably hasn't reached the executor yet. Even if the executor had the same purpose, he wouldn't be able to get any information out of her.

There's no point in wasting time here. The most urgent thing is to tell Hu Tao to stay away from the Fools.

She tugged at the hem of Hu Tao's dress. "It's nothing, Sect Leader, let's go back first!"

Hu Tao nodded, placing her hands on Jiang Bai's wheelchair. "You guys have fun, we're leaving now!"

Watching Hu Tao and Jiang Bai leave, Zhong Li's eyes flickered slightly, and he said to Dadalia, "I'll head back first too. Let's get together again next time."

“No problem!” Dadalia waved his hand, indicating that he could do as he pleased.

After they all left, he stroked his chin with one hand and muttered to himself, "Looks like something happened that I don't know about... Could it be that the lady has already succeeded?"

"Master, how did you meet that guy?" Jiang Bai turned to look at Hu Tao, who was pushing his wheelchair behind him.

"That guy invited Zhongli to dinner a while ago, and I went with him. That's how we met."

"That guy doesn't look like a good person, Master, stay away from him!"

"He's quite good-looking and easy to get along with. What makes him seem like a bad person?"

Seeing Hu Tao's nonchalant attitude, Jiang Bai almost jumped up from his wheelchair in a panic. "What's so good about him? He has blond hair and wears a mask on his head. He doesn't look like a good person at all!"

Seeing his anxiety, Hu Tao's lips curled up. "Oh? Really? I think he's a pretty nice guy. I heard he has several younger siblings..."

"Master, you actually know how many younger brothers and sisters he has!" Jiang Bai felt like the sky had fallen.

"He said it himself at the dinner table..."

Jiang Bai came back to life. "So that's how it is... How did he get to know Mr. Zhongli?"

"There are plenty of people who know Zhongli, who would know this?"

"Is he very familiar with Mr. Zhongli?" Jiang Bai still hadn't given up on the possibility that Zhongli was a member of the Fools.

Hu Tao thought for a moment, "We're not exactly close..."

Zhongli's personality is such that unless it's someone she really cares about, her attitude towards people is pretty much the same.

His attitude toward the winter envoy was no different from his attitude toward Tian Tiezui, the storyteller he often went to listen to.

"I see... By the way, how long has Mr. Zhongli been a guest elder at the Hall of Rebirth?"

"That's a long time! Don't let his youthful appearance fool you, he's actually two cycles older than me!"

Jiang Bai temporarily chooses to exclude the option that Zhongli is a member of the Fools.

Zhongli caught up with Jiang Bai, asking as they walked, "How did you get injured? Did that lady injure you?"

"Mr. Zhongli, you guessed perfectly." Jiang Bai gave a thumbs up.

Strictly speaking, he inflicted the injury himself, but it occurred during his fight with the lady, so attributing it to her is not unreasonable.

Zhongli raised an eyebrow slightly, "What have the Fools been doing in Mondstadt?"

"This is a long story..."

Jiang Bai didn't really want to reveal too much information to him, such as the fact that the Heart of the Wind God had been taken out.

If he finds out and thinks that the gods are nothing special, wouldn't the Rock King Emperor be in danger?

But it seems he'll find out sooner or later that he's been hanging out with the Fools...

Jiang Bai was torn between telling him or not.

"No rush, come sit down at my place and we can talk slowly."

Upon arriving at Zhongli's courtyard, Zhongli leisurely boiled water and brewed tea. His tea-brewing movements were fluid and pleasing to the eye, but Jiang Bai was preoccupied with whether to speak or not, and had no interest in watching.

He wouldn't speak, and Hu Tao was getting impatient. "Tell me quickly, what exactly happened? How did you get into a fight with that lady, and how did you get injured like this?"

Jiang Bai took the tea from Zhong Li, blew on it to moisten his throat, and then began to speak:

"This all started with the Dragon Plague of Mondstadt... Five hundred years ago, Dvalin, the East Wind Guardian of Mondstadt, drank poisoned blood during a battle with a demonic dragon. Corrupted by that evil energy, he slept for five hundred years. He recently awoke and was bewitched by an abyss mage, causing the Dragon Plague of Mondstadt..."

"To save Dvalin, guided by the Anemo Archon, we went to retrieve Mondstadt's most precious treasure, the Sky Harp. However, the Sky Harp was stolen by the Fatui, who coveted the Anemo Archon's power and wanted to use it to find him..."

Although Jiang Bai's account differed somewhat from the truth, some things always need to be embellished, after all, it's not a pleasant story to say that the Wind God led them to steal the Sky Harp.

"And then? They found the Wind God using the Sky Harp?"

Hu Tao listened attentively; this involved matters concerning the gods, and she might never hear such gossip in her entire life!

"No, later we found the Sky Harp, repelled the Abyss Mage's monster siege, and also helped Dvalin purify the corrupted energy..."

Chapter 237 Zhongli and the Rock God

"There are even monsters attacking the city?!"

Hu Tao was so frustrated that she beat her chest and stamped her feet. How could she have missed such an interesting thing!

Monster sieges are something you only see in novels in Liyue!

"And then what? And then what? How exactly did you end up fighting with the Fools?"

Jiang Bai gave a wry smile, "Just when we thought it was all over and returned the Sky Harp, that executor blocked our way..."

Seeing that Jiang Bai had gotten to the crucial point, Hu Tao quickly interrupted him, "Don't say anything yet, let me guess!"

Hu Tao's mind raced, then she slammed her hand on the table and uttered what she considered the most reasonable guess: "They want to kidnap you and make you lead them to find the Wind God, right!"

Zhongli raised her cup to drink tea, covering the corners of her slightly upturned lips.

Based on his understanding of his old friend, he was certain that the old friend was among them, so there was no need to look for him.

Just as Zhongli had predicted, Wendy was defeated the moment they met.

Jiang Bai scratched his head, unsure of what to say.

They said the Wind God was among them, and then several of them couldn't beat the lady, and then they watched as the Wind God's heart was ripped out.

That's so embarrassing to say!

Jiang Bai stammered, "Pretty much, I got beaten up by the lady and then the Wind God's Heart was stolen..."

He skipped over the details, omitted some embarrassing parts, and managed to get through it.

Upon hearing that the Wind God's Heart had been stolen, Zhongli paused slightly while drinking tea, but then continued drinking as if nothing had happened.

"The Heart of God? What is the Heart of God? The heart of a god?" Hu Tao asked, full of curiosity.

Jiang Bai looked at Zhong Li and tentatively asked, "Mr. Zhong Li, do you know anything about this?"

Wendy said that this was something only gods could know, which meant that very few people could know it.

Zhongli nodded. "What we call the Eye of God is what the gods call the Heart of God. Both are external tools used to guide elemental forces."

Jiang Bai stared at him in shock.

Good heavens, they even knew that! It was definitely premeditated!

If you say they weren't after the Heart of the Rock God, who would believe that!

If one obtains the heart of God, does that mean one can become a god?

If Zhongli obtains the Heart of the Geo God, will he become the Geo God?

With the future Rock God becoming a guest retainer of the Hall of Rebirth, the Hall of Rebirth's prestige is off the charts...

This seems pretty good...

Jiang Bai quickly shook his head to clear his mind of the jumbled thoughts.

This is terrifying, I can't think about it!

Zhongli looked at him with some doubt, feeling that he was thinking about something strange.

"What about the Wind God? What will happen after his heart of god is taken away?" Hu Tao asked worriedly.

Mondstadt is their neighboring country, and any major changes in Mondstadt would greatly affect Liyue.

Zhongli put down his teacup and sighed softly, "Let them lose their divine authority."

"Could the Fools' goal be the Heart of God? Will they stop after taking the Heart of the Wind God? Or will our Emperor be their next target?" Hu Tao asked worriedly.

The loss of the Anemo Archon's authority is no small matter. It could seriously affect the international relations between Mondstadt and Winterbreak, and might even impact Liyue!

Although she didn't think the Fools could threaten the Emperor, the thought of a group of people coveting his power made her sleep restless!

"Although that lady is very strong, she is strong because of the power bestowed upon her by the Ice God. She definitely can't beat our Emperor. Don't worry!" Jiang Bai tried to reassure Hu Tao.

"If that's all there is to it, how was she able to steal the Heart of the Wind God?" Hu Tao said, indicating that she was not appeased.

She had never seen a god, nor had she witnessed their power, and she did not know how different there was between gods.

But the Wind God and the Rock God are both among the Seven Gods, so even if their strengths differ, they shouldn't be that much different, right?

Since the lady can deal with the Wind God, it means she is also capable of dealing with the Rock God.

Jiang Bai looked to Zhong Li for help. He didn't know what to say, so he could only wait and see if Zhong Li had any way to comfort him.

Zhongli did not disappoint him. He put down his teacup, thought for a moment, and then said:

"I guess the Wind God gave it away willingly."

"Huh?" Hu Tao was dumbfounded.

Jiang Bai was also dumbfounded.

How can someone say that after being robbed!

Although the situation at the time really had nothing to do with the word "gift," it was not unreasonable to say it that way if it was to save face for the Wind God and restore his dignity.

"Mondstadt reveres freedom, and the Anemo Archon is also a free god. Unlike the Geo Archon and the Grandmaster, the Anemo Archon neither rules nor governs Mondstadt, and the Heart of God is not important to him. Therefore, giving it away to rescue Jiang Bai and the others who are being held hostage by the Lady is not a bad option..."

After hearing Zhongli's explanation, Jiang Bai immediately chimed in, "Mr. Zhongli is right, it was indeed given to us by the Wind God!"

Zhongli's explanation is quite reasonable. To be honest, if he weren't the one involved, he would have believed it too!

Hu Tao stared at Jiang Bai speechlessly, "Then why did you say 'robbed'?"

"Anything taken through illegitimate means is considered robbery!" Jiang Bai declared confidently.

Zhongli smiled as she watched the two bicker, slowly blew on the hot tea she had just poured, and let her thoughts drift away.