Yes, Lady Funina!

"But since it's Young Master who's hosting, shall we go?" Hu Tao thought for a moment and suggested that they book a separate table; it wasn't that she couldn't afford to pay.

“It’s alright. Young Master is broad-minded and enjoys making friends. He has long wanted to get to know you, Hall Master Hu. As for Mr. Richard, there’s no need to say more. Young Master has admired Mr. Richard for a long time,” Zhongli explained.

"Oh? So Mr. Richard is quite famous?" Hu Tao understood the implication and looked at Richard curiously.

Richard waved his hand and said, "I only hold a minor official position in Fontainebleau, nothing to brag about. I suppose you want to get to know me because of the Fontainebleau branch of the Northern Bank. However, I'm here to visit a friend, not to discuss business."

"I see. How about we have a private table? It'll be a good way to celebrate making a new friend." Mr. Hu had a great time chatting today and decided to splurge.

“Thank you for your kindness, Master, but there’s no need to go to such lengths. Meeting that young master would be fine,” Richard said.

"Moreover, you need to make a reservation several days in advance to get a seat at Liuli Pavilion, so it's probably too late to book a table now," Zhongli added.

"Alright, then I'll listen to you." Hu Tao readily agreed and didn't insist any further. Actually, she was quite curious about that wronged... cough cough, the "young master" who helped the Rebirth Hall cut costs.

After all, ever since Zhongli met the "Young Master," the daily expenses of the Rebirth Hall have been reduced by half...

There was still some time before lunchtime, and knowing that Richard and Zhongli probably had something to talk about, Hu Tao took Coconut Milk Date Cake out to fish for zombies, planning to return to meet them at lunchtime.

After Master Hu left, Zhongli poured himself a cup of tea. As soon as he tasted the tea, he frowned, just like Richard. He looked at his treasured tea leaves, sighed, poured out the water, and then brewed a new pot.

The technique can be summed up in two words: meticulous.

Richard also received a cup, and after taking a sip, he exclaimed, "Being able to taste tea personally brewed by the Rock King, this trip to Liyue has been truly worthwhile."

Zhongli didn't even lift his eyelids. He said, "I heard from Wendy that he gave you the Heart of God. Did you come here for the Heart of God as well?"

"No, I just want to ask you for a contract while your heart of god is still intact."

"A contract?" Zhong Li hadn't expected Richard's purpose to be this.

“That’s right, a sufficiently binding contract. Didn’t you receive my letter?” Richard asked.

“No.” Zhongli shook his head.

"That means it hasn't arrived yet. Anyway, that's why I came here. I won't stay long, so you don't need to worry about me ruining your plans."

Richard didn't take it to heart. After all, international correspondence takes a long time to arrive, and with what happened in Liyue, it was perfectly normal for the letter to arrive late.

If Richard hadn't been worried that the letter would only reach Zhongli after he handed over the Heart of God, and if Frynn hadn't been urging him so much, he wouldn't have come to Liyue in person.

“Sufficient binding force, how much exactly does this binding force mean?” Zhongli wasn’t worried that Richard would ruin his plans. This was a test for Liyue right now, and if the Seven Stars of Liyue could get Richard to help, that would naturally be considered their skill.

"To what extent can it restrain the gods?" Richard replied.

"May I ask about the specific details?"

"A confidentiality agreement used to gain trust."

“Do you know that trust usually comes first, then a contract, not the other way around?” Zhongli reminded him.

"Trust is already there, but a contract is still needed as a guarantee." Richard recalled the conflicted expression on Funina's face that day. He was certain that he had gained a considerable amount of Funina's trust.

The trust that Funina gave her was something she had never received from anyone before, and it concerned her nearly five hundred years of perseverance, which is why she hesitated and wavered.

Richard also knew clearly that the contract he was asking Zhongli for was just to give Funina an opportunity to speak, and a way out.

The real reason he was willing to speak up was because of Funina's trust in him.

Seeing Richard's state, Zhongli didn't say anything more. He directly used his power to condense an ancient contract. The contents of the contract were blank, waiting for Richard to fill them in, but its effectiveness was real.

Once a contract is signed, violating it will result in severe repercussions. This contract involves some 'rules' that even Zhongli himself cannot control.

In short, this is a 'rule' level contract, under which everyone is subject to the rules, including the Seven Gods.

Volume 1: Unlimited Bounty Cat

As the title suggests, my sleep schedule has been adjusted, and I've uninstalled all the games on my computer except for Genshin Impact. I'm ready to start updating like crazy, so I'm starting a bounty first.

So far this month, I have updated more than 7 words. Although it is only one chapter a day, each chapter is 4 words long. Among many cat station peers, it can be said that it is not far behind.

Many of my fellow authors call me a "roller," so I'll show them what I'm capable of: massive updates, I must massive updates, massive updates!

The rules for adding updates are as follows:

100 monthly votes will be rewarded with an extra 2 words.

2 recommendation votes, 2 extra words added.

Volume 1: Chapter 88 Ningguang's Invitation (4K+)

Liyue Harbor's Liyue Pavilion is a historic restaurant that represents "Liyue cuisine," one of the two major cuisines of Liyue.

Another equally famous restaurant is Xinyuexuan, known for its seafood dishes. It is also a long-established brand that specializes in seafood.

These two long-established restaurants, "Licai" and "Yuencai," each occupy half of Liyue's culinary scene and are loved by many gourmets. Their reputation has even spread overseas, and every year a steady stream of customers come to Liyue to enjoy a good meal at these two restaurants.

At this moment, there was a man from the Kingdom of Zhidong at Liuli Pavilion, who was hosting a banquet for his guests.

"I never expected Mr. Zhongli to have such a wide circle of friends, even managing to invite such an important figure as Mr. Richard." [Young Master] Tadalia was delighted by the arrival of Richard and Hu Tao.

This was pure joy without any other motive, even though he knew Richard might be a potential competitor for the Heart of the Rock God, and his colleague, the Lady, had recently lost to him in the competition for the Heart of the Wind God.

However, D'Artagnan felt no fear. He was a born warrior, and this proud and arrogant attitude stemmed from the tempering of his thousands of battles. Therefore, even when facing Richard, who was renowned within the Fools, he did not feel any 'retreat' or 'fear of difficulty'.

On the contrary, he felt very excited.

He had heard of the legend of this man long ago when he was still honing his skills at the bottom of the Fools' army. Unfortunately, Richard had already left the Fools' army long before he was sent there by his father, so he never got to meet him until he became an executive officer.

Now, unexpectedly, my wish has come true.

Even though D'Artagnan disapproved of the Lady's ways, he still greatly respected her strength. The thought of a man who was powerless against the Lady alone was enough to ignite his fighting spirit.

“Young Master, you flatter me. I am hardly a great man. I am merely a humble public instrument of Fontaine, used to hold the fruits of Lady Funina’s careful consideration.” Richard’s words drew a sidelong glance from Zhongli.

His eyes made it clear: you're talking nonsense again.

According to what Zhongli learned, the other party did indeed place the fruit that Funina had carefully considered, but it was placed in an elevated position to 'place' the fruit.

Just as fruit growers deliberately select seeds that will produce sweet and delicious fruit, all the fruits that Funina produces after careful consideration are actually the result of Richard's targeted cultivation and selection.

"Just call me D'Artagnan. It's a great pleasure to meet you today before I leave. Order whatever you like, and put the bill on my tab. And you too, Master Hu, don't be shy." D'Artagnan said magnanimously, as if the money wasn't his own.

...It seems it really wasn't his money; today's bills will all be sent to the Northern Bank for unified reimbursement.

Using public funds for meals and drinks is considered a crime.

"It seems that you have already made progress on what you seek, Young Master?" Zhongli said with a smile.

“Yes, this is all thanks to Mr. Zhongli’s help,” D'Artagnan said with a smile and a nod.

“If you take someone’s money, you have to solve their problems. This is also our contract. Now that you have found what you were looking for, the contract can be considered fulfilled,” Zhongli said.

“Although the contract has been reached, our friendship will not change. I hope that Mr. Zhongli will still consider me a friend then.” Tartaglia knew that what she was about to do was to make an enemy of the entire Liyue.

As a Liyue native, Zhongli's stance is naturally at odds with his, and it's uncertain whether they will be able to enjoy drinks and conversation like they do now when they meet again.

However, D'Artagnan also knew that Zhongli was not as simple as he seemed on the surface, and since he was friends with Richard, he should not face any life-threatening danger in the upcoming turmoil.

Having figured this out, D'Artagnan's last bit of hesitation vanished, and when the time was right, he made his decision.

“That’s only right.” Zhongli took a sip of tea, fully aware of what D'Artagnan had done.

Just as Richard was selecting the fruits of Frynn's thought, wasn't Zhongli also guiding Tadalia to make the decisions he wanted Tadalia to make?

Although Richard was new to the area and unaware of the deal between Zhongli and the "Young Master," based on his understanding of Zhongli, he assumed that this youngest executor in the history of the Fools was being manipulated by Zhongli without even realizing it.

Chun Chun was sold out, and she still has to count the money for them—oh no, she has to pay to sell herself.

"Although I don't know what happened, it sounds like a good thing. Hmm, Richard, you've lived a long life. Have you tried this dish? How does it taste?" Walnut handed the menu to Richard and asked earnestly.

Clearly, for the young girl nowadays, having enough to eat is the most important thing right now, and she has no curiosity whatsoever about the deal between D'Artagnan and Zhongli.

After all, the Hall of Rebirth doesn't have a rule that guest retainers can't go out and earn extra money, right?

If she worried about everything, Hu Tao wouldn't be the quirky and clever girl she is now.

"I have some recollection of it, but it's been too long, and the taste... it's become a bit blurry." Richard looked at the menu and noticed many familiar dishes, as well as a lot of new ones.

"Then let's order one of everything. It's a rare opportunity to come here, so we should eat to our hearts' content." The young master waved his hand and ordered all the restaurant's signature dishes.

Because of the limited availability of ingredients, many delicacies are rare and hard to come by. If you miss this opportunity, you don't know when you'll be able to enjoy them again.

"The boss is so generous!" Hu Tao gave the young master a thumbs up.

"Not at all, Master Hu is too kind. Mr. Zhongli doesn't hesitate at all; he'll tick whatever he wants to eat, which is perfect." Tadalia is already a competent wallet.

After enjoying a lavish dinner, D'Artagnan, having made up his mind, didn't linger and bid farewell to everyone, disappearing without a trace.

Richard also prepared to take his leave. He had achieved his purpose in coming to Liyue, so there was no reason for him to stay any longer.

"Not staying a little longer? You haven't been to Liyue in a long time, have you? Are you sure you don't want to take a good look around Liyue Harbor?" Zhongli asked.

"Most of my old friends have passed away, and even those few I do have are not people I can see whenever I want these days. Besides, with what happened at the Immortal Invitation Ceremony, it's clearly not a good time for sightseeing."

“Besides, I only took a few days off this time, and even including the weekend, the time is still very tight. It’s better to wait until things settle down in Liyue, and then come back to take a proper look when I have time.” Richard said, preparing to go to the port to buy a ticket for his departure.

"G? Are you leaving already?" Hu Tao asked in surprise.

"I'm leaving now. If you ever come to Fontainebleau in the future, please let me know in advance. I'll prepare a pot of good tea to entertain you."

"Alright, it's settled then. Once the Rebirth Hall finishes preparing the Sending-Off-the-Immortal Ceremony, I can take a proper vacation and come visit you then. Don't go back on your word!"

Although parting is a sad thing, Hu Tao doesn't let that emotion linger on her for too long.

As the saying goes, separation is for a better reunion, so why be sad?

Richard got up and walked towards the door of the elegant room in the Crystal Pavilion. Hu Tao and Zhong Li also got up to see him off. When he opened the door, he saw a girl dressed in dark red traditional Liyue clothing bowing slightly to him.

"Respected Mr. Richard, Lady Ningguang requests your presence," the girl said.

"Why don't we stay a little longer? It would be good to see some old friends, Mr. Richard." Although Zhongli's expression was serious, his tone carried a hint of teasing.

Richard ignored the old man watching the spectacle beside him. Looking at the young woman waiting for his reply, he thought of the old friend who had walked barefoot from Yaoguang Beach to the South Wharf years ago. Finally, he sighed and said, "Lead the way."

Since an old friend has invited me, let's meet him.

Richard glanced at Zhongli as he thought of this, wondering if the guy wasn't afraid of ruining his plans.

Zhongli ignored Richard's gaze and, finding an excuse, took the curious Hu Tao back to the Hall of Rebirth.

They walked and talked, their voices fading into the distance, but some of their conversation could still be heard.

"G? I didn't know Richard knew someone as important as Ningguang. Zhongli, are you aware of this?"

"I've heard that they knew each other before Ningguang rose to prominence and got along very well."

"Judging from your words, is there something else? Speaking of which, it seems that Tianquan Star has always been single and has never reciprocated anyone's affections..."

By this point, the words were no longer very clear.

single……

"My name is Baiwen, and I am one of Lady Ningguang's secretaries, mainly responsible for intelligence gathering and organization." Baiwen's gaze was fixed on Richard, and she wanted to know what kind of man Lady Ningguang had been talking about for so long.

So much so that when she saw the other person's photo, Lady Ningguang showed a smile she had never seen before.

"Hello." Richard snapped out of his reverie and nodded to the secretary.

“I will now lead the way for you,” Baiwen said, turning to lead the way.

After leaving the Glazed Pavilion and passing through the Scarlet Cloud Slope, you will arrive at the Jade Capital Terrace.

However, their destination was not this place where high-ranking officials and nobles lived, but something much more mysterious.

"Please come this way." Baiwen led Richard to a mansion. It was truly astonishing that someone could own such a large residence in a place like Yujingtai...

"We've arrived. Watch your step." Baiwen stopped at a terrace.

Richard looked around. Admittedly, the scenery was pleasant, but this didn't seem like a good place to chat and catch up. There wasn't even a seat.

"Um..." Richard was about to ask where Ningguang was when he felt the terrace beneath his feet tremble slightly.

The terrace then detached from the ground, carrying Richard and Byakuya slowly into the air. The patterns of a celestial magic array appeared on the edge of the terrace, its purpose being to prevent people from falling accidentally.

After a period of ascent, Liyue beneath their feet grew smaller and smaller until they reached a height where they could see the entire Liyue landscape. Richard and Byakuya finally arrived at their destination.

The residence of the star Tianquan—Qunyu Pavilion.

Just after the terrace connected with the Qunyu Pavilion, Richard saw his old friend who was already waiting in front of the Qunyu Pavilion's reception desk.

Ningguang wore a white cheongsam with gold trim, black silk sleeves, and a hem shaped like a bird's tail. The collar was decorated with a golden phoenix pattern. She had a graceful and elegant demeanor, like a beautiful flower of wealth and nobility.

Upon closer inspection, one would notice that her makeup was clearly meticulously done. Her long platinum blonde hair was curled up with black and gold hairpins, parted at the back, and hung down to her calves. The vermilion tassels hanging from her forehead echoed the color of her eyes.

Her features were exquisite and captivating, like a finely sculpted work of art. Her skin was fair and delicate, comparable to the finest silk. Her red lips were slightly pursed, making her an absolute beauty.

Such a beauty has no wonder she has attracted a constant stream of suitors from Tianquan Star over the years.