Chapter 341

Hu Tao quickly covered her mouth, staring wide-eyed at Zhongli on the throne.

As strange as she could be, she now understood clearly that her esteemed guest was, in fact, the Geo Archon, the God of Rocks himself.

This was the first divine meeting of the 'Liyue Pantheon,' and she couldn't afford to embarrass herself. A long time ago, she had felt that Zhongli's voice was uncannily similar to Lord Rex Lapis, and his aura carried an ancient dignity. She had even suspected that he was an adeptus. After all, her grandfather, who had departed to the afterlife, had once told her to show the utmost respect to this mysterious guest.

Unexpectedly, her guest was not just any adeptus but the revered 'Lord Rex Lapis,' whom all of Liyue venerated.

Hu Tao's eyes blinked mischievously as if to say, "Oh, Lord Rex Lapis, why have you, the great deity, descended to work as an assistant in my humble funeral parlor?"

Zhongli looked at her with a hint of helplessness. This child... Even after revealing his true identity, she remained the same.

It wasn't that 'Zhongli the mortal' couldn't handle this child; even 'Rex Lapis the god' couldn't manage her. The most important reason he stopped hiding his identity was that Liyue had now become the "Liyue Pantheon." He, as the highest deity of the pantheon, needed to oversee its affairs openly, rather than continue from the shadows.

Besides, Hu Tao was soon to ascend to godhood herself, likely becoming a mid-tier deity. It would not be fitting to continue deceiving her. The truth that 'Zhongli' was actually 'Rex Lapis' would be uncovered sooner or later. Given her unpredictable personality, Zhongli could only imagine the trouble she might cause if she discovered it later on. It was better to deal with it openly.

Zhongli's golden eyes scanned the assembled gods in the temple.

He first glanced at his close companions. The merits Morax had earned through his guidance were enough for promotion to a 'Third-Level Main God,' which meant that he had entered the higher echelons of the Liyue Pantheon. Eventually, he, too, could reach the 'First-Level Lord God' like himself.

Although Zhongli didn't often converse with his close friends, he was content with the current situation. His friends did not dislike him, but his old-fashioned temperament often didn't match the energetic, youthful ways of his companions. They still showed care for him, greeting him often and occasionally joining him for tea. In the end, Zhongli could only sigh—he was indeed getting old.

Currently, the 'Liyue Pantheon' had the largest number of gods among all the pantheons. After discussing some crucial matters, Zhongli announced the adjournment of the meeting.

The goddesses Cloud Retainer, Ruo Tuo, and Madame Ping formed a group and decided to explore Liyue Harbor, eager to see the latest in Teyvat's popular entertainment culture.

Only Hu Tao remained behind, held back by Zhongli.

With his hands clasped behind his back, Zhongli said, "Well... Hall Master Hu doesn't seem too surprised?"

Hu Tao put her hands behind her back as well, circling around Zhongli with cheerful steps, looking at him as if he were some rare antique.

"Oh, esteemed guest Zhongli, or should I say, Emperor Rex Lapis pretending to be guest Zhongli. I'm so shocked~"

"But since Guest Zhongli has been living at the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor for so long, finding out that you're Rex Lapis wasn't all that surprising. I'd say the shock is down by at least 90%."

"In my eyes, it's less that Rex Lapis disguised himself as Zhongli and more that Zhongli has the identity of Rex Lapis."

"Hehe, even Rex Lapis has come to my funeral parlor as a guest. This only proves the importance of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. If my ancestors had yet to reincarnate, they'd definitely crawl out of the underworld just to kowtow."

She blinked her eyes playfully. "By the way, Lord Rex, can I kowtow to you now?"

Zhongli sighed, already feeling a headache coming on. Although this kid was quirky and unpredictable, her sincerity and admiration for him were genuine. It was the first time in thousands of years that someone could be so respectful yet so irreverent at the same time.

"Hall Master Hu, it would be better if you just went home now," he said with another sigh.

"Okay~" Hu Tao skipped away, but she paused, turned around, and asked, "Zhongli, are you planning to return to your former life?"

Zhongli raised an eyebrow. "Why do you ask that?"

Hu Tao grinned. "Well, old man, you still called me Hall Master Hu just now. It sounds like you still want to stay on as Guest Zhongli at the parlor."

"Then I'm going home now!"

After speaking, she hopped her way out of the temple.

Zhongli watched the eccentric young woman leave, nodding slightly to himself. "Although I can't fully manage that child, she indeed possesses a humanity and sophistication unmatched by ordinary people."

**Mondstadt**

It wasn't the Windblume Festival, but the entire city of Mondstadt was engulfed in the rich aroma of wine.

"Dawn Winery is opening its cellars! Today, wine tasting is free for everyone in the city! Come quickly!"

Laughter, drinking, and bragging echoed in the streets and alleys.

Mondstadt, being the free-spirited nation it was, had no formal divine meeting. Venti believed that "meetings of gods" were meaningless, saying, "All information can simply be spread through the Mondstadt Pantheon." The reward was about to be announced, and Diluc's wish to bring his parents back was about to come true, so he opened up the winery's entire collection, letting the entire city drink for free.

Of course, the reason he did this was personal. He couldn't help but glance at the bard who was singing and drinking among the drunks.

He wanted to express gratitude to both the Archons and the "Wind God." He couldn't thank the Archons directly, but at least he could express his thanks to the Anemo Archon.

If he offered wine directly, Venti would refuse, so instead, he invited all of Mondstadt to drink, and in doing so, let Venti drink happily.

Venti, watching from the revelry, thought, *Hey, what a stubborn boy, but since you're sincere, I'll shamelessly accept it.*

Though Venti smiled, he thought with a clear heart, *The Mondstadt Pantheon will be left for you all to manage—Mondstadt's free god system belongs to the people.*

**The Abyss**

The Abyss was truly bustling at this time. The Abyssal Demons were dragging evil deities captured from various pantheons to the temple of the Abyss Lord.

"You scoundrels! Do you know who I am? I am the evil god Loki!"

"How dare you! I am Kokabiel, a fallen angel of the biblical pantheon! What gives you Abyss dwellers the right to imprison me?! Let me go!"

*Bang! Bang! Bang!*

"Ah!"

"You dare call yourself the evil god Loki, and you, a fallen angel?! Stop talking nonsense, you filthy scraps. You're nothing but disposable commodities to our Abyss."

"Say one more word, and I'll strip your skin! Now, kneel before our supreme lord of the Abyss!"