"It has nothing to do with Ningguang. This year, the Monarch will definitely fulfill your request from last year!"
"Little friend Li Yue, are you so certain?"
Li Yue's utterly certain declaration made Zhongli curious.
He really wanted to know why Li Yue was so sure. This year, he was planning to make a big move. Though the final result would indeed fulfill Keqing's wish for Liyue to be ruled by its people, it actually had nothing to do with her.
"Yes, I'm that certain!"
Li Yue made an OK sign with one hand and pointed at the sky with the other.
"No one understands the Vago Monarch better than I do!"
That line again.
Zhongli could not help leaning his head back.
"I can even guess what the Vago Monarch will do during the Rite of Descension!"
"Tell me!"
Keqing looked at Li Yue eagerly.
"The Monarch is a god who values talent. So when he believes someone has potential, he nurtures them and gives them room to make mistakes."
"But the human rule you want would be nearly impossible while the Vago Monarch remained around."
"Liyue's people instinctively trusted the Monarch in their hearts. So there was only one way for Liyue to enter an era of human rule."
"The Monarch had to fall!"
Zhongli's pupils shook!
The Monarch's Thoughts Are Not Ours to Guess
"The Monarch falls? That's impossible!"
Keqing strongly disagreed with the idea of the Monarch's death.
As a twisted Monarch fanatic, Keqing wanted human rule, but she also admired the Monarch beyond measure.
If she truly learned that the Monarch had fallen, she would never be willing to accept it.
"Of course it's impossible. The Monarch is the strongest martial god on the Teyvat continent, the mightiest among the gods of the Seven Nations."
"Even if the other gods joined forces, it would be useless if they wanted the Monarch to fall!"
"Then why did you say the Monarch would fall?"
"That's right. The Monarch won't fall, but the Monarch can fall!"
Li Yue tapped the table and looked at Zhongli.
"Zhongli, you should understand what I mean."
"I don't."
"No! You do!"
"There are only three of us here. There's no need to hide anything. With your brain, you understand what I mean!"
"Fine."
Zhongli nodded a little stiffly.
"Little friend Li Yue means that the Monarch will fake his death."
"Fake his death?"
Keqing was stunned.
"That's right. The Monarch has protected Liyue for thousands of years. Whenever there was a decision that would benefit Liyue, he tried it."
"That's why Liyue has prospered until now."
"The human rule you mentioned is also a viable method, so the Monarch will definitely try it."
"As I said, for Liyue to enter an era of human rule, the Monarch's influence must be eliminated."
"The Monarch's fall is the only way."
"So, just as Zhongli said, the Monarch will choose to fake his death!"
Li Yue spoke at length right in front of Zhongli.
"And the best way to spread the news of the Monarch's death would be for him to die publicly during the Rite of Descension."
"For example, he could fall straight from the sky, his corpse smashing down right in front of everyone."
"No method could be more shocking or direct than that!"
"Then everyone, even all of Teyvat, would know that the Monarch had fallen."
"And Liyue would have no choice but to enter the era of human rule."
"The Monarch's influence would weaken, and you, Keqing, as the Qixing member who first proposed human rule, could finally show your talents and put all your ambitions into practice!"
"The Monarch, meanwhile, would hide behind the scenes and continue protecting Liyue in secret."
"Because more than anyone else, the Monarch understood that in Teyvat, a godless nation could scarcely survive."
"Gods are every nation's strongest fighting force. Even the weakest god is not something humans can resist."
"Though the Seven Nations did not openly wage war now, having no sword in hand and having a sword but choosing not to use it were entirely different things!"
After finishing, Li Yue looked at Zhongli again.
"Zhongli, you should understand what I mean."
The same words appeared again.
Zhongli only felt his scalp go numb, but he still nodded somewhat stiffly.
"Little friend Li Yue's words are highly possible."
Some details differed slightly from his retirement plan, but the core of it was practically identical.
Could this young man have already discovered his true identity?
No, no, no. Probably not.
He believed he had concealed himself quite well, and he had tested Li Yue before.
Li Yue was merely an ordinary person with no power at all.
His physical condition was even worse than that of the dockworkers at Liyue Harbor.
It was impossible for Li Yue to know his true identity, much less understand his plan in such detail.
Then there was only one possibility.
Li Yue truly understood the Vago Monarch extremely well, just as he claimed, and had therefore guessed that the Vago Monarch would do such a thing!
Zhongli's gaze toward Li Yue became complicated.
"I... I don't believe it!"
It would have been one thing if Li Yue had said it.
But Zhongli, who was known for his vast knowledge, actually agreed with Li Yue's words.
That dealt Keqing a tremendous blow.
"Ah?"
Li Yue cried out.
"Keqing, haven't you always wanted human rule? The Monarch is willing to fake his death just to give you room to make mistakes, so why are you unwilling now?"
"It's not that I'm unwilling. Of course I hope Liyue can try human rule."
"I simply don't believe the possibility you described."
"The Monarch faking his death is far too absurd."
"Even if he wanted to give me an opportunity, he wouldn't need to go that far."
Keqing shook her head, her purple twin ponytails swaying back and forth.
"You said the Monarch appreciates and acknowledges me. That makes me happy."
"But I don't believe the Monarch would do something like this."
"But the Monarch has no other choice!"
Li Yue emphasized.
"The Monarch has protected Liyue for thousands of years. After so much time, his influence over Liyue has become too deeply rooted."
"As long as the Monarch remains in power, Liyue will never be able to free itself from his influence."
"Human rule would be even more impossible."
"He can only reduce his own presence and influence, relinquish his authority, and allow Liyue to enter the era of human rule."
"I only want human rule. The Monarch doesn't need to make such a huge sacrifice for me."
There it was—the twisted Monarch fanatic.
She wanted human rule, yet she could not bear to let go of the Monarch.
"You don't need to dwell on it. To the Monarch, you're a rare talent."
"If you truly feel that the Monarch has sacrificed too much, then start thinking about how you can live up to his trust."
"Make your ideal human rule a reality, then do it well!"
After speaking, Li Yue looked at Zhongli again.
"Zhongli, you should understand what I mean."
Zhongli nodded helplessly.
He always felt that Li Yue was hinting at him.
"Speaking from universal reason, focusing on doing one's own work well is indeed more important."
"I understand."
Keqing stood up.
"Although I still don't believe the Monarch would do this, just as you said, Li Yue, I should do my own work properly."
"What I'm doing now is still not good enough. I need to work even harder!"
"Mr. Zhongli, Li Yue, I'll take my leave first. I'm working overtime tonight!"
With that, Keqing turned and left.
Watching Keqing depart, Li Yue lifted his teacup and took a sip.
"As expected of Keqing. She really is decisive and efficient."
"The Yuheng Star is serious and responsible in her work. That is Liyue's good fortune."
Zhongli offered his own assessment.
He was very satisfied with Keqing, a responsible and earnest member of the Qixing.
"Isn't that right? I just said a few things, and she got fired up."
"She's so simple and easy to fool."
Huh?
Zhongli, who had been about to nod, froze.
"Little friend, you?"
Li Yue spread his hands.
"Zhongli, you know the Yuheng Star is a very serious person."
"I only came here to tell stories, but she thought I was highly learned and kept pestering me with questions."
"She even asked me how to get along with Adepti."
"I'm just a storyteller. What the hell do I know about getting along with Adepti?"
"So I gave her something to do, so she'd stop staring at me all the time."
"Now she's fired up and off doing her work seriously, isn't she?"
"So, that thing you said about the Vago Monarch faking his death?"
"Of course I made it up."
"It's fine to make up something like that. Even if I'm wrong, it doesn't matter."
"I said I guessed the Vago Monarch would do it."
"If the Vago Monarch really does it, then I guessed right."
"If he doesn't, then the Monarch's thoughts are not ours to guess!"
"Either way, I can't be wrong!"
Li Yue looked utterly shameless, leaving Zhongli speechless.
"Little friend Li Yue, aren't you afraid the Monarch will find out that you're making up such stories about him?"
"So what if he finds out? Is the Monarch going to come personally and stand in front of me?"
"And if the Monarch dares to come personally and stand before me—"
"What if he comes before you?"
Zhongli looked at Li Yue curiously.
Did Li Yue dare speak like this because he possessed some hidden power nobody knew of?
Li Yue's lips curled crookedly.
"I'll kneel on the spot and beg him to spare my life!"
Zhongli: ...
The Silly Chat Group
Li Yue was a good young man from the twenty-first century.
His favorite pastime had been enjoying online entertainment, commonly known as being a Meme Lord.
Unfortunately, Meme Lords eventually became the entertainment themselves.
While enjoying some online drama, he had transmigrated to Teyvat.
He had even appeared directly inside a Hilichurl tribe.
A powerless Meme Lord had nearly been beaten to death by Hilichurls with wooden clubs.
Fortunately, inspiration struck, and he shouted toward the sky, "Xiao!"
Then a short figure in green leaped out and saved him.
Xiao was puzzled by Li Yue's floral shirt, baggy shorts, and flip-flops.
But what kind of place was the Teyvat continent?
There were people walking down the streets in erotic underwear.
What did a little strange clothing matter?
Xiao escorted him outside Liyue Harbor, allowing Li Yue to enter a safe environment.
Afterward, to avoid starving to death, he began hanging around Wanmin Restaurant and Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
Whenever he was hungry, he went to Wanmin Restaurant and hung around Xiangling under the pretense of exchanging culinary research, conveniently mooching meals.
Whenever he was tired, he went to Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
Like Hu Tao, he only needed to lie down inside one of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's coffins.
Later, to make money, he found Xingqiu and produced a book called The Smiling, Proud Wanderer.
After getting rich, Li Yue started looking for entertainment.
After confirming that this point in time was still before the plot began, Li Yue deliberately started telling stories in front of Zhongli.
Especially stories about the Vago Monarch.
He always added a little artistic embellishment.
Watching Zhongli wear a complicated expression while being unable to refute him filled Li Yue with delight!
After all, "no one understood the Vago Monarch better than he did"!
After saying goodbye to Zhongli, Li Yue returned to Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
He pulled out a fish basket, fishing rod, and folding chair from his coffin, then ran to the docks to fish.
Although the publication of The Smiling, Proud Wanderer had earned Li Yue quite a bit of money, he had not moved out of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
He continued living there.
What a joke—he was sleeping in the same room as Hu Tao!
Though they were actually in two coffins placed side by side in the same room, that still counted as "sharing a room"!
Besides, Zhongli, a true powerhouse, was also at Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
There was nowhere safer in Teyvat.
The Geo God's weight was reassuring!
At the docks, he greeted the old Tianquan Star, who had already caught fish.
Then he found a spot, set up his fishing rod, and dropped onto his folding chair.
As he waited for fish to bite on their own, Li Yue turned his attention elsewhere.
"The time is finally almost here."
Within Li Yue's field of vision was a window nobody else could see.
It looked exactly like some chat software developed by Boss Ma.
Original God working with TX? It didn't seem like much of a problem.
After all, Honkai: Star Rail advertisements even appeared on QQ's startup screen.
And MiHoYo competed with TX Games, not QQ, right?
As a transmigrator, it was perfectly normal to have some sort of cheat.
Li Yue's cheat was this Chat Group.
This kind of setup was a little dated.
When the Chat Group genre first appeared, it had been incredibly popular.
Li Yue had read plenty of novels featuring Chat Groups, so he was thoroughly familiar with the formula.
He would rely on having watched anime and read novels to show off before the group members, receive power sponsored by them, and begin an unstoppable journey.
So far, he was the only person in the group.
His nickname was Meme Lord, and his avatar was an extremely old pixel-art animal picture.
However, a countdown sat in the upper-right corner of the Chat Group window.
It was a countdown of seven hundred and twenty hours.
The countdown had begun the moment Li Yue discovered this Chat Group cheat.
A one-month countdown.
Now, it was finally about to end.
Li Yue figured that once the countdown ended, new members would probably join.
5.4.3.2.1.0
Amid Li Yue's anticipation, the countdown finally reached zero.
Two messages popped up in the chat window.
Fat Woman in Black Stockings joined the Silly Chat Group
Hair Gel Man in the Sky joined the Silly Chat Group
The names that appeared were not their real names, but Chat Group-generated nicknames.
Still, Li Yue knew who they were at a glance.
Kasumigaoka Utaha and Aizen Sousuke.
They were practically mandatory members of the all-heavens-and-worlds Chat Group genre!
A trope. Such a trope!
But I like it!
Fat Woman in Black Stockings: What's going on? Did I stay up too late and start hallucinating? I'm actually imagining that I joined a Chat Group connecting other worlds?
Fat Woman in Black Stockings: Hm? Why are all the things I'm thinking appearing here? Is this hallucination really that serious? And what does Fat Woman in Black Stockings mean?!
Because Li Yue had set a group announcement, every newcomer who joined immediately saw the Chat Group's description.
A Chat Group that connected other worlds.
Hair Gel Man in the Sky: You think this is an illusion? Then whoever can make me experience an illusion is no ordinary person.
Hair Gel Man in the Sky: And Hair Gel Man in the Sky... is that referring to me?
Inside the Fifth Division barracks of Seireitei, Aizen held Illusion in his right hand in its released state.
He calmly looked around and continuously sensed the spiritual particles in his surroundings.
Unfortunately, he detected nothing unusual.
Meme Lord: Hey, hey, hey~~~ I'm the Group Leader. Welcome, you two, to my Silly Chat Group. What you're seeing isn't an illusion. It's real.
Meme Lord: How about this? As a welcome gift, and also as proof, I'll send each of you some Raspberry. It should be something neither of your worlds has.
Meme Lord sent a group red packet
Meme Lord: Just click to claim it. Give it a try.
Aizen did not hesitate.
He clicked to claim it immediately.
Then a golden Raspberry appeared in his hand.
Hair Gel Man in the Sky: Interesting. It's actually real. By the way, may I ask what this Raspberry is? I can sense an extremely faint yet peculiar energy within it.
Meme Lord: It's just an ordinary Raspberry, a fruit that can be picked anywhere in the wild. Your worlds simply don't have it.
Meme Lord: As for the peculiar energy you sensed, it's probably Elemental Power, a kind of natural energy from my world.
Before you continue