Under the pressure of this Captain-level Spiritual Pressure, Zhongli still looked calm. Though he had no Reiatsu, Reiatsu at Kensei Muguruma's level could not affect him in the slightest.
Yet beneath Zhongli's outwardly composed expression, his mind was already full of question marks.
What the hell had Li Yue awakened?
Let Zhongli Give Keqing a Cemetery Plot
"Shinai!!"
With his Zanpakuto swinging down from above, Li Yue performed a two-handed overhead chop. The towering Hillichurl Brute was cleaved in two from the shoulder, letting out an unwilling whimper before collapsing.
"Phew—"
After exhaling deeply, Li Yue forcefully shook the blood off his blade, sheathed it, and turned to look to the side.
"So, Zhongli, can you tell what kind of Elemental Power I have?"
Zhongli crossed his arms and frowned as he looked at Li Yue.
"Generally speaking, the powers you have awakened are not Elemental Power, little friend Li Yue."
"Not Elemental Power?"
Zhongli looked around. There were houses destroyed by crimson flames, wooden stakes scorched by blue flames, targets pierced through by white lightning, and water basins blown away by whirlwinds. The entire camp was a complete mess.
"That is correct. Elemental Power generally consists of only a single element, but the powers you have awakened contain flame, lightning, and gale. Setting aside the fact that they contain multiple elements, whether flame, lightning, or gale, none of them are the same as the elements I know. Based on the knowledge available to me, the powers you awakened should not be Elemental Power."
"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"
Li Yue raised both hands and loudly refuted him.
"I awakened this power because of your Geo Construct! My soul even left my body. How could it not be Elemental Power? Don't tell me your Geo Construct isn't powered by Elemental Power!"
"This... generally speaking, I can only wield the Geo Element."
Zhongli was confused as well. After Li Yue asked him to determine whether his Elemental Power was Geo, Zhongli said it was difficult to tell. The two had then left Wangsheng Funeral Parlor and headed to Mt. Tianheng, where they found a Hilichurl camp to conduct some tests.
With Zhongli behind him to ensure his safety, Li Yue was free to experiment as much as he liked.
So Li Yue tried several classic Kido spells, such as Byakurai, Sekihōtsu, Sōkatsui, and Tenran, before engaging in some close combat with his Zanpakuto.
As for Kido, Li Yue had Reiatsu at Kensei Muguruma's level. Though he had never used it before, he possessed the usage memories provided by Aizen, so he successfully cast the spells on his first try. His proficiency was lacking, so their power was not especially impressive. When it came to swordsmanship, however, Li Yue was an absolute disaster.
Throughout the whole fight, all he knew was how to jump forward and chop with both hands. There was not a hint of technique to it. Yet with Reiatsu and Zhongli's shield backing him up—especially the suppression of Captain-level Spiritual Pressure—the Hilichurls could not even move. They could only stand there and let Li Yue jump-chop them, creating a rather beautiful display of brute force!
"The power you have awakened is exceptionally strange, little friend Li Yue. It is a power I have never seen before, yet it is rich with all kinds of elements. As for what exactly this power is, I fear it will require some time to study."
Unable to determine what kind of power it was, Zhongli could only answer like this. Although Li Yue's powers puzzled him, Zhongli also felt relieved. He knew Li Yue was not native to Teyvat, so the power he awakened was most likely not from Teyvat. Though Li Yue's power was strange and unknown, it was not the power of the Abyss. As long as it was not Abyssal power, Zhongli could rest easy. At least he would not have to worry about Li Yue falling into the Abyss.
"At present, this power appears to be under your control, little friend Li Yue. Though we do not yet know what it represents, its manifestation is generally harmless. Therefore, you may use it without concern. As for its relationship with Elemental Power, we can only slowly investigate it later."
"I see. What a shame."
Li Yue shook his head in disappointment.
"I thought I had fused with the Geo Construct and awakened the Geo Element. I thought the Vago Monarch had noticed me and was about to give me a Geo Vision. Now that I have awakened this kind of power, has the Vago Monarch still not noticed me? Tch, how stingy."
Is this somehow my fault too?
Zhongli listened helplessly from the side.
"Come on, Zhongli. Since we can't figure out what this power is for now, let's head back first. It's getting late, and Hu Tao should be back soon."
After deliberately complaining for a while, Li Yue called Zhongli to return with him.
"Indeed, it is time to return. Otherwise, Director Hu will lecture us again."
The two returned from Mt. Tianheng to Wangsheng Funeral Parlor together. As expected, Hu Tao had already returned ahead of them. The moment she saw Li Yue and Zhongli come back together, she happily waved at them.
"Zhongli, Li Yue! You're finally back!!"
"Hu Tao, you seem excited. Did something good happen?"
"That's right, something huge happened!"
Hu Tao clenched both fists and widened her beautiful eyes.
"Didn't we never launch a second round for the limited deluxe cemetery service we introduced before? But today, several customers came to me on their own, wanting to reserve plots for the second round in advance! They're even willing to pay double the price to qualify early!"
Double the price. Previously, Hu Tao had needed to offer half off the second headstone or even buy one, get one free just to make sales. Now, not only did she not need to give discounts or freebies, people were actually raising the price themselves.
"Li Yue, your plan is incredible!"
"It's nothing. I simply used advertising to tap into the competitive instincts among rich people."
Li Yue crossed his arms, looking thoroughly pleased with himself.
"There is no shortage of wealthy people in Liyue Harbor, but rich people also compete with one another. Though Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's business is not considered especially auspicious, none of them can avoid us."
In Liyue Harbor, Wangsheng Funeral Parlor truly held a monopoly. There were several restaurants competing against one another, with Liyue cuisine and Mondstadt cuisine, Wanmin Restaurant and Chihu Rock's Chihu Eats—there were plenty of choices. But Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's business was truly one of a kind!
Therefore, when Li Yue helped Wangsheng Funeral Parlor introduce a limited feng shui burial plot package specifically for wealthy people, the rich had no alternatives.
The advertising slogan Li Yue came up with was also simple: Limited feng shui burial plots that only those of true status could possess!
Liyue had no shortage of rich people, but it lacked rich people with status. After all, Liyue's upper echelon consisted only of the Qixing. This feng shui plot that only people of status could own instantly struck a chord with those wealthy people, and they all rushed to buy one.
For no other reason than that label of status!
"Hu Tao, did you accept their reservations?"
"No, no. Just as you said, Li Yue, we have to keep them hanging. We can't let them reserve easily. The more they can't get it, the more they'll want it!"
"That's right, exactly! Once the second round launches, we can directly set the starting price at double that of the first round! Exactly the amount they offered to pay extra for early reservations."
"Ah? Raise it again!?"
Even Hu Tao was shocked.
"That's right, we have to keep raising it. Only by increasing the second round's price can we highlight the status of those who bought the first round. The later it gets, the higher the price should be! The higher the price, the more they'll want to buy!"
As Li Yue spoke, he pointed at Zhongli beside him.
"Zhongli has a good relationship with Yuheng Star Keqing. We could even have Zhongli give Keqing a cemetery plot, then advertise it publicly afterward. If we say they can be buried in the same feng shui plot as the Liyue Qixing, the price can rise even more!"
???
Zhongli was stunned as he listened from the side. They were selling cemetery plots and even dragging the Liyue Qixing into it? And why did he have to do it? Showing up at someone's door to give them a cemetery plot for no reason would get him scolded even if it were free.
"Little friend, I think..."
"I don't care what you think. I care what I think! I think you can do it, Zhongli, so you definitely can!"
Li Yue directly interrupted Zhongli's incantation, and Hu Tao immediately followed up.
"That's right. As our consultant, you should contribute to Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's sales too. Otherwise, where will you get the money for all that tea-drinking and opera-listening outside? The Yuheng Star has said several times that she wants to recruit you, so use that connection to get closer to her. It's not like we're the only ones trying to get close to the Qixing. I don't care what method you use. Just give away one cemetery plot."
"Very well. I will do my best."
With both Li Yue and Hu Tao urging him at once, Zhongli could only say that he would do his best. As for when he would actually accomplish it, that depended on when he felt like doing it. For now, he would agree, or they would keep nagging him.
"Let's go! This Director is in a good mood today, so I'm treating you both to a feast!"
Seeing Zhongli agree, Hu Tao waved her little hand, ready to be generous for once.
At the mention of food, Zhongli's expression immediately changed. As a gourmet, he took eating very seriously.
"Oh? Where does Director Hu intend to go?"
"Let's go to Wanmin Restaurant. I like the atmosphere there. Big restaurants are boring!"
Li Yue immediately suggested Wanmin Restaurant.
"Wanmin Restaurant is fine as well. If Xiangling is cooking today, that would be ideal."
The three headed to Wanmin Restaurant together, while new messages appeared in the Chat Group.
Fat Woman in Black Stockings: Akise Tomoya has disappointed me too much!
Longing Is the Farthest Distance From Understanding!
Fat Woman in Black Stockings: I arrived a little later than the time he arranged, and when I got there, he really hadn't invited only me. Kato Megumi and the Flat-chested Blonde Girl were there too. If I had gone first like I originally intended, I probably would have sat there like an idiot, waiting for him to bring people over to meet me.
Fat Woman in Black Stockings: The way he tried to persuade me to help make his game was exactly the same as in the story. He did not even change a single word!
Fat Woman in Black Stockings: The things Kato Megumi and the Flat-chested Blonde Girl said were exactly the same too. That Flat-chested Blonde Girl even had that disgusting tsundere expression on her face. It was seriously irritating!
Fat Woman in Black Stockings: He wants me to work for free. Setting aside the fact that he simply wants free labor, even if he paid me, he does not even have a basic proposal. He has nothing but his mouth. He went on passionately for ages by himself, yet did not say a single thing that actually mattered.
Fat Woman in Black Stockings: Looking at it this way, my future self was practically an idiot. No, the me who did not know the future was an idiot. At least now I already know exactly what kind of person Akise Tomoya is.
Fat Woman in Black Stockings: Tch, this is so irritating. I actually liked him because he helped promote my book. Just because of something that minor. The old me was an idiot too!
Kasumigaoka Utaha was highly emotional. She rapidly sent several messages to the Chat Group in one burst.
The string of notification alerts left Li Yue, who had arrived at Wanmin Restaurant and was waiting for the food, completely baffled. Once he entered the Chat Group, he saw that Kasumigaoka Utaha was furiously sending messages. Taking advantage of the time while waiting for the dishes, Li Yue replied in the group.
Meme Lord: To be precise, there was nothing wrong with you initially having a favorable impression of him. For a new author, their first serialized work is naturally precious. And he happened to save your work when it was about to get canceled, changing its fate. So it was perfectly normal for you to feel favorably toward him. After all, he really did help you.
Meme Lord: You just never realized that his help was fundamentally only driven by his own interests. And throughout his later life, he continued doing everything solely according to his own interests. In short, he only sees his own interests and never considers other people's feelings. Promoting your book was his interest, and pulling you into helping him make a game was also his interest. When his interests happen to help others, they are a good thing for those people. But when his interests become burdens imposed on others, then they are no longer good for them.
Meme Lord: He described his ideal story to you in the dual capacity of someone who had helped you and a fan of your novels, and you longed for his ideal as well. But you forgot the most important point.
Fat Woman in Black Stockings: What point?
Meme Lord: Longing is the farthest distance from understanding!
Aizen, lurking in the chat: ...
When it came to Akise Tomoya, Li Yue had felt when he watched the anime that the guy was not exactly a bad person in the beginning. But his biggest problem was constantly imposing his own will on other people, and that was disgusting.
The three main female characters all accepted his requests for different reasons. Kasumigaoka Utaha liked him, so she accepted them. Eriri liked him too, so she went along with his arrangements. Kato Megumi was someone who was not good at refusing others, so she accepted his arrangements as well. All that could be said was that he had absurdly extreme luck.
In the end, the two girls who liked him were both directly cast aside. The process was utterly disgusting. It was one thing for Eriri's stubborn tsundere behavior to ruin herself, but even after Kasumigaoka clearly expressed her feelings, he continued stringing her along. He took neither initiative nor made a refusal to the extreme, only rejecting her in the end. That was why Li Yue disliked him. It was absolutely not because he was jealous that the guy was surrounded by a group of beautiful girls.
Fat Woman in Black Stockings: Tch, this is so frustrating!
Meme Lord: So, now that you know what the future holds, how will you deal with it?
Li Yue was now very curious about Kasumigaoka's choice.
Fat Woman in Black Stockings: Although it is unpleasant, I will participate in making his game.
Hm?
Li Yue was somewhat confused. She knew all this and was still joining? Could it be that she intended to use the information she obtained in advance to take an open-book exam?
Fat Woman in Black Stockings: After calming down and thinking about it, just as you said, he really did help me. If not for his promotion, my novel would have died after the second volume rather than achieving fairly good sales as it has now. I owe him that favor. And as you said, I was the one who developed feelings for him on my own, without considering what his attitude toward me might have been. The future has not happened yet. A future that has not happened cannot be a reason for me to refuse to repay a favor. But from now on, I will put aside my feelings for him and regard him as an ordinary person who once helped me.
Fat Woman in Black Stockings: As a light novel author, he helped me promote my novels. Now he wants me to write some copy for him, so I will agree in order to repay that favor. But everything will be businesslike! I will not waste my time messing around and laughing with him and those women of his. I will only write the copy according to his requirements and send it to him. Once his so-called game is finished, I will owe him nothing.
Hair Gel Man in the Sky: A very just and fair choice.
Meme Lord: True that!
Li Yue thoroughly agreed with Aizen's assessment. He had originally thought Kasumigaoka Utaha was unwilling to lose and planned to use her knowledge of the future to take an open-book exam. After all, if Kasumigaoka Utaha remained dead set on Akise Tomoya, then with future knowledge in hand, her chances of winning would be very high.
But that was not the case. She simply wanted to repay the favor fairly.
Meme Lord: By the way, Godfather, you're online too? Have you finished researching Elemental Power?
Hair Gel Man in the Sky: I am currently researching it, but testing this power with instruments requires time. Before I obtain the results, I am rather free. Though I know the Wandenreich is hidden within the shadows of the Seireitei, the time has not yet come. I am not in a hurry. I have ample time to make arrangements.
Meme Lord: Is this the composure of the strong? I'm officially jealous.
Hair Gel Man in the Sky: Li Yue-kun, you will enter my level sooner or later as well. Though there are no results yet regarding the Elemental Power Construct you gave me, my instincts as a researcher tell me that this power is not weak. If you fully master this power and combine it with the powers of a Bleach, Li Yue-kun, you will certainly become a powerhouse on my level.
Meme Lord: So that's how Godfather sees me? Thank you for the compliment, Godfather! I will work hard and strive to say one day: A man is born between heaven and earth—how can he live long beneath another?
Hair Gel Man in the Sky: ...
Fat Woman in Black Stockings: I really do not understand you superhumans.
Kasumigaoka Utaha watched the two discuss power and the supernatural. As an ordinary human, she could not understand them.
Meme Lord: It's normal not to understand, Senior. Your world is full of ordinary people. All right, my food is here. My friend is treating me today, so I'm off. Bye-bye~~~
A Chair Full of Power!
In Liyue Harbor, as soon as the sun rose, the port city had already become busy. Sailors on the docks began loading and unloading cargo from the merchant ships moored in the harbor, while shops along the commercial streets opened for business.
Inside Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, Zhongli sat on a stone bench in the courtyard, drinking his first cup of tea in the morning before raising his head to look at the roof.
He could not understand it. He truly could not understand it.
Before you continue