Original God, But It's a Chat Group

"But there's plenty to eat in Liyue Harbor. I usually don't go to those two places unless it's for family arrangements."

Even though he was the second young master of the guild, Xingqiu didn't live lavishly—in fact, he was quite down-to-earth.

"So where are we having lunch?"

Hu Tao poked her head in to ask.

"How about Wanmin Restaurant? Xiangling's been there these past few days. You know the deal."

"Sounds great!"

Hearing Li Yue say Xiangling was at Wanmin, Xingqiu perked up immediately.

After all, in Liyue Harbor, many knew that the three top-tier restaurants were Xinyue Xuan, Liuli Pavilion, and Wanmin Restaurant. Though Wanmin's prestige didn't match the other two, when Xiangling was the head chef, the flavor surpassed them both—it was the pinnacle of commoner cuisine, affordable with great value. And most importantly for Li Yue, when he went to Wanmin alone, it was free!

That's because Li Yue was now a listed food expert at Wanmin, having helped Xiangling develop several unique dishes.

Everyone in Liyue knew Xiangling cooked delicious food, but only if you didn't order her latest creations—those were often unfinished traps. But Li Yue had helped her launch several dishes that looked like huge pitfalls yet tasted surprisingly amazing, earning widespread praise among diners.

After all, before Li Yue showed up, no one would eat grilled lizards or fried spiders in a restaurant.

The trio arrived at Wanmin Restaurant and immediately ran into a familiar face.

"Zhongli, you're here too!"

Hu Tao spotted her old consultant first, her plum-blossom eyes wide with surprise.

"So it's the Director and young friends."

Zhongli set down his teacup and nodded to them.

"With nothing to do, I wandered over to Chihu Rock. I heard today Xiangling is the head chef at Wanmin, so..."

"Got it!"

Li Yue cut off Zhongli's rambling.

As a foodie, Zhongli had once said that if he wanted a meal, Xinyue Xuan and Liuli Pavilion were great, but if Xiangling was around, Wanmin was the best choice. Hearing she was here, he'd naturally stay to eat.

"Come on, let's sit together."

Li Yue played host, waving Hu Tao and Xingqiu over to join Zhongli's table, making four.

No sooner had they sat down than Hu Tao started pointing at Zhongli.

"Zhongli, you were out wandering again this morning. As the consultant of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, you should be pulling your weight with the business, you know? What did I tell you yesterday? Go butter up the Yuheng Star, and once you've got a connection, gift her a grave plot. You agreed yesterday, and now today you're just loafing around. Is that how you keep a promise?"

Zhongli opened his mouth to speak, but Hu Tao's chatter didn't stop. He couldn't get a word in or defend himself. Only after she finished her tirade did he sigh and reply.

"Director, I understand."

"Good that you understand. Zhongli, have you thought about how many bills you've sent to Wangsheng? After deducting your salary, you'd still owe me a lot."

Hu Tao pointed at Li Yue.

"Look at Li Yue!"

Li Yue immediately puffed out his chest, ready for praise.

"How long has Li Yue been with Wangsheng? This month's performance is ten times what it was before—ten times, you know!"

Zhongli looked helplessly at Li Yue, who smugly lifted his chin at him. Before, they'd been separate—one inside Wangsheng, one outside—so even if it was a headache, he could manage. But now, with the two of them together, he really couldn't cope. Faced with Hu Tao's tyranny, Zhongli could only surrender.

"Director, I understand."

"Mm, that's more like it."

Hu Tao nodded in satisfaction, finally breaking into a smile.

"Speaking of which, Zhongli, you're always wandering around Liyue Harbor all day—you must be pretty well-informed."

Li Yue brought up a new topic.

"If it's about what the people of Liyue are discussing, I do know most of it."

Finally, a topic he could weigh in on. Zhongli perked up.

"What would you like to know, young friend?"

"Any news about Mondstadt lately?"

"Mondstadt?"

Zhongli raised a hand to his chin, tilting his head in thought.

"As for Mondstadt, I did happen to hear something."

"Let's hear it?"

Li Yue had been saying in the group chat that morning that he'd ask around for news about Mondstadt. And when it came to gathering intel in Liyue Harbor, Zhongli was second to none—because he really did wander around all day picking up all sorts of gossip.

"It seems Mondstadt has been suffering from a Dragon Disaster these past few days."

As Zhongli finished, Li Yue's eyes lit up. What a coincidence—the timing was perfect!

"You seem quite interested in this, young friend."

Zhongli also sensed the change in Li Yue-kun's mood, while Hu Tao and Xingqiu looked at him curiously.

"Li Yue, is something going on in Mondstadt?"

Facing their curious gazes, Li Yue-kun straightened his collar, then spread his hands.

"You know, Albedo from Mondstadt is my brother, and I also know Noelle—that girl is unbelievably strong. I think the three of us teaming up could create some great chemistry. Sometimes making decisions is tough, but after many days and nights of thought, I've decided..."

"Wait, Li Yue, you know people from Mondstadt? Haven't you only been in Teyvat for less than a month? And who's Albedo? Who's Noelle? I had no idea you had a brother."

Hu Tao was a bit confused, cutting off Li Yue-kun's monologue with a barrage of questions.

"Hu Tao, don't sweat the details. As for who Albedo and Noelle are, just know they're both Geo Vision holders, like Zhongli."

Zhongli, who'd been mentioned, couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth. He understood now—Li Yue-kun was still fixated on the Geo Vision thing.

"Alright, so what did you decide?"

Hu Tao didn't quite get it, but she still wanted to know what Li Yue-kun was getting at.

Li Yue-kun crossed his arms.

"I've decided to take my talents to Mondstadt!"

16. Send Off the Cemetery Plot Before I Get Back!

"Pfft, so you're just going to Mondstadt for a few days. Why didn't you say so earlier? I thought you were leaving for good and never coming back—you scared me!"

"I never said I wasn't coming back. That was just your assumption."

At the exit of Liyue Harbor, Hu Tao and Zhongli were seeing Li Yue-kun off, since he was leaving Liyue for Mondstadt.

"This time I'm going to Mondstadt to try and awaken a Vision."

Li Yue-kun glanced at Zhongli, then looked utterly disappointed, making Zhongli's expression stiffen.

"The only Geo Vision holders I know in Liyue Harbor are Zhongli, Ningguang, and Yun Jin. I can't meet Ningguang, and I've never seen Yun Jin since I don't like opera. Zhongli's fine, but after spending so much time with him without awakening a Vision—instead awakening a completely different power—I want to try going to Mondstadt to see if contacting a Geo Vision user there can help me awaken one. I refuse to believe the God of Geo won't take notice of me then!"

So he was still fixated on the Geo Vision. Zhongli could feel Li Yue-kun's persistence. The last person this persistent was the Rich Man.

"I see. Then you have to come back soon, okay? The second limited-edition premium cemetery plot business at Wangsheng Funeral Parlor is waiting for you to come back and host it with me!"

"No problem, Hu Tao, don't worry. I'll definitely be back before the second phase opens."

Li Yue-kun nodded at Hu Tao, then glanced at Zhongli.

"Zhongli, remember to send off the cemetery plot before I get back."

Stare~~

Hu Tao's gaze followed suit. Under the scrutiny of both of them, Zhongli could only steel himself.

"I'll do my best."

"Alright, I'm off. See you in a few days. Bye~~"

With that, Li Yue-kun turned and walked away, waving back at them without looking.

"Let's go, Zhongli. Before Li Yue gets back, we need to get everything ready for him!"

Hu Tao was full of enthusiasm as she turned and walked into Liyue Harbor. The two went north and south respectively, leaving only Zhongli standing there.

"Sigh..."

Zhongli let out a helpless long sigh and followed Hu Tao back into Liyue Harbor.

Az, setting out from Liyue Harbor, didn't rush headlong down the road. Instead, he climbed the slope outside the harbor and turned to look back at it.

"So, the view of Liyue Harbor's not bad, is it?"

After parting with Zhongli and Hu Tao, he'd already opened the group livestream.

Hair Gel Man in the Sky: It's truly a breathtaking sight. The Nation of Geo, ruled by the God of Geo, has an allure that makes one yearn for it.

Fat Woman in Black Stockings: If this place could be a tourist spot, it'd probably be packed with visitors.

In the Chat Group, the two members watching the livestream shared their thoughts. Li Yue-kun nodded in satisfaction.

The spot he was standing on was the same slope players passed when first reaching Liyue Harbor in Original God. Crossing it revealed the full panoramic view of the harbor. Back when he first started playing Original God, that initial sight of Liyue Harbor had stunned countless people.

Just as stunning was the view at Stone Gate, where leaving Mondstadt and seeing Wangshu Inn for the first time had amazed just as many.

"There are plenty more great views in Liyue. It'll take a long time to walk from here to Mondstadt, so we can take our time enjoying the scenery along the way."

Fat Woman in Black Stockings: Can't your Zanpakuto just cut through space and open a portal? Why not use that to teleport straight there?

Kasumigaoka Utaha voiced her confusion.

"Enma's Blade can indeed open spatial gates, but only if I've been to that place and know its location. If I haven't been there, I can't accurately cut open a portal. The portal would randomly lead to an unknown area."

Li Yue-kun shrugged helplessly. He'd love to just open portals everywhere from the start, but unfortunately, places he hadn't visited weren't so easy to manage.

"Sure, random portals are exciting, but I've never traveled Liyue's roads myself. I plan to walk the whole way and take a good look, letting you all see my world's scenery while also training my Bleach abilities—like using Flash Step to move, and practicing my Zanpakuto skills and demon arts on any monsters I encounter."

The real Teyvat continent was far bigger than in the game. By game standards, Li Yue-kun could get from Liyue to Mondstadt in a few dozen minutes, but in the real Teyvat, it would take him a good two days—even with Flash Step for fast travel.

Fat Woman in Black Stockings: That's actually nice. I can watch the scenery during boring classes—way more cost-effective than paying for a trip.

Hair Gel Man in the Sky: Li Yue-kun, if possible, could you get me some monster samples from your world?

Kasumigaoka's focus was on the scenery along the way, while Aizen's was much more direct—he wanted experimental samples. That was so like Aizen!

"No problem. As for the scenery, I'll be livestreaming most of the way. For samples, I'll see if I can catch a few different types for you, Father."

Li Yue-kun agreed to Aizen's request without hesitation.

"Now that we've seen enough of Liyue Harbor, let's set off!"

Taking one last look at Liyue Harbor, Li Yue turned around. Reiatsu erupted beneath his feet, and he vanished from the spot in an instant, immediately using Flash Step to travel.

In truth, Li Yue hadn't left Liyue Harbor either. When he'd crossed over to the Teyvat continent, he'd landed directly in a Hilichurl camp west of Mt. Tianheng, near Lingju Pass. After being rescued by Xiao, Xiao had taken him to the main road on the southern foothills of Mt. Tianheng, where he could see Liyue Harbor. So Li Yue hadn't really seen much of Liyue at all. Now, with this opportunity, he could take a look around.

After cresting the hill, it wasn't long before Li Yue arrived beside a Statue of The Seven. After using Flash Step continuously for a while, he felt his heels starting to ache, so he slowed down to walk and let them rest.

Meanwhile, Aizen, who had been watching the livestream the whole time, spotted something that caught his interest.

Hair Gel Man in the Sky: Li Yue-kun, what's that statue to your front right?

"Oh, that's a Statue of The Seven. Every nation has statues of the Seven in the form of their gods. This one is the statue of the God of Geo, the Vago Monarch."

Fat Woman in Black Stockings: Looks kind of familiar, like I've seen it somewhere before.

Hair Gel Man in the Sky: Not long ago, among the two people who saw Li Yue-kun off, that one man who seemed more composed.

Fat Woman in Black Stockings: Right! The feeling is very similar!

Li Yue looked at the Statue of The Seven and grinned.

"That's the Vago Monarch I told you about before. He's taken on the form of an ordinary person named Zhongli, and he's a guest consultant at Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, where I'm currently staying. Every few days, I complain about the Vago Monarch right in front of him or deliberately make things difficult for him. He's helpless but can't argue back because of his surface identity. Interesting, isn't it?"

Fat Woman in Black Stockings: ...Even though you've said this before, when I think back on how you just made a god deliver a burial plot, it still feels ridiculous...

Hair Gel Man in the Sky: I can only say, that's a true troll for you.

Passing by the Statue of The Seven, Li Yue looked left and right.

"To the left is Green Pool, a famous scenic spot in Liyue. To the right is the sea cliff, close to Guyun Stone Forest. Guyun Stone Forest is pretty far, and going that way is too roundabout. Let's take Green Pool instead. I'll catch some Slimes and Hilichurls for you along the way, Father."

17. Random Door Opening, Winning the Grand Prize