After Countless Years, You'll Understand

Zhongli and Paimon left the Seven Treasure Hotel without a fuss, its owner watching them go with a respectful expression.

"The Supreme Elder Token..."

"He actually used the Supreme Elder Token to put his bill on account!"

The hotel owner watched their retreating figures, torn between conflicting feelings.

The token did allow that. But he had never heard of either of the sect's Supreme Elders running a tab at one of its businesses.

And sending the bill to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect...

That was even less likely!

The sect had two Supreme Elders: Chen Xin and Gu Rong.

Whenever Ning Fengzhi left the sect, one of them had to accompany him.

The other stayed behind to guard it.

The two of them hardly ever had a chance to go anywhere alone. When would either of them run a tab?

And when they traveled with Ning Fengzhi, would he really make them pay?

Of course not.

The Supreme Elder Token could not be a fake. Any direct member of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect could tell.

Besides, who would dare forge one of the sect's tokens?

If they were caught, the sect would pursue them to the death!

"So do I send this bill or not?"

The owner sank into thought.

A Supreme Elder of his own sect had eaten here. Was he really going to ask the sect for the money?

Whether or not Zhongli had joined the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, he held its Supreme Elder Token. That made him one of its Supreme Elders!

And if he wasn't one yet, the sect master and the rest of the sect would make sure he became one!

Back then, Ning Fengzhi's sincerity had moved Sword Douluo Chen Xin to join the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and become its guardian!

The owner knew Zhongli was a Titled Douluo with a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring.

He had known before Zhongli and "Xue Qinghe" even entered the hotel yesterday.

Ning Fengzhi, you really are worthy of being sect master! I could never pull off something like this.

With you at the helm, the sect will go even further.

This was Heaven Dou City, and the Seven Treasure Hotel was its most luxurious hotel, bar none!

How could the person in charge here not be a direct member of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect?

In fact, the owner was Ning Fengzhi's older cousin.

He was a level seventy-two support-type Soul Saint!

Once, he too had been a possible successor to the sect master.

But the former sect master had chosen Ning Fengzhi instead of him.

He had never quite accepted that—until Ning Fengzhi brought Chen Xin, the sect's Sky Pillar, into its fold.

Then he had accepted it...

Meanwhile, on Zhongli's side.

Paimon turned her head and said earnestly, "Zhongli, I get the feeling that hotel owner has quite a story. Why don't we go back and find out?"

Zhongli's eye twitched. He parted his lips, then stopped himself.

Paimon's old habit is acting up again, isn't it?

Go back and find out?

We'd learn he's a Soul Saint, listen to him tell us how fortunes change and never to look down on a young man, and then...

Help him fulfill his wish...

And in the end, he'd give us a million or so Gold Soul Coins and some experience...

Wait. Something strange slipped in there!

No wonder she's such an expert at finding quests!

She's responsible for ninety-nine percent of how busy the Traveler is, isn't she?

And the Traveler just doesn't know how to say no...

With that thought, Zhongli looked up at the sky. "Paimon, people have secrets of their own. We should respect their privacy."

"Not pry into everything."

Paimon paused. Zhongli's words seemed to make sense, yet something felt off. She couldn't say what.

Wait a minute.

"Zhongli, you're not trying to fool me, are you?"

"Do I look stupid to you?"

Paimon planted her hands on her hips and demanded an answer.

Zhongli lowered his head, glanced aside, and fell silent.

"Hey! Why did you hesitate?"

Zhongli had actually hesitated!

Paimon stamped her foot in midair, her face furious.

If she had stood a chance against even one of Zhongli's fingers, she would have jumped up and smacked him in the knee!

"If we don't know people's secrets, how can we help them?"

Paimon tried to reason with him.

"Why must we help them?"

"Because... because..."

For a moment, Paimon had no answer.

Was it for Mora? Or was it something else?

That was right. Why did they help people?

Paimon fell into thought.

Was it the bonds between friends?

Or was it...

"Like Demon Gods, humans must first learn to grow on their own."

"I wasn't born strong either. Those who never learn to be strong are bound to perish."

"Unless someone faces certain death, I won't intervene."

With that, Zhongli headed toward the teahouse on his own.

Paimon stood there for a moment, muddled by his grand reasoning.

He could help so many people with the lift of a finger.

Yet he insisted on waiting until they faced certain death. Was something wrong with him?

"Hey, Zhongli!"

"Wait for me!"

"I don't really understand what you're saying!"

After countless years, you'll understand.

Zhongli did not say it aloud. There had been no one around earlier, so he could talk with Paimon freely. Here was different.

Liyue had lost Vago Rock Emperor, but its people had learned to stand strong and face crises themselves. Zhongli was deeply relieved. At last, he could set down the burden on his shoulders.

Life on the Douluo Continent was fairly stable too, apart from the oppression of the nobility.

Someone would deal with that.

Its people did not need a Vago Rock Emperor from another world.

But if everything descended into chaos and disturbed his life...

As it would when Evil Soul Masters ran rampant across the continent ten thousand years later.

Then he would act!

Zhongli sighed.

Could a Demon God's kindness be a curse too? A form of Corrosion?

Demon Gods were kind, especially to their own people and to humanity.

But when they chose the wrong way to protect them, they failed to consider whether their people could bear it.

Take the Lord of the Tower. Did he not love his people?

They simply could not bear the way he chose to protect them.

Had he not allowed himself to be killed, how could a mere wind elemental spirit have slain him and claimed his authority?

He was the Lord of the Tower!

A Demon God who ranked among the ten strongest in battle!

Time passed, and two days went by in the blink of an eye.

That morning, "Xue Qinghe" came to Zhongli Manor and ate breakfast with Zhongli and Paimon before saying goodbye. She was heading to a Soul Beast forest to hunt for a Soul Ring.

She likely would not return for ten days or two weeks.

That was why she had come to tell Zhongli, lest he think she was neglecting him.

"Qinghe, be careful!"

"I will, Paimon!"

Once "Xue Qinghe" had left, Paimon's eyes lit up. She remembered Zhongli saying two days ago that he would take her to the Star Dou Great Forest today.

"Zhongli, when are we leaving?"

"Once she's a little farther away."

"???"