And so, Xianyu chose to keep being an emotionally unstable lunatic.
His voice was tender beyond belief. "What do you think, my dear friend?"
Aha instinctively rubbed an arm, feeling the hairs on this avatar stand on end.
"...Ahahaha, my dear friend, the last time you said that to me, that pile of scrap metal's followers all but pointed at my nose and cursed me out."
Xianyu knew it was probably his own doing, but he kept a straight face and feigned surprise:
"Oh? Did that really happen? How awful of them."
Aha said, "It really was awful! My dear friend! Quick! Kill them all!"
Building on what he had said to Jingliu, Xianyu had come up with a new way to mentally demolish Aha and everyone else in the know.
He deliberately frowned and said disapprovingly, "What are you, some living Yama? You're far too bloodthirsty."
Aha fell silent for a moment.
That's my dear friend for you. He really knows how to find amusement!
But that tone...
This avatar's ears might have to go, too.
"My dear friend, could you stop talking in that tone?"
Xianyu remained unmoved. "Don't you think it's amusing? Don't you want to try it in front of other people, other gods?"
The moment Aha heard that, the temptation hit hard.
Xianyu kept going. "Oh, while you're at it, you could pass a message to Fuli for me. After all, we're friends who've been through life and death together."
Aha asked with interest, "What message?"
Xianyu said casually, "Your dear friend bares his heart to you, and you play mind games with him. That's hardly right, is it?"
Aha agreed readily and left just as readily.
Xianyu opened the system map, which he had never used in this life, and carefully searched for Aha's