The people of Liyue hold a deep reverence for the Geo Archon, Morax.
Having the privilege to queue up and challenge the Geo Archon is undeniably alluring to the citizens of Liyue.
Of course, it's not about defeating the Geo Archon—it's about getting closer to him!
How wise and mighty is the Geo Archon? By drawing near to him, wouldn't it mean sharing many of his burdens?
Faced with such fervent devotion, Zhongli couldn't outright call it good, nor could he call it bad.
In short, it's a bit of a dilemma.
At the moment, Ganyu seemed to be entertaining similar thoughts.
She pondered:
If my luck were just a bit better...
Could I get even closer to the Geo Archon?
At that point, wouldn't I be able to share many of his burdens?
She simply couldn't resist such an opportunity!
Ganyu took a deep breath, then turned to Lu Heng and said, "Mr. Lu, I'll come back another day!"
Clearly, 300 million Mora wasn't Ganyu's limit.
The question was—how much more did she have in savings?
Lu Heng was a little curious.
500 million?
1 billion?
That seemed excessive. Given Ganyu's personality, she wouldn't keep such a massive sum just lying around.
It also felt a bit high, considering her current salary. Even if she saved every Mora without spending a single one, it would take her 500 years to accumulate that much. Not to mention, she'd surely need to buy things during holidays and special occasions, right?
Lu Heng estimated it was probably around another 300 million, give or take.
"No problem. Next time, just come straight in without queuing," Lu Heng said, always happy to accommodate big clients like her.
"Mmm, okay!"
Ganyu nodded in agreement, then checked the time.
It was already past five o'clock—the official end of the workday at Yuehai Pavilion.
But that was the time for humans to clock out. What did that have to do with Ganyu?
A little embarrassed, she said, "Mr. Lu, Mr. Zhongli, Mr. Venti... I still have some work to do, so I'll have to excuse myself."
"You should take good care of yourself. Only with a healthy body and mind can you keep working," Lu Heng advised.
"From a universal standpoint, Mr. Lu is correct," Zhongli agreed with a nod.
What a good child. What if she works herself to exhaustion?
Her father was a mortal who had long since passed away, and her mother was off traveling the world.
If something happened to her, how would he explain it to her mother?
"I'll be careful," Ganyu replied earnestly.
She agreed quickly enough, but whether she'd actually follow through was another matter.
Lu Heng shrugged. He wasn't close enough with Ganyu to press further.
Zhongli didn't say much either—after all, no amount of persuasion had ever worked before.
As they watched Ganyu leave, Venti remarked enviously, "What a good kid."
"She's over 3,000 years old. You're only 2,700," Zhongli said flatly.
"So what?"
Venti waved it off. "My status and position speak for themselves. Seniority is seniority!"
Age might not be on my side, but everything else is!
Just admit I'm the elder here!
As the two debated age, Tartaglia felt a bit out of place.
He scratched his head and said, "Well, in that case, I'm only 19. I'll turn 20 next year."
Lu Heng fell silent.
Honestly, he also felt out of place in this conversation between Zhongli and Venti.
Thinking back to my younger days... Wait, I'm still young!
To his left was a 6,000-year-old geezer, to his right a middle-aged guy of at least 2,700, and next to him a baby-faced 19-year-old.
Lu Heng sighed.
I'm only in my early twenties!
A fresh college graduate, just starting out, when a truck decided to send him flying into Teyvat.
Looking back, his life felt like it had happened just days ago.
"Boss Lu, how old are you?" Venti asked curiously.
"I'd guess at least 100,000," Tartaglia speculated.
Zhongli stroked his chin thoughtfully. "It's hard to say, but given his strength, he must be a seasoned expert who has long since achieved fame and success."
"I'm 22," Lu Heng said with a shrug.
Age wasn't exactly a secret. It wasn't like anyone would look down on him for being only 22, right?
Obviously not.
But the moment he said it, the others were stunned.
"You're telling me you're powerful enough to look down on all of Teyvat... and you're only 22?"
Venti looked like he'd seen a ghost.
This guy's this strong at 22?
Then what have I been doing for the past 2,700 years... Oh right, sleeping.
Zhongli also found it hard to believe.
Are you sure you didn't forget to add a 'ten thousand' in there?
"Seriously?"
This was as unbelievable as the sudden appearance of the card shop.
To put it another way—imagine you're at the peak of cultivation, and you meet an unfathomably powerful immortal. Then they casually mention they're still a minor.
Brother, this is terrifying.
"Why would I lie?" Lu Heng shook his head.
Zhongli and Venti immediately fell silent.
Their brains were working overtime.
How does someone become this strong at 22?
It makes no sense.
Tartaglia gasped. "I became the youngest Fatui Harbinger at 19. I was already considered a genius among geniuses... Give me three more years, and if Boss Lu's shop hadn't appeared, I still wouldn't have reached Archon-level strength... Damn, is this what it feels like to meet a real prodigy?"
Deep down, Tartaglia had a bit of pride.
At 19, the youngest Harbinger—a top-tier figure in all of Teyvat!
He had every right to be proud!
But Lu Heng was only three years older than him!
Suddenly, he felt like a speck of dust gazing up at the infinite cosmos—vast, boundless, and unfathomable.
It was like comparing a grain of sand to the entire universe.
"I'm feeling a bit unwell. I'll take my leave first," Tartaglia suddenly said with a laugh.
"Come to think of it, I have something to attend to as well," Zhongli said gravely.
"Haha, the old man still needs my help. Let's go!"
How could this conversation continue?
We've been alive for millennia and are still stuck on basic arithmetic, and here you are casually dropping equations that make people's heads spin.
It's like an eldritch horror creeping into your brain—utterly incomprehensible.
"Hey, don't leave," Lu Heng said, amused.
"It's almost dinnertime. What's the matter with you guys?"
The more he said, the faster they left.
"Sigh."
Lu Heng shook his head in disappointment.
He could understand how they felt.
But from his perspective?
It all made sense. After all, as a transmigrator from Earth, he was bound to have something special about him.
Genius is just the baseline for meeting me...
No.
For geniuses, that baseline is an insurmountable mountain, one they can only look up at in awe.
If there's no one to eat with, dinner just isn't as fun.
Lu Heng pondered.
Ding~
He checked the time—almost dinner.
Dinner companion refresh!
Furina:Dinner time is approaching~ Have you thought about what to eat?
Lu Heng thought for a moment before typing:
I want to eat with you.
The reply came instantly:
Furina:Okay!!! Come quickly~~ I'll be waiting! (Happy)
Now that's a dinner companion!
"Klee! Let's go!"
"Coming!"
Lu Heng tore open space, his enthusiasm for dinner carrying him straight to the Court of Fontaine.
Tartaglia, who had just rushed back, only saw the spatial rift slowly closing.
"Too late," Tartaglia sighed.
"Probably went to eat with his special someone."
Venti chuckled. "Eating at Liuli Pavilion and Xinyue Kiosk every day would bankrupt anyone. Wanmin Restaurant?"
"Precisely my thought," Zhongli nodded.
Gotta save Mora where we can. Luckily, Wanmin Restaurant is both affordable and delicious!
Meanwhile, at the southern docks.
The Crux Fleet's Alcor slowly pulled into port.
Beidou leaped down from the deck, landing firmly on the ground.
The broad-minded, free-spirited woman sighed. "Finally made it."
Originally, they should have arrived in the morning!
But who could've predicted it?
From thousands of miles away, the aftershocks of a terrifying battle had stirred up massive waves, sending the Alcor drifting hundreds of miles off course!
Thankfully, ships built for long voyages were designed to withstand rough seas.
Otherwise, there was no telling if the Alcor would've made it back before nightfall!
"Alright, boys, let's eat!" Beidou waved enthusiastically.
After weeks at sea, it was time to treat her crew to a proper meal.
But as they headed toward Chihu Rock, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was off about Liyue Harbor...
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T/N:
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