Check out my new translation!
***
Sitting while sleeping wasn't any trouble. Out of trust in Hu Tao and with Little Wen keeping watch as insurance, Victor Wang fell asleep.
Although he slept lightly the whole time, surprisingly, he did not wake once—it was a full night's rest.
Wuwang Hill had no sun, but his biological clock told him it was already morning. When he opened his eyes, Hu Tao was stretching her body with warm-up exercises.
"You're awake."
"Seems like it was just coincidence, no ghosts were drawn in."
"Heehee! Even if not many, it's not like there were none. I'll count it as a small merit for you."
"…"
The return journey was uneventful, but when Hu Tao went back to Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, Victor Wang followed along.
"Hm?"
"I've got some business with Mr. Zhongli."
"I'll check for you… Seems like he isn't here. Does anyone know where Zhongli went?"
The staff of Wangsheng all shook their heads.
"Sigh, wandering off again with no word. I'll tell him to find you at the inn when he returns."
"No, no, no," Victor Wang quickly waved his hands, refusing. "I'm the one seeking him, how could I make him come to me?"
"Then come back after dinner. When he returns, I'll make sure he stays here and waits."
"Alright."
But before that, Victor Wang happened to run into Zhongli.
He had wanted to visit Wanwen Bookhouse to purchase the works of Xingqiu and Chang the Ninth, boosting their sales a little, and also to check the sales of The Butterfly Lovers. At that moment, Zhongli was flipping through a copy of Tales from the Box.
"Mr. Zhongli, didn't I say Teacher Dust's works are all great!" Ji Fang was eagerly recommending by his side.
"Indeed, not bad." Zhongli read a few more pages, then asked the piercing question: "How much is this book?"
"Uh, only about 3000 Mora…? You can just take it and read, return it when finished, money's not important… If you must talk money, better to promote it to your colleagues at Wangsheng."
"Then I thank you, boss."
As he left with the book he hadn't paid for, he turned his head—and just then, Zhongli's eyes met Victor Wang's as he emerged from the stairwell.
"Mr. Zhongli!"
"Mm… Do you have time now?"
"Yes, yes, yes!"
"Let's find a place to talk."
"Good, good, good!"
"To Xinyue Kiosk. Its private rooms are quite suitable for confidential discussions."
"Good, good—Wait, I thought Xinyue Kiosk had to be reserved three months in advance?"
"Generally so, but they keep contingency plans for important guests. If it's not already occupied… If it is, then we'll go to Liuli Pavilion instead."
Zhongli explained simply, striding toward Xinyue Kiosk, and Victor Wang hurried after him.
When they arrived, although there was no reservation, the waitress Yue Shu greeted them with an even brighter smile. She asked, "Mr. Zhongli, will you be activating the contingency?"
"Mm."
"You still remember the condition for activation, right?" Yue Shu's eyes curved like crescent moons.
"My friend here has come from afar. He's never tasted Yue Cuisine before. Prepare according to the highest standard."
"Understood! This way, please!"
She led Zhongli and the bewildered, uneasy Victor Wang inside, then quietly told the waiting staff: "Two distinguished guests for Full Moon Banquet in Between the Moonlight!"
"I understand." The male server also replied softly. After whispering with his colleague, he turned to Zhongli and Victor Wang with a genuine, unfeigned smile. "Please follow me. Haha, Mr. Zhongli comes here so often, he might be more familiar with the place than I am."
"Not quite. I only come two or three times a month, nowhere near your frequency."
"No, no! Guests like you are what quietly support Xinyue Kiosk. Please, treat this as your own home. And may I ask your friend's name?"
"I'm Victor."
"Mr. Victor! I can see you and Mr. Zhongli are very close. You may not know, though Zhongli seems to have friends across the world, those he brings to Between the Moonlight are very, very few!"
"Between the Moonlight?"
"That's our finest private room, open only to the most honored guests chosen by the manager. Here we are, please wait inside~"
The room was not as extravagant as one might imagine, but elegant and refreshing.
For those with a discerning eye, they could see an ordinary-looking vase was actually crafted three hundred years ago by Master Ruoqi of the Shenglu Hall. A seemingly commonplace landscape painting was actually the work of renowned artist Guangyi two centuries prior; every copy in circulation was modeled after this original.
Victor Wang couldn't recognize these. What he could tell was that the floating planters for strange airborne flowers were made of Subspace Boulder, and the tables and chairs were remarkable too, their reddish-purple wood giving off a faint fragrance.
As the air warmed with body heat and hot dishes, the furniture's fragrance faded, ensuring it didn't interfere with the food's taste.
So, he pondered a question that needed no pondering: Did Zhongli bring any Mora?
The servers had already served more than a dozen dishes, with no sign of stopping, making him panic further.
Still… even if he had to sell everything, this meal had to be eaten. Wallet, I order you to fight to the death—do not retreat!
When the twenty-eighth dish was served, the server softly said: "Please, enjoy~"
On leaving, he courteously closed the door behind him.
Zhongli began to explain:
"The two great culinary traditions of Liyue are Li Cuisine and Yue Cuisine. Li Cuisine specializes in mountain delicacies, Yue Cuisine in seafood.
"Though in terms of common taste Wanmin Restaurant surpasses both, Li and Yue have endured for their own uniqueness. From their focus, one can even glimpse the migration of Liyue's people in ages past… But I digress.
"The dishes are all here. Eat while they're hot. These twenty-eight classic Yue Cuisine dishes are ones you likely haven't tasted before. Another time, I'll take you to Liuli Pavilion for Li Cuisine."
Victor Wang's eyes sparkled—every dish looked perfect, and he didn't know which to try first. He urged politely: "You should eat too."
"…"
Zhongli lifted his chopsticks as well, avoiding the fish dishes, choosing from the rest.
After the Full Moon Banquet, he finally spoke of business: "I now know your origins. The matter entrusted by my old friend in Mondstadt—I can accomplish it."
"What?! Then… the Geo Archon hasn't died?!"
Zhongli nodded slightly. "To be frank, I am the Geo Archon."
In an instant, Victor Wang's face shifted through astonishment, confusion, disbelief, excitement, and faint hope—some feigned, some genuine, as he calculated how to act.
"You—you say you are the Geo Archon? I do know the Anemo Archon hides as the bard Venti, but he has forsaken ruling Mondstadt. I never thought the Archon who walked with Liyue throughout its history would do the same…"
"Then, having experienced a city where the Archon departed, how do you feel about Liyue—land still with its Archon?"
Here it comes. Zhongli must have asked Lumine this same question. Victor Wang gave the answer he had rehearsed many times:
"Liyue is more prosperous than Mondstadt. I thought it was because of its Archon, but now I see—it is because of its people. Still, people and Archon reflect one another. Different nations' people mirror their Archons.
"Mondstadters pursue freedom, and live by it. Liyue's people thrive in peace and order.
"The Anemo Archon gave Mondstadt his first and final gift—freedom. After guarding Liyue for 3,700 years, the Geo Archon too chose to grant freedom. Yet the two are vastly different. I accept the Anemo Archon's ideals, but I would rather live in Liyue."
"People and Archons reflecting one another? Perhaps, as you say."
Zhongli was quite satisfied with the reply.
"For now, I am merely Zhongli the mortal. You needn't be formal. Treat me as a friend. But keep my true identity secret."
"I absolutely will!"
"I shall help cleanse your element, but you must gather the necessary materials. And you must endure the pain. You've been through it once, so you know."
"Mm, tell me what materials you need."
"A thousand Cor Lapis and drops from the Geo Hypostasis. No problem, yes?"
"A thousand Cor Lapis… that takes up a lot of space. Where should I store them once I collect them?"
Zhongli pondered briefly, then let a faint light condense at his fingertip, which flew into Victor Wang.
"Do not resist… Hm?"
The light pierced through his mask, into his brow, and vanished. Victor Wang felt nothing—but Zhongli looked slightly puzzled.
"Is this a blessing?"
Zhongli slowly shook his head, taking out a small bell. "Take this Dust-Cleansing Bell to Yujing Terrace. Find a woman there who will teach you the power of the Inner Space. With it, you can carry all that Cor Lapis with you."
"TheInner Space? But Granny Ping seems to have Sub-Space power…"
"In the markets, some call it Adeptal Mustard Seed. A very convenient spatial art."
Sounded much like Inner Space and Sub-Space were the same thing. He had thought of scheming to get a Serenitea Pot from Granny Ping, but now it was handed to him on a silver platter!
"Any other questions?"
"Yes, but not about elemental cleansing. May I still ask?"
"Go ahead."
Under Zhongli's surprised gaze, Victor Wang pulled out a note covered with questions.