"Friend, you've got four hands, so which one do you use to wipe when you go to the bathroom?"
Bosacius: "..."
What kind of question was that? It was way too vivid. Wasn't she embarrassed at all, asking something like that as a girl?
On the battlefield, he was the kind of warrior no one could stand against. But right now, he was so awkward he could barely speak. How was he even supposed to answer that?
No one had ever asked him something like this before. It was equal parts ridiculous and impossible not to laugh at.
"Big Brother, we're a little curious too," Fanan said, holding back a laugh. It was rare to see Bosacius looking this cornered.
Bosacius: "..."
What kind of joining in was that? Was he still their big brother or not?
"Stelle, you..." March 7th opened her mouth, utterly unprepared for that question.
Seriously, could she stop saying bizarre things like this every other minute? It was making the Astral Express look bad.
Murata Himeko and the others were already covering their faces helplessly. A normal person would never ask something that weird.
Stelle looked at Bosacius with complete sincerity. There was not a trace of teasing in her eyes, only pure curiosity toward the unknown.
People with four arms weren't exactly common. Since she had finally met one, of course she had to ask.
Koji wasn't surprised at all. This was exactly the sort of thing Stelle would do.
"I'm not human. I'm from the yaksha race. Even if I didn't eat anything, it wouldn't matter," Bosacius said, neatly dodging the question instead of answering it directly.
"Stelle, enough. Don't ask things like that," Murata Himeko said quickly. If this kept going, Stelle would probably start asking follow-up questions.
Stelle nodded, a little disappointed that she hadn't gotten the answer she wanted.
"Whew..."
Bosacius wiped away some sweat. Even when fighting gods, he had never felt this tense.
"Stelle, you're amazing."
Hu Tao gave her a thumbs-up, full of admiration. Being able to ask something like that with a straight face was impressive.
Stelle's expression remained calm. This was basic technique.
As a Trailblazer, you had to have thick skin.
"Mr. Zhongli, there is something I would like to ask," Dan Heng said politely.
Zhongli's hand paused ever so slightly. For a moment, he feared he was about to get asked something strange too. But since it was Dan Heng, it probably wouldn't be as abstract as Stelle's question.
"Please, go ahead."
"What is divinity?"
Dan Heng asked seriously. It was something the Data Bank had never recorded. Aeons were rarely seen, so now that he had come to this world, he wanted to ask one of its gods directly.
Stelle looked at Dan Heng. Logically, wasn't this the kind of question a genius like Herta ought to be asking?
Zhongli was a little surprised by the question. It was not a simple one, and by all rights there was no standard answer to it.
"The kind of god I am is different from the gods you know, but I can still offer my own view," Zhongli said after a moment of thought.
"If there were no gods in this world, then this would be the realm of humanity. I was once the god of humanity, and so it is only right that I witness humanity's rise and fall."
"When one's duty has already come to an end, then one should also have the courage to leave, and to let go."
"After thousands of years, even bedrock that not even whirlpools could shatter will still be worn down by the erosion of time."
"I am the god of humanity. No matter how my identity changes, I will continue to use these eyes to witness human history."
That was Zhongli's belief.
He had staged his own death and withdrawn, handing Liyue over to humanity so that it could be governed by human hands, while he himself faded fully into the background.
Whatever heights humanity could reach, he would witness it all with his own eyes.
He did not care much for the title of "god." Otherwise, he never would have chosen to fake his death in the first place. At the end of the day, he was just an old fossil who had lived for several thousand years.
"The god of humanity..."
Dan Heng carefully savored Zhongli's words. Though Zhongli had not directly defined divinity, there was something about him that most people simply did not possess.
This Geo Archon might have lived even longer than the Hunt Aeon, yet he did not have the same cold detachment as an Aeon. He possessed a very human kind of humanity.
And when it came to power, Zhongli showed no attachment to it at all. He had released the future from his grasp and handed the nation to humanity.
Stelle and March 7th did not really understand what he meant, but they were still deeply impressed.
"Mr. Zhongli's realm of understanding is one ordinary people cannot hope to reach," Welt said with feeling. "The god of humanity will witness humanity's beginning and its end. Records may be lost in the river of history, but Zhongli will remember. In a sense, he is an ancient tome that runs through history itself."
Honestly, it was exactly what one would expect of a god. He possessed a level of awareness and character that ordinary people simply did not.
"Wow, Old Zhong, you can actually say something this philosophical? You've really made me see you in a whole new light," Hu Tao said, raising an eyebrow.
Zhongli: "..."
Listening to Hu Tao's noisy surprise, he could only feel helpless. He truly had no idea how to deal with this child.
Just what kind of image did he have in her mind? Was he really nothing more than the man who bought things without paying for them?
"I have learned much," Dan Heng said solemnly.
Jing Yuan was known as the Divine Foresight General, but if the two of them sat down for a game of strategy, he would probably lose.
"Zhongli, you really have changed quite a bit. Back then, you were much sharper," Guizhong said with a sigh of emotion.
The Martial God Morax of old had been far less humane than he was now. Time had worn down many of his edges.
"The times were different. In the era of the Archon War, those gods were not the sort you could reason with."
Zhongli smiled and shook his head. "In that age, demons and gods rose together across the world. Though I had no wish to contend for supremacy, I understood the suffering of the common people. I wished only to cleanse the four corners and protect one small corner of the mortal world."
"This era no longer needs power like ours."
If every little disturbance required the deployment of a god, that would make gods far too cheap.
Guizhong smiled. That was true. Even the adepti rarely stepped in to help anymore. This was an era that belonged to humanity. All they needed to do was bear witness.
"Mr. Zhongli's protection of the people is truly worthy of admiration," Sunday said in praise.
In that era, when demons and gods rose together, humanity had lived in the cracks between them. A casual strike from a god could easily kill great numbers of people.
And at that time, Morax had stepped forward. That alone was an act of great goodness.
"The human race is a remarkable one. It has immense potential. Through cooperation, humans can even contend with gods," Zhongli said, thinking back to the Millelith of those days. They had been able to fight even weaker gods.
And beyond that, human creativity was also remarkable. The flesh might not be their greatest strength, but the mind was a tool they knew how to use.
"Old Zhong, during the Archon War, were there any gods even you had trouble dealing with?" Hu Tao asked curiously.
Zhongli nodded. Gods that had anything to do with seafood were always troublesome in his eyes. Some of them were not actually his match, but they were revolting in a way that was truly unforgettable.
Guizhong smiled. Just from Zhongli's expression, she could already tell what he was thinking.
Back then, one seafood-like god had covered Zhongli from head to toe in sticky slime, and disgusted him so thoroughly that he had been wary of seafood ever since.
The damage had not been physical.
It had been psychological.
(End of Chapter)
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