Peculiar…remarkably so.
Zhongli—Morax, the Geo Archon who had witnessed millennia—had not encountered anything beyond his expectations for a very, very long time.
For one who had seen nations rise and fall, whose wisdom spanned from the Archon War to the present age, very little in the world could stir the surface of his calm heart.
The Fatui's machinations. The Tsaritsa's pursuit of the Seven Gnosis and the hidden intent behind it. Beelzebul's Sakoku Decree. Sumeru's Akasha System. Fountaine Mechanic Judgement. Natlan "War" resurrection.
All of these were events he had already perceived, understood, and accounted for.
But what Futsu Mitama had just shown him—This, even Morax had not foreseen.
For the briefest instant, a ripple of emotion flickered in his amber eyes. After a long silence, Zhongli looked once more at Futsu Mitama… then chose to tap [Yes].
In an instant, the world shifted. A transparent screen materialized in the air before him, and countless lines of text began to scroll across it.
[Group Announcement: Ding!!!]
[Welcome Zhongli to the Teyvat Continent Loving Family Chat Group]
[Raiden Makoto: "Azhdaha! Sign a contract with me, quickly!"]
[Azhdaha: "Baal, what nonsense are you spouting? How could a contract be signed so casually?"]
[Raiden Makoto: "Exactly because I'm afraid you people in Liyue will steal him away that I want a contract. Ah? A newcomer?"]
[Yae Miko: "Zhongli? Isn't that the person Aila mentioned?"]
[Kamisato Ayaka: "@Zhongli, welcome. You must be confused since you just joined—let us explain things to you in a bit."]
[Sangonomiya Kokomi: "Welcome, Mr. Zhongli. This thing lets us communicate without meeting face-to-face. That's the simple version of what Futsu Mitama told us."]
[Kuki Shinobu: "Oh? Mr. Zhongli has joined as well."]
[Aila: "Young Master's invitation speed is always astonishing."]
[Azhdaha: "@Zhongli—ah, so you're that highly knowledgeable Zhongli! Hahahahaha! Finally, a Liyue member worth speaking to!"]
[Zhongli: "…"]
Outside the Chat Group, Zhongli's carefully maintained composure finally cracked.
A man who could remain unmoved in the face of calamity now found himself doubting—Was this wear and tear? Had his mind conjured illusions?
For he was staring at the First Electro Archon—the one long deceased—And at his old friend Azhdaha—sealed deep beneath the earth—Conversing freely on a translucent screen.
And more outrageous still—
Upon his arrival, the first scene he witnessed was Baal urging Azhdaha to sign a contract, even claiming she feared Liyue would "steal someone away."
Steal—whom?
Futsu Mitama, presumably. But he was an Inazuman—how had he become embroiled in this?
No—This was not wear and tear.
Zhongli steadied himself, eyes sharp once more.
This is an unknown power. Something that gathers consciousness into one place—A mechanism beyond even the Akasha.
He turned toward Futsu Mitama.
"What is this?"
Morax had no need for conjecture when answers stood before him. The youth was the one who had brought him here. He must know more than anyone else present.
"This is called a Chat Group," Futsu Mitama replied patiently. "It allows people from different nations to gather and communicate together."
A simple explanation—yet an impossible phenomenon.
Even for Zhongli, who had lived through countless eras, the sight of Raiden Makoto and Azhdaha—dead and sealed respectively—conversing as though alive would naturally provoke questions.
But with Futsu Mitama's explanation, the pieces began to fall into place.
Most members—Raiden Makoto, Azhdaha, and others—were not invited manually. They were drawn in by the Chat Group's own mechanism.
Only Yae Miko, Aila, and Zhongli himself were personally brought in by the Group Leader.
As for why he was invited—Zhongli had no trouble discerning the intent. The youth sought knowledge—knowledge to navigate Liyue without misstep.
'Not Morax, but Zhongli…' A small, rare smile tugged at the corners of his lips.
This was far more convenient. Had he entered as Morax, many matters he had planned might have been complicated by unnecessary attention.
"Mr. Zhongli, you seem quite surprised," Kuki Shinobu said, puzzled. "Didn't Sumeru create something similar? Although—this has more functions than the Akasha System."
Her tone carried honest curiosity. She had compared the Chat Group to the Akasha. Many others had as well. But Zhongli shook his head lightly.
"The Akasha System is bound to Sumeru alone," he explained. "Its reach cannot extend across nations. Beyond its borders, its effectiveness collapses."
"But this Chat Group—connects Liyue, Inazuma, Mondstadt—and even draws in the deceased and the sealed. It is unlike anything within Teyvat's known systems."
He paused, gaze steady.
"In my experience, nothing rivals it. Its nature resembles a treasure crafted by a being far above the level of gods."
He did not say the Chat Group was of divine origin. As the oldest living Archon, he understood better than any the limitations of gods. And because of that, he also understood how incomprehensibly powerful the Chat Group truly was.
Kuki Shinobu quietly scribbled notes.
Zhongli returned his gaze to the glowing interface.
Meanwhile, Futsu Mitama and Aila were already absorbed in the ongoing discussion—naturally about the lifebond armament. And though he had joined only minutes ago, Zhongli found himself—Oddly fond of this place.
A space where he could speak with old friends—Without the burden of being Morax.
Was this…enjoyment?
[Raiden Makoto: "Only the second day in Liyue, and such progress already? This Mr. Zhongli is truly capable."]
[Azhdaha: "Guiyan Assembly? That rings a bell. Their ancestor must've been a competent blacksmith."]
[Zhongli: "Indeed. Their forebear devoted his life to forging. Sadly, his descendants valued ores more than the craft itself."]
[Zhongli: "To those who followed, it became preferable to give rare ores to those who appreciated them, rather than forge them personally."]
[Azhdaha: "Hah! Not the worst outcome. Saves blacksmiths quite a bit of labor."]
Zhongli smiled faintly as the group drifted from forging materials—
to Raiden Ei—to the possibility of bribing her with desserts. A rather familiar tendency of theirs—to derail every topic. Yet the warmth he felt now was genuine.
A sight never seen by the people of Liyue. For Zhongli's smiles were usually fleeting, subtle—never this sustained. Futsu Mitama quietly observed him. The more Zhongli enjoyed this place, the safer Futsu Mitama's position in Liyue became.
After a while, Futsu Mitama asked softly:
"Mr. Zhongli, we're heading home to rest. What about you?"
"Oh? Already?" Zhongli chuckled.
He knew where they lived—beside the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
"I still have important matters to attend to. If Director Hu asks, simply tell her I went to Heyu Tea House for tea."
With that, he turned and walked off, humming an ancient melody under his breath—
A tune known only to those who lived long enough to hear the rise and fall of ages.