Chapter 94. ~~~
Nahida couldn't see through Zhongli, or rather, from her perspective, his strength was very normal, giving off the vibe of a carefree and retired old man.
But the problem was, whether it was Albedo deliberately sending Klee away, or Futsu Mitama asking her to come meet Zhongli, as well as the Demon God standing beside him.
Nahida felt that the man before her was anything but ordinary. But who exactly was he?
At that moment, curiosity welled up within her. Curiosity was the foundation of all pursuit of knowledge, and even as the God of Wisdom, she found herself unable to see through Zhongli.
He had to be someone of extraordinary standing.
Could he be Morax? But if he truly were Morax, why didn't Azhdaha recognize him?
Nahida knew very well who Azhdaha was. Although much of the knowledge she had accumulated during her five centuries connected to the Akasha Terminal had yet to be put into practice, it remained an invaluable reservoir of information.
Historical records, in particular, had been especially useful.
Azhdaha and Morax had once been inseparable companions. Yet after erosion consumed Azhdaha's reason and drove him into madness, he turned against those around him, culminating in a great battle against Morax and the adeptus of Liyue. In the end, Morax and the adeptus had joined forces to seal him away.
Because of that history, Azhdaha could be considered the one who understood Morax better than anyone else.
Ever since joining the Chat Group, he had repeatedly declared that Morax would surely join sooner or later. From the anticipation in his words, it was obvious how much he looked forward to seeing his old friend again.
That being the case—
Mr. Zhongli shouldn't be Morax. If he wasn't Morax, then who exactly was he?
Nahida couldn't help but wonder.
After all, not only did every Archon in the Chat Group treat Zhongli with remarkable courtesy, but even Futsu Mitama—the Chat Group's leader—always addressed him with great respect.
After joining the Chat Group and obtaining the Teleportation Scepter through her first sign-in, Nahida had realized something.
The origin of this Chat Group was likely far more terrifying than she had ever imagined.
Above the Seven Archons stood the Four Shades.
Above the Four Shades stood the Heavenly Principles.
Yet even the Heavenly Principles, Nahida felt, probably couldn't create something as miraculous as the Chat Group.
As the Group Leader, Futsu Mitama's status could not possibly be ordinary. Not to mention, he was now destined to become the next Electro Archon.
If even someone like him treated Zhongli with such respect—
Then Nahida's curiosity only grew stronger.
Quietly, she activated her authority. She wanted to see who Mr. Zhongli truly was.
Authority was an innate gift possessed by every Archon. Each Archon wielded different authorities. Some excelled in overwhelming destructive power, while others specialized in abilities with less direct combat application, yet were no less extraordinary.
Nahida had great confidence in her own authority.
It allowed her to weave illusions that trapped others in cycles of reincarnation, perceive the thoughts hidden within their hearts, and finally— Discern the true form concealed beneath appearances.
She rarely used that last ability.
The first two had been sufficient for almost every situation she had encountered.
But now—
Driven by pure curiosity, Nahida quietly activated the authority that revealed one's true nature.
As long as she was careful... No one should notice.
A faint emerald radiance flickered across her eyes as she gazed toward Zhongli.
"Hm?"
Zhongli seemed to sense something.
A gentle golden glow quietly emerged around him, effortlessly severing the invisible perception extending toward him.
Then he looked directly at Nahida.
A warm, composed smile appeared on his face. It was almost as though he were saying—
Good day.
Nahida's smile instantly froze. Because, even after using her authority she still couldn't see through Zhongli.
What... was going on?! Was he deliberately concealing himself?
No. He had noticed her.
The instant her authority reached him, Zhongli had instinctively blocked it.
That should have been impossible. Yet it had happened before her very eyes.
There were only two possible explanations.
First, The authority Zhongli possessed ranked above her own.
Second, His strength had reached a realm so overwhelming that even an Archon's authority could not casually peer into it.
After all, while an Archon's authority was powerful, it was never meant to investigate beings who stood at the very peak of existence.
"Oh my~ Is this the Dendro Archon?"
Before Nahida could recover from her shock, Guizhong happily walked over, embraced her without hesitation, and said with a bright smile,
"Allow me to introduce myself properly. I'm Liyue's God of Dust. As for my divine name— let's skip that~ Just call me Guizhong. At the moment, I'm essentially Liyue's third-in-command. And this gentleman beside me—"
"Now that Albedo has ended the group livestream, I can tell you directly. He is Morax. Also known as Rex Lapis of Liyue. For certain personal reasons, he's currently living under the identity of Zhongli. As for those reasons— hmm~ that's classified."
"Oh, and you're absolutely adorable~~~"
The moment she finished speaking, Guizhong immediately began rubbing Nahida's cheeks enthusiastically.
After all...
Women had very little resistance when it came to cute things. Especially someone like Nahida, who was both adorable and sensible.
So after giving a brief introduction to Zhongli, Guizhong's attention immediately shifted toward happily cuddling the little Dendro Archon.
"Ah..."
Nahida's thoughts instantly came to a complete stop. She no longer paid any attention to Guizhong rubbing her cheeks.
Instead, she stared at Zhongli with wide eyes.
"Y-You're... the Geo Archon... Morax?!"
To be honest—
Nahida had never expected that the possibility she had dismissed first would actually turn out to be the correct answer.
But, It still didn't make sense. If Zhongli truly was Morax—
Why was his name in the Chat Group "Zhongli"? And why didn't Azhdaha recognize him?
Judging from Guizhong and Albedo's reactions, they had clearly known the truth from the very beginning.
Wait...
A thought suddenly flashed through Nahida's mind. Futsu Mitama had specifically told her to come find Mr. Zhongli. Could it be he had also intended to reveal this secret to her?
"Hm. Greetings, Nahida."
Zhongli looked at her with his usual gentle smile.
"I am Zhongli, consultant of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. And I am also Rex Lapis... Morax. As for your earlier attempt to investigate me. It was admittedly somewhat discourteous."
"However, I shall forgive it."
"Thousands of years ago, I witnessed the same thirst for knowledge possessed by the God of Wisdom."
Indeed.
Zhongli had no intention of blaming Nahida. She was still very young, and more importantly, she was Maha Rukkhadevata's successor.
How could someone who had lived for over six thousand years argue with a child barely five hundred years old?
Besides...
She was such an earnest child.
Although using one's authority to examine someone's identity upon their first meeting was somewhat inappropriate—
As an elder, Zhongli merely intended to remind her gently not to repeat it in the future.
Nahida immediately became visibly embarrassed. She had only intended to take a discreet peek— Yet she had been caught on the spot.
While Guizhong continued happily rubbing her cheeks, Nahida repeatedly nodded in apology.
"I-I'm truly sorry for my rudeness."
"It's of no consequence."
Zhongli smiled reassuringly. His gaze quietly shifted toward Guizhong, who still showed no sign of releasing Nahida.
A trace of helplessness flickered across his eyes.
Even if he wished to continue speaking with Nahida—It was rather difficult while Guizhong insisted on treating the little Archon like a plush doll. Openly taking advantage of another Archon in such a manner was, admittedly, somewhat lacking in decorum.
Unfortunately...
When it came to Guizhong, Zhongli had very few effective solutions. He could only hope Nahida didn't mind too much.
As for Nahida herself...
Her thoughts were currently occupied by something entirely different.
Zhongli is actually Morax.
Among the Seven Archons, the current Geo Archon had ruled the longest and governed his nation with unparalleled stability.
Nahida had always held complicated feelings toward the Archon War.
In her eyes, it resembled little more than forcing countless gods into a brutal struggle where only a handful could survive.
So many gods had gathered together—
Yet instead of seeking another path, they had fought until countless lives were lost, countless dreams shattered, and countless companions departed forever.
As a second-generation Archon, Nahida knew only the history recorded in the Akasha.
Still...
Whenever she read those records, she couldn't help feeling that the losses suffered during that era were deeply regrettable.
And among all those who survived...
Morax shone the brightest.
Even after five hundred years of confinement, Nahida knew countless things about Liyue. The Akasha contained an immense amount of information regarding every nation.
Whenever someone connected to the Akasha dreamed, Nahida could quietly enter those dreams to learn.
Through that process...
She had gradually come to understand Morax.
He had single-handedly brought the Archon War in Liyue to its conclusion. He had established the greatest commercial nation in Teyvat.
His people even regarded walking alongside their Archon as a source of immense pride.
The annual Rite of Descension alone was proof enough of that devotion.
Compared to him...
Nahida couldn't help feeling envious. She, too, wished to become an Archon loved so deeply by her people.
But reality was cruel.
The Akademiya—
And the overwhelming majority of Sumeru's citizens—
Recognized only Maha Rukkhadevata. Not Lesser Lord Kusanali.
Because of that—
Aside from longing to meet Maha Rukkhadevata herself...
The person Nahida had always wanted to meet most was the legendary Geo Archon to learn and asking guidance. And now that she finally stood before him—
She found herself unexpectedly nervous.
"That's enough."
At that moment, Albedo looked helplessly at Guizhong, who was still enthusiastically rubbing Nahida's face.
"Nahida is starting to feel embarrassed."
"Oh dear~"
Guizhong blinked before finally noticing Nahida's expression. Only then did she reluctantly release her and smile apologetically.
"I simply can't resist adorable children. My apologies~"
"It's alright."
Nahida gently shook her head. Then she looked toward Guizhong and Zhongli, her tone becoming slightly hesitant.
"It's just, why doesn't Azhdaha know your identity? Or does he actually know, but simply pretends not to, just like everyone else in the Chat Group?"
Now that she knew Zhongli truly was Rex Lapis...
A new question naturally surfaced.
How could Azhdaha—Morax's closest companion during the Archon War—not recognize him?
The matter simply didn't make sense.
Or did everyone in the group already know Zhongli's identity? Even Azhdaha? Were they merely pretending otherwise?
"There's a reason for that."
Guizhong gently pinched Nahida's cheek before explaining with a smile.
"It's a little complicated. But to put it simply, Morax wants to retire. So for now, revealing his identity isn't appropriate. Originally, there wouldn't have been any problem revealing it. Everyone in the Chat Group is excellent at keeping secrets."
"But..."
"This fellow Azhdaha—He firmly believes that Zhongli is Zhongli, and Morax is Morax. Back then, quite a few people in the group had almost figured out Zhongli's true identity. But Azhdaha—he sincerely believes they're two completely different people. He's even said more than once that he'll personally introduce Zhongli to Morax someday."
By the time Guizhong finished speaking—even her smile had become somewhat complicated.
Albedo gave a slight nod.
"That's correct. Azhdaha and I entered the Chat Group at the same time. As for Mr. Zhongli... Or rather, Rex Lapis—the timing of his joining was somewhat special."
"He was personally invited by Futsu Mitama. Because of that, his display name couldn't be changed. Members invited directly by the Chat Group itself, however, are able to choose their own names."
At this point, Albedo looked at Nahida.
"Don't you find that strange? When you joined the Chat Group— Why was your name simply 'Nahida'? Instead of 'Lesser Lord Kusanali' or 'Buer'?"
Hearing that explanation—
Nahida finally understood why Azhdaha remained convinced Zhongli wasn't Morax. There were two methods of joining the Chat Group.
Either the Chat Group selected someone itself—
Or Futsu Mitama personally invited them.
Those personally invited couldn't alter their displayed names.
Thus, Morax had entered under the identity of "Zhongli."
As a result, Azhdaha sincerely believed Morax had yet to join the Chat Group and that Zhongli was merely an ordinary consultant from the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
But had he really never found anything suspicious?
Nahida's expression became increasingly complicated. From the moment she entered the Chat Group, she had noticed several peculiar details.
Barbatos constantly teased Zhongli as though they had known each other forever.
Both Raiden Makoto and Raiden Ei treated him with unmistakable respect.
As for Maha Rukkhadevata...
She even addressed him as "Mr. Zhongli," clearly indicating they were old acquaintances.
Yet despite all of that—Azhdaha still hadn't realized the truth? What exactly had he been thinking?
For one brief moment—
Nahida was overcome with an irresistible urge. She wanted to announce in the Chat Group and tagged Azdaha—
"Zhongli is Morax! Didn't you know?"
She couldn't help wondering—
What expression would Azhdaha make if he heard that?
Just imagining it made her unbearably curious.
"I understand."
Nahida wasn't foolish. She forcefully suppressed that dangerous curiosity.
She had a strong feeling...
That if she actually revealed the truth in the Chat Group...
The ensuing chaos would be spectacular. And she'd probably end up offending someone in the process.
Taking a quiet breath, Nahida calmed herself before producing the Teleportation Scepter and respectfully handing it to Zhongli.
"This is the item I obtained from my sign-in."