Hu Tao looked at Makoto and Ei in the sky, then at the Raiden Shogun standing beside Zhongli. She said matter-of-factly, "That guy Zhongli has been sitting with someone who looks like the Raiden Shogun this whole time—he must know what's going on. I'll go ask him."
Hu Tao had always found Zhongli mysterious and hard to read. She never expected an ordinary consultant to know Barbatos, let alone someone like the Raiden Shogun. How strange.
...
While Hu Tao went to investigate the connection between the Raiden Shogun, Ei, and Makoto, inside the inn, Li Mo did not go outside to see what was happening. Instead, he complained to the system.
"System—I just asked you to resurrect one person. Did you have to make such a big scene?"
Things had already blown up. The Raiden Shogun's identity would surely be exposed now. Soon, news of Makoto's resurrection would spread across Teyvat.
[Ding! System notification: The person being resurrected is one of the Seven Archons, requiring an immense amount of Electro energy. A large gathering of elemental power was necessary for the resurrection.]
Li Mo: "…"
Well, that was a reasonable explanation.
Still, being able to gather Electro energy outside the inn was already a good outcome. If the system had gone crazy and resurrected Makoto directly into his arms, there would be no explaining that.
Regardless, Makoto had been successfully revived. Ei and Makoto were reunited. This would surely help Ei come out of Musou Isshin. Li Mo was relieved.
Though he had not gone out to see, he could imagine Makoto and Ei embracing each other.
Just then, another system notification sounded in his mind.
[Ding! System analysis complete. The stories of your third life as the bard Venti and your fourth life as the black dragon Durin have been fully told!]
[Special effect triggered—Fusion! You will now merge with your third incarnation's body (the bard Venti) and your fourth incarnation's body (the black dragon Durin)!]
[Merge now?]
After finishing his third life, Li Mo had not chosen to merge with Venti's body. Now that his fourth life was complete, he could merge both at once.
"Merge now."
The moment he spoke, he felt two forces enter his body—one gentle, one fierce.
Not only that, a faint strain of music echoed within the inn, and a low dragon's roar rippled through the space.
But these sounds were too faint. Neither the ordinary listeners nor Vision-wielders like Keqing heard them.
But Barbatos and Dvalin seemed to notice. Both froze.
Then, Dvalin raised his head and roared, gazing at Wangshu Inn with confusion.
Barbatos moved like a gust of wind, appearing instantly inside the inn. He looked at the empty hall, then at Li Mo sitting quietly on stage, his eyes filled with doubt.
Had he misheard? Even Barbatos was questioning his own ears.
He could not help but ask, "Storyteller, did you hear something just now?"
Li Mo said slowly, "Forgive me, I only heard the thunder and lightning."
The thunder and lightning had come from Makoto's resurrection.
Barbatos looked apologetic. "Forgive me for disturbing you."
Li Mo nodded. "It's no trouble."
That was close. His identity had nearly been exposed.
Li Mo knew that if he kept telling stories in this inn, his identity would eventually be discovered. People would find out sooner or later.
But revealing his identity too soon would not help him complete his storytelling mission.
Then, another system notification sounded in his mind.
[Ding! Congratulations, host. Fusion with your third incarnation's body (the bard Venti) is complete—]
[Ding! Congratulations, host. Fusion with your fourth incarnation's body (the black dragon Durin) is complete—]
The moment the fusions were complete, Li Mo could clearly feel the elemental power within him greatly increase.
Its strength now rivaled that of the Seven Archons.
...
Outside the inn, when Ei told Makoto about their brother's cycle of reincarnation—that he had already lived through four lives—Makoto was even more astonished.
In this world, resurrection truly existed. Reincarnation truly existed. How miraculous.
And that storyteller, who seemed to know everything, had told it all.
Makoto was eager to meet him.
A smile appeared on Ei's face. "The fourth life just ended. The fifth should begin soon. I'll take you to meet the storyteller."
Makoto smiled too. "Yes. I want to see what kind of remarkable person he is."
Ignoring the shocked gazes of those around her, Ei led Makoto into Wangshu Inn to meet the storyteller.
The moment she saw Li Mo, Makoto felt something familiar and unfamiliar at once. She could not be sure.
She sat down to observe the storyteller quietly.
Meanwhile, the audience outside, having watched the spectacle, filed back into the inn.
Though they did not fully understand what had happened—who had orchestrated the resurrection—they had seen the outcome.
Compared to before, two more people had appeared in the inn, and they looked exactly alike. With the Raiden Shogun already there, that made three identical people.
It was utterly baffling.
Now, the Raiden Shogun, Ei, Makoto, Barbatos, Zhongli, and Yae Miko—six people—sat around one table. It was not crowded, but it looked rather comical.
Seeing three identical faces, even Barbatos could not help but laugh. "Used to be two sisters, now it's three sisters. Congratulations."
Zhongli said slowly, "Old friend, do you know how you were resurrected?"
A miracle had occurred right under the noses of three archons, yet none of them could discern the slightest clue. They could not even tell who had orchestrated it.
Makoto thought for a moment, then said seriously, "I don't know how it happened, but I'm certain it has something to do with the storyteller."
...