In the subconscious perception of the people, Rex Lapis, Zhongli, is the god of Liyue and the unwavering faith of all its citizens. He is an existence high above, like a flawless machine leading Liyue forward and creating a beautiful future for it. But... people seem to have overlooked one important thing. Rex Lapis is also a living, breathing being. He has emotions! And under their influence, he does things that ordinary people do. Like dreaming! When Zhongli sleeps, he unconsciously thinks of the person he once missed. However, as the god of Liyue, Zhongli has always hidden his past emotions in the deepest recesses of his consciousness, so very few people have ever noticed.
Hu Tao only happened to be lying in a coffin when she accidentally overheard Zhongli talking in his sleep. Hearing this, everyone around felt very surprised. Xiangling asked in confusion, "Ah, did Rex Lapis really talk in his sleep when he was at the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor? Tell us quickly, what did he say?"
Everyone held Rex Lapis in high regard and was even more interested in the secrets surrounding him. When Xiangling asked, Keqing, as a senior Rex Lapis fan, did not speak up but listened intently from the side. If Hu Tao dared to make things up, she would definitely correct her in time to salvage Rex Lapis's reputation. Not only that, Keqing herself was also very curious about Rex Lapis talking in his sleep.
Hu Tao looked at everyone's curious expressions and smiled. "He didn't say much in his sleep, just called out the name Guizhong a few times, and then there was no sound!"
Xiangling: "..."
Keqing: "..."
Beidou: "..."
What a waste of anticipation! They thought some hidden secret would be revealed, but it turned out he just called out a name a few times with no follow-up.
Just as everyone was disappointed, Yanfei beside them suddenly said seriously, "Guizhong... I think I have heard that name before too!"
Xiangling: "???"
Keqing: "Did you also overhear Rex Lapis talking in his sleep?"
Yanfei said solemnly, "Do not talk nonsense. According to Liyue law, eavesdropping is a violation of the law! The reason I have heard this name is that I heard it from my elders at home! But they didn't say much, and I didn't understand it either!"
Everyone knew that the elders Yanfei mentioned were not ordinary people, but adepti. It was quite normal for them to know this name. Just as everyone was getting more curious but unable to find an answer, Shenhe suddenly said, "I have also heard this name!"
Xiangling: "Huh? Have you all heard it? Am I the only one who hasn't?"
Keqing: "..."
Beidou spoke up. "That's right, stop hiding it. Hurry up and share all the information you know!"
Hearing everyone's urging, Shenhe slowly spoke. "Actually, it is not just me. You should have all heard the name Guizhong, but you just didn't pay attention to it! Do you remember? At the pass of the Tianheng Mountains, there is a powerful mechanism passed down from the Archon War! It is named the Guizhong Ballista!"
If it were wartime, a powerful mechanism could play a crucial role. But in times of peace, it is easily forgotten by people. Like in present-day Liyue! Most people have heard of the Guizhong Ballista, or even seen it with their own eyes, but when they hear the name Guizhong, they only feel a vague familiarity. They cannot immediately connect Guizhong with the Guizhong Ballista.
Sure enough! After hearing Shenhe's words, everyone present had an expression of sudden realization. No wonder the name Guizhong felt familiar, yet they could not quite place it. It was related to the Guizhong Ballista!
Xiangling still looked puzzled. "Could it be that this Guizhong Ballista is related to the Guizhong mentioned by the storyteller?"
Keqing: "Very likely!"
Hu Tao: "Hehe, should I go ask Zhongli and make him tell us everything?"
Beidou said solemnly, "There is no need to ask Rex Lapis. It won't be long before the storyteller reveals everything!"
Paimon said happily, "That's right, I also want to know what the story is!"
Arataki Itto laughed loudly. "Hahaha, no matter what the story is, the great Arataki Itto never cries!"
Paimon: "You're lying! When the Adeptus Who Guides the Heavens severed his antlers just now, I saw you secretly wiping away tears!"
Arataki Itto was startled. "Huh? Short Purple Melon, were you peeping at me?"
Paimon put her hands on her hips. "Hmph, I wasn't peeping at you. You are just too tall and blocking my view of the storytelling!"
Arataki Itto: "Hahaha, I am the great Arataki Itto, it is perfectly normal to be a bit taller!"
Paimon: "..."
...
Just as people were chattering and continuously discussing the matters of the Adeptus Who Guides the Heavens and Rex Lapis.
At this moment!
In another corner of the inn, Raiden Ei, Raiden Makoto, the Raiden Shogun, Zhongli, Barbatos, Tartaglia, Yae Miko, Xiao, and others were also reflecting on the storytelling they had just heard. The gods sitting at this table had all experienced the Archon War a thousand years ago. They knew the power of the gods and the difficulty of defeating them.
Precisely because of this! When they saw the Adeptus Who Guides the Heavens fight four gods alone, and even after severing his twin antlers, still manage to slay them all, they were all deeply shocked! As expected of Liyue, as expected of Morax's subordinates.
But... what shocked Raiden Ei, Raiden Makoto, and the other gods even more was how calm Zhongli was when facing dozens of gods at the same time. After learning of the Adeptus Who Guides the Heavens's death in battle, he even charged back into the fray a second time, slaying dozens of gods once again. This kind of spirit made even Raiden Ei marvel. Even if the two sisters and the Raiden Shogun attacked together, it would probably be very difficult to defeat Zhongli.
Strangely! After listening to the story of the sixteenth life, no one at this table spoke a word. They all remained silent.
Finally, Barbatos couldn't help but speak up. "This war was so brutal, and so many gods were slain! After this war, there shouldn't be any gods left who can threaten you, right?"
In Barbatos's view, after this war, there should be no force capable of hindering Zhongli from unifying Liyue. But... Barbatos's assumption was the exact opposite of the truth. This war not only resulted in the slaying of dozens of gods, but it also made all the remaining gods witness the terrifying power of Zhongli, forcing them to plot an even greater conspiracy. This brought an even greater disaster to the land of Liyue.
Hearing Barbatos's words, Zhongli let out a rare sigh. "Barbatos, I can understand your thoughts... but when you see the subsequent stories, you will not think this way!"
The subsequent stories Zhongli referred to were a series of wars that happened afterward. Compared to other nations on the continent of Teyvat, the Archon War experienced by Liyue was the most brutal, with the most frequent large-scale battles and the longest duration of conflict.