The green-haired Shorty laughed awkwardly, trying to ease the tension.
"Ah—sorry about that. Didn't mean to scare everyone."
Idris chuckled.
"Conqueror of Demons, could you at least give a warning before transforming next time? I almost thought you were some Abyss creature."
"…You know me?"
The Conqueror of Demons looked confused.
Zhongli, too, turned to Idris with curiosity.
Idris's expression didn't change.
"Is it that strange?"
"You're Idris? The Grand Sage of Sumeru?"
The Conqueror of Demons suddenly remembered.
He'd heard the name recently—after all, diplomatic ties between nations were no small matter. Ordinary people might not know the details of contracts and treaties, but people like him certainly did.
And he'd also heard rumors that the Grand Sage of Sumeru traveled with the God of Wisdom—a girl even shorter than himself, but frighteningly intelligent.
Now it all made sense.
Hu Tao finally reacted as well.
She was usually the one pretending to be a ghost to scare others—now she'd gotten a taste of her own medicine.
Karma really is a thing.
Idris nodded calmly.
"Good eye. I'm Idris, Grand Sage of Sumeru. Relax—we're not here to fight."
Only then did the Conqueror of Demons breathe out in relief.
He'd been worried that his sudden transformation would cause a misunderstanding.
Scratching his head, he said apologetically, "Sorry. Sometimes my power gets out of control."
Hu Tao immediately chimed in mischievously,
"That's fine, but could you warn us first next time? My poor heart can't handle surprises like that."
Idris gently patted Nahida, who had just woken up and was clinging tightly to him.
"He turned into a ghost! So scary!" she said shakily.
"He's not a ghost," Idris soothed her.
"I told you before—about the Conqueror of Demons. That's him."
Only then did Nahida dare look at him again.
The Conqueror of Demons looked genuinely apologetic.
If he was being honest, his transformation earlier had something to do with these two as well.
From above, he'd sensed the tension between Idris and Zhongli—he'd thought a fight was about to break out.
He hadn't recognized Idris at the time, but Zhongli?
That presence was unmistakable.
So he'd transformed instinctively… and ended up terrifying Hu Tao and scaring Nahida half to death.
"I'm really sorry," he said again.
"This area hasn't been very peaceful lately. I have to stay alert."
Idris nodded in understanding.
"But Grand Sage," the Conqueror of Demons asked curiously,
"Shouldn't you be attending a banquet right now? Why are you at Wangshu Inn?"
After all, no matter how busy Ningguang was, she wouldn't neglect proper hospitality in matters of state.
Idris almost laughed.
Originally, he'd thought that abducting one Liyue god—Zhongli—would already be a huge win.
But now?
This Conqueror of Demons didn't seem impossible either.
Quiet, polite… but once he snapped, he was terrifyingly strong.
Back when Idris played the game, he'd farmed for that single line—"Lament!"—for over a month.
Flying through the air, raining down spears on enemies—
One word: exhilarating.
Before Idris could answer, Zhongli sighed inwardly and spoke up.
"I invited the Grand Sage to dinner. Since we've run into each other, why not join us?
It's been quite some time, Conqueror of Demons."
Damn it…
Zhongli was internally screaming.
This just made things more dangerous.
Who knew what kind of chaos would unfold over dinner?
If his identity was exposed—
Forget the people of Liyue.
Hu Tao alone might actually kill him.
The Conqueror of Demons smiled faintly.
He knew Zhongli well—this was definitely not something he'd volunteered for.
But paired with Idris's presence, the situation became… interesting.
He quickly caught onto something important—but wisely said nothing.
If Zhongli himself hadn't revealed it, what right did he have?
They descended from the platform together.
Halfway down, Zhongli finally couldn't stand the pressure anymore and sent a private message to Idris.
"Grand Sage of Sumeru, everyone praises your ability and methods.
Seeing you now, I understand why.
Since you know my identity, you surely didn't come just for a meal.
If you need help—say it directly.
As long as it's within my capability, I won't refuse."
Idris smiled.
Finally.
That was exactly what he'd been waiting for.
You couldn't rush someone like Zhongli.
If you pushed too early, you'd be rejected outright.
But hang the bait long enough—
Even stone would nod eventually.
The Conqueror of Demons, walking nearby, silently observed everything.
He was impressed.
So this is the Grand Sage…
Three or four casual exchanges, and Zhongli had already loosened up.
He couldn't help but wonder—
What kind of request could possibly make Zhongli agree?
After all, that man was stone.
And making stone move—
That required terrifying skill.
Meanwhile, Zhongli remained outwardly calm, but inside, his thoughts churned.
Idris's lips curled slightly as he replied through transmission:
"Since you're that straightforward, I'll be honest too.
Come with me. How about that?"
"…Come with you? To Sumeru?"
Zhongli raised an eyebrow.
Idris continued calmly,
"That's right. Liyue and Sumeru are in a critical phase of cooperation.
Sumeru just happens to need someone like the Geo Archon."
Then, with a faint grin—
"Of course, I won't let you work for nothing.
Once it's done, I'll give Liyue three benefits. Deal?"
Zhongli fell silent.
After a moment, he sighed inwardly.
If I'm going to be pulled around anyway… might as well cut it clean.
He smiled faintly.
"Since the Grand Sage is so sincere, I can hardly refuse.
But I have one condition."
Idris's eyes lit up.
"What condition?"
Zhongli paused, then said four words deliberately—
"We'll discuss it later."
Idris considered it briefly, then nodded.
"Fine. Later it is."
Deal made.
Idris then turned his gaze toward the Conqueror of Demons.
Another rare asset.
With the Geo Archon handling foundations and infrastructure, everything would be twice as efficient.
But combat power?
He was still short on manpower.
He couldn't personally handle every fight—he was a strategist, not a frontline brute.
Just as Idris was about to speak—
A system notification rang out in his mind.
"Detected: Host has altered Zhongli's storyline."
"Issuing rewards…"
"Reward: Attribute-Enhancement Vision ×1."
"Reward delivered. Please check."
Idris paused.
"…An attribute-enhancing Vision?"
That… sounded kind of useless.
Zhongli was a major character, and this was the reward?
What was he supposed to do with another Vision?
System, are you screwing with me again?
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