"We greet the Martial God!" ×2
Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen stood up respectfully, cupping their hands towards Zhongli, their faces filled with admiration.
This Martial God, as their grandfather had said, was a very amiable "person," appearing like a dignified yet approachable elder brother.
Meng Hongchen's eyes sparkled with little stars, and a tear of admiration involuntarily slipped from the corner of her mouth.
Handsome, so incredibly handsome!
In all her life, she had never seen someone so handsome.
No, perhaps "dashing" would be a better word.
Zhongli glanced at Xiao Hongchen. This young man seemed lively, yet carried a sharpness that kept others at a distance.
With friends, he was probably the type to be annoyingly playful.
With strangers, he maintained a cool exterior, though his inner excitement was palpable.
After observing Xiao Hongchen, Zhongli turned his gaze to Meng Hongchen. Her white, shoulder-length hair and crimson eyes stared at him with longing.
"Hmm, this girl is extraordinary from birth…"
Zhongli thought to himself but did not voice it aloud.
This was not Teyvat, and he didn't have any extra "vision" on him. Otherwise, he would have surely given this girl one.
"Please, both of you, take a seat."
Zhongli waved his hand, signaling the siblings to sit, then continued, "You've come from afar, so there's no need to stand on ceremony. Liyue welcomes all friendly friends."
"Consider Liyue your second home. I am merely a part of Liyue."
Hearing this, everyone rolled their eyes.
Zhongli could be humble, low-key, and even not consider himself a god.
But they, these weak, pitiful, and helpless "ordinary people," knowing full well that Zhongli was a god, how could they treat him as an ordinary person?
"Yes, Martial God!"
Zhongli: "..."
He understood why everyone was so reserved, it was natural.
It was an acknowledgment of the difference in status, not daring to overstep.
He sighed deeply but had no solution.
Forget it.
Zhongli's amiability made everyone wonder what Tang San could have possibly done to anger this Martial God.
After all, at Shrek Academy, this Martial God had spared Tang San once. Who would have thought he would provoke him again and end up being crushed?
"Those who come out of Shrek Academy, few have normal brains."
"I heard the Martial God visited Shrek Academy a few days ago and caused quite a stir. I wonder what he went there for."
Though curious, everyone knew what questions were appropriate and which were not, so they remained silent.
After some casual conversation, Zhongli seemed to remember something and said, "Since you have no residence in Liyue, why not stay at my place for the time being?"
Liyue currently had no available residences, and having Jing Hongchen and the others stay at a hotel would be somewhat disrespectful.
They had come with goodwill to help Liyue; how could they be treated so lightly?
Hearing this, Jing Hongchen and the others exchanged glances, both surprised and delighted.
Living under the same roof as the Martial God, something they had never dared to imagine!
They indeed had no residence in Liyue and had planned to stay at a hotel. Who would have thought they'd receive such an invitation!
Meng Hongchen frantically blinked at Jing Hongchen, urging him to agree.
She wanted to see more of Zhongli. Just looking at him made her feel happy!
For girls, looking at a handsome man was the same as boys looking at a beautiful woman, both brought joy, of course, without any ulterior motives.
Seeing this, Jing Hongchen's eye twitched, and he pondered.
If only…
"Ah…"
He didn't dare to think further. After all, a being like Zhongli was not something mortals like them could scheme about.
"Let nature take its course."
Jing Hongchen thought to himself, but on the surface, he remained calm and said, "Thank you, Martial God. We'll take you up on your offer!"
Seeing Jing Hongchen agree, Meng Hongchen's eyes narrowed like a little fox who had succeeded in her plan.
"Very well."
With that, Zhongli stood up and said, "Since you've come from afar, let me, Zhongli, play the host and invite you to a simple meal. How does that sound?"
Hearing this, Jing Hongchen and the others were stunned, their eyes widening in shock.
The Martial God was inviting them to a meal?
"Ah…"
Everyone gasped. If it were anyone else inviting them to eat, they might have brushed it off, given their status.
But this was a god!
"Y-yes, thank you, Martial God!"
There was absolutely no reason to refuse!
They had come to Liyue precisely to get closer to this god. How could they possibly decline?
Soon, the group left Zhongli's residence and headed to the food street.
As they walked, Xiao Hongchen, Meng Hongchen, and Ju Zi looked around curiously.
Liyue wasn't like Mingdu, where soul technology flourished. Instead, it was a place of ancient, elegant architecture, with a unique charm.
Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen, having grown up in Mingdu, were naturally fascinated by such architecture.
As for Ju Zi, she was observing other things, not just the buildings and bustling streets.
In Liyue, few didn't know Zhongli, especially the residents, who looked at him with fervent and sincere eyes.
"We greet the Martial God!"
"Good afternoon, Martial God!"
Zhongli responded politely to the residents' greetings.
At that moment, a little girl ran out from the crowd. She was no more than three feet tall and looked up at Zhongli.
"Big Brother Martial God!"
The little girl raised her hands, staring at Zhongli with longing.
From the crowd, a mother, sweating nervously, quickly stepped forward to take the little girl away.
Zhongli looked down at the girl. She had short silver-white hair and an adorable face.
"Martial God, I'm sorry…"
The mother had just stepped out of the crowd, but before she could finish, Zhongli crouched down and picked up the little girl, all in one natural motion, without any pretense.
"Huh??"
Everyone was stunned. They knew Zhongli was amiable, but they hadn't expected him to be even more approachable than they imagined!
"Can you tell me your name, little one?"
Zhongli asked with a gentle smile.
He actually knew the little girl's family situation. To Zhongli, this land held no secrets.
They weren't residents of Shrek City but a fishing "family" from the eastern seas.
When Liyue was first established, they had come to settle here.
"Big Brother Martial God, my name is Ningguang!"
The hand holding little Ningguang trembled slightly.
Zhongli looked at her again. She truly bore a resemblance to an old friend.