Mr. Zhongli, we can't slack off anymore!

"It's quite amazing." Zhongli hadn't expected his weapon to look like this.

"It said it wanted to come with me," the traveler joked.

"Is that so?" Zhongli seemed thoughtful as she released her grip...

The spear in the traveler's hand suddenly became as heavy as a pillar, weighing 13,500 jin (approximately 6,750 kg), and a slight tilt would crush the traveler...

"Ah! Don't let go! Mr. Zhongli! It doesn't want to come with me!" The traveler cried out for help with his eyes tightly closed, unable to steady the animal even with his hands clenched so tightly that his wrists ached.

Zhongli grasped Guanhong the moment the traveler uttered the first "Ah," and only apologized after the traveler finished speaking.

"Sorry, I thought you could handle it."

"So the Piercing Rainbow is this heavy." Of course, the traveler can't feel the actual weight of the weapon while playing the game.

“Indeed, I do have some, but I don’t use it all the time,” Zhongli affirmed the traveler’s statement.

"So what do you usually use?"

"It depends on the situation. When there are many monsters on the road, we can borrow the Huma Staff from Master Hu. Otherwise, we can use the Black Tassel Spear."

"Oh...I see." The traveler always had to ask unnecessary questions.

The combat stats and strategy guides from those experts are absolutely true.

"Now that you've made your choice, let's go back to Liyue Harbor. I know an instructor who might be a good fit for you."

"Hmm? Shouldn't we tidy up? I've made such a mess. Lord Liuyun Jiefeng will definitely be unhappy when he returns." The traveler looked at the chaotic surroundings and thought of Lord Liuyun Jiefeng's temper...

“You’re right. In my haste, I completely forgot about etiquette.” Zhongli nodded in agreement.

The two then started repairing and patching things up...

The traveler pulled the arrows off the rock.

A familiar fragrance caught the traveler's attention, and she looked up to see a purifying plant.

She remembered waking up in Zhongli's room that morning and seeing the Qingxin plant she had given him on his desk.

There were other vases on the desk, and it seemed that their owner had tried several different vases for this 'Pure Heart' plant, and finally chose a sky-blue long-necked vase to keep it.

The traveler took off his Qingxin elixir and hid it behind his back before heading towards Zhongli.

At this time, the clock is being used to fill in the pits and bumps on the ground with rock elements.

"Mr. Zhongli," the traveler called from behind.

"Wait a moment." Zhongli stood up only after watching every dent in the ground being filled with rock element particles.

"Here you go." The traveler took out the Pure Heart from behind his back.

“…” Zhong Li hesitated for a moment, and in that instant, he thought of many things…

No one knows what he was thinking, or perhaps he made a decision he had never made before.

The traveler wondered if he had gone too far, and withdrew his hand: "By the way, I already gave it to you yesterday, so I won't give it to you today."

A strong woman should be able to bend and stretch!

To say that you felt no disappointment would be an act.

She turned her back awkwardly, trying to hide her panicked expression.

I guess I'm not suited for this kind of thing. Maybe I should just keep a safe distance between fans and idols from now on.

Yes! If he takes one step forward, I will take a hundred steps forward. If he takes one step back, I will take ten thousand steps back, and then jump off a cliff to my death.

Suicide is just talk; I'll just make do and live on.

"Could you give me this Pure Heart Flower?" Zhong Li asked from behind.

"Alright, since you're so eager to have it, I'll give it to you." The traveler still didn't turn around to face him, but handed the flower behind his back.

"Thank you," Zhongli's voice came from behind.

What kind of expression the other person has, and what they are thinking, perhaps only that pure heart knows.

*

Return to Liyue Harbor.

Zhongli led the travelers to the Liyue Harbor dock.

Are there any instructors here?

"Maybe so."

"If there isn't one... why did we come here?"

"Don't rush, traveler. The dock is lively in the afternoon, and there's a unique charm to watching the sea, the ships, and the mountains." Zhongli gazed at the ships coming and going in the distance.

The sea breeze dispels the heat, the clouds on the horizon connect with the sea, and the babbling water brings peace and tranquility.

A horn sounded from the left, and the sailors unfurled the sails. The seawater lapped against the wooden boat, the sea breeze billowed the sails, and a merchant ship was sailing away from the dock.

"The boat is moving! The boat is moving!" the children shouted happily.

She chased after the boat, running on the wooden planks of the dock. The "clatter" of her footsteps mingled with the clear "jingle" of the bells.

“The instructors have arrived.” Zhongli turned around, his gaze falling on the children in the distance.

The traveler followed his gaze... Yao Yao, dressed in green and carrying a small bamboo basket, was running towards them.

"Huh? It's, it's Mr. Zhongli!" Yao Yao almost bumped into us before she recognized the person in front of her.

"Miss Yao Yao. It's been a long time," Zhong Li greeted her.

"Um, I wasn't slacking off. I just had some free time to check out the docks. I finished all the homework Master assigned today. Mr. Zhongli, please don't tell Master I secretly ran away." Yao Yao anxiously defended herself, even jumping up and down a couple of times when she got to the crucial point.

"Of course. I'm here to ask you for a favor. Are you available now?"

"What do you need from me, Mr. Zhongli?" Yao Yao tilted her head, her face full of doubt.

"The young lady next to me wants to learn marksmanship. Would you be willing to teach her?"

“But my marksmanship isn’t as good as my senior sister’s… Should I teach her? The gun is too heavy for me…” Yao Yao scratched her head.

“Perfect timing. This young lady isn’t used to the weight of the gun yet, so it would be most suitable for you to teach her.”

"Okay... I'll try my best to be a good teacher!" Yao Yao nodded emphatically, patting her chest to assure her.

"By the way, we prepared some dishes from Xinyuexuan for you as a gift, consider it tuition for the first lesson." Zhongli handed the packed lunch to Yaoyao.

"New Moon Pavilion! I heard from my senior sister that there's a waiting list of more than three months for a table at New Moon Pavilion. I'm too embarrassed to accept such a generous gift." Yao Yao waved her hand in refusal.

"Then... consider it tuition for five lessons." A sly glint flashed in Zhongli's eyes, a fleeting thought that the traveler caught.

Is it alright to give away this unfinished food? Even though the dishes haven't been touched...

Also, you're not allowed to cheat children!

"Ten festivals... My parents live deep in the mountains all year round and can't enjoy these delicacies. I thank Mr. Zhongli on their behalf." Yao Yao clasped her hands in a gesture of respect.

"You are Welcome."

"Let's get to know each other first. My name is Yao Yao. I am a disciple of the True Lord of Ge Chen Lang City. What is your name, sister?" Yao Yao asked.

"My name is Traveler. From now on, I will call you Master Yao Yao." Traveler relaxed when he saw that his master was Yao Yao.

I really can't do the kind of training that Shen He or Gan Yu do.

Yao Yao turned around, showing the traveler the laurel in the bamboo basket: "This is laurel! Isn't it cute!"

"It's so cute!" The traveler almost couldn't resist reaching out to "rub" its hands.

"Hmm... Traveler's apprentice, let's begin our lesson now!" Yao Yao revealed an incredibly cute smile.

"Shall we start now, Master?" The traveler hadn't expected it to be so soon; he had thought he could enjoy a few days of comfort and ease.

"Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow, how many tomorrows there are!" Yao Yao sounded like a seasoned old man.

*

Tianheng Mountain is an empty place where there are no people or monsters.

"Hey! Hah! Heave-ho!" Yao Yao showed off a set of gun skills.

To be honest, it's even cooler than the special effects in games.

The whooshing sound of gunfire, the smell of earth in the mountains—all these sensory experiences seemed to prove that this was no different from the real world.

"Amazing! Amazing!" The traveler clapped, and Zhongli clapped along with him.

"Master Yao Yao's spear technique, except for the heavy strike move which takes several years to learn, can be mastered in a few days with diligent practice. It's enough for self-defense."

"Alright, I'll teach the traveler's apprentice the first few moves! Watch closely, it's like this! Heh!"

Master Yao Yao's teaching session begins. The traveler watches and learns.

*

As the sun sets, the sky gradually darkens.

"It's getting late, let's stop here. I should head back too," Yao Yao said, rubbing the traveler's aching wrist.

After an afternoon of learning, the traveler has memorized the moves, but will need to continue learning to unleash their full power.

Her hand was already so painful that she couldn't lift it. Seeing her apprentice suffering, Master Yaoyao took the initiative to massage the traveler's wrist.

"Thank you for your hard work, Master!" the traveler said.

"You should rest tomorrow. Classes start the day after tomorrow, and I reckon you won't even be able to hold a pen. While practicing martial arts requires diligent study and hard work, it also requires moderation." Yao Yao imitated the old master's posture, imparting her insights in a very professional manner.

"Thank you for your guidance, Master Yao Yao." Zhong Li thanked the traveler again on behalf of the traveler, who had spent the entire afternoon with him.

"See you the day after tomorrow!" Teacher Yao Yao skipped away.

After Yao Yao left, Zhong Li arranged the rest of the itinerary: "Master Hu will be back soon. Let's go back to the Hall of Rebirth first, and then go to the Bubu Cottage to ask for a dose of medicine."

Need medicine? What kind of medicine? Is anyone sick?

As the traveler was thinking, her aching wrist served as a timely reminder.

"No need, it's such a small matter, don't trouble yourself. Let's hurry back to the Rebirth Hall to clock out." The traveler unconsciously rubbed his wrist.

"Sigh... I forgot, you are human, and you must be tired after running around all day. I'll go and get some medicine, you should rest early." Zhongli noticed her discomfort and decided to go to Bubu Cottage alone.

"No, no need." The traveler had said all he could to refuse, yet how could he cherish this body more than he did himself?

Zhongli never presumed to be special; he was simply kind to everyone, which is why he was so beloved. The people of Liyue were like his children, and even travelers who stumbled upon this land benefited from his kindness.