Skybase King · He Xi and the Divine Wings (Yan and Zhixin) she brought along.
Xiao Yan (Pre-Flame Emperor) and his girlfriend Xiao Xun'er (and of course, the soul-form Yao Chen).
Kamen Rider Decade (Tsukasa Kadoya), the socks-obsessive Natsumi Hikari, Daiki Hidaka (dubbed "Madame Hidaka"), and Yusuke Onodera (who often forgets to transform).
Rex Lapis · Zhongli, Dragon King Azhdaha (Kun Jun), and the Director of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor · Hu Tao.
Fallen Lazy Angel · Gabriel and Demon Angel · Vignette.
The entire Astral Express Crew, plus the hidden Prankster Aeon · Aha.
The Strongest Slime in History · Slime King Rimuru and its friend, the Destruction Tyrant · Milim.
Immortal Fu Hua and the Paramecium Trio.
As well as Moe Dragon · Kanna and the Feathered Serpent Goddess · Quetzalcoatl.
And of course, The Mighty · Wu Tong and... no one else?
???
Brother Tong came alone?
Seeing Wu Tong standing by himself, Zhang Chulan was immediately filled with confusion.
Wu Tong had indeed come alone. His purpose in this world was simple: to recruit, crush his opponents, and back Zhang Chulan up.
These were trivial matters that Wu Tong could handle by himself; there was no need for others to assist.
Moreover, Wu Tong's decision to come alone was also to prevent word of his one-sided victories from spreading, as such behavior could tarnish his image of righteousness and greatness.
Though, in the eyes of others, Wu Tong didn't have much of an image to begin with.
But Zhang Chulan, unaware of these nuances, couldn't dwell on it for long.
At this moment, his heart swelled with excitement. He never expected so many big shots to show up in his support—what an honor!
Zhang Chulan's eyes gleamed as he scanned the figures of He Xi, Fu Hua, Quetzalcoatl, Zhongli, and the other powerhouses.
Instantly, he felt invincible.
With their help, securing first place in the Luotian Grand Ritual would be a breeze.
Watch me make a name for myself.
(￣▽￣)σ.
...
As it turned out, with a large enough group, problems were bound to arise.
And that's exactly what happened.
Without anyone to manage the crowd, the scene quickly descended into chaos, becoming a lively spectacle.
At the spot where March 7th, Fu Hua, and the others were gathered:
"Auntie Himeko, aren't you supposed to be teaching class right now? Why are you here? And you've even changed into new clothes!"
Kiana, with her paramecium-level intellect, looked around and soon spotted Himeko standing beside March 7th and Welt Yang.
"Oh, I get it! You skipped work! Hehe, Auntie Himeko, you wouldn't want Principal Theresa to find out you ditched class, would you…"
Suddenly, Kiana had an epiphany and concocted a fitting explanation for Himeko's presence.
However, this statement made Mei and Bronya, who were standing nearby, break out in cold sweats.
Kiana, please tone down the Japanese drama vibes.
"?"
"Child, do we know each other?"
Himeko, upon hearing Kiana's words, was utterly baffled.
"What? Auntie Himeko, you're pretending not to know me now? That won't work! Don't forget, the Valkyrie armor has mission logs. Here's the proof!"
Kiana pointed at the mission recorder on her suit and began making a fuss.
Fu Hua, March 7th, and Welt Yang, who knew the truth, couldn't help but facepalm.
Fu Hua, in particular, was overwhelmed with regret: Why did I let this idiot tag along?
Bronya broke the silence: "Dumb paramecium, did you forget what the Class Monitor said? This Himeko is clearly an alternate version of Teacher Himeko from another world."
"Huh?"
Kiana froze, her triumphant expression crumbling.
The scene fell into an awkward silence.
...
At Zhongli's location:
"Hmph hmph hmph…"
Hu Tao stared at her two consultants with a smug grin, her delight unmistakable to anyone watching.
"Who would've thought my two consultants had such impressive backgrounds, huh? Your Excellency the Geo Archon and Mr. Dragon King?"
"I always assumed you were just a couple of adepti, but turns out… If I hadn't randomly dropped by Xiangling's place, I'd still be in the dark!"
Her tone then shifted, carrying a hint of annoyance: "So, care to explain, my dear consultants?"
"Why would the mighty Rex Lapis have no Mora? Who would believe that Morax is broke?"
"From a universal standpoint, Morax and Rex Lapis are dead. What remains is merely the mortal Zhongli. The authority to mint Mora belonged solely to the Geo Archon. Thus, it is only natural that Zhongli possesses none."
Zhongli answered Hu Tao's question with his usual calm demeanor.
That makes sense… Not!
(╯°□°)╯
What kind of answer is that?
It's the same ridiculous logic as saying, The future me isn't me, so whatever he does isn't my problem!
Enraged, Hu Tao… stayed enraged.
What else could she do? Before, she could plead ignorance, but now that she knew Zhongli's true identity, disrespecting him would be outright blasphemy.
As a native of Liyue, her reverence for the Geo Archon was deeply ingrained.
Even if the Archon had become a freeloading slacker, her admiration wasn't something she could easily shake off.
So, how could she retaliate without crossing the line?
Director Hu had her ways.
With a sweet smile, she suddenly flopped onto the ground…
Zhongli's heart sank—he knew this wouldn't end well.
Sure enough:
"I don't care, I don't care! You have to compensate me…"
The Director of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor began rolling on the ground, kicking and screaming.
(Sirin: …She's copying me! She's copying me! I demand royalties!)
This child is beyond me.
Under the bewildered stares of the crowd, Zhongli's composure finally cracked.
"Director, enough. Just tell me what you want."
...
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(End of Chapter)