I, the Geo Archon Morax with 2.1 Billion Mora, Have Joined a Chat Group [244]

Teyvat World, Liyue Harbor
Zhongli’s Residence

【Keeper of Contracts]: Well then, I won’t chat any longer. If there is an urgent matter, feel free to contact me. Otherwise, please do not disturb me unnecessarily.

— [Keeper of Contracts] has left the chat group —

As the system notification faded, the chat group’s translucent screen gradually disappeared before Zhongli’s eyes.

He crossed one arm over his chest while placing the other hand thoughtfully against his chin.

A contemplative look crossed his face.

—Worlds on the brink of racial apocalypse, huh?

—When people speak of racial apocalypse, in most cases, it refers to the end of humanity, not the destruction of a planet—let alone the collapse of the universe or the world itself. To a species that has yet to leave its homeworld, humanity is nothing more than mites living on the planet’s surface.

—That said, if the crisis is limited to the planetary surface, then the severity of these apocalypses is relatively low. For someone like me, resolving such situations is hardly difficult.

—But even so… why should I help them?

—What do I gain from it?

—Contracts must be fair. In the agreements I established with those suffering in their apocalyptic worlds, I offered them thousands of points. In return, they only needed to provide their world’s coordinates.

—Had this been when I first joined the Multiversal Chat Group, such a contract would indeed have been fair. At the time, I needed the coordinates of different worlds to expand my understanding and refine my own abilities. But now, my goals have largely been achieved. I no longer require additional world coordinates.

—Even if I were to obtain them, they would be of little use to me. They would provide neither new knowledge nor valuable experience.

—These coordinates are as useless as discarded chicken bones—neither beneficial nor worth throwing away.

—So then… how can I claim that this contract is fair?

—Am I truly betraying the principles I have upheld for thousands of years, simply because my heart has been stirred by compassion?

—No. That should not be the case.

For the first time in a long while, Zhongli found himself locked in a silent battle of thought.

But he did not let it last long.

As a god who had lived for millennia, his control over his own mind was near absolute. He could swiftly resolve any stray thought or internal conflict.

After all, across the long years, he had faced moments of ideological turmoil before.

Once, he had questioned—after Guizhong’s passing—why he still chose to protect the people of Liyue.

Once, he had pondered—when the gods of Celestia disgusted him and the ruling system of the Seven repulsed him—whether he should shatter the Sky Island and dismantle the entire system of divine rule.

But in the end, time had triumphed over everything.

After setting those thoughts aside for a mere twenty years, the turmoil within him had gradually faded into calm.

This time… will likely be the same.

With that thought, he opened a private chat with Fu Hua.

For some reason, he typed out two simple words.

【Keeper of Contracts]: Are you there?

A few seconds later, Fu Hua’s response arrived promptly.

【Red Kite Immortal]: Hm??

Zhongli hesitated slightly before replying.

【Keeper of Contracts]: I wish to discuss something with you.

【Red Kite Immortal]: What is it?

Zhongli paused again, carefully considering his words before continuing.

【Keeper of Contracts]: What are your thoughts on the four newly discovered worlds facing racial apocalypse?

【Red Kite Immortal]: Hm… Actually, I wanted to ask you the same question. Since you’ve reached out to me first, let’s discuss it together.

【Red Kite Immortal]: I’ll start with my own thoughts. First and foremost… I feel fortunate.

【Keeper of Contracts (Zhongli)]: Why do you say that?

【Red Kite Immortal]: Because if not for your assistance, Zhongli, my world would likely be heading toward its own apocalypse soon. And not just an apocalypse for humans—I mean a total planetary extinction, where not a single soul survives. A death more absolute than any of these other worlds have faced.

【Red Kite Immortal]: The force of Honkai is an enemy of despair itself, one that our world cannot truly overcome. Only by seizing fleeting opportunities and making precise, incremental choices can we hope to push back against our inevitable end.

【Red Kite Immortal]: But the truth is, humanity is incapable of making the right choices every time. Good and evil coexist within us. There are those who shine with heroism and those who are cruel and indifferent. And because of this duality, we cannot always act correctly.

【Red Kite Immortal]: So I can say with near certainty—if not for your help, Zhongli, my world would have been consumed by Honkai.

【Red Kite Immortal]: For that, I must thank you once again. Zhongli, you saved my world—and you saved me.

Fu Hua’s words left Zhongli silent for a long moment.

In the chat, that silence was reflected in the near-minute pause before his next message.

【Keeper of Contracts]: …..

【Keeper of Contracts]: And besides that? Other than feeling fortunate that your world was spared, what else?

【Red Kite Immortal]: …Sadness, I suppose. I have seen what it means for a world to stand on the brink of destruction. Even though, at first, I didn’t fight to save the world, once I truly became part of the struggle… I found that I could never let it go.

【Red Kite Immortal]: Even now, even in this peaceful era, I often recall the destruction of my home civilization. One after another, people died. One after another, lives were sacrificed. Flames, thunder, and the sound of wailing filled my memories.

【Red Kite Immortal]: Whether it was Carol… or Captain… I still miss them deeply.

【Red Kite Immortal]: Sometimes, I wonder—if my world had not been born on the Imaginary Tree, if we were never affected by Honkai… perhaps they wouldn’t have had to die.

【Red Kite Immortal]: So, I cannot help but feel compassion for those trapped in their own apocalyptic worlds.

【Red Kite Immortal]: My desire to help them is real, but… I would not give up everything for them. The way I approach their apocalypse is different from how I treated my own.

【Red Kite Immortal]: For my world, I was willing to sacrifice everything. I let myself become someone despicable, someone loathed. But for another world? I could never go that far.

【Red Kite Immortal]: My world has finally found peace. Honkai has been defeated. Humanity has been granted a future. I won’t throw away my life now—not after we’ve come this far. That would be too foolish.

【Red Kite Immortal]: …You don’t look down on me for that, do you, Zhongli?

Zhongli had lost count of how many times he had fallen silent.

The Fu Hua speaking to him now felt vastly different from the one he had first met—a woman who had once sealed away her heart within an unbreakable shell.

The Fu Hua speaking to him now…

She stirred something in his memories.

Memories from two thousand years ago.

Back then, Qingyun had once spoken similar words.

She had worn a serious yet gentle smile—

"Mortals endure much suffering, and I cannot help but feel compassion for them. We, the gods, have no fear of survival, and thus, we can provide aid to mortals… Hmm? You say it could lead to conflict with other gods? That it might even cost me my life?"

"Ah~~! Don’t worry, don’t worry. I’m not the kind of god who would sacrifice everything for the sake of others. I only help mortals when I am safe and have the strength to spare. But honestly, Zhongli, I’m more worried about you—you’re the one who tends to get too caught up in battle and ends up injured."

Such were her words, but Zhongli had always known the truth.

Even if she had claimed she would not risk herself for mortals, when the moment of danger truly arrived, someone with a heart willing to help could never simply turn away and flee.

Qingyun had been like that back then.

Fu Hua was undoubtedly the same now.

Zhongli took a moment to carefully consider his words before replying.

【Keeper of Contracts] Then, Fu Hua, do you wish to know what I think?

【Red Kite Immortal]: I would indeed like to hear your thoughts.

Zhongli hesitated for a few seconds, then expressionlessly conveyed the thoughts running through his mind.

【Keeper of Contracts]: I have been wondering… Whether it was too rash of me to provide thousands of points worth of assistance to the new members. Whether such an action disrupts the balance of equivalent exchange within my contracts. After all…

【Keeper of Contracts]: After all… by conventional reason, what I have given and what these new members can provide in return are not of equal value. This contradicts my personal principle that all contracts must be fair.

【Red Kite Immortal]: I don’t think you need to worry about that. Zhongli, your personal principles don’t revolve solely around fairness in contracts, do they?

Zhongli’s thoughts came to a sudden halt.

【Keeper of Contracts] …

【Red Kite Immortal]: Hm? Am I wrong? Zhongli, you always speak of contracts, but what you truly value most is fairness between both parties, isn’t it? A contract is neither a one-sided act of giving nor a one-sided act of taking. It is something that must be upheld by both sides equally.

【Red Kite Immortal]: And the reason you insist on fairness in contracts—was it not because, when Liyue was first founded, you established it as a nation of merchants? To prevent it from becoming a place where deception and fraud ran rampant, where people would go to any lengths for wealth, you ensured that contracts remained fair.

【Red Kite Immortal]: But if we look even deeper, isn’t it because you wanted Liyue to develop properly? Because you wanted its people to live with fairness and dignity?

【Red Kite Immortal]: The essence of contracts is fairness. The essence of fairness is to restrain the strong and assist the weak. And at its core, it all comes back to your desire to protect the people of Liyue.

【Red Kite Immortal]: So, when you choose to provide points to those suffering in worlds of racial apocalypse, ensuring they at least have a chance to survive—how is that not perfectly natural?

【Red Kite Immortal]: Well? Did I get it right?

Zhongli sat in stunned silence.

Fu Hua’s words had struck him still.

His mind began racing, and within seconds, he recalled the policies he had set when establishing Liyue.

—Those were the policies he and Qingyun had crafted together. That was what she had believed back then!

He had carried on Qingyun’s will, continued to protect Liyue…

And yet, he had forgotten the purpose behind Liyue’s contracts.

"How could I have forgotten?"

"Why did I start thinking of contracts and fairness as my ultimate principles and goals?"

Zhongli murmured softly to himself, his voice reaching only his own ears.

His mind felt as though it were overloading—memories from millennia ago, long compartmentalized and stored in different parts of his consciousness, were suddenly activating all at once.

Distant memories surged back into his thoughts.

Memories of himself—memories of Qingyun.

Haaa~~!

With a deep breath, Zhongli felt as though a layer of dust had finally been wiped away from a long-forgotten stone tablet within his heart.

A strange sense of relief settled over him.

Looking at the private chat screen before him, he slowly typed out his response.

【Keeper of Contracts]: You’re right. I never expected you to see so deeply into this, Fu Hua.

【Red Kite Immortal]: Really? It was just an everyday observation. I think everyone in the chat group already knows this about you, Zhongli.

【Keeper of Contracts]: …???

【Red Kite Immortal]: Even though you seem cold and expressionless, you’re always helping the group members complete difficult tasks. That’s why everyone trusts you. To them, you’re like an older brother—someone who makes them feel safe. As long as you’re here, no one will fall into despair.

【Red Kite Immortal]: If I had to sum it up, I’d say you’re the kind of person who’s cold on the outside, warm on the inside.

【Keeper of Contracts]: …

【Keeper of Contracts]: I understand. Let’s end today’s conversation here. We’ll talk again next time.

With that, Zhongli didn’t hesitate any further. He closed the chat.

Sitting at the stone table in his courtyard, he let out a quiet chuckle and shook his head.

"To think others could see me more clearly than I see myself… No, that’s not quite right."

"If Fu Hua is Qingyun, then it is only natural that she understands me better than I do myself."

"Haha~~! That’s just how it is."

A gentle breeze stirred.

The surface of the fine liquor in Zhongli’s cup rippled slightly.

He lifted the cup to his lips and drank it down in one motion.

"I must not grow complacent."

He reminded himself.

---

T/N: LMAO DID HE GET EMBARASSED??? THATS SO CUTEEEE!!!!

This is a fan translation of 我，21亿岩王帝君加入聊天群 by 大一统. All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!