"Long time no see, my dear friend."
Zhongli stood up with a smile, exuding a warm and comforting aura.
He spread his arms, his gaze fixed on Qian Renxue, his expression showing no signs of anything unusual. It seemed that all he felt was a longing for his dear friend.
As Qian Renxue, She Long, and Ci Xue entered the hall, they were all taken aback. Had they ever seen this man smile before? What could have caused the usually stoic Geo Archon, who rarely smiled, to become so cheerful?
At this moment, Qian Renxue felt a mix of emotions. It was as if she had punched a ball of cotton, leaving her with a sense of helplessness.
The last time they parted, she had acted like a petulant child, but Zhongli hadn't paid it any mind. In fact, he hadn't even acknowledged it. This was evident from the calm and unperturbed look in his eyes.
"Oh, we have guests!" A playful voice rang out. It was a girl with large sleeves, carrying a dish as she entered the room with a sweet smile.
Qing Renxue clenched her fists in secret, feeling as if her back teeth were about to grind down.
The tone of the hostess coming from this "girl" was hard for her to swallow. It was just so infuriating!
On the girl's head was a creature that looked like a toad, but with a pair of peculiar dragon horns, giving it a somewhat majestic appearance.
Its crimson eyes glanced at the three of them, but seeing no malice, it turned its gaze to Zhongli.
For Azahada, besides one dear friend, Zhongli was the most important.
He was the Archon he acknowledged, his dear friend, his brother, his comrade. Their bond even transcended life and death.
"Zhongli, Guizhong has made a new dish today. She said you might like it," Azahada said, completely ignoring Qian Renxue and the others. If they were from Liyue, he would naturally protect them. Unfortunately, they were just three unrelated humans.
As soon as he finished speaking, Paimon and Xiao showed no reaction.
Xiao even took the plate from Guizhong's hands with a reserved manner, placing it on the table without a word.
As for Paimon, her eyes darted between the food boxes in She Long and Ci Xue's hands, her large eyes sparkling with "wisdom."
It was as if wisdom had rained from the heavens, but Paimon had either held an umbrella or taken shelter under the eaves.
Qian Renxue and the other two were startled, looking at Azahada in astonishment.
This was a terrifying "monster" that could speak! After all, soul beasts that could talk were usually at least a hundred thousand years old.
Paimon, with her peculiar appearance, didn't seem out of place, and she was a special "spirit" as well. Any strange occurrences could be explained by a mutated spirit.
But this strange-looking dragon, what kind of terrifying existence was it? A spirit? It didn't seem like it...
"Thank you for your hard work. Everyone, please take a seat and chat," Zhongli said with a calm expression, nodding slightly.
Just by the appearance of the dish, it was clear that it was full of meaning, sophistication, and depth.
As for what that meaning was, the sophistication and depth, the taste should be savored slowly.
As Zhongli made a gesture of invitation, Qian Renxue and the other two remained silent for a moment before finding a seat at the table.
The table was an Eight Immortals table, a rare sight in the Douluo Continent.
Usually, nobles would each have their own table, not sharing dishes with others, and more often than not, they would avoid eating food that others had touched.
Of course, even when gathered at the same table, there would be public chopsticks and spoons.
The Eight Immortals table was just the right size for the occasion, with eight beings present, all seated comfortably.
Zhongli sat at the head of the table, while Azahada jumped onto the table beside him, taking a seat as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Everyone present was accustomed to this. Azahada was Zhongli's familiar, the Dragon King of Geo. Even if he wasn't at his full strength, he had the right to sit in this position.
Of course, the one who should have been sitting there was Guizhong, as both she and Zhongli were of the God rank.
They were "partners." In a certain sense, there was no hierarchy between them; they were equals.
But Guizhong didn't take that seat, instead choosing the position of the hostess, with Paimon sitting beside her. As for Xiao, he sat to Zhongli's right, signifying his role as a right-hand man.
Qian Renxue and the other two were slightly stunned, looking around at the "group," especially Azahada, with confusion.
After all, according to the rules of the Eight Immortals table, the seat Azahada had taken wasn't just for anyone!
But when they saw that Xiao, whom they knew, and Paimon, whom they were familiar with, showed no signs of dissatisfaction or displeasure, they realized the "seriousness" of the situation.
This dragon, of unknown origin, was undoubtedly a super powerhouse, perhaps even Zhongli's closest friend, the second or even the strongest in the entire house.
Otherwise, "it" would never have taken that seat.
What made Qian Renxue more displeased was that the girl with the large sleeves had shamelessly taken the seat of the hostess. It was just so infuriating!
There was nothing she could do. She had to sit below Xiao, with the two elders taking the lowest seats.
If this were anywhere else, having two titled Douluo sit at the bottom would be a scandal that would spread far and wide, and the faction would soon be wiped out. This was no way to treat guests!
But in Zhongli's residence, even She Long and Ci Xue felt it was perfectly reasonable. They couldn't afford to offend anyone present.
They were only able to sit down because of Qian Renxue's relationship with them, and they had no complaints about it.
"Paimon, I came here today specifically to see you. The Seven Treasures Hotel has come up with some new dishes, and I brought them for you to try," Qian Renxue said with a guilty conscience. She was clearly here for something else.
But the naive Paimon took it at face value. If a secret could be spoken out loud, what harm could Paimon possibly have?
As Qian Renxue finished speaking, She Long and Ci Xue stood up, opening the food boxes and taking out the delicacies.
"Thank you so much, Xiao Xue!" Paimon's eyes sparkled as she rubbed her hands together. She loved this kind of thing!
After Zhongli left, the life she and Xiao had led was even worse than when they were with the Traveler.
Xiao was too good at enduring hardships! Paimon didn't want to be alone with Xiao anymore.
This kind of life finally came to an end with the arrival of Zhongli, Guizhong, and Azahada.
The food Guizhong made was indeed delicious. It was a wise decision to have survived that ordeal back then.
"Paimon, I'm glad you like it," Qian Renxue said, her gaze shifting to the girl with the large sleeves.