NOVEL NEXT Chapter 19: chapter 19
19. Zhongli: Alice, It's Me, The Golden Dragon
"The Emperor and I are thinking along the same lines," Liuyun said with a slight smirk, seemingly proud to be on the same wavelength as Zhongli.
"Let's set aside Jiang Yan's claims about cultivating immortality for now and focus on Shushan itself...
"As long as Teyvat exists, we are born here, live here, and eventually die here. If we cannot step beyond Teyvat, how can we possibly judge the existence of Shushan using only our limited perspective?"
"This isn't about doubting Jiang Yan—it's about the limits of our own vision."
"If there is someone who has truly traveled across multiple worlds, perhaps they could confirm the truth of his words."
"In the end, the concepts Jiang Yan spoke of, such as Daluo and the like, seem too... distant and intangible," Liuyun admitted, sighing softly.
But his words sparked a thought in Zhongli.
His eyes lit up as he gently set his teacup down.
"Liuyun, you've reminded me of something. We may not fully understand the nature of this world, but I know someone who certainly does."
"Who?" Xieyue and the others looked at him in confusion.
Zhongli didn't answer directly. Instead, he reached into his personal space and retrieved a peculiar, enchanted doll.
His expression darkened slightly, a rare sight for the normally composed Archon.
With a deep sigh, he reluctantly activated the doll. It was clear that Zhongli wasn't particularly eager to contact the person on the other end.
If Liuyun and the others could see his face beneath his hood, they might have been genuinely alarmed.
For the first time in ages, Zhongli looked... troubled.
But for the sake of Liyue, he had no choice.
A mechanical voice crackled from the doll.
"Beep beep... This is Alice's private line. The beautiful and elegant Lady Alice is currently busy. If you have urgent matters, please leave a message. She will get back to you in... three hundred years. Please be patient."
Liuyun and the others immediately understood.
Alice.
Klee's mother. The matriarch of the Hexenzirkel.
A powerful, eccentric witch who had spent years exploring the borders of Teyvat and had even traveled to other worlds.
When she visited Liyue in the past, Zhongli had personally hosted her.
But afterward, he returned with a dark expression and promptly banned Alice from traveling in Liyue.
Rumors swirled about what had happened. Some said Alice had used a cooking pot at Wangshu Inn to craft explosives. Others claimed she had attempted to create a perpetual motion machine using Hilichurls, accidentally causing a small earthquake in Liyue.
However, none of those seemed to be the real reason for Zhongli's irritation.
According to whispers, someone had seen Alice's bomb blast off a chunk of Zhongli's golden scales...
Now, hearing her voice, Zhongli's expression darkened further.
Liuyun hesitated before suggesting, "Emperor, since Miss Alice isn't responding, perhaps—"
Zhongli exhaled sharply and spoke in a deep voice:
"Alice, stop playing games. This is a private line that you gave me. You and I both know you're listening."
The mechanical voice stuttered for a moment before repeating:
"Beep beep... Incorrect password. Please state the correct access phrase."
A tense silence filled the air.
Dark energy began to swirl behind Zhongli.
His face grew darker, his patience thinning.
He clenched his teeth and muttered something under his breath.
"Beep beep... Volume too low. Please say it clearly. Lady Alice cannot hear you."
The black aura behind Zhongli intensified, almost blotting out the sky.
Grinding his teeth, Zhongli finally relented.
"Golden... Golden Dragon and the Beautiful and Elegant Witch Lady Alice's Hotline."
"???"
Liuyun and the others nearly fell out of their seats.
Did... Did the Emperor really just say that?
They exchanged wide-eyed glances, struggling to process what they had just heard.
Gan Yu, holding a small slip of paper where she had hastily written "Golden Dragon," discreetly burned it to ashes with her elemental power.
If the people of Liyue ever found out about this...
Could Emperor Yanwang even continue to exist?
At that moment, the enchanted doll finally responded.
"Beep beep! Password accepted! The beautiful and elegant Lady Alice is now online!"
"So, what can I do for you, Golden Dragon? Lady Alice's time is very precious, you know."
The teacup in Zhongli's hand shattered.
"Speak normally," he snapped.
"Hmph! Morax, you're as boring as ever. You should learn from the Raiden Shogun. She doesn't even mind my nicknames!"
Didn't mind?
Zhongli highly doubted that.
Alice probably hadn't noticed, but the moment she left Inazuma, the Tenshukaku was completely sealed off.
He sighed and spoke in a serious tone.
"Alice, we can catch up later. Right now, I have something extremely important to ask you. It concerns Liyue's future."
For once, Alice fell silent.
After a brief pause, her voice returned, sounding slightly more serious.
"What do you want to know? Let me say this first—if this is about a way to cure karma, forget it. I'm not omnipotent."
Zhongli shook his head.
"It's not about karma. That problem has already been resolved. In fact, my own wear and tear has been reversed by one-fifth."
"What?!"
Alice's voice shot up in disbelief.
"Who did it?! Morax, you traitor! You actually let someone else handle it?! Who was it?! Damn it, if Mandrill had just taken my potion, he could've been cured long ago!"
Mandrill shivered slightly and quietly backed away.
"That's exactly why I'm calling you," Zhongli continued, unfazed.
"Alice, do you know what lies beyond Teyvat?"
A long silence followed.
Then Alice replied, her tone cautious.
"You mean the Dark Sea? Other worlds? This isn't anything new, Morax."
Zhongli's voice grew sharper.
"I don't mean vague answers. I want the real truth. What truly exists outside of Teyvat?"
"..."
Alice hesitated, then finally muttered:
"The False Sky?"
"You're still playing games," Zhongli said, unimpressed.
Alice sighed deeply.
"Morax, I don't know why you're asking this, but listen to me carefully—this is knowledge you're better off not knowing."
"I'm saying this for your own good."
"Forget this conversation ever happened. The borders have been unstable lately, and I'm extremely busy. If there's nothing else, don't contact me."
"No, actually—don't contact me at all!"
She was about to cut the connection when Zhongli spoke again, his voice calm but firm.
"Trees and Sea, correct?"
"What?!"
Alice's voice shot up again.
"You know, don't you?" Zhongli chuckled.
"The Tree of Imaginary Numbers... and the Sea of Quantum."
A long silence.
Then—
"Morax! Shut up!"