Chapter 263

This shopping trip split into two groups: one where the Seven Archons shopped alone, joined by Lady Guizhong and Jiang Yan, who had already integrated into the divine circle.

On the other side, the retainers shopped together.

How to put it...

Standing at nearly two meters and eighty centimeters, Ruotuo, merely by standing there, looked completely out of place among the retainers, none of whom exceeded two meters in height.

The Aranara stood directly on Ruotuo's head, spreading their arms wide.

It was as if they had reached the world's highest peak, making Fox Zai Gong and others nearby giggle.

Compared to Jiang Yan and the others still wandering the streets, they had finished shopping early and arrived at the restaurant to wait.

Not long after, Lady Guizhong and the other deities entered, chatting and laughing.

"Huh? Where are Jiang Yan, the Archon, and the others?"

Ganyu, noticing that no one else had entered after Lady Guizhong and the others arrived, asked in confusion.

"Oh, them?"

Lady Guizhong thought for a moment and said:

"Jiang Yan suddenly claimed he had something to do, then took Morax and the Anemo Archon of Mondstadt and ran off."

"But judging by the radiant smile on the Anemo Archon's face, I suppose something good must have happened?"

"Something good?"

Ganyu exchanged glances with Ruotuo and the others.

Meanwhile, Lei Dianying, Fox Zai Gong, and the others also showed looks of confusion in their eyes.

With the gathering about to begin, Jiang Yan's mysterious demeanor truly made them curious.

The summit of Mount Tianheng.

Jiang Yan, accompanied by Barbatos and Morax, was constantly digging for something at a certain spot on the summit.

"Hey, Jiang Yan, why haven't you dug it up yet?"

Barbatos had been digging for ages, but hadn't unearthed a single thing.

He was now beginning to doubt the truthfulness of Jiang Yan's words.

Just as they were about to reach the restaurant, that guy suddenly grabbed Morax and Barbatos, claiming he had stored a few bottles while brewing new wine on Mount Tianheng, and insisted on taking them to retrieve it.

That made Barbatos overjoyed.

Before they had even gone far, the impatient fellow directly played the Song of High Heaven, carrying Jiang Yan and Morax straight there.

And now, not a single thing has been dug up!

Morax looked at Jiang Yan with a helpless expression.

Why did I have to come along for something like this, hey!

Jiang Yan, meanwhile, frowned with a look of confusion.

Strange, I clearly buried it right here.

Suddenly, he remembered something and slapped his head hard.

"Damn it!"

Seeing Jiang Yan's regretful expression, Barbatos and Morax exchanged a confused glance.

"What's wrong?"

Morax asked in confusion.

"I remembered the wrong place; it's on the neighboring peak, not here."

Jiang Yan awkwardly scratched his head and let out an awkward chuckle.

Hearing this, Barbatos and Morax immediately turned dark-faced.

"You!"

Barbatos's angry roar echoed across the summit of Mount Tianheng.

Shortly after, on another peak.

Jiang Yan and the others successfully dug out the fine wine buried in the earth.

Jiang Yan grinned, patted the large ceramic jar before him, and said cheerfully:

"See, I didn't lie to you, it really is here!"

"Heh, it would have been better if you remembered the location correctly."

Morax said calmly.

Because Jiang Yan remembered the wrong location, he and Barbatos had dug up the earth for so long for nothing.

"Ahem, ahem, ahem... an accident, an accident, hehehe..."

Jiang Yan's smile instantly became awkward.

"Alright, we've dug up the wine; let's hurry back."

"I suppose the others are probably getting anxious waiting."

As Morax spoke, Jiang Yan and Barbatos nodded.

"Oh well, no problem; if anyone gets angry, they'll only be angry at Jiang Yan alone."

Barbatos shrugged, looking completely indifferent.

"After all, this mistake was Jiang Yan's to begin with."

"Damn it, Barbatos, you have no loyalty!"

Jiang Yan was furious; who was the one just now on the way over, slinging an arm around me and saying good brothers share both fortune and misfortune?!

So you share the fortune together but don't share the hardship, is that it?!

Barbatos did not look at Jiang Yan's expression; the Skyward Harp appeared in his hand, and the Song of High Heaven began to play.

Carried by the wind, Jiang Yan and the others hurried toward the restaurant.

Inside the restaurant.

Lady Guizhong and the others were not nearly as eager as Jiang Yan, Morax, and the rest had imagined.

With the topic of Jiang Yan's Juvenile Stage, Lady Guizhong and the Geo Archon's other adepti, along with the other gods and their followers, chatted quite enthusiastically.

After all, this was one of the few great scandals of Liyue's Tianquan that had wreaked havoc across their nation!

How could these people not be excited.

Moreover, among this group there was also Little Ganyu.

Having grown up alongside Jiang Yan since childhood, she knew far more about him! In far greater detail!

Little Ganyu was unwilling to speak at first, but the shy her ultimately could not resist the curious expressions on the faces of the other five female gods.

Especially Raiden Makoto, Lei Dianying, and the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata and the others.

Upon learning that Little Ganyu and Jiang Yan had been a couple since childhood, their gazes dimmed for a moment, but instantly returned to normal.

Only Lei Dianying's gaze never left Little Ganyu after that, her eyes constantly wavering.

Even Jiang Yan himself had not expected that the little mischief he had gotten up to while still in his Juvenile Stage, taking advantage of his child's body, would be exposed by both Little Ganyu and Lady Guizhong.

After some unknown amount of time, Jiang Yan and the others walked in carrying wine dug out from Mount Tianheng.

"Hey! Ruotuo, Maxius, come on, come on!"

"Today this young master has backup — we'll drink you two to death!"

Jiang Yan laughed heartily, draping his arm over Barbatos's shoulder.

No need to say it — everyone knew who his backup was.

The scenes of being nearly killed by drinking in previous encounters had all been quietly jotted down in Jiang Yan's little mental notebook.

"Oh? So arrogant?"

Dragon King Ruotuo and Maxius exchanged a glance, each breaking into a Xinlingshen Society smile.

And the people around them all burst out laughing as well.

Once everyone was seated, Jiang Yan naturally sat down next to Little Ganyu.

The moment he sat down, Jiang Yan took the chance to squeeze Little Ganyu's little hand.

It made Little Ganyu's pretty face blush for no reason, and she gave Jiang Yan a light smack.

Jiang Yan merely let out a sheepish chuckle.

None of the people around noticed Jiang Yan's little move, except for Lei Dianying.

Lei Dianying and Jiang Yan and the others sat at the lowest seats, because the head seats belonged to Morax and the other gods.