"Sir Barbatos, you are a bard. Can you play a song for us?"
After saying this, Paimon blinked her big eyes at Zhongli.
Zhongli's eyes twitched. He felt that this little fellow with thick eyebrows and big eyes had a hint of "rebellious nature" in her!
Knowing that this was just a pseudonym and being aware of his true identity, she still made such a request.
Fortunately, Zhongli wasn't one to be easily flustered!
As a good friend of Barbatos, as well as Guizhong, it was only natural that he "knew a little" about music, right?
"Since Paimon wishes to listen, I shall play a song."
With that, Zhongli retrieved a storage soul guide from his sleeve, as if he were about to take out a musical instrument from it.
In reality, he channeled energy, forming the shape of a Zither, which materialized in his hands.
"Ah~ Barbatos, why are you holding a zither? Shouldn't you be holding a harp?"
Paimon asked, puzzled.
The Zither exists in the Douluo Continent and is one of the many musical instruments, though it is rarely used.
After all, with the variety of martial spirits, it's possible for a Zither to appear as one.
Zhongli: "…"
After "retrieving" the harp from the storage soul guide and putting away the Zither, Zhongli glanced at Paimon.
This little creature...
"I have some experience with the harp, though I fear my skills may not be up to par and could invite laughter."
"Since Paimon wishes to hear it, I shall play the harp."
Bei Bei, Xiao Xiao, Huo Yuhao, and Tang Ya looked at "Barbatos," then at Paimon.
They couldn't shake the feeling that something was off, though they couldn't quite pinpoint what it was.
The two of them seemed... oddly familiar?
But this was clearly their first meeting...
No one had any objections to the instrument "Barbatos" chose to play, as they weren't particularly knowledgeable about music anyway.
As soul masters, their primary focus was on cultivating soul power. Dabbling in other pursuits was fine, but becoming too proficient in them would be putting the cart before the horse.
As Zhongli plucked the strings of the harp, Paimon felt a sense of familiarity, as if she had heard this melody before, played and sung by the real Barbatos.
"Hiss~ As expected of Zhongli! Even though his portrayal of the character isn't entirely accurate, his harp skills are remarkably authentic!"
"Could it be that Venti taught you this?"
Don't tell me, don't tell me, it's true.
Liyue and Mondstadt are neighboring regions.
Since the Seven Archons assumed their roles, Venti often visited Liyue for leisure, and the two cities have grown closer over time.
As the song of freedom filled the air, Beibei and the others felt that it sounded pleasant, though they couldn't quite articulate why.
After a while, the music came to an end, and Zhongli put away the harp.
"Not bad, Barbatos! But unfortunately, you're still a little behind Venti!"
Paimon spoke the truth. While Zhongli might surpass Venti on other instruments, the harp was likely not one of them.
The number one bard in Teyvat was no joke.
Zhongli waved his hand and said, "If I have the chance to meet Venti, I will certainly seek his guidance."
Beibei and the others were stunned and confused. Although they couldn't grasp the deeper meaning of the music, they thought the performance was excellent. Yet, it was merely "good"?
Not as good as that person named Venti?
Moreover, was this "Barbatos" being overly modest?
He had described his skill as only "a little bit of understanding"...
What was going on in the world outside of soul masters?
Beibei, Tang Ya, Huo Yuhao, and Xiao Xiao all fell into deep thought.
A quarter of an hour later, Xiao Xiao finally stood up and asked Beibei, "Brother Beibei, how much is this roasted whole lamb?"
She was about to pay the bill and continue touring Liyue with Barbatos.
Hearing this, Beibei, Tang Ya, and Huo Yuhao exchanged glances but shook their heads.
"Mr. Barbatos has already paid. It's rare to hear such wonderful music even once."
Beibei waved her hand dismissively.
The bard had his own way of paying, as long as the owner accepted it. Coincidentally, Beibei and the others were willing to accept it.
"Huh?"
Xiao Xiao was stunned and confused.
The second roasted whole lamb had been given to Paimon by Huo Yuhao, but they had ordered the first one, so they should have paid for it.
Yet Beibei and the others said the payment was made through music?
What was the purpose of running this barbecue restaurant?
For Huo Yuhao and the others, the goal now wasn't to make money but to enjoy the entire barbecue process.
Making money was just a bonus.
Zhongli sat calmly, his expression unreadable.
This kind of "transaction" was common in Liyue, as long as the owner accepted it.
Wasn't "knowledge" a form of wealth?
At that moment, Paimon floated up from her seat and flew over to Beibei.
She pulled out a golden object from her pocket and handed it to Beibei.
Beibei and the others instinctively glanced at the object in Paimon's hand. With just one look, they recognized that it wasn't a gold soul coin.
The object was amber in color, glowing with a golden light, and looked incredibly valuable.
"Brother Huo Yuhao, Miss Tang Ya, Brother Beibei, you treated Paimon to a roasted whole lamb, so Paimon will give you a Mora!"
"This is the first Mora in the Douluo Continent!"
"It was created by Zhongli. It contains a trace of Zhongli's divine power and can be used as currency. As for its other uses, Paimon doesn't know."
Indeed, Mora was a creation of the Geo Archon and naturally contained a trace of Morax's divine power.
Hearing this, the four of them were shocked and stared at the Mora in Paimon's hand with disbelief.
Can it be used as currency?
They automatically ignored that part!
This is the first Mora on the Douluo Continent, and it contains a trace of the divine power of the Martial God!
That's the key point!
This is something imbued with divine power. Even if it's just a trace, its value might surpass that of a hundred-thousand-year soul bone!
A hundred-thousand-year soul bone is just a soul bone, but this Mora is different, it carries divine power, which elevates its worth to an entirely different level.
"Paimon, absolutely not, we can't accept this!"
Beibei, Huo Yuhao, and Tang Ya quickly waved their hands, looking utterly horrified.
A roasted whole lamb in exchange for a Mora infused with divine power?
It would be a lie to say they weren't tempted, but honesty mattered more!
"Paimon, we treated you to the roasted whole lamb. Besides, we ate it too, didn't we?"
"You don't need to give us anything in return!"
Beibei said, his eyes welling up with tears.
He truly wanted this Mora, but accepting it would go against his principles as a gentleman.
It felt like they were using food to swindle the Martial God's divine artifact...
This Mora could not be accepted under any circumstances.
Xiao Xiao looked at Paimon, then at the Mora in her hand, and couldn't help but ask, "Paimon, why is this Mora called Mora?"
The Golden Soul Coin is made of gold, so it's called the Golden Soul Coin.
The Silver Soul Coin and Bronze Soul Coin are also named after their materials.
But why is the currency created by the Martial God given such a peculiar name as Mora?