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Admittedly, there were probably more scenic places to go if one wanted to leave the hustle and bustle of the mortal realm. Yet, not even in Celestia could Baizhu, god of flora, find a moment’s peace.
Of course a god of nature would be popular with the mortals. Farmers loved him. Hopeless romantics beseeched him. With the rise of medicinal research and studies, his popularity only grew. Really, it was wonderful to be wanted, but he knew better than anyone the detrimental effects of burnout. What he needed was to go on break-- on sabbatical; just to unwind and focus on his own studies. It was for the good of all humanity. Who knew what would happen if he tired out of commission and the poor humans of Teyvat began to perish? Oh, wait. That had already happened long, long ago. The winter lasted almost five-hundred years. There were more reasons as to why Khaenri’ah had fallen (and, truth be told, he sensed foul play), but it was definitely not an event that he wished to repeat.
He’d only take six months off. Just six months. In a roundabout way, he’d also be helping humanity slowly figure out how to brave the winter if such cataclysm occurred again. It would be a rude awakening, but a necessary one for the survival of humanity.
But first, he needed to find the perfect location where a beloved god like him could stake out for six months. Baizhu thought about taking on a mortal form, but goodness knows that a life living as a human could be more taxing than that of a god’s. He needed to go somewhere no one would expect. Somewhere that was not inhabited by people who’d care for his attributes, yet somewhere where he could ensure that he’d be welcome or at least tolerated. It would be all for naught if he landed himself in more danger just for the sake of some peace and quiet. After some thought, the answer was quite clear: the Underworld.
It was perfect. The dead don't care for living plants, and the living don’t care for the dark atmosphere of death. Another introverted god overlooked the domain, so Baizhu was certain that it was habitable for the divine. Another thing Baizhu could look forward to was studying the unique flora of the area. To suit a life completely underground and as a product of being surrounded by dead souls and mineral-rich rivers, the plants had adapted in a myriad of ways. At least, that was what Baizhu could surmise. What an embarrassment if would be for a plant god not to know about this whole other ecosystem just because it wasn’t the “liveliest of places”. Six months investigating all that the Underworld could offer sounded like a marvelous use of his time. Dare he say, it may actually be fun.
There was just one problem.
“No.”
Him.
Everything had been going great. The stroll downstairs was peaceful, with only the occasional drop of water falling from the ceiling disturbing his thoughts. A light mist started to appear the deeper down he went, and the humidity that it provided had already introduced a new species of mushroom to him. The ferryman that guided him across the river to the shore marking the start of the Underworld was not the most talkative of sorts, but he seemed like a swell fellow. Finally, he waltzed right through an archway crafted out of rare ores and, boom, there was the castle. Looking back, he should’ve maybe asked the resident god if he’d agree to the stay. Surely, he wouldn’t throw out a fellow god with next to no negative track record. It was very reassuring to see him already standing in front of the castle door. Perhaps news carries well in the Underworld. With every step closer, Baizhu felt more confident. The god of the Underworld did not often grace Celestia with his presence, but he was not frightening at all. Actually, he was kind of handsome. Cleanly dressed, he wore a white robe with golden trimmings. His arms were crossed and Baizhu was quite impressed to see how well-formed they were. It was strange that the mortal sculptors hadn’t gotten to crafting his visage more often. Soon enough, Baizhu could see his face. His intense amber eyes stared straight at him.
So, this was Morax-- God of the Underworld, wealth, ore, contracts, and commerce. Baizhu had heard that he was also a warrior god, and with his serious expression and physique, it wasn’t much of a surprise. He was also one of the oldest gods, so he must be an absolute wealth of knowledge. Baizhu gave his best smile to him and waved, but before he could begin to speak, Morax had uttered that one little word.
Baizhu flinched, pulling his hand back to his chest. Did he think he was a wandering soul on the loose? Surely not. His godly aura should’ve been enough to disprove that. Maybe he mistook him for someone else.
With a flourish, Baizhu bowed. “Hello, your exalted one. Please, call me Baizhu. It is a pleasure to be here. The Underworld truly is a wonderful place. Pardon my coming here unannounced, but--”
Morax closed his eyes and raised one hand, signaling him to stop. “No no. I am well aware who you are and why you are here. I heard the rumors from various sources above, but Adeptus Xiao had confirmed them to me merely minutes ago.”
Adeptus Xiao. That must be the Ferryman’s name. Baizhu made a mental note to remember it. He also made a note that apparently the Underworld had spies above. “You’ve been watching me? I’m flattered, really. But since you already know why I’m here, I must ask: Does something seem to be the matter? If you are worried that I won’t be able to take care of myself or be in the way, erase those doubts. I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself and only ask for a place to stay.”
Morax seemed unimpressed. “I have no doubts that you can take care of yourself, Baizhu, but this is not the place that you are meant to be. Forgive me for being blunt, but the order of the world dictates that gods of light and life like you do not belong in places of death and decay. It is my responsibility to maintain this order.”
Ah, a stickler for the rules. Baizhu had to admit that he had a valid point, but so too did he. “Precisely! It is because I do not belong here that I need to be here now.” How else could he convince him? “I will take responsibility for whatever complications may occur. Besides, the Underworld is not all ‘death and decay’. For the betterment of all of humanity, it would be beneficial for me to be aware of what plants call the Underworld home.” The last part was a bit of a stretch. Really, it was for his own betterment.
With his arms folded once again, Morax didn’t look any closer to budging. Though, when Baizhu mentioned studying the plants of the Underworld, he could’ve sworn that his eyebrow rose, even just a little bit. That was enough encouragement for him to continue.
“This study could also extend to the betterment of the Underworld. Wouldn’t you find it invaluable to have an expert’s analysis on the state of the ecosystem in your kingdom?”
“And who's to say that I am not already well aware of all the flora that exists in the Underworld?” This time, Morax smiled slightly. Yet more encouragement.
“Then, I look forward to seeing you teach a nature god about plants. Surely, that could be something to brag about next time you come to Celestia.”
Baizhu watched as the god cupped his chin with his hand and fell deep into thought. He must’ve realized by now that he couldn’t beat him when it came to plants. Just thinking so was absurd. Baizhu hadn’t expected to teach anyone about rare cave mushrooms and flowers, but he wasn’t opposed to the idea if it was with a student as well-informed as Morax. He had one more card up his sleeve to convince him-- One that would be absolutely irresistible to any god; especially him.
“How about we make a deal, Morax?” Baizhu leaned forward and took another step forward.
The god’s amber eyes seemed to glow and Baizhu thought he could see his pupil narrow to resemble that of a snake for a brief second. “A deal? You know that I am the god of contracts, correct? That is a suggestion that you should not take lightly, Baizhu.” Now, he had a full-on toothy grin. He found this amusing.
“Oh, I wouldn’t dare,” Baizhu said, closing his eyes while smiling. “As I said, I take responsibility for any action I take. I am more than prepared to deal with any reasonable request that comes my way.”
A silence filled the space between them. Morax began to turn around and open the door to the castle. Baizhu almost lost hope, until he said, “You really value your vacation time.”
Baizhu’s face lit up and he started to follow the god through the door. “I prefer to call it a short sabbatical, but yes. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” Morax looked back once at him as he closed the door and made his way down an unending hallway. The wall itself was pure black rock with streaks of shimmering gold glimmering with every step Baizhu took. It almost had a luminescent glow to it too. The sconces on the wall provided a little extra light, but this peculiar rock was more than enough to get the job done. Baizhu leaned in toward the wall and grazed his finger across a streak. Upon impact, the fluorescence glowed more intensely than before and filled him with a warm and fuzzy feeling. He looked at the tip of his finger to see if any sediments were left behind. Nothing. The reaction was odd to say the least. Did this rock have any endorphin-inducing properties?
“I do have a question though.”
Baizhu spun around to the sound of Morax’s voice. “Hmm?”
Morax peered down to the ground. “Are you able to turn that off?”
Baizhu followed his gaze and jumped. Forming a perfect circle around his feet was a mat of grass. Qingxin flowers and Violetgrass painted the mat with white and purple. He looked behind him to see a trail of grass and flowers leading all the way to the door. No doubt, it probably went beyond it too. A few flowers had probably bloomed in his green hair too, but he didn’t even want to check. Shoot. He wasn’t paying attention. In an effort to convince Morax, he’d absolutely forgotten about watching himself. This could definitely be a deal-breaker for a man who had presented himself with such dignity and orderliness. “Oh, dear me. That certainly was not intentional. My apologies, Morax. I’ll clean that right up.”
“Don’t worry.” Morax stopped him before Baizhu could retrace his steps. “Why does… this happen?”
“Why does this…” Baizhu said, starting to repeat the question. “It’s a reaction to emotional stimuli.”
“Emotional stimuli?”
Baizhu nodded. “Yes. Plants are much more complex than most people believe.”
“I see. So you were happy since you first saw the castle? I wasn’t aware that my exterior decorating was so joy-inducing.”
Baizhu took a deep breath and faced the wall again. Why did he have to figure out this possible weakness of his so quickly? Even more surprising, was it that obvious that it had been happiness? It could’ve been nervousness. Or anger. Anything! He didn’t consider himself to be that easy to read.
Morax was not entirely correct, which was a little reassuring. Since he first saw the castle? No, that wasn’t right. Baizhu wanted to punch himself for admiring the god’s appearance so much when he first saw him. He prided himself on not being easily embarrassed and, unfortunately, he couldn’t even wish for the earth to crack open and take him under. This was already as low as he could go. He swore not to make such a mistake again.
“And it seems my interior decorating also brings happiness,” Morax added, moving next to Baizhu. He too touched the golden streak on the wall. “This is Luminescent Pyrite Onyx. This type of rock is relatively uncommon in the Underworld. Its dark blue cousin, Luminescent Lapis Lazuli is much more common down here, but the contrast of the black and gold is striking. Despite what its name suggests, it is neither an onyx nor has pyrite minerals encased within and could be considered more of a lapis lazuli, but it is too unique for that. It also has some mica-like qualities which makes it even more unique. It is as flexible as that mineral, yet not as easily breakable, making it a prime building material. The sconces are meant to keep the level of luminescence even since it reacts to warmth, so, when touched, it will temporarily glow brighter.” He slid his finger down the gold streak to prove his point and the streak shone brighter right on cue. His expression warmed at the sight. “It’s truly a marvel to behold and one that mortals unfortunately won’t be able to observe until their time is over.” Morax blinked and furrowed his eyebrows, facing the god of flora.
Baizhu’s eyes didn’t leave Morax since he first started explaining-- no, gushing about this one specific rock. When his equally rock solid expression warmed into something soft and loving, Baizhu held his breath. Yet another mental note began to form in his head: Make Morax talk more about rocks.
“Anyways,” Morax began, dragging Baizhu out of his scheming thoughts. “In this room is my archive. It is here that we will write out the terms of this ‘study-abroad’ contract.”
Study-abroad. Yes, that sounded a lot more pleasant than a sabbatical, and more accurate considering the situation. “A written contract?”
“Verbal promises don’t have as much weight,” Morax said, opening a door made out of stone with ease. “Imagine if you were able to swindle a deal from the god of contracts. I’m sure that could be something you could brag about with your fellow gods in Celestia.” There was a hint of amusement in his voice.
Baizhu gasped before letting out a chuckle. “So, the god of the Underworld does know a few jokes,” he said, following him inside an extremely tall room filled from floor to ceiling with red shelves. Neatly piled scrolls were nestled in any available space.
“Oh, no. That was definitely serious,” Morax teased. His white robe blew dramatically to one side as he pulled out a chair in front of an ornate writing desk and sat down. He pulled out a piece of paper and dipped his quill in ink. “Please, take a seat.”
Baizhu followed his lead and sat down directly in front of him. This was the closest he had been to the god yet. In the divine hierarchy, Morax was his superior, and the proximity alongside the weight of the scenario made this fact only more apparent.
Morax didn’t hesitate and began writing down standard contract protocol. “You will abide by all the general rules followed by all citizens of the Underworld with the exception of being allowed in and out of the castle without requesting it. Any ingredients needed for food can be supplied, but arranging them into meals is purely up to you.” He looked up. “You do know how to cook, right?”
“But of course. Have you heard that I am to become a god of medicine? Crafting concoctions is but one of my many specialties,” Baizhu confessed. “If you are interested, I could make something for you, Morax.”
“Tempting, but I’ll have to pass,” Morax cleared his throat and continued. “Any materials and access to the library, seeing how you are an academic, must first be requested by me. Since you had suggested that your studies here would be beneficial to the kingdom, I am expecting a report, written or verbal.”
That was more than doable. Actually, it would be amazing to have someone intimately familiar with the environment to bounce any ideas he had off of. “What about if you are not around when I need said materials?”
Without a second of hesitation, Morax snapped his fingers. Where once there was nothing, now a golden band with some sort of amber stone swimming in the middle materialized between his thumb and index finger. Morax motioned for Baizhu to bring his hand over to him. “This ring is partially made with Cor Lapis. It can be taken off at any time and has no effect other than allowing long-distance communication with me to be possible,” he explained, sliding the ring on his finger. “It will also help me to know where you are at all times, so I encourage you to keep it on.”
Baizhu retracted his hand and admired the ring. Why would he want to remove it? It was stunning! Morax had given it to him so casually, but it was probably worth more than the greatest mortal empire. He did wonder how exactly the communication worked. Did he just have to purposefully think thoughts and send them to the ring? So, that means you can hear me?
Yes, Baizhu. I can hear you.
Baizhu coughed in shock at the sound of Morax’s voice verberating in his brain. That voice could rival a siren’s. This ring was dangerous. He’d have to use it sparingly.
“We shall live our lives predominantly separate from each other,” Morax continued. “This contract shall be null and void after six months and you will be required to return to the world above. Should the divine council request your presence earlier, they shall override the initial time period. I am not responsible for any… mishaps… caused by you.” The god dipped the pen into the inkwell. “Now, as for payment…”
Ah. Rent. Baizhu had hoped that he’d forget about that. Then again, Morax was the god of wealth. It’d be surprising if he wasn’t meticulous enough to bring it up. “I’m assuming Mora would not mean much to the god of it, no?”
“You assumed correctly, Baizhu. Usually, I am paid in souls, acts of service, or precious items that have acquired ley line essence. Unless you have some souls lying around, you will be going with latter options.”
He had already promised to share any information he found about Underworld flora, but he guessed that didn’t count as an act of service. Additionally, Morax had denied any home-cooked meals. “I can clean any archives that I am given permission to as well as create a greenhouse observatory for the study of Underworld plants. Should my abilities be needed, I will be more than happy to assist.” Baizhu looked at him questioningly. Was that enough?
Morax wrote down each and every word. “Those are acceptable terms that can be expanded upon as need be. It will cover the room and board. As for the ring?”
Baizhu gaped his mouth open. Maybe he thought too soon about just how valuable this ring was. He didn’t know what else he could do. “Tch.” Morax would definitely be getting more out of this, but Baizhu had really come too far to fight back now. He reached behind his head and pulled out the hair stick holding his bun together. Slowly, the green hair began to unfurl. “Will this suffice?” he asked, handing the hair stick to Morax.
Morax gingerly took it from him and assessed it all around. His eyes widened. “Petrified wood from the great tree that all ley lines lead to?”
“Yes.” It was the most valuable object he had on him that could be worth the price of the ring. The kind of wealth Baizhu usually had was the wealth of knowledge, monetary wealth, or rare elixirs. Historical items didn’t typically come his way.
Morax nodded and lifted his hand holding the hairpin up. It vanished into thin air. “That will do. Now, I need you to sign here.” He turned the paper over and pushed it and the inkwell to him. “I advise that you reread the contract.”
Baizhu did just that, holding the quill in hand. Morax had explained these things simply to him, but expressed and expanded upon them in detail within the actual contract. His name was already signed at the bottom along with his title: Rex Lapis. His writing was pure artistic calligraphy compared to whatever he could do. Baizhu did his best to sign his name in a way that would not bring shame to the document. “There.” He pushed the document to him.
Morax lingered on his name. “No title?”
“It’s too restricting for me.”
“Your name is more similar to those found in the mortal realm.”
“My old name didn’t suit me anymore and the humans have since started to call me such.” It was true. He was a “god of the people” and, with his new promotion as a god of medicine, the new name fit him more.
“I will not pry. I too have a human name.” Baizhu waited for him to share it, but Morax continued. “Then, with that, the terms within the contract have been reviewed and approved by both present parties.” Morax rolled up the contract into a scroll, tying it with red string. He then extended a hand to Baizhu. Baizhu steadily held it.
“Welcome to the Underworld.”