At that moment, Lumine and Paimon also walked over.
"I'll go visit them…"
"So many familiar faces from the past have already disappeared."
"Even the way you look now feels somewhat unfamiliar to me."
Qiu Nian said with a sigh as he looked at Madame Ping.
"That's not necessarily a bad thing."
Madame Ping shook her head gently.
"It seems you still can't let go of that matter."
Qiu Nian said.
"People die like lamps going out…"
Madame Ping sighed.
"If I said I had completely let it go, I'd only be deceiving myself."
"But if you ask how sad I still am…"
"Even amid sadness, one encounters beautiful things while living in this mortal world."
"If I tried to stay sad forever, that would actually be quite difficult."
Madame Ping looked up at Qiu Nian with a soft smile.
"Haha…"
"That's true."
Qiu Nian nodded in agreement.
"Still, the relationship between the people of Liyue and the adepti…"
"What form will it take in the future?"
Madame Ping glanced around the crowd and murmured.
"I don't think there's any need to worry so much."
"In the end, things will naturally find their own path."
Qiu Nian said calmly while turning toward Lumine and Paimon.
"Haha, yes…"
Madame Ping nodded with a smile.
"So Qiu Nian and Madame Ping really are old friends."
"But what did he mean by saying she feels unfamiliar?"
"Did Madame Ping's appearance change before?"
Xuehua wondered aloud.
The chat immediately began speculating.
[There's way too much information in that conversation]
[What 'matter' hasn't she let go of?]
['People die like lamps going out'?]
[And who were the people Qiu Nian said he would visit?]
"So you two really are old friends."
"But what were you talking about just now?"
Paimon asked curiously.
"Haha… nothing much."
"Just reminiscing with an old friend."
Madame Ping replied kindly.
"You should take them over there."
"Someone has been waiting for them for quite a while."
She turned to Qiu Nian with a smile.
"Let's go."
"Let's meet Morax."
Qiu Nian nodded and led Lumine and Paimon toward Zhongli.
Zhongli stood on a raised platform, looking down at Liyue Harbor.
"Hey, Zhongli!"
"Look at this! All the people of Liyue think they'll never see Rex Lapis again!"
"Everyone's mourning—and yet you look completely relaxed!"
Paimon pointed at the crowd behind them.
"Hahaha…"
"I've laid down a burden carried for three thousand seven hundred years."
"Wouldn't anyone feel lighter afterward?"
Zhongli replied with a smile.
"Hm…"
"I wish I could feel as relaxed as you do right now."
Qiu Nian joked.
"I never thought there'd be something about me that you'd envy, my old friend."
Zhongli laughed.
"However…"
"I believe that day will not be far away."
Zhongli said, placing a hand over his chest.
"Well then, I hope that day comes a little later."
"For now, I'm still quite relaxed."
Qiu Nian smiled.
"What kind of riddles are you two talking about now?"
Paimon asked in confusion.
The livestream chat instantly started speculating again.
[Does that mean Qiu Nian isn't actually relaxed right now?]
[But during the Archon War he didn't even have followers]
[Why would he have any burdens?]
[Wait—he disappeared for thousands of years. What was he doing then?]
[This is giving me a bad feeling]
[What if there's going to be a tragic twist?]
[He's not one of the Seven and doesn't have a Vision… that's suspicious]
[Relax, he's too strong to be killed]
[First time playing a Hoyoverse game, huh?]
"It's nothing."
"I simply plan to use my spare time outside the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor to travel the world and observe this era."
"Perhaps you might run into me again during your journey."
Qiu Nian said to Lumine.
"That sounds like a wonderful idea."
Lumine smiled.
"Wait—seriously?"
"So we might meet Qiu Nian randomly in the open world later?"
Xuehua said excitedly.
"Oh right."
"When will you be free?"
"I'll treat you to a meal at Xinyue Pavilion."
Zhongli suddenly said.
"Hmph, stop bragging, Zhongli!"
"I could believe you treating us at Third-Round Knockout, but Xinyue Pavilion even charges tea fees!"
"Can you really afford it?"
Paimon crossed her arms skeptically.
"Ah…"
"In that case… I suppose I don't have enough Mora."
Zhongli admitted awkwardly.
"I'll treat you instead."
"Director Hu already paid my salary for this month in advance yesterday."
"It should be enough."
Qiu Nian said.
"See? Qiu Nian is way more reliable!"
Paimon stomped happily.
"So…"
"Why exactly does Morax not have any Mora?"
Lumine finally asked the question that had been bothering her.
The chat exploded with jokes.
[Morax without Mora, hahaha]
[Yeah seriously, how does Morax not have Mora?!]
[Because Morax killed Morax]
[That pun hurts]
"As the Geo Archon, Morax, I could naturally create Mora with ease."
"But since I chose to live under the mortal identity of Zhongli…"
"I should follow the rules of mortals."
Zhongli explained calmly.
"During the journey I traveled with you, although the Gnosis was still in my possession…"
"I already knew I would soon step down as one of the Seven."
"So I thought it only proper to rehearse my future mortal life."
"Ohhh…"
"That explains it!"
Paimon suddenly understood.
"Zhongli never looks at prices when spending money because he isn't used to checking them!"
"But he's also not used to being someone who can't just create Mora whenever he wants."
"So he ends up freeloading everywhere and making other people pay!"
Paimon said bluntly.
"Hahaha…"
Qiu Nian couldn't help laughing.
"I only spent a bit of the Fatui's money."
"It's hardly fair to call me a freeloader."
Zhongli defended himself calmly.
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