Five days passed after the Lantern Rite.
Early that morning, after finishing his duties as a consultant, Qiu Nian headed to the mist-shrouded Jueyun Karst.
When he arrived at Mt. Aocang, he sat down at a stone table.
Across from him were three figures—
Cloud Retainer, Moon Carver, and Mountain Shaper.
The three adepti, still in their beast forms, looked at Qiu Nian in silence.
After all, not long ago they had suspected that Guixu was the one who assassinated the Geo Archon.
Now that this old friend stood before them again…
None of them quite knew how to begin.
"Now that we've met again after all this time, why is everyone so quiet?"
Qiu Nian set down his teacup and asked with a faint smile.
"Hmph. When were we silent?"
"You were the one who didn't say anything."
Cloud Retainer snorted, though her tone lacked confidence.
Qiu Nian couldn't help but laugh.
"…Guixu, the Geo Archon already told us what truly happened."
Moon Carver spoke slowly, looking at him with a complicated expression.
"Never did I imagine we would meet again one day."
"Yes… I never imagined it either."
Qiu Nian nodded.
"Though looking at Jueyun Karst now…"
"Are the three of you the only ones left?"
"Yes…"
Mountain Shaper nodded gently.
"Many of our old friends have already vanished."
"Jueyun Karst is no longer as lively as it once was."
"Enough with the melancholy."
Cloud Retainer flapped her wings impatiently.
"We have reunited with Guixu after all these years, yet the two of you old fools are busy sighing."
"Haha…"
Moon Carver chuckled softly.
"Seeing Guixu again, unchanged from three thousand years ago…"
"It instantly brought my thoughts back to those days."
"But time has passed."
"We have changed."
"And Jueyun Karst… has changed as well."
"Even if we feel reluctant…"
Mountain Shaper sighed.
"We must accept that the past cannot be relived."
"Even the most beautiful memories can only be remembered, never recreated."
"Speaking of which, Guixu—when did you return to Liyue?"
Cloud Retainer asked.
"Roughly around the time the Traveler came to Jueyun Karst looking for you."
Qiu Nian replied.
"So it was then…"
Cloud Retainer murmured.
"Three thousand years have passed."
"Even Ganyu has grown up."
"I still remember what she looked like as a child."
Qiu Nian smiled faintly.
"Ganyu…"
"Not long ago she came to see me."
"She said she wanted to rediscover what it felt like to live as an adeptus."
"She seemed rather troubled."
"She said the loneliness of Liyue Harbor was even worse than the loneliness of Jueyun Karst."
"But fortunately, that Traveler helped her through it."
Cloud Retainer explained.
"That Traveler is no ordinary person."
"With her help, such troubles would naturally be resolved."
Qiu Nian nodded.
"Indeed."
Moon Carver agreed.
"That traveler is extraordinary."
Cloud Retainer suddenly laughed.
"Haha… speaking of Ganyu when she was little."
"She used to fall asleep only after holding my horns."
"She was quite chubby back then."
"When she followed me up the mountain, one misstep would send her rolling all the way to the bottom."
"And after you left, she once encountered a mortal who came seeking the adepti."
"That was her first time meeting a human."
"Would you believe it? She hid in a crack between rocks for two whole days."
"When I finally found her, she was crying and telling me a monster had appeared."
"Haha…"
Qiu Nian laughed.
"The Qilin are among the most benevolent of divine beasts."
"They drink only sweet dew and eat only the finest grains."
"They do not step on insects, nor trample grass."
"They do not travel in groups, nor wander aimlessly."
"They do not fall into traps."
"When calm, they are gentle and composed."
"When active, they move with grace."
"They are a race known for kindness and elegance."
"Little Ganyu was adorable."
"Who would have thought she would grow into such a gentle and elegant woman?"
"Besides Ganyu, Shenhe has also grown quite remarkable."
Mountain Shaper said.
"You truly chose two excellent disciples, Cloud Retainer."
"Shenhe possesses a special constitution."
Moon Carver added.
"Her will is strong, and she has great talent in adeptal arts."
"She carries the temperament of an adeptus."
"Even mortals who came seeking the adepti once mistook her for a mysterious white-haired immortal."
"Hmph."
Cloud Retainer lifted her head proudly.
"Of course."
At that moment—
A beautiful woman stepped out from the cave dwelling.
She wore a Cryo Vision, and her aura was as pure and distant as an immortal untouched by the mortal world.
It was Shenhe, Cloud Retainer's disciple.
She walked to the stone table.
"Greetings, Moon Carver. Greetings, Mountain Shaper."
Shenhe placed a hand over her chest and nodded politely.
"Master, here is the tea you asked for."
She set a packet of fine tea leaves on the table.
"There's no need for such formalities, Shenhe."
Moon Carver said gently.
"I must admit something embarrassing."
Mountain Shaper sighed.
"Whenever Shenhe comes to train here…"
"She ends up eating nothing but wild flowers and grasses."
"That's only because you old fool don't know how to cook."
Cloud Retainer snapped.
"It's fine."
Shenhe shook her head calmly.
"Wild flowers and grasses taste quite good."
Hearing that only made Mountain Shaper feel even more ashamed.
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