"You have done so much for Liyue, from ancient times to the present."
"You've already done enough. It's time to stop and rest."
Qiu Bai turned around, looked at the distant sea, and spoke.
"Go and take a good look at this new era of Liyue."
"I imagine this is the first time you'll experience the Lantern Rite as mortals."
Qiu Bai crossed his arms over his chest and murmured.
"Lantern Rite..."
Indarias lowered her head and murmured, a longing light appearing in her eyes.
She had once fantasized about the beautiful life in the mortal world, and these past few days, she found it incredibly wonderful.
New clothes, delicious food, and her brothers and sisters were all still here.
Walking together through the various streets of Liyue Harbor, experiencing the joys and sorrows of the human world.
Even the gentle breeze of Liyue Harbor was worth savoring.
"Mm..."
Bosacius also closed his eyes slightly and sighed.
"Hehe... Since that's the case, I won't disturb you any further. I'll go first."
"The work the Director assigned me isn't finished yet."
Qiu Bai looked at the several Yakshas before him and said with a light smile.
Then he turned and left.
"Thank you, Immortal Lord."
"For giving us the chance to reunite and live in the mortal world."
The several Yakshas looked at Qiu Bai departing figure and bowed deeply.
"Let's go, let's find the Conqueror of Demons, Xiao!"
"Right, Alatus!"
Bosacius patted Xiao on the shoulder and said with a loud laugh.
"..."
Upon hearing this, Xiao looked at Bosacius with an expression that was both disdainful and not.
"Alright, stop teasing Xiao."
"Since that's the case, let's do as the Immortal Lord said."
"Let's go and take a good look at the scenery of Liyue new era..."
Menogias looked at Bosacius and Xiao and said with a smile.
The scene shifted, and Qiu Bai had already appeared above Mt. Aocang in Jueyun Karst.
As soon as Qiu Bai walked forward, he saw Cloud Retainer in human form.
She was standing on the mountain peak looking at the scenery, as if gazing at someone.
"Hehe..."
Qiu Bai concealed his aura, silently walked behind Cloud Retainer, and patted her shoulder.
"Hmm?!"
"Who dares to disturb this adeptus!"
Cloud Retainer turned around, saw Qiu Bai with a smile at the corner of his mouth, and said angrily.
"It's me, Cloud Retainer."
Qiu Bai looked at Cloud Retainer before him and said with a light smile.
"Cough cough... uh..."
"You're back. Didn't you say you'd treat me to a meal?"
Cloud Retainer crossed her arms over her chest and said somewhat difficultly.
"Hmm? Wasn't it you who told Morax."
"That you wanted me to come back quickly and take you to see Liyue Harbor?"
Qiu Bai stroked his chin and took a step forward.
He was almost touching Cloud Retainer face, with a faint smile hanging at the corner of his mouth as he asked.
"Uh..."
"When did this adeptus ever say such words? That letter must be fake."
Cloud Retainer turned her head away, speaking with a tsundere attitude, a faint blush on her face.
"Hahaha... alright, fake, fake."
"Then let me invite you to come with me and see the Liyue Harbor of this new era. How about it?"
Qiu Bai looked at Cloud Retainer slightly reddened face and said with a light smile.
"Cough cough... then, then this adeptus."
"Will reluctantly agree to you."
Cloud Retainer slightly closed her eyes, her face slightly red, and turned her head away tsunderely.
"By the way, Cloud Retainer, how did you change your appearance?"
"I remember you had crane-white hair and wore white Daoist robes?"
Qiu Bai looked at Cloud Retainer before him and asked with some confusion.
At this moment, Cloud Retainer wore glasses, her crane-white hair fixed with a feather-like hairpin.
She wore clothes somewhat similar to Shenhe, but much looser.
"Hmph... this is what this adeptus originally looked like."
"It's just that during the Archon War, it seems this adeptus experienced something that turned my hair crane-white."
Cloud Retainer looked at Qiu Bai before her and explained.
"Experienced what?"
"'Nature neither increases nor decreases, the heart has no impurities or defilements, without action or method, this is the carefree adeptus, named Cloud Retainer.'"
Qiu Bai stroked his chin, looked at Cloud Retainer before him, and murmured.
"What did you experience that would make your hair turn white?"
Qiu Bai looked at Cloud Retainer before him and asked with confusion.
"This adeptus has forgotten. It seems it was because of a certain Archon..."
"That Archon passing turned my hair white overnight."
Cloud Retainer looked at Qiu Bai before her and shook her head. She was also puzzled.
For these thousands of years, she had also pondered this matter - whose passing could make someone as carefree as her so sorrowful.
"Was it Guizhong?"
Qiu Bai looked at Cloud Retainer before him and asked.
"It wasn't Haagentus."
"Sigh... in this adeptus memory, it wasn't because of that matter..."
Upon hearing the name Guizhong, Cloud Retainer sighed and said.
"A thousand years ago, when I saw you sacrifice your essence for the Dragon King Azhdaha."
"I held you, looked at your face, and had a familiar feeling."
"Even someone as carefree as me developed such mortal emotions as tenderness."
Cloud Retainer looked at Qiu Bai before her and spoke.
"Mm..."
Upon hearing this, Qiu Bai frowned slightly. What exactly was Irminsul?
To actually be able to erase the memories of Teyvat living beings.
This matter must also be related to me.
He was born a thousand years ago and walked in the mortal world for over eighty years.
Among these adepti, he had the best relationship with the original Cloud Retainer.
He still had the mentality of a shut-in back then, so he always liked to tease Cloud Retainer.
Although Cloud Retainer never appeared in human form to people during those decades, he knew that adepti could transform.
Back then, he would often make Cloud Retainer stutter when speaking, with blushes appearing on her crane face.
"Hehe..."
Thinking of these things, Qiu Bai couldn't help but smile and shake his head.
"Forget it, let's not talk about these things."
"Cloud Retainer, what were you looking at just now?"
Qiu Bai walked to Cloud Retainer's side, leaning against her shoulder, and asked with a smile.
"This adeptus was watching my disciple Shenhe."
"She's following that Traveler, heading toward the mortal world."
Upon hearing this, Cloud Retainer looked toward the direction below the mountain and spoke.
"Sigh, speaking of Shenhe, my poor disciple has suffered."
"After I took in Shenhe, Moon Carver once came forward to divine for her when she was young."
"The divination showed that Shenhe fate carries the Lone Star of Heavenly Fiend."
"It also clashes with calamitous spirits, with extremely heavy murderous tendencies - a greatly inauspicious fate that occurs once in a thousand years, harming others and herself."
"To ensure Shenhe could grow up safely without harming innocent people, we performed the Red Ropes that Bind the Soul technique on her."
"While binding the malevolent spirits and murderous aura within her, it seems to have also imprisoned many emotions that should belong to humans."
"Since then, trivial matters have found it increasingly difficult to stir waves in her heart."
Cloud Retainer turned to look at Qiu Bai before her, their faces less than a few centimeters apart.
But Cloud Retainer seemed to have grown accustomed to this, looking at Qiu Bai handsome features as she slowly spoke.
"The Traveler, one who crosses distant heavens and traverses the sea of stars."
"Her arrival might also change Shenhe fate. It might not necessarily be a bad thing."
Qiu Bai looked at Cloud Retainer beside him and said with a smile.
(T/N: Like the story fellow daoist? Now you can read 30 chapters ahead on my P@treon [[email protected]/DaoistRongyi] Thanks for your support! 😊)