"As long as I remain in the position of Tianquan."
"I will protect Liyue safety."
Ningguang looked at Qiu Bai before her and said with assurance.
"Shenhe, several years ago I watched you sneak down the mountain, only to return quietly with a troubled expression."
"This time coming to Liyue Harbor, has your state of mind changed at all?"
Cloud Retainer walked to Qiu Bai side, looked at Shenhe before her, and asked.
"Yes... though I can't explain it clearly."
"However, it's happier than I imagined."
Shenhe placed one hand over her chest, recalling in her mind the time she spent traveling with Lumine, and Beisht final fall.
Slowly opening her eyes, she looked at Lumine beside her and spoke.
"That's good then, Traveler."
"I'll have to trouble you to look after this child, Shenhe."
Cloud Retainer looked at Lumine before her and nodded her crane head.
"Immo... Mr. Qiu Bai, please look after my master as well."
"She's naturally proud and doesn't know how to chat, so please bear with her."
Shenhe nodded upon hearing this, turned her gaze to Qiu Bai, and spoke slowly.
"Hahaha..."
Qiu Bai couldn't help but laugh a few times upon hearing this.
He hadn't expected that Shenhe would learn quite a few things during her trip to the mortal world.
"Ahem... When has this adeptus ever needed a mere guest consultant of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor to look after me?"
"Shenhe, don't speak nonsense."
Cloud Retainer didn't react immediately to Shenhe words.
Then she looked at Qiu Bai beside her with a proud expression and said.
"Speaking of which, this adeptus remembers some amusing stories from when Shenhe was little."
Cloud Retainer turned her crane head and looked at the people before her, speaking up.
"That... that's not necessary."
Shenhe looked at Cloud Retainer before her and refused.
"Is that so? Hmph, you're all the same."
"If you don't want to hear it, fine. This adeptus simply won't tell them."
Cloud Retainer looked at Shenhe before her, snorted lightly, and said.
"By common parlance."
"Cloud Retainer indeed doesn't know how to chat. Shenhe reminder is useful."
Qiu Bai looked at Cloud Retainer beside him and said with a light smile.
"Everyone, please rest well for now."
"Once your fatigue has disappeared, come up to the Jade Chamber."
Ningguang looked at the people before her and said with a smile.
"To celebrate Liyue safely weathering this crisis."
"This banquet will surely be extraordinarily lively."
After Ningguang finished speaking, she walked slowly toward Liyue Harbor.
Lumine, Paimon, and Shenhe watched Ningguang figure gradually disappear from sight.
Then they turned to look at Qiu Bai and Cloud Retainer with complex expressions.
"What's wrong? Why those expressions?"
Qiu Bai looked at the people before him and asked with a light smile.
"Qiu Bai..."
"Beisht... did you see her? I'm just feeling somewhat emotional."
Paimon looked at Qiu Bai before her and asked.
"Mm..."
Qiu Bai sighed upon hearing this, turned around, and directed his gaze toward the depths of the sea.
"I saw her."
"We were watching this disaster the entire time."
Qiu Bai crossed his arms over his chest, looked at the distant horizon, and murmured.
"Archons love people, but their ways of loving are different."
"As for the Archon War, I didn't personally experience that era. Go ask Zhongli about it."
Qiu Bai turned around, looked at Lumine, Paimon, and Shenhe before him, and spoke slowly.
Upon hearing this, Cloud Retainer also sighed, then transformed into human form.
Beisht final appearance reminded her of an old friend.
"Hold onto me."
"I'll take you to ask Zhongli."
Qiu Bai looked at the distant sea surface.
Beisht final actions had stirred some complex emotions in him as well.
Everyone grabbed onto Qiu Bai clothes upon hearing this, then disappeared in an instant.
When they appeared again, they were already on a mountain cliff above Liyue Harbor.
From here, they could see the full view of Liyue Harbor.
At this moment, Liyue was already brightly lit and had restored order.
Beautiful Xiao Lanterns could be faintly seen rising slowly above the sea surface.
Venti, Azhdaha, Zhongli, Qiu Bai, Cloud Retainer, Raiden Ei, Shenhe, Lumine, and Paimon all stood on this cliff, overlooking all of Liyue.
"Oh my~ you've returned."
Venti looked at Qiu Bai and the others and said with a smile.
"Venti, Ei."
"How are you here!"
Paimon looked at Venti and Raiden Ei with shock.
"That archon."
"Is already dead."
Raiden Ei looked toward the depths of the sea, lightning power flickering in her pupils as she spoke.
"Mm..."
Zhongli closed his eyes slightly, crossed his arms over his chest, and sighed.
"I saw it. Just now I was thinking she had escaped, and I was going to deal with her."
"I didn't expect you would actually kill her."
Azhdaha looked at Lumine and Shenhe before him with some admiration.
"No... we didn't kill her."
"She willingly..."
Shenhe looked at Azhdaha before her and recounted the entire sequence of events.
"Zhongli..."
"Was there truly no distinction between good and evil in the Archon War?"
Lumine placed one hand over her chest, looked at Zhongli before her, and asked.
"The Archon War was very cruel."
"The archons didn't intentionally start the war... but rather..."
Zhongli gaze turned toward the island high in the sky, frowning as he murmured.
"In that era... there wasn't even a so-called standard for measuring good and evil."
"Even I was forced to participate in the war."
"Though all the demons and gods of this world rose up together, while I had no intention of competing for dominance, I knew of the people suffering."
"I only wished to cleanse the four directions and secure a corner of this floating world."
Zhongli crossed his arms over his chest, looked toward the sea, and spoke slowly.
"Weakness."
"Was the original sin in this war driven by laws."
Zhongli frowned slightly, looked at the distant sea surface, and murmured.
"Osial... you and I were enemies, not friends."
"But the opposition of the old era is merely a memory of the old era."
"Though you have been destroyed by my old friend, perhaps this is your best ending."
Zhongli crossed his arms over his chest, looked toward the sea, and murmured.
He had also witnessed Beisht actions just now.
But they were enemies after all.
If Beisht had escaped, Azhdaha beside him wouldn't have allowed an existence that threatened Liyue to flee.
"Mm..."
"Though archons love people, their ways of loving are all very different."
Venti looked at Lumine, Paimon, and Shenhe before him and explained.
"For example, the Tornado Archon Decarabian."
"His approach was to shelter the people within a barrier that shut out wind and snow."
Venti stroked his chin, recalling.
"Until the very end, this tyrant believed that the people loved and revered him."
"But those who showed him respect and reverence were simply blown down by his fierce winds, unable to rise up in resistance."
Venti spread his hands, looked at Shenhe and the others before him, and slowly recounted.
"His love, for people who yearned for freedom."
"Was equivalent to restraint. In the end, the people rose up in rebellion and overthrew his rule."
Venti looked toward Mondstadt direction and murmured.
(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! 😊)