The land of the adepti, Jueyun Karst.
Mt. Aozang, Cloud Retainer's abode.
On a mountain path, a white-haired, stunningly beautiful adeptus with a proud figure and a cool demeanor stood at the summit.
In her hand was a letter.
A letter personally written by Cloud Retainer.
"Go down the mountain…?"
The adeptus blinked her heterochromatic eyes, confusion on her face.
Yet, deep in her heart, a faint ripple stirred.
She carefully studied the brushstrokes on the paper, and her gaze drooped slightly.
Since it was her master's words…
Then today, she would set foot in that mortal dust of the world.
"My senior sister—whom I have yet to meet—will be waiting for me outside the harbor, in Lisha Suburbs?"
But why would it be… out in Lisha Suburbs?
Looking at the location described in the letter, the adeptus' heart gave a little jump.
"Has Master… known all along that I've been sneaking down the mountain?"
She had taken advantage of evening exorcism training more than once to slip down the mountain in secret.
She had thought she could keep it from her master.
Never did she expect that her master had known all along, merely choosing not to expose her.
Of course.
Given who her master was, how could she possibly not know?
Still… was Master not going to punish her?
She had clearly disobeyed her master's instructions by sneaking off the mountain.
After she finished reading the letter in her hand, the adeptus folded the paper carefully.
She slipped it into an envelope and stored it away in the bedside book cabinet.
Then she turned and walked to the weapon rack.
Lifting a hand, she took down the ice-blue spear her master had given her.
Its name was Calamity Queller—"Xi Zai," taken from the meaning "to quell calamity."
According to her master, this spear had once belonged to one of the yakshas.
After its owner fell in battle, it had been taken by Marshal Teng Snake, who wished to carry on its former master's will.
But because its former master had turned his spear against his own comrades and they slew one another, the spear Calamity Queller had become tainted by karmic debt, its surface fouled.
Helpless, the marshal could only place Calamity Queller in Yaodie Valley, so that the mountains and rivers' ley lines could slowly wash away its karmic stain.
He would return for the spear once the filth had been cleansed, and take up his fallen comrade's will.
Unfortunately, the marshal left and never returned.
The spear remained in Yaodie Valley for hundreds of years.
Later, while traveling through Liyue's mountains, Cloud Retainer discovered the spear in Yaodie Valley.
After taking Shenhe as her disciple, Cloud Retainer gifted the spear to her.
May this spear, too, "quell calamity" for her disciple.
So Shenhe cherished this Calamity Queller dearly.
She regularly used it to subdue demons; whenever she returned to the mountain, she would carefully wipe it clean, allowing no speck of dust to cling to it.
Today, she was about to step into the mortal world.
She did not know when she would return, so she might as well bring it with her for protection and to spare it from gathering dust.
She stepped out the door.
Leaving the cave-dwelling, she closed the mountain gate behind her.
The adeptus walked down the steps, treading lightly over water as she descended the mountain.
Her steps followed a mysterious rhythm, her figure shifting and weaving.
With each flicker of movement, the steep cliffs that ordinary people would find impossible to climb were left far behind, easily outpaced by her.
To her, climbing and descending the mountain were as easy as walking on level ground.
When she reached the foot of the mountain, her steps paused for a moment and she turned to look back.
The summit of Mt. Aozang was already hidden in the clouds and mist.
She stood there for a while, then turned again and hurried in the direction of Liyue Harbor.
This trip… she did not know when she would come back.
Her master probably wished for her to blend into the mortal world.
She could feel the earnest concern in those words.
Though the red ropes that bound her soul had dulled her emotions, they had not stripped her of the seven emotions and six desires.
Her master's care—of course she could feel it.
She simply never knew how to respond or express herself.
Her master was having her descend the mountain and enter the mortal world for her own good.
That she understood.
So she went down the mountain without the slightest hesitation.
Even if, after stepping into the mortal world, her heart felt faintly lost and she had no idea what she should do.
The adeptus did not ride the clouds with adeptal arts.
She merely used her own legs, walking with a trace of uncertainty, as Mt. Aozang grew more and more distant behind her and Liyue Harbor drew ever nearer.
Leaving the mountains, she stepped onto the official road.
Ignoring the stunned admiration in the eyes of passing merchants and travelers, the adeptus made straight for the place her master had mentioned in the letter.
By now, it was early morning.
Shenhe left the official road once more and entered a side path.
Half an hour later—
She arrived.
The moment her steps stopped, she stared blankly at the familiar yet unfamiliar ruins of a village before her.
She stood there for a long time.
Her heterochromatic eyes lowered, Shenhe carefully took out a slightly yellowed drawing.
The picture, her memories, and the scene before her now—
The three overlapped in this moment.
In a daze, the view before her wavered.
A mature, steady man. A gentle yet steadfast woman.
And… a small child running through a field of rapeseed flowers, chasing butterflies.
When those three figures overlapped with the scene in her mind, Shenhe froze.
"Are you Shenhe, junior sister?"
A soft, almost fluffy voice sounded from behind her.
The images before her shattered at once.
A wave of inexplicable loss washed over her heart.
She shook her head slightly and turned.
A woman dressed mainly in blue came into view, and what stood out most was the pair of black-and-red qilin horns upon her blue hair.
Qilin horns… half-adeptus, half-human.
Was this her senior sister?
"My name is Shenhe."
Shenhe placed a hand on her chest and spoke softly:
"Disciple of Cloud Retainer."
"May I ask, are you Senior Sister Ganyu?"
"That's me."
Ganyu smiled and nodded.
"Sorry, junior sister Shenhe. Mortal affairs delayed me, so I've arrived a little late. I hope you won't hold it against me."
"There's no need for Senior Sister to mind."
Shenhe shook her head, unconcerned.
"I only just arrived here myself."
"Right—Senior Sister, Master… she didn't come?"
"Master, huh~"
Ganyu smiled slightly.
"Master had planned to come today, but as she was leaving, the Lord of Dust dragged her off as extra help, inviting her to the Jade Chamber to discuss some mechanical contraptions in preparation for the upcoming Lantern Rite."
"I'm afraid our true master won't be able to get away for a while."
"She specifically asked me to apologize on her behalf."
After all, she'd come back to life a thousand years later.
Right now, Guizhong was curious about everything.
The other adepti were being pestered by her questions to the point of exhaustion, though they didn't truly mind.
Cloud Retainer was the one who suffered the most.
Who told Cloud Retainer to dabble in such a broad range of arts, with deep attainments in all five elements and all manner of disciplines?
Naturally, she was the one most often dragged off as extra help.
"Shenhe understands~"
Shenhe shook her head again.
"There's no need for apologies, Senior Sister. Master has great responsibilities; important matters must come first."
"Though I'm not very familiar with Liyue Harbor…"
"With Senior Sister here, it's not a problem."
"Also, Senior Sister, Master sent me down the mountain to Liyue Harbor this time—does she have any important orders for me?"
Cloud Retainer wasn't exactly a shut-in.
She had often gone out wandering in the past.
But that was back then.
In recent years she had barely gone out at all.
Now not only was she living in Liyue Harbor most of the time, she'd even asked Shenhe to come along.
Naturally, Shenhe was perplexed.
She'd been told to enter the mortal world—but… what exactly was she supposed to do?
"Well…"
Being asked so directly left Ganyu at a temporary loss for words.
Good question.
"Join the world, join the world."
An adeptus leaves the mountains and enters mortal society.
But after arriving here among mortals… what then?
To tell the truth, it wasn't just Shenhe who was confused.
Ganyu herself had been rather lost during this period.
For thousands of years, she had served as the secretary to the Liyue Qixing.
Day and night, she had endless documents to process and intelligence to sift through.
But with the Lord of Dust restored and Yuehai Pavilion summoned to her service, a great many adepti had been assigned to share the burdens.
Her workload had been completely divided up among them.
Now, she had… a lot of free time.
Yet aside from Yuehai Pavilion, Ganyu didn't know where else she ought to go.
So when Shenhe asked her that question—
It stumped her as well.
She herself didn't know how she should arrange things anymore.
And with that thought… the two half-adepti stood amid the ruined village, the morning light spilling over them, equally unsure of what their "descent into the world" was supposed to mean.
(End of Chapter)
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