Yuan Gun Gun smiled with satisfaction, then transformed into her beast form and jumped onto Qiu Bai shoulder.
"Mm... How about you come with me?"
"Aren't you looking for someone?"
Cloud Retainer looked at Shenhe and the others before her and asked.
"Then we'll trouble Cloud Retainer for her assistance."
Lumine looked at Cloud Retainer before her and thanked her.
"I still have cultivation to attend to today."
"I won't be accompanying Master and everyone else."
Shenhe looked at Cloud Retainer before her, waved her hand and said.
"Mm, return to the estate later and wait for me."
"Such a joyous festival is rare, you should feel free to enjoy the dishes."
Cloud Retainer looked at Shenhe before her and said.
"Happy Lantern Rite."
Lumine looked at Shenhe beside her, smiled and nodded.
"If you want to release sky lanterns, you're always welcome to return."
Ganyu looked at Shenhe before her and said with a smile.
"Thank you, Happy Lantern Rite."
Shenhe looked at everyone before her, thanked them, then walked toward the distance.
As she walked, she hummed the tune of "Divine Damsel of Devastation."
"Morcius, take us to Guili Plains."
"I'll go tell them about the past."
Cloud Retainer took one of Qiu Bai hands and said with a smile.
"Mm."
Qiu Bai nodded, then took everyone with him and disappeared from the spot in an instant.
When they appeared again, they were already at Guili Plains.
Before them were ruins and various damaged buildings.
"Having Qiu Bai around means we don't have to walk - that's really wonderful."
"But Cloud Retainer, why did you bring us here?"
Paimon looked at Cloud Retainer beside her and asked with some confusion.
"Guili Plains..."
Qiu Bai crossed his arms over his chest, looking at the river before him and murmuring.
Guili Assembly was built before the establishment of Liyue Harbor.
That is, at least three thousand seven hundred years ago.
When he was born a thousand years ago, Guili Assembly was in the process of being rebuilt.
But it was flooded.
"Ganyu naturally knows the name Guizhong."
"But have you heard of it?"
Cloud Retainer looked at everyone before her and asked.
"Even this fellow Morcius probably knows very little about Guizhong."
"Though he holds the noble title of Immortal Lord, he was born a thousand years ago, while Guizhong existed at the founding of Liyue."
Cloud Retainer held Qiu Bai hand and spoke slowly.
"About Guizhong, I indeed know very little."
"Although you've mentioned her before, we never talked about it in depth."
Qiu Bai looked at Cloud Retainer beside him and said with a light smile.
"Don't really remember."
Lumine shook her head upon hearing this.
"Guizhong was the God of Dust, Haagentus."
"She had a lively personality, loved inventing and was very fond of excitement."
"Long ago, this place was still a prosperous marketplace and Guizhong would often invite friends to her home as guests."
"She would gather everyone around that largest stone table."
"Skybracer would always be the first to display his newly collected treasures on the table."
"Hmph, speaking of that fellow... he had a gentle nature, but when it came to things he liked, he always loved to show off."
Cloud Retainer snorted lightly when talking about Skybracer.
"He was also our old rival."
"Thinking of him brings back many memories."
"As soon as he brought out his treasures, everyone would become restless and immediately compete to comment on them."
"Guizhong and I naturally wouldn't admit defeat, so we would each display our proudest mechanical creations."
"Adepti after all, each have their own abilities and inevitably all have some pride."
"So Skybracer and I would often argue endlessly."
"His treasures weren't made by himself - he was just good at treasure hunting, unlike me!"
"I've always done everything with my own hands!"
Cloud Retainer looked at everyone before her and said indignantly.
"Hahaha..."
Qiu Bai looked at Cloud Retainer beside him and chuckled twice.
"Master, you're competing again..."
Ganyu looked at the human-formed Cloud Retainer before her, waving her hands.
"...Ahem, I digress."
"Every time this happened, Guizhong would start watching the excitement."
"Sometimes she'd join us in arguing, but more often she'd pull everyone along to say nonsense."
Cloud Retainer looked at Ganyu and the others before her and said.
"What kind of nonsense?"
Paimon looked at Cloud Retainer with curiosity.
"All kinds..."
Sometimes it was: "Oh, stop arguing, you're all not as good as me."
Sometimes it was: "After these two finish arguing, let's go down the mountain to have barbecue."
"She always wanted to make everyone happy, and she did have some ability for it."
"Whatever nonsense she said, somehow never made me feel annoyed."
"...And she never called me 'bird' or 'that woman.'"
Cloud Retainer looked at Paimon before her and said grudgingly.
"You, you shouldn't be so petty."
Paimon scratched her head awkwardly.
"Ha, anyway, when we were discussing things heatedly."
"The Stove God Marchosius would have already brought up delicious dishes."
"Whose face could refuse the Stove God? Naturally we'd stop arguing, hastily clear the table and raise our cups."
Cloud Retainer looked at everyone before her and spoke slowly.
"Heh, speaking of which, I used to complain that the cups the Geo Archon brought were always too square."
"Say, can you get used to square cups?"
Cloud Retainer suddenly changed topics, looking at everyone before her and asking.
"Square cups are indeed not very convenient to use."
Qiu Bai looked at Cloud Retainer beside him and said with a light smile.
"The Stove God cooking skills were impeccable even to me. During the feast, Guizhong would always start conversations."
"Talking about this and that, causing constant laughter and joy."
Cloud Retainer looked at everyone before her and said with a light smile.
"We would enjoy fine wine in high places, watching the sun rise and moon set, until eventually the banquet would end."
"Streetward Rambler would often stay behind to admire flowers with Guizhong for a while before leaving."
"The Glaze Lilies at that time stretched from here to there in an endless sea of flowers."
Cloud Retainer turned around, looking at the territory before her and said with emotion.
"Streetward Rambler?"
Paimon scratched her head with some confusion.
"That's Madame Ping, the Granny Ping everyone knows."
Ganyu looked at Lumine and Paimon before her and explained.
"Ooh~!"
"So it's Ping! Qiu Bai took us to meet her. She has such a kind appearance, just like a fairy."
Paimon looked at everyone before her and said with a smile.
"And we came to find another fairy."
"Could that fairy be Guizhong? Has Guizhong already... already..."
Paimon looked at Qiu Bai and Cloud Retainer before her and murmured.
"Sigh, this adeptus hasn't come to this place for a long time, precisely because I was afraid these broken ruins would stir up sentimental feelings."
"You're quite something, asking questions so urgently, stirring up all my melancholy!"
Cloud Retainer looked at little Paimon before her and said somewhat angrily.
"Never mind, never mind. This adeptus will tell you about the past in detail."
Cloud Retainer looked at everyone before her, sighed and said.
(T/N: Like the story fellow daoist? Now you can read 30 chapters ahead on my P@treon [p@treon.com/DaoistRongyi] Thanks for your support! 😊)