Chapter 67 – The Good Disciple, Shen He

Zhongli explained a bit more to Paimon and Lumine.

He spoke of why the deity of Inazuma initiated the Sakoku Decree and the Vision Hunt Decree, then turned his gaze to Lumine and Paimon before him.

“At this moment, even I, the oldest among the Eight Archons, have passed away. This will likely only strengthen her resolve to pursue eternity.”

“When she issued the Vision Hunt Decree, she must have repeated to her people the words she most often says.”

“Among the ideals pursued by the Eight Archons, only eternity comes closest to the Heavenly Principles.”

Zhongli looked at Lumine and explained slowly.

“The ideals pursued by the Eight Archons?”

“I don’t seem to have any particular ideal.”

Qiu Xue stroked her delicate chin, her lips twitching slightly. Even she couldn’t quite figure it out for a moment.

What ideal did she have? Slacking off? Taking it easy?

“Alright, is there anything else you’d like to know?”

Zhongli looked at Lumine and Paimon, who still had questions.

“Oh, right, Zhongli, what’s the deal with that Tribulation?”

Paimon beside him looked at Zhongli with curiosity.

Meanwhile, Qiu Xue snickered quietly behind them.

“Haha, I can’t believe they came up with that.”

“Failed Tribulation? How did they settle on such an excuse?”

Although Zhongli had heard this explanation before, when Paimon brought it up, even his eternally unchanging expression broke into a slight smile.

“However, the Liyue Qixing were eager to conclude the matter and cease investigating the culprit because they had secretly learned that Rex Lapis was not truly dead.”

“Not only the Qixing, but I also hinted as much to the various Adepti.”

Zhongli looked at Lumine and Paimon and spoke slowly.

“Hinted? How did you hint?”

Paimon waved her hands, somewhat puzzled.

“Hmm… have you ever heard of a convenient Adepti Art called dream visitation?”

Zhongli explained to the confused Paimon.

“So that’s how it was, no wonder.”

“Alright, Zhongli, we don’t have any more questions.”

Paimon and Lumine exchanged a glance, then looked at Qiu Xue and Zhongli.

“In that case, why not go to Xinyue Kiosk for a meal?”

“I may not have Mora, but my old friend here likely does.”

Zhongli looked at Paimon and Lumine and said with a smile.

“Hmm… after running around for so long, we haven’t had a proper meal.”

“Since that’s the case, let’s head out!”

Paimon clapped her hands, happily addressing the three.

The three then made their way to Xinyue Kiosk, and after enjoying a hearty meal,

Paimon stepped out from the entrance, and Lumine stretched lazily.

“Well then, we’ll part ways here, Qiu Xue, Zhongli.”

“Thank you both.”

Lumine placed a hand over her chest, looking at the two.

“Alright, until we meet again.”

“May you find the one you seek on your future journey.”

Qiu Xue gazed at the two with her beautiful eyes and spoke softly.

The four then parted ways, and Qiu Xue and Zhongli walked side by side along the streets of Liyue Harbor.

“Morax, I must return to Jueyun Karst.”

“Director Hu must be worried by now. Please explain the situation to her.”

Qiu Xue stopped walking and looked at Zhongli beside her.

“I will explain it to the Director.”

“What do you plan to do next, old friend?”

Zhongli looked at Qiu Xue beside him, a hint of curiosity in his voice.

“As for me, I intend to travel across the seven nations.”

“After all, I’ve been asleep for so long and haven’t seen much of this world.”

Qiu Xue brushed aside a strand of her hair and spoke slowly.

“Morax, take this.”

As she spoke, a piece of jade appeared in her hand, shaped like the Yin and Yang fish, with faint streams of light shimmering across its surface.

“If the seal on Azhdaha, the Dragon King, is on the verge of breaking…”

“Crush this stone.”

Qiu Xue said calmly to Zhongli.

“Hmm, I’ll remember that.”

“I suppose the seal on Azhdaha is nearing its end as well.”

Zhongli furrowed his brow, sensing the seal he had placed.

“Then that settles it. I’ll take my leave now, Morax.”

“My sister at the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor—please look after her for me.”

Qiu Xue smiled at Morax, then turned and walked toward an empty corner of the street.

Zhongli’s gaze followed his old friend until Qiu Xue’s figure disappeared from sight, before he slowly turned and made his way toward the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.

Upon reaching the deserted corner, Qiu Xue transformed with a flicker, shifting into Qiu Bai.

Then, with a teleport, he vanished without a trace.

Jueyun Karst, Mt. Aozang.

Qiu Bai walked slowly toward his cave abode.

When he finally saw his dwelling, he was utterly bewildered.

“What the hell, who the fuck blew up my cave?!”

At that moment, Qiu Bai stared blankly at the cave buried under massive rocks, then stood still, lost in thought.

“The only one who knows the password to my cave should be Cloud Retainer.”

“I’ll go ask her first.”

Qiu Bai politely approached Cloud Retainer’s cave and gently knocked twice with his fist.

The entire Mt. Aozang trembled slightly from those two knocks.

Inside her cave, Cloud Retainer was tinkering with mechanisms, still in her human form.

As her beast form made handling these devices rather cumbersome, she was just about to fit a part in place when two loud bangs echoed from outside the cave.

“Who is it?!”

“How dare they disturb this Adeptus so rudely!”

Cloud Retainer straightened up, looking bewildered as she stood.

Then, angrily, she strode toward the entrance of her cave.

Shenhe, who had been sitting nearby eating medicinal herbs, also stared blankly at her master.

“Master, what’s wrong?”

Shenhe’s cool voice rang out as she watched her master.

“It’s nothing, Shenhe. I’ll go take a look.”

With that, Cloud Retainer headed toward the cave entrance.

Outside, Qiu Bai had been waiting for quite some time and was growing puzzled.

“Why hasn’t Cloud Retainer come out yet?”

Just as he was about to knock again,

the seal on the cave before him dissolved, and a graceful figure emerged.

“And you are?”

Qiu Bai stared at Cloud Retainer’s dazed expression before realizing he was still in his mortal guise.

“Cloud Retainer, it’s me, Morpheus.”

“But my current name is Qiu Bai.”

Qiu Bai explained to the bewildered Cloud Retainer.

“Hmph, so it’s you, you fool.”

“You didn’t show up earlier because you turned mortal like Rex Lapis, didn’t you?”

Cloud Retainer looked at Qiu Bai and snorted haughtily.

“So, what brings you here?”

“Why aren’t you staying quietly in your own cave? What are you doing at my place?”

Cloud Retainer crossed her arms, looking somewhat annoyed as she addressed Qiu Bai.

“Cloud Retainer, have you been to my cave?”

Qiu Bai asked Cloud Retainer with a hint of suspicion.

“Ahem, of course this Adeptus hasn’t.”

“Besides, isn’t your cave sealed with a password? Something like 1145 or whatever.”

Cloud Retainer’s gaze shifted slightly, and she cleared her throat softly before assuming an expression of complete ignorance.

“Master, didn’t you just visit the Adeptus Lord’s abode?”

“What are you talking about? It’s been so long, this place has rusted away. Let’s just destroy it.”

Shenhe’s cool voice sounded from behind Cloud Retainer.