Chapter 239

"Chihhu fish! Grilled Chihhu fish! Fresh Chihhu fish, sir, come take a look!"

"Selling night lanterns~! Honest prices, quality guaranteed!"

"Qingshi farm produce! All ingredients sourced from Qingshi Village! Pre-order your Lunar Lantern Festival New Year's feast now for a discount!"

"Mondstadt's Dandelion Wine! Lunar Lantern Festival special!"

"Taste of Inazuma! Colorful dumplings, tempura, grilled fish. Coming right up! Please wait a moment!"

The bustling streets of Liyue, thick with vendors and pedestrians, were even more crowded than usual due to the approaching Lunar Lantern Festival.

Along the streets, scattered or lined-up stalls appeared frequently—some operated by itinerant vendors, others temporary setups by merchants from within the city or foreign lands.

Only during the days surrounding the Lunar Lantern Festival did the port city of Liyue Harbor, surrounded by mountains on three sides, permit vendors to orderly set up stalls along the streets.

Of course, the General Affairs Office and the Eight Gates departments would conduct both overt and covert inspections to ensure no vendor cheated or scammed during the festival.

The smells of grilled food, flowers, and stir-fried dishes mingled and drifted into every passerby's nostrils.

On the crowded streets, voices of conversation never ceased.

People spoke of daily leisure pursuits, complained of trivial troubles, discussed how many Mora they earned or spent this year, and planned and dreamed of next year's life.

Zhongli watched this scene, listened to the surrounding chatter, and his brow relaxed with quiet satisfaction.

The sun and moon exchanged places; the stars shifted their course.

This scene had appeared thousands of times in his past life—under the protection of the Rock King and the Immortals, the people of Liyue held the Lunar Lantern Festival each year.

After the Rock King's departure, Liyue remained Liyue.

The people would not halt their steps because of the Rock King's absence; they continued moving toward the future, holding hope and longing for what lay ahead, while preserving remembrance and reverence for the past.

"This is well."

Zhongli's lips curved into a faint smile as he turned and stepped into the throng of people.

The city of Liyue was far larger than its in-game model; the game's model was merely a patchwork of partial Liyue regions, and the locations were not even aligned correctly.

Following the main road past vermilion-painted gate towers, crossing stone bridges, passing Mingxing Teahouse and Rocktop Teahouse, and brushing past countless citizens, he finally returned to the place where the name "Zhongli" worked—the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.

The moment he pushed open the door, the faint scent of incense and wax candles reached him first, then the dimly lit room dominated by black tones.

Zhongli scanned the room but saw no one; yet he remained calm, stepping forward until he reached a wooden shelf holding vases and porcelain, now adorned with some Mondstadt and Inazuma crafts—not purchased by him.

Suddenly, a dark shadow lunged down from the rafters.

"Aaaah!!!"

Zhongli's expression remained unreadable—he had expected it, and had sensed someone above.

"Long time no see, Manager." Zhongli spoke slowly: "That posture is dangerous. You'd be better off coming down."

Before Zhongli stood a girl with a delicate oval face, inverted upside-down, wearing a Qiankun Tai Gua hat, her reddish-brown gradient twin tails hanging downward, her eyes bearing two plum blossoms.

She held a menacing, clawing pose, her nails painted black, her expression feigned ferocity.

It was Hu Tao, the 77th Manager of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.

"Aaaah~~!" Hu Tao let out another yell, eyes bulging; seeing Zhongli's unchanged expression, she released her grip and performed a backward flip to land on the floor.

She brushed dust off her clothes and said listlessly: "Boring. Not even a reaction."

"Back already?" Hu Tao blinked, hands on hips: "You returned so quickly? I thought you'd be gone at least a month or two."

Before leaving Liyue, Zhongli had requested leave, saying he'd visit some friends and might be gone for some time.

It wasn't the first time, so Hu Tao hadn't minded.

"I'm back." Zhongli nodded, then added: "Manager, I still need some time to handle personal matters—it won't take long. I'll return by the time of the Lunar Lantern Festival."

The Zhongli returned from other worlds had no intention of resuming the identity of the Rock King, nor of abandoning his role as Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's guest consultant, "Zhongli."

The journey of the man named "Zhongli" had only just begun—and it was far more interesting than he had imagined. He would continue to witness the world's changes as Zhongli, merely—

This time, the recorder would no longer be only the Traveler. The eternal, unyielding rock had found a way not to be worn away; thus, he too would join in recording, etching all with his own eyes, measuring the world with his own feet.

Hu Tao narrowed her eyes; her acute perception sensed a crack suddenly appearing on a rock unchanged for ten thousand years—but this fissure did not signify destruction.

Zhongli now carried a hint of "life." It was strange.

"Mm, go attend to your business. While you were away from Liyue, the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's expenses dropped considerably." Hu Tao waved her hand, joking: "But I have one request—when you're out, promote our services. Don't forget you're our guest consultant; you can't leave all the work to me alone."

"Of course." Zhongli gave a slight nod: "Thank you, Manager."

"By the way, have any of your friends recently needed our services?" Hu Tao's voice rose with interest: "I'll give you a fifty-percent discount authorization."

Zhongli considered seriously: "They probably won't need them."

"Won't need them? Then they're worthless clients. What a pity." Hu Tao sighed meaningfully: "Alright, hurry up and go. Oh, take this list—help the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor buy some things when you have time."

A slender arm extended a list, detailing everything from ingredients to utensils.

"Alright." Zhongli nodded, took the list, and walked out.

Soon after Zhongli left, the Yiguan girl entered and asked: "Is Mr. Zhongli leaving again?"

"Hmph, mysterious as always. Let him be." Hu Tao stretched lazily. "I've got to prepare festival activities to promote our services. This Lunar Lantern Festival is a golden opportunity for the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor to expand."

"Yes," the Yiguan girl replied reluctantly. It wasn't the first time the Manager had such odd ideas—even if no one would ever learn about the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's services on the Lunar Lantern Festival.

"Yoo~ da-da-da~ da-da-da-da"

As the sun blazed at its zenith, the Yujing Terrace in Liyue Harbor offered the finest view of this grand spectacle.

Near the North Pier, artificial Luli lilies stood one by one in the nearby green belts, their buds swelling, ready to burst into breathtaking beauty at the right moment.

This flower resembled the epiphyllum of another world—its bloom fleeting yet exquisitely beautiful.

Along the path, red and pink intertwined; it was the season of Nishang flowers. Whether foreign travelers or local residents, even if they missed the blooming Luli lilies, they could still see the Nishang flowers in full bloom.

Zhongli walked past the viewing area and the lotus pond corridor paved with gray stone slabs. He remembered that in the game, one could fish here—but in reality, fishing was strictly forbidden.

He rubbed his chin, wondering whether the Traveler had come here at night to gather ingredients.

Schools of fish crowded together, waiting for visitors to toss food into the water.

'A few missing wouldn't be noticed, but these fish are for viewing only; if cooked, their flavor would be far inferior.'

Zhongli shook his head and continued toward Yujing Tai Shang, passing through the archway and ascending the steps, where near a man-made rockery an old woman wearing glasses sat on a simple chair, watching the crowd pass by.

On the table before her stood a ceramic teapot and a porcelain cup.

"What brings you here today?" Granny Ping chuckled. "You rarely visit us old friends—today's visit is quite unusual."

"I had nothing to do, so I took a walk." Zhongli glanced at the passersby, a faint golden glow flickering in his eyes.

A few particles of Geo element gradually coalesced before Granny Ping's table, forming a stone chair in Liyue style.

People came and went; even a child chasing a kite ran past nearby, yet none noticed anything amiss.

Zhongli sat down on his own and picked up the teapot, pouring himself a cup.

"Your power?" Granny Ping asked, puzzled.

"It has improved slightly—not much, but enough." Zhongli blew gently on the hot tea in his cup; the surface rippled with shimmering waves. "Weariness is no longer a concern of mine."

Granny Ping's pupils shrank slightly as she stared at Zhongli in disbelief. "That is truly worth celebrating."

"Lend me the Dichen Bell for a while," Zhongli said.

"It was never mine to begin with," Granny Ping smiled. "You seem to have something else to tell me?"

"Of the immortals who left Liyue to wander the world, how many can you still reach?" Zhongli sipped his tea. "Summon them back."

"Not many," Granny Ping straightened her slightly hunched back. "What do you intend to do?"

Thousands of years had passed since the War of the Demigods; the surviving immortals had either retreated into mountains, hidden among mortals, or wandered the world and gradually lost contact.

Many immortals may still not know of the Rock King's demise.

Today, learning that the Emperor's power had grown, and wishing to gather the immortals—

Zhongli set down his teacup and spoke slowly, calmly:

"The path of the immortal is vast."

"I gained some insight, saw the road ahead—the sun, moon, stars, earth, wind, water, fire—and only after breaking through did I realize how boundless the ocean truly is."

"Summon the immortals in my name. Three days from now, meet at Qingyun Ding."

The floating island above Qingyun Ding was once the former residence of Liu Yun Jiefeng, once lent to the Rock King for testing mortals who sought to prove their worth to the immortals.

Zhongli lifted his gaze to the leaves above, shading the sunlight; some had turned yellow and hung ready to fall.

"Beyond this path, even the dead may be restored."

At that moment, Granny Ping rose in shock, eager to ask more, her eyes filled with urgency—but a gentle breeze blew, and yellow leaves drifted down, briefly obscuring her vision.

When the leaves scattered, Zhongli was gone.

Granny Ping scanned all around but saw no trace; her heart pounded wildly, fearing what she had heard and seen was merely a delusion of her own longing.

She turned to the table—the teacup still steamed, proof someone had sat across from her not long ago.

Suddenly, she looked upward—the yellow leaves on the tree had vanished; fresh, out-of-season green shoots had sprouted.

"Gui Zhong."

Granny Ping stared at the tree for a long time; as moments passed, streaks of black appeared in her white hair, and her waist gradually straightened.

Her face remained aged, yet no longer carried the weight of frailty and decay.

"The Emperor has come to save you."

That night, the Lihua Lily bloomed impatiently, bursting forth with sparks of life in silence.

The ten thousand lamps of Liyue gradually dimmed, leaving only streets and scattered homes lit by faint glows.

The Qianyan Army on night patrol moved in formation through Liyue's streets, deterring those with ill intent—human or otherwise—while the people slipped into dreams.

Beyond Liyue Harbor, within Liyue's borders, the immortals who never needed sleep and had been absorbed in their personal studies now felt weariness creep in.

Among them was the Yaksha, struggling against his karmic burdens—he suddenly felt his mental distractions and inner murderous intent washed clean by a soothing, refreshing coolness; his heart instantly became utterly serene.

The long-absent peace left him no time to seek its cause; like racing against time, his body instinctively sought to savor this tranquility, and he slowly closed his eyes, collapsing into the reed marsh.

A gentle breeze blew, swaying the surrounding reeds; the yellow reeds rustled softly; the wild birds nesting nearby remained undisturbed; Di Hua Zhou remained as peaceful as ever.

In a daze, the immortals arrived at a place shrouded in mist.

In the haze, they seemed to see a familiar figure—solemn, ancient, just as he had been many years ago.

"Eras change. Though I relinquished Liyue, I have never forgotten the days of old. Now, by chance, I have made progress on the immortal path, and I wish to establish the Liyue Immortal Court, sharing the complete immortal arts with you all."

"Meet at Qingyun Ding in three days."

After an indeterminate time, Xiao suddenly opened his eyes, jolting awake from the reeds—he instantly tried to rise in defense, sensing someone nearby.

"Don't move."

The voice was so familiar it instantly relaxed his alertness.

"Emperor…"

Zhongli placed one hand on Xiao's forehead; warmth and immense power flowed from it—gentle as sunrise, yet utterly dominant.

"Rest well. The rest is mine now," Zhongli smiled gently.

Zhongli's finger tapped lightly; in the dark reed marsh, streaks of Jin Guang pierced into the Yaksha's body. The foul, chaotic murderous intent erupted from him, attempting to cling to Zhongli along the connection.

'Morax!'

'Kill! Kill! Kill!'

'Kill them all! They all deserve to die!!!'

'Hahaha, kill them all—it'll be easy! I am you! You are me!'

The residual power of slain Demigods, carrying the most venomous curses, sought to spread destruction, dragging all living things into their own fate.

Evil winds raged, desperate to return to life, to reclaim the mortal world.

But that single finger stood like an unshakable mountain pressing down upon them.

"You are still far too weak," Zhongli said calmly, unquestionably. "In the past, you were like this—"

Boom—

A brilliant golden light surged into the sky, forming a pillar connecting heaven and earth, as countless runes appeared and fell like rain.

The entire land of Teyvat responded to Zhongli, whether in Liyue, Natlan, or Mondstadt—every step upon the earth fell within the domain of the Earth God.

The clear light of dawn swept across Teyvat, and all remaining demonic remnants within Teyvat, along with Xiao's karmic impurities, let out piercing cries of anguish.

"Now, it is the same."

Update first, then revise

End of chapter