Qiu Xue watched Zhongli, who remained lost in thought, and couldn't help but feel puzzled.
She was capable of repairing erosion, but if cracks appeared again before the process was complete, she would have to start all over.
There was another method—one that required understanding whose memories Zhongli had just fallen into. Was it a person, a place, or a specific scene?
If it was a person, things would be simpler. The ley lines recorded everything, and as long as she had an object tied to that person, she could use her authority to bring them back. However, the difficulty of resurrection depended on the individual.
Reviving an Archon, for instance, would consume a significant portion of her power. It wouldn't be permanent depletion—she could recover—but it was still a heavy price to pay.
Unlike a thousand years ago, when she had to sacrifice part of her essence to perform such feats.
And this particular Archon, if it was who she suspected, was once the weakest among them, having lost both her authority and her former strength.
"Zhongli, what's wrong? What are you thinking about? Let's go," Qiu Xue said with a gentle smile.
She was still unsure why Zhongli had been staring at her. Could Morax have fallen into his memories because of her?
Logically, he had always known her as a man, and she had only been in this form for two days.
Not to mention, she had only just reunited with Zhongli. There was no way he could have developed feelings for her that quickly.
Could it be that her current appearance resembled someone from his past?
Appearing before Zhongli in this form and with this personality was purely unintentional on her part.
But at the same time… she was rather curious.
Could she actually fluster this old rock?
After all, she had only lived a few hundred years, excluding the time spent in slumber. Meanwhile, Zhongli had remained unchanged for millennia.
And as far as she knew, the only goddess closely connected to Morax… was the Archon of Dust, Guizhong.
"The Archon of Dust, Guizhong?"
"Once this is over, I should ask Morax about it."
"After all, with my current abilities, I could still bring an Archon back to life."
Qiu Xue pondered silently.
"...Sorry, old friend," Zhongli finally said, his voice calm as he pulled himself from his thoughts. He looked at Qiu Xue and smiled.
"I was just reminiscing about the past."
"Once this is over, will you tell me about it?"
Qiu Xue smiled, watching him closely.
"Haha, it's nothing but old memories," Zhongli chuckled.
"But yes, I can tell you."
When this was over, he had questions of his own—such as why his old friend had suddenly become a strikingly beautiful woman.
...
"What kind of riddle are they playing?"
Paimon waved her hands in frustration before glancing at Lumine.
Lumine shook her head. "No idea."
Zhongli finally stepped forward.
"Apologies for the delay. Let's depart," he said, addressing them.
"Then let's go," Qiu Xue replied, taking the lead with graceful strides.
...
Half an hour later, they arrived at Liyue Harbor. By now, it was already midday.
"Whoa! Such a pretty big sister!"
"Big sister, do you want some candy?"
Two children—one boy, one girl—ran up to them, their eyes sparkling as they stared at Qiu Xue, who looked almost ethereal.
Qiu Xue couldn't help but crouch down, gently ruffling the boy's and girl's hair.
"You smell really nice, big sister!"
"Here, have some candy!"
The little boy pulled a piece of candy from his pocket and eagerly offered it to her.
A warm feeling spread through Qiu Xue's heart as she accepted it, a smile forming on her lips.
"Wow, big sister's smile is so pretty!"
The boy beamed, clearly delighted.
"Xiao Peng, you ran up to four people, but you only gave candy to one of them," the little girl huffed, crossing her arms.
"That's not very polite, you know."
"Ah… I get it, Xiao Hong," the boy mumbled sheepishly, scratching his head.
He quickly fished out a few more pieces of candy and handed them to Zhongli, Lumine, and Paimon.
"Oh yeah! Mom was looking for me earlier! If I don't hurry back, I'm gonna get in so much trouble!"
Suddenly remembering something, the little boy turned and dashed off toward the inner streets.
"Hey! Wait for me! Bye, pretty big sister!"
Xiao Hong called after him before quickly running after her friend.
Zhongli watched the children disappear into the streets, a faint, almost imperceptible smile lingering on his lips.
"Children truly are carefree," he mused.
Paimon, still holding the candy the little boy had given her, sighed.
"I really don't know whether to feel sad or happy about that."
Then, as if brushing aside her own thoughts, she perked up.
"But one thing's for sure—kids really seem to love Qiu Xue!"
She stomped her feet excitedly, looking up at the elegant woman ahead of them.
Lumine smirked.
"Aren't you a kid too, Paimon?"
"Hey! I am not like them!"
Paimon whirled around, fuming.
"Paimon is not a child!"
Meanwhile, Lumine had already popped the candy into her mouth, her eyes widening slightly.
"Mmm… sunset fruit flavored."
"Tastes great!"
She smacked her lips in satisfaction, acting as if she hadn't even heard Paimon's protests.
"Hey! Traveler! Are you even listening to me?!"
"You're driving me crazy—Paimon's gonna mess up your hair!"
Qiu Xue, watching their playful squabble from the side, covered her mouth with a soft laugh.
Especially when she noticed how messy their hair had become—it was sticking out in all directions, looking like a pair of bird nests.
She couldn't help but smile. Their bond was truly something special.
...
"Next, I hope the two of you can accompany me to borrow the Cleansing Bell," Zhongli said, turning his gaze to Lumine and Paimon, who were still bickering.
"The Cleansing Bell?"
Hearing him speak, they both immediately stopped, turning toward him in curiosity.
"Yes. The one who currently keeps the Cleansing Bell is a friend of mine—Madame Ping."
"She resides near Yujing Terrace. If you ask her, she will naturally understand why you've come."
Zhongli's voice was steady as he explained, though his words left Lumine and Paimon exchanging puzzled glances.
"Alright… but, Mr. Zhongli, aren't you coming with us this time?"
Paimon tilted her head, surprised.
After all, throughout their previous preparations, aside from a few rare exceptions—like when they visited the Liyue Carriage King or Ying'er at the Spring Fragrance House—Zhongli had always accompanied them.
"Well… I have my reasons for avoiding public appearances this time," Zhongli said with a calm expression.
"And my old friend here has the same concerns, so I'll have to trouble the two of you to go in our place."
He glanced at the beautiful woman beside him before turning back to Lumine and Paimon.
Qiu Xue simply smiled and nodded.
She had already met Madame Ping before, but Zhongli hadn't. That would have to wait.
Besides, she still needed to ask Zhongli why his erosion had suddenly worsened.
...
"Sigh… why is Mr. Zhongli being so secretive this time?"
"And Qiu Xue, you're not coming either?"
Paimon scratched her head in confusion before turning toward Qiu Xue, her curiosity evident.