Qiu Bai sat in the chair before the storyteller, took a sip of tea, and gazed at Zhongli with a mysterious expression.
Zhongli, looking at his old friend, was slightly taken aback.
In his understanding, the dead were not meant to return.
However, considering that Qiu Bai could repair wear and tear—a feat that was already beyond belief—bringing an Archon back to life no longer seemed all that shocking.
He silently pondered Qiu Bai's words.
If Guizhong were to be resurrected now, she would indeed be a cherished old friend. He would have loved for her to see the Liyue of today.
But then, recalling the era Guizhong had lived in, he shook his head.
A long silence passed as a gentle breeze drifted between them. Eventually, Zhongli stood up and walked toward Jie Cui Xing.
He continued forward, stopping at the railing, arms crossed as he gazed at the distant mountains.
The sun was slowly setting, and Zhongli's gaze followed it toward the horizon.
Qiu Bai leisurely followed and stopped beside him.
"I'm not sure... Perhaps, for her, this era would be too perfect."
Zhongli's voice was calm as he spoke.
The steadiness in his tone had returned, and the breeze gently lifted the hem of his robe.
He had witnessed the departure of countless old friends and the ever-changing times of Liyue Harbor. His silhouette against the fading sunlight carried a quiet sense of weariness.
Qiu Bai watched him in silence, choosing not to speak.
"Let me know once you've made up your mind."
"After all, she was your old friend."
An inexplicable emotion stirred within Qiu Bai, making his voice unconsciously firmer.
He reached out and patted Zhongli on the shoulder, speaking softly.
Zhongli's mouth twitched slightly.
"I think you were better off as a woman. At least then, you were a bit more refined."
Zhongli looked at the ever-unserious Qiu Bai, his voice tinged with helplessness.
At that moment, Qiu Bai's body trembled again.
"What is going on with me? Once this is over, I need to examine myself properly."
"This was just to lighten the mood."
"With how brooding you looked, someone might mistake you for being... emo."
Qiu Bai waved a hand dismissively, sounding lazy.
"Emo? What does that mean?"
"Heh, you've been saying strange things since a thousand years ago. Some things never change."
Zhongli chuckled as he glanced at Qiu Bai.
By now, the sun had completely set, and the moon was beginning to rise.
Qiu Bai, like Zhongli, looked up at the slowly ascending moon.
"Zhongli! Qiu Xue!"
The moment Qiu Bai heard someone calling the name "Qiu Xue," a sharp pain shot through his head.
"We're back!"
Paimon's voice rang out from afar, while Lumine followed behind, carrying an oversized bell.
Paimon flew toward them quickly, seemingly searching for something.
"Eh? Where's Qiu Xue?"
"Why are you here instead?"
Paimon scanned the area in confusion before spotting Qiu Bai. She crossed her arms over her chest, looking disappointed.
"Qiu Bai, it's good to see you again."
Lumine, on the other hand, greeted him politely.
"Qiu Xue has already gone back. I happened to run into Qiu Bai, so we chatted for a while."
Zhongli explained calmly to Lumine and Paimon.
Qiu Bai smiled and nodded slightly.
"Looks like little Paimon has quite the grudge against me."
Qiu Bai raised an eyebrow at Paimon, feigning surprise.
"Hmph! It's because you keep patting my head!"
"Paimon's head isn't for just anyone to touch!"
Paimon crossed her arms and turned away, her voice carrying a hint of indignation.
Qiu Bai's mouth twitched. So... during the day, I don't even know how many times I patted your head, and yet you let me?
Serious double standards, huh?
And Lumine—acting all polite now? Did she already forget what happened earlier when she was touching my leg?
Just as Qiu Bai was internally ranting about Paimon and Lumine, an excruciating pain suddenly surged through his entire body.
"Argh! It hurts, it hurts!"
Qiu Bai clutched his head, falling to one knee with a heavy thud.
"Qiu Bai! What's wrong?!"
"Are you okay? Paimon won't badmouth you behind your back ever again!"
Paimon panicked, flying closer, completely at a loss for what to do.
"Qiu Bai!"
Lumine rushed over, hurriedly supporting him as he knelt on the ground.
"Don't worry, I'm fine."
Qiu Bai concentrated his Yang energy, desperately focusing it into his mind to dull the pain.
"My friend, what's happening to you?!"
Even Zhongli lost his usual composure, stepping forward to support Qiu Bai's other shoulder.
With Lumine and Zhongli's help, Qiu Bai slowly stood back up.
Finally, he took a deep breath and spoke.
"I'm fine. Really."
"Just... a headache."
He rubbed his temples, speaking to the three of them in a steady voice.
"Then hurry to Bubu Pharmacy and get some medicine!"
Paimon anxiously stomped her feet, looking at Qiu Bai with worry.
However, Zhongli—who was still supporting Qiu Bai—noticed something was wrong.
"I'm afraid it's not that simple," Zhongli said calmly.
He knew his old friend well—Qiu Bai possessed an Archon's body, immune to all poisons.
Moreover, he was not subject to decay or wear. Even compared to his peak strength, Qiu Bai had only grown stronger, so how could he possibly be experiencing headaches?
"Yeah, Zhongli! Hurry up and tell us what's wrong with Qiu Bai!"
"You're so knowledgeable—you must know something!"
Paimon, seeing how much pain Qiu Bai was in, flew up to his forehead and patted it gently.
Feeling no heat, she turned anxiously to Zhongli.
By this point, Qiu Bai had temporarily suppressed the strange sensations in his body and head and was now standing upright.
"I told you, I'm fine."
"I never expected little Paimon to be so worried about me, despite the way she talks," he said with a warm smile, reaching out to ruffle her hair.
Then, as if nothing had happened, he stepped forward, walking away from Zhongli and Lumine's support.
Paimon, too preoccupied to care about her head being patted, widened her eyes at him.
"Are you really okay?"
"I'm fine."
"Really, really okay?"
"I'm fine!"
"You're not messing with us, are you?! I was so worried about you just now!"
Paimon huffed, crossing her arms and shaking off Qiu Bai's hand, stomping her foot in the air angrily.
Lumine, however, still looked at him with concern.
"Qiu Bai, are you sure you're alright?"
Her voice was serious—after all, the pain on his face earlier hadn't seemed like an act.
"I'm fine, Lumine. My body's in perfect condition," Qiu Bai reassured her with a smile.
Lumine didn't look fully convinced.
Qiu Bai turned his gaze to the large boulder beside them.
"If you don't believe me, just watch."
With that, he clenched his fist and struck the boulder near Jie Cui Xing.
Bang!
A deep fist imprint was left in the center of the rock.
The owner of Jie Cui Xing, Shi Tou, jumped in shock, thinking Qiu Bai was about to stir up trouble.
"See that?" Qiu Bai grinned.
"My full-strength punch is pretty impressive, don't you think?"
Lumine's eyes widened in disbelief.
Even Paimon stared at him in astonishment.
Neither of them had expected Qiu Bai to possess such overwhelming strength—he had just left a mark on solid stone with nothing but his bare fist!
But seeing him like this finally reassured them that he really was fine.
Meanwhile, Zhongli stood to the side, lost in thought, silently observing his old friend, his mind pondering something unknown...