Check out my new translation!
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"Ahem… Lumine, Victor Wang, and Paimon, could you three find a place to rest for a while? I want to talk with my master."
"Eh—no need. Let me take a closer look at your friends."
"No, no, no. Paimon has been running around all day and is this close to collapsing. She should go eat something good as a reward and then rest."
"…Very well. Then let's have a proper talk."
Under Shenhe's urgent tugging—full ofsurvival instinct—Paimon, although confused, happily floated toward a nearby restaurant. Lumine and Victor Wang cooperatively left as well.
With the weight lifted from her heart, Shenhe looked again toward Cloud Retainer. "Master, what would you like to talk about?"
"Actually, nothing much… Since you left the mountain, the place has become rather quiet. My inventions… no one appreciates them anymore…"
"Aren't Senior Brother Moon Carver and Senior Brother Mountain Shaper still there?"
"Hmph! Those two—when it's something useful, they borrow it and never return it. Like the Automated Cooking Machine—they're terrified I might take it back one day. As if I don't have the time to make another one? But when it's something they can't use, they won't spare it a single glance. Like the Bubble Maker—they just give me perfunctory praise. Did they think I wouldn't notice?"
"With their age… I don't think it's realistic for them to still be interested in blowing bubbles…"
"I saw them quite interested in that bubblegum thing humans invented! Forget it, forget it. Enough about them. What about you…? You've been down the mountain for a whole year now. How has life in Liyue Harbor been?"
"I write letters to report things to you all the time, and I return every half month to visit. It doesn't feel like we've been separated for long."
"Ahem… Let's not talk about that either. I actually came this time to observe Ningguang. I heard she is rebuilding the Jade Chamber. One of the core materials is the Adepti Sigil—she'll definitely come looking for us. I even planned to let you deliver the talisman to her yourself, so that those mortals wouldn't disturb our mountain. But then I find out you are participating in the competition she organized. You, you… If you had questions, you could've just asked your master!"
"It's just mundane matters…" Under Cloud Retainer's gaze, Shenhe hesitated. "I wanted to ask Ningguang how to earn more Mora."
"You're lacking money? Why didn't you say so earlier?! Don't tell me your life is actually very difficult, and you've been hiding it so I wouldn't worry?! I knew it! I knew I needed to come check on you!"
"No… please don't overthink."
"Any one of my mechanisms, if sold in the marketplace, could ensure you never worry about food or clothing again! And Ganyu—she has worked for thousands of years. Her savings could never be spent in a lifetime! If you're having trouble, you must tell us honestly. If you really can't get used to life down the mountain… then… you could just move back."
"You really don't need to worry so much. I only… I only want to rely on my own effort to buy a house in Liyue Harbor."
"Buy a house?" Cloud Retainer froze. "You… you want to settle in Liyue Harbor like Ganyu?"
"Mm… maybe. When you feel bored in the mountains, you could stay with me… or with Ganyu. Though her schedule is… not the friendliest. And her place can't fit many people."
"Shenhe…" Cloud Retainer leaned closer.
"Master."
"Shenhe…" Cloud Retainer leaned even closer.
"Master…?"
"You truly are thoughtful. Don't worry! Once you buy your house, I will… will also move to Liyue Harbor! I'll live with you every day!!"
"Ah?"
"Mm!" Cloud Retainer nodded vigorously. "I won't take up more of your time. Keep it up!"
Cloud Retainer flew off. Shenhe's emotions were indescribably complex. Victor Wang, Lumine, and Paimon—who had been watching from afar—walked over.
"You talked with Cloud Retainer for so long! We already ate our fill. Ready to head out again?"
"There's been a change of plans. Let me rest a while too…"
"That works. Only two hours until nightfall anyway—and so far we are still the only ones who delivered Sunset Vermillionite~"
That night, although Shenhe successfully kept Cloud Retainer away during the day, she couldn't stop her master from coming again after dark. This time Cloud Retainer deliberately avoided Shenhe and chatted with Victor Wang and Lumine instead—sharing stories of Shenhe's past, thanking them for helping her, and expressing how happy she was about Shenhe's growth.
At dawn the next morning, Beidou and Yun Jin finally arrived with their Sunset Vermillionite.
But thanks to the pieces delivered by Shenhe, the Jade Chamber had already risen to mountain-crest height, and construction of the lower section had begun.
Seeing this, Beidou couldn't help but comment, "At your speed, you three will probably sweep the top places."
Victor Wang explained, "Only Lumine and Shenhe are competing. I'm not a participant."
"So you still have a free slot?"
"We can't say that for sure yet. We still haven't gathered all the materials."
"Then why not team up with Yun Jin?" Beidou suggested. "Work together and take the top three."
"Eh? What about you?" Paimon scratched her head, confused.
"I was dragged here by Ningguang to help. And I only obtained my Sunset Vermillionite by accident during a voyage. Ningguang needed it, so I brought it along. The competition prizes don't matter to me. But Yun Jin needs the right to ask Ningguang a question."
Seeing Beidou fighting for her chance, Yun Jin didn't stay reserved. "To be honest, I do need that opportunity to speak with Lady Ningguang. That's why I joined the competition."
"Oh? And what does Yun Jin want to ask Ningguang?" Paimon asked curiously.
"My father poured his heart and soul into creating a new opera based on folk tales. I am searching for the ideal venue to debut it. Lady Ningguang has extraordinary insight—I want to seek her opinion."
"A work your father poured his heart into… That deserves respect. Even if it's not Mora."
Lumine nodded at Paimon's words. Shenhe's expression was complicated, but she accepted Yun Jin's joining the team.
"Thank you, Sister Beidou, for the opportunity, and thank you all for accepting me. Since we all have Sunset Vermillionite now, let's look into the remaining materials."
"We only lack the Wonder Core."
"Oh? Then perfect. I have a lead. Last time the Jade Chamber was built, Lady Ningguang entrusted the Wonder Core to Hanfeng's Ironmongers. We can ask them."
…
"Starsplinter Iron… and Subrosium. The two ores we need are both found on Mt. Tianheng. The Starsplinter Iron can resonate with a Vision, and only the locals know how to find the Subrosium…"
Paimon muttered the materials and methods explained by Master Zhang the entire way, terrified she'd forget and cost them the win. She muttered all the way up Mt. Tianheng.
Standing on the mountain, Yun Jin suddenly said, "Come to think of it, the story told in [The Divine Damsel of Devastation] actually takes place here on Mt. Tianheng. I wonder if we can find related traces."
"That opera? What's it about?"
"It's the story of a girl becoming a hero. If you'd like to hear it, I can tell you while we search for ore. It won't be boring."
Starsplinter Iron was easy to find. By the time they gathered enough, Yun Jin had finished the tale. And it sounded uncannily like the story Cloud Retainer told about Shenhe. Lumine and Victor Wang both looked at Shenhe.
With such reactions, how could Shenhe not know her master had secretly come to talk? She just didn't know how much of her childhood "incidents" had been shared…
She glanced at Victor Wang and shook her head. "I really like the story. But in my opinion… perhaps the little girl in the opera wasn't as brave as everyone believes. She may not deserve that much praise."
"That… I hadn't considered." Yun Jin blinked, then reflected. "Adaptations naturally differ from reality. When my father wrote the script, he probably wanted the opera's 'Divine Damsel' to inspire more people."
"Mm. That's why I think it's a very good story—an ideal story."
Continuing their search for a local guide, they discovered an abandoned village—and an elderly man quietly watching from within. Shenhe asked to speak with him alone and sent the others away.
Meanwhile, Yun Jin unexpectedly discovered the original legend behind [The Divine Damsel of Devastation] in the village, and they found the Subrosium as well… so the group began their journey back.
"Shenhe… In that village, we found your father's notes. There are indeed some unrealistic parts in [The Divine Damsel of Devastation]. I want to revise them."
"Why revise them?"
"I said operas adapt reality. But the real protagonist is standing before me. I can't ignore your feelings."
"It's fine. I really like the version you told."
"Eh?"
"My master once said that the day I learn to use my strength for others, I will finally be able to truly integrate into human society. I hope that one day, I can really step forward and protect people—just like the opera sings. Before… I never had such thoughts. Now…"