TN: And we're back! sorry for the week long hiatus, it was not intentional since I had to get my right leg in a cast after tripping 3 floors down a stairwell (like an idiot ://) and be unable to use my PC setup upstairs BUT I should be OK now.
Anyways, Thanks for Arcanic Madness, WeissAkumu and WolfWTF for becoming as Supporters!
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Cloud Retainer flew to everyone's side at a speed nearly imperceptible to the naked eye, her wings gripping—almost humanlike—a small drum that was flashing red and going thump thump as it sounded. "Who was it that triggered this adeptus' remote alarm device?"
However, after clearly seeing who was present, she showed little intention of pursuing the matter further.
Shenhe hurriedly explained the entire sequence of events from beginning to end.
"I see."
"Master, where did you go earlier?"
"This master went together with those two fellows from the neighboring mountain to prepare for celebrating this year's Lantern Rite in Liyue Harbor. I recall that humans have the custom of releasing Xiao Lanterns to make wishes and commemorate the occasion. When in Liyue, one follows Liyue's ways, so we planned to jointly create an extraordinarily large Xiao Lantern."
"So that's how it is… Coincidentally, I also wanted to invite Master to live in Liyue Harbor."
"You mean?!" Cloud Retainer excitedly fluttered her wings.
"Yes. I've already bought a house."
"Good, good indeed! You wish to invite this master to reside in the city—this master is no stubborn fossil and would never let your goodwill go to waste. I am ready at any time to—ahem ahem, no rush, no rush at all. This master is not in a hurry. It's just that this matter happens to be entangled with the other issue you are investigating. I shall give you the answer now, and then we shall go to Liyue Harbor… ahem."
Paimon and Lumine exchanged a glance, both thinking that this was exactly the standard tsundere behavior written about in Yae Publishing House light novels.
Lumine thought the same, but neither of them pointed it out. Instead, she asked, "What do you mean, Cloud Retainer?"
"This adeptus is not the one you are searching for, but I do know who she is. So—how about it? Would you like to go and see for yourselves?"
Lumine and Ganyu had come precisely for this reason. Shenhe had come to find Cloud Retainer, and following along meant she wouldn't lose track of her again. As for Victor Wang, he had simply come to help during his free time—wherever they went was fine by him. No one raised any objections.
Cloud Retainer first put away the pile of inventions, then spread her wings wide, riding the wind into the air. At the same time, she wrapped everyone in Anemo and flew off in a single direction.
…
"Guili Plains? Why did Cloud Retainer bring us here? I don't see any other adepti around either?" Paimon asked, puzzled.
"Do not be anxious, Paimon. Ganyu naturally knows of 'Guizhong,' but you likely do not, so allow this adeptus to explain properly."
Cloud Retainer gazed upon the mountains and waters of Guili Plains, upon its broken ruins, and upon the Sea of Glaze Lilies that had long since been replaced by wild grass. She then began to speak.
"Guizhong was the [God of Dust], Haagentus—lively by nature, fond of invention, and a lover of bustling gatherings. Together with the Lord of Geo, she once built Guili Plains into a place suitable for human habitation."
"So long ago, this place was in fact a thriving marketplace. In those days, Guizhong often invited friends and acquaintances to her home, gathering everyone around the largest stone table she had."
"Sea Gazer was always the first to lay out the new treasures he had scavenged… Hmph. That fellow had a gentle temperament, but whenever it came to things he liked, he loved to show them off. Coincidentally, both Guizhong and I enjoyed inventing things, so we naturally became rivals."
"Sea Gazer would display his treasures for everyone's appraisal, and Guizhong and I, unwilling to lose, would bring out our own proud mechanical creations for comparison."
"If you ask me, Sea Gazer was merely skilled at treasure-hunting. Those treasures weren't even made by his own hands. How could they compare to what Guizhong and I built ourselves? No matter how good his treasures were, they deserved a discount!"
"Cloud Retainer…?" Ganyu reminded softly.
"Ahem… I digress. Whenever our arguments grew heated, Guizhong would slip into spectator mode. Sometimes she'd join in the arguing herself, but more often she'd pull everyone aside and spout nonsense like, 'Oh, stop fighting, you're both inferior to me anyway,' or 'Once those two finish arguing, we'll go have a grand feast.'"
"I understood that she simply loved the lively atmosphere of everyone being together and always wanted people to be happy. For that, she could refrain from competing—but I could not. The more people there were, the more I wanted to prove myself. Alas… those days are long past."
"In the end, the arguments would usually conclude with the God of the Stove, Marchosius, serving up delicious food. Who would dare refuse the God of the Stove's goodwill? And who could ever find fault with the God of the Stove's cooking?"
"Then we would sit at a high vantage point, drinking fine wine while watching the sun rise and the moon set. I recall that I even complained about the cups the Lord of Geo brought, saying they were far too square and ill-suited to my habits. Yet somehow, dining with those fellows always filled one with boundless joy."
"Eventually, every banquet came to an end. Streetward Rambler would often stay behind, accompanying Guizhong to admire the flowers for a while before leaving. In those days, Glaze Lilies bloomed across Guili Plains, stretching from here to there in an endless sea of flowers…"
Taking advantage of Cloud Retainer's reflective mood, Paimon asked, "A new character just showed up—who is Streetward Rambler?"
Ganyu helped answer, "That's Ah Ping—everyone knows her as Granny Ping."
"So, it's Granny Ping…" Paimon accepted the information without thinking too deeply. After all, Granny Ping seemed quite far removed from the image of a fairy. She then asked again, "Cloud Retainer, your story does sound lively, but weren't we here to look for a fairy? Or… is the fairy actually Guizhong?"
Cloud Retainer shook her head and sighed. "This adeptus rarely comes here precisely because I fear stirring old emotions. And yet here you are, asking question after question in such haste, thoroughly muddying my melancholy! Enough, enough—I shall tell you that past tale at once."
Cloud Retainer continued.
"Back then, Guizhong and I were both skilled in the art of mechanisms, and we often argued because of it. Once, under the pretext of a gathering, we invited the most impartial of all—the Lord of Geo—to judge which of our mechanisms was superior."
"It was Guizhong who won. In truth, this adeptus knew it well—her skill in mechanisms did indeed surpass mine."
"The story of Streetward Rambler and Guizhong also began with a mechanism—specifically, the Cleansing Bell created by Guizhong, capable of composing and performing music."
"Guizhong believed that although mechanisms could not fully replace human composition, their finished products were sufficient to rival simple works."
"Streetward Rambler, however, believed that music was the sound of the soul, born of genuine feeling, and could never be spontaneously generated by machinery."
"The two argued endlessly over this, leaving me no choice but to ask the Lord of Geo to intervene."
"The Lord of Geo took the bell for use in managing various rites, and from that point on, Guizhong and Streetward Rambler often ventured into the mountains together to discuss music theory, mechanisms, and all manner of worldly matters."
"Yet good times never last. Later, when the Archon War erupted, battle flames spread across Guili Plains. Guizhong was no match for the enemy and perished in the conflict. By the time Streetward Rambler and I arrived… amidst the ruins, only the remains of our old friend were left behind."
"Afterward, at Streetward Rambler's request, the Lord of Geo transferred the Cleansing Bell to her keeping. This adeptus, too, followed the wishes of our departed friend and made slight improvements to Guizhong's 'Guizhong Ballista,' as a means of remembrance…"
As Cloud Retainer once again grew sentimental, Paimon asked, "That's strange. I remember the Cleansing Bell being something Granny Ping borrowed from an 'old friend'! She even said she liked looking pretty when she was young… something like that."
Cloud Retainer replied, "Streetward Rambler likes looking pretty? Hah… spare me. First, that bell carries painful memories. Second, the timing was inappropriate. As for her 'old friend,' who else could it be? When you went to borrow the Cleansing Bell, she had already understood certain things—hence why she deliberately told you that."
"Could it be? Oh—so the adepti know about Zhong—cough!"
"Interrupted like that… where was I? Ah, I remember now. Streetward Rambler is the adeptus you are searching for."
Cloud Retainer went on.
"The Cleansing Bell is driven by mechanisms and is extremely suitable for accompaniment, having played its role many times during Sending-Off Ceremonies."
"But Streetward Rambler did not take it for funeral music. Every time she rang the bell, it was for the very piece composed by Guizhong."
"She and Guizhong once clashed in matters of music, yet no one could have foreseen that after Guizhong's passing, as one played in remembrance and the other had already gone, the melodies each had composed would gradually merge."
"In the past, she too loved lively gatherings, loved drinking, and loved singing. After Guizhong departed, however, she no longer enjoyed companionship and would often sit alone atop the mountains, playing the zither in contemplation."
"The ancestor of that Fontaine man should have been saved by her during that period, after unfortunately falling into the water."
"I know not how many years passed before she finally seemed to have composed a tune she was satisfied with. She then played it to the clouds in celebration—but I only ever heard her play it that one time."
"I once asked her, since she had gone to such lengths to revise it, why she never played it again. At the time, she answered thus:
"'The strings remain unbroken, yet the one who understood me has passed on. To whom, then, should this piece be played?'"
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