"So, little Su Bai, you want to take Shenhe down the mountain with you?"
After watching Su Bai drink his medicine, Cloud Retainer nodded with satisfaction and slowly repeated his proposal.
Su Bai didn't know what herbs Cloud Retainer had used to brew that concoction, but it was bitter with a strong aftertaste. Wincing at the bitterness in his mouth, he nodded.
Cloud Retainer thought for a moment. She looked at Shenhe, whose eyes sparkled with anticipation, then thought of Rex Lapis's words. After a moment of hesitation, she gave a nod.
"Really? That's great! Sister Shenhe, when we get to Liyue Harbor, I'll introduce you to Hu Tao. With her around, you'll never be bored."
"No need for that. I'll just stay with you. If anyone tries to hurt you again, I won't let them get away."
Shenhe clenched her fists. She wasn't interested in making friends. She just wanted to stay by Su Bai's side and protect him. During the three days he was unconscious, she had regretted not following him every single moment.
"Little Su Bai, don't get too excited. You know Shenhe's destiny is solitary and ill-fated. If she causes any trouble in Liyue Harbor, you'll be responsible."
"Cloud Retainer, don't underestimate me. I've grown my fourth tail now. Even if Sister Shenhe goes berserk, I can easily subdue her."
To emphasize his point, Su Bai proudly wagged his fluffy tails. Paimon reached out to touch one, but before she could, Shenhe had already grabbed all four of them.
Feeling the strength in Shenhe's grip, Su Bai snapped back to reality. He may have gotten a bit too cocky. He had forgotten about Shenhe's monstrous strength.
Seeing Shenhe enjoying herself, Paimon tried several times to wrestle a tail away but failed. Frustrated, she stomped her foot in midair.
"Shenhe, that's not fair! You won't even share one tail!"
"Hmm? You want to touch one too? Here, have one."
"Huh?"
Paimon was confused. Hadn't Shenhe refused to share? Why was she offering one now? Was she just messing with her?
"You've seen Shenhe's situation. Ever since I brought her here, she's rarely left the mountain. She doesn't understand human interactions very well."
"This trip down the mountain isn't just for Shenhe to experience life in Liyue Harbor. I also hope you can help her understand how ordinary people live. After all, Shenhe is still human at heart."
"Shenhe, when you go to Liyue Harbor, try your best to blend in with the common folk. This will not only help your cultivation but also ease the burden you carry."
Cloud Retainer's eyes were filled with affection as she looked at her disciple. Shenhe was wonderful in every way, but her tragic past weighed heavily on her. If not for what happened when she was young, she would have become a master exorcist by now.
But fate had its ways. Fortunately, little Su Bai was here. If she couldn't be there for Shenhe, he would be enough to restrain her if she ever lost control.
"Well, it's getting late. You should be leaving now."
"We haven't been here that long. I wanted to look around this cave some more."
Paimon grumbled. She was curious about the cave. From the outside, it didn't seem that big, but inside, the space was unnaturally vast.
"An adeptus's abode involves Sub-Space Creation. If you want a portable dwelling of your own, you should seek out Madame Ping."
"She is highly skilled in Sub-Space Creation and makes something called a Serenitea Pot. I think it would suit you well."
After giving Paimon that advice, Cloud Retainer turned to Shenhe. She took out several red cords from a nearby box and handed them to her.
"Shenhe, remember: never untie these red cords. If anyone mistreats you in Liyue Harbor, come find me at Mt. Aocang. I'll stand up for you."
"Take these extra cords with you. They'll serve as a safeguard in case of emergencies."
"Don't worry, Master. If I meet anyone with ill intentions, I find that making their heads meet the ground a few times usually helps them see the error of their ways."
Having dealt with many Treasure Hoarders, Shenhe had a unique understanding of how to reform people. Even Cloud Retainer nodded in agreement.
Paimon and Lumine exchanged glances. This cold-looking girl was surprisingly fierce. Making someone's head meet the ground sounded even worse than just cutting them down.
After saying goodbye to Cloud Retainer, the group set off for Liyue Harbor. On the way, a thought struck Su Bai. What had Lumine been doing at Cloud Retainer's place anyway?
"Lumine, did you come to see Cloud Retainer for something important today? You didn't forget anything, did you?"
"We didn't come to see Cloud Retainer. We came to see you."
Paimon explained. Su Bai raised an eyebrow. Ningguang was a thoughtful one.
"So Ningguang is hosting a banquet tonight, and she sent you to check if I was awake?"
"Exactly! Ningguang booked the whole Wanmin Restaurant for tonight. Only invited guests can come, and Xiangling herself is cooking."
Paimon put her hands on her hips, looking proud. As one of Ningguang's guests, she felt important. Just thinking about all the ingredients Xiangling had bought this morning made her mouth water.
"Oh? Ningguang is eating at Wanmin? I thought she preferred lighter dishes."
Whenever Su Bai had eaten at the Jade Chamber, he had never been able to stomach Ningguang's taste. He couldn't understand what was so nutritious about boiled cabbage. Meat dishes were clearly superior.
"Sister Shenhe, since you don't have a place to stay, why not stay at Wangsheng with me? The people there are all quite interesting."
"Whatever you think is best. Master told me to blend in with ordinary people. You probably know more about that than I do."
"Oh, and Sister Shenhe, there's something important I need to tell you. In Liyue Harbor, you can't just use force to solve every problem."
"For example, if you enter a competition, you can't eliminate all the other contestants just to win first place. That's against the law."
Shenhe nodded, though she looked a bit puzzled. She didn't fully understand why, but since Su Bai said she shouldn't, she wouldn't. She didn't want to make things difficult for him.
Su Bai found her response a bit strange. When had Sister Shenhe become so docile? In his memory, she was always quick to use force—and if force couldn't solve the problem, she'd just use it on the person raising the issue. And he had been her most frequent target.