Qiu Xue looked at Zhongli, who was lost in the past, and couldn't help but feel a little puzzled.
She could repair erosion, but if new cracks appeared before a complete restoration, she would have to start over.
There was another way, she needed to know whose memory Zhongli had just fallen into.
Was it tied to a person, a place, or a scene?
If it was a person, then that would be easier to handle.
The ley lines recorded everything, as long as she had an object connected to that person, she could use her authority to bring them back to life.
However, the difficulty varied depending on the individual.
If she were to resurrect a god, it might consume more than half of her power though it was only energy depletion and could recover over time.
Unlike a thousand years ago, when she had to burn through her very essence to do so.
And besides, the god in question would no longer be at their former strength, having lost their original authority and power.
"What's wrong, Zhongli? What are you thinking about? Let's get going."
Qiu Xue smiled at Zhongli.
She was still a bit confused about why Zhongli had been staring at her for so long.
Could it be that Morax had fallen into a memory because of her?
Logically speaking, he had only ever known her as a man and she had only been in this female form for two days.
She had just reunited with Zhongli, so there was no way he had feelings for her.
Maybe... her current appearance and demeanor reminded him of someone from his past?
After all, she had taken on this form without any particular intent.
She was actually quite curious, could she get a reaction out of this ancient, unchanging rock?
It would be fun to tease him a little.
After all, she had only lived for a few hundred years, if she didn't count the time spent in slumber.
And when it came to goddesses related to Morax, there was really only one left—
The God of Dust, Guizhong.
"Guizhong...?"
"Once we finish things here, I should ask Morax about it."
"After all, with my current power... I can still bring a god back to life."
Qiu Xue thought to herself.
"Sorry, old friend."
"I was just reminiscing about the past."
Zhongli finally snapped out of it and looked at Qiu Xue with a small smile.
"When this is all over, will you tell me about it?"
Qiu Xue lips curled into a smile as she looked at Zhongli from a short distance away.
"Haha... just old memories."
"But of course, I will."
Hearing her words, Zhongli nodded and smiled.
Once everything was settled, he had his own question for his old friend.
Why had she become such a delicate, beautiful woman?
"What kind of cryptic conversation are they having?"
Paimon waved her hands in confusion and asked Ying beside her.
Lumine shook her head.
"No clue."
Zhongli stepped forward to join the three.
With a calm tone, he addressed Ying and Paimon, "Apologies for the delay. Let's set off."
"Then let's go." Hearing this, Qiu Xue took the lead, stepping forward gracefully.
Half an hour later, the four of them arrived in Liyue Harbor.
By now, it was already midday.
"Wow! Such a beautiful big sister!"
"Big sister, do you want some candy?"
Two children, a boy and a girl spotted Qiu Xue and ran toward her excitedly, their eyes sparkling with admiration.
Qiu Xue ethereal beauty made her seem like a fairy in their eyes.
She couldn't help but bend down and gently pat their heads.
"Big sister smells so nice!"
"Here, take this candy, big sister!"
The little boy pulled out a small piece of candy and eagerly handed it to Qiu Xue.
As she held the candy in her hands, a warm feeling spread through her heart.
She couldn't help but smile brightly.
"Wow! Big sister's smile is so pretty!"
The little boy face lit up with happiness upon seeing Qiu Xue radiant expression.
"Xiaopeng, you ran up to four people…"
"But you only gave candy to one! That's not very polite!"
The little girl, Xiaohong, scolded the boy in a slightly teacher-like tone.
"Xiaohong, I get it now."
Feeling a little embarrassed, Xiaopeng scratched his head.
Then, he reached into his pocket, pulled out a few more pieces of candy, and handed them to Zhongli, Ying, and Paimon.
"Oh no! Mom was looking for me earlier!"
"If I don't go back soon, I'm gonna get a beating!"
Suddenly remembering something, Xiaopeng turned and dashed into the streets.
"Hey, wait for me! Pretty big sister, goodbye!"
Xiaohong hurriedly chased after him, waving back at Qiu Xue as she left.
Zhongli watched the children run off, a faint, almost imperceptible smile forming on his lips.
"Children truly are carefree."
Paimon sighed softly, watching the two kids disappear into the crowd.
She twirled the candy in her hand, looking a little conflicted.
"I don't know whether to feel happy or sad about this..."
Scratching her head, she pondered aloud.
"But one thing's for sure, kids really like Qiu Xue!"
Excitedly, Paimon stomped her foot as she looked at Qiu Xue ahead.
"Isn't Paimon a kid too?"
Standing beside her, Lumine glanced at Paimon and said teasingly.
"Hey! I'm nothing like them!"
"Paimon is NOT a kid!"
Annoyed, Paimon stomped her foot multiple times and turned to glare at Lumine.
But Lumine had already popped the candy into her mouth. Her eyes widened.
"Mmm... It tastes like Sunsettia!"
"Delicious!"
She smacked her lips in satisfaction, acting as if she hadn't heard a word Paimon had just said.
"Hey, Traveler! Are you even listening to me?!"
"Argh! This is infuriating! Paimon gonna grab your head!"
Watching Lumine and Paimon playfully bicker, Qiu Xue covered her mouth and let out a soft chuckle.
She couldn't help but notice how messy their hair had gotten—both of them looked like they had bird nests on their heads.
It made Qiu Xue sigh inwardly, their bond was truly something special.
"Next, I'd like to ask you two to accompany me to borrow the Cleansing Bell."
Zhongli, who had been watching their antics with a faint smile, finally spoke.
"Cleansing Bell?"
Hearing Zhongli words, Lumine and Paimon immediately stopped their squabble and turned to him curiously.
"The one currently safeguarding the Cleansing Bell is an old friend of mine—Madam Ping."
"She resides near Yujing Terrace. If you seek her out and ask, she will understand."
Zhongli explained slowly, noting the curiosity in their eyes.
"Alright... But wait, Mr. Zhongli, you're not coming with us this time?"
Paimon blinked in surprise.
After all, during their past errands, Zhongli had always accompanied them—except for that one time with Childe and Ying'er.
"Hmm… I have my reasons for remaining unseen."
"And my old friend shares the same circumstances. So I must trouble you two with this task."
Zhongli glanced briefly at the graceful woman beside him before looking back at Ying and Paimon.
Hearing this, Qiu Xue simply smiled and nodded.
While Madam Ping had already seen her, Zhongli had not revealed himself to her yet.
She also needed to ask Zhongli about the sudden cracks appearing in the erosion.
"Sigh… Why is Mr. Zhongli acting all mysterious this time?"
"And Qiu Xue, you're not coming either?"
Paimon scratched her head in confusion, then turned to look at Qiu Xue and asked hesitantly.
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