Okay, so the next chapter still needs to be done with Hu Tao, but this will be a not-sexy chapter. Anyways, thanks for reading.

Every man and woman came to collect some ashes that were remaining. Whether it was their lost family member, their friend, or their neighbor, they didn't know. But they all collected it, as the sun rose over the ashes of the fallen.

Hu Tao had dark circles under her eyes, and so did I, as we both led them to the boats on the edge of the harbor, still in ruin. We all wordlessly made our way to the various small boats, and Hu Tao and I both had our own set of ashes that we would let flow in the ocean.

"I'm sorry…" both Hu Tao and I spoke to ourselves, as we rowed to the edge of the harbor. I saw the Guyun Stone forest appearing just barely in my vision, as those who had lost family members collectively stopped to release the ashes.

We all took our urns, feeling the wind breezing quite softly, and we all poured the ashes into the ocean. It was a somber experience, seeing the effects of death. Of loss. One that reminded me of Liloupar.

I took out the bottle, once filled with that Jinni. 'It's only been so long since you left Gurabad, with your children…' I swallowed, feeling that sensation of crying, as I put the glass bottle back into my bag.

"I'll avenge your deaths…" I swallowed, as I looked out into the distance and poured the ashes onto the ocean. The ashes fell to the side of the boat, away from me.

'Wait… are those-' I saw people, in the ocean of those ashes. The people that had been lost over this battle. A child holding onto a toy. An adult, flexing his muscles. A young woman, bashfully holding her hands. All of these disconnected figures, all in these piles of ashes.

"You see those that have died, right?" Hu Tao said, looking over me.

"Yeah…" I spoke quietly.

"That means their souls haven't carried on. They're still filled with agony, with their requests not being fulfilled…" She chuckled, sadly. "I'll be paying for that for a long time. I guess the visits to Wuwang Hill won't just stop with my grandfather…"

I looked over her shoulder. Many of the men, women, and children were silent, even after we were done pouring, many people just stayed there.

'I guess the weight of these deaths keeps everyone here.' I glumly looked back at Hu Tao.

"Hu Tao… is there anything I can do?"

She shook her head.

"No… I'll have to figure out those spirits, to help them pass. I'll have to figure it out on my own." She looked down, as the ocean rocked our boat back and forth.

"Okay. I'm here for you, though." I opened my arms, for her, and she snuggled against my chest.

"Thank you… can I rest on you? I'm kind of tired…"

I quietly lay back on the boat and had her on me. I laid down flat, if so nothing else, she'd get her privacy, and no one would see her. She lay flat on the boat, but she snuggled against me. She was unseen, sleeping, but she finally could rest, if only for a short time.

She was fast asleep, and many of the women and men who had dumped their ashes had stayed there, the ashes of their loved ones keeping them there.

"We must keep moving forward," I said to myself. I looked over at the hydro vision in my bag, and it was faint.

'Wonder who I should give this to…' I clasped it before putting it away. 'Maybe Jeht, I think she deserves it more than anyone...'

For now, I was just looking at Hu Tao against me, as I rubbed her hair. She wasn't wearing her hat, which let me pat her head directly. I felt at peace, with her soft breathing against me. It was a temporary one, but it was peaceful.

Eventually, after an hour of the families of Liyue mourning, Hu Tao woke up. She still looked tired but yawned, quietly. She didn't seem to be too phased by her waking next to me.

"Thank you for the nap. You're reaallly nice to sleep next to." She chuckled softly, as she lay down on her side

"Thanks." I sheepishly smiled, me touching her face softly, now dry from her tears.

"Though… I'm pregnant with your child, right?" She lifted my hand off her face and moved it to her stomach. I saw her womb tattoo glow, as if it was connected to me, and even glowed a fiery red.

"Yeah."

She didn't say any more, but that seemed to make her smile a bit.

"I'd like to make sure my child won't have a bad mom." She gripped her fist and stood up, so everyone could see her.

"Let's go!" She shouted, with some of that energy I remembered from her. "We'll need to make sure their deaths won't be in vain! We'll celebrate their lives, and make sure we won't forget their deaths!"

Surprisingly, the men and women, and children seemed enthusiastic about that idea, and we rowed our way back to the harbor with some newfound peace.

As soon as we got to the harbor, I was met with several workers, wearing clothes of Mondstadt, as well as armor.

"Oh, Traveler! You're in Liyue?" I saw "Stanley" speaking.

"Yeah, I am," I said, as I helped Hu Tao get out. "How are you doing, Hans?"

"Shh… don't let people know my name." He whispered angrily into my ear whilst trying to seem friendly towards Hu Tao.

"Okay, Stanley," I said sarcastically, which made him groan.

"But anyways, what are you doing here? You're usually just drinking at Angel's share."

He seemed to take that to heart.

"Well… I had to do something, after making peace with his… death, and when the adventurer's guild called for adventurers and knights, I couldn't help but volunteer. I didn't know you'd be here, though."

"Well, I guess you do now." I shrugged.

"We need to go." Hu Tao spoke quickly, as the men and women were moving off the boats and the soldiers and adventurers were swirling around in trying to fix the harbor.

"Yeah, sorry. Nice to meet you again, Stanley."

"Also, just so you know." He quickly went to my ear.

"Jean is fine. Lisa and Noelle are fine too. You don't have to worry about them." He looked at my ring, glowing as I spoke.

"But you knew that already, didn't you?" He smiled.

He let me go, and Hu Tao and I ran to the Wangsheng Parlor, as did many people.

"We'll commence a feast, from the Wangsheng's funeral parlor, for those we have lost! Let us not all mourn, let us also celebrate for the lives they lived, and the precious memories we shared with them!"

They all were enthused by that. We all started to set up a table, for our feast.

"Aether, would you like to cook? Or do you have some dishes of your own?" She looked smug.

"They told you about the food I gave?" I narrowed my eyes, not in annoyance, but in curiosity.

"Yeah, they ate all of it in one night, though. People were having seconds and giving it to everyone, not just the people in the building." She chuckled.

I facepalmed.

"Of course… there were more than the people in that building here."

She laughed. "Nah, it's fine, it's fine. Though let me get something." She ran inside and started grunting to pull out the table.

I started taking the table out with her, as we struggled to pull it out of the door. Eventually, though, we did, and she had a satisfied look on her face, as she put her hands on her hips.

"Let's set it up!" Everyone joined in to carry the huge table to the center of Feiyun Slope, and all of us easily carried it to the center of the slope.

"Okay, everyone! Listen up!" She got loud to the rest of the crowd.

"I'm… sorry. I know that the requests for their deaths weren't the way you or they wanted. And… I've got nothing that will excuse them."

She swallowed, but she stood tall.

"However. I will make sure their spirits will be at peace. I won't let your loved ones be lost in their anger." She looked serious, and she raised her fist.

"So let us celebrate their lives, and let us not be overshadowed with regrets!" She yelled at the people around the table, and they yelled back with their fists up.

'It's like she's commanding an army.'

"Though, Hu Tao…"

One of the men I recognized as admitting to hurting Hu Tao stepped up.

"I'm sorry. I was blaming you for doing your job… instead of being angry at the people who did this. I'm sorry."

Most of the other people also said a string of apologies that went similarly.

"It's alright." She got serious once again. "But we need to move forward. To rebuild once again!" She yelled out once again, to a roaring audience. We all got to work, setting up the breakfast we would need, and both adventurers and Knights alike came to eat. By the time we had gotten everything set up, it was late morning, and she had her hands on her hips, for a job well done.

"Good! We've got things set up." She smiled, smugness again shining off her face.

"Though I heard about the deal you had with Ningguang." She looked at me, surprisingly excited, her hand on her mouth.

"Oh. Crap."

"You forgot all the other women you loved with just a day with me?" Her smugness shone through again.

"Well…"

She laughed, before putting her hands on my shoulders.

"Nah, I'm just kidding. I know you've got other girls you like. Just make sure they get treated well too!" She smiled, as she pushed me to the Jade Chamber.

"Thank you, Hu Tao."

"It's fine, it's fine. Now go!" She said with a smile on her face and pushed me to go.

"Bye-bye!" She waved, as I ran off towards the Jade Chamber.

However, before I could go, I was stopped by… Yelan.

"Come with me." She was snuck behind a corner, away from the light, and was inviting me with a strange expression on her face.

"Yelan?"

I felt her grabbing me, moving me into the darkness.

"I've got a few things to ask you to do." She looked at me with a mixture of embarrassment and joy.

"Alright," I said, waiting for her requests.

And that's the end of the chapter, sorry, it's a minor cliffhanger, and I'm sorry I got this later. But anyways, thank you for reading.