"Haha… thank you for your help, young man. These old bones aren't as lively as they used to be anymore."
"What are you talking about, Madame Ping? I'm sure you are still as robust as you were in your youth," the young man who had helped the mysterious old lady who could often be seen admiring the glaze lilies at Yujing Terrace in the day replied. Madame Ping invited the man to sit down and have a cup of tea, which he accepted, and the two unlikely friends had an enjoyable tea session talking about anything and everything under the sun for a couple of hours.
The pair was so engrossed in their conversation that none of them noticed the approaching footsteps of another until she was just a few feet away. Ping may have adopted the form of an old lady but her eyes were still as sharp as the day she fought in the Archon War over three thousand years ago. She certainly didn't imagine the very subtle way her young friend had unnaturally froze in surprise upon seeing who had approached them.
"If it isn't Keqing! What brings you here today?" Ping greeted the current Yuheng of Liyue with a warm smile that everybody at Yujing Terrace knew her for. "You are always welcomed here for a cup of tea, although I have a feeling that you are here for something else. Is there anything these old bones can help you with?"
"I'm very sorry to disturb you, Madame Ping," Keqing apologised. She knew that Madame Ping was an adeptus ever since the conclusion of the Osial incident. Keqing's views of the adepti was not a secret to many people of the Yujing Terrace, so Madame Ping knew that the Yuheng would not have approached her unless something had happened that only the adepti could assist with.
"No worry, dear. Please don't stand on formalities. Come, have a seat," Madame Ping gestured for Keqing to take a seat at an empty stone stool at the table which she and the young man were seated at. The small unassuming teapot magically moved by itself and poured tea into the teacup in front of Keqing.
"This is Xun," Ping took the initiative to introduce Keqing to the young lad when she noticed how the man was trying his best not to sneak glances at the beautiful Yuheng but consistently failed despite his best efforts. Hohoho, the joys of being young again.
"Xun, this is Keqing, the Yuheng of the Liyue Qixing."
"It's an honour," Xun tried his best to remain calm and collected in the face of this sudden unexpected turn of events. He had faced countless tribulations, fought gods, defied fate, but none felt as daunting as suddenly being forced to interact in such close proximity with the woman who had stolen his heart so many cycles ago.
He had believed that any romantic urges that he might have once felt for another person would have eroded to nothing a long time ago. Now, he could confidently say that he was wrong, very wrong. The reignition of that same spark that he believed to have extinguished until today had proved him wrong, big time. He's still as nervous as the day where he was contemplating if he should tell his Keqing about the truth of his identity back at the fifth cycle.
She is not the same woman you knew, Xun had to try his best to recollect and remind himself again and again in those two minutes and thirty seven seconds since Keqing appeared here.
"Now, I may be wrong, but has something happened? I know Liyue had ushered in the age of humans but there is no shame in calling us old bones to help from time to time if the situation is dire enough. I know that you will not seek me out unless there is something that only old bones like us can solve," Ping cut straight to the chase, still as straightforward as Xun remembered her to be when they were allies that had fought in the Archon War. This aspect of Ping's personality was very similar to Keqing's, in Xun's opinion. None of them like to waste precious time.
"Madame Ping, this year's Lantern Rite is coming soon and as per tradition, one fallen hero from Liyue's history will be selected as the subject of the Lantern Rite's Mingxiao Lantern. The Qixing and the Eight Trades had been debating who we should select as the subject of this year's Lantern Rite for more than a week now, and…"
There was a hesitant pause from the Yuheng, something very uncharacteristic of her because she's a person who always knew what she wanted. Hesitance is not a word to be found in her dictionary.
"Somehow or another, someone in the meeting proposed having General Pingtian be the subject of this year's Lantern Rite instead, and this idea had somehow garnered the support of the majority of those present in the meeting–"
A sudden uncontrollable coughing erupted and both women turned to its source.
"S-Sorry," Xun apologised while coughing, "tea went down the wrong pipe. Please carry on."
"The problem is, traditionally, the massive Mingxiao Lantern that will be constructed in the image of the chosen subject of the year's Lantern Rite is an adepti, but historical records did not specify if General Pingtian is a human or adepti. Since there's not much time left until the Lantern Rite, I believe that it's likely that the decision for General Pingtian to be the subject of this year's Lantern Rite is going to go through. I personally am not bothered whether General Pingtian was a human or adepti because he was a hero of Liyue all the same, but there were still others who do not share the same view. In any case, I thought it might be better if we had confirmation from reliable sources if General Pingtian was human or an adeptus. I tried asking Ganyu, but she told me that she was too young to really remember the specifics when General Pingtian disappeared, so…"
"You came to find me. Ah, I see what the problem is about now," Madame Ping nodded in understanding as memories of fonder times resurfaced. "Pingtian… a name that I hadn't heard for thousands of years. A pity, a pity."
Keqing remained respectfully silent to give the adeptus all the time she needed to reminisce. Xun remained silent too, but for very different reasons. He really should leave, but it's like he's glued to his seat and his limbs have frozen. He could not command his body to move.
This was the first time in so long where he had the chance to interact with Keqing face to face again. Even if he understands that she is not the Keqing whom he loved and who loved him, he still couldn't help but be drawn to every incarnation of her in every universe that he saw her. He had believed he was over her, that he had put that part of his past and had put their relationship behind him, but just being in her presence so closely for a few minutes made every attempt he made to put things behind him fruitless. That's the kind of power she held over him.
"Sorry Keqing, for making you wait," Ping apologised when her thoughts finally returned to the present. "As to your question, Pingtian was definitely a human. People who wrote those historical records often mistaken him to be an adeptus because of his unfathomable power and also because he was capable of using the adepti arts to a frightening degree of mastery. As for anything else… I don't remember."
"Don't… remember?" Keqing was puzzled at Madame Ping's unique choice of words.
"That man was a mystery. Nobody knew where he came from or why he came, or why he fought for the Guili Assembly without asking for anything in return. He just appeared one fine day at the Guili Assembly and introduced himself as… what was his name again? I cannot remember, nobody does. You see, Keqing, I don't know what Pingtian did, but whatever he did had caused an outbreak of mass amnesia to affect everyone who knew him. Cloud Retainer, Sea Gazer, Mountain Shaper… you can ask any adeptus that are currently still around and they would reply with the same answer. His appearance, his voice, his name– none of us can remember what they are. We can only remember that man by his title and nothing else. What's left to remember him by were his deeds that were recorded on paper and had survived the test of time. That is the truth of General Pingtian."
"A man… that even the adepti forgets?" Keqing found it hard to imagine what must have happened for that to have happened.
"Our memories of Pingtian may have largely vanished, but we all remember that Pingtian is very special. You have met the Conqueror of Demons and his siblings, haven't you? I'm sure you have also heard of their eternal sworn duty to Rex Lapis and to Liyue. The karmic evil that plagued Liyue was mostly cleansed with Pingtian's disappearance and with it, our disappearance of our memories of him. Karmic evil still exists in several parts of Liyue today, it will never totally disappear, but it's nowhere as potent and widespread and will never be again as long as we continue to work hard to keep it at bay. He was one reason why the yakshas are still around today. He was the one who discovered the unique evil cleansing properties of Lumenstone ores found in the Chasm and how it is able to help cleanse the karmic debt inflicted on the yakshas through a very specific method that he discovered and invented."
"I see…"
"You don't need to be so conflicted over the topic of whether Pingtian was a human or adeptus," Madame Ping chuckled. "It's as you said, Pingtian is a hero of Liyue all the same, and I think I can say on their behalf that we wouldn't mind having him as the subject of this year's Lantern Rite. It would probably spark some fond memories in them just like how it did for me."
"I understand now. Thank you, Madame Ping."
"If you really want to understand General Pingtian better, why not head to Cuijue Slope?" Madame Ping suggested. "Cuijue Slope was where he did battle with Chi of Qingce for seven days and nights when Chi brought his minions and made his advance on the Guili Assembly, only to be stopped by General Pingtian. Others might disagree with me but I think that Cuijue Slope might not be a bad idea to go to for a vacation, and when was the last time you took a break, Keqing? You need to work and rest in moderation."
"I think I really might," Keqing admitted with a tired sigh. It's like Madame Ping said, she couldn't remember the last time she took a break from work. Going on a trip to nowhere to relax and unwind may not be such a bad idea after all. Most of her work had already been completed at the moment so her time had been freed for the next week or two, and there would be no time for her to catch a break closer to the Lantern Rite Festival.
This is actually a good time to take a break. She used to go on regular adventures and expeditions into the wilder and untamed regions of Liyue when she was younger before she took on the role of the Qixing, it will be nice to finally be able to spare the time to do what she used to enjoy doing. She's a little out of shape for being stuck in her office going through mountains of paperwork everyday. Even her favourite Lion's Roar is starting to get a little dull and that would not do.
"Good for you, dear," Madame Ping said with a warm smile. "Since you are going on a trip, why not bring Xun with you?"
"Huh?" Both Keqing and Xun had the same response in a surprising display of teamwork.
"Weren't you the one who was telling me that you planned to head to Cuijue Slope in a couple of days? Since Keqing is also planning to go there, both of you might as well go there together. At least this way, both of you can look out for each other and this old woman will not have to worry about the both of you," Madame Ping insisted.
"I–" Xun tried to explain that he's planning to head for Cuijue Slope to bring back an old partner that he had left behind, not exploring ancient ruins like he claimed, but his attempt was not successful. Madame Ping's tongue had not grown old in age as she did. If anything, it had turned even sharper.
"And as a man, could you really bear to see a woman head for a place as dangerous as Cuijue Slope all by herself? Could you, could you?"
"It's okay, Madame Ping, I can take care of myself–"
"If you really do, your parents would not have looked for me every other week complaining to me how late you tend to sleep and how busy you are such that you barely visit them once a month!" Madame Ping refuted and Keqing facepalmed. She had nothing to argue against that statement for it's the truth. Her parents believed that Madame Ping was a regular old lady at Yujing Terrace that their daughter was on good terms with and somehow, they became acquainted. Heavens knows just how much her parents had spilled to Madame Ping about her questionable work life balance.
"It's also good to make new friends. Now that you and Xun had met, you guys are already friends," Madame Ping took Keqing's hand in her left and Xun's hand in her right and placed them together. Xun wasn't sure if he was imagining it when Madame Ping gave him a knowing wink. It might have been the trick of the light.
"I-I-I guess it might not be bad to have companions on a trip for a change," Keqing quickly retracted her hand upon touching Xun's. Strange, she's not the type to usually act this way.
"Excellent!" Madame Ping exclaimed and sealed the deal before Xun could do or say anything else. Everything happened too swiftly for him to comprehend and when he finally could, he's suddenly going on a trip with Keqing alone? Is this heaven or hell? Blessing or torture?
This is Keqing but at the same time, not the Keqing he knew. It would be too unfair for him to impose his feelings on her but he also couldn't help but see her as her. It's why he made the conscious effort to avoid Yujing Terrace for most of the cycles he had been through and if he had to interact with the Qixing for any reason, it's usually any of them but the Yuheng.
He's not prepared for this. Not at all.
"Let's meet at the front of Wanmin Restaurant tomorrow at seven," Keqing replied before taking her leave as swiftly as the lightning that she commands. She disappeared round the corner and Ping chuckled at how Xun's gaze never once left the departing back of the Yuheng the entire time.
"I had created the opportunity for you. As for the rest, it's up to you to grasp it," Ping teased and Xun found his tongue tied once again. Anything that has to do with Keqing tends to do that to him.
"Was it that obvious?"
"Obvious? Even Osial could see it from where he's sealed beneath Guyun Stone Forest."
Xun took his leave shortly after, not knowing how to deal with a gossipy Ping after everything that had happened after Keqing's arrival. He's honestly not too sure what or how to feel about being able to spend time with Keqing again after so long, but he's not really against it.
It's just… he doesn't know how he should face her, because she is not her.
But he will find out soon.
"Morning Keqing! Are you here to have breakfast? I'm afraid we are not open for business yet but give me a short moment! I will set up shop as soon as–"
"It's fine, Xiangling. I'm actually here to wait for someone," Keqing shook her head and politely informed the talented young chef. Guoba waved at her happily, an action that Keqing reciprocated. Nobody would have guessed that the goofy unknown bear that follows Xiangling around was in fact, the Stove God Marchosius. She couldn't believe it either when she first learnt of it.
"Oh? Who? Who had the audacity to make our Yuheng wait when it usually is the other way around?" Xiangling was instantly interested in this unknown party. Almost all of Liyue knew that the Yuheng is very strict about punctuality and now that she was paying attention, Keqing looked as if she's about to go on an extended trip somewhere.
"He's not late, I'm actually early."
"It's a guy?!" Xiangling gasped dramatically and quickly covered her mouth before looking around to see if anybody had heard her. Thankfully, it didn't seem like her exclamation had attracted anyone's attention.
"Lu lu lu?" Even Guoba looked very invested in this mysterious man being mentioned.
"I-It's not what you are imagining!" Keqing immediately clarified but it didn't seem to have persuaded the young chef of Wanmin Restaurant.
"It's okay, Keqing. We understand, we understand~ Isn't that right, Guoba?" Xiangling immediately "reassured" Keqing that she perfectly understood that things were definitely not what she was thinking about… at least out loud.
"Lu lu lu!"
"Sorry, am I late?"
A man's voice interrupted their conversation and Xiangling's eyes widened. Could he be…
"Let's be off," Keqing immediately grasped the chance when she saw it and quickly took her leave after bidding Xiangling and Guoba farewell. Xiangling instantly understood. There's no mistake, he had to be that guy!
"Xiangling, Xiangling! Help me with–" Chef Mao poked his head out from the kitchen when he realised that his daughter was not responding to his call to help set up shop and prepare for business, only to see her standing outside staring at a certain direction while giggling to herself.
"What happened?"
"Nothing! Nothing at all!" Xiangling quickly shook her head vehemently. Keqing probably wanted to keep this a secret from the general public, right? She can keep secrets!
"Nothing at all?" Chef Mao narrowed his eyes in suspicion, understanding his daughter all too well.
"Nothing at all! Isn't that right, Guoba?"
"Lu lu lu~"
The route to Cuijue Slope was not entirely smooth sailing nor did the pair expected it to be. Once one has travelled beyond the Sea of Cloud and reached Tianqiu Valley they can expect more dangers to lurk around the corners. The areas beyond this was where the millelith had not fully tamed, a favourite haunt of monsters and bandits alike, and thus very few would willingly wander here and foot traffic in these parts was understandably low. However, cutting through Tianqiu Valley was the quickest route to reach Cuijue Slope from Liyue Harbour.
Her journey with the man whom she met only for a single day was surprisingly pleasant and comfortable. She half expected this to be an awkward trip since very few can keep up with her pace, but conversations flowed between them so naturally that she regretted not meeting him earlier, because some of their views really were so alike.
Finally, someone understands her!
She knew that one should never judge a book by its cover, but she was really surprised at the wealth of knowledge he possessed in every topic of their conversations. He definitely had learnt martial arts too judging by the way he carried himself, and she idly wondered why a man as well-learnt as he was had not appeared on her radar until now.
Will he be open to the idea of being her assistant? He sounded like he's up to the task. She's getting a little tired of needing to find replacements every few months and he might be the one that might finally solve that problem for her.
"Tianqiu Valley was once a prosperous settlement at some point in the ancient past when it had the protection of the dragon king. Ironically, that same dragon king was the reason for its destruction when it went on a rampage and Rex Lapis and the adepti had to seal it," Keqing patiently listened to Xun as he told her more about the unknown past of Tianqiu Valley. He looked to be very knowledgeable about Liyue's history. There are things that he knows that even she doesn't.
"Dragon king? There are records about such an existence but most believed it to be a myth."
"It's no myth. It's just that it's been so long that people eventually forget about him," Xun shook his head. "The name of the dragon king is Azhdaha, who used to be revered by ancient blacksmiths as the Forge God. Azhdaha, in turn, had a passion for forging techniques and sought to invent ways to create powerful weapons that could make the skies quake and the earth tremble."
"Why did the dragon king go on a rampage?"
"The dragon king was sick but there were no ways to relieve his pain. It eventually drove him to madness, not unlike how the yakshas would behave if they were afflicted with high dosage of karmic debt. A rampaging yaksha could already level cities on their own, imagine the amount of destruction a real dragon can cause."
"I see," Keqing nodded in understanding. Azhdaha? She will have to search for that name in the Qixing's great library once she returns from her vacation. Xun mentioned that the dragon king was sealed, not dead, and if it's still intending to go on a rampage then the dragon king is a potential hazard that had to be monitored. While that sounded like a dastardly thing to do to a former protector of Liyue, to foresee and mitigate all risks that might harm the nation is her duty as a Qixing.
"You seem to know a lot."
"I read and travel a lot," Xun replied cryptically. Keqing knew that there must be more that he never said but she never pried. Everyone has their secrets and she respects that, she has her own secrets too.
"Do you happen to know about General Pingtian?" Keqing asked instead. She saw the signs of slight hesitancy in his body language but he did not refuse her request.
"What do you want to know about him?"
"He's quite a mysterious figure. The fact that even Madame Ping cannot remember much about him is already an indication. I wonder why even the adepti cannot remember much about him."
It's because he found a way to purge most of the karmic evil plaguing Liyue through tampering with the ley lines and the roots of Irminsul that runs through this land, Xun thought to himself. The side effect of such a method was that the world's memories of him would be affected, which he expected and was not fully surprised that things happened the way it did. Evil karma, Tatarigami; such an existence went by several names in different regions of Teyvat but they were essentially the same in nature, they are corruption brought about by the presence of the Abyss.
Abyssal corruption was a very real problem that affected all the nations that he had been to in every cycle and so many of the people that he had befriended in his countless cycles had been affected by abyssal corruption in one way or another. He had been researching ways to deal with this problem for a very long time. The manner in which Rukkhadevata and Nahida saved Sumeru so many times in so many cycles was where he drew the inspiration of this method from.
What he did in this cycle was the method that he hypothesised, verified, and eventually executed after much painstaking hard work in the numerous cycles that he had experienced and he's partially pleased with the results. It's not perfect, there's still much refining to be done, but it showed him possibilities that weren't there previously. There's still a lot to be done until he finds a universal solution that could be applied to all nations.
"The world eventually forgets," Xun did not give a direct answer or reply. "The only thing eternal in this world is the cycle of life and death. Nobody is an exception to this rule."
He's a glass half-empty person, isn't he, Keqing thought to herself, but didn't dwell on her observations for too long.
"Madame Ping said that he fought Chi of Qingce for seven days and nights. Yet, he was human. A human going up against a god… our ancestors really were something else. At the very least, I don't think there's anyone in Liyue today who could do what he did unless they are the adepti."
"Tales of his exploits were exaggerated. There's no doubt that he was special but he was, after all, only human."
"True," Keqing agreed. "I would love to meet General Pingtian. If I could learn the secrets of how to stand against evil gods as a human like he did and pass it down to others, Liyue will be in a better position to defend herself. We cannot rely on the adepti forever and we already are in the age of humans. Us humans have to be able to protect our home with our own power."
Why am I not surprised that she's still thinking about work while on vacation, Xun thought to himself, but that's how Keqing is. Keqing had a point though, if there's a way to teach other people to harness a different form of power that even people without visions can learn, Liyue will be able to stand a fighting chance even against the likes of Osial if he broke through his seal again. Ningguang had somewhat addressed that problem by focusing on technological advancements just like how Guizhong had once done by installing the ballista that defended the assembly. Technological advancements can go far in allowing nations to defend themselves from even gods themselves, Khaenri'ah was an example of such a civilisation, the only downside was that excessive advancements will attract attention of the wrong kind from above.
Liyue definitely will not want to receive a divine gift in the form of a giant nail.
The other solution would be the widespread teaching of the adepti art, like how Shenhe can wield the adepti art to fight despite being human. However, whether a person is able to learn the adepti art is heavily dependent on their natural talent and Shenhe is a talent that can only be encountered once in several generations. Very few are born with that kind of innate talent that Shenhe possesses, she's not exactly an example that he should use for the purpose of comparison.
Alchemy might be the solution that Liyue needs, but that knowledge stemmed from Khaenri'ah and he's not too sure if that's the right direction to take considering that the Art of Khemia was a major reason for Khaenri'ah's downfall. Ei's approach was to create a puppet that could rival even archons but again, that was derived from Khaenri'ah technology that she got her hands on after the Cataclysm. Fontaine's approach in inventing and utilising clockwork meka has its own merits, but that's only if Liyue can rely on a reliable powersource like how clockwork meka runs on pneuma-ousia reactions in Fontaine.
No matter how he thinks about it, invention and innovation seems to be the only reliable way for Liyue to learn how to obtain the strength it needs to protect herself in the age of humans. Perhaps Cloud Retainer had the right line of thinking all along.
"I don't think whatever General Pingtian did can be easily replicated. He's definitely not your ordinary human," Xun replied as their steps finally took them to the foot of Mt Tianheng. The nostalgia of how he and the Keqing he knew first met in the fifth cycle briefly hit him for a short moment but he dismissed that memory as soon as it came.
He did not need to go on a trip down memory lane, not right now.
"Isn't that… Zhongli?" Keqing was mildly surprised at spotting the figure of the famed consultant of Wangsheng Funeral Parlour here at Mt Tianheng. That man is widely known and acknowledged for his seemingly endless wealth of knowledge.
He's not alone either. A woman was accompanying him as they had a picnic under the shade of a large tree. The couple had spotted them as well and Zhongli acknowledged their presence with a nod of his head.
"It's unexpected meeting you here, Miss Keqing. Have you come to Mt Tianheng for leisure too?"
"We are just passing by," Keqing courteously replied. "We are on our way to Cuijue Slope."
"Is that so? If you are planning to take the shortest route you will have to cut through Tianqiu Valley and things are not as peaceful there recently. Do be careful," Zhongli advised as his gaze then turned to the man beside her. "And he is…?"
"I am Xun. It's nice to meet you, Zhongli. I have heard many good things about you," Xun smiled, simply happy for being able to meet some old friends again.
"You flatter me," Zhongli responded to his praise before introducing the woman with him to them. "This is my wife, Guizhong."
"Guizhong?" Keqing was a little taken aback at how this woman shared the same name as the God of Dust. Guizhong simply laughed.
"The character for the "zhong" in my name is written as the same character for osmanthus, not the same one as the God of Dust that meant finality," the woman explained as she picked up a twig nearby and wrote the characters in the soil beside her feet. The Liyuen character for a certain species of osmanthus, 柊, was written beside the one used in the name of the God of Dust, 终, that meant ending or finality.
"Ah, I see," Keqing said in realisation. "What a coincidence that you share such a similar name to the God of Dust."
"I get that a lot," Guizhong answered with a knowing smile while Zhongli took a sip of the osmanthus wine from the cup that was laid on the picnic mat. If only the Yuheng knew.
"If you are not in a rush, why don't join us for some refreshments?" Guizhong extended them a warm invitation. She is always happy to make new friends. Keqing looked at Xun in a silent question to ask for his opinion which he answered with a wordless nod. It's been a long time since he had the chance to speak with Guizhong again, it's very rare to have the chance to be able to meet her in all the cycles that he had experienced.
Even if they no longer share the memories, he finally was able to share a drink with her again.
"Is there any particular reason why the both of you are heading for Cuijue Slope?" Guizhong asked not too long after Keqing and Xun had sat down and she poured them drinks. Xun took the cup and took a quick whiff at the aroma of the beverage poured into it. As expected, it's osmanthus wine.
"I was interested to learn more about General Pingtian and Madame Ping suggested that Cuijue Slope is where I should go to do so," Keqing replied. She also decided to take this chance to ask for Zhongli's opinion since he's so well-known for his knowledge for almost anything and everything in Liyue.
"What do you think, Mr Zhongli?"
"Madame Ping gave the right suggestion," Zhongli answered. "Very little is known about General Pingtian beyond the fact that he was a hero of Liyue, and the surviving records about his achievements might not be entirely accurate. What we do know for certain was that he once battled Chi of Qingce at Cuijue Slope and he won."
"Some say that he is a human with the power to oppose gods. Mr Zhongli, in your opinion, what do you think General Pingtian must have done to be capable of doing so?"
"I dare not presume the origins of General Pingtian's power, but he was capable of wielding the adepti arts. I'm sure that had to have helped."
"General Pingtian was also said to be a sworn friend of the yakshas and they also love to frequent Cuijue Slope. If you happen to meet any of them you can direct your queries to them, I'm sure they will be happy to answer!" Guizhong added with a cheery smile.
"The yakshas frequent Cuijue Slope?"
"Oops, have I said too much?" Guizhong dramatically covered her mouth with a hand very unconvincingly and very unapologetically. "You didn't hear this from me, okay? Like how the red and blue yakshas love to visit that area on the first and fifteenth of every month? Or how a brown yaksha will return to the place once every few months in search of artistic inspiration? Or how a purple yaksha will go there from time to time to train and hone his skills in private?"
Keqing mentally filed away the information that Guizhong revealed. Whether the information was accurate was a separate matter entirely but at the very least, Guizhong looked like she was genuinely confident in the authenticity of her claim. It would be great if she could meet the other yakshas other than the Conqueror of Demons.
Xun, on the other hand, felt a little nostalgic at how the conversation with Guizhong went. It really had been a long time.
Alas, all reunions will eventually end. He and Keqing had to resume their journey.
Keqing and Xun continued their travels and they eventually had to find a place to set up camp when the sun was about to set. They found a good site near a stream of river. Keqing volunteered to go hunt for food but Xun decided to take on that responsibility instead. He knew very well that if he left Keqing to her devices she would simply use her survival hairpin to hunt for fish, grill the fish on that same pin, and be done with it. Doing that once in a long while is fine and all, but that's not a healthy meal in the long run and they will be travelling for close to two weeks.
Her lifestyle is unhealthy enough, he really doesn't need her questionable dietary choices to make things even worse. She needs some variety in her diet. He's not going to let her eat grilled fish for every single meal if he can help it.
Thankfully, he came prepared. He knew Keqing too well to not come prepared for all the things he had foreseen might happen when it comes to her.
Keqing was totally not expecting the things that Xun brought out from his bag. She could understand why he would bring a small wok with him. A cooking knife, a small wooden chopping board– not exactly things she would bring on a trip since she's not a picky eater when adventuring out in the wilderness so these are not things she would deem essential for her travels, she always only needed her survival hairpin. Still, she could understand why he might bring these items along. Some people are indeed more particular about their food.
She got a little stunned when she saw the things that he further brought out from his bag. Potatoes? Okay, fine. Small wooden bowls? Why would he need so many but okay, understandable. Flour…? On a trip like theirs? Not very pragmatic. And what's inside that small wooden box anyway? Wait, he's opening the box– ice? Why did he bring ice– wait a minute, buried underneath the ice… fresh shrimps? Why would he bring fresh shrimps out with him on such a trip? It's a waste of precious space!
She was lost in her thoughts for only a short moment and when she finally returned to reality she was shocked that he had already somehow washed and skinned the potatoes, cut them in such thin slices that were as thin as paper, and was already in the process of chopping the paper-thin potato slices into threads so slim that it would pass through the threading hole of a needle. What marvellous knifework! How swift the knife moved! She could glimpse the shades of swordsmanship being used to chop the potato slices. He had to be a skilled swordmaster! Huh, he's setting the potato threads aside and is now taking out the shrimps from the ice box. Washing and deshelling them, okay… taking a portion of them aside and… is he making shrimp paste out of them? Yes, it would seem that he's doing just that, mincing them with such precision and speed with his knife that the knife turned into a blur under his hand. Wait a minute, this process… is he making what she thinks he is making?!
Yes, it had to be! He's plastering the remaining shrimps with the shrimp paste until they become a small little ball, leaving only the tail out, and then tying the potato threads around them in an elaborate pattern… He's making golden shrimp balls! Her favourite golden shrimp balls! There's no mistake! He's already starting to pour oil into the heated wok– wait a minute, just when did he preheat the wok and where did he take out the bottle of oil from? How did everything even fit into that bag of his? No, that's not important now, he's starting to deep fry the shrimp balls– ah, that aroma! That aroma! That aroma!
Worth, Xun cannot help but think to himself with an amused smile on his face when he saw that look on Keqing's face. Of course he knew how much Keqing loved golden shrimp balls, he had mastered the art of cooking this unique dish down to an art form just for her in his fifth cycle. He never thought he would get the chance to cook this dish for her ever again, even if the person before him right now is not the Keqing he knew and loved.
The last of the shrimp balls was finally out of the wok and Xun served those shiny golden shrimp balls on a plate. The presentation would look much better if he had a proper kitchen and cooking wares to work with but this is as good as it will get out here in the wild.
"Enjoy. Be careful though, it's hot."
"This… This is so delicious!" Keqing cannot help but exclaim after taking the first bite. She cannot control how fast she moves her chopsticks and sends shrimp balls after shrimp balls into her mouth, that's how much she's loving it. This is even better than the shrimp balls that she remembered Xiangling cooked for her!
"Hey, take it slow, nobody's going to take these away from you," he reminded her as he started on his portion too. Hmm, the taste isn't too bad. Glad to see that his culinary skills had not deteriorated even after so long.
"You should open a restaurant! This is even better than Xiangling's!" Keqing told him after she was finally done stuffing herself with her favourite food.
"Really? Thanks for the compliment," he replied. Of course she would find these shrimp balls better than Xiangling's, this is the special variation that she loved the most out of the many different variations of shrimp balls that they had eaten together back in his fifth cycle. Xiangling's variation had a heavier focus on the crunchy texture of the potato threads covering the shrimps but Keqing actually had more fondness for the tenderness of the shrimps that can only be achieved with deep frying.
He just understood her preferences better than Xiangling does, that's all.
It was like the final barrier between them had finally disappeared after he cooked those golden shrimp balls. Conversations flowed endlessly after their dinner and Keqing was pleasantly surprised at how Xun could easily answer and provide his own views of every problem she had brought up in the governing of Liyue, and also substantiate his viewpoints with very valid reasons or examples. There were several ideas he brought up that felt very feasible too and she's already itching to head back to her office to try implementing them– wait, she's supposed to be on vacation.
The urge to kidnap him to be her assistant never felt stronger. She must find a way to have him remain by her side once they return from Cuijue Slope. She has a feeling– no, a premonition– that this man might just be what Liyue needs in this age of humans.
She only realised it was late into the night when an uncontrollable yawn escaped her lips.
"It's late, let's turn in for the night," he suggested. "You can rest first, no need to wait for me. I will set up some traps just in case there might be monsters or bandits wandering nearby, it won't take long."
"It's fine, I can help too–"
"I really won't take long," he assured her. "Good night, Keqing. Sweet dreams."
Good night, Keqing. He cannot help but wonder just how long has it been since he was able to say good night to her just like those times? It's been… even he couldn't remember how many years exactly it had been. He doesn't know, it's really been too long.
He misses her, his Keqing. He really, really misses her. How is she? Is she doing well? Hopefully she's not too sad about his death. He would return to her side if he could but he can never look back. Like the Turnfire of Natlan, life ever marches on.
Despite saying that she will stay awake until he returned, she was already out like a light when he was back to their camp. He smiled and gave a fond sigh, knowing that the journey and the very long conversations that they had today must have tired her out. He's actually glad that she's asleep like this, because now he had the chance to observe her up close.
He gently carried her in his arms, taking this chance during the short walk to her tent to finally take a look at the woman who he had loved in the fifth cycle and trying his best to remember every single detail. When he was her secretary he had to carry her to the bed in her office many times when she overworked herself and fell asleep at her desk, and when she woke up the next morning she would be on the receiving end of his disapproving look and lecture. She would agree that he's right, that she should take better care of herself, promised that she would repent, swore that she would reflect on herself and not repeat her mistake, but still end up repeating it again anyway.
Even when he's now in a different cycle, she still never ceases to make him stop worrying about her.
Cuijue Slope is a place that's seemingly blanketed with ever present dark clouds. Nine ancient pillars could be found in this area, yet nobody understood why they were built or what it stood for.
"The nine pillars were erected to keep nine human desires at bay: Greed, nostalgia, vision, jealousy, anger, lust, self-aggrandisement, competition, and turmoil. These pillars were erected on the belief that by doing so, the conflicts plaguing the world would be quelled."
Nope, correction, somebody does know the history behind this place. Keqing had no idea if what Xun was saying really was the truth because she had nothing to verify his words with, but at the very least, it sounded very convincing.
She had no particular spot that she wanted to visit within Cuijue Slope so she simply followed wherever he suggested they should go. He brought her to see those nine ancient pillars, they also ran into several groups of monsters along the way and made quick work of them. Soon, they arrived at a domain that was sealed off by mysterious ancient arts.
"What is this place?"
"Where General Pingtian once sealed a powerful evil entity," Xun replied as he put his hands together to form a seal before invoking a certain adepti art. The barrier in front of them vanished, granting them entry. Xun entered the unsealed domain and Keqing followed. The interior of the domain was dark but Xun seemed to know where he was going despite the lack of light, so she stuck close to him.
They eventually arrived at the innermost depths of the domain. A circular seal dimly glowing in a golden hue was etched on the stone floor and in its centre was a lance, still exuding power and serving as the foci of the seal's integral structure.
"Are you going to break that seal?"
"The entity sealed beneath had long since perished with the passage of time. There's no longer a need for this seal any longer," Xun explained as he stretched his right hand outwards towards his partner and weapon. The lance started to tremble as if answering a call and soon came flying right into his hand.
Xun grabbed onto the lance with a firm grip and he could feel Heavenly Judgement's excitement at their long awaited reunion within the confines of his mind. He gave the lance a habitual twirl as he turned around to face Keqing once more. His purpose for visiting Cuijue Slope had been met. He expected her to have many questions or outright be against his decision to remove the seal after he told her that a great evil was once sealed underneath. The fact that she did nothing to even try dissuading him was a surprise.
"You are very adept with a polearm. Have you considered taking part in the Weapons Master Festival?"
"... Maybe," Xun answered, keeping a straight face despite having a brief surge of suspicion the moment the Weapons Master Festival was mentioned. That festival only ever happened once in his long life, which was during his fifth cycle as the Secretary of Yuheng because it was a festival he initiated, proposed and organised. There shouldn't be a Weapons Master Festival anywhere in Teyvat without his interference so…
Why would Keqing mention it? That festival should not have existed in this cycle.
"Come, let's get going. This dreary place dampens the mood," Keqing said as she turned on her heels and started to walk away and he followed. It was then he finally noticed how she held onto her right wrist with her left as if massaging it or soothing the tension. It was a habit that the Keqing he loved in his fifth cycle gradually adopted as she stayed on as Liyue's Yuheng due to her long working hours and the excessive amount of paperwork she had to do over the years. Keqing was ambidextrous but had a slight preference in using her right hand over her left. Ever since Keqing suffered from minor wrist pain in his fifth cycle she had learnt to use both hands to write to lessen the strain on her right hand. However, it was a minor ailment that only showed itself after she was twenty-seven years old.
This Keqing was nowhere close to twenty-seven years old yet. So why was she exhibiting traits and habits that only the Keqing he knew from his fifth cycle should have?
"What's wrong?" Keqing turned around and asked in concern when she noticed that he wasn't keeping up. Xun simply shook his head in silence and started walking. His mind was still wondering about the oddities that this Keqing had unknowingly displayed and he tried to think deeper about the possible reasons why this might be possible.
The next few days that passed were nothing of note, it was pleasantly peaceful and it felt nice to be able to spend time with Keqing like this again, even if he never truly stopped wondering about the increasing number of oddities he noticed about this Keqing ever since he retrieved Heavenly Judgement from Cuijue Slope. It's the small little details; like the way she wears her hairpins, the manner in which she held her sword, the slight deviation in her swordsmanship. Things he never noticed or thought to think deeper about until that day within that dark domain started to catch his attention. These were things or traits that only the Keqing he knew from his fifth cycle would possess due to his presence and influence.
Even after they had returned to Liyue Harbour after the end of their vacation he still could not figure out why this was so. All he knew was that it was suddenly the Lantern Rite Festival. She invited him to spend the festival with her and his breath was taken away when he arrived at the terrace that they agreed to meet at and he saw her wearing the dress that he never had the chance to give her before his passing in the fifth cycle, the Opulent Splendour.
"Happy Lantern Rite– What's wrong?" Keqing checked her dress when she noticed that Xun was frozen in place and gawking at her. It was then his mind finally resumed working again and he managed to squeeze out a response.
"Nothing, I just thought…"
"Thought…?"
"... that you looked very beautiful in that dress."
A brief silence fell between them. The fireworks started to be shot into the air and the brief glow from that transient bloom of fireworks lit up the night sky of Liyue Harbour, illuminating both Xun and Keqing under its glow. Xun noticed how the tips of Keqing's ears started to turn a little redder and he was sure that it wasn't his imagination.
"D-Don't suddenly say things like that," Keqing stuttered a little and acted indifferent, but not before lifting her hand in his direction.
"What? Not inviting me to a dance? We made a promise, remember?"
Yes, they did make a promise, he recalled. They did promise to have a dance on her birthday, and that she would wear the dress he bought for her to the dance, but…
He took his hand in hers. Soon, they were slowly dancing at the terrace that they were at, just them alone. The light of the fireworks and the mingxiao lanterns lit up the night, the happy festive cheers of the people of Liyue Harbour could be heard in the background. This was the Liyue Harbour that they both had worked hard to build and protect as Yuheng, and as the Yuheng's secretary.
He just never imagined that he would finally be able to fulfil their promise to have a dance together like this, after so long, even if…
He understands now. He finally understood. The things that didn't make sense, the oddities he noticed in the days he suddenly found himself here in Liyue. In fact…
He couldn't even remember how he suddenly ended up here in this cycle.
"Thank you, Keqing," he whispered into her ear with his eyes closed and a content smile on his face once their dance finally ended. His promise had been fulfilled, even if this wasn't really how he imagined it to be done. "Thank you for loving me and… goodbye."
"Goodbye? What do you mean–"
"You are not Keqing. No, it would be more accurate to say that none of this exists. Everything here was just a figment of my memories and imaginations, to show me the things that I really yearned for and treasured. Isn't that right?"
"I don't understand what you are say–"
"It's fine, I should have said goodbye so many years ago," Xun gently placed his right hand on the left side of Keqing's face as he took in her visage for one last time before he forcibly ended this sweet dream. "It's… It's time for me to move on. I had been shackled by the past for far too long."
"Xun…"
"Goodbye, Keqing. Happy Lantern Rite. I wish you all the best in your endeavours, may all your dreams come true, all your visions be a reality, that sickness will never find you and…"
He pressed his lips against her forehead in one last kiss in a final farewell.
Please don't fall in love with me ever again
The "reality" around Xun started to crack and fracture until all of it eventually shattered. Pain assaulted him once more and he once again found himself within a dark dreary cave located in Cuijue Slope, body already inflicted with several grievous wounds and bleeding out. Held in his left hand was Heavenly Judgement and right in front of him was an evil god that he had heard about in his previous cycles when he was fighting the Archon War as General Pingtian alongside Liyue as General Pingtian.
A god who could manipulate and devour dreams, the same god that forced Xiao to serve as their bloodhound.
That's right. He remembered everything now that he's freed from the dream he was forced to slumber in. He found himself in ancient Liyue again in this cycle, joined the Guili Assembly and fought alongside Morax and his adepti comrades against the other warring factions once again. He pursued an evil god which had been a threat to the Guili Assembly for quite a long while and finally caught up to it here, where he was then subsequently caught in the evil god's trap and forced to dream so that the evil god can devour it and replenish its lost strength.
The vengeful laughter of the evil god echoed around him within this dark cave. Dark miasma was encroaching upon him from all sides. Before him stood someone with a gleaming emerald lance, someone who he used to fight alongside as a comrade.
"Xiao," Xun softly greeted as he fought through the pain and his wounds to stay conscious. That's right, the only reason why he couldn't yet hunt this evil god down was because Xiao was still under its control. The cowardly evil god was hiding behind Xiao and using him as a shield when it noticed that Xun didn't want to hurt the yaksha for reasons the evil god didn't understand, but had no qualms abusing the fact to its advantage.
The masked yaksha in front of Xun didn't respond. He simply wielded his spear and charged forth in a furious green blur. Xun gripped onto his spear and parried the yaksha's strike.
"This isn't the way I pictured my meeting with you in this cycle but… don't worry, your suffering will end soon."
General Pingtian of the Millelith raised his head, his determined gaze seemingly piercing through the mask that the enslaved yaksha wore to meet the yaksha's own yellow eyes. A powerful surge of elemental energy burst forth from the human who wielded power that held the potential to defy all logic as he stepped forth for his very last dance in this cycle.
"That bastard that put you up to this, I will turn it into almond tofu for you."
–Tales of a Hundred Cycles, Vol XXXII
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"Haha… thank you for your help. These old bones aren't as lively as they used to be anymore."
"What are you talking about, Madame Ping? I'm sure you are still as robust as you were in your youth," the Yuheng of Liyue Qixing replied with a smile as she finished with helping the adeptus water her treasured flowers. It's nice to take a short break from work every once in a while.
"I know that the Lantern Rite Festival is coming soon but don't work yourself too hard, alright?"
"Ah, about that. Madame Ping, do you happen to know about General Pingtian? The Qixing and the Eight Trades had been debating who we should select as the subject of this year's Lantern Rite Festival and from the looks of it, General Pingtian would most likely be the subject of this year's festival."
"Ah, Pingtian… a name that I hadn't heard for thousands of years," Madame Ping nodded her head in fond remembrance of a brave comrade that had fought valiantly alongside them during the era of the Archon War and who sacrificed himself to free the Vigilant Yaksha from his shackles to an evil god. "The man of heralding peace, the benefactor of the yakshas, first commander of the Milelith. Yes, I do know of him."
"Could you tell me more about him?"
"If you really want to know more about General Pingtian, why don't we take a short trip?" Madame Ping chuckled as she poured tea for them both.
"Where to?"
"Cuijue Slope. If you want to know more about Pingtian, the yakshas are the ones that you will want to seek," Madame Ping advised. "And ah, before I forget, Keqing."
"Yes?"
"Happy Lantern Rite."
Keqing smiled. She turned to look down at Liyue Harbour from where they were at the Yujing Terrace and was greeted with the peaceful and prospering view of the nation and city that both humans and adepti had worked so hard to protect, and turned back to Madame Ping with a smile temporarily free from all the stress and pressure that came with the position of the Yuheng.
"Happy Lantern Rite."