"Thank you, Traveler. Thank you for being willing to listen."
Longhua landed back on the ground, opened her oil-paper umbrella again, and stood side by side with Lumine, gazing at the endless sea of beautiful flowers. She spoke softly:
"Time is too cruel. Even gods with eternal lives cannot escape the erosion of time."
"Moreover, as long as we exist in this world, we are bound by its rules. If something unexpected happens, I might even forget the sorrow I can't bear to let go of—though this is the root of erosion, who would choose to abandon their emotions just to avoid it?"
"But sometimes, we don't have a choice."
"The Dendro Archon of Sumeru is said to be the embodiment of the Irminsul, wielding its authority. The Irminsul records everything in this world, and by interfering with it, one can reverse the course of the world itself. If she wished, she could erase a person or even a god from existence entirely."
"I don't know if such an unstoppable force will ever come to pass, but if it does, as an outsider, you won't be affected. If that day comes... and I truly forget the sorrow I don't want to lose, could you tell me the truth?"
"You don't need to say much. Just tell me that I've forgotten a friend."
『No problem.』
After selecting this option, a faint smile appeared on Longhua's face.
"Thank you."
The quest ended here, and the reward was another 800 Primogems.
But at this moment, Axue's attention was no longer on the rewards. She was staring in shock at the sea of flowers in Guili Plains.
"No way... they actually changed the map?!"
「Wow, this is just an event quest. Did they really have to go this big?」
「This version's story probably won't disappear like the Dragonspine quest. They've literally turned Guili Plains into a flower field!」
「No more talking—I'm logging in. I need to see this quest again!」
Yes, the map had changed.
Guili Plains now had a sea of flowers—the very same Glaze Lily field Longhua had just created. The entire area was filled with Glaze Lilies.
Of course, while the field was full of Glaze Lilies, most of them couldn't be harvested as materials. Only the glowing ones could be picked.
Even so, at a glance, there were over twenty glowing spots in the field.
But that wasn't the main point. The key takeaway was that this map change meant one thing: the Lantern Rite Festival quest where players meet Longhua likely wouldn't be a limited-time event like the Dragonspine quest. Instead, it would be a permanent addition, accessible even to new players in the future.
In other words, even new players would be able to easily earn 3,200 Primogems from Longhua.
3,200 Primogems—20 Intertwined Fates. That's 20 pulls! 20 pulls!
At first glance, 20 pulls might not seem like much, but rationally speaking—if I were a player, I'd be calling her "Mom" by now.
Of course, in reality, it's the same.
Longhua became an instant legend, and her popularity was now guaranteed.
Her Lantern Rite Festival story ended here, and unless something unexpected happened, her next appearance would likely be when Shanhai Jing opened.
However, there's another matter worth mentioning.
While Lumine accompanied Longhua to pay respects to her friend, off-screen, the adepti and the Liyue Qixing had gathered at the Jade Chamber.
"The Mountain and Sea Fairy... now that's a name I haven't heard in a long time."
After listening to Ningguang's explanation, Cloud Retainer was the first to speak.
Madame Ping—also known as Streetward Rambler—nodded. "Indeed, it's a familiar name. Guizhong often spoke of her dear friend."
Moon Carver turned to Ganyu. "Ganyu, you should be quite familiar with the Mountain and Sea Fairy as well. Why did you need to call us here?"
"Uh..." Ganyu was taken aback and glanced at Ningguang.
Ningguang couldn't help but smile wryly. "That's my mistake. But this matter is of great importance, so I wanted to seek the opinions of all the adepti."
Ningguang wasn't very old, and her interactions with Ganyu had only begun after she became a member of the Qixing. Naturally, it was hard for her to equate Ganyu with the lofty existence of the adepti.
Even though she knew intellectually that Ganyu was as old as Liyue Harbor itself, she still struggled to fully grasp the concept.
Perhaps in a few decades, when she grew old and saw Ganyu's unchanging appearance, she would truly understand what kind of being the diligent secretary of the Yuehai Pavilion was.
A being who had lived for thousands of years, witnessing the development of Liyue Harbor from its very beginning. More dedicated than the Geo Archon himself, and with more seniority than even the Supreme Bishop of Fontaine—a true ancient monster.
Well, "Big Sister Ganyu" will always be a meme players can't forget!
At this moment, seeing that the other adepti weren't planning to speak, Cloud Retainer was the first to voice her thoughts. "As for the Mountain and Sea Fairy... though I hate to admit it, five thousand years ago, she was a powerful god on par with the Geo Archon. Of course, that was five thousand years ago. After the Geo Archon became one of the Seven and took control of Liyue, his power has grown far beyond what it was back then. There's no way she could compare to him now."
"Cloud Retainer, why are you dragging the Geo Archon into your competitive streak? No one asked about that," Madame Ping couldn't help but chuckle, shaking her head. Then she turned to Ningguang and spoke seriously. "You don't need to worry too much. The Mountain and Sea Fairy isn't just an adeptus—she's a god. She wouldn't stoop to underhanded tactics. If she had ulterior motives, she would say so directly. Since she hasn't, it means her intentions are as simple as they seem."
"Even so, with the Geo Archon having just passed away, another god has come to Liyue. How can we not be suspicious?"
Keqing frowned, speaking cautiously:
"Perhaps the Mountain and Sea Fairy has inherited the Geo Archon's throne? If that's the case, shouldn't she take control of Liyue? Shouldn't we confirm this first? While I also find it hard to accept a god other than the Geo Archon, and I agree that Liyue should move toward an era of human rule, the structure of the Seven cannot be ignored, right?"
After saying this, Keqing suddenly noticed that the room had fallen silent. She looked up and was shocked to find everyone—adepti, Qixing, and even Ganyu—staring at her in stunned silence.
"What... what's wrong? Did I say something incorrect?"
Keqing was utterly confused.
Correct? Correct, my foot.
At this moment, everyone in the room—the Liyue Qixing, the adepti, and even Ganyu—had the same thought: Is there an imposter among us?