As Lin Mo unfolded the letter in his hands,
the elegant, familiar handwriting appeared before his eyes.
—
Mo, it has been a long time. I miss you deeply.
I don't know whether this sudden letter will trouble you.
Truth be told… when you and Ganyu went to the Yuehai Pavilion, I had already recognized you.
At the time, I could hardly believe it.
I thought it might only be an illusion born of longing.
After all, immortals are not like gods—once we pass away, there is no reunion.
But the next day, when I saw you speaking with Kun Jun at the Yuehai Pavilion, I finally realized it.
You truly had returned.
In that moment, I wanted nothing more than to step forward and acknowledge you,
to tell you about my youthful arrogance back then,
to confess the regrets and remorse I've carried in my heart.
But… I am no longer the person I once was.
This aged body of mine has no right to stand beside you, who remain forever young.
So I have decided to travel the world, to search for a way to reclaim my youth.
I wish to meet you again in my best state, and face you as I once did.
I hope that, when that day comes, you will still be willing to see me.
Oh, and about the promise we made long ago atop Mt. Aocang… it has been fulfilled.
It is called the Serenitea Pot.
After thousands of years of nurturing, the world within it should be vast enough to hold all of Liyue.
This is the world I created for you.
Since you have returned… then let me entrust it to you for safekeeping.
How I wish I could live within it with you,
to keep you company for a lifetime in that world inside the teapot.
It's getting late. I must depart now.
If fate allows, we shall meet again.
Take care.
— Streetward Rambler
—
"Ping'er…"
Lin Mo stared at the letter, his emotions in turmoil.
As an adeptus living quietly among mortals,
she had spent thousands of years devoted to a single thing—creating the Serenitea Pot.
She was not the oldest among the adepti,
yet her appearance was the most aged.
Most likely… it was because forging the Serenitea Pot had consumed too much of her adeptal power.
And yet, this treasured creation of hers—
from the moment she confirmed his identity at noon today,
she had already decided to entrust it to him.
Even after a thousand years of his supposed death,
he still occupied an irreplaceable place in her heart.
She was even willing to journey far and wide,
seeking a way to reclaim her youth,
just to meet him again in her best form.
"Wait… reclaiming her youth…"
Lin Mo froze.
Didn't the Super Heart technology he possessed
happen to be exactly what she was searching for?
Why would she need to go anywhere else to find it?!
By now, with an adeptus's speed and strength,
Ping'er had likely already left Liyue.
Anxiety surged in his chest.
"Qiqi, do you know where the Streetward Rambler went?" Lin Mo asked urgently.
"But…"
"Streetward Rambler… specifically told Qiqi… to keep it a secret."
Qiqi replied softly.
"What if I'm the one asking you to tell me?"
Lin Mo's gaze turned serious.
"Ah…"
Qiqi lowered her head, looking conflicted.
But soon, she lifted it again and spoke slowly,
"Because… Master Lin Mo is more important."
"So Qiqi… is willing to break her promise."
As she spoke, she pulled out the small notebook she always carried and murmured,
"Streetward Rambler said… she's going to seek the land of Eternity…
to find a way to remain forever young."
"Eternity?" Lin Mo was stunned.
Almost reflexively, he glanced sideways at Yae Miko beside him.
After all, he knew this restless woman had been sneaking glances at the letter from the very beginning.
"That should be Inazuma," Yae Miko said with a wry smile.
"Among the Seven Nations, only Inazuma has anything to do with Eternity."
"I see. Perfect timing—Lumine and Paimon are here too. We'll take them along," Lin Mo said, turning toward them.
"Huh? You're going to Inazuma too?"
Paimon looked shocked.
"By the way," Lin Mo asked curiously,
"why are you here instead of attending the gathering on Mt. Aocang?"
"Well… it's mainly because of the Honorary Knight," Paimon said, floating over to Lumine's side.
"She heard that a doctor said traveling across the Seven Nations might help her find what she's seeking."
"So she couldn't sit still anymore and wanted to head to Inazuma right away."
"Before leaving, she planned to ask Lady Ningguang to issue a missing-person notice,
and also get in touch with a fleet captain named Beidou,
hoping she could take us to Inazuma."
As Paimon spoke, she drifted over to Qiqi and continued,
"On the way, we ran into this kid. She looked like she really needed help."
"She said she was looking for you, so we decided to help her."
"But everyone else had already gone to Mt. Aocang."
"Even Lady Ningguang didn't know where you were."
"So… we came to the Northland Bank to look for Lady Signora, just in case."
"Oh—so that's how it was."
Lin Mo finally understood.
Thankfully, their kindness had led Qiqi to him.
Otherwise, once he left for Inazuma,
they might have missed each other for quite some time.
Though they would meet again sooner or later,
and he would eventually read the letter Qiqi brought—
the Serenitea Pot was simply too important.
At that moment, an idea suddenly took shape in Lin Mo's mind.
He had planned to bid farewell at Mt. Aocang before departing for Inazuma.
But with the Serenitea Pot…
there was no need for farewells anymore.
The gathering could be moved directly into the teapot's world.
That way, no one would be left behind.
He could even bring Venti along to Inazuma.
As the Anemo Archon,
having him blow away the fog over Tsurumi Island
and find Mikoshi Chiyo should be no trouble at all, right?
Lin Mo couldn't help but imagine it—
bringing Mikoshi Chiyo before Ei.
What kind of expression would Ei wear then?
As for Kitsune Saiguu…
Lin Mo was absolutely certain she had perished in that great battle long ago, her soul returning to the earth.
Yet Yae Miko had clearly said she knew something about her.
As this thought surfaced,
Lin Mo found himself looking straight into Yae Miko's beautiful eyes—
eyes that were already fixed on him.
--------
T/N:
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