"Ahem... Shenhe, please calm down..."
Lin Mo quickly steadied her by the shoulders.
He met her gaze firmly and explained, "Everyone here is like you—friends I met, one after another, during my cycles through this world."
"Among them are my closest friends, my students, my partners..." he continued. "If I were to deny my connections with everyone right in front of you now, what credibility would any promise I make to you still hold?"
"How many are there?" Shenhe asked, her eyes lowering.
It was clear her earlier intensity had softened. The dark smoke swirling around her gradually began to dim.
"Uh... not many... just... just a few..." Lin Mo replied, feeling somewhat guilty.
"A few?"
Shenhe pressed again.
As she spoke, she glanced sideways at Yae Miko nearby, adding, "Including that one?"
"Miko? Miko doesn't count! She's a nine-tailed fox, my pet!" Lin Mo immediately denied.
"That's right~"
Yae Miko said in a teasing, singsong voice. "I am my master's most cherished little fox~"
No sooner had she spoken than she transformed back into her petite, violet fox form.
With a light hop, she landed on Lin Mo's shoulder and affectionately nuzzled and licked his cheek.
At the same time, she cast her alluring fox eyes toward Shenhe.
A flicker of triumph in her gaze seemed to declare her claim.
Shenhe watched Miko's provocative look, her fists tightening.
The dark smoke around her, which had nearly dissipated, began to seep out once more.
"Alright, Miko, stop provoking her," Lin Mo said hurriedly.
He scooped Miko into his hands, scratching her little head. "Change back now. We have serious matters to attend to."
"Serious matters...?" Shenhe couldn't help but feel puzzled.
Lin Mo smiled, deftly changing the subject. "Shenhe, you came to Liyue Harbor not just for the Lantern Rite, right? What else brought you here?"
"I also... came to deliver adeptal talismans to Ningguang for the reconstruction of the Jade Chamber," Shenhe nodded, her gaze drifting toward the direction of Liyue Harbor. "Earlier, I agreed with two people named Beidou and Yun Jin to split up and search for the final material: the 'Thousand-Armed Core.'"
"The final one?"
Lin Mo was confused. "Has the 'Mingxiao Lifting Stone' already been found?"
"Yes. Half a day ago, I carried one 'Mingxiao Lifting Stone' back to Liyue Harbor."
"Wait... one? Carried!?" Lin Mo was stunned. "About how big was it?"
"Approximately... one ton," Shenhe stated flatly.
Lin Mo looked at Shenhe's utterly calm expression.
He wondered just how much strength this woman had cultivated after years of adeptal training.
One ton. That was two thousand pounds.
He couldn't even picture how someone of her slender build could have carried such a massive 'Mingxiao Lifting Stone'. What a sight that must have been.
Never mind. Now wasn't the time to dwell on that.
The immediate priority was to find the 'Thousand-Armed Core' for Ningguang.
They needed to strive to have the Jade Chamber restored to Liyue Harbor's skyline before the Lantern Rite arrived.
"Foreign Envoy!!!"
Just then, a familiar voice called out from a distance.
Lin Mo and Shenhe instinctively turned toward the sound.
They saw Yun Jin, Paimon, and Lumine approaching from not far away.
"Huh? What brings you all here?" Lin Mo asked curiously.
Paimon was the first to float up to Lin Mo, explaining cheerfully, "Hehe~ We heard Ningguang is offering a reward for materials to rebuild the Jade Chamber!"
"They say if we find them, she'll answer a question for us," Paimon continued. "Since the Traveler wants to find her brother, we decided to join the search too!"
As she said this, Paimon drifted over next to Yun Jin and introduced her to Lin Mo with a beaming smile. "And this is Yun Jin! She's a famous star of the Yun-Han Opera Troupe in Liyue!"
Following Paimon's introduction, Yun Jin stepped forward, smiling as she gave a slight bow. "Teacher Lin, it's been a long time."
"Oh? You two know each other?" Paimon exclaimed in surprise.
Yun Jin nodded, smiling at Paimon. "The reason my opera performances have gained everyone's recognition is largely thanks to Teacher Lin's guidance."
"Whaaat!?"
Paimon stared at Lin Mo with exaggerated surprise. "Foreign Envoy, you can perform opera too?!"
"Of course~"
Lin Mo smiled. "In my homeland, there's a form of opera called Peking Opera, which shares remarkable similarities with Liyue's opera traditions."
"Wow~"
Paimon gasped in amazement, already imagining Lin Mo dressed in stage costumes performing.
Lin Mo looked at Yun Jin and asked with a smile, "Since you're all here, I assume you're also looking for the materials to craft the 'Thousand-Armed Core'—'Starshard Iron Ore' and 'Mysterious Luminescent Stone'?"
"That's correct,"
Yun Jin nodded gently. "It's said these materials can be found near Mt. Tianheng."
"And the story of 'The Divine Damsel of Devastation' also took place around Mt. Tianheng," she continued. "Coming here might give me new inspiration."
"The Divine Damsel of Devastation?"
Lin Mo was taken aback. "What's that? The name of a new opera?"
"It's the opera Yun Jin is going to perform soon~"
Paimon eagerly explained. "Who would have thought it actually happened at Mt. Tianheng? It must be a special kind of fate!" Then, unable to contain her curiosity, she added, "I wonder what the story of 'The Divine Damsel of Devastation' is about?"
"It's about... a young maiden who became a hero," Yun Jin answered softly.
"A hero! Paimon loves stories about heroes most of all!"
It wasn't just Paimon who was curious.
Even Lin Mo wore an expression of keen interest.
He knew that opera stories often originated from real events.
But as an old-timer in Liyue, he had never heard any legends about a female hero at Mt. Tianheng.
It wasn't just Lin Mo.
Even a flicker of curiosity passed through Shenhe's eyes.
After all, her old home was in the southern part of Mt. Tianheng, and she too had never heard any legends about a female hero there.
Seeing everyone's intrigued expressions, Yun Jin smiled and began to explain:
"This is one of the earliest legends passed down in Mt. Tianheng..."
"Legend has it, there was once a prosperous village here."
"In this village... lived a couple who were deeply devoted to each other."
"But then one day, a terrifying monster suddenly descended upon the village..."
As Yun Jin reached this part of the story,
Shenhe and Lin Mo couldn't help but glance at each other.
In each other's eyes, they read the same thought: Why does this story sound so strangely familiar?
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T/N:
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