The moment Shenhe shouldered her bag and left the Miliastra Wonderland, she was momentarily dazed, feeling unable to distinguish which place was truly home.
For example, it's like living with your girlfriend for a year, then suddenly deciding to go back to your hometown for a visit. You'd instinctively feel that your hometown is the most familiar place, yet the door you just locked behind you, the one to your current home, feels more intimate. It's a vague sense of dislocation.
How long had she been here? A little over a week, she thought? And living here? Only two or three days.
This sense of dislocation appearing after just two or three days was completely new to Shenhe, who had always lacked emotional attachments since childhood.
Fortunately, Orion accompanied her until they left Liyue Harbor before they parted ways, which gave her some time to process her feelings.
After parting ways with Orion and Paimon, Shenhe walked alone towards South Gate of Heaven. The journey was relatively peaceful; although the monsters seemed a bit more agitated than usual, they weren't particularly strong, so Shenhe didn't pay them much mind.
Passing by the Fulong Tree, Shenhe saw a little girl squatting in front of the towering giant tree. The girl had blue hair and two tied-up buns on her head.
How could a little girl be here by herself?
Shenhe immediately wanted to go forward and warn, or even escort, the child back to Liyue Harbor, when suddenly a strong gust of wind howled, accompanied by several crisp bursts of air.
Shenhe looked into the distance, and with her superhuman vision, she could see that it was Orion taking to the air in a very violent manner, like a cannonball shooting straight towards the Jade Chamber in the sky.
Shenhe watched blankly until she saw Orion's silhouette seemingly land safely on the Jade Chamber, only then did she breathe a sigh of relief.
"Paimon shouldn't be blown away by the wind, right?" She asked herself, with no one to answer. Shenhe suddenly remembered the little girl beside her, but when she looked back, the spot was empty.
Shenhe was somewhat flustered. She lifted her magic pouch higher and quickly searched around, but after half an hour with no results, she had no choice but to give up.
"I'll go notify the Millelith later…"
Saying this as if to comfort herself, Shenhe continued towards Mount Aocang.
If Lumine knew Orion had opened a teleport waypoint and still made her climb the mountain, she would whine and demand kisses from her Shota Master to feel better, preferably many kisses in many places, for a long time.
That's why Orion never dared to tell her he had opened an anchor point.
But Shenhe was different; she enjoyed walking along the mountain path step by step, watching the animals in the mountains, then passing through the clouds until she reached the summit.
This mountain path was no different from a neighborhood road to her.
However, the higher she went, the slower Shenhe's steps became, her brows furrowed tighter, and she even retreated a bit to check if she had taken a wrong turn.
"Where did all these flowers come from?"
Shenhe was a little unsure. Based on her understanding of her master's personality over the years, her elder would definitely not be someone who would plant so many flowers next to her home.
If they were mechanical flowers, it might be possible.
Shenhe quickened her pace and finally arrived at the mountaintop, but it was already vastly different from before.
As far as the eye could see, there was a riot of colorful, vibrant flowers! A myriad of flowers competed in beauty, blooming in profusion. Amidst the clusters of flowers, a faint fragrance wafted, rich and sweet, presenting a splendid scene of prosperity.
Among the flowers, squirrels frolicked; by the lake, brocaded fish swam; in the green leaves, butterflies occasionally whispered; and in the sky, cranes could be seen circling.
The cranes circled and circled, then descended.
Flapping its massive wings, Cloud Retainer, in her crane form, gracefully descended. As soon as her feet touched the ground, Shenhe's voice was heard exclaiming,
"Where did this take me? Is this still Mount Aocang?"
Cloud Retainer:???????
Is this still my disciple?
Shenhe also saw the recently descended True Monarch. The human and the bird were now like Kaiya looking at Cyno—four eyes met.
True Monarch was the first to break the silence: "Shenhe, that phrase of yours is…"
Shenhe tilted her head, but quickly understood True Monarch's meaning: "That's Orion's catchphrase. He says it when he sees something surprising, so I learned it."
Cloud Retainer: …What to do, I regret it a little.
Was it too rash to entrust Shenhe to Orion back then?
Shenhe didn't notice True Monarch's strange gaze, or perhaps the big bird's beady eyes couldn't convey an expression. She pointed directly at the flower bushes on the ground and asked, "Master, what's going on? Your new hobby?"
True Monarch Cloud Retainer was silent for a moment, then finally sighed: "Come with me first. I'll introduce you to two people."
With that, she turned around, and Auntie Xianyun, in her human form, appeared before Shenhe, leading her along a small path further inside.
Finally, surrounded by blooming flowers, Shenhe saw two astonishingly beautiful women sitting together, enjoying snacks.
One of them, a mature woman with white hair tinged with light green, saw them first and waved her generously exposed, fair arm towards them: "Xianyun! Is this your disciple?"
Beside her, a black-haired girl with a veil covering her eyes and her eyes tightly closed also looked over: "Have new guests arrived? Welcome, would you like a cup of tea?"
Xianyun stood with her hands on her hips, feeling helpless. These two had completely stopped treating her as an outsider.
Despite her complaints, Xianyun still introduced the identities of the two women to Shenhe.
Shenhe was somewhat surprised after hearing this. Though she had a cold temperament, she was aware of certain knowledge. The Greater Lord Rukkhadevata on the left was the previous Lesser Lord Kusanali, the first Maha-Samantabhadra, Great Compassionate Wisdom Lord (I made this up). It was said that she had fallen during the Cataclysm of Khaenri'ah five hundred years ago.
The one on the right was equally extraordinary: the Third Fatui Harbinger, Columbina, the Damselette. Greater Lord Rukkhadevata even added that the top three Harbingers' combat power was comparable to that of a God.
Both were extraordinary figures.
Shenhe thought for a moment, then placed her magic pouch directly on the table.
"Master, Greater Lord Rukkhadevata, and Columbina, these are some small gifts I brought back, and also some gifts Orion brought."
"Orion?!" Unexpectedly, the seemingly gentle Greater Lord Rukkhadevata suddenly flared up: "I want to see what good things he can send back when he's never home!"
Shenhe didn't know why this former Lesser Lord Kusanali looked like a resentful woman who had been abandoned.
But soon, Greater Lord Rukkhadevata's attitude did a complete one-eighty: "Wow! What are all these? How are there so many books I've never seen?! This is great! Although I knew he was a Descender, I didn't expect his mind to contain so many good things! All knowledge not found in Teyvat! And it's unpolluted!"
Perhaps because she was infused with a portion of the Goddess of Flowers' clearance when summoned, Greater Lord Rukkhadevata seemed more lively than recorded.
After all, in Sumeru history, Greater Lord Rukkhadevata was positioned as King Solomon, and the Goddess of Flowers as the Queen of Sheba.
Surely there isn't a failed 'Man' who was abruptly given the Pharaoh's position, right?
Oh? You ask why it's not from the game's records?
Because the game didn't remember Greater Lord Rukkhadevata.
Columbina, who was beside her, saw some candies and snacks that came out when Greater Lord Rukkhadevata was taking out books. Although her eyes were tightly closed, she showed a very interested expression.
"What are these? They smell so sweet, can I eat them?" Columbina's sweet voice seemed to float in the air.
Shenhe nodded; she was also a little curious as to why such a pure Damselette would be interested in these.
However, the moment the Damselette picked up a piece of candy, her entire body stiffened instantly. The Damselette clutched the candy, sensed it carefully, and finally asked Shenhe: "Miss Shenhe, was this candy also given by Mr. Orion?"
Shenhe was slightly puzzled but still replied, "Yes."
Hearing this, the Damselette's thin red lips curved upwards, her smile genuine.
"Found it, my moon."
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