Violetgrass is a very precious medicinal herb.
It often grows on sheer cliffs, and the violet buds can be used both for medicine and as cooking ingredients.
Climbing up the steep mountain path, it was just dawn. The horizon had just begun to lighten with a hint of morning glow, and the dew dampened the purple skirt of the young girl.
There were some muddy puddles on the mountain path, and the little girl's white socks were wet, clinging to her slender ankles.
Every morning, the little girl Qiqi comes to this mountain to gather Violetgrass.
Violetgrass is a good thing.
It can be sold for money.
Other children have money; their parents give them money, and they can buy lots of delicious food.
But Qiqi doesn't have money, so she goes to collect medicinal herbs.
With money, Qiqi can buy lots of delicious food. With a lot of money, her parents will come back to find her, and then Qiqi can give the money to her parents—that's the little girl's idea.
"You're up so early today," a gentle voice came from the mountain.
"Ah, big brother, hello."
She wiped the delicate sweat from her forehead and took a few gentle breaths before responding crisply.
Big brother... she saw this strange big brother again.
He seemed to sit cross-legged on the peak of Tianheng Mountain every morning for hours. He truly gave off a "big brother" vibe, whether it was his reddish hair like the glow of the sunset or the way he looked at people with eyes that gleamed, a gentle smile at the corner of his mouth that shone like the sun.
Qiqi had asked this big brother what he was doing before. He had replied that he was meditating in seclusion, saying that meditation was beneficial for his cultivation.
The little girl didn't understand.
But she came to the mountain every day to gather herbs, and the big brother came every day to "meditate." After meeting many times, they gradually became familiar with each other.
He said his name was "Bosacius."
"Have you eaten?" Bosacius big brother asked again.
Have you eaten?
This is a unique greeting in Liyue.
But Qiqi was an honest girl. She patted her little belly and admitted, "Qiqi hasn't eaten."
"How can you not eat?"
Bosacius showed a reproachful expression. He liked to meddle in others' affairs and had a stubborn temperament. To him, a child not eating at such a young age was unacceptable... In his view, children should have breakfast every day.
"Don't your parents make breakfast for you?"
"Qiqi can't find her parents."
The little girl shook her head. "But once Qiqi has money, she can find her parents. Then she can have breakfast every day."
As she spoke, her violet eyes seemed to sparkle.
Wah...
Bosacius scratched his head with some frustration.
He patted his body, stood up, and with his rough hands, tousled the little girl's purple hair. His touch felt like sand under the sun—warm and coarse.
"Children who don't eat won't grow tall."
Bosacius thought for a moment and then smiled.
"From now on, every morning when you gather herbs, come by this mountain. Big brother will cook for you. I'll boil two eggs for you every day so you can grow taller."
This was the first promise.
"Big brother...?" Qiqi tilted her head.
"By the way, in the sect, I'm the big brother, so cooking for them is my duty. My cooking skills are really good; everyone eats cleanly. Of course, my martial arts are also quite good, so everyone eats even more cleanly, and no one is picky."
As he talked about his family and recalled past events, a smile always played on his lips.
"Family, wow..."
Listening to Bosacius talk about his family, Qiqi's violet eyes widened slightly, showing a look of envy.
"In the future, I'll be your big brother too." He gently patted Qiqi's little head.
It turned out that Bosacius was indeed a good cook.
Fresh and delicious vegetables were carefully prepared, tender eggs cracked into the pot with hot oil, sizzling sounds filled the air... Most morning staples were coarse grain porridge. He said eating coarse grains was good for digestion and to eat more of them. Sometimes he also made noodles; buckwheat flour sprinkled into clear soup, the aroma of rice and wheat spreading.
"When you're growing up, you need to eat breakfast well and grow up quickly." This was the phrase he often repeated.
"Grow up quickly," Qiqi now had an additional wish: to grow up quickly.
Grow up quickly, grow up quickly...
Time slowly passed, and the years were long.
"What is this? Qiqi has never drunk it before."
"Coconut milk."
"Coconut milk, the milk... is it the milk produced by Cocogoat?"
Qiqi still remembered how Bosacius laughed when he heard her say that, his rough and sturdy hands patting his own head. The touch felt like sand under the sun—warm and coarse.
"Yes, yes, it's milk produced by Cocogoat. Qiqi will definitely find Cocogoat!"
He said earnestly.
"Mm!" Qiqi held her little head high. "Qiqi will definitely find Cocogoat... Then, Qiqi and big brother can drink more coconut milk together."
"Why do you want to drink with Bosacius big brother?"
"Because... because Qiqi has no money and no delicious food for her parents, so her parents don't want Qiqi anymore."
Qiqi said seriously, "Qiqi will definitely catch Cocogoat!"
She clutched Bosacius's collar, her eyes misty.
"Bosacius big brother, don't leave Qiqi."
Bosacius was stunned for a moment. After a while, he said:
"I won't. I won't leave Qiqi."
This was the second promise.
But Bosacius ultimately did not fulfill his promise.
Because the Immortal God War broke out.
It erupted suddenly and abruptly.
Bodies were everywhere, God ravaged the land, people were suffering, the situation was dire, reaching a life-and-death crisis. This was the greatest calamity Liyue had suffered since the Archon War.
He didn't even have time to properly say goodbye.
He only said that big brother had to go out for a while and that Qiqi should take care of herself and stay at home, not go to the mountain.
Because delaying even an hour would result in thousands more people perishing.
As General, Bosacius had to go to war again.
He was Liyue's Guardian Yaksha, and it was his responsibility.
This period could only be described as chaotic and tumultuous. The lead-colored sky was always deadly silent and dim, the cracked earth resembled scars, the corpses of immortals and Gods polluted the land, plagues began to run rampant, and Liyue instantly changed.
Years passed.
But Qiqi still gathered herbs every day.
Before Bosacius left, he gave Qiqi a large sum of money, enough for her to live without gathering herbs.
Many people were injured... The pharmacy was now in desperate need of medicinal herbs... Qiqi wasn't particularly strong; she was just an ordinary little girl, but she wanted to help everyone, so she clumsily went up the mountain to collect herbs.
Every day, besides gathering herbs, she had to go to another place, stepping on the moist morning dew, to the mountaintop to take a look, just a glance.
There was nothing, so she lowered her little head and carried her small basket step by step down the mountain.
The little girl had once wanted money because with money, her parents would come back. But now that she had money, she didn't want money anymore. She wanted to find Cocogoat because with coconut milk, maybe big brother would come back.
But Qiqi felt she was very clumsy and useless.
She couldn't find Cocogoat, so Bosacius big brother didn't want her anymore.
That's why Bosacius big brother never came back.
She was afraid of forgetting things, so she kept track of events in a small notebook:
"New Year's Day 1: Collected 100g of (drawing) Lily, didn't find Cocogoat."
Qiqi didn't recognize the word "Glaze," so she drew a crystal.
"New Year's Day 2: Collected 500g of Qingxin, many people were injured... Qingxin can cure illnesses, didn't find Cocogoat."
"New Year's Day 3..."
"New Year's Day 4..."
...
"New Year's Last Day: It's the New Year, Qiqi still hasn't found Cocogoat."
——
The world blurred.
Qiqi tiredly held her eyes open.
Her small herb basket fell at her feet, with herbs scattered all over... Some herbs were crushed, their roots and leaves broken into a mess.
These herbs were healing medicines. Uncle Chen at the village entrance was seriously injured and needed these herbs.
She moved slightly, wanting to pick up the herbs, but found she couldn't lift her hand at all.
Blood.
Pain.
So much pain.
The cave collapsed, rocks fell on the little girl. She couldn't move, her chest was pierced by broken stones, fresh blood flowed through the gaps in the rocks, making breathing increasingly difficult.
The mountain was destroyed, annihilated in an instant.
Outside the cave, immortals and demons were battling, the heavens and earth were in chaos, the sun and moon were upside down. The aftermath of the celestial war had destroyed this small mountain.
Qiqi... Qiqi... doesn't want to die.
Doesn't want to die.
Qiqi hasn't found Cocogoat yet.
No.
Her eyes were somewhat dim, every breath felt like being stabbed by needles, her heartbeat grew fainter.
Qiqi hasn't grown up quickly yet.
Qiqi, who wasn't picky, so wanted... to eat Bosacius big brother's breakfast once more.
Her ice-blue eyes emitted a faint light.
The roar and wailing of God reached a climax at this moment, with thunderbolts appearing out of nowhere, clouds vanishing across thousands of miles, swords penetrating bones with thunderbolts, sounds of crying ghosts and gods, countless filthy evil beasts died, disasters and evil spirits were eliminated.
The Immortal God War ended.
Rough hands, warm hands, like sand gently stroking her cheeks.
"Qiqi... wants to go home," she said.
Warm life energy flowed from that big hand into Qiqi's body.
Gently embracing her.
Bosacius was covered in blood, his entire body wounded.
Although he was Liyue's Guardian Yaksha, he wasn't a true Yaksha. Yakshas are innate celestial beasts, and he was just a human.
So, his body was more fragile.
The dying God pierced through his chest, half of his bones were broken. He held the little girl, squeezing his remaining life force into her barely breathing body.
"Idiot, I told you not to go up the mountain." Bosacius scolded.
He looked reproachful but not angry, more like a brother feeling helpless towards an unruly and disobedient sister.
"Qiqi..." The little girl tiredly opened her eyes, her violet eyes seemed to shimmer. She quietly watched Bosacius, smiling, "Qiqi caught Cocogoat."
She tiredly closed her eyes, ending her life.
Qiqi caught Cocogoat.
"You won't die."
Immortals each took a share of their celestial power and stored it in Qiqi's body. The gentle celestial power nestled in Qiqi's heart. Bosacius's final breath was timely, and Qiqi's soul did not disperse.
A zombie.
Mortal beings simply couldn't withstand celestial energy.
Sealing.
Only in the long period of sealing could she slowly digest this celestial energy.
"Want to grow up quickly," but the little girl would never grow up.
-
Warm morning sunlight bathed the mountains between the absolute clouds, light mist swayed with faint light. The war between immortals and demons was over, and the world became clear. The matchsticks crackled as Bosacius poured coconut milk into the stove.
Once the milky surface floated fine bubbles and a light mist rose into the forest air, the coconut milk was heated.
There was another pot boiling porridge with two eggs added; breakfast needed to be eaten well.
"Huff huff... breakfast is ready."
Bosacius said.
"Breakfast."
The little girl seemed to want to smile happily, but she couldn't make any expression. A big decree was stuck on her head, reading "Eat Breakfast."
With her small hands holding a small cup, Qiqi lowered her head, swallowing the tender coconut milk slowly like a fawn drinking water, making gulping sounds. After finishing, she refilled the bottom of the cup.
She couldn't taste anything.
It used to be very sweet before.
Why did it have no taste now?
Qiqi didn't know.
The porridge had no flavor either, even though it had longan and glutinous rice. Qiqi knew the taste of longan and glutinous rice, but she couldn't taste it. The eggs didn't taste good either, no flavor...
But she still ate it all up.
She couldn't be a picky bad child. Bosacius had said, "Everyone eats cleanly, no one is picky."
"Qiqi."
After a while, Bosacius suddenly said, "Time's up."
Time's up... she was stunned.
Holding the cup, she nodded obediently and politely:
"Mm."
She had always been very obedient and well-behaved. Her nodding looked like a child going to kindergarten for the first time—very scared, not wanting to leave, not wanting to go, very scared, but the child still nodded.
Amber covered the little girl's body.
The world became dark again. The translucent and solid crystal isolated the world. Qiqi curled up into a ball, hugging her own shoulders, trembling slightly.
Endless darkness.
So cold.
"..." She slowly whispered word by word:
"Want to come..."
"You must come... take Qiqi..."
"Qiqi... wants... to go home."
Zombies clearly couldn't cry, but she was crying. The metaphor was not wrong; she was like a child going to kindergarten for the first time, confused and at a loss, only able to cling to her brother's collar, as if saying, "Brother, brother, you must come to take me home."
Bosacius big brother watched her through layers of amber.
Nodding seriously.
"You must take your family home."
This was the third promise.
Twenty years later, Bosacius died.
He died at the hands of his family.
Died as the Celestial of Broken Oaths.
His sanity completely depleted, blood drained, those reddish-golden eyes forever dimmed.
Along with the sealed amber, he sank into the endless passage of time.
——
"Huff huff huff..."
Reversing the flow is really difficult.
It's a technical task.
He originally wanted to specifically ask Lumine and Paimon, these two tomb raiders, to learn a few tricks from their roguish adventures, but in the end, he went to Tianheng Mountain alone.
Of course, he came alone to fulfill this promise.
He had no memories of the past, so he didn't know where this promise originated from, how it was established, or what it meant...
But a promise made should be fulfilled.
Even if he had forgotten.
Mt. Tianheng had many caves. Seino Yaku climbed the mountain in the early morning, stepping on morning dew, searching one cave after another. It was like finding a needle in a haystack.
But when the sun set and the rosy light slanted over the towering peaks, he stopped in front of a particular cave.
It was just a hunch.
He just felt that the Violetgrass growing in the gaps of the rocks at the cave entrance looked beautiful.
The sunset fell, the pale purple buds exuded a light violet fragrance.
It also dyed this dusk.
Digging.
He dug open the topsoil.
Seino Yaku wiped the sweat from his forehead, exhaled slowly, and supported his body with his folded shovel.
He quietly watched the amber.
Inside the amber was a little girl with short pale purple hair.
She lay very quietly in the amber, her mouth slightly smiling, sleeping peacefully.