Jueyun Karst.
The mountain was shrouded in mist, with beautiful scenery, and the animals here seemed to possess a unique spiritual aura, unlike those found in other places.
Yu Xie, Ningguang, and Keqing walked together along the path in Jueyun Karst.
The path wasn't wide; some areas could even be described as "treacherous."
In Yu Xie's memory, he had never been here before, but deep down, he felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity with the place.
He couldn't quite describe the feeling—it was as though he had never been here, but somehow, he had visited in a dream.
For their first stop in Jueyun Karst, the three chose to go to Mt. Aocang.
The main reasons were: first, because Ganyu was most likely at Mt. Aocang, and for Ningguang and Keqing, it was a place where they had some acquaintances; second, because Yu Xie had suggested it.
Yu Xie didn't think much about it. His suggestion was mainly because, among the immortals, he had a deeper impression of Adeptus Liu Yun.
After all, the image of that proud immortal bird had already made a deep impression on him.
The journey continued, and they finally arrived at the foot of Mt. Aocang. The sky was already growing dark.
Keqing looked up at the sky. "If we pick up the pace, we should be able to reach the summit before nightfall."
Yu Xie looked toward the mountaintop, feeling a bit of anticipation.
If all went well, they should be able to meet Adeptus Liu Yun and Shen He, right?
Time passed, and as the setting sun cast a glow across the horizon, it was now evening.
Finally, the three of them reached the summit. The sight of the swirling sea of clouds was breathtaking, like a scroll painting.
"This is it," Keqing said, leading the way.
"I hope Adeptus Liu Yun won't be angry that we've come uninvited," Ningguang said.
Yu Xie didn't say much, simply following the pace of the two.
They crossed the pond in front of the immortal's residence and slowly ascended the stone steps. Soon, the doors to Adeptus Liu Yun's cave abode came into view.
Keqing and Ningguang exchanged a glance before stepping forward to knock on the door.
"Adeptus Liu Yun, I am Keqing, one of the Seven Stars of Liyue. We have come with a question and hope you will answer us," Keqing's voice echoed in the air, slowly fading, but the cave remained silent, with no reply.
After a while, Ningguang and Keqing knocked a few more times, but still, there was no answer.
"Could it be that Adeptus Liu Yun isn't here?" Yu Xie said.
"It's possible," Ningguang replied. "It looks like we'll have to visit other immortals."
With no other choice, the three of them turned and walked back down the stone steps, leaving the area outside.
At that moment, however, they spotted a figure beneath the tree in the center of the pond at the mountaintop. When they had first arrived, this figure had not been there.
It was a beautiful woman with an aloof demeanor.
Her silver hair fluttered in the wind, and her appearance was as stunning as Ningguang's and Keqing's. Her tall, slender figure and perfect curves radiated an ethereal, celestial grace, like an immortal.
Yu Xie recognized her immediately.
She was Shen He, Adeptus Liu Yun's disciple, born with a lonely and destructive fate.
However, Keqing and Ningguang had never met Shen He before, and upon seeing her now, they exchanged a glance and simultaneously considered a possibility—could this person be Adeptus Liu Yun in human form?
"Excuse me, are you...?" Keqing was the first to speak.
"My master is not here. Please return," Shen He said in a calm, indifferent tone, without any change in her expression.
"Master?" Keqing couldn't help but ask in confusion.
"This person has an outstanding aura, she must be Adeptus Liu Yun's disciple," Yu Xie whispered to Keqing.
Keqing quickly realized, and then spoke to Shen He. "Hello, please forgive our sudden visit. I am Keqing, one of the Seven Stars of Liyue. This is Ningguang, and this person is named Yu Xie. We have come to visit Adeptus Liu Yun because we have a question we would like to ask."
Upon hearing Yu Xie's name, Shen He paused for a moment, then turned her gaze toward him, scrutinizing him carefully.
Shen He's gaze was sharp. Even though there was some distance between them, Yu Xie felt as though Shen He had stripped him of his clothes and was examining him naked.
"Do you know him?" Ningguang asked, noticing the doubt in Shen He's eyes.
"If you know anything, please tell us," Keqing added.
"I don't know him," Shen He replied, "but..." She looked toward the stone table and stone stools beneath the tree, seemingly lost in thought.
Following Shen He's gaze, Yu Xie noticed something unusual.
In his memory, there should only have been three stone stools here, but now, there were four.
"May I go over and take a look?" Yu Xie asked.
"Mm." Shen He glanced at him, then nodded.
Yu Xie stepped forward, walking to the tree in the center of the pool.
On the four stone stools were engraved the following words:
"Here rests Liu Yun"
"Here sits Gui Zhong"
"Here stands the Emperor"
"Here stays Yu Xie"
These words made Yu Xie's mind buzz.
"You... are you Yu Xie?" Shen He spoke slowly.
"I am Yu Xie... but I don't know if I am the Yu Xie..." Yu Xie's thoughts were complicated and full of doubt. "Where has Adeptus Liu Yun gone?"
"Master left this morning with Senior Ganyu," Shen He replied, looking puzzled as well.
Since she was young, Master had told her many stories about Yu Xie.
In the stories, the famed "General Yu Xie" was a mighty figure, a mortal who stood shoulder to shoulder with gods, shaking mountains, slaying evil spirits, and protecting the safety of Gui Li Assembly.
Growing up under this influence, Shen He had always admired the General and respected the man who had dedicated his life to protecting Gui Li Assembly.
Could it be that the person standing before her was merely someone with the same name?
"It seems that the contents of that book are true," Keqing's voice brought both Yu Xie and Shen He back to reality.
Keqing and Ningguang had now also reached the stone table beneath the tree and had seen the inscriptions on the stone stools.
"Now, all we need to confirm is whether Yu Xie is really the General Yu Xie from back then," Ningguang said slowly.
The truth was getting closer, just one step away.
Yu Xie had been in Liyue Harbor for more than a month, but he had never once considered the possibility that this might not be his first time here.
Could it be that he really came to Liyue during the Archon War and became the General of Gui Li Assembly?
He tried to recall his past life, but no matter how hard he tried, there was no sign of any memories coming back. In the end, he still couldn't remember.
It seemed that those long-forgotten memories could not be recovered.
At this moment, a gentle breeze swept across the top of Mt. Aocang, and the water in the pool rippled slightly.
Ganyu's figure appeared in the distance. At the same time, amidst the breeze blowing over the mountaintop, an immortal crane flapped its wings and flew toward them.
End of chapter
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