"Tap, tap, tap."
The green four-leaf clovers danced in the wind, as Klee happily ran ahead on the road.
Ahead, on a massive stone bridge, two guards in brown uniforms stood on watch, maintaining order as traffic moved across the bridge. One cart after another, laden with goods, passed over the bridge toward their respective destinations.
Standing beside Xiangling, Hiroshi observed the red and black feather ornament in her hand, his eyes glinting with curiosity.
The feather, with a red and black shaft, had a base covered by a layer of metal, and a red ribbon was tied around it. Xiangling still found it hard to believe what had happened.
"Why did Old Zhou give me something so valuable?" she murmured, gazing at the feather in her hand, then looking at Hiroshi as she softly explained, "This is a Warrior's Feather, an ornament only those who've achieved a certain level of mastery in martial arts are qualified to wear."
Xiangling continued, "When a martial artist reaches a divine level of insight, they can embed their entire mastery into an item, thus creating a Holy Relic." She could sense the powerful energy emanating from the feather and turned to look at Liyue's gateway in the distance.
"Most Holy Relics amplify the strength of the wielder, but if you gain the recognition of the sentiment within, you also inherit the knowledge left behind," she said softly, holding the feather. "A Holy Relic is the crystallization of its wielder's will."
"I see," Hiroshi nodded, then looked toward the distant side of the bridge. Flowers of all kinds, whose names he didn't know, were blooming on the gently rolling hills. Amidst the flowers on the side of the road, Paimon and Klee were laughing joyfully. Farther away, beneath a statue of the Geo Archon, Lumine was slowly approaching, her head lifted.
People bustled about, revealing the thriving prosperity of Liyue. Hiroshi recalled the fleeting memories he saw in the Warrior's Feather. Smiling, he asked Xiangling, "Has this Holy Relic accepted you?"
Xiangling looked at the red feather in her hand and nodded. "Yes."
"Then don't hesitate," Hiroshi encouraged her as he started walking forward, his gaze fixed on Liyue Harbor at the foot of Mt. Tianheng. "Since the warrior who defended his land during the chaos a hundred years ago has acknowledged you, you should accept it without doubt."
Glancing back at the small tea stall near the gateway, where Old Zhou was still serving tea to travelers, Hiroshi said softly, "Does this era meet your hopes?"
The feather held the purest yearning of the old man's life. He had fought with his spear during times of turmoil, shedding his blood to guard the people from demons. As a mortal, he had given his all in battle. He saw the gods return, and peace restored across the land. But in the end, he was left with little—his family gone, his brothers few. He chose to stay at Liyue's gate in his final days, dedicating his last bit of life to fulfilling his duty.
Now, he was passing his legacy, the last thing he had, to the descendant of a fellow warrior, who had once fought alongside him.
"Master Hiroshi, what's on your mind?" asked Noelle, standing beside Hiroshi, noticing how he had turned to look back.
"I'm thinking of a hero." Hiroshi gently patted Noelle's head. Seeing her puzzled expression, he smiled, "I'll tell you about him later—a man who burned himself to bring light to the darkness, all for the sake of his family and duty."
He looked back at Liyue Harbor and added quietly, "Maybe that's why he could finally let go." His gaze softened, "His ideals have been passed on, and the children have grown up. It's time to let them soar on their own."
"Brother Hiroshi, wear this!" Klee called out, holding a large floral wreath above her head. She beamed, "Klee really likes that old grandpa. Can we come back to visit him sometime?"
Hiroshi picked Klee up and placed her on his shoulder, smiling. "Of course. Next time, both Lumine and I will take you to visit him."
"Yay!" Klee cheered, waving her small hands excitedly. She snuggled against Hiroshi's head and said, "That old grandpa seems to love kids a lot. Next time, I'll bring Xiaohei, Hinata, and Tamaki to visit him too."
Ahead, a flash of Geo energy glowed brightly. Lumine placed her hand on the Geo Archon Statue, and waves of Geo energy began to flow out from it. Surrounded by the golden light of the statue, Lumine slowly opened her golden eyes. She tightened her fist and swung it.
"Starfell!" she summoned. A giant construct of Geo appeared, and Lumine's eyes glowed golden as the construct shimmered and disappeared.
"Whoa! Lumine, did you just resonate with the power of Geo?" Paimon exclaimed, hovering around Lumine.
Paimon then turned and saw Hiroshi and the others approaching. "Hiroshi! Lumine's resonated with Geo energy!"
Flying to Hiroshi's side, Paimon tugged on his sleeve eagerly. "Hiroshi, you should try it too! You're also from another world, right? Maybe you can resonate with Geo energy too!"
Hiroshi chuckled and flicked Paimon's forehead lightly. "Lumine and I are different. Lumine is special. If someone like us wants to resonate with the elements through a statue, we need the permission of the respective god."
"Everyone in our group has already tested this before."
"Oh..." Paimon sighed, holding her head in disappointment. "So there's no free power boost for me, then."
"Not necessarily." Hiroshi walked up to the statue and reached out to touch it.
"After all, I do know Rex Lapis."
Golden light shone again.
"What?!" Paimon shrieked in surprise, staring at Hiroshi, who was now enveloped in light. "Why didn't anyone tell me this?!"
"Hmm?" Lumine paused, stopping the Starfell she was conjuring. She tilted her head. "Didn't I mention it? One of the reasons we're heading to Liyue is because Rex Lapis invited us to participate in the upcoming Rite of Descension."
"No, you didn't!!" Paimon yelled, looking at everyone else, who seemed unfazed. She stomped her feet in the air, her voice dripping with frustration, "You're all keeping me out of the loop!"
"You all knew, and I was the only one who didn't! Why?!"
"Klee knows!" Klee piped up from atop Hiroshi's shoulders, her cheerful voice breaking through the tension. "When everyone was getting ready to leave, Klee saw Paimon sneak into the kitchen to eat pudding!"
"Wha—?!" Lumine's apologetic expression hardened as she slowly turned to look at Paimon, who was nervously backing away. Lumine's arm raised gradually.
"So it was you who stole my pudding, Paimon..."
"N-no, it's just a misunderstanding!" Paimon shook her head vigorously. Seeing Lumine's hand glowing with golden energy, Paimon panicked. "Paimon didn't know it was yours! I would've never eaten it if I'd known!"
"Paimon! I've been taking care of you for so long, isn't it only fair to let me have a taste?!"
"No! Please, no! Hiroshi, save me!"
Meanwhile, at Liyue Harbor, in the Jade Chamber, Zhongli held a pair of chopsticks as he delicately savored his meal. Beside him, a young man with golden hair wearing a mask struggled to learn how to use chopsticks.
Zhongli looked up slightly in the direction of Dihua Marsh, smiling gently as he said, "Consider this my engagement gift to you."