"Snatch!"
When Yilan finished the simulation and walked out of the Mondstadt Library, Liyue was in the midst of its annual Lantern Festival.
Bunches of fireworks flew into the sky and exploded into balls of brilliant sparks.
Thousands of lights in Liyue Harbor were lit at this moment. Festive decorations were hung on every eave. A long row of lanterns was hung along the beach, and the firelight shone on the sea, creating ripples.
There were boatmen singing ancient fishing songs on the boats, and the sweet laughter of young girls could be heard from the pleasure boats. In the city, adults and children, relatives and friends were walking hand in hand in the streets, making the entire Liyue Harbor as prosperous and bustling as a city that never sleeps.
A group of children were chasing and playing as they ran through the street. Some of them were holding windmills, and some were holding wooden swords. They looked extremely happy.
However, there was also a child staying in the corner, just looking at the group of children running past her with envy.
"Why not go play with them?"
A clear and gentle voice sounded behind her.
The little girl turned her head and saw a graceful and fairy-like woman standing behind her.
She was wearing a beautiful light blue dress, which was similar in style to a cheongsam, but more conservative. Although the thin black stockings matched with the golden leg ring-like patterns were very seductive, the slits were not high and the chest was well covered.
The woman, who was half-squatting there, looked at her with gentle eyes, which were a little bitter, but more like the elegance and dignity of a fairy.
"Sister Ganyu."
The little girl called out the woman's name.
When she moved to Liyue Harbor from Qingce Village with her father, she met this kind elder sister once when registering at the General Affairs Department.
Under Ganyu's encouraging gaze, the little girl said shyly, "My father just brought me here from Qingce Manor this year."
"Many of our customs are different from here. I'm worried that if I go to play with them, they will ignore me…"
The little girl's words touched Ganyu's heart.
There are mainly only old people and children left in Qingce Village now, so the pace of life is relatively slow, which is naturally different from the bustling Liyue Harbor. There are also certain differences in other habits.
—This difference is like that between immortals and mortals.
"Are you worried that you won't be able to fit in with the group…?"
"There were times when I was worried that I wouldn't be able to fit in with the group."
Thinking of this, Ganyu's eyes revealed a hint of distant nostalgia.
This touch of nostalgia shone directly into the little girl's heart like gentle and cold moonlight, causing her to swallow her doubts and just ask:
"Then why is Sister Ganyu getting along so well with the people in Liyue now?"
Ganyu now holds the position of Seven Star Secretary and gets along well with people from all departments. Who would believe that there was a time when she had difficulty fitting in with the crowd?
"Me?"
Ganyu paused for a moment, and a ripple of longing appeared in her purple eyes. "There was someone who changed me."
"Who is that person?" the little girl asked, unable to hide her curiosity.
"He…"
Just as Ganyu was about to answer, a loud voice suddenly rang out from the stage.
[The last chapter mentioned that at that time, Liyue was in a period of great change that was rarely seen in a thousand years.]
[The flood swept through Guiliji, and the demon god Osel and his coalition forces rushed towards Liyue, vowing to destroy our ancestors on this plain!]
[Faced with the threat of a powerful enemy, the Emperor divided his troops into two groups. One group fought on the front lines to resist the enemy's main force, while the other group escorted the people of Liyue all the way south.]
[What we are going to talk about this time is the immortal who protected our ancestors.]
"It just so happens that the storyteller is telling his story. Let's go and listen together."
Ganyu held the little girl's hand and found a seat under the stage. Not far from them, a nobleman dressed in a black gown as solemn as a rock, with eyes like golden amber, sat there, holding a cup of fragrant tea and sipping it slowly.
Many people in Liyue Harbor are puzzled as to why this story that happened thousands of years ago is still recorded so clearly, but few people know that this story was passed down by him personally.
The emperor felt ashamed of Master Yu and was touched by his behavior, so he recorded his deeds in a book and passed it down.
As he once said to his people:
Some things should be remembered, and some people should not be forgotten.
At a Distance,
On Yuheng Mountain.
In recent years, this fairy mountain that has guarded Liyue for thousands of years has gradually undergone some unfavorable changes, and the Fatui are secretly spying on it, so people are generally not allowed to approach.
But even so, at this special moment, the five Yakshas—Fushe, Minu, Yingda, Fanan, and Xiao—still came to this mountain together.
Because when they were troubled by the karma of the devil and were about to go crazy, it was this fairy mountain that absorbed the karma of the devil, so that they still remain sane today.
Each of them holds a handmade lantern with a piece of paper tied underneath it with a message written on it. When the time comes, they release the lantern to send the message to their friends far away.
In Liyue Harbor, the storyteller had already reached the second half of his story.
As the storyteller waved the folding fan in his hand vigorously, a scroll was hung above the restaurant.
It is said that this was the battle recorded by a Liyue painter with his brush thousands of years ago. The scroll is roughly divided into three parts: in the front is a large group of demons, in the middle is the tsunami caused by the demons and the giants who resisted the tsunami, and in the back is Liyue Harbor and the people inside.
[The tsunami came in waves, bringing destruction to the earth. At this moment, the immortal stepped forward. He opened his hands and countless mountains rose from the ground, blocking the tsunami. This is the Jianmen Pass that has protected our Liyue for thousands of years.]
[But this tsunami is the result of the combined strength of several powerful demons. How can one person be the enemy?]
[Just when the immortal was about to run out of energy, night lanterns rose into the sky. Although the light of a night lantern was very small, tens of millions of night lanterns gathered together and emitted a light that could tear apart the darkness!]
As the storyteller finished his words, bits of light began to light up in the sky above Liyue Harbor on the enchanted scroll.
The light gradually spread forward, adding color to the entire picture and making the originally dim giant shine with brilliant light.
["Yes, behind me are the people I want to protect and my lover. How can I fall here?"]
[A true hero is not someone who gives up after falling down once; rather, he is someone who responds to public opinion and stands up again no matter how many times he falls down!]
[The immortal stood up again. This time he burned his life and gained unimaginable strength.]
[He waved his hand and Jianmen Pass rose hundreds of meters, firmly blocking the tsunami. Then he leaped with all his might, and with a loud bang, he broke into the enemy's camp.]
[My goodness, that scene was like a tiger entering a flock of sheep. Although the number of enemies was large, none of them could match the immortal. Even the enemy leader, Ba Che, the wife of the demon god Osel, died in his hands.]
[When Ba Che was dying, he cursed to poison the land of Liyue, but how could the immortal let him do so?]
[The immortal used his last bit of strength to transform himself into a mountain.]
[When the rocks were about to cover his head, he turned his head and took a last look at the land he loved and the crying girl.]
[As a result, Tianheng Mountain was shattered and Yuheng Mountain was established, suppressing all evil and bringing peace to Liyue for a thousand years.]
"Don't cry." Ganyu gently wiped the tears from the little girl's face with her hand. "Look, I'm not crying, why are you crying?"
"Sister Ganyu…" The little girl choked up, tears streaming down her face. "Why are you crying…"
Ganyu couldn't help laughing at the little girl's amusement and asked, "I'm crying?"
"But if the person you love dies, won't you be sad?"
"Sad… of course I am."
It would be better to say that at first, I even had the idea of committing suicide for love.
"But then I figured it out."
At this moment, the full moon, symbolizing reunion, rose to the center of the night sky. Taking this as an opportunity, countless night lanterns rose into the night sky. In the distance, dots of light could also be seen on Jianmen Pass and Yuheng Mountain.
There was a piece of paper tied under the night lantern.
Originally, these notes contained blessings to the immortal, but now they carry people's good wishes.
"You see, his deeds have been passed down, and a festival was born in Liyue to commemorate him. The Jianmen Pass and Yuheng Mountain he left behind have also protected Liyue for generations."
"The stars have moved, the world has changed, but the world remains the same."
"He is not dead, but will live forever on this land of Liyue. So I must be strong and not let him down."
"Sister Ganyu, you are so strong." The little girl looked at Ganyu with admiration, and asked curiously: "By the way, what is the name of that immortal?"
"He…"
Ganyu looked at the night lights in the distance, her purple eyes as clear as water filled with a hint of sadness and overflowing pride.
"His name is Yilan, and he is my husband."