Madam Ping was not truly old.
For immortals like her, physical aging had only one cause:
spiritual erosion, a slow wearing-down of the heart after too many centuries.
But even that erosion rarely altered their outward form.
After all, Venti was over three thousand years old yet still looked like a mischievous boy.
Xiao, of similar vintage to Madam Ping, still bore the face of a quiet young man.
Even Menogias, older than Madam Ping, remained a handsome, roguish youth.
In daily life, Ganyu most often addressed her as Sister Ping.
Only in front of outsiders would she be called "Madam Ping."
Age, for an adeptus, was never determined by numbers.
It was determined by the heart.
And Madam Ping's heart had grown tired.
Once, she, Guizhong, and Guoba had been inseparable.
She had been well-liked, surrounded by friends among the illuminated beasts.
But then Guizhong died.
Guoba exhausted his power and fell into deep, forgetful slumber.
The other immortals perished one by one.
Those who survived sealed themselves away.
Madam Ping witnessed all their partings, again and again.
Her bright, lively spirit faded, and so did the youthful form that accompanied it.
Her appearance as a white-haired elder was the image shaped by her long grief.
Yet now she had seen many old companions return to life.
And soon, Guizhong would return as well.
The heart grows young before the body does.
And as her heart rekindled, Madam Ping's old form was already beginning to loosen.
Cloud Retainer felt genuine relief.
Perhaps,
perhaps the spirited, fearless God of Dust would soon reappear.
At the thought, Cloud Retainer lifted her head proudly.
Others saw only a frail, kindly grandmother in Madam Ping.
But she alone remembered the truth:
Madam Ping had once been the peerless beauty of the adepti,
a breathtaking presence whose martial skill was as striking as her appearance.
Unconsciously, Cloud Retainer's gaze drifted to Ryen.
"If Madam Ping returns to her youthful form, I must keep an eye on him," she muttered internally.
"Can't let that scoundrel cause trouble for her."
Naturally, Ryen did not hear her thoughts.
But even if he had, he would have retorted on the spot.
Cloud Retainer herself was sneaking glances at Lumine; does she really have the spare time to meddle in others' affairs?
Besides, he, Ryen?
He already lived surrounded by beauties:
Ganyu on his left, Ningguang on his right, Hu Tao and Lisa before him,
Klee and Nahida curled in his arms like perfect little daughters,
and Paimon perched on his shoulder like the world's cutest mascot.
A blissful household,
what more pursuit did he need?
Well… perhaps Yae Miko.
She was the final missing piece of his perfect life.
If that pink fox would just transform and let him pet her fluffy fur every day,
then his happiness would be complete.
At present, all he lacked was a truly fluffy pet.
Nearby, Tartaglia nudged Diluc with his elbow and whispered:
"You lost. Pay up, one hundred million mora. Zhongli's been stuck in place for an hour."
Diluc sighed, annoyed.
"I'll give it to you later."
Tartaglia beamed with delight.
"Old Master Diluc is generous! Want to bet again?
I say Zhongli will stall for another hour!"
Diluc snorted and ignored him.
Venti, hands on hips, looked helplessly at Zhongli,
who stood there motionless like a carved monolith, silently wrestling with himself.
"I get that the old man is sentimental," Venti muttered,
"but this is excessive.
Is resurrecting someone really that hard?"
Zhongli shot Venti a side-eye but said nothing.
At last, before all watching eyes, he drew a long breath
and took out the Totem of Resurrection.
But nobody reacted.
For the past hour, Zhongli had repeated this same action:
taking out the totem, hesitating, staring at it, putting it away…
over and over.
His anxiety was beyond obvious.
Ryen rolled his eyes.
"Everyone's waiting for you. Are you going to do it or not?"
"You're the Geo Archon, don't be so timid."
Even Moon Carver and the other adepti silently agreed.
This was hardly something worth agonizing over.
Zhongli pressed his lips together.
He said nothing.
Truthfully, he had wanted to use the totem immediately when he first obtained it.
The memory of Guizhong,
the young goddess in white, pure as a glazed lily,
who danced joyfully among the flower fields of Guili Plains…
who entrusted him with the Stone Tablet of Dust,
saying all her thoughts and wisdom were contained within,
That memory had never dimmed.
To this day, he still had not opened the Prism.
Not because he could not,
but because he could not bear to.
Silence settled over the group.
Some wondered if he would back out again.
But then,
The totem in Zhongli's hand burst into radiant golden light.
Before everyone, the light began to shape itself.
Zhongli's voice rang out, reciting ancient words none of them recognized:
"At first, life gathered by the fields,
forming a place where people dwelled.
Then came the god called Guizhong,
who raised the dust and shaded the skies for a thousand lillies.
She taught four precepts, guiding the people."
The crowd fell still, watching the light intensify.
After some time, a clear, youthful voice resonated from within the glow:
"Another god came, wielding stone as his strength,
and together they moved the people of Liyue to this land,
protecting them as one.
In honor of both,
this place was named Guili…"
Zhongli's lips curved into a faint smile.
In that moment, all his anxiety, fear, and melancholy dissolved completely.
Whatever the future brought,
today, his heart was at peace.
Past and memory, longing and regret,
all scattered like dust in the wind.
His friend had returned.
A moment worthy of celebration.
Zhongli's voice flowed gently, carrying the cadence of divine power.
"Four admonitions there were," he intoned.
"To teach with wisdom, and to govern with virtue."
As his words faded, a soft voice resonated from within the golden radiance,
Guizhong's voice:
"To strengthen their limbs, and unite their hearts."
"Long has the mortal world dreamt through dust and years,
It has been a thousand seasons…
Morax, my old friends… long time no see."
The golden light surged brilliantly.
Threads of starlike motes dispersed, cascading into endless streams of gold
that swirled around her before fading into the air.
Within the dissolving radiance, the silhouette finally stepped forward.
She stood barefoot upon the grass,
a small figure, even shorter than Lumine,
draped in broad-sleeved robes of pale, drifting fabric,
her long ash-white hair swaying like soft smoke.
Dust curled gently around her ankles.
When she opened her eyes, they gleamed with a clarity as pure as the open sky.
Ryen could not help sighing at fate's irony:
the god who commanded the dust of the earth appeared as the most pure,
flower-like girl he had ever seen.
Guizhong's gaze swept quietly across the gathered crowd.
"Tell me," she asked softly,
"are the people of Liyue well? Do they prosper in peace?"
Zhongli nodded.
"The nation flourishes. The rivers and mountains stand fair."
"Good…"
A relieved smile touched her lips.
After a moment of silence, she looked up at Zhongli with faint expectation.
"The Stone Tablet of Dust… have you opened it?"
At those words, everyone visibly straightened,
interest surging through the air.
Ryen's hands even twitched with excitement.
Ganyu winced, tugged his sleeve, and whispered:
"Ryen… you're squeezing me."
He immediately soothed her hand, murmuring an apology.
Ganyu shook her head helplessly,
her partner was as nosy as Cloud Retainer when it came to gossip,
to her endless dismay.
Though Cloud Retainer always insisted Zhongli and Guizhong "must have something more,"
most adepti, including Ganyu, knew the truth:
Between Morax and Guizhong lay the bond of kindred minds,
shared ideals, and the devotion of two companions who built a nation together.
Comrades-in-arms, confidants, family.
Anything beyond that…
was mere speculation.
But speculation was precisely what Cloud Retainer enjoyed,
and Ryen simply found it entertaining.
Zhongli studied Guizhong for a moment.
Then he produced the long-kept Stone Tablet of Dust.
"Return to its rightful owner."
A flicker of disappointment crossed Guizhong's eyes.
She accepted the object after a pause.
"With my wisdom and your strength," she murmured,
"we could have raised our people to even greater heights.
It seems fate has denied that path. Very well…
If I have returned, then I shall open the Stone Tablet myself."
She paused, then added with a small grin:
"However… the challenge we wagered long ago, you lost."
Zhongli's lips curved faintly.
"A loss is a loss."
The solemn deity before them suddenly brightened into a lively girl,
her voice bubbling with triumph.
"Hmph! After all these years, I finally got you to admit defeat!
It only took a few millennia!"
Then, cheerfully:
"Speaking of which, how is Guiliji now?"
The abrupt shift stunned everyone.
But Zhongli had clearly anticipated it.
Calmly, he replied:
"Time has passed, and eras have turned.
It has been several thousand years since the Archon War ended.
After your passing, I relocated the people to the region around Mt. Tianheng.
Today, Liyue prospers. The nation has stood for over 3,700 years,
its capital is Liyue Harbor.
I have abdicated, and leadership rests with the people."
Guizhong blinked, surprised.
"So long? So much has changed…
But if Liyue is ruled by its people now…"
She lowered her voice dramatically.
"Then my wisdom has no place to shine?"
Zhongli shook his head and gestured toward Ningguang.
"A people-led Liyue still needs your intellect.
Speak with the current Tianquan Star, she will guide you."
"Tianquan…?"
Guizhong frowned.
Back when she lived, the Qixing did not even exist.
She knew nothing of her resurrection,
nor of modern Liyue's structure,
all of which she would need time to learn.
But that could wait.
Quietly, she stepped past Zhongli and gazed at the two figures behind him.
One was Cloud Retainer.
The other,
Even though age had touched her form, Guizhong recognized her instantly.
Her dearest friend.
"Ping'er… why have you become like this…?"
Guizhong reached past Zhongli, gently touching Madam Ping's face.
The ever-composed, eternally patient adeptus,
who had remained calm even in the face of demon gods,
felt her vision blur with emotion.
"Guizhong… you're home…"
Madam Ping clutched her friend's hands tightly.
Guizhong checked her condition, relief softening her expression.
"You're not hurt, just worn down."
She blinked teasingly.
"So this is because of me?
How touching… but this will ruin the reputation of our 'Three Maiden Immortals,' you know."
Looking at the youth slowly blooming in Madam Ping's eyes again,
Guizhong's voice grew gentle.
"Ping'er, now that I am back…
you should come back too."
A soft indigo glow blossomed from within Madam Ping,
wrapping her in shimmering light,
veiling all traces of light and shadow...
covering everything.
~~----------------------
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