Chapter 57 (Exclusive to Jinjiang Literature City)
After bullying Paimon, the traveler's mood improved considerably.
While he was in a good mood, Paimon was in a terrible mood.
"The traveler is a bad guy!" Little Paimon crossed his arms, his puffed-up face looking incredibly cute. "I'm never talking to you again, you awful traveler!"
“Then we won’t be taking you to Crescent Moon Restaurant, okay?” the traveler said, feigning regret. “I even specially ordered Paimon’s favorite dish.”
"Huh? Really?" Upon hearing about the delicious food, Paimon's anger vanished, and she eagerly flew around in front of the Traveler. "I'm not angry with you anymore, Traveler, take me with you!"
Watching the two laughing and joking, Jing Yuan couldn't help but sigh inwardly at how good their relationship was, and how easy it was to coax Paimon, just like Fu Xuan.
Thinking of Fu Xuan, Jing Yuan thought of Qing Zu and Yan Qing, and his thoughts drifted away, causing Xing Qiu to call him several times without him hearing him.
"Jingyuan—!" Paimon waved his little hand in front of Jingyuan's eyes, his eyes filled with confusion. "Snap out of it!"
Blinking, Jing Yuan said apologetically, "Sorry, I was thinking about something and didn't hear you."
"Are you missing your family?" Paimon laughed. "I didn't realize you were such a big kid, still so attached to home."
Jingyuan felt there was nothing to be embarrassed about, so he nodded readily: "Human feelings are deeply attached to one's homeland, just as birds yearn for their hometown. Yes, I do miss home."
Unbeknownst to him, he had been away from Luofu for a long time.
Paimon was initially just teasing Jingyuan, but he didn't expect Jingyuan to reply so seriously, and he felt a little embarrassed for a moment.
She scratched her head and said, "Jingyuan, you really sound just like Zhongli when you talk."
They're all so serious, and they even nitpick over the words.
"That's probably why some people always think that Mr. Jingyuan and Zhongli are brothers," the traveler said with a smile.
Travelers know quite a bit about Jingyuan, and naturally they've heard this interesting rumor.
“Zhongli’s brother…” Paimon stared at Jing Yuan, looking him up and down, and then nodded. “He does look a little like him. Especially his eyes, they’re both golden.”
“Speaking of eyes, the traveler’s eyes are golden too,” Jingyuan said with a smile.
Paimon glanced back at the Traveler, then shook his head: "The Traveler is too short, he doesn't look like Zhongli at all."
Traveler: "..."
Why the sudden critical hit on friendly forces?
"The traveler is still young and developing," Jing Yuan said with a smile, trying to smooth things over.
“No, he’s not young at all.” Paimon glanced at him sideways. “He’s at least 500+.”
Paimon knew more about the travelers than anyone else present.
"After all, the traveler and his sister came to Teyvat 500 years ago."
"Oh?" Jing Yuan was somewhat surprised. "So the traveler has been searching for his sister for 500 years?"
500 years should be enough time for a traveler to explore all of Teyvat, so why is there still no definite news about the sister after all this time?
“Uh… no, that’s not true,” the traveler explained. “My sister and I didn’t wake up at the same time.”
After Jingyuan recounted what had happened between him and Ying before and after Ying landed in Teyvat, he finally understood what was going on.
The separation between Kong and Ying is not simply a matter of them getting separated; it involves a series of issues closely related to the fate of Teyvat, such as the Abyss, governance, and ley lines.
"I won't keep you waiting too long," Jing Yuan said.
Upon hearing this, the traveler, Paimon, and Xingqiu all looked at Jingyuan in surprise.
"What do you mean by that?" Xingqiu pressed. "What do you know?"
Jing Yuan shook his head: "No, it's just a gut feeling."
He had only been in Teyvat for less than a month and knew far less about it than the Traveler. However, through the Traveler's descriptions, Jingyuan could roughly guess what was going on.
It's hard to say about the Traveler, but his sister, Luminous, is already bound to the fate of Teyvat.
This is a somewhat dangerous sign; if things go wrong, they could all be finished.
but……
Jingyuan shifted his gaze to the somewhat bewildered traveler.
Travelers are a variable, just like pioneers.
The traveler felt a chill run down his spine under Jing Yuan's gaze, and he instinctively became more alert. If Xing Qiu hadn't been standing nearby, he probably would have exploded.
Paimon didn't notice the traveler's unusual behavior, but instead curiously circled around Jingyuan.
"So you're the intuitive type?" Paimon asked with a hint of doubt. "I don't think so."
Withdrawing his gaze from the traveler, Jing Yuan revealed a curious expression: "Oh? Really? So, which type do Paimon think I am?"
“Hmm…” Paimon thought for a moment before saying, “I always felt you were the kind of person who would consider everything carefully, especially the kind who liked to nip danger in the bud.”
"So that's how Paimon sees me?" Jing Yuan couldn't help but look at this sprite-like being in front of him with new respect, and at the same time became even more curious about Paimon's identity.
Jing Yuan had encountered celestial spirits before, but unlike Paimon, those celestial spirits never carried star charts when they flew.
Perhaps Paimon's background is far more significant than he imagined.
Despite his heightened wariness of Paimon, Jing Yuan remained outwardly calm, watching the adorable girl proudly stand with her hands on her hips.
"Hmph, wasn't I right?" Paimon looked proud, while the Traveler looked at her with doting eyes.
The way he looked at her was like he was looking at his own child.
I just don't know whether Paimon or the Traveler is older.
The group chatted and laughed for a while longer, and then it was almost lunchtime, so they started walking towards Xinyuexuan.
Since it's rare for travelers to return to Liyue, they contacted many friends they hadn't seen in a long time and asked if they wanted to come along.
Except for those who were too busy to leave or those who were not in Liyue, everyone else who could come came.
Jingyuan looked the group over and realized that this traveler was truly remarkable, as almost everyone who came was a heavyweight figure from Liyue.
Even the seemingly ordinary little cook Xiangling has a complicated background; she is a disciple of an immortal.
Among a group of familiar people, there were two unfamiliar faces, Jingyuan and Maomi, who became the objects of everyone's curiosity.
The most lively and outgoing girl, Hu Tao, circled around Jing Yuan twice before revealing a thoughtful expression.
Jingyuan: "?"
The traveler and Paimon, among others, also looked over curiously.
"What's wrong, Master?" Zhongli asked.
"It's nothing, I just feel that Mr. Jingyuan is somewhat similar to our family's guest elder," Hu Tao said. "Both of them give the impression of having a significant background."
Jing Yuan glanced at Zhong Li subconsciously.
Zhongli remained seated, his expression unchanged, and spoke at his own unhurried pace: "Mr. Jingyuan is not only erudite, but also a man of great talent. I am but a leisurely person, how dare I compare myself to him?"
Jing Yuan: "..."
Xianyun: "..."
Paimon: "..."
Traveler: "..."
The atmosphere became somewhat awkward for a moment, especially for those who knew Zhongli's identity, who almost lost control of their expressions.
Hu Tao looked at this one, then at that one: "Why do you all have such expressions? Are you hiding something from me?"
"No, not at all," Jing Yuan said.
The person who kept it from her was Zhong Li; it had nothing to do with him.
"I just think Mr. Zhongli is being too modest," Jing Yuan said with a smile.
Only Xiao on the day of the Lantern Festival can probably understand how he feels right now.
After the meal, almost everyone left, leaving only the Traveler and Paimon whispering something to Zhongli.
Jing Yuan had no desire to pry into other people's secrets, so he chose to stand a distance away from the others.
He had drunk a bit too much today; his usually clear eyes were now misty, making him look at people with a slightly unfocused expression.
Mimi looked at him with worry in her eyes.
Jingyuan hugged the cat tightly and gave it a few deep breaths, saying, "Don't worry, I'm not drunk."
Even though he had been relieved of his responsibilities as General Luofu, Jingyuan never allowed himself to get drunk, for no other reason than that he was used to it.
The jade disc vibrated a few times. Jing Yuan took it out and glanced at it, discovering that the person who sent him the message was Fu Xuan.
He clicked to take a look, and yeah, it was a picture of food. In the picture, Aozumi and the others were smiling and waving at him.
Fu Xuan: I had snail rice noodle hot pot today. The taste was a bit strange, but it had a unique flavor. Let's try it together when you come back.
Then Yu Zhao popped up several more messages, some from Yan Qing, some from Fei Xiao, and some from Ren.
Huh? Why did Blade message him? Isn't this guy always offline?
When I opened it, oh, it was all insults directed at him.
How stingy! All I did was show him some fanfiction. I didn't even react this strongly when Danfeng and I saw "Phoenix Seeking Phoenix." You're so old-fashioned.
Looking closer, oh, it turns out that the fanfiction he shared dragged Silver Wolf into the fandom, and now this brat is also writing their CP (couple) stories on the Xianzhou website under an assumed name.
Okay, it's his fault for corrupting the children. But why didn't you keep your own jade tablet and instead left it with Silver Wolf?
Thinking this way, I simply asked the question.
Blade's response was: She wanted to use a secondary account to play the game.
Jingyuan: Okay.
When it comes to spoiling children, no one can say anything about it.
The two exchanged a few words before hearing footsteps getting closer and closer to him.
Jing Yuan looked up and found that the person who came was Zhong Li.
"What's wrong?" Jing Yuan asked, puzzled.
Zhongli glanced at the jade tablet in his hand, then said, "Want to take a walk together?"
"Huh?" Jing Yuan was really confused about what the other party wanted to do. He blinked blankly, put away the jade tablet, and said, "Okay."
The two chatted casually until they reached a small pavilion by the lotus pond, where Zhongli finally revealed the purpose of his visit to Jingyuan.
“Can you tell me about the Vidyadhara clan?” Zhongli asked.
Jing Yuan pondered for a moment, then asked, "Is it because of the one under the Hidden Dragon Tree?"
“Yes.” Zhongli nodded. “He was my good friend, but unfortunately, due to wear and tear, I had to seal him away.”
“Wear and tear…” Jing Yuan smiled. “It sounds like it’s caused by longevity.”
“That’s right.” Zhongli didn’t try to hide anything. “Even rocks can’t withstand the wear and tear of time.”
“I can roughly guess what you’re thinking, but unfortunately, I can’t help you,” Jing Yuan said. “Although the Chiming Clan won’t fall into demonic darkness like the Immortal Boat People, their cycle of reincarnation also has significant drawbacks.”
Just like Danheng, if one thing isn't done right, the reincarnation is only half done, making it impossible for that child to completely sever ties with their past life.
"Moreover, behind the wear and tear lies that one person." As he spoke, Jing Yuan pointed to the sky.
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