AWB Chapter 174 The Lantern After a Year (7)
Chapter 174 The Lantern After a Year (7)
Although it was supposed to be during free time, we didn't actually have time to go together until three days later.
"Ah..." Xuan Yue yawned as she followed behind Zhong Li, rubbing her eyes every now and then.
Zhongli: "Have you been this busy lately?"
"Ah~, the festival is coming soon, and there are not enough people in various places, so I was caught up with to help out not long after. The order review of Feiyun Chamber of Commerce alone takes up more than half of the work, not to mention the accounting review and staff recruitment of Xinyuexuan and Liuliting."
"I don't need to worry too much about the Mondstadt business, and the industry summary for Inazuma is also simple. The problem with Fontaine and Sumeru is just in the review process."
"Ugh, I'm so tired, I want to sleep a little longer."
"?" Zhongli was immediately puzzled: "These tasks are much easier than those from a thousand years ago. Theoretically, demon gods don't feel tired; they only slumber and rest when their power is exhausted. You..."
"Haha, Zhongli, you're overthinking it." Xuan Yue patted Zhongli's shoulder and said in a light tone, "I've just gotten used to being human lately, so I've been sealing off my powers. Otherwise, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to control my temper and might cause some kind of disaster."
"I see..." Zhongli didn't ask any further questions, which made Xuan Yue's tightly clenched hand quietly loosen, and she even controlled her breathing to quietly exhale.
No one could possibly know what he did in Sumeru. People rarely venture deep into caves, so there must be no way for Liyue to get information from him.
But for some reason, I still feel a sense of guilt...
"Here we are."
Zhongli stopped under a tree, some leaves were yellow and some were red, and they were blown down by the wind, leaving a trail of red dust on the ground.
A stone tablet stood beneath the tree, its inscription blurred and weathered, evoking a sense of melancholy.
"Is he... here?"
"Hmm...would you like to hear how I met him?" Zhongli stroked the stone tablet and recounted their past: "I was traveling alone in the mountains when I sensed a voice from underground in a crevice. The voice was helpless and yearning, anxious and frustrated. So I went deep underground to find out what was going on."
"Most of the ancient geomorphic creatures living underground in Liyue are blind and have never seen the light of day for thousands of years. The Ruotu Dragon King is one such example."
"When I found it, its original form was still a giant, unformed rock that had yet to develop sentience. And its wish was to see the world on Earth..."
"So you brought that stone to the ground." Xuan Yue rested her chin on her hand, leaning against the stone tablet, listening to the story with great interest, her drowsiness largely dispelled. "Let me analyze it myself. If Ruo Tuo were to transform on its own... it would be impossible in a short time, and even if it did transform, it wouldn't be in the form of a dragon... uh."
As they spoke, Xuan Yue's gaze towards Zhong Li suddenly became somewhat unnatural: "What did you do to Brother Ruo Tuo...?"
"Why are you looking at me like that, old friend? I merely carved that stone into the shape of a dragon and signed a 'contract' with it."
“I allow him to live among humans and give him eyes to see the world, but if he ever does anything harmful, he will be sealed back into darkness.”
At this point, Zhongli paused for a long time, stroking the stone tablet without continuing.
Xuan Yue couldn't bear to disturb him, even though he knew what was going to happen next without saying anything.
Demons have long lifespans, but they undergo "wear and tear," experiencing memory loss, confusion, madness, and ultimately self-destruction. This is unavoidable for every living being. Ruotuo and Morax have known each other for at least three thousand years. As a creation of the elements, the "wear and tear" that erases from him must be his memories—that is, oblivion.
“Let’s go in.” Xuan Yue wrapped her arm around Zhong Li’s and pulled him to the side. “We’re already here, we should at least see him.”
"...Xuan Yue, this place has long been sealed, you..."
"Oh, Zhongli. Isn't the power of [Space] the best? Let's go in and help Ruotuo recover his memories, chat with him, maybe he'll remember something. Come on~"
Xuan Yue coaxed and pleaded with Zhong Li until he finally left. Zhong Li was quite helpless, but he only glanced at one place before looking away.
They followed Xuan Yue into the sealed land.
Xuan Qing, behind the tree, was in a state of great inner turmoil. His plan was to keep him hidden from Xuan Yue and prevent him from discovering anything amiss. However, he knew that Ruo Tuo's situation was dire; his former friends had become enemies in his eyes. As a creature created from the elements, Ruo Tuo was only alive as long as the earth's veins remained.
But for the two of them, Morax has already relinquished his divine position and his divine power has greatly diminished, while Xuan Yue is currently burdened by inner demons and her divine power is weak. If something were to happen to them…
(No, no. Ruoyavis, you can't lose your composure. Trust Morax, Ayue isn't that weak. But what if... No, no.) Xuan Qing was struggling internally. His reason was stopping him, but his heart was telling him to go with him.
While Xuan Qing was still hesitating, Zhong Li and Xuan Yue had already stood before the sealed entrance, opened the space, and walked inside. They hadn't damaged the formation at all.
"Is Ruotuo sealed here?" Looking around, there were many glowing ores nearby illuminating the space, shimmering with golden light and looking particularly beautiful. In the very center, there were also 8 rock pillars, and there were runes of an array on the ground.
Xuan Yue's eyes lit up: (This is exactly the perfect place for me and A Qing to spend some quality time together. Can I talk to Morax and ask him to move Ruo Tuo to another spot?)
"Um, Zhong... um!" Xuan Yue was about to speak when the ground suddenly shook violently, as if something was about to emerge from underground.
"Morax—!" A roar filled with endless hatred and resentment called out Zhongli's divine name.
"Uh, what grudge do you have? Why are you so angry? Zhongli, did you steal his wife?" Xuan Yue wasn't scared at all; instead, she laughed and teased Zhongli. Although it was a joke, it was obvious that Ruotuo inside the sealing formation was even angrier.
He rammed the sealing array with all his might, and it actually cracked.
"Hey, hey, hey, it can't be that serious. It was just a joke, don't be so petty." Xuan Yue said, shaking her head. "You'll have no friends if you keep acting like this."
"Xuan Yue!" Zhong Li suddenly called out, causing Xuan Yue to immediately turn her attention to the sealing array.
"Zhongli! Is your sealing formation that weak?!"
The cracks on the sealing array are increasing, and the rock pillars in the eight directions are also teetering on the brink of collapse, which means that Ruotuo could break out of the seal at any time.
"I have sealed him away for a thousand years, and the array has become increasingly weak due to the wear and tear of time. It's just that we arrived at the right time; otherwise, if we had discovered it any later, Liyue would probably have been plunged into another bloodbath."
(Hmm... Is it going to be a tough battle?) Xuan Yue smiled bitterly to himself, his hand already holding the Shao Yang spear, and his figure gradually grew taller, just like Xuan Qing before.
"Ha, we're really destined to be busy."