AWB Chapter 186 The Stone of the Year Blooms
Chapter 186 The Stone of the Year Blooms
After the light completely dissipated, Gui Zhong's face, once as pale as paper, gradually began to regain its rosy color. Her eyes, which had been closed for so long, finally opened slowly, though a hint of confusion still lingered in them. As time passed, this confusion gradually faded, replaced by clarity.
"Guizhong! Do you still recognize us?" Xianyun and Grandma Ping could no longer contain their inner anxiety and hurriedly squeezed in front of Guizhong.
Gui Zhong rubbed her eyes gently, then carefully examined the familiar yet slightly unfamiliar faces before her. After a long moment, the corners of her mouth curled up slightly, and she whispered softly, "Liuyunjiefeng, I'm really back. It seems your mechanical skills have surpassed mine."
Hearing this long-lost and extremely cordial voice, Xianyun's eyes instantly became moist, and big tears rolled down uncontrollably: "I am much more capable than you, huh! You left, but made us wait for a long, long time, we all thought that we would never see you again in this life." Although he said words with a hint of blame, the joy and excitement that overflowed in his heart could not be concealed no matter what.
At this time, Gui Zhong turned his gaze to Grandma Ping beside him, a hint of strangeness in his eyes, and asked curiously: "I feel that the aura on you is very familiar. Are you... Ge Chenlangshi? How did you become like this?"
Grandma Ping suddenly remembered that she had changed her appearance since Gui Zhong's departure. With a flick of her wrist, she instantly transformed back into the extraordinary and elegant Gechenlangshi Zhenjun of the past, with his agile and graceful figure.
"Gui Zhong, it's been a long time since we last met. Can you still recognize me in this state?"
"Ge Chenlangshi! It's really you. So many years have passed, how have you been doing these years?" Gui Zhong's eyes were full of concern.
The immortals standing behind him heard this and laughed, saying, "After you left, she seemed to have lost all her energy and spirit, and she looked distraught all day long. She stayed in Guiliyuan every day, with a hollow look in her eyes, and kept muttering about the little things she had experienced with you in the past. Later, she said that you always liked the lively and popular atmosphere of Liyue Harbor, so she went to the Emperor to ask for the Dust-Cleansing Bell. She felt that as long as she carried the bell with her, she could feel that you were still by her side, and her heart would be a little comforted. Since then, she has become like that, often guarding Liyue Harbor. She is truly sincere."
After hearing what everyone said, Ge Chenlangshi's cheeks flushed with shame, and she said with a hint of pouting, "You old guys are really something, you only know how to make fun of me. I just miss Guizhong too much. The Dichen Bell does bring me some comfort, but it's not as exaggerated as you say."
Xianyun suddenly felt a sour taste in his mouth, and said with a hint of jealousy, "Guizhong, are the changes in Gechenlang City the only things you care about? Why don't you care about me? I didn't sleep a wink all night to make sure everything went well today, and yet you didn't even bother asking about my situation."
Gui Zhong looked at Xian Yun's dark circles and said teasingly, "I originally thought that after so many years, your mechanical skills would have greatly improved. I didn't expect that such a small magic weapon could make you tired all night. It seems that my mechanical skills are still superior."
"You heartless person! If you hadn't just woken up, I would have competed with you again no matter what."
After hearing what Xianyun said, Guizhong chuckled again, her eyes full of smiles and the intimacy they had in the past. She waved her hand gently and said, "Oh, you said you wanted to compete with me? I just woke up and my body is still weak. How can you bear to compete with me now? Besides, even if you want to compete, you have to wait until I have a good look at all the mechanical techniques you have studied for these years. It would be bad if I feel inferior to you and admit defeat directly."
Xianyun snorted, but the corners of her mouth couldn't help but curl up slightly. She crossed her arms and said, "Hmph, you only know how to say nice things to coax me. But since you just woke up, I won't bother with you for now. When you recover, we must have a good fight. Then I will make sure you are convinced and know that all these years of training in mechanical engineering were not in vain."
Ge Chenlangshi, standing by, smiled and shook his head, interjecting, "You two are still so competitive. But that's good too. With this competitive spirit, the days ahead will definitely be more lively."
Gui finally forced herself to sit up. Her movements seemed a little weak, but she tried to sit up straight. She slowly scanned the crowd, then looked at them with great sincerity and said, "Thank you everyone, I'm back."
Zhongli stood quietly by the side, watching Guizhong wake up. His eyes were filled with complex emotions that were difficult for others to detect.
When he got close to Gui Zhong, Zhongli stopped. He leaned forward slightly, his gaze locked onto Gui Zhong's. With an extremely serious expression, he asked softly, "Gui Zhong, are your memories still clear? Do you still have any memories of the Demon God War?"
"Morax." Gui Zhong softly called out this name, which she hadn't spoken for a long time. A multitude of emotions flashed through her eyes, as if recalling the years they had fought side by side, and lamenting the various changes they had experienced in the present. She looked up at Zhongli's serious and almost rigid expression, and the corners of her mouth curled up slightly, revealing a bitter smile. Then she shook her head and said slowly, "Most of it is a bit vague. I only remember a small part."
Zhongli knew that Guizhong had his own concerns and sighed.
"Before you died, you told me, 'Don't tell anyone about this.' For this simple request, I've kept it a secret for thousands of years, even from these old friends who have been with us for so many years. I haven't revealed a single word. You also said, 'See you in a thousand years.' So, I built this secret room for you with my own hands. Throughout these endless years, I've held onto my hope, hoping that one day, a thousand years from now, you'll wake up again, just as we promised."
Zhongli paused, looking around the secret room, a hint of reminiscence in his eyes. "This place has also been nourished by my immortal power for thousands of years. I have continuously poured my immortal power into this place, just to create an environment for you to sleep peacefully, free from the intrusion of the outside world. Now, this place can block out all information."
At this point, Zhongli's gaze slowly returned to Guizhong's face. His voice trembled slightly, filled with concern and urgency. "Guizhong, I really want to know what you saw back then? What kind of scene could have so alarmed the almighty Heavenly Law? Just tell me, okay? I... I just don't want you to be hurt even a little bit again. I really... I really don't want you to leave me anymore. I never want to experience the pain of losing you again in my life."
Hearing Zhongli's words, Guizhong was moved, a surge of indescribable emotion welling up in her heart. She opened her mouth slightly, but didn't know where to begin. After a long pause, she softly said, "Morax, back then... to protect Guiliyuan, I combined the remaining machinery of Kanriya with my own mechanical engineering to create a brand-new magical weapon. After infusing it with my power, I suddenly saw the truth of this world, accompanied by the aura of the abyss. When I sensed something was amiss, I immediately destroyed the magical weapon, but I didn't expect that Heaven would see through it. For the sake of Guiliyuan, which we have always protected, I can only..."
Zhongli looked at the tears in Guizhong's eyes, and his heart ached. Zhongli reached out and wiped away Guizhong's tears. "I understand, Guizhong. From now on, I will never leave you again. I will always be by your side, protecting you and never letting you get hurt again.
Gui Zhong finally grabbed Zhongli's hand, smiled with tears in his eyes and said, "Thank you, Morax, thank you for your protection over these thousands of years.