Lumine glanced at the people around her.
"That statue… it looks like a statue of the Anemo Archon."
"Should we ask someone from the Church of Favonius?" Lumine turned to Dainsleif and spoke slowly.
"Hmm, that wandering bard is too hard to track down. We might as well head to the Church of Favonius first and see what we can learn."
"Maybe we'll find some clues." Paimon looked at the group and spoke thoughtfully.
"A wandering bard… is he really that hard to find?" Qiu Bai smirked, laughing inwardly.
"The church… heh." Dainsleif let out a low chuckle, his tone tinged with disdain.
"Huh? Dain, what's wrong?" Paimon asked, puzzled by his reaction.
"It's nothing. Let's just go and see for ourselves," Dainsleif quickly replied, turning away.
With that, he started walking toward Mondstadt. Seeing this, Lumine and Paimon followed after him.
"Laughing in the face of divine power, huh?"
"Well, he's only a five-hundred-year-old child. There are still things he doesn't quite understand."
Qiu Bai chuckled softly as he watched Dainsleif's back, then followed behind the group.
...
They had already reached the border of Liyue, so the journey wasn't far. After half a day of travel, they finally stepped into Mondstadt's territory.
It was noon, and the sun hung high in the sky, casting its light over the land. The free winds brushed against their faces, and in the distance, dandelion seeds drifted through the air.
Endless mountains stretched beyond the horizon, rivers and lakes intertwined with vast plains, and towering above it all was a Statue of The Seven, glowing with a faint blue light as it reached toward the sky.
The sky was a brilliant blue, with clouds drifting like cotton, lazily floating across the heavens.
"It's been a long time since I set foot in the land of wind," Qiu Bai said with a smile as he took in the breathtaking scenery. The melody of Mondstadt's background music echoed in his mind.
"Huh? Qiu Bai, have you been here before?" Paimon asked curiously, recalling that Qiu Bai had supposedly been in deep sleep all this time.
"Haha, I came here a long time ago."
"Back then, it looked just the same as it does now."
Qiu Bai ruffled Paimon's hair with a chuckle.
"When you say 'a long time ago,' I'm guessing you don't mean the kind of 'long' I'm thinking of," Paimon squinted at him suspiciously.
"Heh, it's quite nostalgic, really."
"After all, this is where I first met the Traveler."
Paimon turned to Lumine, who was admiring the scenery, and grinned.
"Yeah, Paimon, this is where our journey began."
"I wonder how everyone in Mondstadt is doing," Lumine said with a smile, her mood brightening as she took in the view.
"Now's not the time for sightseeing," a voice interrupted, breaking the peaceful moment.
"We need to go to the Church of Favonius and investigate."
Dainsleif, of course.
"Alright, then let's head to the church," Paimon nodded. "We do have more important matters to take care of."
Lumine and Paimon both turned to Qiu Bai, their gazes full of expectation. After all, Mondstadt was still a fair distance away.
"Haha, my little teleportation trick… doesn't work so well for places I haven't been in a long time," Qiu Bai chuckled, once again ruffling Paimon's hair.
"What if I accidentally drop you off in the middle of nowhere?" He smirked. "You'd better watch out, or the wolves might eat you."
Paimon's face paled. "Ah! No way! Let's just walk!"
"Paimon doesn't want to get eaten by wolves!" she cried out in alarm.
Lumine crossed her arms. "Paimon, you're such a scaredy-cat."
"Hmph! I am not!" Paimon huffed. "Come on, I'm leading the way!"
With that, she floated ahead, determined.
Lumine and Qiu Bai exchanged glances and stifled their laughter before following after her. Dainsleif, still deep in thought, trailed behind after a while.
...
They traveled for an entire day. Any monsters they encountered along the way were swiftly dealt with by Lumine. By the time evening fell, they had set up camp.
A campfire crackled, sending thin wisps of smoke curling into the sky. Qiu Bai stood alone atop a cliff, arms folded behind his back, watching as the moon slowly rose.
Paimon sat nearby, hugging a pile of Sunsettias, while Lumine carried a few freshly caught fish over to the fire. Dainsleif sat on a rock with his eyes closed, seemingly resting.
"Qiu Bai, do you want some grilled fish?" Lumine asked softly as she approached him.
"Haha, if it's made by you, Lumine…"
"I'd eat it without hesitation," Qiu Bai teased with a smirk.
Lumine's cheeks turned slightly pink, and she sat down on the cliff beside him, resting her chin in her hands as she gazed at the moon.
"Qiu Bai, how long were you asleep?" she asked casually.
"Haha, let me think…"
"A thousand years ago, I walked the land for a few decades before falling into a deep sleep."
"Then, five hundred years later, the war between the Adepti and the great demons broke out."
Qiu Bai seemed lost in thought as he recalled the past. He turned to Lumine and continued, "I was forcibly awakened for a few hours to end that war… then fell into slumber once more."
"The day you saw me in Liyue Harbor—that was the day I awakened again, five hundred years later."
Qiu Bai crouched down, gazing at the distant moon.
"As for why I have no ties to Celestia…"
"It's probably because my Vision has existed since the moment I was born."
"So, Qiu Bai, you're saying…" Lumine's eyes widened slightly. "You were already a god the moment you were born?"
Qiu Bai nodded.
"Lumine, when you set out on your journey again, always remember its meaning."
"The end of the road doesn't mean everything. Before you reach it, use your eyes and truly see this world."
He clasped his hands behind his back and turned his gaze skyward, his voice calm yet resolute.
"Qiu Bai…" Lumine murmured.
"Venti… said something similar once."
She stared at his back in a daze, not fully grasping the depth of his words.
...
Suddenly, a loud yelp echoed from below the cliff.
"Ow—! Wasn't this path flat?"
"How did I trip?!"
A dazed and confused voice called out from below.
Qiu Bai's mouth twitched.
"That voice… isn't that the Pyro Archon Bennett?"
Curious, he peered down.
There, at the bottom of the cliff, was a young man with white hair, wearing shorts and a pair of goggles on his head. A small white bandage was plastered across his nose, and he was rubbing his head, clearly having taken a tumble.
No doubt about it.
That was none other than six-star Pyro Archon, Bennett.