novelaction Chapter 117 There is no... me.
Chapter 117 There is no... me.
"Where...am I...?"
Xuan Yue tried teleporting out of the cave. Great, there were no restrictions. It was just like their home, nothing unusual.
Xuan Yue also took a look at his reflection in the pool. He still looked the same, with short golden hair and golden eyes, neither taller nor older.
"You're awake."
"!" A familiar voice came from beside him. Xuan Yue turned his head and saw a familiar person standing next to him. The white robe he wore softened the features of his face, and he looked at him with a gentle smile...
"Xuanqing?" Xuan Yue tried calling out the person's name. The person was stunned for a moment before softly humming in response.
"How do we get back to Liyue? Has the matter with Inazuma been resolved...?" Xuan Yue asked naturally. He had just run to Xuan Qing's side when the person in front of him suddenly took a step back.
Xuan Yue was stunned by his action and stood there dumbfounded...
“Ah Qing…”
"I'm sorry, this should be our first meeting. So, without knowing each other's backgrounds, it's best if we keep our distance."
Xuan Qing's words sent a chill down Xuan Yue's spine. His eyes widened in disbelief: "You're saying...we don't know each other..."
Xuan Qing on the other side didn't speak; he acquiesced.
(This world... doesn't have me?!) Xuan Yue asked in a trembling voice, "Is this... still [Liyue]?"
"Yes."
"What era?"
"The Era of Seven Governors"
"Has the 'Geo God'... stepped down?"
This time, the person opposite him clearly hadn't expected his question, but he still answered, "Yes, on the surface, I'm the only deity left in Liyue."
"..." Xuan Yue understood in his heart, but still held onto a sliver of hope, and did not get the answer he wanted.
“It’s my turn. I’ll only ask you three questions as a return to courtesy.” Xuan Qing said calmly. Xuan Yue felt very uncomfortable with this tone, but the person in front of him was not his Xuan Qing.
"go ahead."
"May I have your name."
"Xuan Yue."
"Where are you from?"
"Liyue."
"How...did you get here?"
Xuan Qing's last words startled Xuan Yue, who began to recall the details of his arrival. He had fallen asleep in Xuan Qing's arms...
Is this a dream? No, that doesn't seem right. If it were a dream, shouldn't he be dreaming of traveling the world with Xuan Qing? Is the person opposite him acting? ...That doesn't seem likely either, and what good would it do? Get beaten up?
There were just too many questions, so in the end, it all boiled down to one sentence: "I don't know."
Xuan Qing on the other side nodded, clearly not surprised by his reaction.
"I think you must be a descendant of the ancient Golden Crow clan, which is quite rare. Since you haven't figured out a way to go back, you can stay here for the next few days. Please make yourself at home."
"Thank you." After expressing her gratitude, Xuan Yue realized that Xuan Qing had vanished. The surroundings were empty, and he was the only one left; it was eerily quiet…
Those few sentences, though short, contained a lot of information:
First of all, it seemed as if he didn't exist in this world; he and Xuan Qing were complete strangers...
Secondly, just like in his world, the "Geo God" has abdicated.
Finally, based on the information above, this doesn't seem to be his original world, because he doesn't seem to have returned to the "past" or gone to the "future".
(Something feels off...) Xuan Yue carefully recalled her conversation with Xuan Qing. Distant, cold, and unfamiliar—it was like they were meeting for the first time. What went wrong...?
"Let's go check out Liyue Harbor..."
After making up her mind, Xuan Yue spread her wings and flew towards Liyue Harbor.
"..." On the mountaintop not far from here, the figure in white robes watched him fly towards Liyue Harbor.
"very nice…"
-----
Xuan Yue flew to Liyue Harbor, where the people were still familiar faces.
"Zhongyuan Offal Soup! Delicious and inexpensive!"
"Newspapers for sale! Newspapers for sale!"
The familiar shouts…
"Today it's my turn to be a pirate!"
"But I want to do it again..."
"No, no, we must act in accordance with the contract and cannot violate it."
"Okay okay."
Children who play pirate games, and—
"As mentioned last time,"
A great demon is invading the sea!
There is a vicious dragon coiled up in the mountains!
......"
(The sound of storytelling...) Xuan Yue looked at the familiar stall. The storyteller was still Tian Tiezui, and among the audience below, she immediately spotted that abrupt figure. Now, it wasn't strange at all; in fact, she was somewhat used to it...
"Is anyone here?" Xuan Yue asked politely.
"No one else is here, please make yourself at home, my friend," Zhong Li said, inviting Xuan Yue to sit down.
"So, may I ask, my friend, where are we in the storytelling?"
"My friend's arrival is quite timely. Today we're going to tell the story of how the 'Rock King' and the 'Night Lord' joined forces to defeat two great demons and protect Liyue." Zhongli picked up the tea in front of him and took a sip. Every move he made exuded nobility. Sitting next to him made me feel like a barbarian. No wonder there was no space next to him.
"I heard something happened in Liyue recently, the Geo Archon... passed away?" Xuan Yue jokingly transmitted her voice to Zhong Li with a smile: (Really? The Geo Archon?)
"It seems this friend has only recently returned to Liyue Harbor from elsewhere? No wonder he doesn't know the situation." Zhongli's expression remained unchanged, still maintaining his composed demeanor.
Xuan Yue's "inner thoughts" (▼ヘ▼): (I hate you old men the most! You never even change your expression, how are we supposed to guess what's going on!)
"Then, could we discuss this further? There are some things I'm not entirely clear about." Xuan Yue's patience was wearing thin. If this weren't Liyue Harbor, with so many people around, he would have pulled Zhong Li away right now! Let's go!
“…Well, alright, I’ll go with you.” Zhongli looked at the boy in front of him, his thoughts written all over his face. He had a feeling that if he refused, he would probably be dragged away, so it was better to agree.
"Let's go then, let's talk as we walk!" Upon hearing Zhongli's agreement, Xuan Yue's resentment immediately dissipated.
Zhong Li couldn't help but find it amusing; he hadn't been wrong after all—she still had the heart of a child…
"That's truly rare..."
———Mini Theater———
"Ah Yue, do you have a problem with me or with Zhong Li?" Xuan Qing, sitting outside the arena, suddenly asked this question, leaving Xuan Yue somewhat confused...
"what?"
Mu Xiang (′?｀。ヾ): "Please watch the replay!"
'(I hate you old men the most! You never even flinch, how are we supposed to guess what's going on!)'
Zhongli, Xuanqing: ...
Xuan Yue (┬┬﹏┬┬): "I'm sorry... I just blurted it out without thinking..."
Zhongli and Xuanqing exchanged a glance and sighed in unison.
Xuanqing pulled Xuanyue onto his lap to comfort her, saying, "I know you didn't mean it, don't cry..."
Xiao, who was also sitting in the audience, couldn't help but feel envious. At that moment, Wendy secretly ran up behind him and gave him a hard shove. Caught off guard, Xiao fell into Zhongli's arms due to the inertia.
"Xiao?" Zhongli asked in a questioning tone.
"I...I'm sorry, Your Majesty." Xiao immediately tried to get up, but almost fell over again in his panic.
"Alright, alright, sit down for a while, don't be so reserved." Zhongli put Xiao on her lap and helped him find a more comfortable position to lean against.
"Hey, now that's perfect, one for each of us." Wendy thought he was a genius, then turned to Mu Xiang next to him and said, "Take lots of pictures, and send me a copy when you're done."
Mu Xiang, who was frantically taking photos, even gave Wendy a thumbs up. Another batch of material for her to shoot...
(Well done, Barbatos!)