Before the seal.
Azhdaha gazed at the golden seal before him, a gentle smile appearing on his face.
He recognized this seal. He and Morax had developed this type of seal together all those years ago.
He knew how to undo it; he had simply forgotten because of erosion.
"Morax..."
He murmured his old friend's name, his smile growing even gentler.
Perhaps his old friend had chosen this particular seal because he, too, had held on to hope...
Hope that one day, Azhdaha would remember the past, undo the seal himself, and walk out.
"Thank you, Morax..."
He pressed a hand against the barrier and easily undid the seal.
Then a young man dressed in white and a blue-green robe left Nantianmen.
He wanted to visit Liyue Harbor and see how it had changed after a thousand years.
He also wanted to see his old friends and share another drink with them.
He walked along the streets of Liyue Harbor.
A thousand sails gathered, and people streamed past without end.
Vendors' calls rose and fell all around him, while the scents of food and wine filled the streets.
Foreigners in all manner of attire came and went, and busy people hurried past.
Kindly elders chatted beneath trees, children played in the streets, and the Millelith stood steadfast at their posts...
Peace and tranquility filled every corner.
After a thousand years, this place had changed so, so much...
The nation that had barely survived through his sacrifice, that had struggled to gain a foothold in the world, now enjoyed such prosperity.
He felt reassured and happy.
Everything he had given had been worth it.
In a private seating area of a teahouse.
Zhongli held a cup of hot tea and listened to the storyteller recount events of the past.
This