Qiu Xue felt a little puzzled as she watched Zhongli lose himself in the past.
Although she could repair Erosion, if new cracks appeared before she had fully repaired it, she would have to mend them all over again.
There was another way, but she needed to know whose memories Zhongli had just sunk into. Had he been remembering a place, a person, or a landscape?
If it was a person, things would be easier. The ley lines recorded everything. All she needed was an item connected to that person.
Then she could use her authority to resurrect them, though the difficulty would vary depending on whom she was resurrecting.
Resurrecting a Demon God might consume more than half her power, but it would only be an expenditure of energy. She could recover it.
Unlike a thousand years ago, she would no longer have to expend her essence as well.
However, that Demon God would be reduced to the weakest of Demon Gods, without their former authority or strength.
"What's wrong, Zhongli? What are you thinking about? Let's get going."
Qiu Xue smiled as she spoke to Zhongli.
She was still a little puzzled about why Zhongli kept looking at her. Had she been the reason Morax had fallen into his memories just now?
By all rights, she had previously interacted with Zhongli as a man. It had only been two short days since she became a woman.
And she had only just met Zhongli in this form. There was no way he could have fallen for her.
Perhaps her current appearance resembled someone in his memories?
Appearing before Zhongli with this form and personality had been entirely unintentional.
Besides, she rather wanted to tease the old man and see whether she could get a reaction out of that eternally unchanging rock.
Leaving aside the time since her birth that she had spent asleep, she herself had only lived for a few hundred years.
And among the goddesses connected to Morax, the only one who came to mind seemed to be Guizhong, the Dust Archon.
Guizhong, the Dust Archon?
Once this is over, I'll ask Morax.
After all, with my current abilities, I can still resurrect a Demon God.
That was what Qiu Xue thought to herself.
"Sorry, old friend."
"I was thinking about things from long ago."
Zhongli came back to his senses and smiled at Qiu Xue before him.
"Once this is over, would you tell me about them?"
Qiu Xue broke into a radiant smile as she asked Zhongli, who stood a short distance away.
"Heh, they're all things of the past."
"Of course."
Zhongli nodded with a smile at her words.
Once this was over, he also wanted to ask his old friend why she had become such a lovely woman.
"What are those two talking in riddles about?"
Paimon waved her hands and asked Lumine beside her in confusion.
Lumine shook her head. "I don't know either."
Zhongli walked over to the three of them.
He explained to Lumine and Paimon, "Sorry for the slight delay. Let's set off."
"Let's go, then." Hearing that, Qiu Xue took the lead, striding ahead on her lovely legs.
Half an hour later, the four of them arrived in Liyue Harbor.
It was already noon.
"Wow, what a pretty big sister!"
"Would you like some candy, big sister?"
Two children spotted Qiu Xue, who looked like a celestial maiden, and ran over with shining eyes.
One was a boy, the other a girl.
Qiu Xue couldn't help bending down and patting both children on the head.
"You smell so nice, big sister."
"Here's some candy for you, big sister."
The little boy produced a piece of candy and handed it to Qiu Xue.
Holding the candy, Qiu Xue felt a warmth flow through her heart.
She broke into a happy smile.
"Wow, you're so pretty when you smile, big sister!"
The little boy spoke happily as he watched the beautiful woman before him smile.
"Xiaopeng, you ran up to four people like that."
"It's rude to give candy to only one of them."
The little girl beside him looked at him and spoke in a slightly scolding tone.
"I know, Xiaohong."
Hearing the little girl's words, the boy scratched his head sheepishly.
Then he took a few more pieces of candy from his pocket and gave them to Zhongli, Lumine, and Paimon behind Qiu Xue.
"Oh, right! Mom was looking for me earlier. If I don't go now, I'll get a spanking!"
As though he had suddenly remembered something, the little boy ran down the street after saying that.
"Hey, wait for me! Goodbye, pretty big sister!"
Xiaohong chased after Xiaopeng in the direction he had run.
Zhongli watched the children leave, the faintest hint of a smile on his lips.
"It's so nice being a kid, without a care in the world."
Behind them, Paimon spoke slowly as she watched the two children run away.
"I really don't know whether I should feel sad or happy."
Holding the candy the little boy had only given her afterward, Paimon scratched her head.
"But it looks like all the kids really like Qiu Xue!"
Paimon looked at Qiu Xue ahead of her and stamped her feet excitedly.
"Aren't you a kid too, Paimon?"
Lumine glanced at Paimon beside her and asked with a cheeky air.
"Hey, I'm different from them!"
"Paimon's not a kid!"
Paimon stamped her feet angrily and turned to speak to Lumine.
But Lumine had already popped the candy into her mouth, and her eyes widened.
"Mmm... sunsettia flavor."
"Delicious!"
Lumine smacked her lips to show how tasty the candy was, as though she hadn't heard Paimon at all.
"Hey, Traveler, are you even listening to me?"
"I'm so mad! Paimon's going to grab your hair!"
Standing nearby, Qiu Xue covered her mouth and chuckled as she watched Paimon and Lumine tussle.
Especially when she saw that both Lumine's and Paimon's hair had become as messy as birds' nests.
She couldn't help marveling at how close the two of them were.
"Next, I hope you two can borrow the Cleansing Bell on my behalf."
Zhongli also chuckled at Lumine and Paimon's antics before addressing them.
"The Cleansing Bell?"
Hearing Zhongli speak, Lumine and Paimon stopped tussling and looked at him curiously.
"The Cleansing Bell is currently in the care of a friend of mine named Madame Ping."
"She is near Yujing Terrace. Ask her about it, and she will understand."
Zhongli slowly explained to the somewhat puzzled Lumine and Paimon.
"All right... but aren't you coming with us this time, Mr. Zhongli?"
Paimon looked at Zhongli in surprise as she asked.
After all, Zhongli had accompanied them for every previous preparation, except for their visit to Ying'er of Scent of Spring, Liyue's queen of innuendo.
"Hmm... I have reasons that make it inconvenient for me to appear in person."
"The same is true of this old friend of mine, so I'm sorry for the trouble, but I'll have to ask you two to go in our stead."
Zhongli glanced at the lovely woman beside him, then turned back to Lumine and Paimon and explained slowly.
Qiu Xue smiled and nodded at his words.
Although Madame Ping had already seen her, she had not seen Zhongli, who stood beside her.
Later, Qiu Xue also needed to ask Zhongli why cracks had suddenly appeared in his Erosion.
"Huh... why are you acting so mysterious this time, Mr. Zhongli?"
"And you're not coming either, Qiu Xue?"
Paimon scratched her head in confusion, then turned to Qiu Xue beside her and slowly asked.
Before you continue