Xiao turned his gaze toward Lucian. If Guizhong could be revived, could his brothers and sisters as well?
If possible, Xiao was willing to pay any price.
He wanted his siblings—who had once yearned to walk among humans—to see Liyue as it was now...
Guizhong glanced at Xiao. The other Yakshas were not by his side, and she quickly realized what that meant. Her expression darkened.
She did not ask, because she knew Xiao would not want to speak of it.
"Ganyu, come here and let your sister give you a pat," Guizhong called out to Ganyu.
While Guizhong reunited with the adepti and chatted with them, Xiao pulled Lucian aside.
Before Xiao could speak, Lucian said, "I know what you want to ask, but I'm afraid it's... very difficult."
Lucian's method of "revival" was not true resurrection—it was more akin to curing a kind of "suspended death." For those who had truly passed, another method would be needed.
However, even after death, Yakshas left behind traces of consciousness. The problem was, Lucian wasn't sure where the remnants of the other Yakshas lingered—aside from Bosacius.
Yakshas were not like gods. Even after thousands of years, the remnants of gods could still persist.
Even a weak god like Havria left behind residues that endured for a long time.
"I see... If there's ever a need for me, just call my name." Xiao understood.
Lucian had said it was difficult, but not impossible. That was why Xiao offered his assistance—he would come whenever summoned.
Lucian nodded, though he wasn't sure if Bosacius' lingering "obsession" in The Chasm could be "revived."
It seemed he would need to study this method further—perhaps test it on a god with even fewer remnants.
===✧✦✧===
The next day, the reunions came to an end. Neither Guizhong nor the adepti had brought up their departed friends the day before.
That morning, Lucian woke up late—the sun was already high in the sky.
Last night, the adepti had kept him talking for hours. Whether out of gratitude or something else, they simply wouldn't let him go.
As a result, he had slept very late and only just woken up.
"Ugh, these adepti don't need much sleep, but us mortals do..." Lucian sighed, shaking his head.
When he stepped out of his room, he saw Guizhong sitting in the living room, reading a book.
The odd thing was, she wasn't sitting properly on a chair—instead, she had her legs folded beneath her as she sat sideways on the floor, her back facing Lucian's door.
This wouldn't have been noteworthy, except that Guizhong wasn't wearing shoes, and her bare feet were positioned in such a way that the moment Lucian stepped out, his eyes were drawn straight to them.
Thanks for nature's blessing! After a life of virtue, this is my rightful reward.
After enjoying the view, Lucian walked over to see what Guizhong was reading.
A glance confirmed it—she was holding one of his books, currently reading Ganyu's story.
He wondered how long she had been at it and whether she had already finished the Mondstadt tales.
Guizhong, of course, knew Lucian was watching. She turned her head and asked, "Awake at last? Did you sleep well?"
There was something amusing about how she read—her sleeves were too long to hold the book properly, so it just floated in front of her.
"Very well. Have you been reading this whole time?" Lucian asked.
"Yes, I'm almost done. So, when does your new book come out?"
Guizhong was a fast reader—she had already finished all the Mondstadt stories overnight.
"The new book? It's releasing today," Lucian said.
"It should be a story you'll find interesting," he added.
"Oh? Then I'll look forward to it. But if it disappoints me, I'll... I'll blow dust into your eyes! Make you cry too!" Guizhong teased with a grin.
Lucian, however, caught the key detail. "You said 'too'?"
"Which story made you cry?"
Guizhong's cheeks flushed. Oops, I gave myself away.
This "revival" and the memory loss that came with it had made her far less guarded.
Not that she had been particularly cunning before—she was just clever.
But she never liked playing mind games with friends, which sometimes made her seem a little... silly.
"I didn't cry! I was talking about Ping yesterday!" she defended.
Lucian shrugged. He wouldn't press further—after all, he had the system. He could just check when she had been emotionally affected.
A quick glance at the system log revealed that Guizhong had broken down not once, but twice.
The first time was during Venti's story quest—she had empathized too deeply, putting herself in
Streetward Rambler's shoes, only to realize the one who died was her.
The second was during the "Cleansing Bell" incident, when Zhongli sent the Traveler to borrow it.
That was when she learned that after her death, Ping had become Granny Ping.
Yet when she opened her eyes, she saw a young Ping weeping before her.
"So, you cried twice," Lucian teased with a smirk.
"Ahhh!! How do you know everything?!" Guizhong exclaimed.
"You're not allowed to tell Ping or the others!"
Lucian chuckled and nodded. He enjoyed teasing people, but he wouldn't do it if they weren't comfortable with it.
Guizhong sighed in relief, then murmured, "So this is how Ganyu felt all these centuries..."
The mention of Ganyu reminded Lucian of something—the story of Cloud Retainer's other disciple.
"Oh no!" Lucian gasped. "Today's the day of Divine Damsel of Devastation!"
===✧✦✧===
In Fontaine, Lucian explained to Furina and the others why he was late—he had "revived" a god.
After hearing the conditions for "revival," Navia's expression dimmed briefly, but she quickly composed herself.
No wonder Lucian never mentioned "revival" to me... it doesn't work for ordinary people.
"You call that a small matter?!" Furina gasped, covering her mouth.
Was reviving gods no longer considered a big deal? Then what about executing gods?
"Alright, enough about that. Let's go—to Liyue."
Lucian brought the two to Liyue. As soon as the door opened, Furina wasn't surprised to see four women waiting.
(If the Traveler hadn't left for Mondstadt after hearing about her brother, it would've been five.)
Lucian introduced everyone and explained Furina's purpose for visiting.
"The Hydro Archon?" Guizhong circled Furina, studying her with curiosity. "Strange, very strange..."
The action reminded Furina of someone—just as she was thinking of who, Hu Tao's voice rang out.
"Lucian~! The one and only Director Hu has come to play with you!"
"Hmph, since you missed me so much, I even put aside my booming business for you!"
"I even brought your new book! Aren't you going to welcome me properly?"
(In truth, the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor was bustling—but only with people wanting to see Zhongli, not actual customers.)
Lucian ushered Hu Tao inside, completing the group. Once again, he played the role of introducer.
Hu Tao had taken Zhongli's true identity in stride, but the concept of a "revived" god left her stunned.
It completely overturned her understanding of life and death!
Only after Lucian's explanation did she relax—it wasn't true resurrection, just a kind of "recovery" for those who hadn't fully passed.
Hu Tao exhaled in relief and immediately returned to her usual self.
"No problem! Leave the new house to me!" She patted her chest confidently.
After all, the properties to the left, right, front, and back all belonged to her—she had plenty to spare.
As for the new book Hu Tao mentioned, it was none other than Zhongli's story quest—
"Historia Antiqua: Act I - 'Do You Understand the Geo Archon or Do I?'"
Ahem—the actual title was "Historia Antiqua: Act I - Sal Flore."
===✧✦✧===
Character Voice-Over: Guizhong - About Streetward Rambler
"My dear friend... When I opened my eyes, she was weeping.
And when I learned she had sealed her zither and ceased playing for my sake... I wept too."