The banquet was in full swing, cups clinking, filled with laughter and noise.
Indarias was trying to demonstrate to Elliot how to precisely roast a skewer of Jueyun Chili using Pyro elemental power without scorching the bamboo stick, but she nearly set Elliot's mask on fire. Bonanus and Menogias watched from the side, shaking their heads and laughing.
The Wolf King had just placed a large pot of steaming, milky-white "Yanduxian" soup on the table. The rich aroma immediately caused Paimon to abandon her pursuit of the roasted skewers, her eyes shining as she pounced toward it.
Amidst the clamor, a steady and familiar voice, like a piece of warm jade dropped into a lake, clearly reached everyone's ears:
"Everyone, I hope you don't mind if the two of us join this feast."
The voice was not loud, yet it carried a reassuring power.
Instantly, all the talking, playing, and chewing stopped.
Everyone looked toward the source of the sound simultaneously.
They saw Zhongli slowly walking along the mountain path under the moonlight. He was still wearing his brown-ochre robe, his demeanor graceful, and his steps steady.
What shocked the Adepti even more was that right beside him, a girl was following!
The girl wore ancient-style clothing. Her light-colored long hair was styled into an elegant bun, adorned with cute bell decorations.
Her face was alight with a brilliant, slightly mischievous and lively smile. Her bright eyes curiously surveyed the bustling scene, like a quick-witted little beast that had wandered into a human feast.
Around her, there seemed to faintly linger an ancient aura of dust and wisdom.
"Of course, there's no problem, Rex Lapis, and also..."
Grandma Ping was the first to react. She narrowed her eyes, smiling kindly as she spoke. However, when she clearly saw the face of the girl beside Zhongli, her words abruptly stopped.
The teacup in her hand clattered onto the stone table, spilling fragrant tea, but she didn't notice.
Her eyes, which had witnessed countless ages, were wide and round, and her lips trembled. It took almost all her strength to utter that name, long sealed by the dust of time, in disbelief and difficulty:
"...Gui... Guizhong?!"
These two words exploded like thunder atop Mt. Aocang!
"What?!" "Guizhong?!" "How is this possible?!"
Xianyun shot up from her seat, her spectacles slipping down her nose; the massive deer head of Xueyue Zhuyang, The True Lord suddenly lifted; and the hand of Lishui Dieshan, The True Lord, which had been stroking his beard, froze in mid-air.
Even the usually aloof Xiao instantly clenched his fist, his golden pupils filled with extreme shock.
Bosacius's four arms forgot how to move, a look of horror cracked Menogias's usually steady face, Bonanus covered her mouth, and Indarias didn't even notice the food falling out of her mouth.
Guizhong! Haagentus, the God of Dust! The wise and cunning friend who had once governed the Guili Plains alongside Rex Lapis, but who had tragically perished during the Archon War!
Her departure was an old scar in the hearts of all the Adepti who had lived through that era. Even her remnant soul had scattered into the world; it was truly a farewell in the absolute sense.
How could she... how could she be standing here, so vibrant and smiling?!
"Hehe, surprised? I'm back!"
Guizhong seemed very pleased with their stunned expressions. She winked playfully and even skipped a small step forward, causing the bells at her waist to chime crisply.
Her voice was clear and melodious, carrying the vitality of a girl yet imbued with the profound wisdom of an ancient God.
Amidst the deathly silence of shock, Zane's gaze fell upon a small object hanging from Guizhong's slender waist—it was a stone carved with the image of a rat.
He smiled knowingly and whispered to Jesse beside him, "Sure enough, Zhongli used it."
The rat talisman—turning stillness into motion, granting dynamic vitality to inanimate objects.
And as it happened, Grandma Ping had always treasured an old object belonging to Guizhong, containing a trace of her aura and memories—a small, exquisite Dust Bell.
After learning about the existence and capabilities of the rat talisman, Zhongli remained silent for a long time, eventually asking A Ping for that Dust Bell.
Although even the quartet themselves weren't entirely sure if the power of the rat talisman could truly transcend life and death, "restore" or "conceptualize" the original owner's complete form and consciousness from an object, rather than simply creating a moving puppet.
But these four guys possessed abilities nearly equivalent to those of all comedic characters.
One of which was:
"I reckon it'll work, so it definitely will!"
Looking at Guizhong's lively, cunning smile, identical to the one in their memories, and seeing the scene of her standing beside Zhongli, a picture spanning space and time, the turbulent waves in the Adepti's hearts were gradually replaced by an unspeakable, immense blend of ecstasy and sorrow.
"...Welcome back, Guizhong."
Xianyun was the first to regain her composure, her voice containing a rare choke.
"It's good that you're back..." Xueyue Zhuyang, The True Lord repeated, his large deer eyes glistening.
Just like that, in a dreamlike atmosphere, Zhongli and Guizhong joined the already legendary banquet.
Zhongli naturally sat down on the stone stool the Wolf King had brought over. Guizhong, meanwhile, was like a happy butterfly, curiously approaching every acquaintance to greet them, praising the modern Liyue cuisine prepared by the Wolf King, and even trying to pinch Matt's huge, bewildered fingers.
After the Wolf King served the last few desserts, which were exquisite works of art, and receiving a signal from the eyes of the quartet—Jesse, Elliot, Zane, and Matt—he finally stopped standing by as a butler.
His three-meter-tall white werewolf body cautiously chose a stone stool and sat down. He also picked up a set of custom, oversized cutlery and began quietly enjoying the feast he had personally cooked—a meal combining the essence of Liyue's mountains and seas with ingenious ideas from another world.
No expression could be read on the metal wolf face, but his slightly relaxed shoulders and the occasional gentle sway of the tip of his tail revealed his contentment and peace.
The moonlight softly bathed Mt. Aocang. Adeptal energy, elemental power, laughter, the aroma of food, and the miracle spanning life, death, and time intertwined, making this night incomparably brilliant and eternal.