Genshin Impact, I, a mere mortal, cannot accompany you to the very end.

When the principles of natural law were touched, Qing Nuoyan withdrew his sword.

Otherwise, those who uphold the principles of Heaven... will perish.

"I had no choice but to stop," Qing Nuoyan said softly, gazing at the snowflakes scattered in the air. "Otherwise, I might die too... I can't die. I'm afraid of death. I promised to live for some people."

"Furthermore," Qing Nuoyan paused, "I don't want to kill you."

"Why?" the maintainer asked.

"You are the upholder of the natural order; if you die, who will uphold it?"

Qing Nuoyan took a sip of sake, feeling the warm steam spread from his throat into his limbs. "Over the past thousand years, I have come to understand many things. Humans cannot live without the heavens. Only when humans are in harmony with the heavens and adapt to each other can this world remain in balance."

“So… things are fine now.” Qing Nuoyan coughed up blood again. “You were seriously injured, so you can’t stop me from planting the Divine Cherry Tree.”

If Qingnuoyan and the guardian of the natural order perish together, that would be a true catastrophe for the continent of Teyvat. The laws of the world would collapse, the principles of heaven and humanity would be unable to survive, and the erosion of the abyss would descend upon this continent.

The Keeper of Heaven's Law gazed at the mortal before him, His calm eyes reflecting the latter's face. He said softly, "Truly an overstepping mortal."

"So, can we take a break for now...?" Qing Nuoyan smiled. "Have a drink with me."

"Try to taste the wine of mortals...and try to pay more attention to us mortals?"

He handed the sake cup to Tenri, the sake gleaming pure white against the backdrop of the clear snow.

The guardian of justice lowered her eyes, looking at the wine. She paused, then finally accepted the mortal's drink. She parted her thin lips slightly, took a small sip, and frowned slightly.

“A strange smell,” He said.

"We mortals are just that strange."

Qing Nuoyan laughed heartily, "We like strange things, we like to chase after inexplicable things. We are weak and strange, but even so, we hope to be understood one day."

The principles of nature will never be understood.

“You are trying to deceive time,” the Ruler of Justice said softly. “I will still stop you.”

He raised his glass to the advocates of justice.

“We are enemies. Five hundred years from now, I, Kiyono Raimei, will still die at your hands. But... just now, just now... let's try to understand each other and have a drink together.”

The guardian of justice hesitated for a moment, and finally, she tentatively raised her glass.

In the pure white snow, humanity and the heavens clinked glasses for the first time.

-

Tenri has left.

In the battle between the two sustainers, the land of Kanriana, the calamity, was completely wiped away. Both the filthy calamity and the corruption of the abyss were buried in the flash of the blade and hidden in the pure white world.

Only after Tianli had completely departed and returned to Sky Island did Qingnuoyan release his hand from the scabbard.

He will not reveal his vulnerable side to the principles of justice.

Dizziness.

At this very moment, it all came crashing down on him.

His vision went completely dark in an instant, and the string he was holding on to snapped completely at that moment.

He felt exhausted, a wave of exhaustion washing over him. He could no longer hold on and collapsed to the ground, heartless and lungless. He couldn't breathe, couldn't inhale air. His heart stopped beating and stopped supplying blood. He finally felt the loneliness of a dead man.

Cold and empty.

But Qing Nuoyan will not die, because even without a heart or lungs, he can still live in the world with his current body.

It's just very painful.

"It's not over yet."

Qing Nuoyan struggled to sit up, looking at the dark, bluish-green haze stretching to the horizon.

He can't rest yet.

The source of filth, Kanria, has been wiped away, but the filth that has escaped still exists, seeping into Inazuma and even further afield.

Plant that seed, plant that seed that grows from his heart.

In the end, Raiden gave her 'dream' to Qingnuoyan. The agreement had been made, and Qingnuoyan had to fulfill it.

As he said, they remain enemies.

The One who upholds the principles of Heaven has the duty to uphold them. Once He has recovered somewhat, He will still come to stop him and correct the history that has been deceived.

We must plant the Divine Cherry Tree beforehand.

Qingnuoyan lowered his eyes, drank the last cup of wine in his glass, and forced himself to walk towards the snow-capped mountains at the far end of his vision.

-

At this moment, Inatsume is shrouded in a filthy gloom.

Nevertheless, the streets of Inazuma are still relatively peaceful.

Thanks to the protection of the Pillar General, the calamity was kept at bay outside Hachiyun Island and has not yet set foot on the territory of Inazuma Province. Kamisakura Island is separated from Hachiyun Island by two other islands, and its inhabitants have not yet been affected by the defilement.

Qingnuoyan returned to Konta Village.

The village of Konta five hundred years ago is very different from the village of Konta five hundred years later. The cherry blossoms that filled the town have all fallen, and gray-white frost covers the eaves and alleys. Every household has its doors tightly closed, and the streets are deathly silent.

The tofu shop, 'Kiyo Tofu Shop,' is located at the end of the street. Its doors are tightly closed, and the steps in front of it are covered with layers of gray snow.

"It's closed down."

Yae no Miko gazed at the unfamiliar yet somewhat familiar figure before her and said softly, "It won't be open anymore."

A strange sense of familiarity.

The boy appeared to be injured, with bandages wrapped around his body. He wore a pure white kimono, and his smooth white hair cascaded down to his wooden clogs. A sword was tucked into his waistband, just like any other wandering swordsman.

Kiyono Raimei has gone to guard the frontier, and Kiyono Tofu Shop will never open again; Yae no Miko is the priestess of the shrine, and she also has her own duties, so she will leave Kami-Sakura Island to cleanse the island of its filth.

This store will not be reopened.

Kiyono Raimei has become Kiyono Pillar of the Nation. He will never return to this tofu shop. For Yae no Miko, this little shop will eventually become a memory, covered in dust along with all those past events.

“No,” Qing Nuoyan said to her, her eyes reflecting Miss Fox’s face, “this shop will open again in the future.”

"why?"

"Because those who are alive will eventually reunite," Qing Nuoyan said, something Miss Fox couldn't understand.

"I don't understand." Miss Fox tilted her head. "I have to go. The Inazuma disaster has been severe lately, young man. You should not wander around the streets. Go home early."

"Yes." Qing Nuoyan gazed at Miss Fox. "I will definitely go home. Where are you going?"

"Hayabusa Island." Miss Fox pricked up her ears and said with a hint of disdain, "This Lady Tsukasa is going to see if that old geezer is dead yet."

“I see. I’m going to Yingxiang Mountain,” Qingnuoyan said.

“Completely opposite directions,” the fox tilted its head. “Then goodbye.”

"See you next time, Miss Fox."

"Oh, right," Qing Nuoyan said, his back to her, "I'm going to plant a spring-like plant for you, so I'll trouble you to take care of it for me."

They brushed past each other and went in different directions, walking and walking.

Yae no Miko suddenly stopped in her tracks. She turned around and looked at the boy's back. The vast snow covered the boy, and the pure white snowfield gradually swallowed his shadow, making him look lonely and desolate.

For some reason, Yae no Miko suddenly had a hallucination of feeling lost and dejected.

-

This snow should stop.

Qingnuoyan climbed the steps leading up the mountain, step by step, until he finally reached the summit.

Everywhere you look, there is pure white snow, covering the entire mountain plateau. The deathly silence of the snow buries all sounds in the mountains, and a thick, gloomy mist shrouds the sky above the mountains.

He took out the seed from his heart.

The seeds of the sacred cherry tree radiate a warm glow in the slightly cool air.

This seed was born from the heart of a dream, born in everyone's dream, and traveled from five hundred years in the future to five hundred years ago.

Qingnuoyan planted the seed in the snow, and as soon as it touched the soil of Inazuma, it took root and spread deep into the soil.

It is growing rapidly.

Spring is beginning to spread.

Qingnuoyan was able to detect a certain change.

The snow stopped.

It is springtime now.

The snow has just stopped, the sky is clear for miles, the grass is moistened, the withered trees come back to life, and the mountains are revealed after the heavy rain has stopped, with the brilliant sunset gilding their edges.

The withered plants quickly revive, and life begins to spread. It is the time when grass grows and birds fly. In the fields, reeds are broken into clumps by the gentle breeze and float in the air. The puddles on the ground reflect the blue sky after the rain.

The sun was slowly setting, and the clouds rose in rolling waves, spreading out like fiery clouds. The sky was crimson like a huge golden blanket, and a gentle breeze stirred the clouds, causing the blanket to ripple.

By the time Qingnuoyan came to her senses, the branches of the cherry blossom tree were already slanting towards the sky, and a fine rain of falling cherry blossoms filled the air.

The sacred cherry tree stands tall on Yingxiang Mountain, rustling in the wind as if whispering, as if it has existed here since ancient times.

The seed is the fruit in Qingnuoyan's heart, and the cherry blossom tree that grows from the seed is the shape of Qingnuoyan's heart. It will replace Qingnuoyan and forever guard this land.

Qingnuoyan returned to 1,500 years ago, waited in the mountains for a thousand years, and finally planted a spring for everyone 500 years ago.

Yae no Miko raised her eyes and looked at the cherry blossoms that filled the sky. The crimson cherry blossoms stirred the spring light and scattered on Konta Village, as well as in front of the signboard of the Seino Tofu Shop.

As she gazed at the sacred cherry tree, she felt a strange, profound emotion, but she didn't know why.

She felt sadness.

The sacred cherry tree has been here since ancient times. Why does my heart flutter slightly when I look at it?

she does not know.

Perhaps it's because of that sacred cherry tree... it's so beautiful.

-

P.S.: This is a normal, very normal update! This time, Sigu doesn't need to say goodnight!