While I was in Mondstadt, I never imagined becoming a god.

The two walked side by side, aimlessly strolling down the street.

Xu Chuan remained silent, and Shen He followed suit.

Street vendors were hawking their wares, children were chasing and playing, and several elderly people were playing chess in front of a teahouse.

Shen He's gaze swept across these images one by one, as if he were reading a book he couldn't understand.

Xu Chuan stopped when he reached a clothing store.

Seeing Shen He wearing the same clothes that he had never changed before.

Those were special garments personally sewn by the True Lord Liuyun Jiefeng; the material was tough and impervious to water and fire.

Change could begin here, and so Xu Chuan made a plan.

"Let's go in and take a look."

The owner of the clothing store was a middle-aged woman with a round face. She greeted the customers warmly as they entered the store.

After Xu Chuan explained her purpose, her gaze swept over Shen He several times, her eyes practically glowing with greed.

"Whatever your needs, whether you're buying ready-made clothes or fabric, this is the best option in Liyue Harbor."

"Help this lady next to me pick out a few clothes." Xu Chuan gestured for the proprietress to look at Shen He.

At the proprietress's recommendation, Shen He tried on several outfits.

She changed into several outfits, but Xu Chuan shook his head each time.

The proprietress only picked out flashy clothes; the intricate patterns and styles made them appear very luxurious in her aesthetic.

With Shen He's perfect figure, he can pull off those clothes very well.

But this doesn't match Shen He's temperament.

Xu Chuan's eyes lit up when the proprietress brought out a black cheongsam from the back room.

When Shen He walked out of the inner room wearing that cheongsam, the entire shop fell silent for a moment.

The black silk clung to her figure, perfectly outlining her slender waist and long legs.

The neckline and cuffs are embroidered with dark red patterns, and the slit in the skirt reveals the calves, with smooth and clean lines.

Her white braids hung down over her black cheongsam, creating a striking contrast, like an ink painting.

"What do you think?" Xu Chuan looked at Shen He, seeking her opinion.

"They're about the same, don't you think?"

"You look beautiful in it, it suits you very well."

"Then let's take this one."

After that, he bought Shen He some more clothes to change into, each one well-tailored and of excellent quality.

The simple and elegant color perfectly matches Shen He's aloof and ethereal temperament.

Before leaving, Xu Chuan placed several orders at the shop, agreeing to have them delivered to the Hall of Rebirth before the Lantern Festival.

Wearing her new clothes, Shen He walked with some discomfort, her steps narrower than usual, as if afraid of tearing her skirt.

After all, her original clothes were exceptionally sturdy, unlike her current ones, which felt like they could be torn to shreds very easily.

Shen He followed beside him, occasionally glancing down at the black cheongsam she was wearing.

Although it was just an ordinary piece of clothing, she had a feeling that was completely different from before.

Xu Chuan turned to look at Shen He and saw that she was glancing at her clothes from time to time, and her movements had become somewhat restrained.

"What's wrong? Still not used to it?"

"Yes, you are the first person besides my master to give me clothes. I can't explain this feeling."

So that's what she cared about?

Seeing the girl's unconsciously joyful expression, Xu Chuan's mood also improved.

Over the next few days, Xu Chuan taught Shen He those basic things little by little.

She learned very quickly, but no one had ever taught her these things before.

Sometimes, he would take her to listen to operas and drink tea.

The opera being performed on stage is "Moving the Sky and Guiding the Heavens," which tells the story of the immortal who sacrificed himself for Liyue.

He and a group of Liyue immortals, under the command of the Geo Archon, fought to win the war against the demons and protect the people of Liyue.

Shen He watched very attentively, without blinking at all.

However, the various stories about the True Lord of Cloud Retention and other immortals, which had been artistically embellished, clearly brought her a great deal of shock.

Heaven knows how Old Master Zhongli managed to keep his composure while listening to the strange tales of the Rock King Emperor.

After mentioning Zhongli's name, the teahouse owner always reserved a window seat on the second floor for them.

They also specially prepared a pot of agarwood tea and two plates of snacks.

While fishing at the harbor, Shen He caught his first fish because it was too strong.

He snapped the fishing rod in two, and the fish escaped with half the rod attached to it.

"What a pity, this must have been a big fish that took the bait."

The group of anglers nearby exclaimed in regret, having missed out on a huge catch.

Over time, Xu Chuan gradually became familiar with them.

Unfortunately, ever since the rod broke, Shen He's focus has remained solely on fishing itself, and he hasn't learned a single thing from Xu Chuan's social skills.

Sometimes, Xu Chuan really wondered if he had led her astray.

"Living in this world, one cannot avoid interacting with other people."

“I know,” Shen He said seriously, “dealing with people costs Mora.”

Xu Chuan stopped in his tracks.

"What is all this nonsense? I don't remember teaching you this."

“But I noticed that every time you interacted with strangers, you gave them Mora, so without Mora, you can’t interact with them.”

Xu Chuan slapped his forehead, feeling quite helpless.

"Your summary is very accurate, but don't summarize it like that next time."

"Did I say something wrong?" Shen He tilted his head and looked at him, a hint of confusion in his beautiful eyes.

"Have you ever thought about it? The connection between me and your master wasn't based on Mora."

Xu Chuan looked at her and said, "However, to some extent, what you said is actually correct."

Such conversations often occurred between the two, usually ending with Shen He falling into deep thought.

Xu Chuan wouldn't force his own ideas on her.

He simply stayed by her side, guiding this naive young girl to explore the world.

As the Lantern Festival draws near, Liyue Harbor is becoming increasingly lively.

The streets were decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, with red lanterns hanging from one end of the street to the other, creating a festive and lively atmosphere.

The port was filled with merchant ships returning to port, their gunwales adorned with red ribbons that fluttered gently in the sea breeze.

The matter concerning Grandpa Sun has come to an end.

On the day of the burial, Hu Tao personally saw him off on his final journey.

Grandpa Sun's soul returned to the earth's veins, and Xu Chuan watched as the semi-transparent figure turned into starlight and dissipated in the morning light.

After that, Hu Tao returned to her old self, mischievous and always smiling.

But Xu Chuan noticed that there was something new in her eyes when she looked at him.

Especially when facing oneself.

Ying and Paimeng have been leaving early and returning late these days, busy with matters concerning Inazuma.

They finally managed to finish what they were doing on the day of the Lantern Festival.

As soon as Paimon saw Xu Chuan, he buried his face in his head and poured out his grievances.

"I'm exhausted! I never imagined arranging a sea trip would be so troublesome!"

"Paimon, you've worked hard." Xu Chuan reached out and brought a candied date to his mouth. "Here, have a candied date."

Paimon was happily enjoying being fed, but his gaze turned to Shenhe.

"Speaking of which, Shen He has changed a lot. There's something indescribable about it, like he's matured a lot."

"Her clothes seem to be the uniform of the Hall of Rebirth," Ying noticed the difference. "Could it be that Shen He is now a member of the Hall of Rebirth?"

"To be precise, she is still in the probationary period and is not yet a formal guest elder."

"Is this the same as it was back then?"

"I'm a special case; I don't have a probationary period."

After receiving a look of admiration from Paimon, Xu Chuan lifted her up.

"Ningguang has invited us to a banquet at Qunyu Pavilion tonight. I still have some things to take care of, so you can go ahead."

"Do you need any help?" Ying hugged Paimon, who was clinging to Xu Chuan.

"It's a small matter; Mr. Zhongli and I can handle it."

After seeing the two off, Xu Chuan went to Zhong Li's courtyard.

Although he told Ying and Paimon that he had something to do, he wasn't really sure what it was.

Seeing Zhongli and Xiao already waiting there, he smiled faintly and walked forward.

"Mr. Zhongli contacted me specifically, surely it wasn't just to wish me a happy Lantern Festival."

Zhongli nodded slightly, took out a yellowed scroll from his sleeve, and unfolded it on the stone table.

The surface was covered with runes and circuit diagrams, and at its core was a muscular figure with four limbs and arms, surrounded by purple lightning.

Just by looking at it, one can feel a fierce aura emanating from it.

However, Xu Chuan soon discovered the secret.

“This is Fushe’s painting, no, this is his remnant soul.”

Chapter 179 Life is but a fleeting moment, all is relinquished

"You guessed right."

Xiao looked away from the scroll and replied with a complicated expression, "This is the remnant soul of the Floating Abode."

Zhong Li was somewhat surprised that Xu Chuan had hit the nail on the head.

He personally sealed the remnant soul into the painting, and not a single trace of his soul's aura leaked out, so there should be no flaws.

Even Xiao couldn't recognize him at first glance. It seems I underestimated him.

After confirming the situation, Xu Chuan withdrew his power of binding spirits and asked curiously, "Mr. Zhongli sealed him in the scroll just to wait for this day?"

“That’s right.” Zhongli nodded slightly. “Over the past five hundred years, Fushe’s soul has been worn down too much, and it is difficult to bring him back using ordinary methods.”

Xu Chuan remained silent for a moment.

He knew better than anyone that with this level of soul damage, the remaining soul was merely an empty shell, its original memories and will almost completely dissipated over the long years.

Even with the ability to bind spirits and command generals, at most it can only mend and repair that soul's physical body.

As for a full recovery, he admitted he was helpless.

That's why he was very curious about what Grandpa Zhongli wanted to do.

What astonishing methods are they employing behind the scenes?

Under Xu Chuan's inquisitive gaze, Zhong Li did not directly explain the reason, but simply had Xiao take the painting, and the three of them left the Hall of Rebirth together.

Meanwhile, in the Rebirth Hall, Walnut was celebrating the Lantern Festival with everyone.

She also took this opportunity to hold a welcome party for Shen He.