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

The reason for setting an assessment period is essentially to respect the rules of the Hall of Rebirth.

"Oh, Mr. Zhongli also has Xu Chuan as a guest advisor?"

"Yes, where are they?"

After the banquet began, someone couldn't help but wonder.

Hu Tao, seated at the head of the table, answered everyone's questions: "They said they have something to do, so we don't need to wait for them."

"It's rare for everyone to get together tonight..."

She paused, then turned her gaze to the aloof figure beside her. "Let me introduce you all. This is Miss Shen He, who will soon be joining the Hall of Rebirth..."

……

The three strolled through the streets of Liyue Harbor.

Xu Chuan and Xiao followed Zhong Li's steps, one on the left and one on the right.

On the streets, men, women, and children each held lanterns in their hands, and many of them wore Nuo masks made of celestial demons.

These Nuo masks, each with its own unique color, appear almost alive under the lamplight.

This is quite different from the Lantern Festival that Xu Chuan remembers.

Feeling the lively atmosphere around him, Xu Chuan simply put on the Nuo mask that Hu Tao had given him.

"Mr. Zhongli, are you sure you don't need my help tonight?"

"I invited you here, young friend, to witness what is happening today."

It turns out it was just witnessing.

He thought he would need to use his Spirit Binding and Commanding skills to assist him.

This only made Xu Chuan even more curious.

Zhongli seemed to sense his strong desire to explore, and said as he walked with his hands behind his back, "Young friend, do you know the origin of the Liyue Lantern Festival?"

"As far as I know, it is to commemorate those immortals who have passed away."

Looking back on my own experience with the Lantern Festival, no matter how the story unfolded, its core theme remained the same.

You're only half right.

Xiao, who was holding the scroll, corrected him.

"Initially, people released lanterns to illuminate the battlefield and guide soldiers on their way home."

"Therefore, the Lantern Festival is not just for immortals."

Upon arriving at Liyue Harbor, Zhongli stopped and looked at the harbor, saying softly:

"People raise lanterns in the night sea, hoping that the lights can guide the souls of fallen heroes and loved ones, so that they can follow the light across the realm of the living and the dead and return to their hometowns to reunite with their families."

"Could it be..."

Xu Chuan's breath hitched, and he stared wide-eyed at the four-armed Yaksha statue standing not far away.

In his perception, the statue was constantly absorbing the scattered light from the surrounding stars.

The lights that rose from countless nightlights, like fireflies, were converging together, and inside the sculpture, there seemed to be a ball of light taking shape, gathering an extraordinary power.

In Xu Chuan's memory, it was thanks to the wishes of the Inazuma people that the Traveler gained power that temporarily rivaled Thor.

At that moment, he saw something similar in Liyue Harbor.

He finally understood what Old Master Zhongli was up to.

Whether it's temporarily changing the object of the Lantern Festival or personally participating in the preparations for the Lantern Festival.

All of this is for this moment, to gather the wishes of the people of Liyue Harbor.

The next moment, Zhongli's actions confirmed Xu Chuan's thoughts.

The unclaimed power of the wishes that gathered in the floating statue transformed into a ball of light and fell into the scroll in Xiao's hand.

Om-!

An invisible force opened the scroll, and as the remnant soul of Fushe merged with this force, it gradually peeled away from the scroll.

Streaks of purple lightning crackled and sparked around his massive body.

That broken soul is being filled by the power of will; the cracks in the soul's shell are healing, and the voids in will and memory are being gradually filled, as if it were undergoing a metamorphosis and rebirth.

The edges that were worn away by time are becoming clear again.

A moment later, Fushe slowly opened his eyes.

A glimmer of rationality flashed through him, but he was at a loss, looking at the three people in front of him with some confusion.

"Your Majesty, and the Golden Roc..."

"Brother Fushe."

Xiao's emotions were somewhat out of control, and a bittersweet expression appeared on his face.

"It really is you, Jinpeng!"

Fushe instantly regained his senses and hugged Xiao tightly.

He wrapped his arms around her, holding her thin body tightly as if he wanted to crush her.

Then he looked at Zhongli beside him, his expression extremely complicated, "I never expected that you and the Emperor would also..."

Wow, you really have some thoughts on this!

This made Xu Chuan take notice.

If the day comes when even Master Zhongli passes away, Teyvat will probably be facing its own life-or-death crisis.

At that time, perhaps the Teyvat world will truly be heading towards a bad end.

“Brother Fushe, we did not die. It was the Emperor’s magic that restored your souls…”

"Is that so?"

Fushe loosened his hands, and after a moment of reflection, he understood his current state.

After looking around, he couldn't help but burst into laughter.

“Boyang, our sacrifice in the Abyss of Layered Rocks was not in vain… not in vain!”

Even as the thunderous laughter rang out, the people around remained oblivious to the commotion, acting as if the four of them didn't exist.

Xu Chuan looked at Zhong Li; only he could do all this so quietly.

Fu She's laughter gradually subsided.

Those eyes, now clear again, looked at Zhongli, as if they held a thousand words, but in the end, they all boiled down to one sentence:

"Your Majesty, Fushe has not let you down."

“You’ve done a great job,” Zhongli said softly. “You’ve worked hard all these years.”

After Xiao recounted the whole story to Fushe, Fushe clasped his hands in thanks to Xu Chuan, and was also grateful that he had freed the spirits of the soldiers bound in the secret realm.

"I just did what I was supposed to do," Xu Chuan waved his hand.

He went to the Abyss of Layered Rocks initially only to find Zi Bai's three souls, never expecting to be able to retrieve the remnant soul of Fu She.

This makes up for the small regret in my heart.

After the joy of reunion, Fushe became particularly interested in the Lantern Festival and dragged Xiao around everywhere.

And so, the three of them and their soul wandered around Liyue Harbor.

Xiao stayed with Fushe and told him about the changes over the past five hundred years.

With the expansion of Liyue Harbor and the extension of trade routes, familiar faces have left one by one, while new faces have grown up generation after generation.

Of course, this was all what the Emperor had told him these past few days. Given his reclusive lifestyle over the years, it was impossible for him to have such a deep understanding of Liyue Harbor.

Xu Chuan wondered if it was just his imagination, but he felt that Xiao had an unusually large smile on his face tonight.

Even the usually stern and unsmiling Old Master Zhongli had a faint smile playing on his lips.

As night deepened and the crowds thinned out, the lively atmosphere remained forever in the hearts of those few.

Fushe stood at the edge of the harbor, watching the night lights slowly rise on the sea.

The lights, like stars, dotted the night sky and were reflected on the sea, making it impossible to distinguish where the sky ended and the sea began.

In the distance, fishing boats returning to port were moored on the shore, swaying gently, but never leaving the embrace of the harbor.

"That's wonderful." Fushe's voice carried a hint of relief. "Liyue is even better now than it was before."

He turned his head and looked at Xiao and Zhongli, as well as Xu Chuan who was removing the Nuo mask.

Seeing the young face beneath Xu Chuan's mask, he sighed with emotion that it was thanks to generations of young people like Xu Chuan that Liyue was getting better and better.

When Xu Chuan saw Fu She looking at him with a relieved expression, he felt that Fu She had obviously misunderstood something.

"With the Emperor and you all here, I believe the future will be even brighter."

Fu She crossed his arms and laughed heartily, as if he wanted to release all the pent-up emotions of the past five hundred years in this moment.

“Brother Fushe.” Xiao seemed to sense something, and his smile became somewhat forced. “From now on, we can witness it together.”

Fushe looked at Xiao for a while.

Then he smiled, a gentler smile than before.

"Jin Peng, why are you making that face?"

"This is not like the you of the past."

"But……"

"My soul is sustained by the power of everyone's will."

Fushe spoke softly, “Essentially, I am just a departed soul. I am already very content to see these things after death.”

Xiao opened his mouth, wanting to say "You can stay," wanting to say that he could go to Xu Chuan for help, wanting to say that he could use the Spirit Binding Technique to stabilize the remnant soul of the floating house.

But when he saw Fushe's eyes, he swallowed those words.

There was no more regret or reluctance in those eyes.

There is only one kind of peace that is enough.

Xu Chuan wanted to say something, but after remembering Zhong Li's words, he remained silent.

Fushe chuckled lightly, his words brimming with unbridled nonchalance: "I'm going to tell Fanan, Yingda, Minu, and Boyang what Liyue looks like now."

"And those soldiers who died alongside me... they would be so happy to know."

He patted Xiao on the shoulder, not very hard.

"Jinpeng, please protect this home that we have worked so hard to build up to where we are today."

“Brother Fushe, I will.”

The reluctance on Xiao's face faded, replaced by a look of determination in his eyes.

"Good, you truly are worthy of being my brothers from Fushe."

Fu She lowered his arms and nodded to Zhong Li and Xu Chuan in farewell, appearing very carefree and natural.

Then, he turned and walked towards the sea.

His figure grew fainter and fainter, and his once solid soul now scattered into specks of starlight, shimmering with a faint light.

Like lanterns rising into the night sky, they drift slowly in the wind.

Xu Chuan's feelings became complicated regarding Fu She's decision.

If it were him, he would make the exact opposite choice without hesitation.

He would not let anyone die easily, whether it was himself or someone he cared about.

However, Xu Chuan respected Fu She's will; a warrior who voluntarily embraced death, his will could not be tarnished.

Looking at the scene before him, Xu Chuan couldn't help but think of that phrase.

Life is but a fleeting moment; let go of everything else.

These are the words Fushe said to Boyang when he died in the Secret Realm of the Layered Rock Abyss.