He changed Tiwat

This change is not reflected in appearance, but in "temperament".

In the past, Ying gave people the feeling of "girlishness". Although the age of this traveler who claims to be forever sixteen is unknown, some people actually believe that she is sixteen years old - at least Ayaka believes it.

In fact, everyone who has interacted with Ying feels that Ying's age and appearance are consistent.

Her approachable nature, which allows her to become friends with anyone, and her lively smile all showcase the unique youthful vitality of a young girl.

But at this moment, Ying's posture of sitting cross-legged in front of the torii gate reminded Ayaka of "meditation".

It was an extremely special aura, as if one were integrated with all things in the universe, being both one and all. Although it was just one being, it gave people a sense of profound and boundless depth.

Perhaps this is the state of "no thought"?

As for Ying, she would say that she has truly reached the state of "no thought"—her mind is now empty, and she is indeed not thinking about anything.

With a "glug" sound.

Paimon's stomach growled.

Paimon covered her tummy a little embarrassedly, her eyes darting around at Ayaka... She had been craving the little food box in Ayaka's hand for a long time.

Ayaka understood and presented the food box to Ying and Paimon.

She opened the food box with a slightly shy expression: "These are cherry blossom mochi I made myself. Please try some if you two would like..."

"Wow! It looks so pretty and smells so good!" Paimon was immediately drawn to the snacks in the food box.

It was a dessert that perfectly matched the identity of "Princess Egret," with a very delicate and elegant design; it could even be called a work of art.

The pastries are pale pink all over, decorated with camellia patterns, and surrounded by the faint fragrance of cherry blossoms. The dark green leaves underneath add a special sense of depth to the overall warm color scheme, making them a serene beauty even when simply admired. Within their graceful form lies a fleeting beauty.

Paimon could almost picture the taste—like sitting under a sacred cherry tree, with crimson cherry petals fluttering down like a colorful, dazzling snowflake…

If I could sit under a tree with this princess, as elegant as a white egret on a high mountain, and enjoy this handmade cherry blossom cake, I would probably greedily wish that time could stand still forever.

Ying took the food box, picked up a pastry, took a bite, and quickly smiled: "Ayaka, is this the snack we had on Ganjin Island the other day?"

That was some time ago, before the ley line anomaly incident occurred. At that time, Ayaka took Hotaru and Paimon to tour the sights of Narukami Island and also took them to Kanjin Island, the festival grounds exclusively for the shrine magistrate.

They tried a new type of cherry blossom cake at a food stall on Ganjin Island. Not only was it beautifully presented, but it also tasted exceptionally good. Ying and Paimon both praised it highly.

Later, Ayaka secretly went to the stall owner and asked him how to make the Hizakura Mochi. She then practiced on her own for a long time. The Hizakura Mochi in Ying's hand is the final product that Ayaka made after dozens of attempts.

So she always remembered... Maybe she even remembered every place they went together?

Ayaka's face suddenly turned red.

"...Hmm, this is the best cherry blossom mochi I've ever eaten, even better than the one on Kanjin Island that day!" Ying said honestly.

Linghua's voice was barely audible: "If you like it, then that's fine."

Paimon finished his snacks but was still not satisfied: "Ayaka, is there any more?"

Ayaka shook her head: "I'm sorry, I only had time to make two pieces..."

After all, she had been accompanying Ying and Paimon in their cultivation, and not long after "emerging from seclusion," she came to this cave with them, leaving her with very little time to prepare snacks.

"By the way, does this dessert have a name?" Ying asked.

Ayaka shook her head again: "It's just a regular cherry blossom mochi, what name does it have?"

Ying, however, firmly denied it: "It's anything but ordinary. How could the cherry blossom mochi made by Ayaka herself be ordinary? It must be given a fitting name..."

Her gaze fell on Linghua's fair and rosy cheeks, and a poem that a street urchin in Liyue had once recited suddenly flashed through her mind: "Newly brewed wine with green ants, a small red clay stove. Evening approaches, and snow is imminent; shall we drink a cup together?"

"Let's call it 'A Touch of Snow on a Red-Hot Furnace'!"

“‘A touch of snow on a red-hot stove’…” Linghua silently recited it twice.

Snowflakes melt in an instant at a red-hot stove, just as the time the girl and the traveler spent together was as fleeting as morning dew... How apt!

Ying stood up and pressed her hand on the "Mist-Cutting Return" at her waist.

The farewell snacks are finished, and it's time to get to work.

She held out her left pinky finger to Linghua: "Linghua, when we come back, you have to treat us to 'Red Furnace with a Touch of Snow' again!"

Before the "Hunting Eye Ceremony," she and Ayaka also made a pinky promise like this.

“You will not face the gods alone, because we are friends.”

That was the promise Ayaka made to her back then.

Later, at the castle tower, Ayaka also faced the Thunder General with her.

This time, she made a promise with Ayaka that she would definitely come back and bring back the Inazuma deity.

Linghua paused for a moment, then reached out her little hand and hooked it with Ying's little finger.

"Yes, we made a date!"

Chapter 257 What Does the Fox Fairy Palace Master's Lips Taste Like? [4k5]

On the evening of September 22, countless fireworks lit up the sky over the outlying island.

Although the actual "Kwanghwa Rongsai Festival" will not officially begin until tomorrow morning, tonight's "eve festival" already has a very festive atmosphere.

Because of the perverse policies implemented by the government, many businesses on the outlying islands have gone out of business in the past two years, and the commercial streets are in a state of desolation.

However, the bustling scene in the island's commercial street at this moment is no less than that of the town streets of Inazuma Castle. This is of course thanks to the shogunate's latest open business policy, which has given many merchants renewed confidence to establish themselves in the island's commercial port. Many shops have specially chosen to open for business on this day of celebration.

As the first festival after the return to peace following the Inazuma civil war, the public's enthusiasm for participation was exceptionally high, and the commercial street, which is less than half a kilometer long, was packed with people.

A grand bonfire was lit at the entrance of the "International Chamber of Commerce," and the firelight illuminated every face with a smile.

The yearning for a better future is perhaps the best "fuel" for the festival.

On the roof of the "World Chamber of Commerce" adorned with colorful flags, a girl in red sat quietly alone, looking up at the fireworks in the sky—she was Yoomiya, the signboard girl of the "Naganohara Fireworks Shop".

Every firework that blooms in the sky was made by her own hands.

In people's minds, Yoomiya is a lively, cheerful, and even somewhat "noisy" girl. Except for eating and sleeping, the residents of Hanamizaka can always hear Yoomiya's loud voice... However, few people know that when fireworks go up in the sky, Yoomiya always falls silent and looks up to watch the beautiful scenery.

People often say, "Fireworks fade quickly, and human relationships end easily." Fireworks, which vanish in an instant, are ultimately nothing more than "a fleeting moment."

But Xiaogong believed that as long as it was beautiful enough, it could bloom eternally in people's hearts.

Those who watched the fireworks together, and the beauty of that moment, will be deeply imprinted in their minds, becoming a cherished memory for a lifetime. Even years later, whenever they look up at the same fireworks again, that feeling will surely surge back like a tide.

Isn't this kind of thing also "eternal"?

The unique fireworks recipe paper strips of the Naganohara family exist precisely for this purpose.

As long as guests write their wishes on slips of paper and hand them to the Night Palace, the Night Palace can always blend people's feelings and wishes into dazzling fireworks, making fleeting things last forever.

That is also the significance of her working in this field.

So whenever the fireworks are in full bloom, Yoomiya, who is never still, will always stop and quietly admire the "eternity" she has created.

However, tonight, this "eternal" beauty does not belong exclusively to the Night Palace.

"Hey, watching fireworks alone again?"

A hearty voice rang out behind Xiaogong.

Before Xiaogong could turn around, she was slapped hard on the back, almost making her tumble down...

In fact, Yomiya had a wealth of experience falling from heights—after working all night, she would always climb to a high place to watch the sunrise, gazing at the golden-red clouds and searching for new inspiration, feeling a sense of accomplishment upon completion. And as various new types of fireworks appeared in her mind, drowsiness would inevitably creep in…

The neighbors found her sleeping on eaves, tree branches, or stopped waterwheels more than once, and occasionally she would fall off, watching her beautiful dreams in her mind and the Venus in front of her eyes drift away together.

The bandages she wore were initially for treating her injuries...

"Sister Hokuto, your entrance was too scary!" Yomiya couldn't help but complain.

Her response was the boss's hearty laughter: "Haha, that's what you call a surprise. A surprise is supposed to be both surprising and delightful! By the way, I'd like to ask you to make a new 'surprise'!"

During the "National Isolation Edict," almost all shops in Inazuma suffered huge losses, but "Naganohara Fireworks Shop" continued to thrive, thanks to Captain Hokuto.

Every time the "Southern Cross" fleet came to Inazuma, it would bring a large amount of fireworks raw materials and exotic handicrafts to the Shokuhou Palace. Moreover, Beidou would always ask the Shokuhou Palace to make a large number of fireworks to take back to Liyue.

It can be said that during the "isolation order", the head of the Hokuto family was the lifeblood of the Naganohara family.

To repay Beidou, when the "Southern Cross" fleet returned last time, Xiaogong specially made a huge ship-shaped firework and gave it to Beidou.

As the fleet prepared to leave the port, the fireworks shot into the sky right above the bow of the "Death Star." The crew members were terrified, thinking that one of the fleet's ships had exploded... but Hokuto particularly liked Yomiya's idea.

This time, she came to Xiaogong to commission a much larger firework—a firework the size of the entire "Southern Cross" fleet, so that every ship in the fleet would "explode into the sky" once; it would definitely be a lot of fun.

"The sunset glows like fireworks, the fireworks know my wish, I wish to enter the night sky, the night sky will naturally reveal its light."

Suddenly, a neat singing voice came from under the eaves.

Yoomiya peeked out and saw a group of children standing under the eaves—they were all Yoomiya's neighbors in Hanamizaka, holding all sorts of little trinkets in their hands, including colorful pebbles from the stream and seashell fragments from the beach... while the "local tyrant" Thomas stood in the leader's position, waving a branch in his hand like an orchestra conductor.

The children's song is quite old; it is said to have been composed by one of the "Five Song Immortals" while watching fireworks.

The song is nameless, but in recent years, children seem to have misunderstood its meaning, believing that as long as they find the sparkly treasure, they can exchange it with Sister Xiaogong for their own special fireworks.

So later, this song became "The Wishing Song"—children would bring all sorts of "sparkling treasures" to the Night Palace to make equally sparkling fireworks.

Upon seeing the children, Xiaogong immediately reverted to his usual "king of the kids" persona, nimbly flipping over and leaping off the roof.

"What do you all want from me today? Let me guess... 'Scattered Marbles,' 'Spinning Top,' or 'Neon Dragonfly'? Ah... 'Hercules Insect Chariot' isn't finished yet?"

These were all the firework toys that the children had ordered from her.

"Scattered Marbles" are marble-shaped toys that children often play with. When two "Scattered Marbles" come together, they will turn into petals that scatter and bloom.

The "Sparrow Spinning Top" is also a toy for children to play with when spinning tops, but it makes a clear bird chirping sound when it spins, just like a little sparrow spinning and flying.

"Neon Dragonfly" is also a bamboo dragonfly that children often play with. However, this kind of bamboo dragonfly will change color continuously after taking off and eventually turn into a neon light.

As for the "Hippogriffa Tank," Yoomiya originally intended it to be a siege engine used by the Heavenly Territory Enforcer's army, so it could rampage like a real war chariot. However, the gunpowder's power wasn't properly adjusted, and during a previous trial, the "Hippogriffa Tank" blew Yoomiya himself into the air... Fortunately, Yoomiya wasn't seriously injured, but this unfinished product couldn't be presented to the children yet.

Thomas winked at the children, who then raised the pebbles and seashells they held and presented them to Yomi-no-miya, saying in unison, "These are festival gifts for Yomi-no-miya. Thank you for always making fireworks for us! Our wish is that Yomi-no-miya will always be happy!"

Xiaogong's eyes instantly welled up with tears.

These glittering pebbles and seashells, though worthless in the form of a few Mora, are irreplaceable treasures to the children. The children of Hanamizaka sing songs as they search for these beautiful treasures, eagerly bringing them to their sister, Yoomiya, because they believe that by lighting fireworks, their heartfelt wishes will come true in the future.

And now, the children are using these treasures to let the Night Palace feel a warmth of human kindness that is even greater than fireworks.

"The sunset glows like fireworks, and the fireworks know my wishes."

Whether the treasures shimmer or not is not important. What matters is that the children hold the belief that the "rosy clouds" that can be exchanged for "fireworks" truly exist.

Even if others find it incredibly childish, Yomiya will do everything in her power to protect these beautiful wishes that belong only to children.

“Things you firmly believed in during your childhood, and stories you experienced, will become irreplaceable treasures.” Yomiya always believed this, just like when she first saw the fireworks her father made as a child and then fell in love with them.

The fireworks in the night sky grew even more brilliant.

"Thank you... thank you everyone."

Xiaogong hugged the children, secretly wiping away the tears on her face.

"You gave your sister such beautiful gifts, so I should give you something in return... Hmm, how about I take you to find the 'Giant Raccoon Demon'?"

Xiaogong's suggestion was unanimously approved by the children: "Yay! It's going to be so lively today, the 'Giant Raccoon Demon' is sure to appear!"

Not far away, on the roof beam of the "rooftop house", a small raccoon roly-poly toy suddenly twitched.

After Yogurt fell asleep, even the loudest fireworks couldn't wake her up—but she inexplicably felt a sense of existential crisis... just like when Kano Nana was dragging her around to work overtime.

Zaoyou shuddered and decided to find a more secluded place to sleep.

Looking at the smiles of the palace and the children, Thomas exclaimed from the bottom of his heart: "With children surrounding the palace, even in a closed country, life is never short of surprises. Now that the 'closed country' has been removed, the fireworks in the night sky will shine eternally like the stars, never dimming."

Beidou, who had appeared beside him unnoticed, laughed again and slapped Thomas on the back: "Why do you talk so much like Wan Ye? I made a date with Wan Ye tonight at 'Voyage of the Wind,' we're drinking until we drop. 'Local bully,' you're here too!"

"Tonight I also need to help Lady Ayato with the 'Eve Festival' ritual..."

Thomas had originally intended to refuse in this way.

However, he was so overwhelmed by Beidou's powerful beam that he could barely breathe, so how could he possibly say no?

When Xiaogong turned around to ask Thomas and Beidou if they wanted to join the search for the "Great Tanuki Demon," the two had already disappeared.

"Hey, wanna try some of Mondstadt's finest wine? Genuine, no rip-offs!"

"All the fruit wines in our shop are made with the purest water from the Fruit Wine Lake and the freshest Mondstadt fruits. Even if you are far away in Inazuma, you can still enjoy authentic and pure Mondstadt wines!"

"The special limited edition 'Aster Clouds' for the Rongcai Festival is also now available! Limited quantities, first come, first served!"

The owner of "Voyage of the Wind," Capilia, cupped her hands into a megaphone shape and enthusiastically promoted her family's fine wines to every passing customer.

Capria was originally a wine merchant in Mondstadt, but after suffering a crushing defeat in a competition with "Gift of the Angels," she left the Mondstadt Wine Merchants Association in disgrace and went overseas to seek new business opportunities.