Looking at Jiang Yan before them—his face calm, yet radiating a sorrow that seemed etched into his very soul—Zhongli and the others found themselves at a loss for words.
Ganyu gazed at him with quiet pity, her voice soft.
"Jiang Yan… don't be like this…"
But Jiang Yan was still immersed in the emotions of his own performance.
As a cultivator at the Spirit-Refining and Returning to the Void stage, every word and gesture was in harmony with Heaven.
Controlling his own emotions was the easiest thing in the world—
and influencing the world around him came just as effortlessly.
Especially here, in a fragile realm like Teyvat, already on the brink.
Zhongli was silent for a while, a mix of emotions flickering in his eyes.
"…My apologies. I didn't know…"
"It's fine," Jiang Yan sighed.
"What's done is done. The reason I still call myself Mount Shu's headmaster is only because I refuse to let such a glorious sect vanish entirely from existence."
His voice grew low, almost wistful.
"Once, my master told me that the death of a life comes in three stages.
The first—when the heartbeat ceases and death is declared.
The second—when one is buried and farewelled by friends and family.
The third—when the last person in the world who remembers them also passes away… and the life is gone forever."
"I think… Mount Shu is the same.
As long as I remember Mount Shu, as long as I believe in my own identity—Mount Shu has not truly perished."
His words struck Zhongli and the others like a great bell tolling through their hearts, sending a tremor they could not shake.
"…The three stages of death," Zhongli murmured.
He raised his teacup, but did not drink; set it down, picked it up again, repeating the motion several times.
Finally, he sighed deeply and cupped his hands in respect.
"I am enlightened… Your master was indeed a man of great wisdom."
Jiang Yan smiled faintly.
"Yes. He truly was a great sage of boundless insight. In less than three hundred years, he reached the peak of the Merging-with-the-Dao stage.
He loved to drink and make merry, and when tipsy, he would disguise himself as a mortal to experience the many ways of life.
His mind and talent were unmatched through the ages.
"In the Upper Realm, many old ancestors believed my master to be the greatest genius of the past several immeasurable kalpas—perhaps the one most likely to ascend to Golden Immortal in centuries."
Jiang Yan's eyes darkened with grief.
"But… in the chaotic currents of the River of Time, my master… to protect me… was struck by a mere droplet of its waters."
"No matter how gifted he was, he was still only at the peak of Merging-with-the-Dao. Even a Golden Immortal must tread cautiously before the River of Time—how could he withstand it?"
"I watched him smile and wave at me… and then… in an instant, the lifespan of tens of thousands of years burned away.
Before my eyes, he sat in death; and in that single moment, even his bones vanished into nothingness."
Jiang Yan clenched his fists tightly.
By now, he had almost succeeded in convincing even himself.
The others didn't know what to say.
Ganyu reached out as if to place a comforting hand on his shoulder, but in the end, could not bring herself to do it.
"You once said—"
Zhongli's voice broke the silence.
"'The Dao has fifty parts; Heaven manifests forty-nine, leaving one—this one is the single thread of life.'
You lived. Is that not the Mount Shu Patriarch's victory over fate?"
"Then you should pass on Mount Shu's legacy all the more."
Jiang Yan blinked, not expecting Zhongli to wield his own teachings back at him.
It seemed the man had already taken much of his words to heart.
Since that was the case… it was time to speak of business.
But before he could, Cloud Retainer interrupted.
"So… is this why you refused to acknowledge our immortals?
Why you reject those born innately as such?"
Jiang Yan hadn't expected her to tie it together so neatly, but he went along with it.
"…You could say that. Forgive me—when I heard of your innate immortals, I thought of those who are born as Great Luo.
It was my own prejudice."
A faint purple light flickered in his eyes as he looked from Cloud Retainer to each immortal present—
Zhongli, Ganyu, Xiao, Lishui…
Finally, he nodded.
"Setting cultivation aside, your strength is not weak. Especially you, Morax—you stand at the very peak of this world, as far as I can see.
"Though Heaven has blessed you, you are not Great Luo; you did not reach the Dao without effort.
The blood and tears you shed for your current strength are real. My earlier words were rash."
Cloud Retainer's expression softened slightly.
Had any ordinary person said this, she would have slapped them into a mountain without a second thought.
But coming from Jiang Yan—a Spirit-Refining and Returning to the Void cultivator whose presence was already steeped in the lofty prestige of his so-called Mount Shu—it was… pleasing to hear.
Zhongli, however, only smiled wryly.
"Peak? Perhaps not—especially after hearing your cultivation path.
At my level, in Mount Shu's prime, I might have been just another outer disciple."
"You shouldn't think so little of yourself," Jiang Yan said warmly.
"As a being of Teyvat, you must view yourself through Teyvat's lens.
Your limits are the limits of this world—if you were in mine, you might well have already become immortal."
"In Mount Shu's golden era, your talent would still rank among the better few."
The words were pleasing to hear. Cloud Retainer briefly considered asking how her talent compared to his… but thought better of it.
Jiang Yan was clearly no older than his twenties.
To reach the Spirit-Refining and Returning to the Void stage at such an age was a miracle even in Mount Shu—perhaps the reason such a peerless master had taken him in, and why the Patriarch himself had sent him away as one of Mount Shu's last embers.
A seed of hope must be the strongest genius of all.
Better not to pursue the topic.
The heavy mood lingered—not only from Jiang Yan's tragic tale, but from the towering realms he spoke of: Great Luo, Grand Unity…
Such heights were beyond imagination, and the more they dwelled on it, the more it bred despair.
So Zhongli shifted the subject.
"So, you crossed the turbulent River of Time to reach Teyvat?"
Jiang Yan nodded.
"I had just emerged from it, my strength not yet restored—
and I must thank Cloud Retainer, Miss Ganyu, and Miss Shenhe for their care."
"Don't call me 'True Lord' anymore," Cloud Retainer interjected quickly.
"After hearing what you've said, I feel unworthy to call myself an immortal. Just call me Cloud Retainer."
Jiang Yan agreed without fuss.
Zhongli continued.
"Then what are your plans? If you have no place to settle, why not stay in Liyue for a while before deciding?"
He looked at Jiang Yan with quiet expectation—and Cloud Retainer and the others seemed equally eager.
They could not verify all that Jiang Yan had said—no one lives this long without some skepticism—
but his power was undeniable, witnessed by all.
And more importantly… he could still grow stronger. That was truly absurd.
If he joined Liyue, they would have a backer who might one day rival even Celestia.
If he reached the Merging-with-the-Dao stage, he might very well lift all of Liyue with him.
It would be foolish not to try.
But Jiang Yan shook his head.
"Forgive me. I will always be a disciple of Mount Shu. Even if Mount Shu exists now in name only, I cannot abandon it.
If even I give it up… Mount Shu will truly be dead."
Zhongli took a sip of tea and said no more—but the thought of recruiting him hadn't left his mind.
Ganyu understood and took over.
"We're not asking you to give up your identity, Jiang Yan. Even with your strength, a stranger in a strange land still needs allies.
Liyue is the strongest and richest nation in Teyvat. If you joined us, you would still be Mount Shu's headmaster.
We could provide manpower and resources to help you rebuild Mount Shu."
Jiang Yan raised a hand, stopping her.
"I appreciate your kindness, but this goes against my beliefs.
Besides… I already know what I must do next."
That caught their attention at once.
"What is it?" Zhongli asked softly.
A blazing light ignited in Jiang Yan's eyes, the heat of it plain to all.
He clenched his fist tightly.
"As long as I live, Mount Shu will not fall!
If its glory is gone—then I will restore it!
I will… reopen Mount Shu's gates, and reclaim its honor!"