Much later, after eating his fill, Yi Chen sat on a roadside bench, basking in the warm afternoon sun. His head bobbed like a pecking chick as drowsiness set in.
Just as his eyes were about to close, a faint lotus fragrance and unusual fluctuations in the air approached.
He forced his sleepy eyes open and saw Ganyu returning—
—and beside her was a very eye-catching presence.
A massive, elegant crane.
Its feathers were snow-white, with metallic blue-black tips on its wings and tail. Its posture was regal, eyes sharp with wisdom.
Cloud Retainer.
When her gaze landed on Yi Chen—still half-asleep, dazed and innocent—it softened instantly.
She saw echoes of young Ganyu from long ago.
Such a… worry-inducing little cub.
And his aura—so pure and close, even more naïve than Ganyu had been.
"Little one,"
Cloud Retainer spoke,
"what is your name?"
Yi Chen immediately stood up and bowed properly.
"Hello, Crane Sister. My name is Yi Chen."
That single "Crane Sister" made Cloud Retainer feel blissfully refreshed.
"Mm. Yi Chen. Very polite."
She liked him more the longer she looked.
"Ganyu has told me about your situation. This matter is indeed serious. I will personally report it to Rex Lapis."
She paused, then proposed what she believed was an incredible opportunity.
"Yi Chen, with such a refined bloodline, remaining among mortals is dangerous. Why not follow me to Mt. Aocang for cultivation? A secluded adeptal abode would greatly aid your awakening. Are you willing to cultivate immortality with me?"
Yi Chen shook his head without hesitation.
"No thanks. I came to Liyue to learn how to make money. Cultivation can wait."
Cloud Retainer: "..."
Ganyu: "..." (Here we go again.)
Cloud Retainer's elegant neck stiffened.
Cultivation… inferior to making money?!
Ganyu covered her eyes in pain.
"You seek money over immortality?"
Cloud Retainer struggled to maintain composure.
"If your cultivation succeeds, turning stone into gold would be trivial!"
"Turning stone into gold?!"
Yi Chen's eyes lit up like lanterns.
Cloud Retainer: I was speaking metaphorically!!
Ganyu hurriedly tugged Yi Chen's sleeve.
"Yi Chen! That's not so simple, and it violates heavenly principles—"
Cloud Retainer felt a profound sense of parental frustration.
This child was harder to raise than Ganyu ever was.
"I must learn how to make money!"
Yi Chen declared solemnly.
"Because—"
He smiled brightly.
"—I'm very strong."
Silence.
Cloud Retainer tilted her head.
"How strong? Can you move mountains?"
"I can't do that,"
Yi Chen admitted.
"But I'm really strong. Especially in combat."
"Don't believe me?"
He looked around.
"Let me show you."
They moved to Guili Plains.
Yi Chen warmed up, then opened his eyes—
Mangekyō Sharingan.
"Perfect Susanoo!"
A colossal purple giant manifested.
One slash.
A mountain peak slid cleanly off.
Dead silence.
Yi Chen scratched his head.
"…Uh. I won't have to pay for that, right?"
Cloud Retainer nearly choked.
Pay?
That's what you're worried about?!
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