The Lost People of Teyvat

Chapter 175 The White-haired Fairy and the Lantern Riddle

"Have you heard? A Thousand Rocks Army set out from Liyue Harbor this morning!"

"The Qianyan Army is setting out? This is a big deal! How did you know?"

"I have a relative, my third uncle's nephew..."

"Alright, alright, stop talking nonsense!"

Someone interrupted him and said, "The notice board in front of the General Affairs Department posted the information this morning. This time, the Qianyan Army received the news and went to Guiliyuan to suppress the bandits!"

"Return to the original place to suppress the bandits. Yes, it's time to suppress these mountain bandits and robbers."

Someone nodded vigorously, agreeing with what he said, even gritting his teeth: "Last time I was in Aozang Mountain, I ran into a group of treasure thieves. They insisted that I had taken their treasure in advance and told me to return it to them immediately. This is simply outrageous!"

"So you really found the treasure?"

"What a treasure! The treasure map that the treasure-stealing group took was the warehouse route map I drew myself. I don't know how they took it. They found the warehouse that had been abandoned for several years and saw the logo of my caravan. They were determined to think that I had robbed their treasure - these damn beasts are really unreasonable!"

"What happened next? Tell me more about it!"

"Hehe, if I tell you what happened later, you won't believe it, so I'd better not tell you."

"Hey! You! What do you mean by speaking half of your words?"

"That's right. Whether you believe it or not is our business. Just say it!"

After several urgings, a few jokes, and a few flattering words, the man finally spoke with satisfaction, his eyebrows raised as if they were about to fly up, giving people a deep understanding of the true meaning of the phrase "jubilant": "That group of unreasonable treasure-stealing gangs, armed with knives and guns, surrounded me and threatened me, and the result... hey, guess what happened?"

"Guess what! If you have to fart, do it now!"

"Hey! You're so vulgar!"

The man glared and saw that the man with the vulgar words was a sturdy man. He estimated that he could kill him with one punch, so he withdrew his gaze in dismay, cleared his throat, and continued to tell the story: "I'm not afraid to tell you! I was saved by an immortal!"

"She is a ethereal and white-haired fairy!"

The man was excited, and he gestured: "Just three or two moves, I didn't even have time to see clearly or say thank you, the fairy floated away, leaving the treasure-stealing group hugging their arms and legs and wailing!"

"...Disperse, disperse. Another one who has become stupid from reading a storybook."

"That's right, a white-haired fairy... Oh, are you worthy of meeting a white-haired fairy?"

Everyone dispersed in a hurry, some with sarcastic or sour words, and no one wanted to pay attention to the immortal merchant who was not sure whether he was real or not.

Zhongli and Chen Tianfeng, who had been standing aside and watching the whole process, stopped watching the show and walked towards the depths of the night market.

However, regarding the story of the encounter with the immortal, Chen Tianfeng was inclined to believe that it was true. It was because the businessman's left leg was a little unsteady and it was obvious that the injury had not yet fully healed.

White-haired immortal, haha, if the person they met was really that Shen He, it would be normal for the thief and the merchant to have their legs broken - I just don't know whether that person was a merchant or a group of treasure thieves who had turned over a new leaf.

"Liyue's immortal legends are indeed numerous and very popular."

Chen Tianfeng seemed to be a little emotional. He glanced at Zhongli and then said, "If Mr. Zhongli retires, the hearts of the people of Liyue will probably be empty for a long time." There are many legends about immortals in Liyue, but the legend of Lord Yan is almost everywhere in Liyue. The God of Yan founded Liyue, and Liyue walked with the gods. Thousands of years have passed in a hurry. In the hearts of most Liyue people, the Emperor Yan is there and will always be there.

“They’ll have to adapt.”

Zhongli's expression was calm, his golden eyes moving, reflecting the bustling lights of the night market.

It was precisely because there were too many legends about Liyue's immortals and because they were too influenced by the gods that he had the idea of ​​letting go - the future planned by the gods was definitely not what Liyue wanted.

No matter how sad or depressed they are, the people of Liyue will always get out of the trough, and will eventually create a future that belongs to them.

Zhongli collected his thoughts and saw rows of lanterns hanging at the door of a shop in front of him. The lights were particularly bright. Looking closely, he saw lines of small words written on the lanterns. Many people gathered there, and it was quite lively.

"Haha, are you good at guessing riddles?" Zhongli asked with a smile.

"Not really good at it." Chen Tianfeng shook his head at first, refusing to say anything boastful. Then he followed Zhongli naturally and walked towards the lantern riddle venue: "But you can try. It's fun whether you get it right or not."

As we got closer, we realized that this store was actually a restaurant, a small three-story building. The third floor was designed like a pavilion, with a wide view, and you can have a panoramic view of the entire night market street with bright lights.

The waiters in the restaurant smiled warmly, said some flattering words, and were either standing at a fixed post or walking back and forth, all busy.

The one reading the riddles under the rows of lanterns was a woman in a gorgeous dress with a delicate face and a soft look. When the lights were on, her face was as rosy as a peach blossom and she smiled sweetly. A servant stood beside her, and it seemed that he should explain the meaning of the riddles and the mystery behind them to everyone after the woman finished reading them and gave the answers.

Chen Tianfeng watched from the side for a while and roughly understood the rules.

This restaurant has a rule since its ancestors. At the beginning of each month when the night market opens, lanterns are placed in front of the door and guests are invited to guess riddles. If a guest answers three riddles in a row, the restaurant will give him a pot of good wine, respectfully invite him to the third floor, and give him a discount.

If you can’t answer, it’s okay, you can also go to the first and second floors of the restaurant, where there are also discounts and offers.

It is said that more than a hundred years ago, during a Lantern Festival, Lord Yan once used an incarnation to answer riddles. Lord Yan answered all the riddles in a row, which made the store owner so amazed that he immediately invited him to the third floor and gave him free wine and food without asking for any money. He also accompanied him in person and they had a great chat.

Unfortunately, the shop owner had mortal eyes, and only realized that he had encountered a god after the Rock Prince left and performed a miracle.

The shop owner at that time thought that it was the gods who were attracted by the lantern riddles activity in his restaurant, so he slammed the table and left behind the tradition of displaying lanterns and guessing lantern riddles at the beginning of each month.

Chen Tianfeng looked at Zhongli with curiosity in his eyes. Zhongli thought about it carefully and shook his head gently.

I understand. That is, the store owner from a hundred years ago was very secretive, but a pair of wise eyes could actually see the future a hundred years later...

Chen Tianfeng smiled, waited patiently, and found a time when no one was guessing the riddles. Then he stepped forward and bowed: "I want to try the riddles, too. Sorry to bother you, young lady."

"You are too polite, sir."

The woman in gorgeous attire bowed hastily in return of the greeting, and picked up a lantern from the shelf and asked the servant to take it down.

"Listen carefully, sir. This is the first dish."

She held the lantern and whispered, "It doesn't need to be cut into a phoenix pipe, nor cut into a fishing rod. After the flowers and grass have withered, they will be left to be seen in the falling snow."

(End of this chapter)