"Guoba, bad!"
"Didn't I tell you not to do this outside?"
Xiangling looked distressed. She knew all too well the feeling of wanting to eat something but not being able to.
"Lu Lu~"
However, Guoba didn't take Xiangling's words seriously at all, still looking at the food on the table with a playful smile.
"Sigh... forget it, Xiangling. It's just one dish anyway." Keqing sighed.
Although it was a pity not to eat the Golden Shrimp Balls, there was no need to ruin her relationship with Guoba over such a small matter.
"How can that be? Wanting to eat something but not being able to is a big blow to a person." Xiangling shook her head.
"When we go back, I'll make you another one!"
Seeing this, Keqing found it hard to refuse and could only agree: "Then... alright."
"That's more like it, Keqing. Is there anything you'd like to eat?"
"Now that you mention it, there is something. I have a recipe at home that has been passed down from my ancestors. How about we make that?"
"Oh, yes, yes, it's a new recipe!"
Xiangling seemed a bit excited. A chef discovering a new recipe is just like a scientist discovering a new theory!
The group quickly finished their meal. At the same time, Shiki and Ayaka also returned to Sangenjaya.
"Waiter, where are the seats we reserved earlier?"
"They're ready for you inside, please come in, ladies."
The waiter led the two to their previous table, where a steaming pot of Longjing tea was placed.
"As you requested, we've prepared excellent Longjing tea transported from Qiaoying Village. Do you need anything else?"
'Qiaoying Village?'
Shiki paused slightly at the unfamiliar place name. Is there such a place in Liyue?
"That's all for now, but tell me about Qiaoying Village."
Shiki said, pulling out some Mora from her sleeve. The waiter's eyes immediately lit up. As expected of a Young Miss from a foreign country, he could get Mora just for introducing a place name.
"Hehe, no problem, no problem!" The waiter quickly took the Mora, then cleared his throat and said, "Qiaoying Village is located in the northwest of Liyue, and it's a place specializing in tea production."
"Good tea doesn't necessarily come from Qiaoying Village, but what comes from Qiaoying Village is definitely good tea!"
"Moreover, it's also the most important transportation hub. Many people who go to Sumeru for business have to pass through Qiaoying Village!"
"After all, land is always more reliable than the sea, and transportation costs are also cheaper than by ship."
Shiki thought about it and realized that Qiaoying Village was one of the areas in Liyue that hadn't been released yet.
It was like Mondstadt's Dandelion Sea, but Qiaoying Village's role was more like Stone Gate.
"So, Qiaoying Village is somewhat similar to Stone Gate."
"You're right, Stone Gate connects Mondstadt and Liyue, while Qiaoying Village connects Sumeru."
"However, Qiaoying Village is most famous worldwide for its tea, and Liyue is also famous for its Glazed Sand Crystal."
"It's just a pity, it seems something extraordinary was dug up in The Chasm, and now it's all sealed off."
The waiter's expression was very regretful. Every country has its special products, and Liyue is no exception, but now only tea is left.
"By the way, what is Glazed Sand Crystal used for?" Shiki asked.
"Naturally, it's for firing porcelain! Porcelain fired with Glazed Sand Crystal has a vibrant luster completely different from ordinary clay, so the price of this porcelain is also very expensive. My annual salary might not even be enough to buy a teapot!"
"Is that so? Alright, I understand. You can go back to your work."
After dismissing the waiter, Shiki sat in her chair and began to ponder.
In the game, there was very little mention of The Chasm, only that something was dug up that caused miners to fall unconscious, and then it was sealed off to prevent anyone from entering.
Shiki was curious about what exactly was dug up that could cause people to faint. What exactly was hidden beneath The Chasm?
On the continent of Teyvat, there aren't many things that can cause people to faint. The electro archon's residue is one, and the other is the power of the Abyss, which is highly toxic to all living creatures.
Coincidentally, Five hundred years ago, a catastrophe swept across the entire continent, with various Abyssal monsters invading the Seven Nations. Could The Chasm have been the main battlefield at that time?
Hmm, it's very possible.
Inazuma lost Mikoshi Chiyo and Kitsune Saiguu in the catastrophe, while Liyue lost one of the five strongest Adepti Yakshas. This can be learned from the background story of the Millelith artifact set.
After all, Shiki used the HP-stacking Morax build, so she would naturally learn a bit about the background stories of the artifact sets he used.
"What are you thinking about?"
Ayaka's gentle voice sounded by her ear, awakening Shiki from her contemplation.
"I'm wondering what Liyue dug up in The Chasm. I'm a bit curious about it."
"The catastrophe Five hundred years ago swept across the entire continent. I suspect that what Liyue dug up in The Chasm is related to the catastrophe."
"After all, if Liyue could dig it up, then could something similar exist in Inazuma as well?"
This was precisely what Shiki was worried about. No one knew what kind of trouble the Abyssal organization formed by the Khaenri'ah remnants was stirring up.
"Probably not?" Ayaka thought for a moment and said, "Inazuma has always had the Sacred Sakura Tree, which can absorb filth. Our ancestors were able to protect Inazuma with the help of the Sacred Sakura Tree, holding on until the Raiden Shogun's return."
"Wait, 'always'?"
Shiki noticed something. The Sacred Sakura Tree, wasn't it formed from Raiden Makoto?
Then its appearance should have been Five hundred years ago, so why is it said to have existed "always"?
And thinking about it carefully, the Sacred Sakura Cleansing Ritual records didn't seem to state when the Sacred Sakura Tree appeared, only specifying the times of the small and Great Cleansing Rituals.
Shiki had previously leaned towards Inazuma originally having a cherry tree, but not a Sacred Sakura, but rather something similar to the Thunder Divine Sakura in Kannazuka.
It inherently possessed some purification ability, but it wasn't powerful. It was Raiden Makoto who caused it to evolve, transforming into the Sacred Sakura Tree capable of exorcising filth.
But Ayaka said that the Sacred Sakura Tree had existed since ancient times. Doesn't this conflict with Raiden Ei's character voice lines?
"Yes." Ayaka nodded gently. "The Sacred Sakura Tree has stood atop Mt. Yougou since the founding of Inazuma, and its falling cherry blossoms scatter throughout Narukami Island."
"Shiki, how could you forget such basic common knowledge?"
Looking at Ayaka's puzzled expression, Shiki felt her mind in a mess. Was Raiden Ei out of her mind, or was all of Inazuma suffering from mass delusion?
The Grandmaster of Small Talk
...
This strange situation couldn't help but remind Shiki of the Mandela Effect, where the public's collective historical memory doesn't match the actual situation.
Shiki still leaned towards Raiden Ei's memory being the truth, but why Inazuma's populace had a deviation in their perception of the Sacred Sakura Tree was unknown.
'It seems that when I return to Inazuma, it's time to have a good talk with Ei.'
"Perhaps it's because I've been thinking about too many things lately?"
Shiki said softly, feigning nonchalance, but Ayaka still keenly noticed the worry in the Young Miss's eyes, though she didn't bring it up directly at that moment.
Because she knew that there must be some difficulty if the other party did not say it.
And she, in turn, needed to give the girl a certain amount of understanding and tolerance.
Her mother once told her when she was very young that for two people to go on for a long time, they must learn to tolerate each other.
Love also requires mutual effort; if it is only one-sided, it cannot last.
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