Having Met You, My Heart is Gladdened

It should be just up ahead, right?

There you are!

Wah! Hu Tao, don't pop out like that... Wait, everyone's here?

Of course! We said we'd lend a hand, and lend a hand we shall! Sadly, Xiangling and Gaming couldn't make it. One's busy over at the food street, and the other's still out on an escort job.

But never fear! With yours truly, Lan Yan, and Chongyun on the case, the finest talents from Liyue's three great traditions of the mystic arts have joined forces. Safer hands you could not find!

Three great traditions of the mystic arts? Since when have we called them that?

Since just now! It sounded impressive, so I decided to make it official.

Pay me no mind. In accordance with the Ministry of Civil Affairs' arrangements, and now that yesterday's battle report has been submitted, I am merely a humble swordsman serving under Master Chongyun.

I never asked for that...

So, Lan Yan, how can we help?

Well... if Grandmaster can meet Silverwing as he hoped, then you may not need to do anything at all. But...

For now, please wait somewhere nearby. If we do need your help, I'll come and let everyone know.

Swallows nest when skies are fair, but hide when storms are in the air.

Hmm? Lan Yan, were you just singing about swallows?

Hehe, I was only reciting a few lines from an old nursery rhyme.

The elders also taught me an old mountain folk song about swallows. They say that Chenyu Vale was still filled with them when it was first sung. But now...

You must really want to see those birdies come back... Oh! Did that give you any ideas about the mystic art you were looking into before?

As a matter of fact, I was trying something out a moment ago. Grandmaster's story the other day gave me an idea.

His art was meant to see the swallows off, while the art I'm studying is meant to welcome them home. Their purposes may be different, but perhaps they are two forms of the same art.

That seems very possible...

Wait, isn't that a huge deal? No one even taught you, but you still managed to rediscover your Grandmaster's secret art all by yourself!

I wouldn't say I've rediscovered it. I still can't work out what's preventing it from taking effect.

Even Grandmaster needed Silverwing's help to weave the art together with the adeptal energy carried by the swallows. I had hoped I might accomplish the same thing on my own, but...

Well, there's no use dwelling on it. I can still help Grandmaster fulfill his wish, and that's something worth being happy about.

Hehe, that's Lan Yan for you! You never let yourself stay tangled up in your worries for long.

Ah, there you are, Lan Yan.

Uncle?

Huh? And who might this be?

Let me introduce you. This is my uncle, the head of the Lan clan.

No need to introduce your friends. I've heard quite a bit about both of them.

Uncle, I thought you were still assisting with the Millelith's operation. How did you manage to get away?

A few days ago, a group of capable young people devised a clever plan and cleared out every evil spirit between Wangshu Inn and Stone Gate in one fell swoop. Thanks to them, I was able to spare the time to come back.

Hehe...

What surprises me more is seeing you take an interest in clan affairs, Lan Yan. Why don't you tell me what's going on?

Then you've arrived right on time. There are a few things I should tell you.

...I see. So that's what happened.

Grandmaster made a point of saying he didn't want a whole crowd of clan elders fussing over him.

Haha... Then it seems our Grandmaster isn't too far removed from the man the old tales describe.

Uncle, could you tell us more about him?

When I was little, the elders often spoke of his exploits as one of the Eight Adepts, but they rarely mentioned what became of him afterward.

You're wondering how he came to be connected with the Lan clan, aren't you?

Exactly! Paimon wants to know too!

So do I.

The truth is, he remained unmarried all his life. The modern Lan clan descends from his two brothers, one older, one younger. Heh... So "Grandmaster" does indeed suit him better than "ancestor."

In his youth, he traveled far and wide, with little interest in worldly affairs. It was only in his later years that he began to miss the mountains and rivers of this region and wonder what he might leave behind.

That was what brought him home. He taught our forebears everything he had learned, holding nothing back. They were his own brothers, and gifted practitioners in their own right. In time, they succeeded in carrying on his legacy.

Even so, he never lost his easygoing nature. He would never force a clan member to study if they had no interest, nor would he turn away an outsider who sincerely wished to learn.

The Lan clan has carried something of that spirit ever since.

So his teachings were never meant for the clan alone...

For someone who always acted like he didn't care about anything, he really did care about Liyue, huh?

Perhaps that also explains why he made his promise to the adeptus... Come to think of it, the elders told me a rather peculiar story when I was a child.

After the Lan clan rose to prominence in Chenyu Vale, a strange man would occasionally appear in Yilong Wharf during the Moonchase Festival. He would wander the streets, questioning everyone he met.

At first, he introduced himself as our Grandmaster. Later, he could no longer even remember who he was.

No one could predict when he would appear, and some years, he did not come at all. Then, the moment the Moonchase Festival ended, he would vanish once more.

Since the clan could rarely make contact with him, the story eventually came to be regarded as little more than a local anecdote.

Wait... So...

So this isn't the first time the Grandmaster has awakened?

No, it should not be... If this puppet was created to keep his appointment, then it was by design that he would awaken once every Moonchase Festival.

Of course, the art would gradually weaken. As the years passed, the intervals between awakenings grew longer, until eventually, the puppet might awaken only once in many years.

Even so, there should have been many awakenings before this one. Yet not once did he fulfill his promise... Something about that does not add up.

If the art has already awakened Grandmaster so many times, then it can't have much strength left, can it?

No. In truth, it is no small wonder that it has endured this long.

Which means, if we don't undo it tonight...

...Uncle, we need to leave at once.

Go, then. And remember, should you need help, you can always come to me.

You've arrived. This old man was merely sitting here, admiring the moon.

Grandmaster, we've come to help.

There is nothing to be done. I need only wait for her to arrive.

But if all you do is wait, Silverwing may never know you're here. You've missed your meeting by so long... She may not even know you've returned. We need to send her some kind of signal.

You're right. The moment I entered this pavilion, my thoughts began to wander. For an instant, it felt just as it did long ago...

There was a method we once used. Whenever I wished to call for her, I would conjure the pattern of a swallow upon the surface of the water.

The pattern carried a trace of her adeptal power. She would sense it and seek me out.

Then let me do it, Grandmaster. Your soul is still unstable, so you mustn't use mystic arts recklessly.

And we're here too!

Very well, then... The art itself is not especially difficult. You need only indulge me as I explain the method.

That won't be any trouble at all. I'd be honored to learn it!

Grandmaster said there should still be traces of Silverwing's adeptal energy nearby. First, we'll need to gather them.

Then we can channel the energy onto the lake and make the pattern appear.

The wind follows the bird, the bird follows the moon. The moon shines in one's cup, and one sip becomes a tune.

Freshly composed, straight from the heart! So, what do you think?

You have this old man's sincere thanks.

So, are we all set?

Everything's ready. Now, all we can do is wait.

I can hardly wait to see what the legendary Silverwing is like.

I'm curious to see what happens when the art takes effect, too.

We'll just have to wait and see...

*yawn*

...Huh?

Everyone, wake up! It's morning already!

When the sun's out, bathe in sunlight... Wait, that's not right. Where'd the moon go?

Just how long were we waiting last night?

Don't tell me we all fell asleep...

Where's Lan Yan?

She's over there!

*cough*

So, what happened last night?

She never came... *cough*

Oh...

Then we'll try again tonight! And if tonight doesn't work, there's always next year's Moonchase Festival.

There won't be a next year. The technique sustaining Grandmaster has already reached its limit. At this rate, it might not last even a few days.

Then... what are we going to do?

This would make for a poor ending... Could we not seek out Silverwing ourselves?

Adepti aren't exactly easy to track down. They tend to appear and disappear without a trace.

Come to think of it, Xingqiu took me to the World Food Fair yesterday, and we ran into my aunt while she was helping out.

She mentioned that Liyue's adepti would be gathering at Mt. Aocang today. Since this concerns an adeptus, perhaps we should ask them directly.

I can't leave. I need to stay here and help stabilize Grandmaster's lingering soul.

That's all right! Traveler and Paimon can handle Mt. Aocang. We're old friends with the adepti!

Thank you both. Director Hu, Chongyun, could the two of you stay here as well? Keeping his soul stable is becoming more than I can manage by myself...

You only had to ask.

We should hurry, too.

Right! Let's get going!

Hmm... *sigh*

Streetward Rambler has only just served us such fine tea. What cause have you for lamentation?

Surely none present need reminding. At this time of year, evil spirits across Liyue grow especially restless.

This is hardly cause for concern. The Ministry of Civil Affairs made preparations well in advance, dispatching the Millelith and enlisting thaumaturges from among the people. The matter has been settled without need for adeptal intervention.

And therein lies the cause of one's sigh. In days past, whenever calamity befell the common folk, we adepti would invariably be called upon.

Now, under mortal stewardship, Liyue enjoys peace and security. We may sit here at our leisure, sharing tea among old friends. One finds great comfort in this, yet cannot entirely dispel a curious sense of solitude.

Moon Carver and I have gone to the trouble of coming here to keep you company. Why, then, do you remain so downcast?

Your presence has merely made the occasion twice as noisy.

Show some consideration. Both of her disciples have been greatly occupied these past few days, one at the Ministry of Civil Affairs and the other at Yilong Wharf. It is doubtful that either has found the time to visit her.

Did she not recently take on another disciple?

Even that disciple is nearing the time to venture forth and train alone. She cannot remain by her master's side forever.

That is true... Cloud Retainer, if you wish to make your solitary days pass more pleasantly, you would do well to cultivate interests beyond the mechanical arts.

Gardening would be a worthy pursuit. With such clear waters and majestic peaks surrounding your abode, the grounds would be well-suited to several nursery plots.

Insolence! Mountain Shaper, would you once again presume to plant mint upon one's grounds!?

Haha... This quarrel over mint may have begun only in recent years, but the way these three old friends bicker has hardly changed in a century.

Across Liyue's long history, many things in this world have followed much the same course.

Morax, would an adeptus blessed by you truly be considered presumptuous for planting mint?

...I am ashamed to admit that, for once, I have no ready answer.

Zhongli! And all the adepti are here too... What a relief!

Traveler? Paimon? One presumes you have come to pay a festival visit?

Erm... actually, we're here on urgent business! Do any of you know Silverwing?

You mean the Jade-Plumed Silverwing? Let me guess... This matter concerns Mad Lan.

He wants to meet her.

So he does. I knew attending the festival alone could not have driven him to such extremes.

Zibai, do you know where Silverwing is now?

I cannot say... I recall only that she once roamed the mountains and rivers alongside Mad Lan, and that tales of their companionship were fondly remembered. As for what came after, I know little.

When the affair at Tao Dou came to an end, my Third Deadly Self did not remain with the other Eight Adepts, but wandered elsewhere.

Oh...

Speaking of Silverwing, our acquaintance with her began through a chance encounter.

I recall that the war between Rex Lapis and the other gods had yet to reach its end. Like us, she devoted her strength to protecting the people.

Yet sometime thereafter, all contact with her was suddenly lost... Even so, while soaring above the mountains, one would occasionally glimpse flocks of swallows. Their presence offered some small peace of mind. So long as they remained, one could trust that she was well.

If an old acquaintance seeks her, then naturally, we should offer whatever aid we can. Alas... I, too, know nothing of her present whereabouts.

It should have been possible to reach her through the swallows. And yet, every swallow I have seen has been hurrying onward, unwilling to linger. As for why, I cannot say...

Had we been able to contact her, we surely would have invited her to join this gathering.

How curious... Why would Mad Lan be asking us where she has gone?

So even the adepti don't know where she is?

How much time does the Wind Reader have left?

This Moonchase Festival is his last chance. If he doesn't get to see Silverwing this time...

I suppose I am aware of the... "whereabouts" of that Silverwing, though it is not a matter so simply explained.

I knew you'd know! We really need to find her as soon as possible!

Allow me to start from the beginning...

Everyone's here!

How's your grandmaster holding up, Lan Yan?

Thanks to everyone's help, I managed to stabilize his remnant soul. He really needs to rest, so I had my uncle get a guest room ready, and he's resting there now.

Come on, tell us! Did you find any sign of Silverwing?

Well...

So that's how it ended... *sigh*...

If that's the case... doesn't that mean the seal on your grandmaster can never be lifted?

We are getting ahead of ourselves. First and foremost... how are we to break the news to him?

Actually... this is not the first time Grandmaster has awoken. Over the past thousand years, he has awakened many times, only...

I'm afraid he realized long ago that Silverwing would never return to keep her promise. He must have been so deeply distraught that he could barely hold his remnant soul together.

And so, he had no choice but to harness the soul-binding technique to force himself to forget her unkept promise. He went back to sleep, hoping things might turn around in the coming year.

Lan Yan, you said his soul-binding technique has already reached its limit. If he goes through this again, wouldn't he...

Then it seems there's only one way forward...

Whether it's telling him the truth or lifting the seal on him, I want to give it a try!

Lan Yan...

Actually, back when our clan elders were attending to their duties — all while I stayed at home without a care in the world, I couldn't help but wonder... was it truly right for me to do nothing?

I was merely a playful child then, and all I held dear was the grassy hill where I flew my kites.

Yet now, I suddenly realize... what I cherish and the convictions our elders hold while bearing their heavy burdens... stem from the very same heart.

It was simply that I had yet to find a "responsibility" of my own.

I want the swallows to return and build their nests. I want Grandmaster to find closure for his regrets. And above all... I want our elders, hard at work far from home during the festival, to be reunited with their families.

This is what I want to do... and what I must do.

Sounds like you have a plan in mind, Lan Yan. Whatever you need from us, let us know.

Yep, don't hesitate! We've got your back, one and all!

Then I'll be counting on you all again.

A promise left unfulfilled for a thousand years, and a long-awaited reunion... Now that would make for a compelling tale.

A mystic art capable of reaching across all of Liyue... It must be incredibly powerful. I'd like to learn it.

*sigh* You've completely missed the point.

You're one to talk.

Grandmaster... I knew I would find you here.

Earlier today, you said the spell on me is nearing its limit, right?

Indeed.

There is no need for such hesitation. You could have told me sooner. I have long sensed it myself.

I never intended to use this technique to seek eternity. Perhaps... I simply couldn't bear the thought of her standing vigil through the night and returning home in sorrow.

My only wish was to see her one last time, to bid her a proper farewell. That way... I would not be the one who broke our promise, would I?

Grandmaster... what if the one who failed to keep that promise... wasn't you?

What do you mean?

Please, allow me to explain...

...And that was what became of Silverwing.

So... I was not the one who failed her? It was not me after all...? *cough, cough*...

It seems this old soul was never meant to find relief... A fitting end for a fool bound by delusion.

But that's not how this should end!

Why go to such lengths for my sake? What is the use?

Grandmaster, you taught us to be like birds... but the bird I love most is the swallow.

Even when they can fly into the sky, they always return with mud and grass in their beaks, weaving something of their own. That's how swallows are.

I don't believe this is how your story should end. So with what little I've learned, I want to give my all to bring closure to these two tragic regrets.

This is...

With your guidance and my friends' help, I finally realized what my technique was lacking.

The "evil-dispelling technique" that every Liyue thaumaturge learns today... It was once a supreme technique known to you alone.

The Lan clan carried on your ideal and never turned away thaumaturges of other clans and kindreds who came seeking knowledge.

The technique you and Silverwing crafted together has long since been recast across all of Liyue in a different way.

And this technique I've recreated... consider it my farewell performance for you.

Is he gone?

Now that the spell is complete, I was able to lift the seal binding him. Grandmaster's remnant soul should have returned to the Ley Lines by now.

So... did he finally get his wish?

I hope so.

You knew what was going on with Mad Lan all along, didn't you? Why let them go through all of this?

I did endeavor to tell him of Silverwing. Yet he could never let go, and so it went on for many years, until his candle was nearly spent.

Yet with new faces arriving this year, I felt they might bring a turn for the better.

Fair enough. At least he has finally found peace.

And now... how do you view this old friend of yours?

Now that I think about it... he really was quite a rare character.

Watch out, there are monsters in the way.

The monsters are disrupting the mechanism. We'll have to clear them out before we can use it.

All right, Lan Yan. What do you need us to do?

Is it related to the mystic arts? You usually have a clever solution in mind.

I'm no thaumaturge, but if you require my help, you need only say the word.

Thank you. Let me tend to Grandmaster first, then I'll explain everything.

Silverwing is an adeptus born from the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. The swallows soaring above were her living embodiments, as well as the very wellspring of her power.

During the Archon War, the journey from Chenyu Vale to Guyun Stone Forest was treacherous beyond measure. Though her flocks could cross that distance, many were bound to perish along the way.

Finally... Liyue Harbor. Just one last stretch...

Indeed. Yet she never once halted.

Silverwing...

Still, as an adeptus, she was not without options.

Given time to rest, the swallow flocks would breed and multiply, restoring their numbers. In doing so, Silverwing's adeptal power would be fully restored.

This is precisely what she relies upon to brave such perilous paths.

It's time to head back... He waits for me still. Once I return, I'll have the swallows mend our nests in Chenyu Vale...

What a relief!

At first, Silverwing noticed nothing amiss.

At first?

In those days, the great war dragged on, seemingly without end.

Her arduous journey had already spanned several decades.

Must return... Go... fly north... to see him...

Only this way... can I...

Something seems wrong with Silverwing...

As I mentioned before, these swallow flocks are her manifestations. When swallows perished along the way, what was lost was not merely adeptal power, but her very mind and memories.

Newly born swallows could replenish her adeptal power, but they could never restore the lost pieces of her mind.

What...? Did she still keep going despite that?

Was it to honor her promise to an old companion? Or because she could not turn her back on the people plagued by evil spirits? Whatever the reason... she did not stop.

In the end...

Silverwing...

...

When the great war finally came to an end, peace descended upon Liyue.

But by then, the swallows had already forgotten the promise they had made to the mortal. They had forgotten that Chenyu Vale was their home... They had even forgotten how to settle and build their nests.

They simply flew back and forth across Liyue out of lingering instinct — always in haste, rarely alighting, and seldom seen by mortal eyes.

So in the end, Silverwing...

Perished? Not quite. So long as swallows fly in Liyue, Silverwing has not truly departed. It is only that...

As an ancient philosopher once pondered—

A crew of sailors felled fine timber, constructed a new vessel, and set sail into the open sea.

Yet the wind and waves at sea were fierce, damaging the hull time and again. And so, whenever they docked, the sailors bought new wood to repair what was broken.

Deck, railings, masts, sails... piece by piece, every part of the ship was replaced in turn. By the time it returned to its home port, virtually none of the original timber remained.

Can it truly be said, then, that the ship returning to port is the same vessel that once departed?

Uh... this is way too deep for Paimon...

And so, you now know of Silverwing's true "whereabouts." The swallows return year after year, but they are no longer the swallows of years gone by.

To think that this is how the Jade-Plumed Silverwing's tale ended...

In ancient times, Liyue's poets often wrote of swallows returning while old friends were gone, lamenting the relentless passage of time.

Yet a mortal's fleeting lifespan is not even time's most cruel edge. Before the endless march of years, even adepti often fail to uphold a long-standing promise.

Then... what will happen to the swallows of Liyue in the end?

Given time, a new consciousness will likely emerge from the flock. However, as with the question I posed earlier...

Would the Wind Reader accept that new mind as the very same Silverwing who once roamed the mountains and rivers by his side?

Paimon... Paimon doesn't really know what to say.

"Blossoms fall, sigh as we may; Swallows return, as from yesterday." Yet... It is but familiar echoes that return.

As one sees it, whether he learns the truth or remains in the dark, neither path offers true closure. They are simply two different forms of regret.

Yet precisely because of that, you are all the freer to proceed as you see fit. Should you act with enough sincerity, finding some manner of closure within those two regrets is not entirely impossible.

There is no need to leave this decision in our hands.

Yeah. Let's head back and find Lan Yan.

Ah! The story of Silverwing... somehow brings back memories of so many old friends.

Streetward Rambler, you have dwelled in the mortal realm for far too long. You have grown far too steeped in mortal sentiment and started grieving over every passing season.

Which is why I say, try your hand at gardening! Carve out a plot... cultivate a few seedlings...

See? There the two of them go again, adding to the din.

Is this what "time" truly means in the mortal realm?

And your thoughts on the matter?

Better this than that cold, lonely eternity up on the moon.

So... after all...

The next part should complete the pattern.

We'll continue when you're ready.

Once we've gathered the energy, use this sigil to channel the energy onto the lake.

It should be around here somewhere...

"Through autumn skies, the windborne silverwing chases the moon"...

Why don't we go find Lan Yan and the others first?

This should be the last one. Let's activate the mechanism.

That's one section of the pattern revealed! Let's move on to the next.

Which part of the swallow is that supposed to be?

There. We've revealed this section too.

Paimon can make it out now... Are those the wings?

That should reveal the entire pattern.

There it is! It's a swallow!

At the sight of thee, how my heart doth sing...

...Oh, to soar the wind on a silver wing.

Back when I made that promise, I don't think it was for my nation's sake.

A free spirit like me? I just longed for her gaze.

But at some point along the way, the landscape reflected in her eyes became another thing I held dear.

I feared this scenery might fade from her eyes, leaving her only grief and sorrow.

I couldn't bear the thought, couldn't let go... Even though it led me to the state I'm in now.

But I've always known... nothing lasts forever...

I never once imagined that, a thousand years on, this humble tea stand would once again bring together such a group of young talents.

Just like us back then, raising blades to purge evil.

Protecting this beautiful land, just as she wished.

I was a fool to worry so much. In Liyue... things have always been this way.

Moonlight beckons, swallows fly, basking in the endless sky.

You need not be like us... May you walk your own path.