Having experienced an unusually violent natural disaster, Chenyu Vale was no longer its former verdant and tranquil self.
Thick layers of yellow-brown silt piled up in the low-lying areas, the surface emitting a fishy stench. Mixed within were broken branches, crushed rocks, damaged furniture, and even the carcasses of drowned livestock, all of which required laborious removal, spade by spade.
The walls of many houses near the water had been soaked until they tilted or collapsed entirely, with water weeds hanging from the exposed beams.
The tea fields were the hardest hit areas. Large swathes of tea trees near the riverbanks had been uprooted or completely submerged. Even the survivors were mostly crooked and toppled, their leaves plastered with mud, their vitality dim.
The reconstruction work was heavy and tedious.
Soldiers of the Millelith worked alongside the people of the vale. First, using simple tools and their bare hands, they cleared the silt from the main roads and settlements. Then, military craftsmen and experienced elders from the valley guided the young men in reinforcing salvageable housing structures and assessing dangerous buildings for demolition. Medicinal herbs and clean drinking water were distributed with priority to prevent post-disaster epidemics. Meanwhile, women and children gathered on relatively safe high ground to clean and dry clothes and bedding that had been salvaged from the flood and were not yet completely ruined.
Everyone was covered in mud, their faces exhausted, yet their eyes held the resilience of survivors and an urgent hope to rebuild their homes.
Columbina was very quiet during this time, helping silently with her actions. She used her gradually recovering strength to help lift heavy broken beams that ordinary people could not move; she manipulated air currents to create weak breezes, blowing away the flies gathering on rotting matter; and she would hand out clear water when people rested.
In her understanding, helping Fujin and Changsheng tidy up this land they loved so deeply was like helping two sleeping friends fulfill their unfinished wishes—a form of silent consolation.
Watching people support one another, seeing the light rekindle in their eyes, the hollow feeling in her heart caused by the departure of her friends seemed to be filled just a little.
At first, the people of Chenyu Vale, having just experienced the chaos of war and the betrayal of an Archon, still held some reservations toward the Millelith, whom they had once viewed as both enemies and friends. However, when the Millelith soldiers rolled up their sleeves and jumped into the knee-deep silt to help clean, shared their limited dry rations with the elderly and children who had lost their homes, and used their solid arms to carry injured villagers to safety, that thin layer of ice began to quietly melt.
Silent confrontation was gradually replaced by low-voiced guidance and simple expressions of gratitude. After a few days, although they were far from being intimate, a tacit understanding and trust had begun to sprout between the two sides.
During this period, the Millelith general also brought an official notice from Liyue.
First, it informed them that upon learning of the changes in Chenyu Vale, a supporting Adeptus dispatched by Liyue was already on the way and would arrive shortly to preside over subsequent matters, assist in stabilizing the land and water, and guard against post-disaster anomalies.
Second, it announced the resolution regarding the affiliation of Chenyu Vale: This disaster originated from the local Archon going mad and losing control, triggering the flood. Fortunately, Rex Lapis perceived the disturbance and intervened in time, suppressing the evil with supreme divine power to save the common people. To prevent this place from falling into leaderless chaos again, effective immediately, Chenyu Vale is formally incorporated into the territory of Liyue, protected by Liyue's laws and the blessings of Rex Lapis. The Millelith will be stationed temporarily to maintain order until the administrative handover is complete.
As the news spread, the villagers' reactions were complex. Some, hearing that the Lord of Geo had intervened, showed gratitude and awe, feeling they finally had a powerful reliance. Others felt desolate and helpless at the characterization of the "Archon's madness," shedding silent tears. The majority chose silent acceptance, burying their doubts and grief deep in their hearts and pouring all their energy into the reconstruction work before them.
...
In the past few days, the people of Chenyu Vale, grateful to the two "foreign adepti" for delivering the message during the crisis and working tirelessly to help after the disaster, spontaneously gathered many gifts of thanks.
Most were fine tea leaves that families had treasured and saved from the flood, as well as carefully made, long-lasting pastries, or some homemade cured meat. The gifts filled more than a dozen large wooden crates.
Coppelia looked at this mountain of gifts with a headache. The tea leaves and cured meat were fine; they were easy to store and carry. But those pastries... her mechanical body could not consume them, and carrying them was simply a burden. She tried to decline several times, claiming the credit was not hers, but the simple and honest villagers were resolute, practically forcing the items upon her. The sincere gratitude in their eyes made it difficult for her to refuse firmly.
Helpless, she had to turn her attention to Columbina.
"There's still a lot of flour-based food left," she said, pointing to the boxes filled with cakes and pastries, attempting to negotiate. "How about... you make an effort and eat it all? If you don't eat it, it really will go bad."
Hearing this, Columbina subconsciously touched her small belly, which had become somewhat round from being fed with gratitude over the past few days. She looked troubled and shook her head repeatedly, her voice growing weak:
"I can't eat anymore... I can't eat another bite."
The two had no choice but to stay in the valley for a few more days, "assisting" with the cleanup while "struggling" to consume the mountainous gifts, all while waiting for the Adeptus from Liyue to arrive for the takeover.
...
Several days later, the two arrived at a tea plantation on higher ground to rest. The scene here was starkly different from the valley bottom.
The tea trees before them did not seem to have withered from the lack of care over the past few days; instead, they presented an abnormally vigorous state.
The newly sprouted tender buds were no longer the usual emerald green; their tips faintly shimmered with a layer of warm, jade-like pale gold luster. The leaves also appeared exceptionally thick and full, their veins clearly visible in the sunlight. Even some old leaves had shed their dullness, presenting an oily deep green. The entire tea mountain was permeated with a strange tea fragrance that was fresher and more mellow than before. It seemed as if some power within the mountains and rivers had been infused into them.
Columbina sensed something and looked up at the sky, extending her finger:
"Look, there's a big green bird over there... Is that the Adeptus we're waiting for?"
Having traveled in a hurry when they went to Liyue for help previously, she had not met this Adeptus.
Coppelia looked in the direction she pointed and saw an elegant, cyan crane surrounded by an adeptal aura. It was spreading its wings, gliding toward the slope where they stood with grace and composure.
As the crane flew closer and its form became clear, Coppelia involuntarily took half a step back.
Although Columbina didn't understand why, seeing her companion retreat, she subconsciously backed away as well, making more room for the arrival to land.
The cyan crane landed precisely on the slope in front of them. When its massive wings folded, they surprisingly didn't stir up a speck of dust; even the surrounding grass blades only nodded slightly.
Coppelia composed herself, took a step forward, and, mimicking the etiquette of ancients in her memory, cupped her hands in a bow:
"We have been waiting for a long time. Forgive us for not welcoming you sooner, and we hope Cloud Retainer will be lenient."
Cloud Retainer's eyes swept over the two, lingering on Coppelia for a few extra moments, and spoke directly:
"If you have something to say, just step forward and say it. There is no need for such empty formalities."
Columbina walked forward a few steps as instructed. Coppelia, however, hesitated slightly.
Seeing this, Cloud Retainer seemed to let out a light chuckle:
"Heh, what are you afraid of? One isn't going to dismantle you."
____
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