Genshin Impact, I'm Slime

The reconstruction of Qingce Village is progressing much faster than that of the weathered Liyue Harbor.

Rather than saying the reconstruction was rapid, it's more accurate to say that this tranquil valley village was preserved almost intact amidst the turmoil.

When the spirit army led by Famas passed through this area, the soldiers who had long since passed away naturally did not need any supplies, and were completely free from any behavior that disturbed civilian homes.

Like a silent undercurrent, they moved quietly through the fields and paths, leaving no trace of the houses, fields, bricks, tiles, grass, or trees in Qingce Village.

Those who remain in the village are mostly elderly people with unsteady steps and ignorant children.

As the leader of the legion, Vikas believed that the heavy cavalry he led was the righteous army of Munata and continued to uphold the ironclad military rules he had upheld during his lifetime.

"Those wearing armor are strictly prohibited from any behavior that disturbs the peace."

Therefore, the soldiers who had returned from the deathly silence with burning souls marched with extreme restraint. The edges of their armor only brushed carefully against the drooping, heavy golden ears of rice. Their steps remained orderly in the middle of the road, and they never stepped into any quiet courtyard enclosed by bamboo fences.

The peace and tranquility of this land have been respected to the greatest extent.

So when Famas' army left by ship, and the reinforcements from Wangshu Inn and the Thousand Rock Army from Liyue Harbor entered the village, what they saw was not ruins, but an almost intact home.

The villagers who had fled the mountains and forests soon returned to their old houses, which were filled with the scent of firewood, leaning on their canes and leading their grandchildren, treading the familiar paths along the fields.

The door was pushed open, the dust was not thick, and the traces of life seemed to have been only briefly paused.

The tranquility and peace of Qingce Village today seem as if it has never been disturbed by the flames of war.

The watchtowers that the Vikas Legion had destroyed have been rebuilt, their new wood gleaming in the sunlight.

Those Thousand Rock Army soldiers who died on this land returned from Wuwangpo once again, gripping their spears tightly to protect their homeland.

Jinglun, dressed in the uniform of the Qianyan Army, is standing atop the brand-new watchtower.

He carefully, almost reverently, wiped the brass horn used for warning, feeling the coolness and smoothness of the metal with his fingertips.

Jinglun hung the horn firmly in the most conspicuous position of the sentry post, then straightened his back and stood on the sentry post like a pine tree, his gaze fixed on the distant layered mountains and the horizon.

Sunlight fell on the gleaming bugle, reflecting a dazzling light.

Jinglun was the Qianyan Army officer who had once knelt on the mountain path beside the watchtower, holding a broken halberd and fighting to the death.

Now he has returned from the brink of death, continuing to fulfill his vow to protect Qingce Village.

"Jinglun, it's time for your shift change!"

A-Yang and Yun-Jiang's voices came from below. The two walked up the solid stone steps to the watchtower and saluted Jing-Lun with swift movements.

A-Yang and Yun-Jiang were both warriors who shed their last drop of blood in the fierce battle at the Qingcezhuang outpost.

Now they too are bathed in that power that reverses life and death, and are able to return to the world and don their armor once more.

Although they may not have been the ultimate victors in the end, that did not prevent them from standing again on the land they had sworn to defend.

Jinglun's lips curled into a familiar smile as he returned the greeting with equal solemnity. The three exchanged glances, needing no further words; their bond of life and death was unspoken.

The Qingcezhuang standing patrol squadron consisted of eighteen men, including one officer. Except for Hua Qing and Da Huang, who were on other missions and did not directly face the charge of Munata's cavalry, all the other fallen soldiers were brought back.

Fragments of those memories still occasionally flash through their minds: the last moment before they fell, their burning obsession, the shouts of their comrades—they remain as vivid as yesterday. But the dormant heart in their chests has begun to beat again, flowing with warm blood.

Death has not divided us, but has brought us closer together.

In addition to the returning veterans, the patrol squadron in Qingcezhuang has also been infused with "fresh blood".

Although this new member is no longer considered a newcomer.

"Daddy, Daddy! Tell me another story about how you fought the big sea monster!"

On the terraced paths of Qingce Village, a small figure playfully circled around a Qianyan Army soldier. The soldier, caught in the crossfire, had a serious expression, but a hint of helplessness in his eyes. He lowered his voice and said:

"Little Six, Daddy is on patrol duty. The Qianyan Army has military regulations that mean he can't hold you and tell you stories like he does at home when he's on duty."

"Oh... I understand..."

The little girl named Xiao Liu immediately looked down, like a lost little animal, but she still stubbornly followed her father's patrol steps with her short legs.

The man whom Xiao Liu called "Dad" was from Chiayi. He was once a patrol guard stationed in front of the Feiyun Chamber of Commerce on Feiyun Slope. In the fierce battle of Jiaoyang Liegang, he was pierced through the chest by the claws of a ferocious sea beast and died a heroic death.

It was the power to reverse life and death, along with his deep longing for the young girl Xiao Liu, that pulled him back from the cold land of the dead.

Once the dust settled on the battle at Liyue Harbor and the aftermath was completed, Chiayi did not hesitate at all and immediately submitted a transfer application to Fengyan, the instructor of the Thousand Rock Army, requesting to be transferred from the bustling Scarlet Cloud Slope to the remote Qingce Manor.

Having experienced the cycle of life and death, Chia-Yi finally understood that what was most precious to him was not rising through the ranks in Liyue Harbor and commanding thousands of troops, but returning to his homeland, returning to Xiao-Liu's side, watching his daughter grow up little by little, and protecting her every ordinary sunrise and sunset.

Seeing that his father refused to tell the story of the sea monster, Xiao Liu was sullen for a moment.

But children's attention is always easily drawn to novelty, and a few glass lilies of different shapes on the edge of the terraced fields soon caught her eye.

She pointed to the flowers with her little finger, her voice regaining its vitality:
"Dad, you promised to teach me what a glass lily looks like! Look at those two in front, they look different..."

The little girl's emotions were like the clouds in the mountains, coming and going quickly. Her disappointment was quickly forgotten, and Xiao Liu started chattering and circling around her father again.

This time, Chiayi did not refuse. He stopped and stood on the narrow ridge of the field, his eyes scanning the surroundings sharply.

After confirming that no one was in the distance and that no comrades or civilians would accuse him of neglecting his duties, he bent down with peace of mind, picked up Xiao Liu steadily, and made sure that her little hand could clearly point to the target.

"Come, look at this one."

Chiayi gently pointed to the edge of the petals of one of the glass lilies with her calloused fingers.

"Its petals are more open, and its veins are deeper, like a flowing stream..."

He patiently explained the subtle differences in characteristics between the two glass lilies to his daughter, his deep voice sounding especially gentle in the quiet afternoon.

In this tranquil mountain valley where smoke curls from chimneys and terraced fields resemble a painting, time in Qingce Village seems to flow much more slowly and leisurely than in the bustling port of Liyue Harbor.

Sunlight bathed the father and daughter, casting long shadows that blended into the peaceful landscape protected by the mountains. (End of Chapter)