Genshin Impact's Sweet and Hard Free People

“Is that so? But… I don’t think so.” Simon’s elven ears twitched slightly, and her expression became very playful.

The others were too far away to hear Simon and Xinhui's conversation clearly, but seeing Xinhui chatting and laughing with a deity, they couldn't help but feel amazed and their curiosity about Xinhui grew even stronger.

Immediately afterwards, Simon walked barefoot towards the crowd step by step. Although he no longer had the imposing manner he had before, he still exuded a strange sense of oppression.

Simon smiled and said with his eyes slightly narrowed, "I think we can have a good talk first."

what?

Not to mention the group leader and his group, even Xin Hui found it somewhat unbelievable.

[Simon] Sister, please don't act impulsively!

In fact, Xin Hui and Simon are old acquaintances. They had their first meeting before the formation of the Abyss of Laminaria.

Before the arrival of the "Jade," the area where the Layered Rock Abyss was located could be described as a wasteland, with only a few withered grasses there to signify the existence of life.

[Simon] At that time, she was nurturing the forest there, producing seeds and sowing them, parting the clouds to let the sunlight in, and raising each seedling like a baby.

Meanwhile, Xin Hui was on his way there to observe the changes in life, and the suddenly growing forest naturally caught his attention. It was under these circumstances that he first encountered the delicate young girl who was strolling lightly along the stream in the forest.

After asking her name, I learned that her name was... [Simon]...

Chapter 86 Getting to the Point

"As you can see, I am now merely the remnant will of a 'pillar' god. It's already a miracle that I haven't become the dregs of a demon god. That's why I warned outsiders on the stone tablet, yet you still trespassed into my cave..." Simon said in a nonchalant tone.

"But none of that matters anymore. I perished in that hellish place you call the Sea of ​​Ashes. All these years, no one has spoken to me; I've felt utterly lonely. Perfect timing..."

【Simon】While smiling like a witch, she waved her slender hand, and the wooden vines that had originally wrapped around the cage extended several more vines, forming tables, chairs and other items in the center of the training ground.

What an amazing method!

Looking at Simon's expression, it seemed as if he was telling them to sit down and have a casual chat.

"Please sit down. You can chat with me. I believe it will be a memorable experience." Simon smiled gently, his expression becoming very relaxed as he faced the crowd.

Even though they heard her words, no one dared to move.

Just now, they had summoned the Wood Spirit to make everyone pay a price in blood and tears, and even used the pressure of a god to intimidate them. These things were still fresh in their minds. Therefore, they had to be wary of this somewhat frivolous god.

"Sit down then." Ke Qing's face turned cold, and she said indifferently. Then, she walked with her slender legs to the wooden rattan table and chairs and sat down directly.

Gan Yu followed closely behind and sat down next to Ke Qing, whispering to her, "I'll stay with you."

Inspired by the two of them, the Knights of Favonius mustered their courage and came to the center of the arena. They each found a place to sit down, and the short-haired blonde girl, Ying, pulled Paimon along, trying to protect her behind her.

"Honestly, it seems like they've been threatened by the gods, but it still feels pretty good." Kaiya said with some pride, encouraging everyone while seemingly admiring their hidden courage.

That's right. At times like these, not only should the Liyue Septim not back down or be afraid, but the knights of the Knights of Favonius should also not back down, otherwise they will be ridiculed by their colleagues in the future.

"Oh? You've got guts, haven't you?" Simon over there hadn't expected these people to regain their composure so quickly.

She walked over barefoot but with great elegance, moved gracefully to the wooden rattan table and chairs, sat down slowly, and said, "In that case, let me talk to you first."

"Let me think... Oh, it was about two thousand years ago, after the Seven Gods system was established, I..."

Before Simon could finish speaking, Xin Hui behind her suddenly shouted, interrupting her: "Simon! Don't be impulsive!"

This was his advice, because Xinhui felt that there was no need to reveal everything to these mortals for the sake of momentary pleasure.

However, while his shout did attract Simon's attention, it left others bewildered. And would Simon thank him for the reminder? Clearly not.

Simone merely glanced sideways at Xinhui, her emerald green eyes shimmering with light. Her gaze seemed to want to see through Xinhui's every thought and reveal it bit by bit. This made Xinhui feel uneasy.

Simon didn't speak directly, but first sighed softly, his tone becoming gentle as usual: "How long do you think the secrets of our generation of gods will ever be kept hidden?"

No need for much more, just this one sentence pierced deeply into Xinhui's heart.

That is a rule that is shared by many demons and gods, and it is also a kind of secret and conservative rule that is subtly and gradually established.

To protect their people from the influence of the gods and to spare them from the punishment of the heavens, the demons have, since that time on, subtly concealed the existence of the heavens' power, in order to prevent innocent lives from being affected and destroyed by the heavens.

As a result, later generations never saw the sky, let alone were watched by its gaze. Even those who possessed the Eye of God no longer had the "true qualifications" to compete for godhood.

"Don't forget, none of the people here are the ordinary people you think they are," Simon reminded Xinhui with another sentence.

After thinking about it carefully, Xin Hui realized that it was indeed the case.

Yes, everyone who possesses the Eye of God has been looked upon by the gods. They are all human beings qualified to become gods. Furthermore, the process by which each person obtains the Eye of God is inevitably related to their own experiences.

The Eye of God is a gift from the heavens, a reward from the gods to the worthy. The moment one obtains it, the holder of the Eye of God is no longer an ordinary person. That is why Simon wanted to reveal those secrets to Keqing and the others.

This is the hidden meaning in Simon's words: today, she wants to break that rule.

"Fine, there's nothing I can do about it..." After sensing the sincerity in Simon's eyes, Xin Hui knew he was powerless and could only let her have her way.

Simon seemed to have anticipated this outcome, and chuckled at Xinhui, "It's good that you knew."

What exactly is the relationship between these two?

Kaiya was somewhat stunned. Although he couldn't understand what Xinhui and Simon were talking about, he could tell that their relationship was unusual.

"Lord Diluc, shouldn't these two be meeting for the first time? Why does it feel like an old friend reuniting?" She whispered in the red-haired man's ear, and then put her arm around Diluc's shoulder.

"If you're really too curious, I don't mind if you just ask him directly." Diluc maintained his indifferent attitude.

"..."

This is getting a bit awkward. However, besides Kaeya, Captain Jean also looked puzzled. She could only ask Keqing, who was standing to the side, "Miss Yuhengxing, may I ask... why does this secretary of Tianquan Ningguang seem to have some connection with Queen Musen?"

Ke Qing thought about it briefly at first.

"That's because this secretary is rather special." Ke Qing deliberately avoided her question, because Ke Qing felt that it was most appropriate for Xin Hui to tell his own secrets himself.

Gan Yu and Hu Tao remained silent. That's just how the former is by nature. As for the latter, if it were the old, carefree Hu Tao, she would have immediately revealed Xin Hui's affair. But the current Hu Tao would never do that.

The reason is simple: it involves Xinhui, and Hu Tao knows she can't let Xinhui be affected because of herself.

In fact, Simon had heard Kaiya and the others talking, but she wasn't in a hurry to pay attention. What she wanted to explain to everyone first was how the "Sea of ​​Ashes" was formed.

So she channeled her power and slammed her hand on the wooden rattan table, causing the vibrations to pull everyone back to their senses and draw all their attention to her.

Only then did Simon nod slightly in satisfaction. Now, they could finally get down to business...

Chapter Eighty-Seven Special Rules

That tiny, shimmering sprite was born among several ancient trees that had stood for millennia. From the day of her birth, she, like other wood spirits, carried the will of the forest.

The elf's figure then continued to wander through the forest, nurturing the forest while the forest also nurtured the elf in return.

When she grew to a certain age, she was given the title of Queen of the Wood Forest and entered the ranks of demons.

The elf liked the name very much, so she began to wander through the forests, and wherever she went, plants and trees grew.

Because they felt there were too few forests, they chose to create their own.

This process was not boring for the elf; in fact, it brought him joy.

At first, the elves still needed seeds to carry out the "forest creation project," but as more and more forests were created, the elves learned to combine the power of life and the power of the grass element, thus achieving the miraculous effect of "creation."

With a little practice, she could create forests at will using this power of "creation".

Just as the naive elf created her last forest and wanted to rest, "heavenly fire" descended.

Whether human or god, all appear so small and powerless before the "heavenly fire." The elf could only watch as the forest she had created was devoured by the raging flames.

The lava sea of ​​fire—that was perhaps the sky's punishment for the elves. If the elves did not resist, it was simply that their resistance was so powerless in the face of "heavenly fire."

All she could do was try her best to preserve the last "seed" in her heart.

After that…

No one questioned her existence anymore.

No one will explore that secret anymore.

No one knows this story anymore...

"That sea of ​​fire is the place you call the Sea of ​​Ashes. The palace hidden within it has remained unseen for a thousand years, until recently, when I sensed an unusual wind..."

Xin Hui knew that Simon was telling the story based on her own experience. Based on the "heavenly fire" she mentioned, Xin Hui already understood that Simon's fall from grace was not caused by the war between the demons and gods, but by "divine punishment".

The "Heavenly Fire" has burned for thousands of years in this forest that was originally created by Simon, and Simon's will has also been slumbering in this temple for thousands of years.

Simon is still able to maintain her will and not become a remnant of the demon god, probably because her obsession runs too deep.

"In that case, Queen Musen's experience is truly tragic and lamentable," Paimon said with a sigh, a hint of pity in his eyes. "Trapped in the windless, desolate Sea for a thousand years, to reveal the truth to those who come after..."

If Paimon hadn't been intimidated by Queen Musen's aura and dared not approach, she would have definitely considered touching Simon's forehead to comfort him.

Everyone was moved by Simon and Paimon's words. She was indeed a god worthy of human respect; she was peaceful and unassuming, yet she suffered calamity after creating life.

That's why they found the "heavenly fire" that Simon mentioned incredible.

Where did the "heavenly fire" come from? And why did it fall on Simon?

Therefore, when the chorus leader respectfully inquired about this with Simon, the latter's expression changed from sentimental to serious.

After a moment of silence, Simon used a wooden vine to "tie" Xin Hui over, which startled the latter.

Xin Hui tried to break free, subtly activating the power of the Frost Nail and the Crystal Heart, but he was still firmly bound by the seemingly ordinary wooden vines and could not move.

"Come here." After Simon uttered a soft word, Xin Hui was dragged over by the wooden vine. When Xin Hui was released by the wooden vine and fell to the ground with a thud, he clearly saw the mocking smile in Simon's eyes.

That expression clearly said, "In my territory, once you're in my hands, don't even think about escaping."

"Let this guy tell you about himself first. After all, there are some things I find unbelievable that I need his explanation." Simon let out a soft breath. Seeing that the latter was still hesitating, Simon felt a surge of disappointment.

He only felt relieved after kicking Xinhui twice in anger.

"Can you tell me?"

"But…"

"There's no 'but' about it. Does it have to be that when change comes, these people still don't understand anything for it to be considered good?!"

"..."

This left everyone dumbfounded. The legendary Queen of the Wood Forest, Simon, was actually playing around with a blue-haired boy?