The treasure thieves of Teyvat rob Shenhe

Chapter 289 Spring Water Fairy

The origin of Qingquan Town is a legend.

A long, long time ago, there lived a desperate mother and child beside a dry well. The child was seriously ill and was dying. The spring spirit called up the gurgling water from the dry well, which gathered into a spring. The child was miraculously healed in the spring water.

Later, people came to see the blessed spring and even built a settlement around it. Over time, the Qingquan Town was established.

The desperate man was blessed by the elves.

This is not uncommon in Mondstadt. After all, Mondstadt was founded because of the prayers of the Gunhild family and the response of the Thousand Wind Elf Venti.

To give an example, asking the elves for help when encountering difficulties in Mondstadt is like receiving blessings from the immortals in Liyue.

Each has its own characteristics.

According to the content of this legend, it should be warm and healing, so why is it said to be sad?

This has to do with the follow-up.

There is a book passed down from mouth to mouth in Qingquan Town, called "The Heart of Qingquan", which tells the story of a bond trapped in time.

A couple who are in love but cannot be together. One is waiting for the lover to return, while the other is waiting for the lover to give up on him/her.

The moon was bright and the stars were sparse, so Lin Ye and others asked for accommodation.

Fortunately, Qingquan Town is a popular tourist destination and there is a hotel there. I asked the owner and learned that there were only two rooms left.

Lin Ye and Lei Ze shared a room, and Shen He, Noelle, and Kelly shared a room.

The popular plot of men and women staying in the same room does not exist. Lin Ye is not disappointed. There are two rooms left. Even if Lin Ye and Shen He come to Qingquan Town together, they will have to sleep separately in the end.

However, Klee excitedly said that she wanted to have a pillow fight, and Lin Ye heard this.

At night, Lin Ye saw that Lei Ze was not sleepy and was wiping his sword. The other party felt Lin Ye's gaze, thought for a while and said.

"Am I disturbing you?"

"No." Lin Ye shook his head.

What disturbed him was the chirping of mandarin ducks and Kelly's giggling coming from next door.

The soundproofing of this hotel is too poor.

Lin Ye was very melancholy. He was curious whether Shen He would join the pillow fight. Would it be a scene where Shen He had no expression on his face, holding a pillow in each hand, and killing people randomly?

Or did Klee run towards Shen He with a pillow in her hand, yelling that she represented Dudu and could defeat Shen He, and Shen He heard this and knew that Klee was playing and wanted to play too, so he threw the pillow at Klee and sent her flying, causing Klee to look confused?

Alas, it’s late at night and people always love to fantasize.

Lin Ye got up from the bed, Lei Ze took a look, "What's wrong?"

"walk."

"..."

The boss told Lin Ye that he would close the shop in an hour and asked him to come back early. Lin Ye agreed.

The reason why Lin Ye took a walk was, on the one hand, so that he didn't have to endure the laughter from the neighbors, and on the other hand, he remembered that there was a man in Qingquan Town named Hopkins who sold holy water.

This holy water has a great origin. The magical Hopkins guarantees that it is the legendary spring water, which can make people gain the attention of gods and cure all diseases. Anna's brother, who was sick in Mondstadt, was fooled by this.

The origin of the holy water lies in its packaging. It is actually ordinary spring water. Hopkins brags about it during the day to trick unsuspecting travelers (player: hmmm) into buying it, and then he takes out the bottles and goes down to replenish the water at night.

Regarding this dishonest behavior, Lin Ye felt it necessary to teach him to be honest. It was definitely not because he had ever been deceived, absolutely not.

With the mentality of looking for Easter eggs, Lin Ye went out to see if he could find Hopkins.

"Sir, you don't want everyone to know that you treat the spring water as holy water, right?"

The night in Qingquan Town is cool and the environment is peaceful, otherwise Hopkins would not be able to purchase goods.

Lin Ye hadn't found Hopkins yet, but he saw an old man standing on the pond in the town. In the moonlight, he looked down at the mirror-like pond, motionless, like a sculpture.

The old man heard footsteps behind him, turned around and saw Lin Ye.

As if he was impressed by Lin Ye's young and handsome appearance, he was stunned for a moment, then sighed deeply.

“World Quest [Heart of the Spring]: Flowers are blooming on the road, you can go home slowly. Understand the obsession of Old Finch and the Spring Spirit.”

"Reward: 20 rough stones"

"Uncle, it's so late and you're out alone. Have you run into any trouble?" Lin Ye asked in a gentle voice with a friendly expression.

Old Finch listened and shook his head.

"I'm not in any trouble, I'm just looking for a scene from my dream?"

"Did you find it?"

"The scenery is the same as before, and there is still no one." said old Finch.

Lin Ye didn't know the story of Qingquan Heart. He was not a researcher when playing the game. He only seldom read the books he collected. Most of the time he spent watching the plot or playing dungeons. He seldom looked for easter eggs or details.

However, Lin Ye vaguely remembered that before he joined the game, there was an event that offered a pure water elf named Yandora.

When talking about pure water elves, it’s not just the wild monster BOSS near Wuwang Slope whose name is “The power of water nourishes all things.”

Pure water elves have no form and are ever-changing. They come from the Land of Water. The reason they are strangers in a foreign land is probably to seek refuge. The pure water elves fled to other countries and lived their own lives.

The Spring Water Spirit is another pure water spirit.

As for Yandora, she is not a spring elf, but she is curious about the story of the spring elves, which seems to be related to an old man named Old Finch.

Lin Ye guessed that the old man in front of him was the old Finch.

"Young man, are you from out of town?" asked old Finch.

"Ah."

"What are you doing in Qingquan Town?"

"travel."

"Is it because you read the book 'The Heart of the Clear Spring'?"

Lin Ye shook his head.

Old Finch chuckled. Under the moonlight, his old face was desolate. “I thought you had read “The Heart of Clear Spring” and became curious about Clear Spring, so you came to take a look.”

"Young man, do you believe in the existence of spring elves?" old Finch asked again.

Lin Ye did not see any expression of persistence or desire for recognition on old Finch's face.

Because, for old Finch, the existence of the spring spirit is an unquestionable fact that he is willing to believe in for his whole life. If that is the case, why should he pretend to be seeking recognition?

Wasn't it that from the beginning I was like everyone else, shaken inside?

In response to old Finch's question, Lin Ye nodded solemnly.

"I believe in the existence of spring spirits."

Although people nowadays believe that the spring water elves are a propaganda trick created by Qingquan Town to attract tourists, in the past, any tourist attraction should have a story to increase visitor flow.

But as the [Adventurer], Lin Ye was aware of the existence of the spring spirits.

Lin Ye lit up two life stars. Carrying two wishes, Lin Ye's connection with the continent of Teyvat became deeper and deeper. He felt something in his heart and vaguely saw a hint of golden light from old Finch's body. Lin Ye opened his elemental vision again.

At this moment, in Lin Ye's eyes, he saw the back of old Finch.

A young girl stood there.

Chapter 290 Two lonely people together

The cool evening breeze blew her sea-blue hair, and her fairy-like beautiful face had a peaceful smile, but if you were observant enough, you would find that there was a trace of loneliness and longing in the girl's sea-blue eyes, and her gaze was always on old Finch.

Old Finch turned his back and looked at Lin Ye. He didn't notice the girl he was thinking about standing behind him.

She has always been here, she has always been here.

Never left.

The cold moonlight fell between the two people, like a ruler, separating the Spring Fairy and Old Finch, measuring the distance in time and space between the girl and the old man.

One is still as stunning as ever, while the other is already very old.

The girl noticed Lin Ye's gaze, she shifted her eyes slightly and returned his curious and scrutinizing look.

"Can you see me?" the girl asked.

The sound is as clear and pleasant as the gurgling water.

Before Lin Ye responded, Old Finch noticed that Lin Ye's focus had changed, and he seemed to be looking behind him.

Old Finch turned around and saw nothing.

"What are you looking at?" asked old Finch.

Lin Ye was silent for a moment, he didn't know whose question to answer first.

When Old Finch saw Lin Ye's silence, he was just a little confused at first. Suddenly, an idea flashed through his mind and he suddenly realized something. His old face trembled slightly, and Old Finch asked urgently.

"Did you see her? Her hair and eyes are blue, the color of the sea..."

Lin Ye calmly watched the old man talk about the person he loved. Even after decades, old Finch still hadn't forgotten the amazement and fascination he felt when he first saw the spring spirit transformed into a human form. He still cherished every moment he spent with the spring spirit.

The system's task did not require Lin Ye to fulfill old Finch's obsession, but to understand it.

It is enough to understand and know the story of Old Finch and the Spring Spirit. Because the task is simple, the reward is only 20 rough stones.

Lin Ye thought about it and asked.

"Can you tell me the story of your acquaintance with the spring elf?" Lin Ye asked.

"...Do you believe it?"

"I believe."

"Okay."

Old Finch was no longer panicked or anxious. The years had given him time to think and settle down. Decades had passed in waiting, and he was no longer in a hurry.

"Heart of Clear Spring" records the story of how old Finch, when he was still a teenager, unexpectedly met and fell in love with a newly awakened elf.

Finch's parents had a disagreement and often quarreled, even to the point of domestic violence. Finch was stuck between the two, enduring the anger his parents vented on him. Once he ran away from home and sobbed alone in front of an unintentional fountain.

The moonlight is like flowing water, perhaps it is the sound of the boy crying, or perhaps it is the boy's tears falling into the spring, and the emotions contained therein awaken an elf.

She had just woken up, having lost her memory and wisdom. She was only attracted by the boy's fragile young life and listened to his resistance.

The kind and curious spring spirit wiped away the boy's tears.

The young man thus saw the legendary spring spirit. He recalled various legends and prayed to the spring spirit.

"Can you make my wish come true?"

"To get my parents back together?"

The slightly ignorant Qingquan elf was unable to speak yet. She just nodded gently. As an elf without strength and wisdom, she could not help the boy. What she could do was to share her joy for life and the boy's troubles.

Tears flow into the pool water, and the spirit purifies them, turning them into a sweet spring that brings good dreams to the boy. The boy forgets all the pain when he is awake, and meets the silent spirit in the spring in his dream. At this time, in the pool water dissolved by moonlight, the sleeping spirit also smiles. The clear dew moisturizes the boy's beautiful dreams, and the boy's dreams also moisten the lonely spirit.

Pure water elves like to merge, but this spring water elf is unique. She is lonely, and the boy is also lonely.

When two lonely people are together, they are less lonely.

In the dream, the spirit of the spring water told the boy about the distant water kingdom, about his sapphire hometown, sang the homesickness of the exiles, and sighed about leaving home and returning home. The boy became a silent listener, shedding tears for her experience and feeling relieved for her happiness.

As time went by, the spring elf learned about the wider world outside the spring from the boy's mouth. As the boy grew up, he understood more and knew what love was.

The Qingquan Elf does not have the seven emotions and six desires of humans, but she vaguely felt the change in the boy's attitude towards her.

This heavy love made the spring elf feel overwhelmed. She understood life better than she did at the beginning.

The flower of life is gorgeous but perishable.

Compared to the nearly eternal lifespan of the spring elves, the lifespan of humans is like a mayfly in the water, which passes away easily.

Humans are also fickle creatures. The grown-up boy still loves her, but what about the future?

The fountain spirit is not sure how she will feel when she sees herself still looking the same after Finch's hair turned from black to white.

Will you blame yourself for wasting your life for a naive promise?

More importantly, the spring elf was afraid that if she fell too deep, Finch would be doomed to leave her, and then the pain of separation would only be more painful for the spring elf.

After all, elves are born to be more delicate and sensitive than humans. Through the boy's eyes, she saw the longing that could not be concealed, and the promise that was about to be blurted out.