Reading poems from Teyvat

Wendy originally thought that the boy was just exaggerating, but when he thought of the moves Shen Zhigui showed him, "Flowers Fall and Water Flows" and "Cinnabar Disappears Without a Trace When It Meets Fire," he couldn't help but feel that if that martial arts system continued to develop, coupled with the boy's own talent, it might eventually provoke that existence. So he was silent for a moment, and then said, "But you said you are a negative person, so isn't it better to just stay the same?"

Shen Zhigui thought for a moment and said, "My negativity is only after I reach that ideal state, and my ideal state is to have the freedom to make my own choices. Although choosing to escape is also an option, it is just burying my head in the sand. I won't do such a thing as covering my ears and stealing the bell."

"Covering one's ears and stealing a bell... this description is quite appropriate."

Wendy couldn't help but return to her original playful self.

Although it is possible that Shen Zhigui was actually mocking him when he said this.

But he didn't care and soon focused his attention on the drink.

Qin and Diluk on the side obviously didn't understand the confusing conversation between the two people, so they could only remain silent.

But soon the two changed the topic, and Wendy gradually got drunk, so Shen Zhigui threw down a bag of Mora. Qin originally wanted to pay for him, but Shen Zhigui walked too fast, so Qin had to carry her friend on her back and send her back home. But on her way back, she heard a flute sound in the distance that was as slender and soft as the breeze, yet as tough as steel wire. She looked up and found that it was the time when the lights were just coming on. The moonlight poured like water into this suddenly cold city, and together with the endless flute sound, it surrounded the city.

"Um……"

At this moment, Eula behind her struggled to open her eyes.

"Is it... already this time?"

she says.

Qin just stopped and stood still, saying, "Yes, it is indeed that time."

"Is that...his flute?"

"he?"

Qin asked curiously, but realized that Eula was just struggling to get off her back, so she carefully put her down. After the noble girl stood still, she just raised her head and looked in a certain direction. After hesitating for a long time, she took out her bone whistle and matched the flute sound from a distance.

"Wish you a safe journey."

Qin only heard her speaking softly to a breeze blowing through the night.

……

On the other hand, Rosalind actually returned to Mondstadt earlier than them and returned to the luxurious hotel.

The Fatui had eyes and ears all over Mondstadt, and the momentum of Tevarin's return was too great, so the scene of Shen Zhigui and his group descending from Tevarin's body was inevitably noticed. After witnessing this scene, the Fatui, who knew the lady's plan, obviously realized that the plan of their boss in Mondstadt had failed.

So at this time, no one dared to offend the lady who was always moody.

So Rosalin was able to sort out her feelings at this time.

Although to be honest, she was actually very confused about the current situation.

After all, if a lady had traveled through time and space to her 17 or 18-year-old self, she would have already calmly begun to plan how to rewrite her future. If a 17 or 18-year-old boy had traveled through time and space to an old man, he would probably just give up. Now Rosalin obviously realized how bad her body was. Not to mention, the position of a "lady" was unacceptable to the girl who loved her hometown from the bottom of her heart. In addition, she was now the executive of the notorious spy organization. She had to consider the attitude of the Queen of Winter, the suspicion of her subordinates, and the caution and disgust of the Mond people.

She felt as if she had been suddenly thrown into a dizzying whirlpool, being washed away by the rapids at all times, forcing her to change direction. Even the memories from the "lady" personality were constantly trying to confuse her cognition and change her concepts, trying to turn her back into the witch who wanted to burn everything by any means necessary.

So when it was late at night and everyone was asleep, she just felt extremely tired and even wanted to blame the boy who pulled her out.

But at this time, she heard the boy's flute again.

She was familiar with such flute sounds, because the young man used the flute sounds to suppress the personality of the "lady" and then "awaken" her.

Hearing such flute music again, Rosalin couldn't help but raise her head and look at the cold moonlight outside the window. Then she shook her head and said to herself that if she really couldn't find the direction, she might as well use his flute music as a guide.

Anyway, wasn't his current situation the cause of my situation from the beginning? And if I don't want to be assimilated, then this is the only way.

Chapter 96: Epilogue (End)

Although it was unclear when this habit was formed, Keqing actually did not reject it. She sat in the restaurant below the hotel as usual, with the table full of information she had collected recently. Opposite her, the cold woman still sat. The two of them handled their own affairs in silence.

Although Shen He was probably just in a daze.

If it were in the past, Keqing might have thought that she was practicing meditation or something like that, but recently she couldn't help but notice that this tall and cold immortal disciple's face was getting more and more lively, and her spirit had become a little more lively. Moreover, even if she had remained silent in the past, she was always in a very alert state, but now her reaction was much slower, so Keqing had reason to suspect that she was in a daze.

The reasons for her transformation are easy to guess.

So when Keqing saw her like this, she couldn't help but sigh.

Although she didn't quite understand why she was sighing.

Maybe it's because he doesn't like such a cold and noble immortal disciple being tainted by the dirty thoughts of the world?

Or was it simply because she didn't like the changes caused by that boy?

But if her goal is to get the young man to return to Liyue, then the relationship between these two people has become more deeply involved. Isn’t that a good thing?

Keqing tortured her own heart with difficulty.

But she never got the answer she wanted.

Perhaps the answer has always been there, but she just doesn't want to face it?

Such a thought flashed through Keqing's mind, so she looked at Shen He who was in a daze. Just as she was about to speak, she heard the sound of a young man's flute coming from afar. She instinctively thought that the young man was nearby, so she raised her head and looked out the window, but soon realized from the continuous and subtle flute sound that the young man's martial arts skills must have improved, so he was able to do such a thing.

Although no matter how you look at it, the speed of progress is too shocking.

It can even be said that if Keqing had not distanced herself from him from the beginning, she would have been defeated by him very quickly.

And it had been less than three months since the night she saw him fleeing in a panic from the siege of the Hillicrucians.

He was able to achieve this level in three months. If he was given three years... no, one year...

Keqing's breathing became difficult just by imagining it.

So the young man would have asked himself that question before he set out to learn from the immortal.

And now, the answer is obvious.

So she finally couldn't help but sigh, and then continued to handle her own affairs in silence until the moon was at its zenith, the boy stopped playing the flute, and then the thin figure soon appeared at the door of the hotel, greeted them, and was about to go upstairs -

"I have something to say."

But the girl called out to him.

Seeing her serious expression, Shen Zhigui immediately restrained himself a little, but still sat close to her and asked, "What's the matter?"

"What are you going to do next?"

"What do you mean?"

"How long do you plan to stay in Mond?"

"I don't think it will take long."

Shen Zhigui said.

"What happens after you leave Mond?"

"After that, we'll just take it one step at a time."

"What if I say I hope you go back to Liyue?"

Keqing went straight to the point.

She didn't wait for Shen Zhigui to refuse, but continued: "I know your ideal, and I don't mean to use the contract to force you. I can also tell you that the reason I came to Mondstadt is because I don't want to see you join other kingdoms. This is also the common idea of ​​Ningguang and I, so I came here with you. So, if you can end your journey in Mondstadt now, can you return to Liyue with us?"

Shen Zhigui was silent for a moment:

"At this stage, returning to Liyue might not be a bad idea."

Anyway, he needed a place to temporarily organize his martial arts.

Not to mention, the martial arts system involved in "reaching the sky and the underworld" is too difficult and complicated. If he doesn't want to take the shortcut of cultivating "Tongyou Mingtong" by killing people, then in a short period of time, he is afraid that he will not be able to make any further progress in this regard, let alone the subsequent "refining qi into spirit".

But, still the same problem.

The conflict between him and the laws of nature will eventually erupt.

If he continues to stay in Liyue when the outbreak occurs, even Zhongli may not be able to guarantee that too many disasters will not occur.

From this perspective, whether his idea of ​​immortals ruling the world is feasible is actually insignificant.

And if he broke through the barrier of refining Qi and transforming into a god, if he did not want to affect others, he could only go to Inazuma and then enter the Dark Sea to temporarily avoid being hunted down. Although he was not sure how powerful Tianli was and whether he was strong enough to fight against Tianli alone, how could he know for sure if he had not done it before?

You can't just stay where you are and wait for Lord Yuhengxing to support you, right?

Although his ultimate ideal in life before was indeed to be supported by a beautiful and rich woman like Keqing.

However, in this world, since he has been given such an opportunity, it is impossible for him to give up the opportunity to be free from any constraints, and choose to escape to gain temporary happiness, thus giving up longer-term freedom in the future.

"At this stage?"

Keqing's face showed some doubts, but in the end, she nodded:

"That's enough."

Anyway, perhaps in the end, he is destined to pursue his so-called poetic world.

But if he left Liyue now and wandered around forever, then perhaps he would find his ideal world somewhere else and settle there, and would never remember anything about Liyue again...

No.

Maybe he really isn't such a heartless person.

I guess I will remember it.

But if it is not necessary, he will only remember her occasionally, but he will never want to meet her again, right?

When Keqing thought about this kind of future, she felt like there was a void in her heart.

and so.

She took a deep breath.

At least if he is willing to return to Liyue now, it proves that she can still keep him, and it proves that he may also be able to stay in the world built by Liyue, even if there may not be a place for her in such a world, even if in the future he imagines, she may just be the friend he occasionally remembers to see when he is interested but in the end he returns without seeing her because he has had enough fun.

But if we want to meet, we can always meet again in Liyue, right?

Conclusion and leave

April has arrived in the blink of an eye, but I still owe three chapters of the reward I gave when the book was put on the shelves. I even took a day off in the middle, and now I have to shamelessly take another day off - of course, I think an author should have at least two days of rest in a month. It is not realistic to expect an author to update non-stop for a whole month, at least it is not realistic for me -

But all in all, this volume is finally finished. Putting aside my own poor mental state, chaotic schedule and various messy problems in real life during the writing process, this is the first time I have used so many words to write a book. My personal idea is that the first volume of a novel must have a complete story structure. Although for a science student like me who changed my major halfway through and writes fan fiction, talking about the structure of a novel is more like a folk scientist talking about mathematics or physics, this perhaps specious "structure" is necessary for my creation. After all, if I can't even conclude the story line of the first volume, I will be even more powerless to deal with the increasingly chaotic and complicated story lines that unfold later.

I try my best to avoid falling into that situation.

Although limited by my personal ability, the ending of the first volume was not completely in line with my ideas, because the theme of the second half is "freedom of choice", but because Shen Zhigui and Wendy on both sides of the dialogue are casual, the discussion of this theme is probably only superficial.

Based on this theme, the original plan was for Shen Zhigui to copy Robert Frost's "The Road Not Taken", but I heard that this poem was included in the Chinese textbook after the 17 textbook revision, so I gave up this idea after hesitating for a long time, because my principle for letting the protagonist copy poems is to try not to copy poems that are directly included in the textbook, so as to avoid letting readers relive the experience of doing reading comprehension in Chinese class -

Although my own interpretation is actually quite different from the mainstream interpretation.

But as I mentioned before, I thought of writing this story after reading Tagore's poetry and Wang Xiaobo's "Wanshou Temple" and "Hongfu Night Run", because at that time I had been thinking about the question of "Why is poetry poetry?" Although there is still no real answer to this question, the ending of "Wanshou Temple" gave me a direction to think about:

"It is not enough for a person to have only this life, he should also have a poetic world. For me, this world is in Chang'an. I finally walked into my house - the waterside pavilion in the middle of the lake. In the middle of the slightly white paper walls on all sides, there was a dark area of ​​wide-open red eyes - the brazier exuded a sour smell of charcoal in the house. Outside the house, there was a heavy sound of waves, a sound with the weight of wet snowflakes - the water was stirring the snow, and the snow was stirring the water, and finally it became a pot of porridge. I sat down in the dark, opened the lid of the brazier, and red and blue flames stretched between the black charcoal blocks. On the felt under my legs, there were bundles of paper, some tough parchment, and some soft Korean paper. In the middle of the paper was my blanket roll. I didn't light the lamp, nor did I open the blanket. I just lay down in the chaos, looking at the darkness desperately. This is because tomorrow morning, I will embark on the road of no return to Fenghuangzhai in western Hunan. Xue Song will go there to meet Hong Xian, and I will return to Wanshou Temple to meet the woman in white.

"Everything in Chang'an is over. Everything is irreversibly heading towards mediocrity."

Does the fact that poetry is included in textbooks and must be interpreted strictly according to predetermined answers mean that it is irreversibly moving towards mediocrity?

Although choosing "copying poetry" as the theme of the novel is essentially vulgarizing poetry.

But my motivation for writing this kind of novel is very vulgar.

It can be seen that choosing this topic is really a thankless task.

However, it would be great if someone could become interested in the original work or even enjoy reading poetry after reading the poems I quoted.

Finally, I have been reading poetry collections recently to supplement my writing materials. However, some of the poems may not be quoted even after writing the whole book, but they are very suitable for the theme of the protagonist copying poems. I will list them here:

"There must be something I don't understand

"Otherwise, how can the grass and trees grow in order?

"And migratory birds can fly back to their homeland

"There must be something I can't do.

"Otherwise, how can day and night alternate so quickly?

"All the moments have been missed

"Sorrow eats away at my heart

"There must be something

"After the leaves fall, I must give up

"Is it the diary I kept when I was sixteen or