Original God Zhongli BG Xiao Qinglong traveled through time

The dusk, like ochre painted by a master painter, slowly permeated the rolling green tiles of Feiyunpo. Lin Huan ascended the moss-covered stone steps. The gently tilted eaves of the Bubu Hut resembled a bluebird with folded wings in the fading light. The air was filled with the lingering aroma of medicinal herbs, a blend of sweet and bitter, like the flavor of time itself.

She stepped over the threshold, traversed by countless patients seeking medical treatment. The light inside was dim, illuminated only by a few eternally burning lamps and the faint light leaking from the skylight. The medicine cabinet towered to the beams, its countless small drawers covered with yellowed paper, silent as a book of life and death written on grass and wood.

Bai Zhu stood with his back to the door, before the medicine case. His thin figure, his plain robes accentuating his flowing elegance, tilted his head slightly, listening to the soft whispers of Changsheng coiled around his neck. The small, glistening white snake, its jade-like scales shimmering in the haze.

Changsheng's hissing paused, and his small, serpentine head suddenly lifted, its glass-like eyes fixed precisely on Lin Huan at the door. The next second, like a silver arrow shot from a bowstring, it shot out from Baishu's neck, tracing a smooth arc through the air before wrapping itself neatly around Lin Huan's outstretched wrist. The touch of its cool scales against warm skin brought a reassuring comfort. Changsheng nuzzled his little head against her knuckles affectionately, like a wandering child returning home.

Bai Zhu then slowly turned around, his face devoid of surprise, only a hint of understanding at the corner of his lips, like a doctor who already saw everything, calmly observing the ebb and flow of fate. "It's more perceptive of the cold and heat than a doctor like me," he said in a gentle voice, like a medicinal broth simmering on a winter stove, exuding a warmth that was neither anxious nor impatient. "Miss Lin, what brings you here?"

Lin Huan lowered his brows, his fingertips gently stroking Changsheng's slightly cool spine, feeling the subtle tremor along his fingertips and all the way into his heart. "I came to Mr. Bai and asked for a dose of medicine."

"Oh?" Bai Zhu brushed his wide sleeves, walked to the towering medicine cabinet, and looked up. Countless names of plants and trees settled in his deep eyes, like observing the stars. "But I don't know what prescription it is?"

Light from the skylight slanted down, stretching his tall figure even further. Lin Huan stood still, gazing at his back, bathed in warm golden dust. In a trance, he seemed to smell the quiet echoes of the past, steeped in the aroma of medicinal herbs, lingering deep within time.

Before she could even open her mouth, a petite figure, clutching a can of coconut milk nearly as tall as herself, emerged from the inner hall, their steps slightly hesitant. Purple talisman paper fluttered at the side of her hat, illuminating her glass-like eyes with even greater clarity. Qiqi tilted her head upward, her gaze lingering on Lin Huan for a moment, as if trying to discern something. Then, silently, she passed the can of coconut milk to the empty space beside her, as if an invisible figure were standing there.

"...Drink," her tone was flat, but with an undeniable persistence, "It's good for your health..."

Changsheng gently twisted her wrist. Lin Huan's heart suddenly softened, as if it had been soaked in the purest snow water. She squatted down, looking at Qiqi at eye level, and took the heavy pottery jar. Her voice unconsciously became extremely soft and gentle: "Thank you, Qiqi."

The little girl just looked at her quietly, the dancing flames reflected in her pupils, deep and unfathomable.

At this moment, Baizhu had turned back from a drawer high up, holding a handful of irregularly shaped medicinal roots in his hand. They were dark brown in color, yet faintly shimmered with a rich, oily sheen.

"This thing," he said, walking back to the table, taking a piece of plain mulberry paper and spreading it out, placing the herbs on it. His movements were as graceful as playing a musical instrument. "It's gentle in nature, good at entering the blood, nourishing and promoting circulation, and especially good at... guiding blood that has strayed from the meridians back to its proper place." His fingertips gently touched the herbs, his gaze flickering across Lin Huan's face. "It's called—Danggui."

"Danggui..." Lin Huan chewed the two words softly, the syllables rolling between his lips and teeth, as if carrying a thousand pounds of weight, and as if a feather falling to the ground.

Changsheng tightened his grip on her wrist slightly.

"Yes, angelica." Bai Zhu lowered his eyes and began to meticulously wrap the herbs. The mulberry paper rustled between his fingers, each fold revealing both rigor and tenderness. "Plants have their own nature and spirit. They know best what 'roots' are, what 'home' is, and what it means to... leave and return." He didn't raise his eyes, his tone as flat as if he were stating the most common medical principles. "Some roads, no matter how far you travel, you will eventually return. Some people, no matter how long you are apart, you will eventually see again. This is the natural law of nature, and also... the aspirations of the human heart."

He wrapped the medicine and handed it over with both hands. The square medicine bag wrapped in mulberry paper lay quietly in his palm, like a silent contract.

"The medicine to guide the way is ready," Bai Zhu's eyes were clear, as if he could see through everything. "Miss Lin, is the road ahead clear?"

Lin Huan reached out and took it steadily. The medicine bag, with its slightly astringent aroma of herbs, felt heavy in her palm, yet strangely, it gave her a sense of unprecedented peace and security. She didn't answer, but simply gave a slight bow, a gesture that spoke volumes. Turning to leave, she felt something catching on the hem of her clothes. Looking down, she saw Qiqi reaching out, gently tugging at the hem of her clothes.

The little girl pulled out a tiny glass bottle from her bosom with her other hand. Inside was a few dried petals of the rainbow flower, their colors still vibrant. "...Here," she pressed the bottle into Lin Huan's empty hand, "...bright."

Holding the vial, still warm from a child's body temperature, and the medicine bag in his palm, Lin Huan stepped out of Bubu Lu. The last rays of sunset kissed the mountain ridges with a reluctant farewell. The setting sun cast a dreamy veil over Liyue Harbor. The distant bustle of the city no longer jarred his ears, but instead evoked a hazy familiarity.

She didn't cast any magical spells, relying solely on her feet as she explored the familiar streets and alleys of Chihuyan. Smoke curled up from cooking stoves, mingling with the aroma of food; children chased and laughed through the alleys, raising the sound of crisp bells. These mundane elements, which she had once longed to escape, now felt like warm water, slowly soaking into her parched heart.

At the foot of Tianheng Mountain, the long-closed, blue-tiled courtyard stood quietly in the deepening twilight, like a cocoon forgotten by time. She paused at the doorway for a moment, her fingertips tracing the fine rust on the doorknob. Finally, she took a deep breath and pushed open the long-sealed door.

The courtyard was silent. The osmanthus petals that had fallen last year had long since shriveled into the mud, leaving only a faint wisp of sweet fragrance lingering between the cracks in the stone. She crossed the small courtyard, her steps slow and gentle, until she reached the main house. The wooden door creaked, sighing, as if lamenting its owner's long absence.

The room was dimly lit, and the furnishings remained as they had been when she left, only covered in a thin layer of dust. She walked to the window; the lattice window facing the courtyard was tightly closed, isolating the world inside and outside. She stood still for a moment, then raised her hand and, without hesitation, with a "whoosh," pushed the window completely open!

The evening breeze, carrying the fresh scent of the mountains and the warmth of the distant harbor, suddenly rushed in, stirring the draped veils and ruffling the hair at her temples. Without stopping, she turned and walked to the table, taking a fire starter. A small orange-red flame lit up in the dim light, swaying slightly, illuminating her calm profile. She leaned over and brought the dancing flame close to a dusty glass lamp on the table.

The wick was lit. It was just a tiny particle at first, then it slowly grew bigger and stabilized, emitting a warm and bright halo, which instantly dispelled the darkness and coldness in the room.

The moment the light suddenly came on, there was a slight movement in the courtyard outside the window.

She suddenly raised her eyes and looked -

But in the dimly lit courtyard, several familiar figures had appeared before my eyes.

Mr. Zhongli stood quietly beneath the old osmanthus tree, his dark robe blending into the night. Only the rock-patterned jade pendant at his waist and his gilded eyes shone with a warm luster under the light. He stood with his hands behind his back, as still as a mountain, as if he had been waiting here for a thousand years.

Hu Tao, on the other hand, lay directly on the windowsill, half of her body leaning in. Her plum blossom eyes were startlingly bright, and she waved a bulging food bag in her hand with a smile: "Finally I've finally decided to light a candle! Are you hungry? Xiangling's special plus version of spicy steamed bread, with Jueyun chopped peppers!"

Behind her, Xiangling, wearing her signature red apron, deftly set the dishes on the stone table in the courtyard. Rice crusts bounced around her feet, occasionally emitting a few cheerful sparks. Xingqiu, dressed in a pale blue gown, leaned against a wisteria trellis, a book in hand, a gentle smile on his lips. Chongyun stood a little further away, a little awkwardly cradling a pile of popsicles, his hair still tinged with frost.

The evening breeze blew by, bringing the warm aroma of food mixed with the vigorous vitality of the young boys and girls.

Lin Huan stared blankly at the lamplight. In her palm, the package of "Danggui" felt heavy and warm, while the small glass bottle Qiqi had given her also reflected a brilliant light. Outside the window, she saw her close friends, her teachers, and this ordinary world, the home she had been searching for for five hundred years.

The light and shadow trembled in her eyes for a long time, and finally turned into a very light but incomparably clear sigh from her lips, carrying with her the relief of having unloaded all the burdens, and a touch of new expectations.

"……I'm back."