As a Human Immortal, Gu Chen had long since transcended the need for food to sustain his life or his strength.
Yet ever since little Ganyu came into his life, his three daily meals had somehow become regular again.
The only thing that still bothered him a little was how bitter Qingxin flowers tasted.
He couldn't quite figure out why Ganyu loved them so much—was it because of her auspicious beast nature?
After all, the qilin clan didn't eat meat at all—they were complete vegetarians.
Such a bland lifestyle was beyond the imagination of ordinary people. Even Gu Chen couldn't fully understand it.
But that was fine.
When little Ganyu had eaten her fill and fallen asleep, Gu Chen walked some distance away from the cave dwelling.
There, the dignified Sword Immortal crouched quietly. The spot he chose was excellent—wind could not reach the cave from here.
And so—
With a flick of his finger, a rabbit hundreds of meters away suddenly froze mid-leap, falling silently onto the grass.
There were no visible wounds on its body, yet life had already left it.
Gu Chen raised his hand, and the rabbit flew into his grasp. He cleaned it deftly, skewered it, and lit a small fire.
He didn't need to eat—but since he was keeping Ganyu company at mealtimes, he might as well treat himself.
What was so great about Qingxin anyway?
If he was going to endure the bitterness of it every day, he deserved something savory in return.
[Nilou]: Mr. Gu Chen is too considerate! He even made sure to roast meat in a spot downwind so Miss Ganyu wouldn't smell it!
[Collei]: This… this is what they call love! (Collei・Admiring)
[Ganyu]: Huh?! This is clearly just Mr. Gu Chen taking care of me! Why does it have to turn into "love" all of a sudden?! (Ganyu・Flustered)
Ganyu's face turned anxious as she scrolled through the chat.
The girls in the group could be so abstract sometimes.
This was clearly an adult taking care of a child—how did they twist it into romance?!
Was that really appropriate?!
She was still so small—not even half a year old yet!
But as she watched the video clip and saw the keywords attached, panic began to well up inside her.
Gu Chen really was a kind man, yes, but… that didn't mean she wanted to marry him!
Her heart trembled with unease.
What sort of reward would she get once the video ended?
Alhaitham had once analyzed that for members who existed in the real world, rewards often took the form of "memories."
If she too received "memories," would she… become like Lumine?
Ganyu shook her head violently—no, she couldn't even begin to process that thought.
Days turned into weeks.
Life in the peaks of Jueyun Karst was peaceful—at first, even idyllic. Free from the noise and dust of the mortal world.
But as time went on, the serenity grew dull, and a faint restlessness began to stir.
Gu Chen, with his unshakable state of mind, wasn't bothered by it.
Little Ganyu, on the other hand, found it harder.
Her qilin bloodline made her develop far faster than any human child—
while others of her "age" would still be swaddled in blankets, Ganyu was already crawling all over Gu Chen's cave.
No one knew what was going through that little head of hers as she crawled around, babbling "yaya" sounds and exploring every corner.
"It's a good thing the cave is spotless," Gu Chen chuckled. "You're practically mopping the floor for me…"
A lively child was a healthy child.
Bit by bit, Ganyu began trying to talk to him.
At first, Gu Chen couldn't make out what she wanted to say—he could only guess from her pitiful little eyes whether she was hungry or not.
Even between humans, communication without words was difficult—let alone between a man and a young celestial beast.
So, Gu Chen began to teach her.
With her qilin intelligence, little Ganyu learned quickly.
And the very first word she spoke was—
"Master."
From the moment that herbalist entrusted her to him, Gu Chen had already accepted her as his disciple.
As for what he would teach her—well, there was no rush.
One day, Ganyu was learning to walk.
To her, crawling still felt more natural—her little hands and legs working together felt just right, like she was born for it.
Gu Chen understood why—her true form was a qilin, after all.
Still, she had been born in human shape. It wouldn't do for such an adorable porcelain-faced child to know only how to crawl.
Thus, Gu Chen began teaching her to walk.
At first it was rough—she stumbled often, and would sometimes sit down and cry in frustration.
Every time, Gu Chen would sigh, scoop her into his arms, and gently comfort her.
The moment he smiled at her, her tears would vanish, and she'd be giggling again, wobbling to her feet to try once more.
After countless tumbles, she got used to the pain. Her steps grew steadier—still a bit wobbly, but she could walk now.
Months passed.
Ganyu could walk—and even hop around the mountain paths.
As she grew, her little blue dress—an enchanted garment given by Gu Chen—expanded with her, never tearing or dirtying.
With such protection, Gu Chen could rest easy letting her play, so long as she didn't leave Jueyun Karst.
To make sure she didn't, he warned her solemnly:
"The world outside is full of monsters. They eat little children like you."
That frightened Ganyu so much she promised never to wander off.
Gu Chen added, "If danger comes, just run to me. But never, ever go beyond Jueyun Karst."
She nodded earnestly.
There was one more thing that made Gu Chen particularly proud—
Ganyu could recognize Qingxin now.
Every time she went out to play, she would come back with an armful of the flowers, her face and hands covered in dirt and little scrapes.
Yet she would beam up at him and say, "Master, eat flower~!"
She didn't remember the name "Qingxin," just that it was a "yummy flower."
Seeing her grow more capable by the day brought a fatherly smile to Gu Chen's face.
As time went on, Morax's dominion expanded, and more rival gods rose against him.
Gu Chen knew this was inevitable—part of the natural tide of that age.
Even without Morax, others would have reached this point; it was only a matter of speed.
Word of Ganyu becoming Gu Chen's disciple had already reached Morax.
He was pleased, even sending a message from afar—telling Gu Chen to take good care of her, and leave the monster-slaying to the Yakshas.
Gu Chen was happy to oblige. Raising a child suited him just fine.
One day, on a steep mountain where Qingxin bloomed in abundance—
little Ganyu climbed all the way up by herself.
The enchanted dress her master gave her protected her from harm, so she was quite bold.
When she reached the top and saw the sea of Qingxin, she giggled with delight, lay down among them, and started eating the flowers one by one.
After eating her fill, she gathered a bundle to bring back for her master.
Then—
a sudden gust swept past.
A massive shadow loomed overhead—
a great crane, far larger than any Ganyu had ever seen!
"You are…?"
The crane looked down at her—it was Cloud Retainer, the Adeptus known as Cloud Retainer.
Noticing the little horns atop Ganyu's blue hair, Cloud Retainer immediately realized who she was.
But seeing her standing at the edge of a sheer cliff, the adeptus frowned.
"A child of such tender years—what are you doing in so dangerous a place?!"
The stern voice made Ganyu freeze in terror.
"Y-you can talk?!"
Her bundle of Qingxin fell to the ground.
"Hmm?" Cloud Retainer blinked.
"Monster!!"
Ganyu spun around, slipped, and began rolling down the slope, crying,
"Master!! There's a monster!! Ganyu saw a monster!!"
Cloud Retainer stood there, dumbfounded, watching the tiny qilin tumble down the hill.
"…A monster? Me?" she muttered, flabbergasted. "Did Swordmaster Zhenjun never teach her how to recognize an adeptus?"
Shaking her head, she spread her wings and silently followed from afar, careful not to scare the child further.
Ganyu, meanwhile, was still sobbing and running, remembering her master's warning:
If you meet a monster, run. Don't stop. Monsters eat little Ganyu.
Tears streamed down her face as she stumbled her way back home.
Atop a nearby peak, Gu Chen stood with his hands behind his back, watching it all with a faint, amused smile.
"Master!!"
Ganyu spotted him, sprinted over on her short legs, and clung to his thigh, peeking fearfully over her shoulder.
"There, there. That's no monster—it's an immortal." Gu Chen patted her head.
"Immortal?" Ganyu tilted her head.
"Yes. Her name is Cloud Retainer."
Recently, Cloud Retainer had been at Guili Plains, exchanging knowledge with the Dust King, Havria.
On her return to Jueyun Karst, curiosity led her to Gu Chen's cave—and thus the misunderstanding.
To be fair, Gu Chen hadn't thought to teach Ganyu what other adepti looked like.
She naturally assumed that all immortals looked like her handsome, two-legged master.
So when she saw a crane the size of a house, she did what any small child would—ran for her life.
"Hmph."
Cloud Retainer's dissatisfied huff echoed through the valley.
Even now, Ganyu was still hiding timidly behind Gu Chen's robes.
"Back already, Liuyun?" Gu Chen asked with a smile.
"I am. And I must say—it's rather discourteous that your little disciple mistook me for a monster!" she squawked.
"Hahaha, she'll learn soon enough," Gu Chen chuckled, then turned to Ganyu.
"This is your Auntie Liuyun. You can go play at her place—she has many fun things there."
Cloud Retainer tilted her head. "Auntie…?"
After a pause, she nodded solemnly. "Very well. As the elder, I shall see to her upbringing."
"Liuyun Auntie, hello!" Ganyu piped up shyly.
Gu Chen smiled in relief.
Soon after, Cloud Retainer invited Ganyu to meet the other adepti.
The little qilin was nervous and clung tightly to Gu Chen, forcing him to accompany her.
[Cloud Retainer]: Something's not right. Absolutely not right.
[Cloud Retainer]: Once, when I couldn't find Ganyu for a long time, I discovered her crying in a crevice—she said she saw a monster. Later I learned she'd seen a human. Now she's calling me a monster! (pouting)
[Ganyu]: (Qiqi・Fainted)
[Paimon]: So little Ganyu had never seen humans when she was young? (Paimon・Surprised)
[Ganyu]: Very little. Not until I was older. (Ganyu・Don't pat my head)
[Keqing]: No wonder. But it's kind of funny—past-life Ganyu mixing up humans and adepti! (Paimon・Shock)
[Navia]: Honestly, baby Ganyu sounds adorable. (Xiangling・Starry Eyes)
[Nilou]: Right? Even after eating her fill, she still gathered Qingxin for Mr. Gu Chen, not knowing he secretly doesn't like it! (Nahida・Praise)
[Paimon]: He always eats it with that "Mmm, my favorite" face—how does he even manage that?! (Nahida・Curious)
[Gu Chen]: Just keeping the child happy. A bit of bitterness is nothing. (Smirk)
No sane person could enjoy Qingxin.
Well… maybe Shenhe, but she didn't count as "normal."
Gu Chen soon took Ganyu and Cloud Retainer around to meet the other adepti.
They adored the little qilin, each offering her treats.
Before long, Ganyu became the darling of Jueyun Karst, happily visiting every immortal's dwelling for snacks—and always bringing a share home for her master.
With her hearty appetite, she even grew a bit chubby.
One day, while climbing a hill, she slipped—
and rolled all the way down like a little dumpling.
Gu Chen, watching from afar, couldn't help but laugh.
He hurried over, scooped her up, and comforted her until the tears stopped.
"Don't wander too far these days," he told her softly. "The Geo Lord is battling other Archons. Even here, danger lurks."
"Okay! Ganyu understands!" she chirped.
Time passed. Even the skies above Jueyun Karst darkened with the shadow of war.
"Stay here," Gu Chen said, stepping outside with his sword in hand.
From the cliff, he saw it—
a flood of beasts surging like a black tide, threatening to swallow the mountains whole.
Most of the adepti had joined Morax on the frontlines.
Only Gu Chen's presence kept the rest calm.
With a single swing—
Boom!
Sword qi tore through the heavens, cleaving countless beasts in half.
The tide faltered for a heartbeat, then surged forward again, mad with frenzy.
There were too many.
And soon, some broke through into the heart of Jueyun Karst.
"Monsters! Ahhh, monsters!!"
Ganyu froze in terror.
A foul stench filled the air as darkness loomed over her—
a beast's jaws closing in.
She was being swallowed whole!
Her round little body got stuck halfway down its throat.
The creature thrashed violently, slamming into the mountain again and again—
until, slowly, it stopped moving.
Then—
a ray of light split the air.
Fresh air rushed in as the beast's body was sliced open.
Ganyu looked up—and saw the face she trusted most.
"Master! Uwahhh!"
She threw herself into his arms, crying her heart out.
"There, there," Gu Chen said gently, patting her head. "No need to cry."
Then, smiling: "Little Ganyu defeated the monster. Very impressive."
"Eh?" Ganyu blinked, puzzled.
She hadn't done anything. How did that count as victory?
"Because you got stuck in its throat," Gu Chen explained with a grin. "It couldn't breathe. Even if I hadn't come, it would've choked to death. So you win!"
Ganyu blinked again.
Then, with wide, watery eyes, she beamed proudly.
◇ I'll be dropping one bonus chapters for every 10 reviews. comment
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ You can read 60 chapter ahead on P@treon if you're interested: patreon.com/SwipeSage