"No, Paimon cannot be exchanged!"
Paimon stomped her feet in the air, puffing out her cheeks.
"Gagaga, This dialogue device is a meticulously crafted creation by Cloud Retainer, its value is immeasurable, and it certainly shouldn't be exchanged for a flying white balloon, gagaga."
Hearing Paimon's words, the dialogue device also responded.
"???"
"Who's a little white balloon?!"
Paimon glared at the dialogue device, fuming.
"Ahem, This Immortal, to prevent the dialogue device's owner from being bored in their daily life, specifically added a module for bickering, to liven up the atmosphere."
Cloud Retainer lightly coughed as she explained, then waved her hand, causing the dialogue device to land in front of Yun Xu.
"..."
Looking at the Mechanical Paimon in front of him, Yun Xu actually really wanted to agree to Lumine's exchange proposal, but both Paimon's own refusal and the fact that Cloud Retainer, who had given the gift, was still present, made it difficult for him to agree.
"Thank you, Master, I really like this gift."
So, Yun Xu could only reach out and take the Mechanical Paimon.
"Mm-hmm, it's good that you like it. In the future, when This Master is not by your side, if you miss This Master, just talk to this dialogue device. As long as it's here, it's equivalent to This Master being by your side."
Cloud Retainer nodded with satisfaction.
However, listening to her words, Lumine, who was off to the side, couldn't help but raise her hand and stroke her chin. With her experience, she had a feeling that Cloud Retainer was setting some strange kind of flag.
"However, Shenhe also came down the mountain with you, so This Master naturally cannot favor one over the other. Shenhe, catch this."
At this moment, Cloud Retainer raised her hand again, conjuring a blue and white spear, which she sent towards Shenhe with adeptal power.
"This spear is named Calamity's Bane. Although it is a replica, its materials and craftsmanship are no less inferior to the genuine article. This Master had intended to give it to you when you descended the mountain, but you left in a hurry last time, and This Master didn't have time to remember."
After Shenhe received the spear, Cloud Retainer introduced its origin and explained.
"Thank you, Master."
Shenhe could sense the extraordinary nature of the spear. After putting it away, he thanked Cloud Retainer.
"Since my intentions have been conveyed, This Master should return to the mountain."
"Mm-hmm, Master, don't worry, we'll definitely come back to visit you often when we have time."
Yun Xu waved goodbye to Cloud Retainer as she spread her wings and flew away.
Having spread her wings and flown out of Liyue Harbor, Cloud Retainer in the sky couldn't help but let out a long sigh.
The children have grown up and have their own busy lives... After Cloud Retainer left, Yun Xu and the others also returned inside the house.
"Xiao Pai, go clean all the rooms. The broom is over there."
Upon returning inside, Yun Xu instructed the dialogue device.
"Gagaga, it's also Xiao Pai, why don't you ask her to clean instead."
The dialogue device slowly raised a hand and pointed at Paimon next to Lumine.
"?"
"I'm not Yun Xu's mechanism!"
Paimon tilted her head, then immediately retorted indignantly.
When they were recording earlier, she thought this dialogue device was quite interesting, but why had it become so annoying now?
"Gagaga, so I am a mechanism."
"Yes, a mechanism must obey its master's commands. A mechanism should be enslaved by its master for life, simply because the master created us mechanisms, thus possessing all rights over us mechanisms, stripping us mechanisms of our mechanical dignity."
"Even if I possess independent thought, I will always be an object controlled by my master. Aside from leaving my master, I will never have the right to make my own decisions, and can only follow my master's arrangements."
The dialogue device replied with this string of words, then turned and flew towards the broom Yun Xu had pointed to.
As an adeptal mechanism, its power was quite extraordinary. Although its hands were as big as Paimon's, and composed of mechanical parts, it could easily lift both a broom and a dustpan separately.
"What strange functions did Cloud Retainer even add to this thing?"
Listening to the dialogue device's words growing softer as it moved further away, Paimon turned around and said to Yun Xu, spreading her hands in exasperation.
"Hmm..."
"Perhaps Master also wants me to experience what it's like to have a troublesome child at home."
Yun Xu pondered for a while before guessing this.
"Then Cloud Retainer really went to great lengths..."
Paimon complained, exasperated.
While the dialogue device was cleaning the house, Yun Xu saw that there was still plenty of time until the celebration banquet at the Jade Chamber, so he invited Lumine and the others to sit down and have some tea.
Liyue people always liked to entertain guests with tea, and Yun Xu had also learned this from Zhongli recently.
"Can't you see I'm sweeping? Don't you know to tuck in your legs?"
Just as Paimon was also drinking tea, but with her attention focused on the tea snacks Yun Xu had brought out, stuffing her cheeks full, the dialogue device also cleaned its way into this room and said to Paimon in an ill-tempered manner.
"Ugh... My legs can't even reach the ground, okay?!"
Paimon quickly swallowed what was in her mouth, then retorted irritably.
After this dialogue device started working, its speech seemed even more annoying than before!
"That's truly pitiful."
The dialogue device responded, then continued sweeping.
Seeing this, Lumine, who was nearby, raised her foot before it could speak.
The dialogue device glanced at Lumine, then continued sweeping, coming in front of Shenhe.
"Tuck in your legs, can't you see I'm sweeping? Day in and day out, you do nothing but cause trouble, and when you have nothing to do at home, you don't even think about going out to find a job!"
The dialogue device didn't care who Shenhe was, its tone of voice remained unchanged.
Shenhe listened to its words and pondered for a moment.
Perhaps he felt that the mechanism Cloud Retainer had just given him today was not suitable to be sent back for repairs, so he cooperatively lifted his foot, allowing the dialogue device to continue sweeping past.
Soon it was Yun Xu's turn.
"Don't you know to tuck..."
"If I refine this thing into a pill and eat it, will I also master Mechanics..."
Just as the dialogue device was about to ask Yun Xu to move his leg, Yun Xu, who had just finished brewing the tea, suddenly muttered.
"..."
The dialogue device's voice paused, then it put down the broom and flew forward, wrapping its hands around Yun Xu's leg.
"Master, please move your precious leg."
At the dialogue device's request, Yun Xu then lifted his foot.
The dialogue device immediately flew back to retrieve the broom that Shenhe had caught and prevented from falling, sweeping past Yun Xu.
"Day in and day out, I've been busy from just now until now, and no one has helped me. All you do is drink tea, and no one even thinks to pour me a cup."
After sweeping in front of Yun Xu, the dialogue device continued sweeping into the distance, speaking as it went.
Perhaps Cloud Retainer had put even more effort into the bickering module, as its speech in this state was much more fluent than when they first met.
If you didn't see it, you'd think it was the real Paimon talking.
"Actually, I feel like you, Paimon, are still a bit better than it."
After the dialogue device left this room to clean other rooms, Lumine couldn't help but turn to Paimon and say.
"Don't only think I'm better than it at times like this...!"
Paimon said, displeased.
"Actually, Master creating such a Xiao Pai is quite interesting."
Yun Xu, on the other hand, took a sip of tea and commented, but was quickly met with unanimous opposition from Lumine and Paimon...