pdf-ebookys Chapter 460 Great Ordinary Dreams
Chapter 460 Great Ordinary Dreams
Having received a large reward for completing the mission from Haidif, Zhiqiong watched as Xu Ning drove Katalina away again, and leaned over to shake the money pouch in her hand.
"Lord Xu Ning, at least half of the reward here should be yours."
Xu Ning smiled and said, "If you really want to thank someone, then thank Sister Jinwu. She's the one who has done the most for you here."
"She definitely wouldn't accept even a single mora..."
Zhiqiong sat down, took the bowl of wine that Xu Ning handed her, and glanced at Katarina's tent.
"She seems more cheerful these past two days than when I first met her. I remember being really shocked when that girl Shen He told me she had suicidal thoughts. I hope she doesn't think that way anymore now?"
Xu Ning took a sip of his drink. "Who knows?"
Zhiqiong stared intently at the Eye of God embedded in Xu Ningchen's gourd for a while, then suddenly said, "This is the fate of ordinary people! If her brother's team had someone like Lord Xu Ning... a favorite of the gods, they probably wouldn't have ended up like this..."
"God's favorite?"
Xu Ning laughed and said, "Where did you hear such a strange description? Are you envious of people with divine eyes?"
Zhiqiong held the wine bowl with both hands, taking small sips. "Well, I do feel a little envious. But more than that, I wonder, do the lives of ordinary people like us, who dedicate ourselves silently in this world, who are not watched by the eyes of God, really have any meaning?"
Xu Ning glanced at Zhiqiong beside him and said, "What nonsense are you talking about! Aren't the dreams of ordinary people dreams? Their happiness and suffering, their love and hate, and their indomitable spirit are the foundation of this world. Without them, Teyvat would be meaningless."
"And what about ordinary people who aren't watched by God? Wait, why does that sound so familiar?"
Xu Ning shook his head, resisting the attack of his dead memories. "In ancient times, how many immortals of Liyue sacrificed their lives, which could have been long lives, to protect the dreams of these ordinary people, just to get a meaningless comment from you? To this day, the immortals of Liyue, the Thousand Rock Army, and countless righteous people are still guarding every dangerous place in Liyue for this simple happiness, just to have you judge their fate as ordinary?"
Zhiqiong blushed and explained, "You know, that's not what I actually meant..."
Xu Ning chuckled, “I know you want to be like those great adventurers like Leonard, Stanley, and Roald, chasing dangerous places and magnificent scenery, wanting to explore the ends of the earth, wanting to leave your own chapter in this world, wanting to be remembered by people, and that’s perfectly understandable.”
“I respect the dreams of every person born free, but I don’t want to see you prove anything with your life. After all, your so-called conquest of the Rocky Abyss and the creation of your own legend is, in my eyes, no greater than a mother in Liyue Harbor spreading her arms to protect her toddler.”
Zhiqiong eventually returned to her tent, somewhat dejected.
Xu Ning said he respected her dreams, but she didn't know how to refute his statement that ordinariness is greatness.
Xu Ning took a couple of sips of wine, picked up a small stone from the ground, and casually tossed it toward a pile of rocks behind him.
"oops!"
Paimon, clutching his head, flew out from behind the pile of rocks. "Kong, come out quickly, rocks will fall from there."
Kong walked out with a wry smile, not daring to tell Paimon that the stone was thrown by Xu Ning.
“Brother Xu, we didn’t mean to eavesdrop on your conversation… we were just a little sleepy and wanted to come and chat with you. Oh, Paimon is different from me; she wanted to ask Qingyi for something to eat.”
Xu Ning took Xiaobai Mao to have a late-night snack with Qingyi, washed the bowl that Zhiqiong had left behind with wine, poured Qianniao on it and handed it to Kong.
"I don't know when I suddenly became a midnight confidant. Tell me, do you have a lot of troubles like her?"
He took a sip of the sake, and the traces of lightning contained in the Thousand Birds Sake made him breathe a long, comfortable sigh of relief.
"It's not exactly a problem. It's just that ever since I met Ying, I've felt a bit lost. I'm finding it increasingly difficult to feel the meaning of travel, and many times when I wake up in the morning, I don't even know where to go. Sometimes I even unconsciously think, why didn't I just stand on Ying's side back then? Whether she wanted to restore her kingdom or to defy the laws of nature, I could have followed in her footsteps, as long as I could still stand with her..."
Xu Ning nodded. "That's right. Next time you see her, just say that. First, coax her over, then I'll hug her and drag her into my cave..."
Kong Xiu angrily retorted, "Brother Xu, I'm serious!"
Xu Ning laughed and said, "I wasn't joking with you. I'm very serious."
Kong took a sip of his drink, feeling frustrated. "Now I finally know how those two left."
Xu Ning refilled the empty bowl with Chidori, saying, "I don't really support the idea that there will inevitably be a battle between Ying and the principles of Heaven..."
Kong looked up in astonishment, "Brother Xu, you're not going to help Ying..."
Xu Ning waved his hand, "Listen to me. If you were to see the goddess who sealed you again now, do you think you could defeat her with your current strength?"
Kong shook his head gravely. "I still don't think we're a match for them."
"You saw the rock layers pierced by that celestial nail in the Abyss of Layered Rocks, didn't you? How many blows could you withstand with that kind of power?"
Kong's face was a little pale. "I can't even withstand one blow."
Xu Ning spread his hands and said, "So if we can't beat them, we can't withstand them, what are we fighting for?"
Kong said dejectedly, "Then what else can we do?"
Xu Ning reached out and patted Kong's shoulder, laughing, "That's why we need to travel, to find all the forces that can be united, to uncover the truth and secrets of this world, to find the weaknesses of the natural order... to do all the work we can prepare, and maybe then we can help Ying?"
Only then did Kong realize what Xu Ning wanted to say.
“Brother, if you had said so earlier, I would have understood sooner. Alright, in that case, I will do my best with you to find the last two beads, see the secrets hidden here, and then go to the next country.”
Xu Ning's vacillating mind was cleared up, and he took him into his own hidden cave. They had a late-night snack and good wine, and the fun didn't end until late at night.
When Paimon woke up yawning this morning, he was surprised to find himself in such a state of emptiness.
Zhiqiong and Katarina had no idea how this blond little guy had suddenly become so energetic overnight, as if he'd been injected with adrenaline.
"Let's find the bead in one go!"
Kong Yima charged ahead of the group.