A jade carved into the shape of a flower. A phantom scent, here one instant and gone the next, swirls around it.

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Each year, when the Spiritscent Flowers bloom, Qiaoying Village will prepare for its tea-serving ceremonies.

Once the flowers wither, flower tea infused with nine layers of scents are presented in the village hall.

The Spiritscent Flower is a fleeting thing, much like the sudden coming and going of a certain adeptus.

This one left behind the ambiguous name of "Herblord," as well as many foggy and fragmented legends.

In one such tale, the Herblord's adeptal form would turn into the branches of an ancient tea tree.

In another, the adeptus flew up to the adeptal mountain on a subdued evil beast.

There is even a story that goes like this—

The young lady grasped at the hooded hat on the ground as she struggled ashore, placing it on her head haphazardly.

For if she did not cover her face, then she might feel embarrassed and find herself at a loss for words.

Just then, the orchestrator of her suffering poked their head out of the water.

The rainbow-scales on their body glimmered, as if to revel in this victory.

"*cough* Alright! So you can swim! Very impressive! ...You know what? May you drown someday!"

She spoke these words in anger, but also in jest.

And yet that glittering streak would eventually sink into the depths, never to come back to the surface.

A jade ornament shaped like a leaf. It seems to have once had deep meaning between specific friends.

====

A very long time ago, there was no ford across the river, only a misty hillside.

The owner of this mountain had yet to decide what to plant here when someone preempted them.

"Once this tree gets a bit larger, I'll cut its leaves down and make some tea for all of you."

"When that time comes, we'll get Cloud Retainer and Mountain Shaper to come over..."

"Seriously? You plant trees any way you like on my turf, and you have the nerve to spout such things?"

But though the young lady who was master of this mountain complained, she too could imagine the tea's fragrance.

Later, someone would quietly tie this jade pendant to the thin branches of the small tree.

When more time had passed, the mountain's master returned, but in a changed aspect,

And sans the finger that might untie the pendant. This was a long time ago now.

Many years later, the branches of this tree would be grafted to the other side of the river by the mortals who dwelled in the mountains.

The fragrance of tea would also travel from this place, Chenyu Vale, to Liyue Harbor, and from there to many more places still.

There are many legends concerning the tea trees of Chenyu Vale. One of them goes like this:

No matter the waters, soil, or sunlight, this sort of tree only grows lushly in Chenyu Vale.

This is because it remembers the promise that old friends made in the ancient past beside the tea sapling.

A circular jade ornament. Legend has it that it was once used somewhere as a symbol for rituals to begin.

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It is said that this jade ornament comes from the long-sealed sacred mountain.

Just as a Starconch separated from the sea will recall the sound of the waves,

The ornament will also emit the sound of flowing water.

You may often hear such rumors in inns...

"You know, legend has it that the greatest treasure of the mountains is a slab of fine jade that can bring down sweet rains."

"But when the world was in turmoil, demons began to covet its power."

"So the master of the mountain split it into many parts, forming each part into different shapes, so as to hide them."

"Then, the master concealed them underwater, in the hills, and some were even offered to shrines."

"In the legends of Chenyu Vale, these jade ornaments bear the blessing of a deity's pact."

"It's just that no one has been able to find them, even after so many years..."

The priest had been ever careful in hiding this jade loop on their person.

But on certain years, they would discreetly show it to a friend with no sense of refinement on the eve of a departure.

The priest would speak of its patterns and its origins, and of the pact made with a deity by their ancestors,

But the friend was busy pounding herbs with mortar and pestle, and did not hear a single word.

"We do this song and dance every year, and I've heard this story who-knows-how-many times."

"Didn't you say you'd treat me to some tea when you get back? Let's talk then."

But that which came from the waters was not that which she had thought would come, and would vanish henceforth back into those waters...

Till today, the artisans of Yilong Port still make such simple ornaments.

Visiting merchants will also often place these jade loops close to their ears, as the legend says,

Wondering if they can truly hear the sound of the rain pitter-pattering on mountain stone.

This teacup forever overflows with fresh water. Perhaps it was a gift from an adeptus, one of their relics, or just something they left behind.

====

This was originally a gift from a friend, linked to a small realm within.

The spring within the chalice would never dry up, making it a fine place to temporarily stay.

It could hold a reflection of the sun and moon, and could play host to swimming fish.

Compared to the ill-fate accorded to the Yaksha, she believed that she was luckier by far.

But the price for inheriting the ancient rites was to never spend much time on land.

In those days, the sweet waters did not flow across Liyue in such abundance.

The harbor-city beneath the mountains and the gathering in the plains was, to her, a distant dream.

But that person, ever afraid of trouble, decided to set off with this teacup in hand.

This "Liyue Harbor" she spoke of would almost certainly be as full of flaws as a village ceremony.

This journey would surely be full of arguments, struggle, and many troubles.

She knew that they both quite enamored with their gifts of the gab, but much less with crowds.

Nowhere else in this world could you find two adepti as small as they, envious and fearing prosperity in equal measure.

"But we had promised each other many things in the past, and this is very good."

As they were to leave, she thought thus.

"Well, at least this trip will be interesting. I can introduce her to some other old friends."

Later, the brazier and tea kettle would come into common use, and the teacup's shape, too, was taken up by people.

And thus did everyone become able to have the moon on their desk and hold it in their palms.

A pair of earrings made from a single piece of jade. It has a most gentle texture.

====

Chenyu Vale is home to many mountains, streams, and stories. Among these, the most famous is:

A long time ago, there was a priceless gem that fell into the hands of a demon and was thrown into the waters where it sunk...

The wide river of a legend will oft produce many tributaries. One of these goes like this:

This gem was once jade from a sacred mountain, carved into its current shape only by the hand of Rex Lapis himself.

And the stone that had been lost to the waters may have been a lesser jade, or perhaps just a simple cup.

Some even say that the "jade" in the tale is in fact an analogy for a beautiful person.

The legends even have it that people had once seen this:

Unnumbered koi with tails like gems in the sunlight,

Having left the shackles of the lakes and rivers to which aquatic creatures are bound,

Flying freely with the wind in the sky.

So too did the pair of jade earrings belonging to a certain person change form.