"In Inazuma, there have always been many legends about fox familiars, much like Lady Yae, the Guuji of the Grand Narukami Shrine, whom we met not long ago. She is a fox familiar herself. If we consider this, there might be other unknown fox familiars on Inazuma's land... and perhaps this 'Tsubaki' is one of them..."
Kamisato Ayaka walked side by side with Feng Yi, lowering her head as she shared some of her conjectures with him.
"The fox familiars in Inazuma should hold a status similar to the Adepti of Liyue. Flying in the sky, running on the ground, buried in the earth – they cover all aspects. There's nothing you can't imagine that Liyue's Adepti can't do..."
Feng Yi nodded and chuckled.
"As expected of Liyue... Ancient culture breeds the most beautiful legends, truly captivating."
Upon hearing this, a spark of curiosity and longing flickered in Kamisato Ayaka's eyes.
"Once the Vision Hunt Decree is over, we can go to Liyue together if you have the chance. The scenery there is wonderful, and the food is absolutely top-notch..."
Feng Yi had lived in Liyue for a year and was very familiar with it, explaining the local customs and traditions to Kamisato Ayaka.
"Really? That would be wonderful, I'll definitely visit and travel there if I get the chance!"
Kamisato Ayaka nodded earnestly.
Feng Yi and Kamisato Ayaka arrived at the location recorded in the note, a water-side cliff. The sky was overcast and oppressive.
"That's strange, the note definitely said it was here. Could it be... Ugh, I'm starting to feel a bit uneasy... But since we've come this far, we should still go in and investigate."
Kamisato Ayaka suddenly had a bad premonition.
"Let me think, I remember the note saying: [A crane brought a flower to adorn my hair, a white rabbit stitched four moonbeams into a skirt. I dressed myself appropriately, faced the east, and called Tsubaki's name seven times. In a blink, I stood on the small path leading to her home...]. Feng Yi, I have a feeling this is some kind of code. Let's try going further..."
Kamisato Ayaka said, holding the gifts in her hands and frowning.
"Ayaka, why don't you try calling out a few times too?"
Feng Yi felt this was a good opportunity to vent her emotions. After all, Kamisato Ayaka, due to her status, couldn't often shout or express herself freely, and many feelings might have been bottled up.
"Mhm, Hoooo~"
Kamisato Ayaka felt Feng Yi's suggestion was reasonable. She turned towards the east, took a deep breath, and shouted "Tsubaki" seven times. It was as if she were releasing her pent-up frustration, and after the seven shouts, she felt an unprecedented sense of liberation.
However, after the seven calls, nothing happened.
The sky remained overcast, and the wind remained chillingly cold.
"Feng Yi, is it possible that 'Tsubaki' doesn't want to see us?"
Kamisato Ayaka said with a touch of disappointment, hugging the gifts to her chest.
"Don't worry, let's look for other clues..."
Feng Yi gently comforted Kamisato Ayaka and then led the way into the cave. He remembered that there were some mechanisms on the surrounding stone walls that needed to be struck in a specific sequence.
"Okay, then let's split up!"
Kamisato Ayaka nodded, and they began searching the cave, one heading east and the other west.
Recalling the impression in his mind, Feng Yi soon found a section of the stone wall that significantly differed in texture from its surroundings.
[A crane brought a flower to adorn my hair, a white rabbit stitched four moonbeams into a skirt. I dressed myself appropriately, faced the east, and called Tsubaki's name seven times. In a blink, I stood on the small path leading to her home...]
Recollecting the story Kamisato Ayaka had told, he extracted the numbers: one, four, and seven. He then tapped them on the stone wall in sequence.
*Clang!*
The stone wall trembled slightly, then shattered, revealing a hidden space. Indeed, on a stone platform inside, there was an ancient and exquisite wooden box.
"Ayaka, over here, over here! I've found something!"
Feng Yi immediately called out to Kamisato Ayaka, who was exploring on the other side.
"Really? I'm coming right over!"
Kamisato Ayaka was filled with admiration for Feng Yi. His observation skills, as Thoma had once said, were indeed remarkably keen; he had found a breakthrough in such a short time.
Kamisato Ayaka quickly rushed to Feng Yi's side and opened the exquisite wooden box. Inside, she found a book, or more accurately, a diary.
Due to the poor lighting in the cave, Kamisato Ayaka and Feng Yi left and went outside.
"Ayaka, you read the note first. I'll look around nearby. If anything comes up, just call my name loudly..."
Feng Yi did not want to disturb Kamisato Ayaka while she read the note, even though he already knew its contents. Watching Feng Yi walk away, Kamisato Ayaka felt a warmth in her heart. His actions were undoubtedly a sign of respect, though she wouldn't have minded reading the note together with Feng Yi.
Kamisato Ayaka then opened the diary and began to read it carefully. After more than ten minutes, she took a deep breath and closed the notebook.
"Feng Yi, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. Thank you for staying with me today. I think... I should share the truth of this diary with you, although the contents are completely different from what I had imagined..."
Kamisato Ayaka found Feng Yi, who was strolling around nearby.
"Mhm, I'm all ears."
Feng Yi indicated that he would play along with her performance.
"Tsubaki's true identity... is not a fox familiar, but... my mother! Eh? Feng Yi, you're not surprised at all?"
Kamisato Ayaka, seeing Feng Yi's expression as if he already knew, felt very perplexed.
"Ah! How could this be? This is truly astonishing!"
Feng Yi, feigning a delayed reaction, immediately put on a surprised expression. However, in Kamisato Ayaka's eyes, his acting skills were sorely lacking, and his facade was transparent.
"Please, let me continue... I was very surprised at first, but the diary begins like this: [Tsubaki, she is both the same and different from my usual self. When I am Tsubaki, I am not Kamisato Ayaka, but a most ordinary woman. All that follows are merely trivial daily affairs recorded by an ordinary me...]"
Kamisato Ayaka interrupted Feng Yi's performance and continued to recount the contents of the diary.
"Most of what the diary describes are her mother's private and trivial thoughts... The things we thought were related to 'Tsubaki' were also her ideas, including the design blueprints and exotic dishes, all things her mother had wanted to try..."
As she spoke, Kamisato Ayaka couldn't help but feel a sense of empathy.