The sky gradually brightened.
In the wilderness, the bonfire that had burned all night was still smoldering.
Xiao sat alone by the fire, adding a few more pieces of wood, and glanced at a small Serenitea Pot on the other side of the fire.
It was a travel tool Madame Ping had given to Yanfei long ago.
Yanfei had brought it along this time.
Last night, she and Yelan had rested inside.
Xiao had kept watch outside, slowly turning his beads, his heart as calm as still water.
It wasn't that Yanfei hadn't invited him in, but the journey so far was nothing compared to the hardships he endured while guarding Guili Plains and slaying evil spirits. He didn't need rest.
Moreover, he felt it would be inappropriate to stay inside, especially since Miss Yelan seemed to have a close relationship with Mr. Xia. Thus, he politely declined.
At one point, the Serenitea Pot moved slightly.
Yelan's figure suddenly appeared beside the pot, smiling at him.
"Good morning, Great Yaksha."
"Good morning, Miss Yelan."
"Thank you for keeping watch last night."
"It was no trouble."
"I'll go gather firewood and fetch water later."
"Alright."
Xiao nodded, then suddenly remembered a piece of advice Morax had once given him. After a moment of silence, he spoke, "Miss Yelan, there's something I need to tell you."
Yelan, who was about to leave, stopped and looked at him curiously, "Oh? What is it, Great Yaksha?"
"As a special intelligence officer, Miss Yelan must be aware of the duties of us Yakshas, right?"
"I've read many texts and know a bit. After the Archon War, many gods fell on this land, leaving behind remnants of their power, which gave rise to countless evil spirits and monsters. These remnants are harmful to humans, driving those who come into contact with them mad. Only Yakshas, with strong physiques and resilient minds, can resist them. To prevent them from causing harm, the Yakshas were tasked by the Geo Archon to eliminate these evils."
Yelan paused, then continued.
"But even Yakshas are affected by the karma accumulated from slaying these evils. Over time, meet the same fate as humans, and even the Geo Archon can do nothing about it. Today, most of the remnants in Liyue have been cleansed, but only you remain among the Yakshas..."
At this point, Yelan's voice carried a hint of respect.
Xiao's expression remained unchanged as he nodded, "Indeed, the karma I've accumulated was nearing its limit, but during that gathering, Mr. Xia helped me cleanse it."
Yelan had been at the shop that day and remembered, "I recall."
Xiao raised the prayer beads in his hand slightly, "At that time, Mr. Xia also gave me this item."
"This is?"
"It helps me cleanse my karmic debt."
"!"
"Every time I slay an evil spirit, I just need to turn these beads, and the effects of the karma will slowly dissipate. With this explanation, Miss Yelan should understand the significance of this item to me, right?"
"Yes, I understand."
"Such a precious item, I originally didn't dare to accept it, but Mr. Xia said it wasn't a gift without conditions."
"Conditions?"
"That if I were to come to The Chasm to investigate the matter of the nameless Yaksha, I must accompany Miss Yelan and ensure her safety along the way."
"!!"
Yelan was stunned, and then a strange look of joy appeared in her eyes.
"During the discussion at Yanshang Teahouse, why didn't you mention this, Great Yaksha?"
"Because Mr. Xia told me not to reveal it to you."
"Mr. Xia is really..."
Yelan lightly chided, but even someone as aloof as Xiao could tell there was no real annoyance in her words. Instead, her face was filled with barely concealed joy.
"Then why are you telling me now, Great Yaksha?"
"Well... I have a friend who is wise and resourceful. Before setting out, I discussed this with him, and he suggested it would be better to tell you. After some thought, I decided it would be best to let Miss Yelan know, so you're aware of Mr. Xia's kindness."
"Thank you, Great Yaksha!"
Yelan was relieved and thanked him sincerely.
"And thank your friend as well!"
"It's nothing."
Yelan turned and left.
My husband really does care about me.
As for the Great Yaksha's friend... it must be another adeptus. I've heard that Mountain Shaper is wise and knowledgeable, so it must be him.
I'll have to thank him properly for being such a good matchmaker.
Xiao watched Yelan's retreating figure, noticing that her steps seemed lighter.
Seeing that no one was around, Xiao stood up from the fire and measured himself against his spear.
Indeed, he had grown a bit taller.
Mr. Xia truly has a miraculous touch.
--
At Yujing Terrace.
Ganyu woke up early.
She didn't linger in bed for a moment, immediately sneaking off to the bathroom to change out of her damp pajamas.
Squatting on the floor, scrubbing her clothes, Ganyu felt her cheeks burning.
"Ugh..."
Last night, she had a very strange dream.
In the dream, she was in her junior sister's room, sitting alone on the bed, leaning against the wall, her ear pressed to it, listening carefully to the sounds from next door. Then, she couldn't help but do something...
"Why did I have such a dream?"
Ganyu bit her lip.
She also remembered what had happened the night before last.
It was Friday, and as usual, she had gone to the shop to visit her junior sister, have a meal, get a massage, and stay the night.
That night, her junior sister said she was hungry and went to get some food, asking if Ganyu wanted any.
Naturally, Ganyu agreed.
Then, as if possessed, she went to eavesdrop again.
But unlike last time, when she heard nothing, this time she actually heard something!
Although the sound was very faint, it was enough to spark her imagination.
Perhaps it was because of that incident.
These past two days, she couldn't help but think about it.
Maybe because she had been thinking about it so much, she had such an embarrassing dream last night.
"Having such a shameful dream is one thing... but... but... at the very end, when I called out Mr. Xia's name, why did the door suddenly open? And why was my junior sister standing there, looking completely stunned? This dream is just too strange!"
Ganyu buried her face in her knees.
After a while, she finally lifted her head.
Thankfully, it was just a dream.
No matter how embarrassing, it was just her own dream.
The junior sister in the dream wasn't real.
As long as she didn't say anything, her real junior sister would never know.
Thankfully... thankfully...
After washing her clothes, Ganyu returned to her room and sat on the bed.
The room was warm, thanks to the [Warmth Talisman] on the wall.
Ganyu stared into the air for a while.
The events of the dream resurfaced in her mind.
She felt something strange in her body.
It was a very peculiar sensation.
She had never experienced such a restless, burning impulse before.
No.
Not never.
More accurately, it was before last year, or more precisely, before this year's Lantern Rite...
Back then, although she had a good impression of Mr. Xia, she had never had any improper thoughts.
Even if she occasionally thought about it, it was really just a passing thought, nothing like last night, where she was more focused on helping her junior sister.
But during the Lantern Rite gathering, Mr. Xia had made her a dish called [Hundred Herbs Broth], which helped her break through to the true adeptus level.
From that day on, her body seemed to have undergone some changes.
It wasn't just her strength that had improved; her half-adeptus bloodline had also advanced to a new stage.
A certain innate nature that had been suppressed seemed to have finally been unleashed, becoming extremely active. This made the pleasure she felt during Mr. Xia's massages completely different from before.
The alarm clock on the bedside table rang.
It was Mr. Xia's voice.
Ganyu listened to the good morning message, reached out to turn off the alarm, and looked out the window.
Today was Monday, February 1st.
"Spring has arrived..."