Mu Yang still remembered how, in the original storyline,
Xiao only spoke a few sentences when he first appeared.
Then, he urged the Traveler to leave.
And just like that, he vanished on the spot.
Even when the Traveler took out the "Sigil of Permission," it was useless.
Paimon even wanted to give him a nickname because of it.
However, Xiao acted this way out of kindness.
The karmic debt weighing on him was too heavy.
The "Sigil of Permission" only ensured that Xiao wouldn't attack.
It didn't guarantee that the Traveler would be unharmed by the karmic debt.
So it was better to keep their distance.
To avoid harming others.
Later, with a hint from the boss of Wangshu Inn,
the Traveler prepared a serving of Satisfying Salad and Almond Tofu.
(Though it was more like "The Emperor's New Dish"—an invisible performance.)
Only by taking advantage of the moment Xiao was immobilized by the meal
could they finally explain everything to him properly.
So this time, Mu Yang ordered food directly—
to hard-CC Xiao and make him listen to what they had to say.
While eating, Paimon would also be relatively "well-behaved,"
too busy to ask inappropriate questions.
Upon hearing Mu Yang suggest that the four of them eat together,
Xiao immediately refused.
"You aside, it would be best if those two kept their distance from me."
Mu Yang explained,
"It's fine. The karmic debt won't harm them."
After all, Xiao had been in contact with the Traveler for so many years without issue.
In the end, Xiao chose to believe Mu Yang's words
and decided to stay for dinner.
"I trust you. You wouldn't joke about your friends' safety."
Only then did Xiao and Lumine walk over from the railing together,
ready to eat.
Originally, this was just a simple transition scene,
but the sight of these two walking side by side amused the players.
Because… Xiao seemed to be about the same height as Lumine.
——————
In the livestream:
Guinaifen, true to her former prankster streamer roots,
reacted quickly.
She pulled out a ruler from who-knows-where,
pointed the camera at the screen,
and used the ruler to measure the tops of their heads horizontally.
"Folks, folks, hold off on the slander for now!"
"Mortal eyes can be deceived—what you see isn't necessarily real!"
"It's all just visual effects! Xiao is still taller than our girl!"
[LMAO "mortal eyes can be deceived"—the self-roast came back that fast?]
[I'm dead, Little Gui's theatrics are on point]
[The performative urge is strong with this one]
[That's gotta be 1.5 meters, right?]
[At least 1.53 meters]
[Ah, damn it, streamer, what are you doing? Stop bullying our Xiao!]
[Feels like this is gonna spawn a new meme…]
Little Gui returned the livestream to normal.
"The Hoyolab forums are gonna be full of memes tonight."
"This is too funny."
[Good, good, as a Xiao main, I can die in peace now.]
[Save me a spot, let's get buried together.]
[Oh, so that's your game, huh?]
——————
Naturally, those in Teyvat were unaware of the players' discussions.
Lumine and the other two walked to the table and sat down.
Just then, the food arrived.
Xiao even thoughtfully vanished
while the server set down the dishes,
only reappearing once everything was in place.
This move left Paimon baffled.
"Does he always do this?" she asked Mu Yang.
"Disappearing and reappearing out of nowhere? And what did you two mean earlier?"
Lumine also asked, "Yeah, what's karmic debt?"
Mu Yang told Lumine a few stories.
The Yakshas were born for slaughter.
In the past, they waged war alongside Rex Lapis, accumulating sins.
Karmic debt could be crudely understood as the resentment or grudges born from killing.
Over time, it would not only harm themselves
but also those around them.
[Damn, my heart aches for Xiao.]
[So he has to stay alone most of the time?]
[Hahaha, such a tiny knife, how pathetic—you think this can hurt me?]
"That's why he doesn't want to get too close to you."
Paimon panicked. "Huh?! Are we really not affected?"
Despite saying that,
she didn't stop eating for even a second.
Lumine said she didn't feel anything.
While listening to the story, she had been observing Xiao.
She noticed he ate very little
and only touched the Almond Tofu.
She guessed it had something to do with his past,
but she politely didn't ask.
Just the phrase "the Yakshas were born for slaughter"
was enough to tell her his experiences must have been extraordinary.
Meanwhile, as Mu Yang told the story,
Xiao remained silent, focusing on his meal.
Once he finished, he raised an eyebrow
and asked,
"Some past memories?"
Meaning Mu Yang seemed to remember far too much.
Mu Yang played innocent.
"The boss told me all this. It's not like I suddenly remembered everything just because you said hi."
"Let's just drop it. This kind of thing affects my sleep."
Xiao asked, "What brings you here today?"
Lumine took out the Sigil of Permission.
"Let me explain."
She then shared the news of Rex Lapis' assassination
and the request from Moon Carver.
Paimon was still a little worried—
would this slaughter-born Vigilant Yaksha suddenly fly into a rage
and charge straight for Liyue Harbor?
But Xiao's reaction to these words…
Well, it wasn't exactly the same as Cloud Retainer's.
More like night and day.
Xiao remained completely calm.
"Rex Lapis… to meet such misfortune."
His expression didn't even change.
Mu Yang watched Xiao's awkward acting
and his wooden delivery.
Bro, at least put on a performance.
You showed a bit of emotion when I "regained my memories."
But the death of your god leaves you completely unfazed?
Xiao continued his monotone recital.
"I… cannot imagine it."
"No matter how the times change, I have never envisioned a Liyue without its Lord."
"What role have the Qixing, who govern the mortal realm, played in this?"
——————
Listening to Xiao's lines,
Guinaifen couldn't help but comment.
"Folks, let's be real—he was speaking just fine earlier."
"But when it comes to Rex Lapis, it sounds like he's reading off a script!"
"Didn't he fight alongside the Geo Archon for years? And this is his reaction?"
[It does feel a bit perfunctory.]
[Streamer, you just don't get it—real grief is silent. The calmer he is, the more he's actually—]
[Keep going, I'm listening.]
[Xiao: Rex Lapis is dead? There's food and wine? So Mu Yang invited me to a funeral banquet!]
[Xiao: Rex Lapis (chew chew)… to meet such misfortune (chew chew chew).]
[The news of Rex Lapis' death is less important than Mu Yang "regaining his memories."]
[True. When he heard about Mu Yang, Xiao's lips curved up by a single pixel.]
[Are you watching the stream with a microscope or something?]
"So everyone feels the same way, huh? There's more to this!"
[What's your grand theory, Little Gui?]
[If it's not related to Mu Yang, she won't figure it out.]
Guinaifen began rambling.
"I'm just predicting—this Rex Lapis assassination isn't as simple as it seems!"
[Cool]
[If Mu Yang were the one saying this, she'd analyze it seriously. It's all for content.]
[Little Gui is a natural at playing dumb. You really think she doesn't get it?]
——————
Xiao sighed.
"I will seek out Moon Carver, Mountain Shaper, and Cloud Retainer."
"It is time for them to make a decision."
Paimon finally voiced her concern.
"Will you take over Liyue?"
Xiao told her,
"The adepti will not shirk their duties. Though… I have my reasons for avoiding mortal affairs."
"But duty is duty. For our god is the God of Contracts."
Then, Xiao turned to Mu Yang.
"And you? Protecting Liyue Harbor is not your responsibility, but the Lord of Geo—"
Mu Yang cut in, "I'll be there soon."
Of course Mu Yang would go.
This had nothing to do with "protecting Liyue Harbor."
If I don't go, how can I show off?
If I don't show off, how can I gain popularity?
Osial, just you wait.
I'll yank that mask right off your face.
Having gotten Mu Yang's answer,
Xiao vanished into thin air.
Paimon still hadn't gotten used to it.
"Can't he just leave normally…? Always appearing and disappearing like a ghost."
Lumine whispered into Paimon's ear,
"He's an adeptus. His hearing is sharp, and he might still be nearby…"
Paimon immediately covered her mouth.
"Oh no, oh no! I badmouthed an adeptus! Will I only get cabbages from chests now?!"
[Classic Paimon, always focused on the weirdest things.]
[She's already called Cloud Retainer "Big Bird" before.]
[From now on, if I get bad loot, I'm blaming Paimon.]
Of course, Lumine was just teasing Paimon.
Once the joking was over,
she became much more serious.
"So… what do we do next?"