"Oh…" Liyue's pretty face flushed as she parted her small lips, letting the Angel's Tears slip inside.
It tasted sweet, and as it slid down into her stomach, it was like rain falling on parched land.
Warmth spread through her body. The burning scarlet lines stretching from her heart to her skin finally cooled.
"Haa~~"
Liyue let out a soft sigh of relief, a shy little groan escaping before she quickly covered her mouth with her hand.
Luciel leaned closer to study the scarlet lines on her cheeks. The crimson marks had faded slightly, no longer glowing with heat.
As expected—Angel's Tears couldn't cure the "Void Ghost Infection."
"How do you feel?" Luciel asked, already knowing the answer but wanting her to describe it.
"My body's never felt this relaxed… this comfortable." Liyue's excitement made her forget her embarrassment.
She touched her cheek where the hateful marks still remained. The joy on her face froze.
"So even Angel's Tears can't cure it?" she whispered bitterly.
"Maybe you just didn't drink enough," Luciel said softly, trying to comfort her.
"It's alright. Even if it doesn't cure me, at least it stops the spread of the infection."
Liyue shook her head with a gentle smile. "If it can keep me from turning into a ghost, even for a while, that's already enough."
"There has to be a way." Luciel looked at her smile, resisting the urge to spend his evolution points on enhancing the Angel's Wings. He wanted to observe her condition first before making that decision.
"Um… may I stay with you for a while?" Liyue asked hesitantly, twisting the corner of her clothes between her fingers.
Worried he'd misunderstand, she quickly added, "I want to wait for more Angel's Tears to condense… so I can trade something with you."
She didn't dare mention trading for Angel's Wings, so she settled for asking about the tears.
Even though they couldn't cure the Void Ghost Infection, they could at least suppress it. That was reason enough for her to stay. Her companions were still waiting on her to bring back good news.
"Alright," Luciel agreed with a nod.
"Thank you," Liyue said gratefully.
She carefully set down the wooden barrel she'd been holding, then reached into her cloak and drew out a white longbow.
"This longbow is a spirit weapon," she explained. "It stabilizes arrows in flight and improves their ability to pierce through the air."
Her fingers lingered on the bow as if reluctant to part with it, but finally, she offered it to Luciel.
"An ordinary archer using this bow can increase their range and accuracy by thirty percent."
Luciel took it with curiosity.
Buzz~~
It was surprisingly light. When he plucked the bowstring, the sound was deep and powerful.
"I'd like to trade this Spirit Light Longbow for three drops of Angel's Tears—including the one I already drank."
Brushing her hair behind her ear, Liyue added shyly, "In the future, I may come often… to trade for more Angel's Tears."
By her estimation, one drop could suppress the infection for about sixty days.
"Tell me more about spirit weapons," Luciel said suddenly, realizing he knew almost nothing about them.
He glanced toward Mino, the rabbit-eared girl sitting quietly nearby.
"What is it?" she asked, blinking her big blue eyes in confusion.
"…Nothing." Luciel shook his head. Clearly, she didn't know either.
Liyue, watching their exchange, tilted her head. "Wait… you really don't know what a spirit weapon is?"
"I don't," Luciel admitted honestly.
Mino shook her head as well, still shy around strangers.
"Spirit weapons are crafted from beast or spirit beast materials," Liyue explained patiently. "They inherit some of the creature's natural abilities."
She pointed to the bow in Luciel's hand. "For example, this one is made from the wing bones of a certain bird-beast."
"That's it?" Luciel blinked, unimpressed.
"This one's only a low-grade spirit weapon." Liyue rolled her eyes playfully, then added, "Some stronger ones are crafted with beast cores. Those can awaken truly special abilities."
"I see." Luciel nodded, slightly disappointed. He had imagined spirit weapons to be like the mystical artifacts from xianxia tales—only to find they were simply enhanced beast-material weapons.
"Can you make them yourself?" he asked curiously.
"I can make simple ones. This Light Spirit Longbow was my own work," Liyue said proudly, raising her chin.
"Then I'll return this to you." Luciel pushed the bow back into her hands.
"Huh?" Liyue stared at it, startled.
"Don't worry—I'll still give you two drops of Angel's Tears." Luciel smiled.
"Why?" she asked, frowning slightly. Years of hardship had taught her: nothing came for free.
"Because I want you to make a spirit weapon for me," Luciel replied calmly. He had little use for longbows, but crossbows… that was different. He even considered learning how to make them himself.
"Eh?" Liyue was taken aback.
"I… only know how to make longbows. I can't make anything else for now," she admitted softly.
"That's fine. I'll tell you what design I want when the time comes." Luciel waved it off.
In truth, he already had another plan.
As the Rock Tortoise evolved, it would grow larger and harder to monitor. Like an elephant ignoring ants on its back, it couldn't detect intruders. Someone would need to guard it.
Binding Liyue with a little Angel's Tears—someone who could also craft spirit weapons—was a worthwhile investment.
For now, though, he would keep testing her.
"…Alright," Liyue agreed reluctantly. She glanced at the bow in her hands and felt a little comforted. At least she'd have a weapon for protection.
"It's late. Go rest," Luciel said, noticing the rabbit-eared girl struggling to keep her eyes open.
"Eh? We're done already?" Mino mumbled sleepily, rubbing her eyes.
"Go on, hurry to bed." Luciel said gently.
"What about Liyue?"
Mino leaned close to his ear, whispering, "We only have two rooms. Where will she sleep?"
"She'll take my room. I'll sleep in the hall," Luciel replied softly.
"No, I can sleep in the hall," Liyue said quickly, flustered. The idea of staying overnight already embarrassed her.
"Listen to me. Guests don't sleep in the hall," Luciel said firmly, leaving no room for argument.
"Oh…" Liyue lowered her head shyly.
"…I…" Mino opened her mouth timidly, wanting to suggest that Liyue sleep with her.
"Don't push yourself," Luciel said instead, flicking her soft rabbit ears.
"I'm not a pet! Stop pulling my ears…" Mino pouted weakly.
"Yeah, yeah," Luciel replied absentmindedly.
"Hmph! I'm going to bed."
"Goodnight."