[Location: Dihua Marsh – En Route to Wangshu Inn]
[Time: 11:15 AM (Next Day)]
The engine of the Motorcycle Eradicator roared across the wooden bridges of Dihua Marsh, kicking up dust and scattering cranes.
"Too fast! Too faaaast!" Paimon clung to Aether's scarf, her cape flapping violently in the wind.
"Speed is life, Paimon!" I shouted over the engine, revving the throttle. "Besides, we have a schedule to keep. The Rite of Parting is probably already being planned, and we're missing the fun."
Up ahead, the massive silhouette of Wangshu Inn dominated the skyline—a towering structure built into and around a colossal rock and ancient tree. It was a marvel of Liyue architecture.
But as we approached, my [Magic Sense] picked up something else.
It wasn't just the smell of food or the bustle of merchants. It was a thick, cloying miasma clinging to the upper levels of the inn. It tasted like old blood and screaming shadows.
[Great Sage]
Danger Level: High.
Nature: Corrosive Spiritual Erosion.>
"Hold tight," I warned. "We're parking."
I drifted the bike to a halt at the base of the elevator. The lift operator looked terrified of the metal beast, but I simply unsummoned it into my [Stomach] with a flash of light.
[Location: Wangshu Inn – The Top Balcony]
[Time: 11:30 AM]
We climbed the stairs past the kitchen (where I briefly debated stealing the recipe for Almond Tofu but decided to focus). We reached the open-air balcony at the very top.
The view was magnificent, overlooking the marsh and the distant plains of Guili.
Standing at the railing, gazing out into nothingness, was a young man. He wore intricate ceremonial armor, teal tattoos running down his arm, and a jade mask hanging at his hip.
Xiao. The Conqueror of Demons.
He didn't turn around.
"Get out."
His voice was cold, sharp as a spear tip. "Travelers have no business here."
Aether stepped forward, holding up the Sigil. "We are here to see the Adeptus Xiao. We have news about Rex Lapis."
Xiao stiffened. He turned slowly, his golden eyes narrowing. The pressure he emitted was immense—sharp, biting wind mixed with the heavy dread of a thousand years of slaughter.
"Rex Lapis?" He glanced at the Sigil. "Start talking. And make it quick. The air around you..." He looked at me. "...is strange. You reek of another world. And dragons."
Aether explained the events: The assassination, the Qixing's lockdown, the suspicion.
Throughout the explanation, Xiao's expression didn't change, but the aura around him grew darker. The wind began to pick up, rattling the lanterns.
"Rex Lapis... gone?" Xiao closed his eyes. "I sense no lie in your words. But it is... absurd."
Suddenly, he groaned. He gripped his right arm, his fingers digging into his skin. Black smoke wisped off his shoulders. The Karmic Debt was flaring up, likely agitated by the bad news.
"Leave," he gritted out. "The darkness... it stirs. If you stay, you will be corrupted."
"I don't think so," I stepped forward.
"I said leave!" Xiao snapped. In a blink, he vanished.
[Great Sage]: I didn't think. I reacted.
I activated [Steel Strength] and threw my arm up to the left.
CLANG!
My forearm collided with the shaft of a Jade Winged-Spear. Sparks flew.
Xiao was there, mid-air, looking down at me with genuine shock. He had intended to scare us off, not kill, but he clearly didn't expect anyone to block him.
"You're fast," I grinned, my arm vibrating from the impact. "But I'm not exactly slow."
Xiao flipped back, landing on the railing. "You blocked me? You are no ordinary Vision holder."
"Name's Raiden. And you look like you're in pain."
"It is none of your concern," Xiao spat, the black smoke thickening. "This is my burden. The price of eons of slaughter. Mortals cannot understand. Even gods cannot heal this."
He was right. In lore, the Karma of the Yakshas drove them mad. It wasn't a wound; it was a corruption of the soul.
But I had a skill specifically designed to manipulate life force and soul data.
"Great Sage," I whispered internally. "Can [Lust] interact with Karmic Debt?"
[Great Sage]
The Unique Skill [Lust] governs Life and Vitality.
Proposed Action: Use 'Kiss of Love' (Energy Gift) to inject positive vitality, while using 'Predator's Isolation' function to siphon the excess negative energy.>
Basically, I could act as a filter.
"Hey, Edgelord," I called out.
Xiao glared. "Watch your tongue."
"I can help with the noise. The screaming in your head."
Xiao froze. "What?"
"I can't cure it," I admitted, walking slowly toward him, hands raised to show I wasn't attacking. "It's part of who you are now. But I can... turn the volume down. Let you rest for a bit."
"Impossible."
"Try me."
I stopped a foot away from him. He was tense, ready to skewer me.
"Give me your hand."
Hesitantly, driven perhaps by a moment of desperate exhaustion, Xiao extended his hand.
I grabbed it.
[Unique Skill: Lust] — Activate.
[Unique Skill: Predator] — Partial Activation.
A golden aura flared around my hand, clashing with his black mist.
I felt it immediately—the screaming. Kill. Die. Suffering. Betrayal. It rushed into me like a flood.
Ow. It stung. It felt like drinking acid.
But [Pain Nullification] kicked in.
[Great Sage] immediately isolated the corruption, storing it in a quarantined sector of my [Stomach] to be broken down later.
Simultaneously, I pumped pure, warm vitality into him.
Xiao's eyes went wide. His pupil dilated.
The black smoke around him dissipated, just for a moment. The constant, grating noise in his mind... silenced.
For the first time in centuries, there was quiet.
I let go after ten seconds. The corruption was too deep to do more without hurting myself.
Xiao stumbled back, leaning against the railing, breathing heavily. He looked at his hands. They weren't trembling.
"The voices..." he whispered. "They are... muffled."
He looked up at me, the hostility replaced by a bewildered, intense curiosity.
"Who are you?"
"Just a passing Dragon," I shrugged, suppressing the urge to vomit the black gunk I'd just absorbed. "So, about the Liyue crisis. Are we good?"
Xiao straightened up. He regained his composure, though he looked at me with a new, complicated expression.
"You have... bought my attention," Xiao said quietly. "I will handle the threat to Liyue. If the Qixing cannot protect the city, the Adepti will intervene."
He looked at Aether. "I will meet with the others. Leave now. Before the Karma returns."
But before he vanished, he looked at me one last time.
"Raiden. Do not die in this war. It would be... a waste."
Whoosh.
He was gone.
"Wow," Paimon floated over, eyes sparkling. "You actually made the scary Yaksha nice! Well, less mean. What did you do?"
"I just shared some energy," I said, wiping sweat from my forehead. "Come on. We have all the Adepti on our side now. Time to head back to Liyue Harbor."
As we walked back to the stairs, [Great Sage] pinged me.
[System Notice]
Acquired Skill: [Wind Cycle] (High-speed aerial dash).
Acquired Resistance: [Karmic Corrosion Resistance].
Relationship Update: Xiao regards you as a 'Person of Interest'.>
I smirked.
One step closer to conquering this world.