BAM! A burst of energy clashed, sending rocks and dust flying everywhere…
Mei coughed violently, completely panicked, and tumbled backward onto the ground.
Just a few steps ahead, someone had blocked the deadly attack from the Ruin Guard.
That mysterious figure then swiftly raised their weapon and—boom—shattered the core of the ancient machine.
The Ruin Guard slumped down like a broken toy. Its engine sputtered with sparks, then fizzled out completely. The vengeful spirit inside it slipped away, dissolving into a wisp of dark mist.
Mei finally came back to her senses and let out a long sigh of relief.
- Mei: OMG, I’m not dead yet?! Is this… divine intervention or what?!
The eerie silence that followed made her daze out. Realizing she was still sitting on the ground like a pancake, she scrambled up, patted the dust off her clothes, and glanced around for whoever just saved her.
The fog in the forest had lifted, replaced by the warm golden glow of floating Geo wisps. Bathed in that gentle light... was a familiar face.
- Mei (internally squealing): It’s really him—Xiao! My ultimate white moonlight just saved my life!!!
- Mei (thinking): Wait a sec... why’s my heart beating so fast all of a sudden?
Xiao spoke up coldly, cutting straight through her mental spiral.
- Xiao: “Mortals should not tread where evil energy gathers. Leave. Now.”
Mei snapped back to reality and quickly tried to analyze the situation.
- Mei (thinking): Right, right. We’re still strangers at this point, so of course he’s distant. Plus, with all the karmic debt and resentment on him, he probably doesn’t want to get close to anyone human...
- Mei (thinking): So now what...?!
Seeing her just stand there like a statue, Xiao frowned and turned as if to leave. But just then—
Mei grabbed the corner of his sleeve.
- Mei (pretending to be pitiful): “Huhu... O kind immortal, thank you for saving my humble life. I—I don’t even know how to repay you...!”
- Xiao (frowning, trying to pull his sleeve free): “That’s unnecessary.”
- Mei (clinging tighter): “No, I insist! A debt of life must be repaid—I shall etch your kindness into my very bones!”
- Mei: “Besides, the ancients said it best: ‘If you’re going to help, go all the way.’ I can tell from your noble aura and kind heart that you’d never abandon someone in need, right?”
- Xiao: “I do not meddle in mortal affairs. That ghost was a minor spirit—not worth purging completely.”
- Xiao: “Besides, exorcism is the job of adepti or specialists. Mortals like you shouldn’t get involved.”
- Mei: “…”
- Mei (sniffling, still fully in ‘damsel-in-distress’ mode): “To tell the truth, kind sir... I’m just a humble traveler from afar. I came to explore Liyue, but on the way I got robbed—lost everything I had.”
- Mei: “Right now, I have no family, no home. Luckily, the innkeeper Miss Verr Goldet took me in... and I just wanted to repay her by helping out with this little exorcism...”
- Xiao (sighing): “I’ve said what I needed to say. Whether you listen is up to you.”
Just as he was about to vanish, Mei made her move—she wrapped her arms around his waist.
- Xiao: “Wha—?!”
- Mei (internally screaming): Okay yeah this is totally overboard, I know. But if I let go now, he’s definitely gonna disappear… Desperate times call for desperate measures!
- Mei: “Huhu, oh mighty immortal, if you don’t help me, I’m seriously going to die out here...!”
- Mei: “Please! I’m begging you, O benevolent one!”
Xiao froze, caught off guard. He stiffened like a statue, not knowing whether to move forward or backward. He awkwardly turned his face away, trying to pry her off, but the more he pushed, the tighter Mei clung—like she was made of glue and steel reinforced concrete.
- Xiao (thinking): What… what even is this?! I’ve never met a mortal this shameless before...
- Xiao (still thinking): But… I can’t hurt a mortal either. Sigh… fine...
- Xiao: “Alright. I’ll go with you. But keep your distance. The farther away from me, the better.”
- Mei (grinning, hands clasped like in a wuxia drama): “Many thanks, great immortal! May fortune bless your path ten thousandfold!”
Xiao gave a cold snort and turned, heading deeper into the forest without even glancing back. Mei hurried after him with a big goofy smile.
- Mei (thinking): Hehehe... I hugged Xiao. I really hugged Xiao!!!
The two of them continued forward through the dim, eerie forest—only now, Mei was no longer afraid.
After all... she had a lucky charm walking right beside her.
The deeper they ventured into the forest, the more frequent the ghost sightings became. At first, they were aggressive, relentlessly lunging at the pair.
But every time one tried to approach, Xiao’s spear would strike with chilling precision, knocking it away effortlessly. The aura he emitted seemed enough to devour them whole.
The remaining spirits, terrified, had no choice but to flee, casting wary glances and silently observing the two travelers from the shadows.
The silence became suffocating. Mei couldn’t help but speak up:
- Mei: "If I may be so bold... Might you be the Conqueror of Demons spoken of in legend?"
- Xiao: "...How do you know that?"
- Mei: "When I first arrived in Dihua Marsh, a Millelith soldier told me about a guardian adeptus who watches over the region. People call him the Conqueror of Demons."
- Mei: "They say he wields immense power and often helps those in danger. So the moment I saw you, I just knew you were him."
- Xiao (somber): "Hah... So there are still some who remember me."
- Mei (thinking): Uh-oh... He looks so sad.
- Mei (thinking): Well, it makes sense. Liyue Harbor is the most prosperous place on the continent, full of merchants chasing fortune. They only worship adepti who bring them wealth and luck...
- Mei (thinking): But Xiao is just a Yaksha, tasked with exorcising evil. He can't offer them riches. It's no wonder he's been forgotten...
- Mei: "Please don’t say that, great adeptus. I believe there are still many out there who know and admire you."
- Mei (thinking): My coworkers and fellow Xiao fans back in my world definitely count too, right?
- Xiao (lowering his gaze): "Is that so..."
Mei nodded so hard it looked like her head might fall off—desperate for him to believe her.
As they reached the heart of the forest, Mei swallowed nervously. The air was colder, darker, and the shadows seemed to flicker with restless spirits.
Golden Geo wisps drifted through the air, illuminating the area. In a hidden corner, a small ghost was huddled, softly crying and singing.
- Ghost: "Big hilichurl got sick... Little hilichurl stood guard... Huhu... Ming is all alone..."
A dark aura radiated from the child ghost, spreading across the clearing. Xiao summoned his spear with a wary expression and stepped forward—
—but the attack never came. Instead, the black mist swirled into glowing fragments of memory.
---
First Memory A sunny day in Qingce Village. Little Ming sat peacefully in the shade, watching birds with longing eyes. Suddenly, raised voices echoed from the house.
- Ming’s Father: "We have no choice anymore!"
- Ming’s Mother: "What are you saying?! She’s our daughter!"
- Ming’s Father: "I know, but she’s too much of a burden!"
- Ming’s Father: "Together, we barely have 300 Mora. How are we supposed to keep paying for her treatments?"
- Ming’s Mother (weeping): "So what?! We're still her parents!"
- Ming’s Father: "I understand... But maybe this is just her fate. If there’s blame, it’s with the heavens—for letting her be born this way."
---
Second Memory Ming still sat at the porch, staring at the endless sky. She glanced down at her unmoving legs.
- Ming’s Father (carrying luggage): "Sweetheart, we need to step out for a bit. Watch the house, alright?"
- Ming’s Mother (teary-eyed, patting her head): "We’ll be back soon to play with you, okay?"
- Ming (smiling brightly): "Okay! Ming will wait."
The two left without once looking back—as if a heavy burden had finally been lifted.
---
Final Memory No one knows how much time passed... Hunger slowly gnawed at Ming’s tiny body.
- Ming: "I’m so hungry... and so lonely..."
- Ming: "Why aren’t Mom and Dad back yet...?"
She tried to stand up, but her legs wouldn’t move.
By the third day, she collapsed. Starvation and thirst consumed her frail form. She blindly grabbed a dried leaf and chewed it.
On the fourth day, her throat was too dry to speak. Still, she tried to whisper:
"Big hilichurl... sick... Little hilichurl... standing guard..."
By the fifth day... there was only silence.
A tiny soul had left the world.
---
- Mei (softly): "So... this is what happened to Ming..."
- Xiao (frowning, still wary): "..."
Seeing everything, Mei’s throat tightened. Her chest ached with empathy.
- Mei (thinking): Another child abandoned by the ones who were supposed to love her most...
She stepped forward to comfort the spirit, but Xiao blocked her.
- Xiao: "Her resentment is rising. You shouldn't get close."
- Mei: "It’s okay. I know what I’m doing."
She steadied herself, then approached the ghost child.
- Mei: "Hello... Ming."
- Ming: "You're the kitchen lady..."
- Mei: "You must be really lonely, huh? Can I play with you for a bit?"
- Ming: "Really...? You’re not scared of Ming?"
- Mei (with a bittersweet smile): "You’re too cute and sweet. Who’d be scared of you?"
- Mei: "Wanna play rock-paper-scissors? Do you know how to play?"
Ming shook her head. Mei cheerfully offered to teach her.
- Mei: "It’s easy. I’ll show you..."
Xiao leaned silently against a tree, watching as ghost and girl laughed together. That sight pulled at something deep in him—memories of past comrades, quiet moments shared between battles.
Faint, hazy memories—distant and unreachable, like morning mist.
An hour passed.
- Xiao: "Mortals shouldn’t linger with spirits. It’ll harm your body."
- Ming: "I..."
- Mei: "Don’t worry. I feel fine."
- Mei: "Ming, do you feel happier now?"
- Ming: "So much happier... Will you come play with me again?"
- Mei: "Of course! But only if you promise not to bother the people at the inn anymore."
- Ming: "Okay!"
- Ming: "But you promised! If you don’t come... I’ll find you no matter where you hide!"
Mei gave a sheepish chuckle and gently patted the ghost's head. The sun was setting. She reluctantly said goodbye and left the forest.
Just as Mei stepped out of the forest, she turned around, ready to thank Xiao once more—only to realize he had vanished without a trace. She muttered in awe:
- Mei: That was fast… Classic Xiao. Comes and goes like the wind.
The sun was slowly dipping toward the western horizon. Mei’s shadow stretched long across the path leading back to the inn. In her hand was the talisman for warding off evil—its mission now complete.
- Verr Goldet: Welcome back, Miss Mei. Judging by that beaming smile, I’d say you managed to calm the spirit, didn’t you?
- Mei (puffing her chest with pride): But of course! That kind of thing is nothing to me!
She launched into a dramatic retelling of her ghost-pacifying adventure. Verr Goldet listened attentively. As the story neared the pivotal moment, Mei hesitated. She almost mentioned the name "Xiao"—but thought better of it.
- Mei (thinking): Maybe it’s best not to bring up Xiao…
- Mei: …Anyway, everything went super smoothly! I must’ve had the gods of fortune smiling down on me!
Verr Goldet nodded and accepted the talisman from Mei’s hand. Her gaze briefly sharpened as it passed over the object—then softened back to its usual calm.
Nearby, Yanxiao overheard the conversation and couldn’t help but express his admiration.
- Yanxiao: To convince a ghost to back off voluntarily… You really are something else!
- Mei: Hehe, you flatter me, Chef~
- Yanxiao (relieved): Haha! I can finally feel my fingertips stabilizing again. Thank goodness.
- Yanxiao: As promised—tell me what you want to eat, and I’ll whip it up immediately!
With a flourish, he handed her the inn’s menu and stood at the ready, like he was about to embark on a culinary quest.
- Mei: Okay then… I’d like one Almond Tofu, one Bamboo Shoot Meat Wrap, and a steaming hot bowl of Eight-Treasure Noodles!
- Yanxiao: Got it! Please wait just a moment—your food will be right up!
With sleeves rolled and fire in his heart, he marched proudly into the kitchen.
Mei, now in high spirits, turned to Verr Goldet.
- Mei: I nailed the mission, didn’t I, Boss Lady?
Verr Goldet smiled and nodded knowingly, as if she had seen this coming all along.
- Verr Goldet: Indeed, you did very well.
- Verr Goldet: About that matter you mentioned earlier—staying here for a while... I’ll allow it.
- Mei (lighting up): Really!? Are you serious!?
- Verr Goldet (nodding): Of course. But on one condition—you’ll have to help out with some of the more urgent chores around the inn.
- Verr Goldet: Agree to that, and you can stay as long as you like. How’s that sound?
- Mei (thinking): I was only planning to stay temporarily, but now I’m getting a long-term pass? This deal is way too good… Is she planning something?
- Mei (thinking): Eh… whatever. Let’s focus on the now. Maybe I’m just being paranoid.
- Mei: Deal! I’m in, Boss!
Verr Goldet gave a simple nod—that was her answer.
A while later, Yanxiao returned with a tray full of hot food, the scent wafting deliciously in the air.
- Mei: Thanks, Chef!
- Yanxiao (nodding): No problem. If anything’s off, just let me know.
- Mei: Hehe, no need! I trust your culinary skills with my life!
Clutching the tray like it was treasure, she zipped off at lightning speed. Verr Goldet watched her go, her expression shifting into something more contemplative.
- Verr Goldet (thinking): Just as Mei entered the haunted area, I received word… Someone saw the Conqueror of Demons appear nearby.
- Verr Goldet (thinking): If she really knows him, then she’s definitely someone worth keeping a close eye on.
- Verr Goldet (thinking): Sigh… well, I’ll let her stay for now. Judging by her actions, she doesn’t seem like a bad person.
---
Meanwhile, on the balcony of Wangshu Inn, Mei had a plate of Almond Tofu in hand and was calling out:
- Mei: O mighty Conqueror of Demons! Great Immortal! Where are you?
- Mei: I brought you a gift!
After a while of loud calling, all she got in return was a terrifying silence.
She sat down at the wooden table and gently placed the plate of tofu on it, mumbling:
- Mei: Right… I’m not some special Traveler or anything. It’s not like calling his name will magically make him appear…
Mei walked away, slightly dejected—unaware that a pair of golden eyes had been watching her the entire time.
Once the area was clear, Xiao silently appeared and sat beside the table where Mei had left the Almond Tofu. The dish was still warm.
He picked up a spoon and took a bite. The soft sweetness spread across his tongue, the subtle aroma rising gently to his nose. That taste… was so familiar—yet so distant.