The figure before them was none other than the Demon-Subduing Great Sage, Xiao.
Lumine curiously observed the Adeptus standing before her, sensing a peculiar aura. Though faint, it was likely due to the two elemental forces within her.
Qiu Bai scanned Xiao with his spiritual awareness, his brows furrowing slightly. He could see it clearly—at Xiao's current state, he could last no more than a hundred years before the karma within him would completely erupt. However, to Qiu Bai, this level of karmic burden was insignificant. He was confident he could purge it from Xiao's body in one go.
"A Hundred-Forgiving Talisman… It seems you came prepared."
Xiao's gaze showed a hint of surprise.
"But this only prevents me from harming you. It doesn't mean you won't get hurt."
Xiao regarded the three before him with an indifferent expression.
"Uh… I don't really get it," Paimon muttered, scratching her head.
Xiao paid no mind to whether she understood and continued,
"To tread too close to the realms of Adepti and demons is to overstep one's bounds. A human soul is not as resilient as an Adeptus', nor can mortal blood bear such a dense concentration of Adeptal energy."
He cast a fleeting glance at the trio.
"It's for your own good. Leave while you still can."
With that, he turned away.
"Wait! We came here to—"
Before Paimon could finish, Xiao had already vanished.
Behind them, Qiu Bai stretched lazily. Not strong enough to bear the energy of an Adeptus? But when Lumine fought Osial, the Demon God of the Vortex, the Adeptal power in her body came from multiple Adepti.
Paimon stomped her foot in frustration.
"Ugh! This guy just does whatever he wants!"
"I really want to give him an awful nickname."
"But… if we offend an Adeptus, will we only get cabbages from treasure chests in the future?"
At the thought, Paimon clutched her forehead in distress.
Bennett: "Oof, that's rough."
At that moment, Qiu Bai, who had been silent for a while, finally spoke.
"Let's go find the innkeeper. Maybe she can tell us how to properly communicate with an Adeptus."
"Oh, right! That's a good idea. You're smart, Qiu Bai. Let's go, Traveler!"
Lumine smiled and nodded at Qiu Bai, and the three of them made their way to the counter of Wangshu Inn.
There, they came to a stop. Behind the counter, various ceramic wares were neatly arranged, and a small cat sat atop the desk.
"Hmm… fancy outfits, unfamiliar faces, and a strange little floating companion. I can't quite figure you out."
"Oh! I almost forgot to introduce myself. I'm Verr Goldet, the owner of Wangshu Inn. Just call me Goldet."
The woman at the counter greeted them with a smile.
"Nice to meet you, Boss Goldet. I'm Qiu Bai, and these two are Lumine and Paimon."
Qiu Bai introduced them with a polite smile.
"You are… Qiu Bai, the guest consultant of Wangshu Inn?"
Goldet looked at him in mild surprise.
After all, she was placed at Wangshu Inn as Ningguang's informant, so she naturally knew of Qiu Bai.
Qiu Bai, however, gazed at her with curiosity.
Since his awakening, he had never set foot in Wangshu Inn. So how did its owner know his name?
"Oh? I didn't expect the owner of Wangshu Inn to know me. I'm honored."
"Mr. Qiu Bai is too modest," Goldet replied with a chuckle.
"Now then, what can I help you with?"
Lumine stepped forward.
"Boss Goldet, about that Adeptus…"
"Oh? So you've already met Xiao?"
Goldet raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"That's rare. He must've been in a good mood to actually come out and meet someone."
Even though she had been at Wangshu Inn for years, even Verr Goldet had only seen this Adeptus a handful of times.
Paimon clutched her head, groaning, "Wait, that was him in a good mood?"
Goldet chuckled. "Indeed. A meeting with an Adeptus is a rare stroke of fortune. Some people spend their entire lives seeking one, only to never catch a glimpse."
"When the Geo Archon founded Liyue, he relied on the strength of the Adepti. But most Adepti only knew how to protect the land through battle."
"So, over thousands of years, it was ultimately humans who took control of Liyue's commerce, while the Adepti withdrew from worldly affairs."
She patiently explained to the trio.
Lumine and Paimon, however, were left wondering—was it really so difficult to meet an Adeptus? After all, Lumine had already met four in a single day.
What she didn't realize was that Qiu Bai, standing beside her, was actually a god of Liyue.
Paimon gasped, "Boss, you sure know a lot!"
Goldet smiled and corrected her, "Not 'boss lady'—just 'boss.'"
"Anyway, since you have such an affinity with the Adepti, this will be much easier."
She paused, then continued, "If you want my advice… well, just try to make Xiao happy."
(Though, truth be told, I've never seen him smile.)
"Make him happy?"
"It's hard to imagine Lord Guardian Yaksha smiling… or even looking happy at all."
Paimon frowned, rubbing her temples.
Xiao smiling… The last time he had truly smiled was five hundred years ago. Qiu Bai let out a quiet sigh.
"I see. We know what to do," he finally spoke.
After all, he had experienced this part of the story before.
Goldet blinked in surprise. She hadn't even explained what would make Xiao happy—how did Qiu Bai already know? He had only just met the Adeptus today. How could he have figured it out so quickly?
"Huh?! Qiu Bai, how do you know what makes the Guardian Yaksha happy?"
Paimon looked at him, full of curiosity.
Qiu Bai simply grinned. "That's a secret."
Paimon huffed, "Ugh! Seriously, is there anything you don't know?"
"First things first, let's find the inn's head chef."
"We need to prepare some Almond Tofu and a few of Lumine's signature dishes."
From behind, Goldet quickly added, "Just tell them the order came from me."
Qiu Bai turned back and gave her a polite nod. "Thank you." Then, he led Lumine and Paimon toward the kitchen.
Lumine, still slightly dazed, followed along. Luckily, she had learned to cook while in Mondstadt.
But would this Adeptus named Xiao actually like the food she made?
As a traveler, she had picked up plenty of cooking skills along the way. She was fairly confident in her abilities.
...
After the trio departed, Goldet remained deep in thought.
That man—Qiu Bai… How did he know?
Could he be an Adeptus himself, like Xiao?
She decided it would be best to report this to Lady Tianquan, Ningguang.
"Qiu Bai, the guest consultant of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor…"
"What a mystery."
She watched as the three gradually disappeared into the distance.
...
Meanwhile, Qiu Bai scanned Wangshu Inn with his divine sense.
Some guests were enjoying the scenery. Others were engaged in business discussions.
Most of them were Liyue's elites, but none of them were his target.
A smirk crossed his lips.
"Found it."
"Found what?"
Lumine and Paimon stared at him in confusion as he suddenly came to a stop.
"Follow me."
Without further explanation, Qiu Bai turned and walked in another direction.
Lumine and Paimon exchanged glances before quickly following him.