Xiao clasped his hands together, looking at the three before him with disbelief.
"The Geo Lord… to suffer such a fate."
"I can't imagine it. No matter how much times have changed, I never once thought Liyue would lose its Archon."
"And the Adeptus… how could this have happened?"
He turned his gaze toward the distant lake.
"The Qixing, who govern the human realm… what role did they play in all of this?"
"I will seek out Moon Carver, River Shaper, and Cloud Retainer. It's time for them to make a decision."
Lumine hesitated before speaking. "Then… will they confront the Liyue Qixing?"
Xiao looked at her and answered calmly, "The Adepti do not shirk responsibility."
"Though I have my reasons for avoiding mortal affairs, duty is duty."
Still, his expression remained troubled. The idea that one Adeptus had vanished while the Geo Archon had fallen—it was something he could scarcely believe.
"After all, our god is the God of Contracts."
...
At that moment, Paimon quickly interjected.
"Wait! We still have one last question."
Xiao looked at her with a hint of confusion.
"That little ghost… what exactly is she?"
"When eliminating demons, I occasionally encounter spirits that have never harmed anyone but cannot yet be properly exorcised."
"So, I asked the innkeeper and the boss to take her in temporarily."
Xiao's explanation was calm, but as he spoke, his gaze shifted to Qiu Bai—his eyes now filled with suspicion.
Something felt off about this man.
He sensed an aura… one reminiscent of an Archon. Yet, for some reason, he couldn't recognize it.
Qiu Bai had deliberately altered his presence to avoid being identified.
Paimon gasped. "So you were just keeping her here for a while?"
"Wow, Wangshu Inn really does a little bit of everything!"
Xiao's expression darkened as he turned his full attention to Qiu Bai, his stance now guarded.
"You are dangerous. No matter what your intentions are, if you bring harm to the people of Liyue, I will stop you."
But Qiu Bai ignored Xiao's warning, simply smiling as he met his gaze.
"Xiao… the karma inside you—it's getting harder to suppress, isn't it?"
Xiao's eyes widened slightly in shock.
"Lumine, Paimon," Qiu Bai continued, his voice steady. "Go on ahead and wait for me outside. I need to talk to Xiao."
Lumine and Paimon exchanged a worried look.
"Be careful, Qiu Bai. We'll be right outside," Lumine said, sensing that something was off. She turned and left, pulling Paimon along with her.
...
Now alone with Qiu Bai, Xiao's gaze sharpened.
"You… who are you?"
"How do you know about my condition?"
His tone grew more dangerous, his grip tightening.
"Sorry, Xiao. I can't tell you that just yet."
Qiu Bai sighed, rubbing his forehead. He couldn't reveal his identity—not now.
But seeing Xiao constantly suffering… he at least wanted to ease his pain.
"If that's the case," Xiao said coldly, "then take this!"
In an instant, the Primordial Jade Winged-Spear materialized in his hands.
With a burst of energy infused with karma, Anemo, and Adeptal power, he lunged at Qiu Bai with a fierce strike!
Qiu Bai remained calm, lifting his hand—forming a simple peace sign.
BAM!
Xiao's eyes widened in shock.
With just two fingers, Qiu Bai had effortlessly caught the Primordial Jade Winged-Spear, stopping his attack dead in its tracks.
Had Qiu Bai not controlled the shockwave from Xiao's strike, the entire Wangshu Inn would have been blown apart.
Qiu Bai spoke calmly, "Xiao, take it easy."
With a flick of his fingers, the Primordial Jade Winged-Spear effortlessly returned to Xiao's hands.
"You… just who are you?"
Xiao caught the spear, eyeing Qiu Bai in shock. He sensed no hostility from him, yet the sheer power Qiu Bai had displayed was undeniable.
"I can't say yet," Qiu Bai replied. "When the time is right, you'll know."
Xiao continued to scrutinize him. He had only seen Qiu Bai once, a thousand years ago. Unlike Cloud Retainer and the others, Qiu Bai was a complete enigma to him.
After a moment, Xiao put away his spear, though his gaze remained sharp.
"No matter who you are," he warned, "if you ever threaten Liyue, I will stop you."
Qiu Bai chuckled. "Alright, alright. For now, why don't you get some rest?"
Before Xiao could react, Qiu Bai vanished in an instant and reappeared behind him. With a swift chop to the back of the neck, Xiao collapsed unconscious.
Qiu Bai gently placed a hand over Xiao's chest, channeling pure Yang energy into his body. The red-and-black corruption of his karma receded slightly—about half of it was cleansed.
That should do for now. If I remove too much at once, he might start asking questions.
Once this whole incident is over, I'll erase it completely.
This should ease his pain for the time being.
With a final touch, Qiu Bai altered Xiao's recent memories, ensuring he wouldn't recall what had just happened.
Then, he turned and walked out.
...
As soon as he stepped outside, Lumine and Paimon rushed up to him, their faces full of concern.
"Qiu Bai! Are you okay?"
"What did you even say to that Adeptus? We heard a loud bang from the terrace just now!"
Lumine and Paimon stared at him anxiously.
Qiu Bai chuckled. "Don't worry, I just had a quick chat with him."
Lumine let out a relieved sigh. "As long as you're okay."
Paimon, however, clutched her stomach. "We've been running around for two days straight… Paimon's starving!"
"Let's go find the boss and order some food. I need that Almond Tofu!"
She stomped her feet in excitement. After all this effort, it was finally time to eat!
Lumine nodded in agreement.
Qiu Bai laughed. "It's on me—order whatever you want."
Lumine grinned. "Well, if you insist, I won't hold back."
"Yes! Free food!"
Paimon clapped her hands excitedly.
The three of them headed to Verr Goldet's counter.
...
Goldet looked at them with mild surprise.
"I can't believe it… Xiao actually talked to you?"
"That's quite rare."
After all, not just anyone could summon Xiao simply by offering Almond Tofu. If it were that easy, all those who sought out Adepti wouldn't have had such a hard time.
"Boss Goldet! We want to order!" Paimon called out cheerfully.
"No need for anything complicated."
"Boss Goldet, bring out eight of the inn's best dishes, plus a plate of Almond Tofu."
"Oh, and a few bottles of juice and some good wine."
Qiu Bai smiled as he made the order.
Goldet chuckled. "Understood, Mr. Qiu Bai."
She quickly wrote down the order on a slip of paper and handed it to a waitress.
"Take this to Yanxiao."
Then, she turned back to them with a warm smile.
"You can wait in the guest room next door. Your food will be ready soon."