Chapter 99
Fortunately, thanks to the help of Jin, we found a house for Saeko in just a couple of hours, and the rent was quite pleasant - only 50,000 mora per month, so my plans to visit Liyue were not disrupted today. So, finding Eola in the local barracks, I decided to offer her a ride, since her task for the near future would be to protect my family anyway.
- Hello, Eola! - I greeted the girl, being in a great mood.
- Fischl? - the girl tore herself away from packing her things. - Hello, did you want something from me?
- Well, I was planning to go to Li Yue today and since we're on the way, I could give you a ride. With me, the journey will literally take minutes instead of a couple of days.
"That would be convenient," the girl nodded, and then, slightly hesitating, added with embarrassment, "Really… I was hoping to stop by the Wanshui inn on the way."
- Hmm, yes, I heard that this place is very attractive for tourists and besides the amazing food, there are wonderful views and service, and considering how rarely you have a vacation... - I nodded my head, and then clapped my hands and added. - It's decided, today we will spend the night in this hotel, I'm treating you!
- But I can pay for myself.
- No objections accepted, I can spoil my new friend a little, I said categorically.
- A friend? - Eola asked, embarrassed. - Do you consider me a friend?
- I... - the girl hesitated, after so many people, to put it mildly, had a negative attitude towards her because of her last name, it was unexpected for her to be accepted as a friend so quickly, and she, not knowing how to behave, simply followed her already practiced defensive reaction. Abruptly turning away from me, she quietly blurted out. - I will take revenge.
- I'll be waiting. - I answered with a playful smile, making the girl even more embarrassed, which caused a couple of strange looks from the other knight girls who were there. And let me tell you, embarrassed Eola is a work of art, although I think this would apply to almost any beautiful girl.
Eola sharply accelerated her preparations and literally a minute later, she put everything she needed into her god's eye and was ready to set off, which she told me about.
- Excellent. - Grabbing the girl by the hand, I immediately transported us straight to the statue of Geo Archon, in a small village, where it seemed like a lifetime ago the Jean had escorted me. I wonder when a couple of years will start to become as insignificant as a couple of days for me. In 20 years? 100? Or even more?
"Are we in Li Yue?" Eola asked, looking around in shock.
- Yes, I haven't been to other parts of the country of stone, so I couldn't directly transport us to the inn, but from here it's quite visible. - I said, pointing my finger towards the high cliff around which the inn was built, and the giant tree on top of which the building continued, creating the impression that the cliff was part of the trunk of one great tree on which the inn was built.
"It looks amazing," said my fellow traveler.
"I agree," I nodded, and then took the girl's hand again.
"Let's move on." Having said this, I transferred us again, this time directly to the balcony, which was located at the very top of the amazing structure.
"Here we are," I announced happily before my eyes caught sight of the black-haired youth, who was frozen in the middle of lifting a piece of almond tofu to his mouth with his chopsticks. "Oh, enjoy your meal, Mr. Yaksa."
"You shouldn't be here," the adept said calmly, causing the food and chopsticks to disappear into his god's eye. "It's dangerous for mortals to be around me."
"Do I look like a mortal?" I asked, tilting my head slightly.
- ... - The adept who had fought against evil for centuries and taken into his body the karma of the Archons of the gods killed during the war, apparently decided that there was no point in trying to argue and decided to simply leave.
- Wait a minute, you. - I stopped the guy, who, frankly speaking, looked more like an unhappy teenager. And slightly distorting infinity, I did not allow him to leave by teleportation.
"What do you want?" Xiao asked warily, pointing a spear that had appeared in his hands at me, ready to attack at any moment.
- Nothing special. I just decided to help since we met. - I shrugged my shoulders, and then stretched out my hand forward and began to create an energy ball on my palm, consisting of pure cleansing energy.
- What is this? - the Adept still asked warily, but having felt how the spreading aura suppressed the karma tormenting his body, he was already calmer.
"Your salvation," I said simply, sending the ball at great speed into the body of the Adept who had not had time to react.
"Argh." Xiao groaned, feeling the pain of being forced to cleanse himself, and his body began to literally glow with a blinding white light.
- I didn't think it would be so bad. - I frowned, looking at how much pain the demon hunter was in. And Eola was nervous, not knowing what to do, after all, nothing could prepare her for such a situation.
Only after a minute of torment, the light finally went out, and Xiao was kneeling with his palms on the floor, breathing heavily. And I hurried over to help him up.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you," I apologized sincerely.
"That's why you didn't become my enemy," a male voice suddenly sounded from behind.
Immediately looking at the speaker I saw a man hovering on a geo-construction in a long white robe with a hood that did not allow me to see his face. You don't have to be particularly smart to understand who was in front of me.
"It's nice to see you in person, Mr. Zhong Li," I greeted with a slight smile on my face.
- ... - the man sighed heavily, threw back his hood, revealing his face with eyes that literally shone like amber, and then descended to our balcony, scattering the platform on which he stood. - How do you know my mortal name?
- Well, I know a lot, but don't worry, I had no plans to reveal your identity in Li Yue.
"Okay," the man nodded gratefully, and then walked up to Xiao to examine him.
- Morax. I... - the demon slayer, who had borne the heavy burden of karma for centuries, who had lost all his comrades, who had gone mad with the hatred of the fallen gods, looked at the god of stone, hoping that what he was feeling now was not a dream.
- Cleansed. - Archon finished for him and looking at me with a smile on his face added. - I think we can't leave such help without gratitude.
- In that case, how about treating my friend and me to something tasty?