Xiao clasped his arms, looking at the three people before him with disbelief.
"The Geo Archon has met such a fate."
"I… cannot imagine it. No matter how times change, I have never once considered a Liyue without its Archon."
"And the Adepti, how could this have happened?"
Xiao turned his head, gazing at the distant lake.
"The Liyue Qixing, who govern the mortal realm what role did they play in all of this?"
"I will seek out Moon Carver, River Shaper, and Cloud Retainer. It is time for them to make a decision."
Lumine looked at Xiao and softly asked, "Will they question the Qixing?"
Xiao calmly replied, "The Adepti do not shy away from responsibility."
"Although I have my own reasons to avoid entangling with mortal affairs, duty is still duty."
Even now, Xiao still found it hard to believe. One Adeptus missing, and the Geo Archon gone.
"For our god is the God of Contracts."
At that moment, Paimon spoke up. "Wait a second! We still have one last question."
Xiao looked at Paimon with a hint of curiosity.
"What exactly is that little ghost?"
"In the process of exorcising demons, I sometimes encounter spirits who have never harmed anyone but cannot yet be fully purified."
"So I asked the innkeeper and the boss to temporarily shelter them for a while."
Xiao explained in a quiet voice, but as he spoke, his gaze shifted to Qiu Bai with a trace of surprise.
He could sense something, this person before him… felt like a god. But why did he not recognize Qiu Bai aura?
It was because Qiu Bai had deliberately altered his aura, preventing himself from being recognized.
Paimon exclaimed in shock, "So they're just looking after it!"
"Seriously, this inn sure handles a lot of different things!"
Xiao turned his gaze toward Qiu Bai, his eyes now carrying a hint of hostility.
"You are dangerous. No matter your intentions, if you ever harm the people of Liyue, I will not let you go."
Qiu Bai ignored the threat, smiling as he looked at Xiao.
"Xiao, your karmic debt… it's getting harder to suppress, isn't it?"
Xiao eyes widened slightly in surprise.
"Lumine, Paimon, step outside and wait for me. I have something to discuss with Xiao."
Lumine and Paimon exchanged worried glances before turning to Qiu Bai.
"Be careful, Qiu Bai. We'll be right outside."
Sensing that something was amiss, Lumine didn't question it further and led Paimon out of the room.
Xiao gaze was now locked onto Qiu Bai, his expression serious.
"Who exactly are you? How do you know about my condition?"
Xiao's gaze grew increasingly dangerous.
"Sorry, Xiao, I can't say just yet."
Qiu Bai sighed, rubbing his forehead. He couldn't reveal his identity now.
Seeing how Xiao was constantly enduring pain, Qiu Bai simply wanted to ease his suffering, even if just a little.
"If that's the case, then take this!"
Xiao summoned his Primordial Jade Winged-Spear, channeling a strike infused with karmic debt, Anemo energy, and Adeptal power, launching it straight at Qiu Bai!
However, Qiu Bai calmly raised his hand.
Boom!
To Xiao shock, Qiu Bai caught the spear attack with just two fingers.
If Qiu Bai hadn't contained the impact, the entire Wangshu Inn would have been destroyed.
Qiu Bai spoke lightly, "Xiao, calm down."
With a simple flick of his fingers, the Primordial Jade Winged-Spear returned to Xiao grasp.
"Who exactly are you...?" Xiao caught his weapon, staring in astonishment at the completely unhostile Qiu Bai.
"I can't tell you yet."
"When the time is right, I'll explain everything."
Xiao studied Qiu Bai carefully. Unlike Cloud Retainer and the others, Qiu Bai was someone he had only met once over a thousand years ago. Now, Xiao had too many questions.
After a brief hesitation, Xiao withdrew his spear. He could sense no hostility from Qiu Bai.
"No matter who you are, if you ever threaten Liyue, I will not forgive you."
Xiao sharp gaze remained locked onto Qiu Bai.
Qiu Bai waved a hand dismissively. "Alright, alright. Just get some rest for now."
In an instant, Qiu Bai flashed behind Xiao and delivered a swift karate chop to the back of his neck, knocking him unconscious.
Without hesitation, Qiu Bai infused Xiao body with Yang energy, instantly purging nearly half of the dark-red karmic corruption within him.
This should be enough for now.
If he removed too much, Xiao might grow suspicious.
Once this whole situation is over, I'll completely cleanse you of your karmic debt.
At least this should ease your pain for the time being.
After ensuring everything was in place, Qiu Bai erased Xiao recent memories of the event and quietly left the room. Outside, Lumine and Paimon were still waiting for him.
As soon as Qiu Bai stepped out, Xiao suddenly woke up, puzzled as he stood.
"Strange... what just happened?"
"Did my karmic debt attack me again?"
He examined his body and was stunned, nearly half of his karmic corruption was gone.
For the first time in centuries, he didn't need to exert so much effort suppressing it.
"Could everything that Traveler said be true?"
"I should head to Jueyun Karst and find Cloud Retainer, Moon Carver, and River Shaper first."
With that thought, Xiao figure vanished from Wangshu Inn, speeding toward Jueyun Karst.
Outside, Lumine and Paimon anxiously waited for Qiu Bai. The moment they saw him step out, they both let out a sigh of relief.
"Qiu Bai, are you alright?"
"What did you talk about with that Adeptus? We heard a loud boom from the terrace just now!"
Lumine and Paimon looked at Qiu Bai, their faces full of concern.
Qiu Bai chuckled at their worried expressions. "Don't worry, I just had a little chat with him."
Lumine relaxed and smiled. "As long as you're fine."
Paimon, on the other hand, immediately shifted focus. "We've been busy for two whole days, Paimon's starving!"
"Let's go find the innkeeper and order some food! I want Almond Tofu!"
She stomped her little feet excitedly, relieved that they could finally have a proper meal.
Lumine nodded in agreement.
Qiu Bai laughed. "It's on me. Order whatever you want."
Lumine smirked playfully. "Since you said that, I won't hold back then."
"Yay!" Paimon clapped her hands joyfully.
The three of them made their way to the counter, where Verr Goldet was managing the inn.
Seeing them approach, Verr Goldet raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"I never thought Xiao would actually talk to you all."
"That's quite rare."
After all, it wasn't as if just anyone could get Xiao to show up, even with Almond Tofu. If it were that easy, those seeking an Adeptus wouldn't have struggled so much.
"Boss Lady, we'd like to order!" Paimon cheerfully called out.
Qiu Bai waved a hand dismissively. "No need to go through the menu."
"Verr Goldet, just bring out eight of the inn's signature dishes, plus a plate of Almond Tofu."
"And a few bottles of fruit juice... oh, and some fine wine, too."
Qiu Bai smiled as he made the request.
Verr Goldet chuckled. "Got it, Mr. Qiu Bai. I'll take care of it."
She quickly wrote down a note and handed it to a nearby waitress, who took it to Yanxiao in the kitchen.
"You three can head to one of our private guest rooms and wait there."
"The food will be ready soon." Verr Goldet said with a warm smile.
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