What the hell?
Su Yuan was stunned.
That figure—wasn't that the good-for-nothing Barbatos?
Was his appearance here just a coincidence, or had he already foreseen that something would go wrong with Xiao?
But since he was here, and playing that flute for Xiao, then the karmic debt afflicting Xiao would likely soon be suppressed…
Sure enough, as the soothing flute melody continued, the black smoke-like aura around Xiao began to gradually fade, and his consciousness seemed to slowly return to normal.
"Oh? Looks like I'll have to wait for another time to witness the techniques of the Conqueror of Demons," Jiang Xue said calmly, glancing toward Venti's direction, then at Xiao, who was gradually recovering, before slowly sheathing his sword.
Soon, Xiao's clarity fully returned.
He frowned slightly, holding his forehead and temples as he looked at everyone, opening his mouth to speak:
"You… Why are you all here?"
"There is karmic debt lingering on me. You should all stay away, in case it spreads and affects you."
"Xiao… no matter what, you didn't have to bear it all alone, in silence," Su Yuan said, heart aching a little as he looked at Xiao's state.
Xiao rarely interacts with others, and a large part of the reason is because he worries that the karmic debt on his body might affect those around him…
"But it's all fine now—because that person, he already came."
Su Yuan turned and pointed toward the raised stone platform out on the water.
But to his surprise, the figure was already gone.
"That man just blinked and vanished. I couldn't even see how he left," Jiang Xue said calmly, looking at Su Yuan.
Su Yuan was momentarily speechless.
Venti, Barbatos… why were you in such a hurry to leave?
I was just thinking that since I finally ran into you, I could ask you about Mondstadt!
"I know who it was," Xiao said with a nod.
Even though he didn't see Venti's figure, the feeling within him didn't lie.
"Every time my karmic debt flares up and I'm on the brink of madness and collapse, he always shows up at just the right moment… and pulls me back from the edge."
Well… even though there were some unexpected developments, the result turned out to be a good one after all.
Honestly, if Venti hadn't stepped in, Su Yuan really didn't know how they could've handled Xiao under the influence of his karmic burden…
"Since the situation's already resolved, we might as well head back to the inn and get some rest," Jiang Xue said, yawning and stretching as he took the lead and began walking back.
Xiao was about to teleport away, but Su Yuan grabbed his arm to stop him.
"Xiao, no need to rush off so quickly…"
Su Yuan spoke gently:
"I still have some things I want to say to you…"
"This is a perfect time for all of us to take a walk under the night sky, feel the breeze, enjoy the scenery, and just chat a bit. Isn't that nice?"
"You really don't have to always be alone…"
"None of us here are ordinary people. That karmic debt of yours isn't going to affect us."
After some persistent coaxing from Su Yuan, Xiao finally agreed to walk back with the group.
"So, Xiao… about the Traveler—are you sure there's really nothing wrong with him?"
On the way back, Su Yuan asked quietly.
"Even though his behavior has been a little strange… when he called my name, it still felt exactly the same as before…"
Xiao thought for a moment before replying:
"If he were really under the control of the Eerie, I would've definitely sensed something off when he called my name…"
Su Yuan nodded.
With this second confirmation, it seemed Xiao still didn't think there was anything seriously wrong with the Traveler.
"Su Yuan, if you ever need my help in the future… you can call my name directly too."
Xiao looked at Su Yuan and said seriously.
Su Yuan was pleasantly surprised.
Xiao saying that… didn't it mean he was acknowledging him?
Haha, who would've thought—he had actually reached a point where he was getting the same kind of treatment as the protagonist!
Looks like taking good care of Xiao's Yaksha mask before really scored him a big boost in favorability…
"Alright!" Su Yuan replied with a smile and a nod.
Afterward, Su Yuan returned to Wangshu Inn, though he still couldn't shake his unease about Aether…
Thinking back to the earlier dinner with everyone—wasn't Paimon, that little glutton, eating less than usual?
And unlike how she always behaved in the game, she didn't seem nearly as enthusiastic about the food either…
..............
When Su Yuan woke up again, it was already the next morning…
He rubbed the back of his head, which was still aching a little…
Looking around at his surroundings, he was surprised to find that he was back in his own room…
Who was it that knocked him out last night?
And who brought him back to his room?
Could it really be that something was wrong with Aether and Paimon?
Feeling a stinging pain in the palm of his right hand, Su Yuan lifted it and looked at his palm…
Hopefully, today's intel would offer some real answers…
[First of all, congratulations on surviving the ninth night.]
[Currently available intel:]
[Skipped reread Ch 126 for rules 1-24]
[25. Aether and Paimon are currently not under the control of the Eerie.]
The very first piece of intel filled Su Yuan with relief…
Because recently, Aether and Paimon had really been acting a bit too strange…
But now, with this rule prompt appearing in his right palm, it basically confirmed that they were safe and trustworthy…
Although the rule prompts sometimes played with wording, anything stated directly and clearly had almost never been wrong…
Su Yuan was in a great mood and continued reading:
[26. In front of Morax, be sure to abide by the "contract."]
Su Yuan read this rule prompt and nodded thoughtfully...
This was probably the condition that triggered Zhongli's eerie transformation…
Makes sense—Zhongli is, after all, the embodiment of contracts.
If someone were to break a contract in front of him, it would cause him to fall into an eerie state...
But the current issue was that, because of Dottore, Zhongli was already in a state of incomplete eeriness, and now his whereabouts were unknown...
The top priority now was to find him as soon as possible and exhaust the eerie energy within him so he could escape from that state…
It was only an incomplete transformation, and during the battle with Osial, he had likely expended a lot of it...
Currently, the reliable combat power Su Yuan had on his side was Chongyun—and Jiang Xue…
Especially Jiang Xue—one of the top human powerhouses in Liyue.
He had even fought Zhongli before, so it should be manageable...
Su Yuan nodded and continued reading…
But the next rule prompt left him a bit confused:
[27. Be cautious of those who have come to Liyue from foreign lands.]
[28. After surviving the tenth night, important intel will be unlocked.]
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