The mist of the high mountains clung to Shenhe's retreating form until she was nothing more than a ghost, then nothing at all. I stood on the precipice between two worlds: the ancient, cloud-shrouded domain of the Adepti behind me, and the vast, unknown expanse of mortal Liyue stretching out before me. The silence she left behind was heavier than the silence we had shared. I was truly alone now.
I looked down at the red rope tied around my wrist. It was a simple, tangible link to the strange, powerful girl who understood the war raging inside me better than anyone I had ever met. Her parting challenge—The next time we meet, I will be stronger. See that you are as well—was not a threat, but a promise. It was a goal to strive for. With a final look back at the misty peaks, I turned my face east and began my descent.
The journey down from the highlands of Minlin into the wetlands of the Dihua Marsh was a gradual transition from a world of stone and spirit to one of water and life. The air grew warmer, thicker, and humid, filled with the croaking of frogs and the drone of insects. Ancient, gnarled trees grew directly from the shallow, tea-colored water, their branches draped with thick moss. The path, often just a series of rickety, half-submerged wooden planks, snaked through vast fields of silvery-green reeds that rustled and swayed in the gentle breeze.
My Anemo Vision, though still weak, seemed to appreciate the change. The oppressive weight of the mountains' Geo energy lessened here, and I could feel the faint, familiar whispers of the wind more clearly. I practiced with it as I walked, not with grand spells, but with small, useful tricks. A focused gust of wind would part the tall reeds, giving me a clear view of the path ahead. A gentle updraft would help me keep my balance on a particularly slippery plank. It was a slow, gentle recalibration, my Vision re-learning the song of the world one note at a time.
As the sun began its slow descent, casting a warm, golden glow over the landscape, I saw it. It rose from the center of the marsh like a titan's spear, a single, impossibly massive stone tree, so tall that its upper branches touched the clouds. And built into its canopy, winding around its trunk, was a building. Lanterns were already being lit, their soft, warm lights twinkling like man-made stars against the darkening sky. Wangshu Inn. It was a beacon of civilization in the heart of the wilderness.
The long, wooden causeway leading to the inn was alive with activity. Merchants guided stubborn pack mules laden with goods. Travelers with weary faces but hopeful eyes made their way towards the promise of a warm meal and a soft bed. I felt a profound sense of being an outsider. My clothes, though clean and new, were of a simple, almost ascetic Adeptal design. My accent, should I speak, would be that of a Mondstadter. I was a foreign object in this river of Liyuean life.
I reached the base of the inn and stepped onto the large, wooden platform that served as an elevator. With a low groan of ancient, ingenious machinery, it began its slow, steady ascent. The view was magnificent. The entire Dihua Marsh spread out below me, a patchwork of waterways and reed beds, shimmering in the twilight.
The platform docked at the inn's main level. The contrast with the quiet solitude of my journey was jarring. The air was warm and filled with the delicious aroma of Liyue cuisine—the spicy scent of Jueyun Chilis, the savory smell of roasting meat—and the cheerful clamor of dozens of conversations. I found a small, quiet table in a corner, my back to the wall, and ordered a simple cup of tea with the few pieces of Mora that had been in the pocket of my old uniform. My primary mission was not rest, but information.
I was an agent of the 8th Company, even in exile. My instincts took over. I didn't just listen; I analyzed.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: Information Gathering Mode activated.]
Two merchants at a nearby table complained about a recent surge in Treasure Hoarder activity on the main road from the Stone Gate. They mentioned that the Mondstadt knights seemed to have pulled back their patrols from the border.
[SYSTEM LOG: Rumor Mill - Knights of Favonius patrol reduction on Liyue border. Causal Link: Likely reallocation of resources to address the [Serpentine Eye] threat. Implication: Increased danger on the trade route.]
A group of scholars debated the strange geological readings that had been coming from The Chasm for centuries. They spoke of the cataclysm that had sealed it, and of the unique, glowing ores found nowhere else. I listened intently, filing away every detail about the place I had just escaped.
[SYSTEM LOG: New Lore Entry Added: [The Chasm (Liyue)]. Details: Former mining area, sealed after an unknown cataclysm. Source of unique minerals and ongoing geological anomalies.]
I had a brief, polite interaction with the innkeeper, a woman with a warm but shrewd smile named Verr Goldet. I asked about the safest route to Liyue Harbor. She gave me the information freely, but I saw her observant eyes take in my strange clothes, the red rope on my wrist, and the faint but undeniable weariness in my posture.
"You've come a long way, haven't you, dear?" she asked, her tone light. "Not many travelers come to us from the direction of the Adepti's mountains."
[SYSTEM ALERT: Identity being probed. Recommend caution.]
"The scenery was breathtaking," I replied evasively, giving her a tired but friendly smile. I paid for my tea and decided it was time to move.
I needed a better vantage point. I made my way to the highest balcony of the inn, a wide, open platform that offered a panoramic view of Liyue. The moon was rising, its pale light turning the marshlands into a sea of silver. The wind was clean and strong up here. For the first time in what felt like a lifetime, I felt a moment of peace.
And then, I felt it.
It was an presence so intense, so ancient, and so profoundly sorrowful that it made the very air feel heavy. My Instinct didn't just scream; it froze, paralyzed in the face of a power that was both immense and deeply wounded. The Abyssal Taint within me recoiled violently, the cold spot in my soul flaring with a pain that was almost physical.
I turned.
He was standing at the far edge of the balcony, leaning against the railing. A young man, though his eyes were anything but. He was slender, with dark hair that had streaks of teal, and a green Yaksha mask was attached to his belt. A jade-green Anemo Vision was prominently displayed on his glove. But it was his aura that held me captive. It was an aura of endless battle, of karmic debt so heavy it could crush mountains, and of a loneliness so profound it felt like the space between stars.
He wasn't looking at the view. His piercing, golden, cat-like eyes were fixed directly on me.
There was no hiding. I knew, with absolute certainty, that he could see everything. He could see the gentle wind of my Mondstadt Vision. He could sense the dormant, alien fire of my King's template. And most of all, he could smell the foul, disgusting stench of the Abyss that clung to my soul like a shroud. To a being like him, a Yaksha, a Conqueror of Demons, I must have looked like a walking contradiction, a blasphemy of light and shadow.
[SYSTEM WARNING: EXTREMELY POWERFUL ENTITY DETECTED.]
► IDENTIFICATION: Adeptus [Xiao], The Vigilant Yaksha, Conqueror of Demons.
► ANALYSIS: High-level Anemo user. Possesses an immense karmic debt from centuries of slaughtering demons. Radiates an aura of intense animosity towards Abyssal and other profane energies.
► THREAT LEVEL: LETHAL. [Abyssal Taint] has been detected. Avoid provocation at all costs.]
We stood there for a long, frozen moment, locked in a silent standoff. He was a predator, and I was a strange, wounded creature that had stumbled into his territory. My mind raced, but for once, I had no strategy, no clever words. I simply stood my ground and did the only thing I could think of. I offered a slight, respectful bow—the gesture of a junior warrior acknowledging a vastly superior senior.
His expression did not change. His golden eyes, filled with centuries of pain and duty, continued to dissect me. Then, after an eternity that lasted perhaps five seconds, he gave a single, almost imperceptible nod. It wasn't a gesture of friendship. It was an acknowledgment. A dismissal. You are an anomaly, but you are not my target tonight.
And then he was gone. He dissolved into a blur of black and teal Anemo energy, leaving behind only the faint scent of Qingxin flowers and a lingering feeling of immense sorrow.
I let out a breath I didn't realize I had been holding, my knees feeling weak. That encounter had been more terrifying than facing the Mitachurl in the mine. I now understood. The Adepti's domain was not just a place on a map. It was their territory, and I, with the taint I carried, was an unwelcome intruder. I could not linger here.
My plan solidified with a newfound urgency. I had to get to Liyue Harbor. The massive, bustling port city was my best hope. There, amidst the sea of a million mortal souls, I could become anonymous. I could blend in, find work, gather my strength, and maybe, just maybe, find a way to send a message to Kaeya without the whole of Teyvat noticing.
Wangshu Inn was not a sanctuary. It was a waypoint. My brief respite was over.
I looked east, towards the distant coastline where the Harbor lay, its lights not yet visible. The sun had fully set, and the path ahead was shrouded in darkness. My journey into the world of mortals, of contracts and commerce, was about to begin in earnest.