"Me too."
Elliot's voice drifted like a soft breeze, brushing past Xiao's ears.
Xiao's eyes snapped open. Beneath the glow of the rising sun, a familiar figure slowly approached.
"Lord Zhongli, what brings you here?" Xiao stood and bowed respectfully.
"I brought you something," Zhongli said, his tone calm as he held out two bowls of almond tofu.
Hearing this, Elliot walked closer, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
"I didn't expect there'd be one for me, too."
He gazed at the bowls and chuckled softly.
"Wait a moment," Xiao said. Instead of taking the bowls right away, he turned and walked back to Elliot's grave. Kneeling down, he carefully wiped the tomb clean before gently placing one bowl of almond tofu before it.
Only then did he take his own bowl, sitting with his back against the tombstone as he began to eat slowly.
"Even after all this time, you remain so meticulous toward him," Zhongli observed, his gaze resting on the spotless grave.
At those words, Xiao froze. The spoon in his hand stopped halfway to his lips.
He stared at the almond tofu and thought back to the days when he and Elliot had first met—those days filled with warmth and laughter.
Meanwhile, Elliot lifted his own illusory bowl. It looked identical to the real thing, yet lacked all taste and substance—just like his current existence. Even so, he kept eating as if savoring every bite.
Xiao stood still for a long time, his thoughts swirling. Then, a small smile crept across his face.
The smile trembled... and turned into tears.
A gentle wind swept through the forest, rustling his hair as a few leaves drifted softly to the ground.
"Autumn's here..."
He lifted his head slightly, feeling the cool wind brush against his face.
"Yes, autumn has come," Elliot replied with a faint smile. "I miss those days when we sparred. If I remember right, that was in autumn too."
His voice was calm and distant, as though reminiscing with an old friend—though neither could truly hear the other anymore.
"Looking back on it now," Zhongli said quietly, "it's hard to believe a mortal could possess such courage. Truly admirable."
If Elliot hadn't gone with them back then, the last of the Yakshas—Xiao—might not have survived. Even Zhongli hadn't foreseen that a demon god would shatter its seal and conceal its aura so completely that even he couldn't sense it.
"That's about the only thing admirable about that guy," Xiao muttered.
"You're one to talk—always acting tough," Elliot teased lightly.
After that brief exchange, Elliot turned back to time itself, adjusting the flow as the images around him blurred and sped past.
Moments later, he stopped.
Xiao was no longer calm. His brow was furrowed tightly, his body trembling as sweat beaded on his forehead. Black mist coiled around him, thick and suffocating—on the brink of consuming him completely.
"Karmic debt... still too much," Elliot murmured.
He stepped closer and instinctively reached out to touch Xiao's head. To his surprise, the Yaksha's twisted expression gradually softened.
"You're Liyue's only Guardian Yaksha," Elliot said softly. "If you lose to something like this, I'll be disappointed in you."
At those words, the tension drained from Xiao's face. His body stopped shaking, and the heavy black mist seeped back into him, dissolving into stillness.
Seeing the effect, Elliot pressed on, his tone half-chiding, half-gentle. "A Guardian Yaksha—down like this after only a few days? How pathetic."
A faint sound escaped Xiao's throat as he stirred. Slowly, he opened his eyes and sat upright.
He looked around at the familiar forest, dazed, and then tears began to fall silently down his cheeks.
"Damn it..."
"Was saving me once not enough..."
"Now you have to save me even in my dreams..."
As he recalled Elliot's smile from the dream, a small, helpless grin appeared on his own face.
"That mouth of yours," he muttered, "still as insufferable as ever."
"This only proves one thing," Elliot's voice answered playfully. "Without me, you're still hopeless."
"Even if you hadn't shown up, I could've handled it," Xiao mumbled, pouting as he leaned back against Elliot's tombstone.
"I doubt that," came Elliot's teasing reply.
Then, with a faint smile, Elliot adjusted the flow of time once more. Knowing his remaining moments were few, he moved ahead to the next time Xiao slept.
He gently placed a hand on Xiao's head. "I came back to check on you, but instead of seeing progress, I keep finding you crushed by karmic debt. It's disappointing, you know."
"Could it be that a Guardian Yaksha can't handle something this minor?"
"Listen carefully to what I'm about to teach you. These words weren't easy to find."
"Remember this—you can forget almond tofu, but don't you dare forget these lines."
"Heaven and earth are clear, mountains and waters still;
Where there is forest in the heart, there are deer;
Where the heart holds seas, whales dwell;
I exist, and all things are born;
If I perish, all things fade;
I know heaven, I know earth;
My heart is clear, all things are pure."
"This is called the 'Calm Mind Mantra.' It can suppress the turmoil of karmic debt within. When you recite it, sit cross-legged, empty your mind, block out all distractions, and focus on the chant alone."
"If you can't even remember this much, it'd be truly embarrassing. Don't make me look down on you again."
"Well... I should be going."
When Elliot's voice faded, Xiao slowly opened his eyes.
Before him was only emptiness. He instinctively reached forward, grasping at the air—but touched nothing. Still, he could feel Elliot's presence lingering there.
"The Calm Mind Mantra, huh..."
"Who could forget something so simple..."
"You really underestimate me."
Muttering softly, Xiao sat cross-legged just as Elliot had instructed. He cleared his mind and began to chant.
Before long, the restless energy within him began to calm.
In less than half an hour, the oppressive weight of karmic debt that had tormented him for so long completely faded into silence.
When Xiao opened his eyes again, they were red with tears—but clear.
He had never expected Elliot's words in the dream to be true.
The Calm Mind Mantra truly worked.
Elliot had truly come back—to see him, to help him—and had even taught him how to endure the burden within.
"Three times..." he whispered.
"You've saved me three times now..."
"How many more times before you're satisfied..."
"You damn fool... even after death, you still do this... How am I supposed to repay you?"
"I can't... I can't ever repay you, Elliot..."
"I can't repay you at all..."