Xiao froze for a long moment before slowly coming to his senses.
"If all these voices are calling for help..." he murmured, then swiftly dashed toward another cry echoing in the distance.
Elliot followed close behind, keeping pace beside him. He also wanted to see who else dared to ask an Adepti for help without saying "thank you." When that happened, Elliot swore he'd turn into a vengeful ghost and haunt that person, scolding them every single day.
Before long, Elliot followed Xiao to the base of Tianheng Mountain. There, a young boy stood frantically calling out, his voice trembling as tears streamed down his face.
Xiao immediately rushed over, his speed so great that the boy jumped in fright when he appeared. Once he realized who it was, his fear turned to relief—though his tears only flowed harder, his voice both urgent and hopeful.
"What's the matter?" Xiao asked first, noticing the boy struggling to get his words out.
He still wasn't good at dealing with people. Even when he tried to keep his tone from sounding too cold, it was hard for him to manage.
"Adeptus Xiao, something terrible happened! Tingting's gone missing! I can't find her anywhere!"
"Please help me! If I can't find her, my parents will kill me!"
"I beg you, Mr. Xiao!"
The little boy clutched at Xiao's sleeve, eyes red and wet with tears as his words tumbled over themselves in panic.
Hearing this, Xiao immediately grasped the seriousness of the situation. "What happened? Where did you lose her?"
"Right... right around here..."
"I brought her out here to explore. We walked for a bit, then I suddenly realized she was gone. I've been calling her name for so long, but no one's answered. I was too scared to go deeper—I might not be able to find my way back..."
"Thank goodness you're here, Mr. Xiao! You have to help me!"
"I can't go home and tell my parents—they'd beat me to death!"
Xiao nodded thoughtfully, then spoke in a calm, steady voice. "Stay here. Don't move around. Keep calling her name. If I haven't returned before sunset, go straight to Millelith."
His serious tone made the boy's heart pound even harder. He already knew he'd made a huge mistake, but Xiao's solemn expression made him fear something even worse.
Still, he nodded quickly, his voice trembling. "Please, Mr. Xiao... please find her. Her name is Tingting."
Xiao gave a short nod, then vanished in a burst of wind.
Watching him disappear, the anxious boy began shouting again, "Tingting! Tingting! Where are you?!"
He feared the worst, waiting with growing dread. But before long, Xiao reappeared—this time, holding someone's hand.
The boy's eyes widened. Wiping his tears away, he sprinted toward them.
"Tingting!!!"
The little girl froze for a heartbeat, then slipped free of Xiao's grasp and ran straight into his arms.
"You're back... thank goodness... where did you go... you scared me so much..."
The weight that had been crushing the boy's heart finally lifted.
"I don't know... I was just walking, and suddenly you were gone. At first I thought you were joking, but no matter how much I called, you didn't answer. I got so scared I started crying... and there was no one around..."
Tears glimmered in the girl's eyes as she spoke, her voice trembling with relief.
Watching them reunite, Xiao felt something warm stir in his chest.
"Xiao, wait!"
He turned to leave, but the boy suddenly called out. Xiao stopped and looked back.
"Thank you, Mr. Xiao."
The two tear-streaked children bowed deeply, their gratitude earnest and heartfelt.
A faint smile crossed Xiao's lips. "It was my duty. No need to thank me."
Elliot, standing nearby, gave a quiet laugh. "Still pretending not to care? That smile on your face betrays you."
"Being thanked clearly makes you happy, yet you insist it doesn't. You're as proud as ever."
Seeing Xiao truly smile after being thanked, Elliot finally felt at ease.
From then on, Xiao began receiving more and more calls for help. Gradually, he became known as the people's "lucky star"—and before long, the brightest one of all.
Wherever he appeared, hardship vanished. Every problem found its solution. People sang praises of his name and celebrated his deeds.
And little by little, Xiao's humanity returned. His original gentleness and warmth surfaced once more. His tone softened. His once-stern expression began to carry quiet smiles.
Though he was far busier now—clearing monsters through the night and helping mortals by day—he found far greater joy than before. That joy gave him strength to fight the karmic debt within him even harder.
Now, he protected Liyue not merely because of his contract with Zhongli, but because he truly wished to safeguard this land. He knew it was home to kind, gentle, and loving people—and he wanted to protect them.
For that, he could not yield to the darkness inside him.
Once, cleansing demons and defending Liyue had been his duty—a task, a job.
But now, for Xiao, it had become his wish, his dream, something he devoted himself to willingly.
Elliot, who had witnessed it all, felt genuine happiness for him.
Though he could no longer help Xiao purge his karmic debt, seeing him live with peace and purpose was enough to satisfy him.
"Within Liyue's borders, if you encounter trouble, call upon my name."
"Thank you for the reminder, Adeptus Xiao. We'll remember that..."
After helping a group of merchants from Inazuma with their troubles, Xiao watched the setting sun dip below the horizon, then returned to the forest most plagued by malevolent spirits.
Each night, countless demons emerged there. Xiao had long grown used to it, treating the endless fighting as part of his daily duty. His spear remained his only companion.
That night's battle lasted until dawn.
When the first rays of morning light spread across the land, gilding it in gold, Xiao leaned wearily against Elliot's grave, gazing toward the brightening horizon.
"I wish we could fight together again someday..." he murmured.
"Me too," Elliot replied softly, tilting his head back slightly as their backs met—sharing the quiet warmth of a sunrise neither would ever forget.