At the very front of the group, Hu San stood tall, brimming with ambition.
He had no idea his loafing subordinates were quietly bad-mouthing him behind his back—or that they were seconds away from bolting the moment trouble appeared.
Not that it would've surprised him.
If life had gone well for any of them, they wouldn't have ended up in the Treasure Hoarders to begin with.
As for what kind of trash he had under him… no one understood better than Hu San.
No guts to kill.
Plenty of guts to steal, loaf around, and scam free meals—that they had in abundance.
Just thinking about these good-for-nothing losers made his past feel like a tragedy he didn't want to recall.
—But today, all that misery would finally end.
Hu San's eyes blazed as he stared at the misty blue smoke swirling before him.
Rumor among the Treasure Hoarders called this thing the Blossom of Revelation.
Some leftover heap of god-knows-what inside the leylines. Supposedly, if one could defeat whatever appeared within, the leylines would reward them generously.
And among all blossoms, this rare blue one was said to contain the battle memories of countless powerful figures—skills and insights carved straight into the leyline's record.
Even someone as ordinary as him, if lucky enough to obtain those memories…
Maybe—just maybe—he could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with those high-and-mighty Vision holders!
The chance to turn his life around was right in front of him. Hu San could no longer contain his excitement.
"Brothers! Whether our Raven Branch of the Treasure Hoarders rises to greatness in Liyue—comes down to today!"
"I, Hu San, swear upon the Geo Lord himself! If I get a bite of meat, my brothers will all get a bowl of soup!"
"…"
A breeze drifted by.
No one said a word.
Seeing the awkward silence, Hu San's eye twitched. He swallowed his irritation, glared at the blockheaded group at his side, then gritted his teeth:
"Fine! Whoever fights bravely today gets three thousand Mora!"
"BOSS WISE!!!"
"WE'LL FOLLOW HU BOSS TO THE END!"
"WOOOOOOOO!!!"
Hu San: "…"
These damned idiots.
To get these slackers motivated, he had really bled himself dry. That three thousand was his wife-fund, gone in a puff.
Still, money worked; the lot of them finally showed hints of enthusiasm.
Since he'd already sacrificed his wallet, Hu San decided to go all-in.
He passed out Explosive Elemental Flasks—cheap alchemical grenades made from Flaming Flower stamens and fire-aligned reagents.
If not for this inherited recipe, Hu San never would've become a leader among the Raven Branch.
(Elemental diversity? He would've loved some. But Cryo Mist Flowers in Liyue were rare as phoenix feathers, and Electro Crystals were basically nonexistent around here.)
He lined his men up in a crooked battle formation.
Flushed with adrenaline, Hu San failed to notice the two teenagers crouched in a bush not far away.
A gambler who had staked everything, he opened the Blossom of Revelation.
Guili Plains — Bush Beside the Hoarders' Camp
"Xingqiu… why exactly are we hiding here again? Is there really a demon in Guili Plains?"
The boy with pale-blue hair and a talisman at his waist looked earnestly at his friend.
"Aiyo, would I ever lie to you?"
"Last time, you accidentally ate the chili inside a Sticky Rice Dumpling and almost danced like Xinyan in public. If I hadn't dumped ice water on you, you'd still be shaking."
Deep-blue-haired Xingqiu sighed dramatically, as though deeply wounded.
"A-ah! I was wrong! I'm sorry, Xingqiu, don't be angry!"
"It's just that… you said the Millelith patrol is nearby. I figured we shouldn't startle them. Definitely not because I doubted you!"
Guilt ate at Chongyun's conscience.
Xingqiu was the only friend who supported him, shared demon-hunting intel, and bought him icy snacks whenever he failed in his hunts.
He was reliable, warm, and thoughtful.
If he didn't trust Xingqiu, who else could he trust?
"…Fine. Just this once. Next time, you'd better not doubt me." Xingqiu magnanimously forgave him.
After comforting the relieved exorcist, a faint smile tugged at his lips.
Sure, he had completely made up the "demon intel," but staking out this Treasure Hoarder group wasn't pointless.
Unlike these amateur crooks, Xingqiu knew exactly how dangerous the Blossom of Revelation could be.
Leyline memories materialized into combat trials—completely random.
Sometimes the projection was just weak criminals; other times, vicious monsters or Ruin machines.
If a strong monster appeared today, these weaklings could easily get wiped out.
And Xingqiu, follower of the chivalrous path, couldn't simply watch people die—even if they were thieves.
"Here it comes."
As Hu San touched the blossom, Xingqiu and Chongyun perked up.
What would appear?
If it were a powerful monster—say, a Hilichurl King—the two of them would have to intervene before the Millelith arrived.
(While making absolutely sure neither his father nor his elder brother ever found out.)
The blossom's light flared.
A figure emerged.
Xingqiu held his breath—
Then blinked.
A boy.
Just a lone boy standing there.
…Seriously?
That's it?
No need for him and Chongyun to act, then.
The Treasure Hoarders, seeing only a single youth, breathed huge sighs of relief.
For the promised bounty, they charged together in a frenzy—loud, wild, and posing like a proper army.
In the bush, Xingqiu, now bored, turned his gaze elsewhere, pondering what excuse he'd use later to convince Chongyun they had indeed been "hunting a demon."
The evening breeze brushed past.
Silence blanketed the plains.
Something felt… off.
Xingqiu's brow creased.
He raised his head—
Every Treasure Hoarder lay sprawled on the ground.
They hadn't even taken a single step.
Countless tiny vines wrapped around them like dumplings, neat as could be.
Before Xingqiu could process what happened, the boy standing in the middle slowly lifted his head—
—and turned to look straight at the bush where Xingqiu and Chongyun were hiding.
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