A Few Minutes Earlier
Dihua Marsh
On the Rooftop of Wangshu Inn
Xiao sat quietly, observing everything around him. This area was safe—patrolled by the Millelith and guarded by him. Nothing too troublesome usually happened here.
But "usually" wasn't "never." There were always a few Hilichurls causing trouble in this area, plus some Treasure Hoarders relying on luck to steal or loot things.
Nothing major, though. For Xiao, resolving such issues took only a tenth of his strength. No need for concern.
Thinking back hundreds of years, this area of Dihua Marsh had been a wasteland, devoid of life. Nothing but corpses, bones, and blood.
Xiao had experienced something unpleasant here once. He'd nearly gone mad and died from karmic debt erosion. But just as he was about to lose himself completely, the god who saved him appeared.
Xiao called him the Piper of Dihua Marsh. That piper was none other than Barbatos—leader of the free city, the Anemo Archon of Mondstadt.
If not for Barbatos's intervention, Xiao wouldn't have survived. Liyue would have lost one of its great generals.
Now sitting on the rooftop, Xiao looked up at the sky. The days have passed so quickly. The sun's already setting. I really want to see Bosacius and Bonanus.
After finally reuniting, having such feelings was only natural.
After all, the guy could be a bit of a tsundere sometimes. He was verbally resistant, but his heart and actions betrayed him. Another reason was simply that he wasn't good at expressing himself.
"What are they doing..." Xiao exhaled slowly, muttering to himself.
Given Bosacius's personality and history, he'd probably head to the outskirts of The Chasm—a place where he and Liyue's soldiers once fought.
He'd want to see it again.
As for Bonanus... Xiao felt that since her return, he couldn't quite read her heart. His once-gentle sister kept doing things that surprised him.
Confusing. And a little troubling.
But he didn't seem to dislike this change. Before, Sister Bonanus always wore an elegant, gentle expression. Now, suddenly so playful, Xiao found it quite amusing.
Mortals changed under time's erosion—not just in appearance, but in personality. Adepti were no exception.
Though adepti appearances didn't change, they too transformed with environment and time.
Take him, for example. Since his two family members returned, his usual cold demeanor had unconsciously begun to waver. Unfamiliar, perhaps, but he would gradually accept it.
Shaking his head lightly, he'd just dealt with some threats and now had free time. Rather than sit idle, he might as well look for Sister Bonanus.
If he could be of help, that would be wonderful.
With this thought, Xiao had come to this area. Standing at a high point, he quietly observed Bonanus and Yanfei's every move.
Looking further, he spotted temporary Millelith tents not far from them. It looked like they were preparing for a suppression mission.
Given their direction, they were probably assisting the Millelith.
But that the Millelith would commission Yanfei and Bonanus surprised Xiao. What kind of suppression required adeptal assistance?
Worrying and curious at the same time.
With this thought, Xiao abandoned the idea of approaching Bonanus directly. If it really were dangerous, he'd better observe from afar, just in case accidents happened.
---
Back to Bonanus and Yanfei
A few more minutes passed, and they finally reached the rendezvous point agreed upon with the Millelith. Standing at the entrance, they peered curiously inside.
They didn't enter. Besides the two guards at the gate, no one inside noticed them.
The soldiers before them had assembled, standing together preparing for the upcoming operation. But they seemed somewhat... unenergetic.
Different from the Millelith they'd encountered before. Compared to those disciplined soldiers, these ones felt rather slack.
In military terms, these would be called "cubs" or "little ones." After all, they looked weak—one push and they'd fall. What else could they be?
Just as the group was listlessly chatting, a tall, burly man with five scars on his face stepped forward and roared:
"Snap out of it! Look at yourselves! Do you want me to call your parents here to see what pathetic state you're in?"
"When we get back, you're doing hours of physical training. No dinner if you don't meet the standards!"
Hearing they'd have physical training later, they looked even more miserable. Their faces twisted into bitter expressions, as if nothing in the world mattered anymore.
These little brats, all twisted up like sissies. When we get back, they're going to pay dearly!
This burly man, named Yan Ning, was the squad leader for this suppression operation. His men were mostly recruits who'd enlisted a few months ago. When they first joined, they were full of vigor, talking about doing great things.
If this mission succeeded, he might even gain some benefits.
But after military training, they all started crying about how hard it was, whining daily about wanting to go home.
And this was peacetime—what "great things" could they do? Besides suppressing some Treasure Hoarders and Hilichurls, were they planning to start a war with another nation?
Even if war came, these rookies would just be cannon fodder. In their current state, they'd be delivering kills and merits to the enemy on a silver platter.
These kids were young, incomparable to seasoned veterans. When they enlisted, they'd been weak as kittens.
Of course, among these newcomers, some veterans were mixed in. If accidents happened, they could serve as pillars of support.
"Although this mission is just clearing a Hilichurl gathering point, one mistake and your lives are forfeit."
"Forget merits—your parents will be kneeling at your graves crying."
Yan Ning crossed his arms, shouting mercilessly. He wasn't worried about the noise traveling—they were still far from the Hilichurl stronghold.
The rookies shivered at his words, then simply shook their heads and laughed.
They'd read plenty of martial arts novels, where protagonists could take on ten enemies single-handedly. They believed they possessed such talent too.
Seeing this ignorance, the veterans standing to the far right shook their heads helplessly. Just a bunch of 'young' rookies.
They need some harsh lessons before they wake up. Otherwise, these fools will keep living in fantasies.
Yan Ning rubbed his forehead in exasperation, sighing lightly. This batch of rookies is really hard to manage.
This suppression mission wasn't originally theirs. But Yan Ning wanted these recruits to see blood and also wanted higher-ups to recognize his capabilities.
With that thought, he'd gotten impulsive and applied directly, requesting the mission be assigned to them.
He'd hoped the rookies would be serious once they arrived. Instead, they were still like this. They needed proper discipline.
With this thought, Yan Ning's brow furrowed deeply. Though these rookies annoyed him, they were still his soldiers.
Injuries were inevitable, but he hoped no one would die.
And this mission was special. Intel suggested several Abyss Mages on the opposing side. Small as they looked, each packed lethal power.
Who knew if these rookies could withstand them?
Now they just waited for their commissioned helper. They'd hired a half-adeptus, a Vision holder. Her arrival would ease Yan Ning's concerns significantly.