Liyue Harbor
The rooftop of Wangshu Inn
Xiao sat quietly with his eyes closed, guarding everything around him, fulfilling his contract with Rex Lapis.
"Ah... time moves so slowly." Xiao shook his head slightly. For some reason, he felt a little bored.
Ever since three of the five Yakshas had returned, his workload had decreased significantly. Bosacius and Menogias had taken on many of his troublesome duties.
He wasn't sure if that was a good thing. With fewer things to do, Xiao often felt out of sorts. His mind would wander.
Of course, his wandering thoughts always led back to Bonanus.
No more pain from karmic debt erosion. Only the persistent longing for one person.
"Yo! Alatus, what are you thinking about?"
Just as Xiao was spacing out, a deep voice suddenly sounded behind him. It was Bosacius, the one with four arms.
"Bosacius? Why are you here? Aren't you supposed to be guarding the west?" Xiao frowned, looking at him with confusion.
"Come on, don't forget that your big brother knows how to make duplicate talismans. My duplicate is holding down the west. Those monsters wouldn't dare make a move."
Bosacius laughed heartily. His four arms each held a ceramic jug filled with strong liquor.
"Of course you would. What are you doing here? Surely not just to drink with me?" Xiao said flatly, turning his head away.
"I'm here to check on you, so you don't overthink things." Bosacius patted Xiao's back.
Ever since their little sister left, Bosacius and Menogias had been coming to visit Xiao at random times, bringing drinks and cards. Their main goal was to keep their youngest brother from worrying too much.
"Heh... you certainly have a lot of energy." Xiao shook his head dismissively. He stood up, brushed off his clothes, and crossed his arms.
"Menogias is on his way too. He should be here soon." Bosacius set the four jugs down gently on the rooftop tiles and sat down cross legged.
"Are you sure about this? Three Yakshas neglecting their duties to drink together?"
Xiao looked at Bosacius with a cold stare. Only the leader of the Yakshas would openly slack off and drink.
"Like I said, my duplicate is guarding the area. What's the worst that could happen? Menogias has his rock formations holding things down too. It should be fine."
Bosacius waved his hand casually. Things were different now. Even though the world wasn't entirely peaceful, monsters still caused trouble from time to time.
His duplicates weren't pushovers. No monster would be foolish enough to cause trouble.
"Sigh..." Xiao sighed helplessly and sat back down, rubbing his forehead.
The two chatted about meaningless topics while waiting for Menogias to arrive from the south.
...
A short while later
"Bosacius, Alatus. Sorry to keep you waiting." Menogias suddenly appeared behind them. He stood quietly with his eyes closed, wearing a gentle smile.
In his right hand, he held a paper wrapped bundle. The scent of grilled meat wafted from it.
"Finally here. Hurry, hurry, sit down. We were waiting for you." Bosacius greeted him warmly. Menogias was really late today.
"Couldn't be helped. Rex Lapis just sent me to investigate a suspicious location. I grabbed some barbecue on my way back." Menogias kept his gentle smile as he walked over and sat down naturally.
"What did you get?" Bosacius took the paper bundle and pulled out a skewer of grilled meat.
Mortal food was truly delicious. During the war, they never had anything that smelled this good.
"Alatus, don't just stare. Have some too." Bosacius chewed happily, not forgetting to check on Xiao.
"Indeed. There's no harm in trying mortal food sometimes. And I heard our little sister took you out to try some before." Menogias chuckled.
"No thanks. I don't have much of an appetite." Xiao shook his head gently.
Bosacius and Menogias exchanged glances and shook their heads silently. Looks like Alatus wouldn't go out to eat or shop until their little sister came back.
What a child. Always clinging to his sister. Why not cling to his big brothers instead?
"Speaking of which, Bosacius, I remember you had a weapon called Calamity Queller. Any idea where it ended up?"
Menogias changed the subject. He picked up one of the ceramic jugs and opened the lid as he spoke.
"No idea. I never went looking for it. You both know that weapon changed hands many times. After all these years, it's probably buried in the sand somewhere." Bosacius shook his head.
He opened the lid of his own jug, not seeming too concerned.
"If that's the case, what a pity." Menogias frowned slightly.
He picked up another jug, opened it, and handed it to Xiao.
Xiao took it slowly, speaking flatly. "That weapon is now in the hands of Cloud Retainer's disciple. And that disciple is still mortal."
"Though she has learned adeptal arts, so she could be considered half an adeptus."
"Oh? Is that so? I heard Cloud Retainer had a human disciple, but I never knew what weapon she used. I'll have to bring some good wine and visit her sometime." Bosacius looked surprised.
So the weapon hadn't been buried in the sand. It had passed to someone else.
Whoever could wield that weapon must be exceptionally powerful.
"Come to think of it, we haven't gathered with the others in a while. Once our little sister returns, we could all go visit together." Menogias nodded.
"Ah, Cloud Retainer did invite us before, but we were all busy and had to decline. We should visit when we have time."
"We could. I wonder if Rex Lapis would come. We could try inviting him." Menogias said softly. If Rex Lapis accepted, that would be a gathering of gods and adepti.
"Rex Lapis would agree. It's been a long time since he's had a good drink with old friends. But he seems to be planning something lately. We should wait until he has time." Bosacius shrugged.
After a moment, Bosacius seemed to remember something. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded letter, handing it to Xiao.
"By the way, Alatus, this letter arrived last night. It's from our little sister. We've all read it. You're the only one left."
Hmm? A letter from Sister Bonanus?
The moment he heard it was from Bonanus, the corner of Xiao's mouth curled up slightly. He looked forward to its contents.
...
A short while later
It didn't take him long.
After carefully reading the letter, Xiao folded it neatly and placed it in his pocket. As he tucked it away, his mood improved.
His sister was so cute. Even the way she wrote was adorable. And that part where she said she missed him...
It made him happy.
"Speaking of which, when is Sister Bonanus coming back?" Xiao asked, a smile in his voice. It was rare for him to finish a whole sentence with that expression.
"Should be another two or three days. Not too long." Menogias rubbed his chin. He had asked Rex Lapis earlier. His little sister would return in about two or three days.
"Alatus, you've asked that question a hundred times already. Our ears are about to grow calluses. She'll come back when she comes back. Drink first, drink first."
Bosacius laughed heartily and raised his ceramic jug. The other two Yakshas followed suit.
It felt so good to have family by your side.