Whether Ye Shiyuan was good or evil, Ryuga didn't care to distinguish. In his eyes, he was just an NPC to lead to Ye Shunguang. Besides, he was the "Brother-in-law," right? Even if he truly was a bad person, he couldn't just kill him.
Night fell. The crescent moon quietly hung on the branches.
Yixuan was uncharacteristically generous for once, spending a fortune to buy baskets of fresh fish and shrimp, marbled meat, and fresh seasonal vegetables. The charcoal fire crackled, and the simple courtyard of Suibian Temple came to life with the warmth of a home-cooked meal.
Pan Yinhu finally found his chance to show off his skills. Rolling up his sleeves, he briskly chopped vegetables, started the stove, and stir-fried. Amidst the aroma of sizzling oil, dishes full of color, fragrance, and flavor were served one after another. The braised fish had an amber luster, the roast meat was charred on the outside and tender on the inside, the greens were crisp and refreshing, and even the most ordinary egg-fried rice was golden and fragrant, with every grain distinct.
Ryuga picked up a piece of sweet and sour pork with his chopsticks and couldn't help but narrow his eyes: "With this skill, Guoba would probably really like you."
"Guoba? Does the Demon God want to eat scorched rice (Guoba)?"
"I can make it, guaranteed to be crispy and fragrant. One bite and it'll 'crunch.' Then drizzle it with honey, and I promise you'll be rolling in delight." Pan Yinhu scratched his head and gave a simple, honest smile.
Yixuan shot him a look, and the panda finally realized he had said the wrong thing and quickly corrected himself.
"Uh, I mean... absolutely delicious, 200 points."
"Heh." Ryuga smiled and paused slightly.
"It's not the 'Guoba' you eat. Once, he was a Bear Demon God, with a body like a mountain and a roar that could shatter rivers. But to calm the calamities of the Liyue land, he sacrificed all his divine power."
As he spoke, Ryuga pressed his hand down, gesturing below the table.
"Now, he has lost his memories and divine power, regressing into the form of a young bear."
"Only about this big."
Mountain! Peak?
Hearing this, everyone looked up at the dark night sky, sketching the giant bear's size in their minds. Fur like clouds, eyes like the sun and moon, wind and clouds changing with every breath, and mountains collapsing with every step—what majesty and tragedy that must have been.
Yes, Pan Yinhu thought so in his heart.
"If... if I have the chance, I must go see this ancestor. If I can meet him once, this life will be worth it."
Pan Yinhu's eyes widened, his mouth open wide enough to fit a watermelon. After all, he was the big boss of the bear world, the ancestor.
Ryuga chuckled: "Hehe~ He is the God of the Stove, in charge of the mortal world's culinary arts. You two can discuss things then."
"Hehe, then when you go, please take me, Old Pan, along, Lord Demon God."
Pan Yinhu rubbed his head honestly.
"Okay."
"..."
Yixuan remained silent, her fingertip brushing the edge of her teacup. She had heard Skirk mention the name "Liyue." Guoba was a Demon God of Teyvat? Then what about Ryuga, this Demon God?
Just then, hurried footsteps came from outside the door. Ju Fufu hopped in, her nose twitching. Smelling the fresh aroma of the food, her eyes immediately lit up.
"It smells so good! There are Char Siu buns!"
As she spoke, the tiger-cat had already leaped onto the bench in three steps, grabbed a steaming bun, and stuffed it into her mouth. It was so hot she kept huffing, but she refused to let go.
Ye Shiyuan followed closely behind, pushed the glasses on the bridge of his nose, and shook his head helplessly. He then placed a stack of papers covered in writing in front of Yixuan.
"This is our investigation from the past half-day."
Then he moved to another table and sat down unhurriedly.
You Suya immediately leaned forward, her eyes wide: "How is it? How is it? Is there any change... on the Hoshimi family's side?"
"Hmm..."
"Master, I've asked around. Nothing major has gone wrong; everything is as usual."
"As for the small things? We wouldn't know."
Ju Fufu finally managed to swallow the Char Siu bun, wiped her greasy lips, then grabbed another one and took a bite, speaking indistinctly.
"It seems we haven't deviated from the trajectory."
Yixuan slowly exhaled, and her tense shoulders finally relaxed. It seemed Ryuga's Z-Drive had worked.
"Whew~"
You Suya also breathed a sigh of relief, gently patting her chest as if comforting herself.
Ye Shiyuan: (They really are hiding something from me.)
...
After dinner.
Ryuga, Yixuan, Ju Fufu, You Suya, and Pan Yinhu gathered in the "Wallpaper Room" to discuss the plan to rescue Yi Jiang from the Hollow tomorrow. The tiger-cat and the panda only then realized that the person they were rescuing wasn't just Hoshimi Miyabi's mother.
"Fufu, you stay tomorrow and accompany Miss You Su."
"Then Master, you must be careful." Fufu nodded obediently.
"Yinhu, you continue to gather information related to Miss You Su, especially anything concerning Miss Hoshimi Miyabi. Record every detail so we can show Miss Miyabi later and see if anything has been altered."
Yixuan continued to give instructions. After all, there were things they didn't know, but Hoshimi Miyabi certainly did; she might be able to tell if anything had changed.
"Understood, Master!" Pan Yinhu sat upright, his fat hand slapping his knee hard.
"As for entering the Hollow tomorrow, Master Yixuan and I will go together. Do you remember the final moments of your sister?"
Ryuga was silent for a moment, then turned to look at Yixuan.
"Yes, during the fall of the Old Capital."
"Sister still unleashed the full power of the Qingming Sword, wiping out all the Ethereals."
"But Sister was also consumed by the massive energy of the Qingming Sword and vanished completely."
As she spoke, Yixuan closed her eyes and exhaled a breath of turbid air. When she opened them again, there was a hint of pain in her eyes.
"Oh, by the way, when Sister used the Qingming Sword to seal it, a giant Ethereal claw reached out from the seal, as tall as a building."
"In the end, she vanished in a blinding white light, leaving only that Qingming Sword and... her jade hairpin."
"I vaguely remember Sister saying something at the end, but because of the impact of the Qingming Sword's power, I lost that part of my memory."
Yixuan rubbed her brow as she spoke, her eyes full of pain. But she quickly blinked a few times, throwing the gloom out of her mind. Anyway, she would see her sister tomorrow.
"..."
You Suya listened quietly, her fingers unconsciously twisting the corner of her clothes. She hadn't experienced that catastrophe and couldn't truly feel the same way. But she could understand the despair of a broken land and the loss of loved ones. She didn't know how to comfort her; the words felt hollow when they reached her lips. Finally, she sighed softly and remained a silent listener.
"Yes."
"My plan is: at the final moment, just as the Qingming Sword erupts, pull Yi Jiang back from the time rift."
"And you must not come into contact with your past self or your sister—not a single word, not even a glance."
Ryuga withdrew his thoughts and spoke seriously. Hoshimi Miyabi was half-mad when she was young; even if she saw an adult Miyabi, she wouldn't remember. Yixuan was different.
"I understand." Yixuan nodded vigorously.
After the strategy was discussed, it was time to play games. Ryuga's Wallpaper Room had a full set of audio-visual gaming equipment. The giant curved screen lit up, with light and shadow interlacing, as if opening another world for Senior Sister Fufu. The snack cabinet in the corner opened automatically, filled with potato chips, chocolate, and jelly.
"Wow, the people in this screen look exactly like real people! You can even see their pores." Ju Fufu was the first to rush up, her claws waving in the air.
Pan Yinhu was also stunned, holding the controller and freezing in place: "So, so amazing."
"Uh, is it really that exaggerated?" You Suya felt it was nothing special.
"After the Hollow disaster, everything in New Eridu has been regressing, including technology." Yixuan leaned against the door, feeling somewhat emotional.
"I see." You Suya realized.
The game started—an intense fighting match. Pan Yinhu's fat hands pressed wildly on the controller, his character moving like flowing water, every move precise. Finally, an Uppercut sent Yixuan's character flying.
"A historic moment! I won! I beat Master!" Pan Yinhu excitedly threw down the controller, raised his arms high, and spun in circles.
"..." Yixuan's lip curled, she gritted her teeth, stood up, and moved her wrists.
Tai Chi stance, the palm wind arrived silently.
Smack!
A series of Tai Chi Palms hit Pan Yinhu squarely in the chest. The panda flew back like a cannonball, crashing into a pile of soft cushions and rolling three times before stopping.
"Cough cough... Master, you... can't afford to lose." Pan Yinhu lay on the ground, protesting weakly.
Ryuga facepalmed. What is this, "can't afford to lose" Bai Yuekui?
"This Wallpaper Room is so much fun, can you give me one?"
"Housing must be very tight now; with this, you always have a place to live." You Suya blinked her agile eyes, tilted her head, and looked at Ryuga with bright, clear eyes.
"No problem, I can give you ten."
"Ahem~ Just consider it my betrothal gift to Miyabi." Ryuga patted his chest and spoke sincerely.
"Teehee~ Then thank you." You Suya was slightly startled, then her eyes curved into crescents, and she chuckled, covering her mouth.
"Although I don't interfere with Miyabi's freedom in love, if it's a 'betrothal gift,' it's still not enough. After all, Miyabi is the youngest Void Hunter."
Ryuga smiled: "Don't worry, I will give Miyabi a betrothal gift she deserves."
A Wallpaper Room is, to put it bluntly, a house. Although it's a portable house, using ten houses as a betrothal gift for a Void Hunter? Does the Hoshimi family lack houses? If it were someone else, they'd probably kick you out.
...
The next day.
Ryuga took Yixuan, along with the siblings Belle and Wise, and flew toward the Hollow again. Under the guidance of Eos, controlled by Belle, they slew several waves of Ethereals. Finally, amidst the ruins, Yixuan stopped. Her gaze was fixed on a road sign.
"It's here." Yixuan nodded vigorously. She remembered this sign; her sister had blocked the Ethereals on this very street.
"Then, let's begin."
Ryuga pulled Yixuan back to a distance, and "Time Interaction" was unleashed again. Under the rotating light and shadow runes, the scales of time began to rewind rapidly, like an hourglass flipping, quickly going back 11 years to the night the Old Capital fell.
"It's about to start."
Looking at the continuously expanding Hollow before her, Yixuan's pupils trembled violently, and her shoulders shook uncontrollably. Her sister would die here.
Ryuga pulled her into his arms. Her plump, warm, and elastic body pressed tightly against him, sending ripples of tenderness through his heart. But he quickly gathered his thoughts and suppressed his distractions; now was not the time for such things.
"Don't be afraid, I'm here." Ryuga patted Yixuan's back and comforted her in a low voice.
"Yes." Yixuan gradually relaxed her tense body, turned to look toward Yunkui Summit, and a layer of thought surfaced in her eyes.
"At this time, I'm on my way here. Let's go in first; she can't see me."
"Let's go."
Ryuga didn't hesitate. His arm went under Yixuan's knees, he picked her up in a princess carry, and leaped into the Hollow.
Inside the Hollow, fire soared to the sky, and wails were everywhere. Blood flowed like a river on the streets, with severed limbs scattered about. Yi Jiang, in a black robe already stained with blood, was behind the last group of Yunkui Summit disciples, desperately covering the civilians' evacuation.
In the distance, Ethereals hissed and surged like a tide. Every time the sword light flashed, several Ethereals were cut in two and vanished into ash. But there were too many enemies. Yunkui Summit disciples fell one by one, their blood soaking the earth. Yi Jiang always stood at the very front, one person and one sword, standing like a solitary peak, stubbornly blocking the entire Ethereal army.
Clang clang clang—
The sword light was like me, cutting through all the "beef offal"!
Until the last Yunkui Summit disciple fell. Yi Jiang looked down, her gaze calm to the point of being cold. She was already without tears, without sorrow, without fear. Having lost all emotion, no pain could be seen in her cold eyes.
In front of her, a massive Ethereal with sharp claws rushed over. Behind her were the civilians still fleeing. She silently closed her eyes. When she opened them again, her right hand was already tightly gripping the hilt of the Qingming Sword.
The sword body trembled slightly, and ripples spread out, with cold energy waves diffusing layer by layer. She used the restriction. Yi Jiang slowly rose into the air, her robes fluttering, her hand forming a sword seal as she controlled the sword in mid-air.
The Qingming Sword hummed and vibrated, and the intertwined black and white Yin-Yang energy erupted, turning into a hemispherical curtain of light that crashed outward! It tore through and annihilated the Ethereals like dry weeds.
And Yi Jiang, fully activating the Qingming Sword, gradually saw crystalline Ether crystals appear on her face.
"Sister!" Yixuan clenched her fists, her nails sinking deep into her palms, blood dripping from between her fingers, yet she was completely unaware. She wanted to rush up and save her sister. But she couldn't. Her silver teeth were clenched tight, and tears swirled in her eyes. She couldn't ruin Ryuga's plan.
Just then—
"Sister!"
A heart-wrenching, shrill cry pierced the dark night. Yixuan's whole body shook; that was the other "her," the Yixuan from the time the Old Capital fell. She turned to look. "Yixuan" was sprinting from a distance, but the wind pressure from the eruption of the Yin-Yang energy ball was like a thousand-pound mountain, pressing her almost to the ground. But she still gritted her teeth, stumbling step by step, reaching out toward her sister.
And Yi Jiang, at the final moment, finally looked back once. In that glance, the past warmth, concern, and love had all vanished, leaving only a deathly silence. She slowly opened her mouth and spoke her final words.
"Stranger, please tell my sister."
"Her sister... is not selfless. If... I don't completely end this disaster tonight..."
"My Yixuan will shatter along with New Eridu... I do this not for all living beings... but only for her... for my Yixuan to live on well."
Boom!
Yixuan's shoulders shook violently. So these were her sister's final words? Hot tears rolled down. At this moment, she finally understood her sister, and the knot in her heart was untied.
And then, the terrifying energy ball condensed by the Qingming Sword suddenly swelled, swallowing toward Yi Jiang, about to consume her completely.
Yixuan's heart was in her throat: "Ry—"
"GO!"
A cold light flashed in Ryuga's eyes. His toes lightly touched the ground, and his figure was like a swift shadow, instantly crossing the turbulent flow of time and space. At the moment Yi Jiang was about to be completely swallowed by the Yin-Yang ball, he reached out, grabbed her waist, and pulled her out of the light ball!
At the same time, Ryuga slammed his palm against Yi Jiang's chest, and the Genesis Flame surged in! The flame spread from her heart, like a rushing river, quickly spreading to her four limbs and hundreds of bones, burning and purifying the Ether energy eroding her body.
"Damn it, you thief, give me her body!" Suddenly, a roar erupted from the side.
Ryuga turned to look. A freak with a cockscomb on his head, tumors all over his body, and feet like crimson claws rushed over with a sword. His face was as hideous as a ghost's tooth. Ryuga's brow furrowed slightly; he felt this monster looked familiar, but he couldn't remember where he had seen it for a moment.
But it didn't matter. He backhanded a burst of Shadow Flame. The black-purple flame pounced like a demonic dragon, instantly piercing the freak's chest.
"No—" The fire dragon crazily devoured the freak's soul, turning it completely to ash.
"Let's go!"
Ryuga didn't stay any longer. His left arm tightly held the unconscious Yi Jiang, and his right arm pulled the dazed Yixuan, his figure like lightning as he sped away.
As they left, Yixuan looked back. The "self" of this time-space was still kneeling before the Qingming Sword, tears falling like rain, completely unaware that her sister had been rescued at the final moment.
To be continued…