Xiao gazed at Yunqin, who was curled up on the ground. The girl hugged her knees tightly to her chest, her back pressed against the cold earthen wall, like a butterfly drenched in a torrential downpour, too afraid to even spread its wings.
The Guardian Yaksha's aura, which usually radiated from him, instantly vanished without a trace. He even retracted the Primordial Jade Winged-Spear into his Vision, fearing that the cold, hard spear would only terrify the already fragile girl further.
The Yaksha, who had always been accustomed to going his own way, felt a rare sense of helplessness.
He slowed his pace, each step as light as snow falling on withered leaves, his voice softer than the night wind of Guili Plains: "It's not true. I saw you fight with all your might to resist the Abyss just now. You're just too exhausted, not out of control."
Yunqin buried her face in her arms, her gaze fixed through the gaps on the mud stains on the ground. They were the dust kicked up by the blast of Abyssal aura just now, now clinging to the hem of her skirt like an indelible stain.
Her heart felt as if it were being squeezed by a cold hand, and even breathing brought a sharp pain. The scenes of being controlled by the Abyss replayed endlessly in her mind, every detail terrifyingly clear.
"...I actually said Rex Lapis was a God of the past..."
She repeated the words in despair, her fingertips digging deep into her palms, yet she felt no pain.
Rex Lapis, the one she had revered since childhood, the symbol she had carved countless statues of, the one she wanted to devote her entire strength to protect.
Last year's Lantern Rite, she had stayed up all night to carve a half-human-sized statue of Rex Lapis, and Mr. Zhongli had even praised her, saying she had "captured the Geo Archon's composure."
But now, she had uttered such blasphemous words, like a knife, personally severing the bond between herself and her faith.
"...And I even said Ningguang was a snob..."
At this thought, Yunqin's shoulders trembled even more violently.
She remembered when she went to the Jade Chamber to deliver the statue to KeQing, Ningguang not only patiently guided her on her techniques, but also said with a smile, "Once your skills improve further, I'll leave the Jade Chamber's ornaments to you to carve."
But when the Abyss controlled her, she felt that Ningguang was only interested in power, and that there were schemes hidden beneath those gilded tiles.
Those clearly weren't her thoughts; the Abyss had stuffed that malice into her mind.
But the moment the words left her lips, even if she hadn't been speaking to Ningguang, she knew she could no longer face her with her usual openness.
What broke her most was the moment she had aimed her weapon at Rex Lapis.
She recalled Mr. Zhongli's grave expression then.
He was the person she most respected, the cornerstone of Liyue, yet she had almost attacked him.
"Am I terrible?"
She asked herself again, her tears falling like a broken string of pearls, striking the earth and spreading into small, damp stains.
She felt like a piece of cloth stained black by the Abyss, one that could never be washed back to its original whiteness.
She used to say, "The Geo element is the power of protection," but now she couldn't even protect herself, and she had nearly harmed the very person she most wanted to protect.
"Am I no longer the same Yunqin?" The thought coiled around her heart like vines, choking the breath out of her.
She didn't even dare to think...
When she returned to Liyue, would everyone look at her with strange eyes?
Would they never play with her again?
The Hydro element shimmered with a faint blue light around her, yet it couldn't dispel the chill in her heart.
She felt like a monster, half the Yunqin from Liyue, half a puppet controlled by the Abyss.
And that dividing line was being slowly devoured by fear.
Xiao crouched down beside her, keeping a distance of three steps.
This was the safest range he could think of, one that would not make her nervous yet would allow her to hear his words clearly.
His fingertips gently touched Yunqin's sleeve, which was glowing with the faint light of the Hydro Element, and the gentle yet firm power transmitted through the fabric caused Yunqin's tense nerves to relax slightly.
"When you were resisting the Abyss just now, I could see your will. Those words were not spoken by you; the Abyss shoved its malice into your throat."
Xiao paused, his brow furrowing slightly.
Comforting words were harder for him than slaying monsters.
He tried to recall the words of the common people comforting their children that he had heard outside Wangshu Inn and clumsily organized his language: "Rex Lapis will not blame you."
"Do you remember? Before last year's Lantern Rite, you stayed up three days and three nights to carve a small statue of Rex Lapis, and your fingers were covered in small cuts from the rock chips."
"That is the real you, the you that the Abyss cannot steal nor change."
Yunqin's sobs gradually subsided, yet she still couldn't help but whimper, tears streaming down her cheeks and dripping onto the back of her mud-stained hand: "But I'm still afraid..."
"These past few days, the Abyss has been constantly speaking in my head. It said everything about Liyue is fake, that Rex Lapis's care over the years is fake... I almost believed it. I almost..."
"There is no 'almost'." Xiao suddenly interrupted her, his tone carrying an unquestionable firmness, yet he deliberately softened the end of his sentence so she wouldn't feel accused. "In the end, you still drove out the Abyssal aura, didn't you?"
"That is enough!"
"No one can be completely without fear forever. I've been tormented by Karmic Debt for centuries, and there were times when I wanted to give up."
He raised his hand, hesitating for a moment before gently resting it on Yunqin's shoulder.
His movements were somewhat stiff, and his fingertips were even slightly cold from nervousness, yet he was exceptionally careful, as if touching a fragile treasure.
The warmth of his palm transmitted through her sleeve, like a faint yet steady light, dispelling some of Yunqin's chill: "But every time I saw the lights of Liyue, I felt I couldn't admit defeat."
"You are the same right now. Those lights are still waiting for you to return."
Yunqin looked up, her eyes misty with tears as she gazed at Xiao.
His pupils held none of the Guardian Yaksha's ferocity, only sincere comfort, gentle yet powerful.
She sniffled, her voice calmer than before: "Can I... can I really go back?"
"I'm afraid everyone will no longer recognize me because I was controlled by the Abyss, I..."
"They won't," Xiao's reply was short yet forceful.
He raised his hand and pointed into the distance; there, the lights of Liyue Harbor could be faintly seen, like scattered diamonds in the night.
"I will also help you, whether in Jueyun Karst or the Guili Plains. As long as you call my name, I will appear immediately."
"You are not alone," Xiao said, adding another sentence as he watched Yunqin's shoulders gradually relax.
His tone was still awkward, yet more sincere than any flowery words.
Looking at Xiao's earnest expression, Yunqin finally couldn't help but reveal a faint smile, but tears fell once more.
This time, it was not out of fear, but out of relief.
She nodded gently, burying her face back into the crook of her knees.
This time she was no longer tense like before, her body gradually relaxing, and even the Hydro Element surrounding her became gentle.
Xiao remained half-crouched by her side, keeping her company in silence.
He would occasionally raise his hand to pat her shoulder, his movements slowly becoming more natural from their initial stiffness, as if silently telling her: Don't be afraid, I am here.
The night in the Guili Plains remained deep and heavy, but the dark clouds gradually dispersed, and moonlight filtered through the clouds to fall upon them, carrying a faint warmth that quietly dispelled some of the lingering chill of the Abyss.