"Yes, yes, you're a great philanthropist. You deliberately left them for me," Xiao agreed helplessly.
There was so much to criticize that he couldn't even be bothered anymore.
"Let's see who kills more tonight!"
"What would be the point?" Xiao had no desire to play such a childish game with him.
"How about this? Let's make a bet. Whoever kills more gets to make one request that the loser can't refuse."
"Can't refuse?"
"That's right."
"Anything at all?" Xiao seemed interested.
"Not necessarily. Nothing too outrageous. Eating boogers, for example, is off-limits."
"Eating boogers... I imagine only you would think of that."
"Are you in or not? Are you in?" Xiu Yuan asked eagerly.
"Fine, fine. I'll play one round with you." Xiao accepted his proposal.
It wasn't surprising that Xiao accepted.
After all.
Xiu Yuan had just called him short.
But if he could make a request that couldn't be refused, perhaps he could get his revenge!
Although he hated to admit it, trying to overpower Xiu Yuan would certainly get him nowhere.
Their strength was indeed close, perhaps even virtually identical.
But when it came to slaying evil spirits, he was an old hand. Naturally, he wouldn't lose to this fellow.
Thus, in Xiao's eyes, this proposal was nothing short of Xiu Yuan bringing trouble upon himself.
"We'll meet here when the sun rises. No lying about your count. Whoever cheats will go bald, piss in two streams, and suffer from kidney deficiency."
"Adepti never lie," Xiao said.
"All right, then. Let's start!"
As he spoke, Xiu Yuan hurled his spear toward the evil spirits he had sensed.
Then he vanished from where he stood.
Shortly after Xiu Yuan left, Xiao slowly took out his yaksha mask.
Gazing at the ferocious mask, he dimly recalled his four companions from long ago.
Once...
They seemed to have played a similar game, too.
He vaguely remembered.
He had even taken first place...
It's all in the past.
Yes, all in the past...
With that thought, he slowly put on the mask, covering his handsome, delicate features.
Sensing evil spirits, he too charged toward his targets.
As time passed.
A ray of dawn appeared in the pitch-black sky.
They returned to the meeting place right on time.
"How many did you kill?" Xiu Yuan asked first.
"You first. Adepti don't lie, but a fellow like you certainly would."
Xiao was clearly much more cheerful than before, though only when he was alone with Xiu Yuan.
Xiu Yuan's immediate response was, "???"
"Why would I definitely lie????"
"Damn it, is that the kind of person I am to you!?"
Xiu Yuan demanded, utterly baffled.
"Yes." Xiao nodded without hesitation.
"You don't trust me?" Xiu Yuan asked, looking heartbroken.
"No." Xiao answered swiftly, without the slightest hesitation.
"I'm so hurt..."
"Just tell me."
"Fine. I killed sixty-eight." Xiu Yuan's expression changed at lightning speed.
A moment ago, he had looked ready to cry. Now his face was brimming with smug satisfaction.
"Tch..." Xiao looked displeased.
He truly hadn't expected Xiu Yuan to kill more than him.
"Oho! Well, well. The mighty Guardian Yaksha, the Conqueror of Demons... why..."
"You're not all that impressive, huh? Hahahahahahaha!!!!!"
Xiu Yuan immediately burst into thunderous, mocking laughter.
Perhaps because his laughter was so utterly unrestrained, Xiao's face turned as dark as coal, yet Xiu Yuan still couldn't stop cackling.
"Laugh again and I'll slaughter you!" Xiao snapped furiously.
Xiu Yuan froze at those words.
He immediately put on a serious expression.
He simply stared blankly at Xiao.
In the end, Xiu Yuan couldn't hold it in. A snort escaped him, and he burst out laughing.
"Hahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!"
"No, no! I can't hold it in!"
He was even louder than before.
Veins bulged on Xiao's forehead. He had finally reached the end of his patience, and he drew his spear and thrust it straight at Xiu Yuan.
In an instant, a cold, gleaming tip rested against Xiu Yuan's neck.
Unable to block it in time, Xiu Yuan hurriedly raised both hands in surrender.
"Don't..."
"I was just... fooling around..."
Xiu Yuan spoke with his mouth twitching as he looked at the murderous Xiao.
"Laugh again and I won't hold back!"
"Okay, okay, okay. No more laughing." Xiu Yuan nodded frantically.
"Spit it out. Your request." Xiao angrily put away his spear.
"Well..."
Now Xiu Yuan was stumped.
He rested his chin on his hand and thought seriously.
But no matter how much he thought, he couldn't decide what to do. In the end, he simply spread his hands. "I haven't decided yet. I'll tell you when I have. You can owe me for now."
After lowering his head and considering it briefly, Xiao agreed.
"Then let's go to Wangshu Inn for Almond Tofu," Xiu Yuan suggested.
"Only I get to eat. You don't," Xiao said.
"Why!?"
"You ate ten bowls yesterday and charged them all to me. You don't get any more."
"Come on??? I've been fighting hard all night. I'll die if I don't eat something."
"Then die," Xiao said coldly.
Then Xiao headed toward Wangshu Inn in Liyue.
Xiu Yuan followed beside him, constantly trying to sweet-talk him.
"You could use your request to make me buy it for you," Xiao said.
"No way. I'm not wasting it on something so trivial. Not a chance!"
"Then go hungry."
"Don't! I'll starve to death. Going hungry is the worst thing for mortals. We'll starve if we miss even one meal. You Adepti should eat less, but mortals can't go without food."
"Nonsense."
"It's true! We have a saying: you need a full stomach to have the strength to work. If you don't let me eat my fill, I won't have the strength to kill evil spirits tonight. I might even get killed by them."
"Then let them kill you."
"You can't be so heartless! We've known each other for three whole days, after all. Three days! Do you know what that means in a mortal's lifespan? It means we've got three fewer days left to live!"
"Oh."
And so Xiu Yuan pestered Xiao all the way to Wangshu Inn.
But Xiao barely acknowledged him.
He had completely returned to his usual cold demeanor.
The sight drew particular attention from the people at Wangshu Inn.
After all...
Not just anyone dared speak to Xiao like that.
Three chapters today, as always! I hope you all enjoy reading. If you have some spare cash, you can send a little gift; if not, you can watch a video to send a free one. Thank you, everyone!
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