"What is there to know about a sinner's past?"
Xiao spoke with utter indifference as he ate the Almond Tofu in his bowl.
"I'm just curious. You guys live for thousands of years, after all."
Xiu Yuan scooped up a spoonful of Almond Tofu as well.
After his relentless pestering, Xiao had finally gotten Xiu Yuan a bowl of Almond Tofu.
Mostly because he kept yammering away beside him, which could easily draw other people's attention.
So Xiao had no choice but to give him some.
On the surface, Xiu Yuan was begging Xiao for Almond Tofu, but in reality, Xiao was the one being quietly manipulated.
After all, Xiu Yuan had a thick skin. He didn't care what anyone thought of him.
But Xiao couldn't do that. He couldn't let anyone find out this was what he was really like.
"Thousands of years are still no more than the blink of an eye."
"With our mortal lifespans, we probably can't even make the tiniest splash in your river of time, can we?"
Xiu Yuan gazed at his now-empty bowl of Almond Tofu with a faint smile, speaking softly without turning his head.
Xiao paused for a moment at those words, then scooped up a spoonful of Almond Tofu.
"That depends on what you do. Some small things are worth remembering for a lifetime. Some people will never be forgotten, even if you only spend a little time together."
With that, he put the tofu in his mouth and slowly savored it.
The moment he set down his bowl, something suddenly stirred within him, and his eyes turned sharp and serious.
"Someone is calling me."
In an instant, he rushed out of Wangshu Inn and charged toward the direction he sensed.
Xiu Yuan frowned at the unfinished Almond Tofu, then followed without the slightest hesitation.
"Someone actually called you? That's rare."
"I am an Adeptus," Xiao said rather haughtily.
"True that."
After sprinting all the way, the two soon reached the forest.
They moved as swiftly as the wind, sweeping through like a howling hurricane.
Before long, they arrived at the location Xiao had sensed.
"The Treasure Hoarders?" Xiu Yuan asked dubiously.
"So they were the ones calling me..."
Xiao hadn't expected members of the Treasure Hoarders to be the ones calling him.
Thinking about it, it was rather ironic.
Few ordinary people were willing to call his name, yet the Treasure Hoarders would seek him out.
Still.
Since someone had called him, he couldn't refuse to act, even if the Treasure Hoarders were hardly decent people.
Xiao put on his yaksha mask and charged straight in, spear in hand.
This time, the Treasure Hoarders had run into a Blazing Axe Hilichurl Brute, along with Rock Shield and Wooden Shield Hilichurl Brutes, as well as quite a few Hilichurls.
There were more than twenty of them altogether.
No wonder the Treasure Hoarders had called Xiao's name. They were naturally no match for such a powerful force.
At the sight of Xiao, every Treasure Hoarder was stunned.
They hadn't expected an Adeptus to actually appear!
When Xiu Yuan appeared as well, they were completely dumbfounded.
What...
Why was there another Adeptus?
And wasn't the difference in their heights a bit much?!
They looked like a damn father bringing his son along to play a game.
Both wielded spears, and in mere moments, they slaughtered the entire horde of Hilichurls.
"S-so powerful...!"
"Holy shit... isn't that way too fucking strong?!"
"Is this what an Adeptus can do...? That's terrifying!"
"Which one of them is Xiao, the Conqueror of Demons?"
"It should be the one wearing the yaksha mask, right? But who's the other one? How is he so strong too?!"
"Could he be an Adeptus as well?"
The Treasure Hoarders could only stare in a daze.
They had never imagined that the Hilichurls threatening their lives would be completely wiped out by these two in under five minutes.
Such terrifying strength left them utterly shocked.
Just then, Xiao turned his head slightly to look at the Treasure Hoarders.
At that moment, every Treasure Hoarder reacted as though facing a deadly enemy. Their pupils constricted, and they backed away in fright, their eyes filled with boundless terror.
"Tch!" Seeing this, Xiu Yuan knitted his brows, his face darkening.
Xiao was just about to leave when Xiu Yuan grabbed him and said in a low voice, "Wait."
Then, spear in hand and displeasure written across his face, he walked toward the Treasure Hoarders.
They continued to stare fearfully at Xiu Yuan as he drew closer, seemingly terrified of what he might do.
Their frightened gazes only made Xiu Yuan angrier, and he drove his spear straight into the soil in front of them.
At that, they huddled together in terror.
"What the hell are you scared of? Huh? What are you scared of?"
"Scared we'll eat you?! You fucking bastards!"
Fuming, Xiu Yuan reached out with his large hand and grabbed the man who looked like the Treasure Hoarders' leader.
Xiu Yuan seized him by the ear and pointed at Xiao. "Take a good look. He's Xiao, the Conqueror of Demons. You're the ones who called him here."
"He rushed over to save you before he'd even finished his meal, and this is how you fucking look at him?"
"Are you scared? Huh? What are you scared of? Your own savior?"
"You bastard! Look me in the eye!"
Xiu Yuan gripped his head and roared furiously, leaving the Treasure Hoarder leader scared witless.
Faced with Xiu Yuan's fierce, wolf-like gaze, he was so frightened that tears nearly spilled from his eyes.
"Tell me, are you afraid of him?!" Xiu Yuan demanded in a low voice.
The leader didn't dare speak. He stared at Xiu Yuan, trembling all over.
"Speak!"
Xiu Yuan's roar made the man shudder from head to toe, and he shook his head with tears streaming down his face.
"You're not afraid? Then get over there and thank him!"
With that, Xiu Yuan shoved him toward Xiao.
Seeing this, his underlings scrambled after him in a panic.
They hurriedly dropped to their knees before Xiao.
"Thank you for saving us, Adeptus Xiao..."
"We were fools. We deserve to die. We shouldn't have been afraid of you..."
"You came all this way to save us. We shouldn't have looked at you like that..."
"We're sorry. Please forgive us..."
They kowtowed as they begged forgiveness.
Xiao stood there, completely stunned.
He didn't know what to say or what to do. He simply stood rooted to the spot.
"All right, get lost, all of you. Not one of you has even basic manners."
Only then did the Treasure Hoarders flee in a blind panic.
Even after they were gone, Xiu Yuan was still seething.
"Tch. What kind of trash did we just save...?" he said irritably.
Xiu Yuan finally understood how Xiao usually felt.
The moment he heard someone calling, he rushed over without even eating the last bite of his beloved Almond Tofu.
After saving them, not only did he receive nothing in return, they even looked at him with fear.
Damn it, the more Xiu Yuan thought about it, the angrier he became. He wanted to drag those worthless bastards back and beat them up again.
"It's fine. I'm used to it," Xiao said with a bitter smile as he removed his mask.
"Used to it, my ass. I'm telling you, this isn't something you should get used to. What kind of bastards are they? So saving people is somehow wrong now? Isn't that fucking infuriating?!"
Xiu Yuan paced back and forth, his tone full of irritation.
Before you continue