"All Millelith, charge with me! Fight for Adeptus Xiao!"
"Everyone who isn't afraid to die, come with me!"
"Fight to protect the Conqueror of Demons!"
Just as Xiao was about to empty his mind, letting karmic debt completely consume his soul and reduce him to a slaughtering puppet that targeted evil beings...
He heard thunderous roars and battle cries coming from Liyue Harbor behind him.
What happened?
His heart jolted, and he drew back a little of his awareness.
He desperately wanted to look back and see what had happened, but he could not. He no longer had the strength to turn his head.
"Charge!"
"Kill those damned monsters! Protect Adeptus Xiao!"
The battle cries behind him drew closer and closer. Countless hurried footsteps approached from afar, like ten thousand horses charging, making the very ground tremble.
"Great Sage, are you all right?"
A burly man dressed in plain cloth ran ahead of everyone else.
He reached Xiao first, carefully lifted him up, and carried him to the city gate, settling him against a stone pillar.
"No... don't touch me. I'll bring you misfortune..."
Xiao spoke weakly.
"You must be joking!"
That burly man was merely one among the countless ordinary people of Liyue.
He grinned boldly. "You're no omen of misfortune. You're the great hero who has protected Liyue for thousands of years!"
With that, he charged at the evil beings with a woodcutting blade in his hand, never looking back.
"Fight to protect Adeptus Xiao!!"
The battle cries shook the heavens.
Behind the man, ranks of Millelith surged across the bridge, heading straight for the evil beings.
Behind the Millelith, crowds of civilians were also charging toward them.
At the sight of this...
Xiao's pupils trembled, and so did his heart.
He did not know, nor could he