Concern

To avoid causing a panic, only a few people had been told about Lin Yi's disappearance.

After Xiangling caught up with the caravan and delivered the news, however, she had cried her eyes out, terrified for Lin Yi's safety.

When she saw the adeptus Xiao appear with Lin Yi,

her tears burst forth like floodwaters.

Only after Keqing held her in her arms and gently comforted her did she finally stop crying.

Once the wind carrying him aloft dissipated, Lin Yi landed on the ground.

The caravan members thought Lord Lin Yi had completed his breakthrough and came forward to congratulate him.

Seeing their smiles, Lin Yi, who had not actually made a breakthrough, could not bear to dampen their spirits. He simply responded with a few agreeable words.

Lin Yi said little, but he noticed how uncomfortable Xiao was with the atmosphere. While no one was paying attention, Xiao gradually backed away, preparing to leave.

"My lord, the cave is quite a distance from here. Even with your breakthrough, how did you get back so quickly?"

"Haha, that was all thanks to Liyue's very own Conqueror of Demons, Adeptus Xiao! Without him, I couldn't have returned so quickly!"

Lin Yi spoke loudly, deliberately making sure the departing Xiao heard him clearly.

"Adeptus Xiao really is amazing. They say he's always secretly protecting Liyue from harm. He's a good adeptus who watches over us!"

"Exactly! My younger brother once received Adeptus Xiao's help and narrowly escaped death. It's just a shame he never got to see his heroic face."

Though Xiao bore countless layers of karmic debt that could bring disaster upon others,

one thing remained undeniable: the people of Liyue had never forgotten his sacrifices. They remembered them and were grateful.

"Oh, right! Wasn't that Adeptus Xiao who brought Lord Lin Yi back just now? We were so busy congratulating him. Did anyone get a good look at the adeptus?"

"No."

"I didn't see him either."

Because of the Blue Oni Fanged Mask's effect, ordinary people found it difficult to focus their attention on Xiao.

This also served to protect them, preventing his karmic debt from spreading to them and causing harm.

The price was that most people in Liyue knew only his name, not his face.

Now that Lin Yi had called attention to him, the people of Liyue openly expressed their gratitude toward the Conqueror of Demons.

Although Xiao had vanished, Lin Yi knew he could not have gone far. He could still see and hear their gratitude.

"Someone has always remembered everything you've done. You're not alone, either."

A teal figure swept through the depths of the clouds. As he listened to the gratitude from below, his expression remained calm, but a flicker of tenderness passed through his deep eyes.

He was uncomfortable with crowds and bustle. Following the caravan from the shadows and protecting Lin Yi was enough.

"All right, all right, let's get moving. Stop standing around flattering Xiao. He has Liyue to protect and no time to waste on us."

At Lin Yi's urging, the caravan quickly set off.

He had barely returned to his carriage before the commotion resumed.

Without so much as asking, Keqing lifted the curtain and looked at Lin Yi with something almost resentful in her eyes.

"Do you have any idea how worried Xiangling was? You could at least have told someone before leaving. If anything had happened to you, do you think Xiangling could have borne that responsibility?"

Keqing was deeply displeased with Lin Yi. She did not care whether he was a god; she simply voiced her grievances.

Her rebuke left Lin Yi speechless. Knowing he was in the wrong, he could only plead for mercy.

"Okay, okay, okay. I'll go apologize to Xiangling!"

But before Lin Yi could get out of the carriage,

Xiangling came charging out of nowhere.

She threw herself into his arms, knocking him straight back into the carriage.

"Boohoo! Master Lin Yi, I'm so glad you're all right! You scared me to death! I thought the Hilichurls had ripped out your tendons and bones, braised or steamed you, then used whatever bones were left to build a watchtower!"

Looking at the girl in his arms, Lin Yi could not help smiling wryly.

"Can't you imagine something nicer happening to me, you silly girl...? Still, thank you. It's thanks to you that Xiao came to help."

Lin Yi gently rubbed Xiangling's head, gratitude welling up inside him.

"All right, your master promises not to do that again. Besides, we've got someone looking out for us now!"

At his words, Xiangling lifted her head from his arms in confusion.

"Who's looking out for us?"

Lin Yi pointed upward, and Xiangling and Keqing instinctively looked toward the carriage roof.

A distinctive trace of Anemo drifted around them.

Keqing and Xiangling could both sense it. It was Adeptus Xiao's presence.

"It's the Conqueror of Demons!"

The next few days passed peacefully. Lin Yi discovered that the benefits of his breakthrough were proportional to the strength he had built up beforehand.

It was like deliberately holding back his level to grind his stats. Once they reached a certain threshold, making a breakthrough would double the results.

A Hilichurl tribe had occupied the road ahead and even built two watchtowers-a fairly advanced setup.

The caravan had intended to take a detour, but when Lin Yi heard there was a Luxurious Chest in the camp,

his eyes lit up, and he took Xiangling and Keqing ahead to try their luck.

"One Hilichurl Shaman, two Hilichurl Archers on the watchtowers, and Hilichurl Clubbers patrolling."

"Enough, Keqing. Stop counting Hilichurls. Keep going and you'll put me straight to sleep."

Keqing pouted unhappily but said nothing.

Teasing Keqing always put Lin Yi in a good mood.

Just as he was about to tease her again, something suddenly occurred to him.

Liyue had a sword technique that struck from below, called the Hip-Tilted Sword Technique. He still had not seen Keqing use it. I'd love to see it!

Of course, he could not simply say that he wanted to see her sword technique.

Perhaps none of the opponents they had encountered had been strong enough for her to take seriously.

He had thought this Hilichurl tribe's lineup would be enough to demand their full attention.

Yet the Hip-Tilted Sword Technique he wanted to see still failed to appear.

Spear and sword worked in tandem. Xiangling and Keqing's fire-and-lightning Overload left the Hilichurls paralyzed and helpless, roasting them in the flames.

Lin Yi did not hold back either. He had recently made quite a few low-level Geo bullets.

He took aim and fired twice. Bang, bang!

The bullets were far more powerful than arrows. Before their opponents even had a chance to raise their shields, the shots shattered the joints of both watchtowers, sending them crashing down.

"Heh, even if you raise your shields, my bullets will punch right through them. And that's without an enhancing X-silencer attached."

Still, this Hilichurl tribe had clearly received decent training.

Protected in the center, the Hilichurl Shaman planted his staff in the ground and released lightning that counteracted and neutralized the Overload effect.

Freed from their paralysis, his companions raised their clubs and charged toward Lin Yi and the others.

"Be careful. Hilichurls were also shaped by Khaenri'ah's technology. Their levels and strength aren't to be underestimated."

"Don't worry. After being kidnapped once, I'm more cautious than anyone."

Lin Yi had barely finished speaking when something crept up behind him unnoticed.

Just as it was about to attack his exposed back,

another wind blade flew out of the forest some distance away.

It sliced the ambushing Slime clean in two.

"Master, you really are careless!"

Still worried about Lin Yi's cavalier attitude, Xiangling came over to guard him. She prodded the ambushing Slime with her Langya Spear to make sure it was dead.

"It's precisely because Adeptus Xiao is here that I can fight freely. Isn't that right, Adeptus Xiao?"

Xiao remained silent. He quietly appeared, deciding to lend a hand himself.