There Really Is Everything in That Magic Pocket

"Xingsu, be careful! Those Fatui are a bunch of bad guys..."

Paimon reached out to call out to Xingsu, warning him not to approach the Fatui in front, but Xingsu completely ignored the warning coming from behind.

Facing the group of Fatui soldiers of the Fools, Xingsu slowly walked up to them, took out an exquisite token from his pocket, and held it high above his head.

"I am Xingsu, one of the current heads of the House of the Hearth. Seeing this token is like seeing Harbinger ' The Knave ' Arlecchino herself."

His voice was steady and powerful, carrying an undeniable authority, echoing through the empty and dark mine tunnel.

"Ninth Company, all personnel, listen up! Lift alert and rest in place. We... are preparing to go home!"

The moment the words left his mouth, all the Fatui soldiers on the opposite side froze in place.

A deathly silence filled the entire venue.

These soldiers, trapped the Chasm for months, had long since lost all their spirit due to the endless darkness and hunger. Covered in dust and grime, their cracked lips could no longer utter complete words, and their eyes were bloodshot with exhaustion. The prolonged ordeal had left them mentally dazed, and they had long since given up hope of receiving reinforcements.

For countless days and nights before, they had survived on meager scraps of food, barely clinging to life in the gloomy mine tunnels, where even a rat became a delicious meal. They had long since resigned themselves to being completely abandoned and buried in this deep underground abyss.

"Everyone... lift the alert, lay down your weapons, and rest where you are!" Anton, the leader, gave the order with a trembling voice.

They made it through.

Someone really did come to take them home.

A sorceress named Lei Ying pushed aside the soldiers in front of her and slowly stepped out of the ranks. Her hair was disheveled, and her weary eyes were fixed on Xingsu, who held up the token. Her voice trembled with a sob:

"You... you are Lord Xingsu?"

"Yes, it's me. You must be Katarina."

Katarina was startled, her eyes wide with shock. "You know my name?"

"Of course I know." Xingsu gazed at her quietly and spoke slowly, "I also know that you were adopted by Crucabena when the House of the Hearth was still in charge, and later joined the Rooster's ranks as a Thunderfire Sorcerer. Your Nikolay also came with you; I heard you two were very close, and he received your care since he was a child."

Katarina's lips trembled slightly as she listened intently.

"After Arlecchino took over the House of the Hearth, you were stationed outside and rarely sent messages home. If Nikolay hadn't insisted on communicating with his sister who was still at the House of the Hearth, we would have had no idea that you and your group were trapped in the Chasm."

I can tell you with absolute certainty that the Rooster is using you as sacrifices, Liyue doesn't care whether you live or die, but I dare to intervene. The House of the Hearth will never abandon any child.

Katarina bowed deeply to Xingsu: "Thank you, Lord Xingsu."

The group set up a makeshift camp in a relatively open area of the mine tunnel. Xingsu took out the supplies he had borrowed from the Treasure Hoarders's camp and began preparing food.

Anton and his group had no choice but to wait and let Xingsu work alone, so they immediately ordered that all the remaining supplies of the company be collected.

The sorceress Katarina, holding a jar, stepped forward. "Company Commander, I have some... um, sour cream that's completely sour. Luckily, this cake only got a little moldy."

"..."

Musketeer Timur immediately raised his hand. "Company Commander! I have some leftover meat from yesterday... from small animals."

"..."

Radomir, the Water Gunner, raised his wine flask high and shouted excitedly, "Haha! I was saving this kerosene for when I set off! Hahaha! My lord is here! I'm not dead!"

"..."

Danila, a guerrilla fighter, held up a few sprouted potatoes and presented them to Anton: "I have some potatoes here! They've sprouted, but they'll still be edible..."

"... Who are you trying to poison?! Sigh... excuse me, um... Xingsu, we..."

"Alright, alright, you can all rest over there. Report back to me after you've eaten and regained your strength, and then we'll leave together." Xingsu waved his hand, signaling Anton to lead the soldiers to a distance to rest.

"Yes!"

Xingsu took out a flint and tinder from his magic pocket and started a campfire. The warm firelight illuminated his clear eyes and brows. He turned to look at Ying and Paimon.

The two were still somewhat bewildered by what had just happened and didn't know how to face Xingsu.

Xingsu waved his hand, gesturing for the two to sit down in front of him.

"Alright, I know you have a lot of questions, and you can ask them now. I will answer them to the best of my ability."

Xingsu took out a flint and tinder from his magic pocket and started a fire, then gestured for the Traveler and Paimon to sit in front of him.

"You... you really are Fatui?" Paimon asked the question that concerned him most.

"Strictly speaking, I'm not a formal Fatui. I'm just the head of the House of the Hearth, and I have some connection with the Fatui' Harbinger." Xingsu took out some more firewood from his magic pouch and added it to the flickering campfire in front of him.

"Then all those children you mentioned before, orphans and all that, were lies to us!"

"No, everything I told you is the truth. I was indeed an orphan of the House of the Hearth from a young age, but back then, the House of the Hearth... was far less united and warm than it is now. I won't go into the details, but everything I told you before was absolutely true."

Xingsu took a large iron pot out of his magic pocket and placed it on the fire.

"Then, can you still keep your million...?"

"Of course, this is the agreed-upon fee. If you feel it's not enough, I can add another million. I'm never stingy when it comes to family and friends."

Before the words were even finished, a case of drinking water, a salt shaker, black pepper, fresh meat, various vegetables, and spices were pulled out of the magic bag and spread all over the floor.

"Who said we're friends... Besides, where did you even get these things from?!" Paimon's eyes widened.

"A little magic trick, learned from the children at the House of the Hearth. Pretty amazing, right?"

"Forehead..."

"I apologize for what I concealed before. These Fatui came to the Chasm to fight against the monsters of the abyss and protect the peace of the people of Liyue. They are heroes of Liyue, and heroes of Snezhnaya. They should have been etched on a monument, but due to infighting among the higher-ups, they were abandoned in this underground place, forgotten by all."

After saying that, he reached into his magic pocket again, his brow furrowing slightly. "Wait a minute, it seems the milk is gone."

Xingsu simply laid the magic bag out on the ground, reached inside with both hands, and pulled it out with great effort—a cow was slowly pulled out.

Moo~

Ying, Paimon: "???"

Xingsu squeezed out a cup of warm milk and pushed it in front of the two of them. "Try it, it's freshly squeezed."

"Hey! This is outrageous!" Paimon floated back a bit, his voice rising in shock.