The House of the Hearth Will Never Abandon a Single Child!
(The names of characters in Chapter 111 and the family letter extra chapter have been modified.)
Snap!
Xingsu snapped his fingers crisply.
The cow instantly transformed into countless stars, drifting and dissipating into the dim air of the mine.
"A little bit of memory replay, plus a little bit of magic tricks I learned from the kids. I hope you enjoy the little program I prepared."
Paimon let out a long sigh of relief, "That scared me to death... I thought you really conjured up a cow."
Xingsu chuckled softly, the flickering firelight reflecting on his face.
"Hehe, this is magic, not real magic. I just want to tell you that hearing is unreliable, and seeing is not necessarily believing. I understand that most of the Fatui you encounter on your journey are playing the villains."
Therefore, I can completely understand your great hostility towards the Fatui, but among the Fatui, there are also warriors who pursue justice.
Xingsu raised his hand and pointed to a group of soldiers from the Ninth Company who were resting not far away.
"Look at these soldiers of the Ninth Company. Among them are homeless orphans and children Snezhnaya ordinary families."
"Regardless of the mayor's political motives, their arrival in Liyue was indeed to fight against the Abyss monsters."
"The Fatui are just an organization. The actions of the Fatui soldiers are somewhat related to the Harbinger themselves, and the Harbinger themselves are vastly different in personality and way of doing things."
For example, "Childe's" subordinates are all pure warriors; "La Signora's " subordinates are somewhat influenced by her own arrogant personality; "Pantalone's" subordinates act solely based on the benefits they can obtain; and "The Doctor's" subordinates... are a bunch of lunatics.
The Harbinger of the Fatui aren't all bad people. Take "La Signora" Rosalyne, for example, whom you encountered. She's always been arrogant and domineering. To be honest, I didn't like her style of doing things when I first met her either.
When she first came to the House of the Hearth, she was so arrogant and haughty that not only I but the children disliked her. But when she came again later, she learned to bring gifts and even brazenly declared: those who don't like me won't get any.
"Those gifts couldn't fool me, but the children loved them. To get the gifts, many children learned to play along. But you could tell she enjoyed being surrounded by a group of children; and the children were genuinely happy to receive the gifts."
"Later, after getting to know her better and learning about her story, I realized that perhaps her sharp arrogance and domineering nature were just a shell she used to protect herself and others."
The campfire crackled, its warm light flickering against the rock face. Ying sat quietly by the fire, her brow furrowed, lost in thought. Paimon also fell silent, hovering nearby, his expression complex.
"Hmm... alright, alright, you all don't seem to believe it either. I just hope you can let go of your prejudice against the Fatui."
Xingsu finished speaking, she caught a whiff of the warm, fragrant aroma wafting from the pot. Looking up at the iron pot on the campfire, she said, "After talking for so long, the soup is ready."
He took out bowls and chopsticks, ladled out two bowls of steaming soup, and handed them to Ying and Paimon.
"Try it, I'm quite confident in my cooking skills. If you ever have the chance to visit House of the Hearth, I'll definitely let you try their apple pie."
Paimon snatched the soup bowl, blew on the scalding hot soup a few times, and before it had cooled down, tilted his head back and drank the whole bowl in one gulp, smacking his lips in satisfaction.
Ying looked at the bowl handed to her, shook her head slightly, and glanced at the soldiers of the Ninth Company who were resting not far away. "Let's give the rest to those soldiers first."
Xingsu paused slightly in his movements, and after a moment, a relieved smile spread across his face.
Thank you.
He didn't say anything more, turned around, picked up more bowls and spoons, and began to ladle soup into the bowls.
The campfire crackled and burned, its warm golden light breaking through the perpetual chill of the earth and gently spreading across the open area of the mine tunnel. The rich, warm aroma of food drifted slowly on the wind, dispelling the dampness that had clung to everyone for days, and wafting towards the soldiers of the Ninth Company who were resting in the distance.
"Anton! Assemble the Ninth Company! Prepare for lunch!"
A clear command rang out.
The soldiers of the Fatui had been slumped over resting and were exhausted, all looked up at the sound.
These soldiers, trapped underground for months, had long since run out of moldy rations and were barely surviving on bland, cold scraps of food. Even a bowl of warm, filling soup had become a luxury.
The crowd quickly lined up, each person standing in an orderly queue, and awkwardly accepted the rough porcelain bowls filled with hot soup with both hands.
The moment someone's fingertips touched the warm bowl, their body trembled almost imperceptibly.
They held their bowls low, sipping the hot soup slowly. The scalding warmth slid down their throats into their empty stomachs, gradually spreading throughout their bodies and expelling the biting cold from the earth.
Some ate very slowly, savoring the long-lost warmth of the home-cooked meal, their eyes quietly reddening; others, whose backs had been tense for days, relaxed completely, swallowing silently with their heads down, their eyes suppressing a grimace of tears.
The once fearsome soldiers of the Fatui are now just a group of ordinary people who have endured hardship and are finally able to fill their stomachs.
Ying stood quietly by the campfire, taking in the entire scene, her expression growing increasingly complicated.
A bowl of warm soup was gently pushed in front of her.
Xingsu stood beside her. "Your share, although I did have selfish motives in this search and indirectly used you, thank you nonetheless for helping me find these family members who were stranded in dire straits."
"The agreed-upon one million Mora commission fee has been deposited into the Adventurers' Guild. You can collect it from Katheryne anytime. And..."
Xingsu slightly to the side and whispered in Ying's ear with a hint of slyness, "There's a sum of money hidden behind the counter at the Northland Bank. Not much, just two hundred thousand, but no one has registered it or guarded it. Consider it an extra thank you gift."
After saying that, he straightened up and winked playfully at Ying, who looked astonished.
At this moment, Katarina slowly walked to Xingsu's side. "Um... Lord Xingsu, I... I have a request."
Xingsu his head and saw through her thoughts at a glance:
"It's about your brother, isn't it?"
Her eyes instantly welled up with tears, and she nodded forcefully, her voice slightly choked with emotion:
"Yes! We encountered a large-scale abyssal monster attack while carrying out a clearing mission deep in the Chasm! Our retreat was blocked, and in the chaos of battle, he took the initiative to cover the rear, single-handedly drawing away the monster horde from the entire area and covering the team's safe retreat."
"After that... we never got in touch with him again."
She bit her lip, her tone almost obsessive, as if trying to convince herself, or perhaps pleading with fate:
"He was the bravest and most outstanding warrior; he absolutely could not have died there! Lord Xingsu... could you allow me to go back and investigate? I want to find him!"
Xingsu paused for two seconds, then replied, "Okay."
A glimmer of hope suddenly appeared in Katarina's eyes.
"But I need to prioritize the safety of all of you." Xingsu changed the subject, his gaze sweeping over the exhausted and wounded soldiers. "The terrain deep underground is complex and teeming with monsters. The situation is unclear, and it's not suitable for a large-scale advance."
"I will leave you with sufficient supplies and medicine. You all stay here and rest, and remain on standby. I will investigate the deeper areas alone."
"Xingsu Su, it's too dangerous for you to go in alone!" Katarin stepped forward, her face full of unease.
Xingsu gently raised her hand, silencing her worry. "It's alright. I told you, the House of the Hearth will never abandon any child."
"I'll go with you." Ying gripped her Dull Blade tightly and walked to Xingsu's side.
Xingsu was slightly taken aback and turned to look at her.
A gentle smile slowly spread across his lips, "Have you thought this through? This trip isn't within the scope of the commission, so I won't be paying you a commission fee."
Ying gently shook her head. "No need. I just want to help a little girl who lost her family."
"Okay." Xingsu looked at Ying and smiled gently.