The Five Yaksha Assemble!

"Ahem. Anyway, Xiao, consider this your big brother asking you a favor. Could you leave Ronova alone?"

For Ronova's sake, Mo Fan swallowed his pride and pleaded with Xiao.

Hearing his words, Xiao, the Golden-winged Peng Yaksha, immediately nodded.

"Of course. If she's someone you brought here, Big Brother Asura, it doesn't matter if she simply has a lot of Karmic Debt around her. Even if her true identity were that of an ancient, powerful god, it would be fine."

"Uh, it might be a little more exciting than you imagine..."

Mo Fan was immensely grateful that ordinary people didn't know the Four Rulers existed.

Otherwise, if Xiao knew he had brought a Ruler of Death back with him, he might not have been able to keep his composure either.

In any case, after gaining Xiao's tacit approval, Mo Fan could finally take Ronova to Liyue openly.

Given the distance between Wangshu Inn and Liyue Harbor, they would have to set off immediately if they were to arrive before evening, so they got moving at once.

"Big Brother Asura really did come back..."

Meanwhile, at the very top of Wangshu Inn, Xiao recalled his brief encounter with Mo Fan. Even now, it felt like a dream.

If Mo Fan hadn't specifically insisted that he must never reveal his identity, Xiao would probably have rushed off to tell his other brothers and sisters the good news already.

Xiao was indeed someone who kept his word. Once he agreed to something, he would never break his promise, no matter what.

That was also why Mo Fan had dared to reveal his identity to him.

Now, Xiao alone guarded a secret that he was probably the only one in the world to know. Though he was extremely nervous, he was also deeply moved and filled with a strong sense of duty.

After all, this was a task Big Brother Asura had entrusted to him after two thousand years. No matter what, he absolutely could not reveal his identity to anyone!

"Come to think of it, who was that woman traveling with Big Brother Asura? Could she be our sister-in-law?"

"Xiao, what were you just saying?"

The moment Xiao finished speaking, a woman's voice came from behind him.

Indarias, the Pyro Yaksha, came over to Xiao and looked curiously at her comparatively younger brother.

"Ahem. Indarias, what brings you here?" Startled, Xiao quickly turned around.

"Can't I come see you for no reason?" Indarias smiled, a nostalgic look on her face. "Rex Lapis built Wangshu Inn specifically to give us Yaksha a place to gather. But later, we each went on different missions, and we rarely got together over the next several thousand years. That's how it became the actual inn it is today."

"Yes. When Big Brother Asura was still around, we could all raise our cups and drink together here. But ever since he died, we've never all gathered together again."

Xiao's expression also turned wistful. He regretted the broken bonds between the Yaksha.

Seeing this, Indarias spoke thoughtfully. "Come to think of it, I heard a lot of people mentioning Big Brother Asura's name on my way up. Liyue Harbor forgot him more than a thousand years ago, so why have people started talking about him again? Could Liyue be trying to dredge up Big Brother's past again?"

As she spoke, a clear look of agitation and anger appeared on the Pyro Yaksha's face.

She had always been the most hot-tempered of the Yaksha and was easily angered.

The matter of Asura Yaksha was an especially sensitive subject for her. If anyone slandered her most beloved and respected big brother without cause, she would undoubtedly teach them a severe lesson.

"People are talking about Asura Yaksha?" Xiao rarely went down from the top of Wangshu Inn, so he didn't know what people were saying. "Could Big Brother have done something else?"

"What are you talking about? Big Brother Asura has been dead for how many years now?" Indarias looked at Xiao in confusion. "Don't tell me you're like Bonanus, believing Big Brother Asura never died and is still alive somewhere in this world?"

"That's not what I..."

Xiao looked troubled.

After all, he couldn't reveal that he had just seen Asura Yaksha, so he could only force himself to stay silent and avoid revealing anything about him.

As the two Yaksha talked, another Yaksha appeared at Wangshu Inn.

"Second Brother Bosacius?"

"Bosacius, what brings you here?"

In response to Xiao and Indarias's confusion, Bosacius, the Electro Yaksha, spoke with a grave expression. "Gather all the Yaksha immediately. Something big has happened!"

"Something big? What is it?"

Xiao and Indarias couldn't understand why Bosacius looked so serious.

Bosacius couldn't be bothered to explain further. He simply said, "Come to our old home on the Guili Plains right away. I'll go get Menogias!"

With that, he left without another word.

Xiao and Indarias were left staring at each other, completely at a loss as to what had happened.

Wangshu Inn was quite a distance from Liyue Harbor.

But as this was the main trade route between Mondstadt and Liyue, there were plenty of supply stops along the road where travelers could rest.

Mo Fan had originally planned to take Ronova to Liyue Harbor that night, but to his surprise, Ronova, who had stayed up all of the previous night, had no strength to walk. She collapsed halfway there.

Mo Fan had no choice but to carry her on his back and find a tea stall to rest at, taking the opportunity to drink some tea and ease his fatigue.

"Damn it. We've barely walked any distance, so why am I so tired?"

"It would be strange if you weren't."

Mo Fan let Ronova rest her head on his thigh and fanned her with his hand. "Human bodies are just that fragile and weak. But even so, humans still live on tenaciously in this world, because we're fighting death with all our might every single moment."

"Fighting death... But doesn't death bring release?"

"But people never want to die." Mo Fan smiled. "This world is so beautiful, and other people's bodies are so warm. Who would willingly welcome true death and oblivion so easily?"

"..."

Mo Fan's words left Ronova silent.

Though she had been the Ruler of Death for over ten thousand years, she had never considered what death truly meant to humans.

Now she understood a little of its meaning, but only after she had lost her authority and power.

It was truly an extreme irony.

As the two rested and talked about various things, Mo Fan suddenly saw a blonde girl and a white floating spirit flying beside her on a distant hillside, being chased by a large group of Hilichurls and Treasure Hoarders.

Although Mo Fan had already had an inkling, he now fully realized that this bizarre duo was also headed to Liyue.

The question was, weren't they a little too unlucky?

Never mind that they had run into Stormterror as soon as they reached Mondstadt, then plunged straight into Dragonspine after leaving. Now that they had reached Liyue, all sorts of monsters were still chasing them relentlessly...

Mo Fan couldn't help thinking of himself when he had first transmigrated to Teyvat.

Back then, there had been three moons in the sky instead of one, and the order of the Seven Nations had yet to be established. With no idea what kind of place he had transmigrated to, he had likewise met with misfortune wherever he went. How miserable it had been.

That made him sympathize somewhat, and he decided to help the poor Blonde Traveler.

"I'm going to use the bathroom."

Mo Fan made up an excuse and left Ronova's side, then raced toward the blonde girl at extreme speed.