Outside, Xiao returned to his seat.
Zhongli glanced at him but didn't pry.
The Adepti, on the other hand, were dying of curiosity.
This was karmic debt they were talking about!
Even brushing against it could drive mortals mad. Even Adepti couldn't fully resist it. Only Yaksha, with their unyielding will, could suppress evil by slaughtering it. But over time, even they succumbed to misfortune.
Even the Geo Archon himself hadn't been able to cure it. And yet Xia Zhi had done it in what, under an hour?
Mountain Shaper scooted closer and whispered, "Xiao… are you saying your karmic debt is… totally gone?"
Xiao gave a small nod. "Yes."
Moon Carver leaned in. "Mr. Xia cured you?"
Another nod. "Yes."
The two exchanged a look. "How did he do it?"
Xiao answered plainly, "He extracted it."
…That phrasing sounded oddly familiar.
"Wait." Their faces twisted. "What did you just say?"
"I said Mr. Xia extracted the karmic debt from my body."
"Extracted it?"
"How?"
Xiao answered without hesitation, "He used this long, thick rod-like object…"
Mountain Shaper blurted, "And he… stuck it into your body?"
Xiao blinked, puzzled. "How did you know?"
The two exchanged glances and coughed awkwardly.
"It's nothing…"
"Of course we knew…"
Seeing they clearly weren't going to explain, Xiao simply shook his head and didn't press. He picked up his tea from earlier.
It was still warm to the touch.
He took a sip, sighing inwardly.
Mr. Xia really was a medical genius.
Meanwhile, the two Adepti huddled together, whispering.
"Maybe we misjudged Mr. Xia's relationship with Miss Yelan."
"Yeah…"
"I told you he's a decent guy. He'd never do that kind of thing."
"When did you say that? I don't remember."
"I said it in my heart."
"…"
As they continued whispering, Xia Zhi and Baizhu emerged from the back room.
Then Xia Zhi called out, "Miss Yelan, may I have a moment?"
"Of course."
Yelan rose with a smile.
The two Adepti stopped whispering. Their eyes followed her, both slightly stunned.
Once Xia Zhi and Yelan were back in the rear room…
They looked at each other again.
"So we didn't misjudge anything, huh?"
"Nope."
"Told you—"
"Shut up."
---
In the back room—
Yelan looked at Xia Zhi with a faint smile. "Mr. Xia, what is it?"
"I just finished treating the Great Conqueror of Demons and asked him a few questions about the Yaksha."
"Oh?"
"Didn't you mention that rumor from The Chasm—the one about the nameless Yaksha? I asked him on your behalf, but unfortunately, he didn't know either."
"You're very thoughtful. No worries, I'll keep investigating myself."
"Are you still set on heading to The Chasm?"
"Yes. When the calamity struck centuries ago, two of my ancestors died—one went mad. Getting to the bottom of what happened to them is one of the reasons I joined the Ministry of Civil Affairs."
She spoke with quiet resolve.
Mature women were like that.
And it was part of their charm.
"You really don't make it easy…"
Yelan chuckled. "Worried about me, Mr. Xia?"
"Of course."
"I'll be fine. I'll come back safely. When I do—"
"Don't tempt fate."
"Tempt fate? What does that mean?"
"Never mind. Oh, right—when I spoke to the Great Conqueror, he actually seemed quite interested in that nameless Yaksha rumor."
"Is that so?"
"You might want to talk to him yourself. If you two go together, it'll be a much safer trip."
"Thanks for the suggestion."
"And one more thing…"
"Yes?"
"If you have time over the next few days, come by the shop for some massages and baths. I'll use some secret tonics—might give your strength a little boost."
Yelan paused, surprised.
She couldn't help remembering the last two times she'd passed out during a massage, only to wake up in the bath feeling inexplicably stronger.
That's my husband—wait, no, I mean, that's Mr. Xia for you…
Her expression softened. "Alright. I'll definitely come."
When the two returned, Xia Zhi didn't call anyone else in for private conversation.
But he couldn't help noticing the Adepti, and both his cousin, sneaking glances at him and Miss Yelan.
These people… so nosy.
There's nothing between us!
Everyone sat chatting and drinking tea a while longer before gradually saying their goodbyes.
Baizhu returned to Bubu Pharmacy to prepare his medicine.
The two Adepti headed off to the teahouse with Zhongli for a few rounds of Mahjong. After all the days they spent battling monsters, playing cards was still more fun.
Xiao was about to leave for Guili Plains when Yelan called out to him. After a slight pause, he followed her to Yanshang Teahouse for tea.
Ningguang took her three secretaries back to the office for overtime.
The rest had nothing urgent, so they headed off together to stroll through the Xiao Market.
Today was the Lantern Rite Festival—the final and busiest day of the Xiao Market.
It was Kirara's first time in such a bustling street. She was over the moon, hopping here and sniffing there, clearly in "I want everything" mode.
So the two goddesses stepped in to help her shop—specifically targeting stalls owned by Ningguang, because her VIP card offered discounts on top of the haggled price.
Kirara watched as the prices of her favorite items were cut again and again, eyes sparkling, tails swaying non-stop behind her.
Xia Zhi watched, amused.
Grass kitty was adorable.
But the icy kitty back at his shop was adorable too.
After two hours, everyone returned with armfuls of random goodies.
"Boss, what are we doing this afternoon?"
"Let's make tangyuan."
"Tangyuan?"
"They're glutinous rice dumplings with black sesame inside. You can boil them in water or rice wine. Sweet and sticky. It's a Lantern Rite tradition back where I'm from."
"Oh!"
Just like the dumpling-making on New Year's, everyone gathered around to make tangyuan together.
It was simpler than dumplings—just roll the dough into balls.
"Cousin, should we add mystery fillings?"
"You mean…"
"Like last time! Hide something special in some of them."
"Alright."
"Yay!"
"But don't go overboard. Last time, you stuffed in all kinds of nonsense."
"We know!"
Xia Zhi washed a Mora coin and tucked it into one dumpling.
Every one he made was the exact same size—as if they came from a mold. The one with the Mora was indistinguishable.
Zhu Zi saw it and declared, "I'll bet a novel: Miss Ganyu will definitely get the one with the Mora!"
Everyone burst out laughing. "Yeah, totally!"
Ganyu blushed furiously. "It wasn't me—I didn't—don't start!"
"You got the one with the Mora during the dumplings too!"
"That was last time…"
"This time will be the same!"
"We'll see…"
Her weak protest wasn't very convincing, given her history.
So the shop's atmosphere turned cheerful again.
Once the tangyuan were boiled, Xia Zhi used the [Dragon-Turning Pot] to freshly brew [Bliss Rice Wine] to pair with them.
Everyone agreed—it was perfect.
And, of course, Ganyu bit into her first tangyuan and immediately found a Mora inside.
"Knew it! Miss Ganyu never fails!"
"Liyue's unmatched luck!"
"Double the fortune rolling in!"
"Congrats, senior!"
Ganyu's cheeks burned as she bowed her thanks, carefully tucking the coin away.
Then came the random surprise fillings.
Xia Zhi, naturally, bit into a tangyuan served by Shenhe—and tasted candy.
Sour and sweet. But there was no visible fruit inside.
And the taste lingered on his tongue.
Shenhe looked at him, smiling gently.
Xia Zhi raised his head and smiled back.
Shenhe quietly lowered her gaze and began eating her own.
She lifted one with a spoon, took a small bite—and paused.
It was sour too. Lemon-flavored.
Yet her tangyuan also showed nothing unusual.
And the taste… refused to fade.
---
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