Seeing how easygoing Victor Wang was, Xingqiu and Chongyun also relaxed.
"A condition where one fears strong light... could it be the work of some evil spirit? Chongyun, does that sound familiar?"
"There are a few such creatures that fear light, but if exposure only causes skin irritation, it doesn't quite fit... I'll check our family records when I get home."
"If it's really an illness, you could also visit Bubu Pharmacy and consult Doctor Baizhu. He's incredibly skilled and well-known—even people from other nations seek him out for treatment," Xingqiu offered enthusiastically, continually suggesting options.
"No need to trouble yourselves, friends. I've already found a treatment. It just takes time."
"That's great! I hope you recover soon!" Chongyun said sincerely.
"Speaking of which, I heard about three strange phenomena on my way to Liyue Harbor—dragonhorn mushrooms, a soul-calling flute, and a Hydro Mimic that, if it fails to transform for too long, tries to take over human bodies. Have either of you encountered them?"
Hearing a tale of the arcane, Xingqiu perked up immediately.
Chongyun pondered for a moment, then replied:
"I've never even heard of dragonhorn mushrooms—probably something someone made up.
"The soul-calling flute is a fictional cursed artifact concocted by demonic cults. Its creation is horrendous—they say it's carved from one's own bone and soaked in the blood from the hearts of ninety-nine living beings. Once played, it can control any creature that hears it... There's an even crueler version requiring nine hundred ninety-nine lives. Completely absurd and terrifying."
"Demonic cults? Such things existed?" Xingqiu asked the question that Victor Wang had been thinking.
Chongyun nodded grimly. "That was two to three thousand years ago. Back when Archons and demons clashed, heresies and dark sects were everywhere. Those cults and blasphemous temples have long been eradicated. It's no surprise common folk haven't heard of them. Our family only keeps records because it pertains to our field."
"So, none of the three are real?"
"The last one—the unshaped Hydro Mimic—is real. Our family's Compendium of Monstrous and Demonic Anomalies refers to them as Hydro Shades."
"Hydro Shades?"
"Hydro Shades prey on humans with fragile spirits near water, devouring their minds. Once successful, the amount of spirit consumed determines how much memory it inherits.
"But since their victims are already mentally weak, often near drowning, the memories passed on are incomplete—usually less than half. So, the transformed Hydro Shade behaves very differently from the original person."
"If your mind gets devoured, is there no saving you?" Xingqiu asked persistently.
"That's right. It's a lose-lose for both sides," Chongyun sighed.
"What do you mean?" Victor Wang asked, for once jumping in ahead.
"The Compendium states that Hydro Shades have another fate. If too much time passes without them completing their transformation, they eventually drift into the Eastern Sea.
At that stage, nothing in the world can distract them. Their sole focus becomes reaching a legendary ocean, far beyond the Eastern Sea.
That sea is composed entirely of pure Hydro energy. At its center lies a bottomless whirlpool called the Returning Abyss. Only those who reach it know what's inside. If a Hydro Shade survives and emerges, it will retrace its path back with perfect accuracy.
During this return, it grows stronger the farther it had gone. The longest-traveled become powerful enough to rival gods."
"A whirlpool? A god? Are you talking about the Overlord of the Vortex?"
"Just a legend—can't confirm it."
"Hard to believe your Compendium of Monstrous and Demonic Anomalies is so fascinating. Can I borrow it sometime?" Xingqiu asked eagerly.
"Uh..." Chongyun hesitated.
He knew Xingqiu's handwriting was atrocious, but he had his own secret too.
Because of his pure-yang constitution, he couldn't actually see the true forms of spirits or demons. Yet, the family tradition demanded every record be accompanied by an illustration—regardless of skill. He couldn't break that rule.
As a result, all the entries he'd added were filled with bizarre and oddly shaped drawings. That book would only be passed on after his death. Otherwise... it was unfit for outsiders' eyes...
After a long pause, he replied, "That book isn't convenient to share."
"Hmm?" Xingqiu looked thoughtful. Knowing Chongyun well, he sensed something worth digging into. He sighed theatrically. "That's a shame."
"It's inconvenient to show others, but I can explain what's inside." Chongyun glanced nervously at Xingqiu, then quickly shifted his gaze to Victor Wang.
Victor Wang asked a question that would stick in Chongyun's mind for years: "Can you eat a Hydro Shade?"
Xiangling? Is that you, Xiangling? These two definitely became friends over food...
"Eat a Hydro Shade...? Hydro Shades? By the time a Hydro Mimic becomes a Hydro Shade, it either transforms into a human or drifts to the Returning Abyss. Are you sure you want to eat it?"
"But isn't a Hydro Shade still a Hydro Mimic? Can't it turn into an animal... like a fish?"
"That... I'm not sure. Theoretically, yes—it could become a fish. In that case, you could treat it like an ordinary fish and eat it. But I doubt it would waste its one chance at transformation on something so mundane."
So, the one I caught before that turned into a fish—it really was a fish. Victor Wang felt relieved. "Then that's fine. Got any other interesting monsters? Like... which one do you think is the scariest?"
"I'd say the Hydro Shade that returned from the Abyss," Xingqiu offered.
"Abyss-returned Hydro Shades are powerful, sure—but not necessarily terrifying. Compared to the soul-calling flute, they're practically elegant."
"That's true..."
While Victor Wang and Xingqiu spoke, Chongyun fell into deep thought. At last, he answered, "The scariest one has to be 'Awakened Precepts'."
"Awakened Precepts?"
Neither Victor Wang nor Xingqiu had heard of it.
"It's a monster that can never be truly destroyed. Its body is said to be a pool of blood. Anyone who touches it is assimilated, turning into blood and merging with it—like feeding. Once absorbed, it can transform into that person.
What's terrifying is that unlike the crude mimicry of Hydro Shades, Awakened Precepts becomes a perfect copy—it gains everything the victim had, except external belongings. All their memories, personality, emotions, illnesses, even their skills and Vision usage.
And because their memories overwrite its own, Awakened Precepts forgets its origin. It becomes the person.
If no one witnesses the transformation, it could live out the rest of that person's life, never knowing it's not real.
Only death reawakens its original memories.
It can't truly be killed. Every time it dies, it reverts to a pool of blood and revives. And each revival restores a bit more of its original memories and powers. In other words—killing it makes it stronger.
The only solution is to seal it. My ancestors paid a heavy price to do just that.
In terms of strength, it can't be destroyed and can steal others' abilities.
In terms of fear... imagine someone close to you being replaced, and no one realizing until decades later—when everyone is nearly dead—that they were already gone. That kind of horror is unmatched."
After Chongyun finished, Xingqiu murmured, "To think such a creature exists..."
"Where is the Awakened Precepts sealed? Can the seal fail over time?"
Chongyun shook his head. "To prevent misuse, my ancestor never recorded its location."
"No record?"
Victor Wang and Xingqiu exchanged glances and saw the same thought in each other's eyes: Maybe Awakened Precepts was never sealed at all... or the seal has already failed.
If such a monster mingled among people, the distrust it would breed between humans would be the most terrifying consequence of all.
Just imagine—your loved ones may have already been replaced. And the only way to verify it... is to kill them. Otherwise, you'd spend your life trapped in doubt...
Good thing there was only one of them. Or—more accurately—only one had been found...
Victor Wang said solemnly, "Awakened Precept's existence should not be shared with anyone else."
"I agree completely," Xingqiu said with a serious expression. He turned to Chongyun. "Do others in your family know about Awakened Precepts?"
"Uh... the Compendium has been passed down for over a thousand years. I can't say I'm the only one who's read it..."
"Sigh... at the very least, it can't be spread from the three of us."
"Right. Only heaven, earth, and us three shall know."
"What are you guys talking about so intensely?" Xiangling suddenly popped up.
"Uh... just chatting about the paranormal. Pretty interesting stuff."
"Oh~ your dishes are ready! First is Victor Wang's Black-Back Perch Stew, then Xingqiu's Triple-Layered Consommé and Lotus Flower Crisps, and finally, a specially prepared Cold Noodles with Mountain Delicacies for Chongyun!"
"Smells amazing! Just in time—we were getting hungry."
After all the dishes were served, Xiangling brought out one more: a plate of mushrooms coated in suspicious, slimy goo. "This is a complimentary dish—Mushroom Slime Stew. The texture is great, make sure to try it!"
Victor Wang: "..."
Xingqiu: "..."
Chongyun: "..."