The Treasure Hoarders in the space weren't "real people," of course—they were just a fragment of Yanfei's memories.
As a prominent lawyer, Yanfei had been involved in major cases, naturally attracting wealthy individuals seeking revenge. These Treasure Hoarders were hired to get back at her.
This made the people of Liyue frown with concern for Lawyer Yanfei's safety.
Yanfei had helped them with countless cases—she was a good person.
Fortunately, Yanfei was a half-Adeptus and had trained in martial arts for years. Ordinary people couldn't get close to her, and she could handle these Treasure Hoarders single-handedly.
The Liyue citizens relaxed their brows. No need to worry—hundreds of burly men wouldn't get near her.
After dealing with the Treasure Hoarders, the group found a letter with a single line written on it.
[Letter 1: Borrowed paper and pen from Lord Boyang to write a letter home, but I don't know what to write… I hope everyone back home is doing well. I miss my daughter so much.]
The readers realized that this space didn't just manifest people's "memories"—it also contained "real objects."
This place had once trapped a group of people, though the reason was unclear. The readers were filled with curiosity. Who wrote this letter? Why were they here?
With curiosity, they read on carefully. The Traveler rotated the Fantastic Compass, revealing a new entrance. They entered and found another letter.
[Letter 2: Writing on behalf of Brother Hulan, wishing his family well too. If not for this ordeal, I'd have wanted to return for the Lantern Rite.]
The people of Liyue felt a pang in their hearts. They had just celebrated the Lantern Rite not long ago.
They had just experienced the peace and joy of the festival, only to now read about their ancestors from centuries ago, unable to return home, filled with sorrow.
Their sacrifices ensured that future generations could peacefully celebrate the Lantern Rite, but they carried regrets—regrets of not knowing if Liyue was safe, if their families were well.
And this was written on someone's behalf, meaning the person either couldn't write or had already passed away.
"The grandest Mingxiao Lantern… Your master still needs to make one for you, don't I?" Xianyun suddenly said out of the blue, seemingly to Shenhe.
Shenhe didn't understand, and Xianyun didn't explain, only gazing toward the Chasm.
May this lantern's light be bright enough to illuminate the underground palace and guide you home.
Putting away the letter, the group pressed forward. This time, there were no enemies.
No, that wasn't right—it wasn't that there were no enemies, but that the enemy was skilled at hiding. Xiao instantly recognized their identity—Bosacius!
[???: "I lured you into this underground space precisely because I discovered your weakness."]
["Die here with me!"]
From Bosacius' words, the readers learned that the people here hadn't been trapped by accident like the Traveler and the others. They had entered this space deliberately.
In reality, Xiao's eyes dimmed slightly. So this was their end.
Bosacius was a proud warrior—his death shouldn't have been silent!
No, that's not right. To die in battle, protecting Liyue—Bosacius would likely feel his death was worthwhile…
Now that Lucian had written this story, Bosacius' deeds would be seen by more people. He wasn't an unknown Yaksha—he was Marshal Vritras, Bosacius!
This was one of Lucian's purposes in writing—to bring stories that deserved to be seen by all of Teyvat into people's lives, stories that shouldn't be buried.
In the story, Xiao fought Bosacius. The Bosacius here was merely a lingering obsession left by the Fantastic Compass, naturally no match for Xiao. After several clashes, it was already showing signs of fatigue.
[Bosacius shouted: "…Go! I'll hold the rear. Don't let the beasts return to the surface!"]
Even in his weakened state, Bosacius showed no fear. He told the others to retreat while planning to use his life to hold off the "enemy," buying time for his comrades' withdrawal.
[Bosacius said: "Remember, everyone, hold the two-hundred-mile frontline outside the Chasm!"]
This single line brought tears to the eyes of Liyue's people. A two-hundred-mile frontline!
Hold the line! The Thousand Rocks did it! Not one of them retreated!
As mentioned before, the Thousand Rocks' achievements were never about killing but about protecting.
Zhongli furrowed his brow. The tea before him had gone cold, unnoticed. He took a sip and let out a soft sigh.
The impact of this story was greater than when his fake death plan was exposed.
Some details in this story were unknown even to him, as he had been in Khaenri'ah at the time.
Venti sneaked a glance at Zhongli and pushed a cup of wine toward him. The wine was still warm.
Surprisingly, Zhongli didn't refuse and took a light sip.
Venti chuckled softly. "Wine's a good thing, isn't it? I love drinking when I'm troubled."
"Ha, though I suppose I'm always drinking, heh heh heh."
Guizhong carried a cup of wine with her dust and drank it in one gulp. It burned so much that she opened her mouth wide and closed her eyes.
Unfortunately, it only burned her throat, not her mind. The images she imagined remained vivid, and tears welled up—yes, it must be the spiciness.
Back to the story: Xiao ultimately dispersed the phantom. During the fight, he hesitated multiple times, which was why he had been injured earlier.
That wasn't the real Bosacius but a memory of him left in this space, unable to communicate, merely replicating Bosacius' fighting stance.
Yet even as a memory, "Bosacius'" martial prowess was astonishing.
Marshal Vritras Bosacius ended up as an unknown Yaksha fighting in this place.
Back then, Bosacius had likely had his memories eroded by karmic debt, perhaps even his thoughts muddled, yet he still "stumbled" to this battlefield.
[Xiao sighed: "Yakshas were never a race that could thrive in peaceful times. We're likely drawn to the scent of conflict and slaughter."]
["We excel at killing… Perhaps, we only know how to kill."]
Hearing Xiao say this, Arlecchino nearly triggered her "DNA." If the children of the House of the Hearth had such thoughts, she'd offer some guidance.
There's more than just killing—there's family!
Wait… on second thought, Xiao doesn't seem to have a family anymore… Those Yakshas are all…
In any case, the readers wanted to argue. Who said that? In the Lantern Rite story, didn't you "blend in just fine"?
This shows that Yakshas can thrive in peaceful times too—they're just introverted "people."
The readers didn't yet know that, aside from Xiao, the other Guardian Yakshas weren't actually introverted and were even better at "blending into" peaceful times.
Sadly, the Yakshas who longed for peace and to integrate with humans didn't survive.
Only the wind, the hardest to grasp and keep, still blows.
[Xiao said: "This was a good fight. Farewell, Bosacius."]
It's unclear whether he meant his fight with Bosacius or the battle at the Chasm.
At the same time, the group found a third letter:
[It's been over ten days since I got separated from Boyang and the others. But the brother beside me says it's only been three days… I don't know who's right or wrong, and I don't want to argue about it. I want to go home, but I can't.]
Another Thousand Rock soldier longing for home. They never feared death, but in the process of awaiting death, they feared this constant yearning for their loved ones.