Unknowingly, half an hour had passed, but the Card Furnace into which Luya had placed the [Vajrada Amethyst] and Ghostly Embers still showed no movement.
When crafting [Conqueror of Demons – Xiao], it had taken only half an hour to complete.
This time, perhaps because he had used the superior [Vajrada Amethyst] instead of the [Vayuda Turquoise Fragment], the process was slower? If crafting time was tied to the materials used, then making [Goddess of Dust – Guizhong] might take even longer.
But that wasn't Luya's concern. After all, even if [Goddess of Dust – Guizhong] were completed, it would belong to Zhongli.
Since all the materials came from Zhongli, Luya would at most collect a processing fee. However, as the God of Contracts, Zhongli certainly wouldn't give him only that.
Moreover, only one [Goddess of Dust – Guizhong] could be made. Demon God's Flesh and Glaze Lilies could be gathered, but there was only one Lock of the Mortal World…
...
Another ten minutes passed. The Furnace still glowed purple, unmoving, but faint Electro currents surged around it.
Clearly, the card wouldn't be finished anytime soon.
So Luya tidied the counter as usual and prepared to rest.
With the shop's expansion, more and more customers came. Revenues were climbing daily.
Soon, the day of opening a branch store would not be far!
Anyhow, until then, he needed to earn more. With enough Mora, he could upgrade the shop quickly when the time came, then expand into other nations. With such hopes, Luya returned to his room to rest.
...
Meanwhile, though it was late at night, Xiao still patrolled Dihua Marsh. With the Lantern Rite near, nights were when evil spirits stirred most.
But unlike previous days, tonight Xiao sensed fewer fiends. Normally, he might fight thirty or forty in a night, sometimes over a hundred. Yet tonight, Liyue seemed unusually peaceful. He encountered only a few, and no cries for help came.
With his karmic debt eased, Xiao's feelings were complex. After bearing the weight for so many years, perhaps it was time to relax.
Suddenly!
Arcs of lightning shone from the direction of Feiyun Slope. Blue-violet flashes lit Xiao's green aura, making his masked form appear terrifying.
In the dead of night, lightning flashed behind him. Xiao turned immediately.
Nonetheless, to his surprise, there was no thunder following the light…
A phenomenon he had never encountered. He realized at once—it was not natural lightning, but lightning infused with Electro.
Normally, lightning should be followed by thunder. This violated all common sense.
...
Suddenly, memories surfaced in Xiao's mind.
He sat on a rock, spear in hand, resting.
The Electro Yaksha Bosacius and the Geo Yaksha Menogias chatted cheerfully. The Hydro Yaksha Bonanus and the Pyro Yaksha Indarias, two girls clad in blue and red, laughed beside them.
The scene shifted…
Xiao dozed in a hammock while Bosacius drew circles and crosses on his face with two brushes. The other three Yaksha watched and laughed.
Xiao had woken at the touch of ink, but Bosacius's pranks were nothing new… He even found them amusing.
The scene shifted again…
The four Yaksha of Electro, Geo, Pyro, and Hydro shattered like fragments, dissolving into dust before Xiao, leaving only the Anemo Yaksha floating in this world…
"Bosacius… elder brother?!"
Xiao shook his head quickly.
"No… Bosacius is dead. It must be an illusion…"
...
Bosacius, the Great General of the Valiant Tusk, was the first Yaksha under Rex Lapis. With four arms and immense strength, he was the eldest of the five.
He was open-hearted, brave in battle, and like an elder brother to Xiao and the others.
That said, severe karmic debt drove him mad. Not long after the Archon War ended, he withdrew into the mountains.
As his debt worsened, memories slipped away. He forgot his identity, his family.
Later, when monsters invaded The Chasm, Bosacius, though lost in memory, still chose to fight for Liyue. He followed Millelith deep into The Chasm, where he met the sorcerer Boyang.
Together in the depths, they resolved to seal the underground forever. But Bosacius, consumed by karmic debt, grew weaker and confused. At times, he mistook Boyang for Xiao, at times for Menogias.
He asked:
"Alatus… is that you? I'm so wretched, I can't face you…"
(Alatus was Xiao's true name.)
Boyang was puzzled.
"What Alatus? Your memory…"
As four shadows appeared in his mind, Bosacius remembered… Alatus, Menogias, Bonanus, Indarias…
His true self.
He recalled that he was the Electro Yaksha, Bosacius, Great General of the Valiant Tusk!
He smiled bitterly: "Once Rex Lapis's first Yaksha, the Valiant Tusk General… and now so pitiful."
He remembered Xiao asleep in the trees, himself doodling on his face with brushes. Xiao had slept soundly, unbothered.
Regardless, in the end, the karmic debt claimed them all. Of the five Yaksha, only Xiao survived…
...
In the depths of The Chasm, Bosacius chose to sacrifice his life, sealing the monsters within alongside Boyang, thus saving Liyue.
Nevertheless, Bosacius was trapped forever. His fate matched his name—
A fleeting life, forsaking all.
A brief, wandering existence, giving up everything to protect all.
Later, Xiao encountered his phantom in The Chasm, fought him, and learned the truth of his death.
The [Vajrada Amethyst] Xiao obtained after battling the Ruin Serpent there was the same one Luya used in the Furnace.
Now, Xiao once more felt that familiar Electro presence.
That elder brother who once doodled turtles on his face while he napped in a hammock.
Thankfully, Bonanus had washed his face after, though his clothes were soaked, and Indarias had dried them with fire.
Every Lantern Rite, the five Yaksha once set lanterns afloat together. Now only Xiao remained. Survival itself was a lonely torment…
Since then, he had always spent the festival alone in the shadows.
However, this year, perhaps he could join humans in celebration.
On the first full moon of the year was the Lantern Rite. At night, people released Xiao Lanterns into the sky.
On that day, Liyue Harbor glowed with lantern light over sea and sky, carrying people's wishes afar.
At the Duel Monsters shop, many who had once been saved by Xiao invited him to join them.
He told them if he had no task, he would.
They hoped dearly to see him there. Though the aura felt like Bosacius, Xiao dared not be sure.
"Perhaps… just an illusion."
He continued his patrol of Dihua Marsh.
Tonight was the most peaceful he had known in years. Few evil spirits, no karmic burden in battle.
He had even built a deck of his own, planning to find opponents for a few duels…
With dawn, sunlight spread over Liyue Harbor, breaking the night's silence. A new day began.
Dihua Marsh, gateway to Liyue, was where Xiao kept his night watch.
At last, his patrol ended.
At the harbor, waves glittered, breeze swept the docks, carrying freshness.
Workers bustled, their silhouettes faint in the morning light.
Fishing boats set out to sea for the day's catch.
A new day began!
Luya's Duel Monsters shop, as always, drew a crowd.
But today, unlike before, he opened early!
"Welcome, everyone~ The shop has new facilities—please enjoy! And… the continuation of Yu-Gi-Oh! is here!"
Hearing this, the customers grew excited.
Especially Xingqiu: "Perfect! Chongyun, you made it!"
Chongyun blinked in confusion: "Huh?!"
Today Xingqiu hadn't come alone… he brought his companion, Chongyun.
Throughout Liyue's long history, tales of demons and spirits had never ceased. Someone always had to face them.
Chongyun was born into a famed family of exorcists. Since childhood, his pure-yang body repelled spirits. His exorcisms were unique—by meditating at a haunted site, he dispersed fiends instantly.
In any case, this troubled him deeply…
Though experienced, he had never actually seen a spirit's face!
Compared to diligent Chongyun, Xingqiu was clever and quick-witted. Hearing of his plight, Xingqiu suggested a solution:
"If you can't nullify your pure-yang body, why not find a spirit that won't flee from it?!"
This enlightened Chongyun. From then on, he stopped trying to suppress his body, instead joining Xingqiu in searching for such spirits.
"What? You saw an Aoyin near Guyun?"
"Leave it to me!"
"The old house at Feiyun Slope, haunted already? I'll go now."
"There's an exorcist at Wangshu Inn? Then following him should lead us to fiends. But… we can't visit empty-handed, we should prepare something."
Most of these leads Xingqiu made up. Thanks to him, Chongyun often came back disappointed, lamenting his poor luck.
"I tried hard, even bought intel at a high price! And it was all for nothing."
Whenever free, Xingqiu would comfort him with a smile, take him for ice treats, and reclaim his wasted money. Such a reliable, caring friend!
Chongyun often thought gratefully: Xingqiu is so good. Who else could I trust but him?
Thus, Chongyun trusted Xingqiu deeply.
...
The night before, Xingqiu had happily told him:
"A new shop opened at Feiyun Slope! You're sure to see fiends there!"
Chongyun was thrilled, so excited he couldn't sleep, and came at dawn to wake Xingqiu.
Still drowsy, Xingqiu was dragged out.
"Xingqiu, you hadn't slept either?!"
So the two set off together, had breakfast, and came to Luya's shop early.
Since Luya opened earlier than usual, Hu Tao, Zhongli, and most regulars hadn't arrived yet. Keqing, having finished her break, wasn't coming today either.
Hearing Luya's greeting, customers streamed inside.
"Wow, boss, how'd the shop get so big?!"
"Yeah, it feels two or three times larger than opening day!"
"Exactly!"
"Whoa… boss, you even planted Glaze Lilies in here! And so many!"
"Amazing…"
"And there's a whole new room too!"
Luya had used the renovation feature, spending about 100 square meters to build a screening room like a theater.
It could hold around 50 people. At 500 Mora per episode, three per hour, he could make 75,000 Mora hourly, about 600,000–700,000 a day.
It wasn't just for money, but also to promote Yu-Gi-Oh!, helping customers understand card effects and the joy of dueling.
The Furnace into which Luya had placed the [Vajrada Amethyst] the night before had stopped.
Yet, no card appeared.
Had it broken?! If so, not only would he lose the Amethyst, but also the 2 million Mora Furnace itself.
Just then, Xiao arrived after his patrol.
He smiled softly and greeted Luya:
"Boss… good morning."
Seeing Xiao gradually adapt to human life, the others rejoiced.
"Hahaha, Immortal Xiao is here!"
As Xiao entered, the Furnace beside Luya suddenly burst with brilliant blue-violet light!
The customers, along with Xingqiu and Chongyun, shielded their eyes.
Only Xiao stared unwaveringly at the Furnace.
His pupils contracted sharply, amber eyes shedding a line of blood. Memories flooded him.
"Bosacius… elder brother?"
...
The light faded. A card shot out from the Furnace.
[Great General of the Valiant Tusk – Bosacius]
...
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