Several days later, at Jueyun Karst.
Crystal-clear blue water overflowed the hills, nearly drowning the man-made stone platform.Mist swirled across the vast lake; an ancient stone arch rose from beneath the surface, hinting at secrets below.
On the platform stood a stone statue, an amber crystal set atop its head, quietly spinning.Dark-red runes floated around it—an obvious seal.
Where treasure lay, so did greed.At the base crouched a short Abyss Mage in a crimson robe, whispering strange incantations.With each syllable, the red runes flickered.It was close to breaking the seal.
Heh-heh-heh…
The young, foolish Abyss Mage never guessed that cunning humans watched from above, ready to snatch the prize.
Farther up the hillside, a camp had been pitched. Crates overflowed with supplies.Masked humans—faces half hidden, hair dyed red or purple—peered down at the ruins.
"A stubby little freak in human robes," scoffed Hu Huo, a Pyro alchemist, lounging in the grass."The fool's hard work will be a wedding dress for the strong."
Mantis stalks cicada, or so the saying goes—yet these hunters were themselves being hunted.
At the highest ridge, fields he had cleared at the edge of the cliff, Gu Baizhou stood with arms folded, surveying everything below.A patrolling Hilichurl had brought word: humans had set up camp nearby.
If they learn I'm sheltering Hilichurls, that'll be trouble.
Perched on the cliff, Gu watched the scene, sharp eyes—honed by advanced vision and archery training—catching even the faintest flow of elemental energy.
I have to drive them off.
Seeing other humans brought him no joy.Masked strangers lounging idly, eyes fixed on the ruins below—each one practically wore I'm up to no good across their face.
How to chase them away…He considered arson or a diversion but shook his head. Too extreme.
Returning to the village, he gathered the Hilichurls."Stay in the wooden hut by the fields. No patrols tonight," he ordered."Today I'll deal with those humans."
What secrets lay beneath the lake?Even Gu, who had discovered the ruins while clearing farmland, didn't know.
Meanwhile, the treasure-hunters grew restless."So, what do you think is inside?" Hu Huo asked, bored.
"Immortal relics, surely," said Yang Yi, an archer in a black feathered hat.They'd found a stele inscribed in ancient Liyue script—none of them could read it.
"Is that so?"A calm young voice floated over.
"Who's there?"The treasure-hunters tensed. Hu Huo pulled a Pyro flask and turned.
A tall youth approached—black short-sleeved shirt, sword-browed, clear-eyed, steps unhurried.
Gu Baizhou swept them with a cool glance."The Geo Lord watches over the people of Liyue," he said evenly."Why would an immortal relic remain in a place already forsaken?"
The group blinked in surprise.Hu Huo frowned. "Then why is that black-robed imp guarding the mechanism?"
"What use is human treasure to a monster?" Gu countered, pointing at Hu Huo's Pyro flask."Such a dangerous device could never circulate in the open market.Your group knows of ley-lines, doesn't it? And those creatures are drawn to ley energy."
He continued smoothly, voice calm but certain:"The great flood abandoned this site. No immortal artifact remains.Any ancient object left here would have long since decayed under the mutations of the ley-line."
Though largely improvising, his words were grounded in truths he'd learned from the Hilichurls:The ley-line—an invisible network where elemental energy flows—binds land, sea, and sky.Slimes are simply elemental lifeforms born of it.
Yang Yi hesitated. "That… almost makes sense. But you are…?"
Rumble!The ground shook.
The crimson runes around the amber crystal shattered.A brilliant pillar of light shot skyward.
The water level plunged, vanishing like mist, revealing a stone staircase leading to the round platform at the lake's heart.
"Let's see for ourselves!"Hu Huo gripped his Pyro flask, excitement blazing.He grabbed climbing gear and descended, calling back:"If there's treasure, don't expect a share!"
Classic treasure-hunter bravado.Gu didn't bother stopping him, only blocked Yang Yi, who also stepped forward.
"You stay," Gu said.
"Why?"
"Because they'll soon be defeated."
He pointed to the bottom where the squat, long-eared Abyss Mage cackled inside a Pyro shield, while the treasure-hunters—armed only with fire and lightning flasks and a few knives—scattered in panic.
"I'll need your crossbow," Gu added, calmly taking Yang Yi's weapon and quiver.