The daily necessities gifted by the system's lottery included various medicines.
Healing medicines were naturally among them, though they were slightly more effective; after consumption, wounds could quickly heal without leaving scars, and one's state could recover to full health instantly.
Su Xuan pinched Yelan's chin and put a pill into her mouth. It melted instantly, and all of Yelan's injuries vanished in a flash.
Looking around, Su Xuan then used the qiankun mirror to restore the terrain he had damaged to its original state.
With a casual lift of his hand, a Psychokinesis barrier immediately rose around Yelan, completely enveloping her. She then floated behind Su Xuan like a hovering Paimon.
After doing all this, Su Xuan withdrew the Psychokinesis barrier.
"Hmm?" Zhongli, who had been waiting for a long time, raised his eyebrows slightly and walked towards the appearing Su Xuan.
When he reached Su Xuan, Zhongli calmly said, "I've long heard of Young Hero Su Xuan's reputation. But I'm not sure why you've come to Liyue, and this is…"
Venti, as Su Xuan had guessed, had already told Zhongli about him when he came to Liyue to buy wine.
Moreover, according to Venti's description, Su Xuan seemed to possess the ability to know everything, seeing through his identity at a glance.
Zhongli simply stopped pretending and communicated directly with Su Xuan.
"I'm just traveling through. As for this incident, I was just playing a game with my person," Su Xuan said with a smile. The two, meeting for the first time, spoke as if they were old acquaintances: "Don't worry, since she's my person, I won't harm her life."
"I see." Zhongli glanced at the orb of light floating behind Su Xuan, presumably containing the young woman from the Ministry of Civil Affairs.
Although Zhongli couldn't see the exact situation inside, since Su Xuan had said so, Zhongli certainly wouldn't dwell on the matter further.
Hmm… he just didn't understand why he referred to the young woman from the Ministry of Civil Affairs as his person.
Zhongli muttered to himself.
He remembered that Yelan was specifically responsible for intelligence in Liyue. When did she become Su Xuan's person?
Could it be that, without Zhongli's knowledge, the Liyue Qixing had already had dealings with Su Xuan?
Observing Zhongli's varied and contemplative expression, Su Xuan's mouth twitched slightly: "You don't need to overthink it. I have no ill intentions towards Liyue. Of course, if someone sincerely wants to cause me trouble, I certainly won't let it go."
"You should all go about your business. Just consider me an outside traveler."
Since Su Xuan had said so, Zhongli had nothing more to add.
Moreover, from the other party's words, he seemed to be aware of his desire to retire.
He merely asked out of politeness, "I wonder if Young Hero has time? I'll host a banquet in Liyue Harbor as a welcoming gesture for your journey."
Su Xuan interrupted, "Lord Rex Lapis, you can just call me by my name. As for dining together, let's do it when we have time later."
"Right now, I do have other matters to attend to."
After Su Xuan finished speaking, he pointed to the Psychokinesis barrier behind him and waved his hand, saying, "Farewell for now. We'll talk about future matters later. Bye."
Leaving these words, Su Xuan took Yelan and flew towards the distant mountain ravine.
Zhongli stood rooted to the spot, pondering for a long time.
According to Barbatos, Su Xuan's assistance to Dvalin seemed to have come from the request of the Acting Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius.
Su Xuan knew Barbatos's identity but was not very willing to have too much contact with Barbatos, yet he did not refuse requests for help from ordinary people.
"As Barbatos said, he's a kind young man?" Zhongli murmured, "Could it be that the Qixing already knew about Su Xuan's deeds in Mondstadt and had contact with him there?"
As soon as he thought of this, a sense of fatherly relief suddenly surged in Zhongli's heart.
"If the Qixing could truly connect with him like the Acting Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius, then…"
If the Qixing could indeed establish a good, positive connection with Su Xuan, let alone faking his death, even if he truly returned to the leylines, there would be nothing to worry about.
Wangshu Inn.
After eating and drinking their fill, Lumine and Paimon strolled out.
The sky was now darkening. After the rain stopped, the merchants and travelers staying at Wangshu Inn gradually emerged.
The Psychokinesis barrier in Dihua Marsh had long since been removed, but Su Xuan had not arrived at Wangshu Inn to meet them.
"Lumine, our Boss is gone again," Paimon said, spreading her small hands. "What should we do?"
"Didn't I say, just go to Liyue Harbor and wait for Su Xuan to find us?" Lumine put her hands on her hips.
It was difficult for her to find Su Xuan, but it was easy for Su Xuan, who had Psychokinesis lock-on, to find them.
She just needed to go to Liyue Harbor as requested, do whatever she needed to do, and when Su Xuan wanted to find them, he naturally would.
"Sigh, looking at it now, the two of us are just like Liyue's Lord Rex Lapis…" Paimon suddenly said.
Lumine paused slightly: "What do you mean?"
"Of course, we're just freeloading social deadbeats," Paimon said matter-of-factly.
Lumine: "…"
Forget it! Boss Su was probably busy going in and out seven times right now, and he certainly wouldn't need the two of them at a time like this.
A deep mountain wilderness in Liyue.
Inside the excavated cave.
Yelan suddenly woke up from a nightmare, quickly reaching for her thighs: "Hmph, still here. It was just a nightmare."
"What, did you dream I sawed off your legs?" The sudden voice made Yelan shiver. She quickly looked over and saw Su Xuan sitting nearby, watching her with an amused expression.
"Ugh!" Yelan shook her head and looked around again, her gaze finally settling on her previously injured legs.
She then realized that her previous injuries had miraculously healed. She knew without a doubt that it was Su Xuan's doing.
It was pretty much as she had thought; as long as she frankly expressed her feelings and intentions to Su Xuan, he wouldn't unreasonably kill her.
"Hmph…" Yelan let out a sigh of relief and said leisurely, "After the previous game, I realized that this isn't about danger or not."
"From the very beginning, my failure was destined."
"Looking back now, this kind of desperate suffocation really isn't fun."
Su Xuan ignored Yelan, who was talking to herself, and walked aside to record his current mood.
"During Yelan's unconsciousness, I calmed down and thought for a long time, finally understanding why she would specifically seek me out to bring her a different kind of sensation."
"This is closely related to Yelan's own strength."
"Firstly, the gods of Teyvat will not interfere too much in the conflicts among mortals."
"As long as both sides don't go too far, all the Archons will not excessively intervene."
"Due to the confusing actions of the Prince leading the Abyss Order, it's unclear what he's up to."
"For many nations, the most troublesome enemy on the surface is the Fatui."
Rosalyne: "?"
This implies that we Fatui are suddenly public enemies of the entire continent.
Hmm… aside from the Abyss, it really seems to be the case…
"However, Yelan is capable of dueling the Fatui Harbinger Regrator Pantalone, the Ninth of the Harbingers, without falling behind."
"She can even act alone and snatch the exotic beast hide cloak that Pantalone was going to present to the Tsaritsa, using it as material for her own sleeved cape."
"Even before Ningguang became Tianquan, the two had dealings, and with Yelan's help, Ningguang took office as Tianquan ahead of schedule."
"Yelan, known as 'A Thousand Faces in One,' is ubiquitous and elusive."
"With her superb disguise skills, she always cleverly navigates various situations."
"Her footprints have been left in other nations across Teyvat, and even in the Abyss."
"No matter how dangerous the storm, she always seems to find a way to cleverly place herself within it, guide the development of events, and then retreat unscathed before the incident ends."
"Such a woman, if she wants to experience something more stimulating, she probably can only actively seek trouble with the high-ranking Fatui Harbingers."
"But because her deepest desire is for the benefit of Liyue, she naturally cannot do something that could cause diplomatic trouble between two nations."
"Subsequently, she sought me out, who travels with no specific goal, hoping that I could bring her a fresh sense of excitement."
"As for why she sought me out, I think it might be related to me having no ties to any faction."
"Moreover, she believed I was a reasonable person. When we met, she had already stated her intentions, not out of disrespect or deliberately causing trouble."
"It was merely an inquiry made to me in a consultative manner."
The beautiful ladies of Liyue finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Since Su Xuan had stated that when Yelan sought him out, she had already expressed her intention to seek excitement from him in a consultative manner.
Then, this matter was simply a contract agreement reached between Yelan and Su Xuan, belonging only to them, and did not involve Liyue.
"Whew…"
After receiving Su Xuan's understanding, Ningguang's heart, which had been hanging, finally settled.
As for Yelan, after observing the Diary Copy, she chuckled lightly, "You really know us well."
Su Xuan turned to look at Yelan and said leisurely, "Not exactly."
"I only roughly know your personalities and how you operate, but I cannot fully grasp your actual actions."
"After all, people are living beings, and when they act, they are influenced by various factors, leading to many different behaviors."
Yelan nodded noncommittally, "You're right, but I still have to thank you for letting me experience a moment of desperate suffocation."
Su Xuan's eyes narrowed slightly, and he smiled, "Miss Yelan, you seem to have misunderstood something."
Yelan: "?"
She looked up at Su Xuan, who was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, "What do you mean by that…?"
"I said before, once you are caught by me, your life is in my hands," Su Xuan said with a faint smile, "And, your heart has received the stimulation it desired. Perhaps now it should be my turn."
"For example, I am very interested in interrogation and want to experience what it's like to question someone else."
"Perhaps, you can imagine what will happen to you next."
Yelan nervously swallowed repeatedly; she had indeed just had a nightmare.
She dreamt that her legs were torn apart by Su Xuan's Psychokinesis.
He wouldn't actually do that, would he?
"But, didn't you already… in the diary?" Yelan forced a smile.
Su Xuan had clearly recorded in his diary that he understood her proactive approach.
How did the situation change in the blink of an eye?
"Oh, you're talking about the diary content. I understand your actions, but that doesn't mean I have to act according to what I wrote."
"Perhaps, I just hope that other Diary Copy Holders won't be too nervous, right?"
Yelan: "!?"
A sense of overwhelming crisis surged into her heart.
Yelan then realized that the diary content alone was insufficient to make a correct judgment about Su in front of her.
Ye Tianhou, who had always been able to actively guide the development of events, was completely dumbfounded.
This inscrutable Su in front of her was truly dangerous.
"What… what do you want to do…?" Yelan stammered.
She didn't know what Su Xuan would do to her. While extremely nervous, she also felt a strange excitement due to the uncertain danger.
"I'm thinking about how to rigorously interrogate you."
"Physical pain seems useless for someone like you who is addicted to pain." Su Xuan pondered theatrically.
A Khvarena flashed, and he smirked, "I've got it. Speaking of which, I have a bunch of useless, miscellaneous drugs in my warehouse."
"Perhaps they can be used on you."
As he spoke, Su Xuan pulled out a syringe filled with an unknown transparent liquid.
"This is a reagent that can make one's whole body feel hot."
Yelan: "!?"
Having spent years navigating the dark underbelly of Teyvat.
Yelan instantly understood the meaning behind Su Xuan's words.
Such things also existed in Teyvat, but they were only used by unscrupulous nobles to indulge their wicked tastes.
Yelan had never heard of such a thing being used for interrogation.
"This…" Ye Tianhou was speechless on the spot and said, "With your status, how can you use something only those unscrupulous nobles would use?"
Su Xuan was momentarily stunned, then continued, "Theirs is only temporary. Mine is different. After injecting about three to five doses, your mind will be severely affected."
"From then on, besides craving that kind of thing, you will never be able to have any other thoughts."
"In other words, your life will be completely ruined."
Yelan: "What!?"
As soon as Yelan exclaimed, she felt an invisible force pull her, lifting her into the air in front of Su Xuan, where she was positioned.
Even more terrifying was that Su Xuan seemed unwilling to give her any chance.
Besides the one in his hand, there were four or five more suspended around him, influenced by Psychokinesis.
This guy probably wanted to turn her into an idiot all at once.
As Yelan thought of the fate she was about to face, she immediately struggled in panic.
Unfortunately, no matter how much she struggled, her body was as if embedded in the wall, completely motionless.
"Wait… wait… I was wrong… I shouldn't have made such a boring request to you…"
"Please let me go."
Yelan was truly panicked this time; she didn't want to become an idiot with only one kind of thought in her head.
If that were the case, she would rather be directly killed with a knife.
"It's too late to beg now. Just wait to become an idiot, Yelan." As Su Xuan's words fell, all the syringes simultaneously pierced Yelan's fair arm.
Yelan's beautiful eyes immediately tightened, and then her entire expression became one of utter despair.
It's over! It's completely over! Her life is completely over.
But after waiting for a moment, Yelan found that the situation did not develop as Su Xuan had said; she didn't feel any abnormality.
Then, she cautiously asked, "What… what happened…?"
"Hmm…" Su Xuan said suspiciously, "Did it expire?"
After checking it over and over, Su Xuan then smiled:
"Oh, sorry, it turns out it was just ordinary saline."
Yelan: "…"
So, this bad man was deliberately tormenting her through intimidation.
But, she had to admit, the exhilarating sensation of her life almost ending instantly shot through Yelan's head.
Thinking of this, Yelan's own face flushed red.
"However, this time, I'm going to be serious."
Su Xuan's voice came again.
This time, Yelan found that a pill had inexplicably appeared in his hand.
"What is it this time?" Yelan's throat was so dry from tension.
"A pill that can directly clear all impurities from the body," Su Xuan said lightly, "It can make the body feel exceptionally light and will not bring any negative effects to the body."
Yelan: "?"
"Sounds like a good thing," Yelan asked suspiciously.
Su Xuan nodded, "Yes, it indeed only has beneficial positive effects on people, but…"
"When I was in Mondstadt before, I was a bit worried that they couldn't bear the initial pain, so I never used it."
"But you are different; you not only aren't afraid of pain, but you even crave the stimulation it brings."
"Killing two birds with one stone, I've decided to use you for a trial run first."
Yelan: "!?"
"Will eating this cause immense pain?" Yelan's eyes widened in confusion.
Su Xuan shook his head and said, "This thing won't, but afterward, I will bring you pain."
Yelan: "!?"