A moment later, Ayaka emerged from the room, still in a yukata, but not the one from last night.
Unlike Shiki, who went for a stroll on Watatsumi Island after dinner, Ayaka went straight to bed and fell asleep after returning.
And that yukata, after being changed, stayed on the chair by the bed all night, still smelling of fried skewers.
This certainly wouldn't do, so she had to change into something else.
Considering they had another meal with Mr. Zhong later, the two of them ate a simple meal and then headed straight to Liyue Harbor.
It was still the old spot, Sangenjaya. There was still some time before the agreed-upon twelve o'clock, so it was perfect for listening to stories and drinking tea to aid digestion.
twohourslater...
"Miss Ryougi, we're here! How is it? Aren't we punctual?"
"Very punctual. Then please take us to Wangshu Inn," Shiki said, nodding.
"Alright, both of you extend your hands."
Traveler took the hands of the two maidens, and Paimon naturally hugged Traveler's neck. Then, the three people and one Emergency Food instantly vanished from Sangenjaya.
Guili Plains, Wangshu Inn.
"We've arrived."
"Is this Wangshu Inn? It truly lives up to its reputation!"
Shiki leaned on the railing and looked down, the surrounding scenery completely visible in her eyes. However, due to a certain handsome young adeptus, there were many monsters around here.
Shiki also felt that extremely vast resentment, which was no less than the Thunderbird's Residue on Seirai Island.
'It seems he is Xiao...'
"The scenery at Wangshu Inn is always great, but there are a lot of monsters around. We have to come and clear them out every few days," Paimon said.
"Ladies, I still have to go participate in Xiangling's Chef King Competition, so I won't stay any longer," Traveler said.
"Mhm, go quickly, don't keep them waiting."
Shiki nodded, then watched Traveler and Paimon disappear from her sight.
"Shiki, where is Mr. Zhongli?" Ayaka asked.
They had already agreed not to reveal Morax's true identity, so in Liyue, their only way of addressing the Geo Archon was Morax.
"The top floor, probably..."
Shiki wasn't entirely sure where Morax was.
His strength was far greater than hers; as long as he didn't actively expose himself, she wouldn't be able to sense him.
However, since he was here to clear Xiao's karma, he should be near Xiao.
Although Shiki couldn't sense Morax's aura, Xiao was no problem.
This strongest of the Adepti Yakshas was slightly inferior to her. If Purifying Evil Dance was fully activated, he would probably be similar to the Great Thunder Cannon, also very powerful.
After all, the innate factors were there; Yakshas were not Archons after all.
"In any case, let's go to the top floor first," Shiki said.
Ayaka naturally had no objections. The two followed the stairs directly to the top floor.
Indeed, there Shiki saw a slender man and a handsome young man.
"I've kept you two waiting. I presume this is the legendary Xiao, the Conqueror of Demons (not tall, handsome lad), the Three-Eyed and Five-Wielding Adeptus (always seen)?"
Xiao: "You know me?"
"Naturally." Shiki nodded: "After all, the resentment on your body is as conspicuous as a bright lamp in the dark night to me."
Xiao said nothing, but instead handed the conversation over to Morax.
"You two are very punctual. Although I already know, I'll still make an introduction."
"As you can see, he is currently the only Adepti Yaksha, Xiao."
"My former subordinate, now a friend," Morax said.
In truth, he had never regarded any adeptus as his subordinate, but before, he was the Geo Archon. Even if he declined, they would still view him as an emperor.
But now that he had abdicated the position of Geo Archon and was no longer the Geo Archon of Liyue, he could naturally refer to them as friends.
"How is it? Can you discern anything?"
"As I see it, the electro archon's residue has deeply penetrated his bones, inextricably entangled with his soul. An ordinary person can only suppress it, not cure it."
Shiki stroked her chin, then changed the subject: "But, I've never been an ordinary person."
"Xiao, do you often hear whispers in your ears? Accompanied by slight dizziness and headaches?"
"...Mhm."
"It seems my initial diagnosis was correct. Do you have any way to make these electro archon's residue erupt significantly?"
Since they were going to exorcise the karma, they had to see it through.
So, 'killing' the karma when it was most active would be the most suitable approach.
"Right now? Here?" Xiao was a little worried.
He certainly had a way to make the karma erupt, but that would also make the surrounding monsters agitated, thereby attacking passersby.
"Mhm, but there's a problem: I can only clear the karma on your physical body, unless you have a way to make your soul leave your body."
"Remember, not consciousness, but the soul."
The soul is hidden deep within a person's body. Shiki had no way to directly operate on the soul without harming the body.
While that could also kill the karma, Xiao's foundation would surely be damaged, leading to a decrease in strength or even a shortening of his lifespan.
Shiki uses a knife to treat illnesses, that's true, but that doesn't mean she's a quack.
Directly using the knife is the last resort. If the soul can come out of the physical body, that would be ideal.
"Soul out of body?" Morax pondered this. Immortal arts could allow consciousness to leave the body, but not truly the soul.
The soul leaving the body basically only happens in one situation: when the physical body perishes.
"Mhm... It seems you don't have a way. Then let's exorcise the karma on the physical body first. That way, you'll feel better."
The karma on Xiao's body was a double torment of soul and body. Regardless of which one, removing either would definitely be much better than having both.
"I understand, but the surrounding monsters..."
"Don't worry, I will act to conceal your aura," Morax said.
Then he slightly cupped his hand, a golden light lit up from the center, followed by six stone pillars forming a hexagon, enclosing Xiao within.
"This is a small seal. Once you are ready, I will activate it."
Upon hearing this, Shiki turned to Ayaka and whispered, "Ayaka, when the time comes, wait by Mr. Zhongli's side for me."
"Mhm."
Ayaka nodded very obediently. Seeing this, Shiki confidently walked into the seal.
"Alright, Mr. Zhongli, let's begin."
"Good."
Morax nodded lightly. The moment his voice fell, a translucent golden barrier appeared between the stone pillars, and at the same time, Xiao's face was covered by the terrifying Mask that had struck fear into demons a thousand years ago.
"Purifying Evil Dance!"
In an instant, pitch-black karma gushed out from Xiao's body, its density so thick it even obscured the view outside, like the dense fog on Tsurumi.
"Don't resist, it'll be over soon."
Shiki said, taking out a dagger from her dimensional sleeve.
Immediately after, a rainbow-blue intertwining color lit up within the black mist.
"!"
The moment he was gazed upon by the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception, Xiao's entire body tensed up. However, what shocked him even more was that the usually arrogant karma, at this moment, seemed to have encountered a natural enemy, emitting uneasy tremors.
In Shiki's vision, the blurry world became clear again, but at the same time, it turned into an eerie deep red.
Dozens of crack-like lines of death appeared on Xiao's body, emitting a black-red light. When she focused her attention slightly, she could see the young adeptus's body splitting into pieces.
Lightning flashed, and the world slowed down.
Shiki tightened her grip on the dagger, then, with a speed Xiao could barely react to, plunged it into his chest.
"Hoh?"
An expression of disbelief appeared in Xiao's eyes. He was known for his speed, yet he hadn't reacted?
No, he saw her movements, but his body couldn't react!
If the space had been wide, he would have definitely been able to react and dodge this attack, or even counterattack.
But it was too confined here; there was simply no time.
Shiki didn't have dead points like Tohno Shiki, but do you know how many ways there are to cut a line of death?
Cutting along the trace is fine, severing it in two is fine, a piercing hit is fine. Anyway, for Shiki, a line of death is like a strand of hair; it breaks with a slight touch.
However, the pain Xiao imagined did not come. Instead, a sensation of lightness spread through his body.
It was as if... he had been standing his entire life, and just now, he had sat down.
"Ugh..."
A low moan involuntarily escaped his lips. The black mist, condensed from karma, vanished without a trace the moment the line of death was pierced, like melting snow.
After the black mist dispersed, Morax and Ayaka could also see what was happening inside the seal. However, what met their eyes was Shiki holding a dagger and plunging it into Xiao's chest.
Ayaka was already used to it; after all, that's how the girl treated the villagers in Higi Village back then.
But Morax hadn't seen it! Seeing the entire knife plunged in, he immediately dispelled the seal and rushed over.
Shiki ignored Morax, who was bravely being brave, my friend, and instead pulled out the dagger and asked, "How do you feel?"
Xiao looked at his unharmed chest and the dagger that was still clean, slightly bewildered. What just happened?
Why was he stabbed but completely fine, not even a drop of blood flowed?
Why did he feel so comfortable now?
Morax stopped in his tracks, seeing this. He had already discovered that Xiao had not been harmed, and his karma had also decreased to about half of its original level.
In other words, Shiki had just killed half of the Thunderbird's Residue with one strike (confirmed).
"A long-lost feeling, it's as if..."
As if he had just been born into this world.
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