Fortunately, Venti had appeared quietly back then, soothing the pain of Karmic Debt for him with pure Anemo power, allowing him to catch his breath.
Xiao had always silently kept this debt of gratitude in his heart, never forgetting it.
Venti chuckled, "Ehe," and waved his hand, his tone as casual as if greeting an old friend, "Just call me Venti. 'God of Freedom' sounds too formal."
"I have no important business this time, just wanting to bring this young lady to experience Liyue's local customs and give her a glimpse of a different world."
A wisp of Anemo element coiled around his fingertips, his eyes clear and undisturbed, not mentioning a single word related to the Abyss.
He had rehearsed these words in his mind several times. He had no intention of revealing the truth: that everyone had sensed the Abyssal aura, met Dainsleif, and had come to Liyue to train first in order to investigate "His" conspiracy.
Venti knew Xiao's temperament too well. The Guardian Yaksha always drew a clear line between gratitude and grudge, and he valued Liyue's safety above all else.
If he learned that traces of the Abyss had reappeared, he would definitely inform Zhongli at the first opportunity.
Whenever he thought of that old Geo Archon, Venti couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
Morax had been known for his fierce temper in his youth, ready to shatter mountains with his spear at the slightest disagreement.
Though he had now retired to the background and concealed his sharp edges, his most beloved Yunqin had just recently met a tragic end at the hands of the Abyss.
Given how much Zhongli cherished those close to him, if he learned that the Abyss was once again stirring in the shadows, there was no guarantee he could suppress the fury in his heart and would personally intervene in the investigation.
Setting aside the fact that with the Geo Archon's power, the Abyss would likely flee the moment they sensed his aura, their plan to investigate "Him" and the Seven Cycles would then be completely ruined.
Even if Zhongli could suppress his anger, Venti was unwilling to trouble him lightly.
That old man seemed easygoing, but debts of gratitude were the hardest to repay.
Therefore, unless absolutely necessary, Venti still did not want Zhongli to know too much for the time being.
Xiao gave Lydia a deep look, his gaze lingering briefly on the Vision glowing with a pale green light at her waist and the Festering Desire with its flowing dark purple runes, before quickly looking away without asking any more questions.
Seeing this, Lydia immediately broke into a bright, warm smile and waved enthusiastically at Xiao, her voice as clear as a silver bell: "Hello! My name is Lydia, and it's my first time in Liyue!"
"You're so handsome, we're friends now!"
As she spoke, she seemed completely oblivious to the cold, aloof aura Xiao exuded that warned others to stay away. Ignoring Lumine and Paimon's suddenly wide eyes and shocked expressions, she walked straight up to him and reached out, gently pinching his cheek.
With a soft "plop," her fingertips touched skin that was cool yet surprisingly soft, possessing a delicate texture completely different from Venti's.
Xiao froze completely, his pupils constricting slightly, his face a mask of sheer disbelief.
In his thousand-year life, few had ever dared to offend him so boldly or touch him.
Yet he wasn't surprised by the girl's audacity, but by his own reaction.
Faced with the sudden contact of a stranger, his nerves, always so taut, and his bone-deep vigilance had not stirred in the slightest.
His body had not even subconsciously counterattacked or dodged, which sent a wave of inexplicable unease through his heart, as if some sturdy defense had been easily breached.
Lydia froze for a moment after the pinch, then scratched her head sheepishly, her cheeks flushing slightly as a hint of apology and curiosity filled her eyes: "Sorry, sorry! It's just that Venti's cheeks are so soft, and I saw that you're also Anemo, so I wanted to see if all Anemo users are this soft... I didn't expect them to actually be so soft!"
As these words were spoken, the balcony instantly fell into an awkward silence.
Lumine subconsciously turned her face away, her shoulders trembling slightly as she struggled to hold back her laughter.
Paimon covered her mouth, her small eyes wide open, her cheeks flushing red from holding it in.
Venti scratched his head, his face a mixture of helplessness and amusement.
"Please don't mind her," Venti quickly stepped forward to smooth things over, gently patting Lydia's shoulder with a hint of helplessness in his tone, "This child is just... so quick to get comfortable with others. She's never been this bold back in Mondstadt. I guess the scenery in Liyue got her too excited, and she couldn't control her hand for a moment."
Xiao slowly came back to his senses, suppressing the inexplicable unease in his heart, and said expressionlessly: "It is of no consequence."
Before his voice even faded, his figure transformed into a teal afterimage, instantly vanishing from the balcony's edge, leaving behind only a cool breeze to prove he had ever been there.
Watching Xiao disappear so quickly, as if deliberately avoiding something, Venti couldn't help but sigh, then reached out to press down on Lydia's head, gently rubbing it.
"You, you... In Mondstadt, you're always so wary of everyone, treating them like 'you are a bad person.' You'd frown if a stranger took half a step closer. How come you've become so uninhibited in Liyue?"
"Your courage is simply too much!" Venti's tone held a hint of admonishment and endearment.
Lydia's hair became slightly ruffled from being rubbed, and her snow-white ponytail was a bit messed up.
She broke free from Venti's hand, pouting stubbornly and puffing out her cheeks as she said, "What's wrong with that! I was just curious!"
"Who knew he'd be so unable to take a joke, running off so quickly! Besides, he doesn't even look fierce~"
Venti was temporarily speechless at her rebuttal, then immediately put on a stern face, his tone becoming a bit more serious: "Do you even know who he is? He is the Guardian Yaksha of the Geo Archon Morax, ranked among the Adepti. For thousands of years, he has slain countless monsters, and the Karmic Debt on his body is heavier than ordinary people could imagine."
"He usually won't even let strangers get near him. If he had harbored even a hint of killing intent toward you just now, even with me by your side, I couldn't guarantee you would have come out unscathed, you know?"
"An Adeptus?!" Lydia's eyes instantly widened to their fullest, the defiance on her face replaced by shock. She subconsciously covered her mouth, her voice filled with incredulous excitement, "He's the legendary Guardian Yaksha? I actually met an Adeptus?"
"I met an Adeptus right after arriving in Liyue? Oh my god! I'm just too lucky!"
Seeing the girl's wide-eyed, star-struck expression as if she'd never seen the world, Venti helplessly pressed a hand to his forehead, his heart filled with a mix of amusement and exasperation.
Lumine and Paimon couldn't hold it in any longer and burst out laughing.
Paimon even flew to Lydia's side, circling her twice as she teased, "Lydia, you're just too brave!"
"To actually dare pinch Xiao's cheek, you're probably the first person to ever do that!"
Lydia's cheeks flushed even redder, yet she still couldn't resist saying excitedly, "But it was really so soft! Besides, the Adeptus doesn't look as scary as the legends say. Instead, I feel... a little sorry for him."
She paused, a hint of barely perceptible heartache flitting through her eyes: "The aura around him is so heavy, it's like he's carrying a great burden."