Genshin Impact: Pool Character, Nirvana of the Demon God

That kid almost snuck into the group.

【Dishia, you were right to refuse.】

[What I hate most are these kinds of plot points and characters who knowingly cause trouble but still insist on appearing; it's a complete forced progression of the story.]

Do you really think everyone is like our Yiya baby?

[Even though they're both children, Yuan Xi is much more likable than this character named Isaac; at least he has self-awareness.]

[↑Don't compare this plot-driving character to our Yuan Xi. Our baby dared to brave a dangerous situation with just an iron rod to save her father.]

"That's the situation—in short, I've promised Isaac I'd help him find the village guardian."

Dixia's tone was slightly somber, a hint of helpless weariness appearing between her brows, her fingertips unconsciously rubbing the arm armor on her arm: "So... you shouldn't mind taking me along, right?"

Paimon's eyes widened suddenly, his voice filled with surprise: "Huh? He actually went to Desia for help? His obsession with his grandfather... isn't that a bit too deep!"

“I can understand,” Ying replied softly, her gaze calm as a still well reflecting the moon. “After all—that was his only remaining pillar of support.”

Isaac's parents died unexpectedly in a sandstorm; and his white-haired grandfather, who spent his days repairing pottery under a withered jujube tree, also quietly passed away under the yellow sand not long after.

After the double collapse, the world suddenly lost its weight.

Just as he was on the verge of collapse, a gentle yet resolute figure quietly approached—it was Naxida, using the body of the village guardian, to offer the boy an inextinguishable lamp in her aged form.

For Isaac, those wrinkled hands and those cloudy yet warm eyes were not borrowed skins, but rather a re-anchoring of kinship deep in his blood.

He was convinced that it was his grandfather.

Ying gazed at the undulating sand dunes in the distance, her eyes dimming slightly, as if a new page, sealed for five hundred years, had been turned upside down by the wind.

She was like that too.

When she first awoke in the unfamiliar and vast wilderness of Teyvat, the world was desolate, the language was incomprehensible, and the laws were unknown. Only her brother, who had once traversed the sea of ​​stars alongside her and shared the covenant of the throne, remained by her side.

Emptiness—that was the only reality she could hold onto.

At that time, she poured almost all her affection and trust into him without reservation, regarding him as an unshakable beacon and an irreplaceable reliance.

Therefore, when she opened her eyes again after being sealed atop the tower of Sumeru City for five hundred years, her first reaction was not to look around, nor to ask what day it was, but rather—

They set off immediately, traversing seven kingdoms, solely to find his whereabouts.

She was afraid he was no longer there.

I fear even more that he is all alone in this vast and indifferent world, enduring five hundred years of wind and frost and loneliness by himself.

After all, they faced Asmodé together, were torn apart, defeated, and thrown into the void together... On the brink of life and death, no one could predict whether fate would leave any room for maneuver.

It is precisely because the concern is so deep that there is no room for hesitation; it is precisely because the love is so intense that it appears reckless and impatient.

Later, in the warm candlelight of a Mondstadt tavern, Junbai's casual remark, "Your brother is now a prince of the Abyss Order," cleaved through the fog like a thunderbolt.

It turns out that he not only lived, but lived a... rather "present" life.

Ying chuckled softly a few times, her laughter clear and crisp, yet carrying a chilling edge.

"Heh...hehehe..."

"I searched the whole world for you the moment I opened my eyes, but you woke up five hundred years earlier than me—and what happened? Not only did you not come looking for me, but you also created the Abyss Cult, which wreaked havoc on the seven kingdoms?"

"It seems it's time for you to take a good look back at those 'good old days' when I chased you all over the starry sky, crying and begging 'Sister, have mercy'..."

Upon learning that Kong was safe and sound, and even living a carefree and flamboyant life, the huge stone that had been hanging over Ying's heart for five hundred years finally slowly fell to the ground.

As her journey unfolds, she encounters Venti's music and freedom in Mondstadt, hears Zhongli's whispered words on the rocks in Liyue, touches the gentleness beneath Ayaka's snow blade in Inazuma, and understands the compassion in Narcida's leaf veins in Sumeru...

As friends grow and the heart broadens, the obsession with the "sole pillar" quietly transforms into a deeper and more composed vigil.

She no longer rushed to the finish line, but began to pause—to watch the shimmering light dancing on the surface of the Liyue Sea, to listen to the ancient songs coming from the depths of the Sumeru Rainforest, and to feel the rhythm of every piece of land breathing.

The search for her brother remains a predetermined plot point, but it is no longer the burden that crushes her journey.

When their reunion finally came, what she wanted to do was no longer just leave Teyvat; but to grip her sword tightly and make him realize—

The way to write the four characters “兄友妹恭”.

Having personally experienced that almost instinctive attachment and burning pursuit, Ying truly understood the unquenchable light in Isaac's eyes.

Understanding does not equate to indulgence.

She would not willingly take a child who is not yet an adult onto an unknown and dangerous path—even if he has clear eyes and a firm will.

Paimon? Though small, Paimon is incredibly perceptive. In times of crisis, he's always the "number one in tactical retreat," never causing trouble, only desperately shouting "Luminous—run!!!" from a safe distance.

But Isaac was different. He was still young and had not yet learned to distinguish between goodwill and trap, impulse and courage, trust and blind obedience.

Ying had read the Liyue Chronicles: the villains' downfall wasn't due to powerful enemies, but rather to a trusted confidant who "meant well but did bad things"—

A single wrong word, a misjudgment, or a moment of hesitation can be enough to bring about the downfall of everything.

She was still pondering: if Dixia insisted on bringing Isaac along, how should she politely but firmly refuse?

Fortunately, Dixia was more clear-headed and restrained than she had expected—she did not agree, but simply shook her head gently, leaving the boy under the old jujube tree at the village entrance.

Since Isaac isn't coming, it's only natural and inevitable that Desia will join the group.

Ying turned her head, her gaze falling on Seno, who stood quietly to the side like a pine tree: "I'm fine. Seno, what about you?"

Sino raised his eyes, his golden pupils calm as an ancient scroll unfurling: "No objection."

Paimon immediately clapped his hands, and Iya also raised the corners of his mouth, clapping and laughing, "Welcome to the team, Desia!"

"Hehe, you're too kind..." Dixia scratched her head shyly, her ears turning slightly red, then asked seriously, "By the way—how's your investigation going? Have you found any leads?"

“I’ve been to Grandpa Isaac’s old house.” She took out a dried incense stick from the bottom of a ceramic jar, and picked up a wisp of ash with her fingertips. “There’s a lingering scent of incense there—very faint, but very special.”

"Incense?" Seno frowned slightly. "What kind?"

Dixia shook her head: "I can't tell. These kinds of spices are rarely found in the heart of the desert, but are more common in the trade routes east of Fangshabi. They are a favorite of scholars and hermits."

Ying's eyes narrowed, and she tapped the table lightly with her fingertips: "If it's incense... then everything makes sense."

Paimon tilted his head, looking bewildered; Iya, however, nodded slightly, his voice clear and melodious: "The village keeper is a scholar exiled here by the Order of the Church."

Even in his madness, the habits of a scholar remain ingrained in his bones—he finds peace in the scent of fragrance and is drawn to its presence. A wisp of calming incense is enough to lure away an old man lost in the ruins of his memory.

—The meditation room of the Chancellery is perpetually filled with the subtle fragrance of sandalwood and camphor;

—And those followers of the Red King used this gentlest bait to pry open the strongest defenses.

“I see…” Seno said in a low voice, his voice like sand grinding on a stone surface, “They didn’t kidnap him, they ‘invited’ him away.”

Dixia was stunned: "Them?"

Seno recounted the information he had gathered recently—rumors about the Red King's resurgence, hearsay, and the increasingly fervent prayers of some believers in the tavern…

The news may not be accurate, but it is like a spark ignited by flint, instantly illuminating the dark corners of logic.

The Red King himself may have no intention of returning;

But the believers had long since burned away their reason and reverence in the flames of faith.

They firmly believed that only through human sacrifice could the doors of the sleeping gods be opened.

Even if the gods themselves declare—

"I will not come back."

They would also shout through tears:

"No, you want to come back—you just forgot how to say it."

Upon hearing this, Dixia looked enlightened and said, "So you think there's some collusion between the Red King's followers and the royalists."

"Reasonable."

"It's something only royalists would do."

"They are notorious for their inhumanity."

Ying, Sano, and Yiya each expressed their opinions.

Paimon asked, "So what do we do next? Go to the Council of the Fathers to investigate?"

Nasita is still with them now, and if they rashly return to the Church, it could put Nasita in danger.

Otherwise, given Paimon's usual intelligence and behavior, this statement should not be a question, but a statement.

Dixia smiled confidently and said, "Under normal circumstances, it might have turned out this way, but you've come out ahead of yourself with me here today."

“You just mentioned that the person who leaked the information heard it from a pub, right? I also like to go to pubs for drinks, and I know a little about the radicals he was talking about.”

"It's nothing more than 'Round-Eyed Butcher' Ngur, 'Pockmarked Bandit' Deliwa, and 'Bearded Scimitar' Jebari. These guys are all famous." Desia said with a confident expression.

Hmm? Ying suddenly felt something was off.

Of the three people Dixia mentioned, one of the names sounds familiar. Where is it? I'm so curious!

Ying's gaze inadvertently fell on the corner of the wall.

Then he casually looked at Dixia, who was talking eloquently.

"You reacted pretty quickly, Desia," Ying thought to herself.

Seno and Iya also looked away. They had already noticed that someone was eavesdropping from behind the corner.

When Dixia changed the subject, they already realized that the walls were listening.

However, seeing that Dixia was talking nonsense with a straight face, they did not expose her or rashly take action against the person eavesdropping behind their backs.

Instead, she began to cooperate with Dixia's acting.

Why is it said that Dixia is talking nonsense with a straight face?

Because Jebari was a villager from Aru village, they had asked him before when they were gathering information.

Now, Desia claims he's a radical among the Red King's followers—isn't that utter nonsense?

[Jebarri...isn't that the stay-at-home dad who cooked for the kids earlier?]

[Jebari is in the village...]

[Didn't we just encounter Jebari?]

[Someone's eavesdropping here. Dixia is just talking nonsense; we're just playing along.]

Now that they knew the reason, everyone quietly cooperated with Dixia's performance.

Desia continued her rambling: "The common characteristic of these people is that they are short of money. The worse they are, the more willing they are to believe in the Red King. For them, the resurrection of the Red King is the only chance to overthrow the Council of the Church."

“Only by making Sumeru worse can life here be fundamentally changed. I guess that’s what they think, which is why they chose to become radicals.”

These words may have some truth to them, but they are more likely to be fabricated, since they contain subjective assumptions rather than concrete evidence.

The other three understood that this was something Dixia deliberately said to those in the shadows, in order to mislead them.

But Paimon didn't know that; she thought it was true, so she said with admiration, "Dishia is amazing, a local expert!"

Dixia laughed loudly: "Hahaha, you can't neglect intelligence work when you're a mercenary. Not a single penny of the money spent on drinks was wasted."

"Her acting is pretty good," Ying said, watching Dixia's performance.

At that moment, Seno spoke up at just the right time: "Then we should not delay."

Dixia shook her head and said, "No, Seno, you stay in Aru Village."

Sino asked, "Why?"

What Seno meant by this was that he wanted to take action against the person who was eavesdropping, so why was Dixia stopping him?

Dixia explained, "Aru Village is a small place, and outsiders are very conspicuous here. News about you must have already spread."

"The desert environment is harsh, and life is tough. It's nothing like the other side of the sand barrier. To get things done in this kind of place, you need connections."

"Compared to you, I am just a third-rate soldier with negligible combat ability, but I have my advantages, namely that it is easier to gain trust."

"I'll have to ask around later, and it'll be difficult for me to explain if you're here."

She deliberately claimed to be a third-rate soldier in order to lower the guard of the people hiding behind her.

That way, when she's surrounded later, she can turn the tables and wipe out the enemy in one fell swoop.

Upon hearing this, Seno immediately understood what Dixia meant.

So he nodded and said, "...Okay."

At the same time, Seno said to Nasita in his mind, "Little Lucky Grass King, may I ask you to stay? I want to take this opportunity to rescue those village guards."

Nasita, who had been listening from the sidelines, could naturally guess Dixia's plan and understood what Seno wanted to do.

The one eavesdropping in the dark was a radical among the Red King's followers. After hearing these words, he would definitely go and inform others.

Meanwhile, Dixia and Ying, under the guise of gathering information, went to find those radicals, and their attention was sure to fall on them.

At that time, Sino, who remained in Aru Village, would only need to eliminate some of his spies, and the radicals would lose their ability to monitor Sino.

This was precisely the best time for Seno to go and rescue the villagers.