Genshin Impact: Awakening in the Darkness

Xuanqing, carrying Xiao, flew back to his cave on the magical lotus flower, remaining silent the entire way.

“Um… Lord Heavenly Lord…” Xiao said weakly, “I can go back by myself.”

"Come back to my cave with me. There are some things I need to give you." Xuan Qing patted Xiao's head and spoke softly.

Xiao didn't say anything more, but quietly returned to Xuanqing's cave.

Upon entering, I was immediately captivated by the scene before me. The afterglow of the setting sun shone golden on the roof tiles, and each house on a floating stone had a different stone platform in front of it. The bridge connecting the various floating stones was the treasure that Minghai had recently brought out: the Mingxia Floating Stone. Although it was not as huge as that one stone, there were many of them, and when pieced together, they had a unique aesthetic appeal.

"Let's go." Xuanqing patted Xiao's head again and led him to a floating stone. The floating stone floated in the air and carried them to a courtyard. Although it was not as luxurious as the master bedroom, it was at least not plain either.

Xuanqing pushed open the door and walked into the courtyard. There was a tree there, its leaves turning a fiery red, as if painted by the twilight.

Xiao was inexplicably drawn to the tree and unconsciously reached out to touch it. The tree seemed to possess a spirit; even without wind, its branches swayed gently. Xiao felt that it seemed very happy, like a child.

"It likes you," Xuan Qing said after standing quietly at the door for a long time.

"It..." Xiao hesitated, unable to finish his sentence.

"Having lived for thousands of years, plants have also developed intelligence. Their lifespan is long, and even if you forget about it, it still remembers who planted it." Xuan Qing's profound and mysterious words were somewhat difficult for Xiao to understand.

"Alright, let's go." Xuan Qing led Xiao and pushed open a door. There wasn't much inside, except for a spear that emitted a bluish-green light and was as beautiful as jade, placed in the center.

"This is my gift to you, and Pu Yuan is its name. I reforged its original form, and Morax also helped, bringing a piece of a demon god's bone, which was then used to create its current form," Xuan Yue's illusory figure explained as it reappeared.

"Hmm, it can be compared to Morax's Rainbow Piercing Spear," Xuan Qing added.

"This is too precious! Please, Your Majesty, rescind your decree." Xiao was somewhat flattered.

“You are now one of our kin, this is just our greeting gift. You Yakshas need some handy weapons to travel this world. There are quite a few demon gods with lightning, rock, fire, and water attributes in Liyue. But your attribute is a bit tricky. Well, I happen to have a wind-attribute spear, which is perfect for you, so I brought you here to get it.” Xuan Yue said, as if taking credit, with a touch of childishness.

"Thank you, Heavenly Lord!" Xiao wanted to kneel again, but was stopped by a force. He could only bow his head, clasp his hands, and pay his respects to Xuanqing and Xuanyue.

"Go and take it; this is the first gift. 'Birds return to their nests late in the rain, and monkeys gather acorns after the frost.' As for the second gift, you've already seen it." Xuan Qing led Xiao back to the tree, drew a talisman in the air, and stored the towering tree inside, handing it to Xiao.

"Birds will eventually return to their nests. When you get tired, tear up the talisman, and it will guide you home."

"Your Majesty, Xiao... I don't understand." Xiao accepted the talisman, but still asked, "I can feel that you noticed me from the very beginning. Even during that battle, you held back and took care of me many times. I..."

"Don't worry, you are the transformed Golden Roc. The Golden Roc's bloodline traces back millions of years to the Phoenix, so it's natural that we'd be attracted to each other. You know, I don't usually take on a single companion for millions of years, but I'm making an exception for you, kid. I'll take extra care of you then," Xuan Yue said with a smile.

"Thank you, sir." Xiao felt a warm glow in his heart, and a smile appeared on his face.

"Then, could you demonstrate a spear technique for us?" Xuan Yue said with a smile, and Xuan Qing chuckled as well.

"Xiao, your skills are lacking; you don't possess any exquisite spear techniques." Xiao lowered his head again, his eyes visibly somber.

"Haha, it's nothing, just take it easy. It's still the Lantern Festival, and we'll have to go through the routine again tomorrow." Xuan Yue smiled and handed He Puyuan to Xiao: "Besides, it's rare that this guy is awake. If you don't understand anything, just ask him. Let me tell you, this guy knows a lot about music, not to mention swords and spears."

"Ahem, Xuan Yue." Xuan Qing interrupted Xuan Yue, "Let's have a dance. My marksmanship is probably not as good as Morax's, but I can still help you see where you are lacking."

"...Okay." Xiao finally agreed.

Xiao's spear technique was known for its speed. Knowing he was far inferior to Fushe and Mi Nu in size, he always struck down from a great height. Xuan Qing watched from the side with his arms crossed, his eyes never moving.

(He really looks like him, doesn't he?) Xuan Yue transmitted her voice to Xuan Qing.

(Hmm, I didn't expect that after all these years, the bloodline of the Golden Roc clan would still exist. But how did you...?)

(Why are you so determined to take him as your family member? Haha, we're the same person, and besides, this kid really makes me want to hug him.)

(Seriously, to be fair, since he belongs to the Golden Roc clan, these things should be considered returned to their rightful owner.)

(Yes, and this child has quite the talent; even thousands of years ago, he would have been considered one of the top talents. We've really struck gold.) Xuan Yue watched Xiao wielding his spear with increasing satisfaction.

(Sigh, it's probably because of that part of Ho-Oh's inheritance within you that you have such feelings for chicks.)

(Haha, isn't that the difference between us and those guys? Too much divinity would completely extinguish our emotions and desires, turning us into true gods, but humanity allows us to know emotions and enjoy everything we have now.)

(However, the Celestial Moon's reign is not sustainable. The natural order must be rearranged, which means selecting seven deities. Currently, I only admire Morax from the Liyue region for this role; as for the others, well, let's not even talk about them.)

(Well then, should we go check out the other demons? After all, the next move is about to begin, and we need to lay the groundwork beforehand; we can't let them get involved.)

(It's too late, but there's still a glimmer of hope. An opportunity from beyond the heavens, isn't it?)

(But...) Just as Xuan Yue was about to say something, she saw Xiao sheathing his spear and stopped talking to Xuan Qing.

"Your marksmanship is characterized by speed, with the swiftness and ferocity of the wind, but have you considered that too much rigidity can lead to breakage?" Xuan Qing commented. "My suggestion is to try a softer style of marksmanship to complement your current technique, or perhaps to go even faster."

"Faster...more." Xiao murmured, then bowed to Xuanqing as if he had suddenly realized something: "Thank you for your guidance, Heavenly Lord."

"It's late today. The side rooms are over there. Go and get some rest. We'll go back tomorrow. We should be going now."

"Yes, thank you, Your Majesty."

Xuanqing summoned the black lotus again and flew towards the main hall.

"Speaking of which, shouldn't we refine more magical artifacts? Otherwise, we won't have enough for the battlefield. Look at this black lotus, it's turned black." Xuan Yue said softly.

"Go ahead and refine if you want. Besides, it's always been dark there anyway," Xuan Qing said, somewhat speechless.

"Today is the last day, why don't we go shopping? Before, when you were asleep, it wasn't very interesting for me to go out," Xuan Yue said with a smile.

Xuanqing looked into his smiling eyes and nodded gently. Mo Lian spun in mid-air and flew out of the cave.

"Yin and Yang in order." Xuan Qing chanted a spell, switching places with Xuan Yue. Now, Xuan Yue was in control of Ruoyavis, while Xuan Qing was the spirit beside her.

“It’s nighttime now, and I have enough power to solidify my physical form. Let’s go, before the crowd disperses, let’s go take a look.” Xuan Qing led Xuan Yue, who moved through the streets like an ordinary person.

"Oh, right, this is from Sister Ping'er." Xuan Yue handed the dark green hairpin to Xuan Qing.

"Sister Ping'er? How old are you? Aren't you afraid of making me feel old?" Xuan Qing said with a hint of teasing.

"Hey, I think I've been sleeping underground with you ever since I first gained sentience. So, based on the time I came out now, I'm not even a year old yet." Xuan Yue squinted at the culprit who had kept him asleep for so many years.

“What you said doesn’t seem wrong,” Xuan Qing replied thoughtfully to Xuan Yue.

"Right, right? So, as one half of Noyavis, you also have to call her Sister Ping'er." Xuan Yue finally revealed his purpose.

"That's going too far. According to you, I've been in human form for over 30,000 years now, and even if you subtract the time I've been asleep, it's still around 20,000 years. No matter how you calculate it, I'm older than her, right?" Xuan Qing crossed his arms and looked at Xuan Yue, who was acting like a spoiled child. Xuan Yue, with a face exactly like his own, still felt somewhat uncomfortable.

"You're definitely making fun of me in your mind with that look on your face!"

"No, that's what you think."

"You have it!"

"No."

"Then don't tilt your head! That just proves you're guilty!"

"Then please don't pull my clothes."

"Um..." A weak voice interrupted their argument.

Xuanqing and Xuanyue followed the sound and lowered their heads. They saw a boy holding a baby and a broken bowl in front of them: "Could you... give me some Mora? My... little brother is sick and wants some... Mora... to cure him." His voice trailed off.

Xuan Yue and Xuan Qing exchanged a glance. Xuan Yue then squatted down, a move that startled the boy, who hugged his younger brother even tighter.

"Don't be nervous, he knows some medicine, let him take a look." Xuan Qing tried his best to make his voice less cold. He couldn't help it; he felt a little awkward in front of unfamiliar people, so he would lower his voice to cover it up.

"There are too many people here, it's not a good look. Let's go to the side," Xuan Yue said, frowning as she looked at the crowd around them. She exchanged a glance with Xuan Qing, nodded, and then led the two children to an open area.

To avoid attracting attention, Xuanqing pretended to borrow chairs or other items from others, then conjured up a stove for burning medicine, a pottery jar, and other similar items before walking over to Xuanyue.

“Your brother’s condition is caused by long-term malnutrition, and he seems to have a protein allergy; the red rash on his body is hives. You need to have some place to stay, otherwise your brother is in danger,” Xuan Yue said, frowning.

"Bang!" The boy knelt before Xuan Yue: "Big brother, please, please! Save my brother! I can be your slave, I, I can work hard, I'm very diligent!"

Xuan Yue sighed. The boy thought that his older brother was not going to agree, and he was so anxious that he couldn't think of anything else to promise. He wanted to kowtow again, but as soon as he lowered his head, a hand grabbed his collar and made him raise his head again.

"I brought the medicine for you." Xuan Qing released the hand that was holding the boy and placed the medicine from her other hand into the boy's hand.

“There are five doses of medicine in total. You only need half a dose each time. Find a wooden tub and give your brother a medicinal bath for half an hour, once every three days. It should be better in half a month,” Xuan Qing explained.

"This... thank you, thank you brother, I will earn money to pay back Mora." The boy was about to kowtow again when Xuan Yue pulled him up.

“Stand still. We still have Mora, so there’s no need for that. But you’re still a child. If you want to take care of your younger brother, you should find someone to take care of him.”

“Our mother left after giving birth to my younger brother, and our father went to another city to do business to earn money…and never came back…” the boy explained.

"I helped an old traditional Chinese medicine doctor before. Here's a letter of introduction for you. You can go there as an apprentice, and your younger brother will be well taken care of." Xuan Qing handed the sealed letter to the boy. The boy hugged his brother back, thanked her again, and then left with the letter.

"How come I didn't know you helped an old traditional Chinese medicine doctor?" Xuan Yue glanced sideways at Ruoyavis.

"Of course I don't, but Jovis does."

"what?"

“His karmic connection was already with that traditional Chinese medicine clinic, so I, in the guise of Mingye Tianjun, told them that their destined person had arrived.”

"You really are all bark and no bite," Xuan Yue said, shrugging with a helpless expression.

"Don't think I didn't see it. If I hadn't arrived in time, you would have been preparing to use your divine power." Xuan Qing stared at Xuan Yue, his expression unreadable.

"Uh... I just couldn't bear to," Xuan Yue said, scratching her head and chuckling awkwardly.

"He didn't listen at all."

"Oh dear, saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda."

"We are demons, not humans," Xuan Qing said, rubbing his forehead.

"I see... Haha..."

"You."

The two shadows stretched long on the ground, and in the silence, a pair of red eyes flashed briefly in the shadows.