Looking down at the boy in her arms, the God of Dreams thought happily:
You have found your family, too.
Family who genuinely cares about you, truly worries for you, and holds you in their heart, without a single trace of falsehood.
That's wonderful.
Thinking this, she nevertheless put on a somewhat reluctant expression.
"Oh my, how cruel. He's supposed to be mine, you know."
Seeing her pull the boy closer, Zhongli's expression darkened.
"Return Xiao to me. Then you may go wherever you please."
Driven by some unknown impulse, he added another sentence.
"If you wish to remain in Liyue, that is fine as well."
*Yeah, yeah, I get it. You just want me far, far away from Liyue so I never come back, right?*
Convinced she had completely seen through the other's psychological tactics, Baimeng nodded to herself. Though inwardly triumphant at having achieved her goal, on the surface she wore a look of intense grievance.
"Hmph. I'll leave, then."
She slowly set Xiao down on the ground and turned to leave. Though she looked unhindered in her movements, as she passed by Zhongli, her whole body remained imperceptibly tense.
"Wait." Zhongli's voice suddenly rang out.
Baimeng's stride faltered; it took every ounce of her strength not to faceplant onto the ground.
"Aberrations have been frequent in the Abyss lately, and monsters are gathering. Be careful."
*Yeah, yeah, got it. You're just telling me to go down to the Abyss and pack myself away with the monsters so I won't come out and terrorize the citizens, right? No problem, Your Excellency, mission guaranteed.*
"Thank you for the reminder, Archon."
Throwing back a lukewarm reply, the God of Dreams departed without looking back.
Not until the figure in white hair and a black dress faded from view did Zhongli turn his head.
"What are your thoughts?"
The boy, who had been "fast asleep" on the ground, flipped up and dropped to one knee.
"I... do not know."
The Geo Archon lowered his gaze to the Vigilant Yaksha, whose face was filled with bewilderment. This posture overlapped with a blood-stained figure from a thousand years ago; back then, Xiao had knelt before him in the exact same way, his long, dark green hair unbound and cascading down, the tips trailing on the ground, stained with blood and dust.
The distant wind stirred the stray locks at his temples, blowing away the gloomy, sunless illusion. Brilliant sunlight spilled across the earth, and every blade of grass and tree swaying in the breeze carried a fierce vitality.
This was the Guili Plains, this was Liyue—no longer an ancient battlefield of warring gods. The blood that had once stained the earth red was buried deep beneath layers of time, friend and foe alike, and flowers now grew over the sprawling fields of bones.
"The past is gone."
His sigh dissolved into the wind. Zhongli brushed off his clothes, stood up, and with a smile, ruffled Xiao's hair.
"If there is something you wish to do, go and do it. Leave no regrets."
With his hands clasped behind his back, the Consultant of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor walked toward the mortal world.
Xiao looked down at his fingertips. Only a short while ago, hair as white as snow had lingered briefly in his palm, carrying the coldness of iron and blood, intermingled with a very faint floral scent.
It felt just like a "sweet dream."
"What should I do... Your Highness?"
A sudden gust of wind tugged at her skirt. Baimeng whipped her head around, but there was no one behind her.
"Auditory hallucinations? I'm not that old yet... Well, as for this body, I suppose it's hard to say."
Baimeng hopped in place twice.
"Much lighter than before. Looks like the physical conditioning isn't bad. Phew, thank goodness I didn't end up as some old hag with a baby face who wobbles three times with every step." Thinking of the stories she used to hear about people using her name to scare children, calling a dignified beauty of a god an "old hag," Baimeng felt a complicated mix of emotions.
Though she seemed to recall having seen a spry old lady who could walk like the wind once—when was that again?
The question circled in her mind before quickly vanishing. Baimeng glanced at the bottomless pit not far away, which exuded a bizarre aura, took a deep breath, and jumped in.
The deepest level of the Abyss was far cleaner and fresher than she had imagined. Though no sunlight reached it, making the place quite gloomy, it was not entirely devoid of light.
Clusters of unknown flora emitted a faint, ghostly glow, and eternal crystal lamps hung on the walls of ruined ancient architecture. The light they cast was more than enough for a god to walk around with ease.
*That's rather convenient,* Baimeng thought.
After all, her original body was night-blind; as soon as night fell, her vision went pitch black, unable to see her own hand in front of her face. Without a portable smartphone flashlight, she would have been no different from a blind person.
*Tap, tap.*
In the silent underground, the crisp sound of heels stepping on bluestone slabs echoed. As Baimeng moved forward, the air grew increasingly cold, which, combined with the eerie environment, felt straight out of a haunted house and made one's hair stand on end.
"Phew, it's freezing." Baimeng exhaled a puff of white air and couldn't help rubbing her numb arms. She had wanted to talk to herself to build up her courage, but the moment the words left her mouth, they bounced around the surroundings in circles.
The walls and rock strata warped her words as they echoed, sounding as though someone were mocking her and mimicking her speech. Wonderful, that just made it even scarier.
*I want to go home.*
Baimeng rubbed her chilly fingertips again, and a few butterflies fluttered out. But this time they weren't the pretty emerald ones from Xiao's dream, but blood-red ones radiating an ominous aura. Their wings shimmered with light as they danced around her.
"I should be almost there." Using self-talk to mask her unease, Baimeng finally reached her destination.
This was an ornate, gigantic gate that cut off the entire underground cavern. It looked solemn and heavy, carved with intricate ancient characters on the stone pillars flanking it that could make anyone dizzy just by looking at them.
Standing before the tightly shut doors, Baimeng looked like a mere ant at the foot of a giant, unable to see the top even when she tilted her head back.
Everything here seemed to silently resist her, yet the energy overflowing from the Abyss continuously poured into her body, filling her with power.
The God of Dreams raised her hand gracefully and knocked on the door. The crisp sound was not like flesh meeting stone, but rather like hard metal striking against solid bedrock.
"Thud, thud, thud."
Baimeng tapped rhythmically three times, making sure the sound was loud enough to carry inside.
Yet even after the echoes faded away, there was no sound from within the door.
"Hmm. In that case, I'll just have to do it the hard way."
The god extended her fair, delicate hand and lightly touched the door panel. The very next instant, her slender fingers violently dug into the stone, sinking in all the way up to the knuckles!
With a sudden burst of strength, Baimeng pulled hard, and a large chunk of granite was ripped clean away, instantly leaving a gaping hole in the smooth, massive door.
Tossing aside the ruined piece of stone, Baimeng wasn't the least bit surprised that a single strike hadn't shattered the thick stone door. She continued her work, even providing voice effects in her mind:
*Don't hide inside and stay quiet, I know you're home!*
Within the span of a few breaths, Baimeng successfully tore out a large opening with her bare hands, wide enough for her to walk through without stooping.
Dusting off her hands, Baimeng felt considerably more relaxed.
No wonder they say tearing up books and smashing things helps relieve stress—destruction really does feel great.
Without any suppression, her destructive urges from years past came roaring back. Smiling brightly, Baimeng stepped through the doorway and beckoned to whoever was inside.