"We'll be bothering you then."
As Lu Ze and Bronya took their seats, the caravan leader glanced at those around him, and his subordinates immediately understood. They quickly picked up the wine placed on the corner of the table.
This was the caravan leader's prized possession, something he was reluctant to drink usually. It was reserved for entertaining important guests. Seeing him bring out such wine proved that he valued you.
"Mr. Lu Ze, do you drink? How about a little taste to relax?"
This was a bit awkward. Lu Ze was the type of person who could get drunk on just a cup of alcohol. Even with beer, one bottle would be his limit. Bronya, standing beside him, knew his limits and immediately interjected,
"Let's forgo the alcohol. My mister can't hold his liquor. If you really want to drink, I'll be happy to join you for a few cups."
Bronya, or 'Duck-Duck' as she was affectionately called, was now an adult. As a professional, drinking was often unavoidable, and she had developed a decent tolerance. However, every time she saw alcohol, she was reminded of the unfortunate Ms. Himeko, who easily got drunk.
"I see. My apologies for being presumptuous. Let's eat, eat, no more drinking."
With the clatter of chopsticks, dinner was quickly finished. At the current pace, they would likely reach Liyue by noon tomorrow. He wondered if the house given by Ningguang was suitable. If not, he would have to buy another one.
The moonlight soon descended. Lu Ze stood on the balcony, feeling the wind from Guyun Stone Forest, contemplating the recent events. It had truly been a wondrous experience.
"You are... Lu Ze?"
Fragments of green coalesced in the air, quickly forming a young man. A mask adorned his waist, and his deep pupils seemed to pierce through Lu Ze. An aura of killing permeated the air.
Looking at the young man before him, Lu Ze saw an extraordinary scene. The young man stood silently in a pool of blood, with countless monsters lying around him. Black energy emanated from his body.
"Awaken!"
With a soft whisper of two words, Lu Ze awoke from the illusion. He had fallen into some sort of hallucination, seeing the young man's past. It seemed he was a character filled with sorrow.
"My name is Xiao. I am one of the Yakshas, one of the Five Yaksha Generals. It is best not to get too close to me, as mortals cannot bear my karmic debt. If there is nothing else, please leave this balcony. The wind tonight is not calm."
As if to verify his words, countless monsters converged from all directions, observed from the balcony. Among them were many Abyss Mages, waving their staffs as if conducting an orchestra.
"When did so many monsters appear?"
The nearby Millelith soldiers quickly formed a defensive formation, struggling to repel the monsters attempting to attack the inn. The wind tonight was indeed not calm.
"These creatures seem to be targeting you. But don't worry about that for now. Please take shelter. I will handle this."
As Xiao spoke, he swiped his right hand across his face, naturally donning the mask. His golden pupils looked down upon everything. With a powerful kick, the Jade Wing Spear on his back flew into the air.
He then jumped with both feet, steadily catching the Jade Wing Spear in his right hand. He executed a swift downward strike, the Jade Wing Spear impaling the ground heavily, repelling all the monsters that were about to attack.
"Yakshas, Xiao, comes to aid."
After a brief explanation, he raised the Jade Wing Spear and thrust it into the face of an attack by a Ruin Guard. The mask was pierced, green blood sprayed out, and the black energy around him seemed to intensify.
Upstairs, Bronya quickly emerged from her room, the commotion outside forcing her to put down what she was doing. She had just been tidying the bedding when she heard the noise.
"What happened? Why are so many strange creatures here? Are they enemies? Their aura feels somewhat similar to Honkai..."
Although puzzled, if enemies were to be dealt with, it was best to finish quickly. After all, she still needed to take a bath later. Speaking of which, she was a bit confused about where the hot water for the shower came from.
"Let's go help those below first. Given the current situation, there might be casualties, and that would be unfortunate."
Lu Ze reached into the void with both hands, and two dual pistols appeared in his hands. He had been enjoying using the Skyfire Judgment more and more recently; it was undeniably cool.
"Understood. Heavy Cannon Bunny 0019, auto-target, open fire."
The two of them jumped down from the sky, executing a perfect leap of faith, though they lacked the customary 'landing water.' Their physical capabilities were not poor; a mere few dozen meters of altitude was nothing to them.
"Why are you two here? Wouldn't it be better to stay in the inn?"
Xiao's face was already stained with countless drops of green blood. His Jade Wing Spear, if not for its green hue, might have appeared quite gory. At this moment, he resembled a demon engaged in slaughter, yet his presence was like that of a god of war to the Millelith soldiers behind him.
"We are not ordinary people. I don't appreciate sneak attacks late at night either."
He quickly fired two shots from the Skyfire Judgment in his hand, instantly killing the Ruin Guards who were attempting a surprise attack.
Exchanging a glance with Bronya beside him, she immediately understood. The two of them quickly fired several shots around them back-to-back, and countless bodies fell to the ground. Some then turned into ashes and vanished into the air, while others were simply burned to a crisp.
Xiao, wearing his mask, showed no discernible expression, making it impossible to read his thoughts. However, he did not stand idle. He simply leaped high into the air and plunged the spear into the midst of the monsters.
The power of the Anemo element transformed into countless chains, creating a scene reminiscent of an execution ground, where countless monsters met their judgment.
After the consumption of two waves, the number of monsters significantly decreased, leaving only the lone Abyss Mages. It seemed there were no more reinforcements.
"Xiao, don't kill them yet. Leave one alive."
The young man seemed to hear, yet not hear. He simply charged forward rapidly, shattering the shield with a single strike. The green long spear was plunged into the broken shield, instantly ending the Abyss Mage's life.
Then, like a phantom, he brought immense dread to the surrounding Abyss Mages. What was the point of fighting? They wanted to report him for cheating. Fighting was useless.
Some who hadn't managed to escape had already vanished from this world. As if heeding the advice, he silently picked up a Pyro Abyss Mage and walked towards them step by step, exuding an extremely powerful aura.
Mini-theater: Marriage (3)
"Are you a pervert? Captain. The internet says adults who propose to children are perverts! So you like me. Fine! I get it. You're a pervert! Captain, can you tell me what a pervert is? Can I eat it?"
Does anyone want to be this pervert? Perhaps it's you, reading this on the screen. Pervert Captain.