"Aah! Ouch, ouch, ouch!"
On the downhill path of Mt. Aocang
A girl who looked very "blue" was rolling down at an incredible speed. The sheer number of rotations was a testament to the girl's strength and... "talent"...
Sayu: Have you considered finding a master?
"Little sister! I'm coming right away!" Bosacius's eyes widened. How could his petite little sister manage to roll so many times?
It puzzled him greatly. In truth, Bonanus's impressive rolling count was entirely thanks to her enormous hands. After all, those were hands larger than her head and torso combined!
Due to the pain and dizziness, Bonanus had curled herself into a ball, just like a wild Sayu, looking rather amusing.
One could only say, as expected of a Hydro Yaksha, effortlessly mastering another's skill. Her learning capability was terrifying.
If a bit of Hydro element were mixed in, the resemblance would be even stronger!
"Little sister, don't roll so fast!"
He yelled ~ She rolled ~ They were both caught in this inescapable situation ~
Cold sweat broke out on Bosacius's forehead. What on earth was wrong with his little sister? For a mighty Vigilant Yaksha to be so careless was highly suspicious.
But thinking from another angle, it seemed that ever since his little sister found him, and they woke up together in The Chasm, the Bonanus before him had become somewhat unfamiliar.
Clearly the same person, yet her personality felt like a different soul. Bosacius speculated that all of this was likely connected to that deity she mentioned.
If there was another explanation, then it would be that his little sister's body was having problems. He remembered that she had borne part of his Karmic Debt for him.
Could it be because of Karmic Debt?! This possibility couldn't be ruled out. Excessive exposure to Karmic Debt could even cause some adepti to undergo drastic changes in temperament.
Bonanus had mentioned before that she possessed the ability to forcibly extract Karmic Debt from others. It was hard not to worry!
Perhaps it was precisely this ability that caused Bonanus to act so recklessly in everything she did. If this wasn't investigated thoroughly, Bonanus might face serious trouble.
---
Meanwhile
Zhongli, walking slowly at the back, stroked his chin. Having confirmed that his Yaksha wouldn't come to harm, he began to ponder matters quietly.
(Morax has resumed his leisurely strolling state, hence he again calls himself Zhongli.)
The return of the two Vigilant Yakshas might be a good thing, but it also might not be, for no other reason than the deity Bonanus spoke of.
Even though he was told that deity was dead, such words are generally not to be believed. In short, a degree of caution must be maintained.
But Zhongli harbored no such caution towards the two returned Yakshas.
"Could it be that one..." Zhongli frowned deeply. If it really was that one, then things would be terrible.
This possibility couldn't be dismissed. Many things remained unknown, but Zhongli was in no hurry. He would figure it out slowly.
He could see that there was no hostility in the eyes of Bonanus and Bosacius. Bosacius's eyes held respect and nostalgia, while Bonanus's held admiration, curiosity, and nervousness.
In his 6000 years, this was the first time he encountered such a strange situation. However, drawing on his 6000 years of experience, he dared to affirm that the two Yakshas were not under any mental control.
Moreover, they both carried a familiar aura, so they were likely genuine.
"Most peculiar..."
Thinking this, Zhongli slowly raised his head to gaze at the sun in the sky. Seeing its position, his expression fell.
The noon storytelling session was missed...
What a pity. He had received news that the storyteller at noon was planning to tell tales of Rex Lapis.
It seemed he would have to wait for the next time then...
"Never mind. The return of old friends is a joyous occasion worthy of celebration."
"I heard that Wanmin Restaurant recently introduced a new dish. I can invite these two to try it sometime."
Zhongli shook his head, quietly closed his eyes, and continued walking down the mountain steps. Anyone seeing him would surely think he was blind.
After all, what fool walks down a mountain with their eyes closed? Isn't he afraid of rolling down if he's not careful?
---
Xiao
At this moment, Xiao looked perplexedly at the blue object rolling down towards him. Though slightly baffled, he didn't seem inclined to dodge.
Because from within that rolling object seemed to emanate a familiar aura...
Xiao squinted his eyes for a closer look. Upon recognizing those large hands, Xiao was utterly stumped. Those hands were unmistakably Sister Bonanus's!
So... that rolling object was Sister Bonanus?!
Good heavens!
Thinking this, Xiao also sprang into action. He swiftly rushed forward, intending to use his only recently recovered body to halt Bonanus's continued downward roll.
But this time, he was a bit careless. Perhaps his body was still somewhat weak, for the moment he charged forward, he was actually sent flying along with Bonanus.
Thud!
Having successfully stopped Bonanus from rolling further, Xiao was also successfully pinned down by her. The mighty Vigilant Yaksha in such an undignified state would be embarrassing if word got out.
Of course, the same went for Bonanus, one of the Five Foremost Yakshas. If mortals learned that a Yaksha had rolled down a mountain simply because she was lost in thought, it would surely become prime after-dinner conversation.
"Ugh..." Bonanus lay sprawled on a relatively soft spot, stars practically spinning around her head, her eyes swirling like tomoe.
She felt awful, in pain and discomfort. She had no mind to care about embarrassment anymore, only feeling unbearably dizzy.
That feeling of wanting to vomit but being unable to was... quite the experience. To put it bluntly, it felt like something was churning in your chest.
Though terribly dizzy, Bonanus tried to stubbornly push herself up from the soft area, but it was no use. She flopped back down with another thump.
"Urgh..." Bonanus retched dryly, lying there motionless, feeling half-dead.
And the place Bonanus was lying on was none other than Xiao's chest. That's right. During her roll, she had accurately landed right on Xiao's chest.
The precision was comparable to a "Dongfeng-31," delivering a precise strike to the enemy... ahem, wrong channel.
(T/N: Dongfeng-31 is an intercontinental missile)
Looking at the Bonanus sprawled on top of him, Xiao was completely stunned. But he quickly regained his composure, sat up, helped adjust Bonanus into a more comfortable position, and laid her down properly.
"Don't touch me, I'm dizzy..." Bonanus complained. Any touch at all made her head spin.
"It's me, Alatus. Are you alright, Sister Bonanus?" Xiao knelt on one knee, gently massaging Bonanus's forehead, hoping it would help with the dizziness.
"Did the other adepti give you a hard time?"
"Ah, no, no... I was thinking about things and rolled down..." Bonanus said with a pained, amused expression. She was, after all, an adeptus!
Well, now her image in the eyes of Lord Rex Lapis, Brother Bosacius, and Xiao had completely crumbled. They would be suspicious, right? They definitely would be!
She didn't know why, but ever since arriving in this world, she feared all kinds of exposure. Even though she had the original's consent, it didn't mean others would accept this reality.
It seemed... that system's 30,000-point "Advanced Concealment Passive Skill" absolutely had to be purchased, for the sake of smoother actions in the future.
Thinking this, she called out to the system in her mind.
[System, put that concealment passive thing on my tab!]
[Request received from Host. 10,000 points of Karmic Debt have been deducted. 20,000 points are to be owed. Please repay your debt promptly, Host~]
[Karmic Debt: -20,000 / 50,000]
Bonanus sighed inwardly. She could just absorb some Karmic Debt from Xiao later to repay it. If Xiao wouldn't let her absorb his, then she'd just hunt more monsters during the Lantern Rite.
This would also help share Xiao's burden. Every Lantern Rite was something of a love-hate affair for Xiao.
The Lantern Rite could bring him a certain sentiment, but it also brought him irritation, because every year during the festival, he had to tirelessly cleanse the nearby evil spirits without pause.
This was the time when Liyue Harbor was most relaxed, so Xiao shouldered this responsibility. Fortunately, Xiao still had plenty of time to admire the lanterns and fireworks.
Life is hard, Bonanus cries.
"Hey, Sister Bonanus, Bosacius is here."