A campsite near Qingxu Pool
Bonanus, having just finished a battle, was slowly arranging the corpses of the defeated in an orderly line.
'These bodies actually don't disappear... how troublesome,'
Bonanus muttered under her breath. Seeing these corpses scattered haphazardly all over... if not for her obsessive-compulsive tendencies, she wouldn't want to touch them.
She felt a bit like a weirdo right now. After all, a cute girl dragging a bunch of corpses around in broad daylight... pretty strange no matter how you thought about it.
Regardless, getting these things neatly arranged was the priority. Get it done quickly so her OCD could be appeased.
As for how to deal with these bodies later... that wasn't her concern.
Someone would naturally come to handle it eventually. Maybe fellow Hilichurls, maybe members of the Adventurers' Guild.
Or perhaps certain experiment-loving individuals would come for a free haul.
Half an hour later...
Bonanus placed her hands on her hips, wiping sweat from her forehead with the back of her large hand, letting out a soft sigh.
"Phew..."
Obsessive-compulsive disorder was murder!
These things were heavy enough to break several ordinary girls' backs. Good thing she wasn't an ordinary girl.
Just as she let out that sigh and was about to sit down for a rest, the System's voice suddenly rang in her mind.
[Detected host has severe obsessive-compulsive disorder. Spend 20,000 Karma points to remove OCD?]
"Bull!" A profanity escaped Bonanus's lips. Since she was alone now, there was no need to converse with the System in her mind.
Earlier, when she was acting alone, talking to the System mentally was just out of habit.
Bonanus's face was now lined with black. This System was inhuman! She was already so deeply in debt, and it still wanted to exploit her.
Old-school capitalism! The proletarian laborers must rise up! We cannot be exploited by these capitalists!
[Host, listen to your System's advice. This OCD, you can't handle it. It wastes so much time, wastes so much time that could be spent earning Karma!]
The System used a tone that suggested it was for her own good. It wasn't wrong; such OCD really did waste a lot of time.
Bonanus: 'I feel like you're meme-ing...'
Ordinary people might not understand the pain of OCD. Obsessive-compulsive disorder is a type of neurosis, or neurotic mental disorder—essentially a psychiatric illness.
Ahem... getting off-topic...
"If I believe your nonsense again, my debt balance will hit a hundred million sooner or later!" Bonanus crossed her arms, looking displeased.
[Host should consider it. After all, you'll be fighting every time, and each fight will leave things that displease you.]
[You can't possibly do this every time, can you?]
Hearing this, Bonanus stroked her chin. You make a valid point. But she was just a poor little girl right now. She'd indulge in such luxuries later, when she had the money!
Thinking this, Bonanus once again forced the System offline. She stretched lazily, preparing to search for the next Hilichurl camp.
She hadn't found any tainted Hilichurls in this camp. They were likely in another. Thus, the path of battle must continue!
Right, Commander? Don't ever stop!
Gently flicking the blood from her hands, Bonanus was just about to set off when a familiar figure blocked her path.
It was the figure of a handsome youth. He appeared before her without warning before she could react, but judging by his expression, he didn't seem very happy.
"Xiao? Why are you suddenly here?"
Seeing Xiao appear before her out of nowhere, Bonanus's mind was filled with question marks.
Shouldn't Xiao be accompanying the Archon and Big Brother Bosacius? Why suddenly appear here? An illusion?
"Elder Sister Bonanus, that should be my question..."
Xiao frowned. After saying this, without waiting for Bonanus's consent, he directly grabbed her arm, intending to pull her away from here.
His attitude was forceful, accepting no refusal.
"Hey, hey, hey! Xiao, what are you doing?!"
Suddenly being dragged away with considerable force, Bonanus felt a bit bewildered. His strength was immense... Bonanus felt utterly incapable of breaking free...
Watching the Hilichurl camp grow farther and farther away, Bonanus grew anxious. What was this about? Even if you're my favorite character, you can't hinder my money-making progress!
Preventing someone from earning money is like killing their parents! Plus, she needed to repay her debt! She didn't want the System coming to collect personally!
But no matter how she struggled, Xiao remained expressionlessly cold. He didn't seem inclined to answer Elder Sister Bonanus's questions.
For no other reason than because Elder Sister Bonanus had come to such a dangerous place without his permission, without even telling him.
Though the Yaksha clan never feared such things, and even he frequented this area regularly to deal with these Hilichurls...
He simply didn't like Bonanus coming to these regions. What if an accident happened? One must know, this area had many tainted Hilichurls.
Not to mention Treasure Hoarders lurking here, and the dangerous cult.
He hadn't forgotten the curse Bonanus had spoken of before!
Becoming weak, then losing many memories, including emotions, possibly even turning into a fool, an invalid fool unable to care for herself.
He would not allow such a thing to happen! Absolutely not!
"Hey! Xiao! Say something! What's wrong with you?" Bonanus gave up struggling, adopting a resigned tone. Since she couldn't break free anyway, might as well lie back and accept it!
But the aura around Xiao felt so cold... felt like he was holding something back... He wouldn't hit her, would he?
Seeing Bonanus like this, Xiao first halted his steps, then let out a deep sigh, slightly relaxing his tightly furrowed brows. He looked at Bonanus solemnly.
"You told me earlier you wanted to wander around casually. But the moment you turn around, you come to such a dangerous place."
Xiao used a tone like an adult scolding a child. He placed one hand on his hip, his eyes fixed directly on Bonanus's pale blue pupils.
His expression seemed to say: "Well? Start your excuses."
For some reason, being stared at by those golden eyes gave Bonanus an inexplicable sense of guilt. It felt like she'd done something wrong...
"Wasn't I commissioned to come here and deal with the threats? It's our duty as Yakshas to protect Liyue. I think it's a perfectly normal thing to do!"
Bonanus didn't dare meet Xiao's gaze. She looked at a nearby rock, offering a perfectly reasonable explanation.
Hearing this, Xiao sighed again. He was certainly aware of the threats here.
These Hilichurls had been camped here, but dared not rashly attack the Millelith patrol areas. Not just because of the Millelith, but also because of his presence as the Conqueror of Demons.
He would come here periodically for a round of slaughter. But each time he finished, another wave of Hilichurls would return. It felt like they could never be completely eradicated.
Who could have possibly entrusted such a commission? Surely not the humans of the Adventurers' Guild.
"Such matters should be handled by me and Bosacius. Could it be Elder Sister has forgotten the curse upon herself?"
Hearing this, Bonanus's face instantly fell. So that's what this was about... she should've known.
She regretted making the curse sound so severe. Now look—this handsome youth was keeping such a tight leash on her. Earning a little extra Mora would be difficult from now on.
On the continent of Teyvat, those with great power, whether human or divine, bore a kind of curse. No one escaped it. That was why Bonanus said she bore a curse after being granted power—it made it seem more plausible.
But regardless, today she could forget about earning Mora. With Xiao here, wanting to earn money? Keep dreaming!
"Sigh... I understand. I won't do it again, alright?" Letting out a soft sigh, Bonanus put on an adorable expression, attempting to charm her way out of trouble.
Seeing this, Xiao simply shook his head slightly. So Elder Sister still wanted a 'next time'? How troubling.
But since Bonanus was making such a face, he didn't know what else to say. He nodded slightly, indicating forgiveness.
Receiving Xiao's forgiveness, Bonanus's smile immediately brightened. Indeed, a woman who could act cute had an easier time handling certain situations.
Rubbing her head, Bonanus placed her other hand on her chin, as if pondering something.
Bonanus was now thinking: Since you won't let me earn money, I should at least get some compensation from you!
A moment later, a light bulb seemed to go off above her head. She looked at Xiao with expectant eyes and voiced her thoughts directly.
"Carry me on your back!"