Chapter Text
OPERA OF LIYUE
CHAPTER I
TWO FAREWELLS AND A HELLO
The searing pain blinded his vision. Eons of slaughter and the weight of karmic debt hung heavy like chains, weighing down each step he takes. Confused, dazed and hanging by a thread between life and death, the Vigilant Yaksha's body fell to the ground.
Even with his battered body and his soul reduced to mere cinder, the Yaksha refused to die. Whether it's due to oath of duty or sheer unadulterated stubbornness, no one knows. But perhaps those two things are the one and the same.
Now reduced to undignified crawling, the Yaksha's hand desperately grabbed soil and rock, pulling his broken body slowly. He crawled for what seemed like eternity, through mud and through shallow pools of water. Until finally, his hand touched a solid slab of rock. Gritting against the pain, he mustered all of his strength to pull his body up. How ironic, the Vigilant Yaksha, Conqueror of Demons, Bane of All Evil, now struggling for dear life just to stand up.
Under normal circumstances, he could split the heaven with one swing of his mighty spear, run through the skies of Liyue in a blink of an eye and battled both demons and gods on his own. Now, the Yaksha's legs trembled under his own weight. Were it not for the support of the slab of rock, he would have fallen to the ground again. With the last of his strength, he grunted and tried to push his body up before another wave of torrentious pain assaulted him, slipping his already weakened grip on the rock. The Yaksha slowly falls. Defeated by mere pull of gravity.
Surrendering the thought of trying to stand up, he settled on leaning his back against the rock. The cold touch of the stones against his back gave him small measures of assurance. His ragged breathing began to calm with each passing moment. And the Yaksha's mind began to drift to the days gone by.
Bloodhound. The taste of dreams and nightmares alike danced on his tounge, filling his belly. With each gulp, he grew stronger . . . and ashamed. This karma binds him.
Living Weapon. The smell of death and battle lingers on his nostril, the forgotten face of comrades and enemies alike blurred together. Only the pain it leaves accompany him. This karma binds him.
Xiao. Adeptus of Rex Lapis, Vigilant Yaksha, Oathbound Protector of Liyue. This karma binds him.
The pain came back with a vengeance. Wave after wave it came crashing down, shaving down his life force, unforgiving in its assault.
“Is this it?” Xiao thought, surprisingly without fear and regret.
With great effort, he tried to gazed upwards toward the sky, wishing to see the moon, the silent witness of his neverending slaughter. It's only appropriate for it to silently witness his quiet demise.
Instead, under the moonlit sky, two scarlet blossoms met his gaze.
“You can't go yet,” the voice is so quiet, almost like a sing song whisper, “they won't let you.”
And just like that, another bouts of sharp searing pain comes. And the darkness claimed the Vigilant Yaksha.
*****
Today is the seventh night after her grandfather died and the seventh night Hu Tao wandered the Wuwang Forest. And also the third night, after that zombie like masked wanderer came, literally crawling in.
“Grampa ~ Grampy ~ Gramps ~ Gramps, where are you now?” Hu Tao wondered absentmindedly amidst the quiet woods. Though at this time of the night the Wuwang Forest is deathly still, to Hu Tao it is as crowded as Liyue Harbor's night market. Spirits of the dead gathered here at Wuwang Forest, waiting to cross into the afterlife. Each one has a unique way with dealing with their own demise, a reflections of collective experiences of their past lives. Some puffed their chest proudly, satisfied of the lives they lived. Others wait solemnly as if waiting for their afternoon tea, some confused about their suddenness of their passing, previously still living their prime of their life. And another, wallowing in grief over unfinished business.
Though Hu Tao knew his grandfather would never wallowed over unfinished business, she felt that he would've waited for her.
“Excuse me, living people coming thru~,” she said as she danced around a gathering of spirits.
“Have you seen my Grampa? Unusually huge for someone his age, looked like he just chewed on a whole lemon? Big, round hat with Wangsheng on it? Probably around when you died? No, not like that i mean. No?”
Hu Tao tugged on spirit after spirit, some too engrossed in serenity of their death and some actually took the time to curiously look on a living child tugging on their sleeves. But none provide the answer she wanted. A courteous smile, a shake of the head and she was nowhere closer in finding her grandfather.
Sighing in defeat, she dragged her feet towards the shallow pool with rock bridge. Fine, she huffed, irritated, If Old Grumpy is nowhere to be seen, i'll wait somewhere to be seen! Like a frightened . . . lost child!
With each step she takes toward the shallow pool, the less she saw mortal spirits gathers, until all she sees are dark shadows of unearthly wraith, gathering around the sleeping figure of the masked wanderer.
Hu Tao recalled her grandfather's musings about this, where mortal spirit usually took on the form of their past lives, or how degraded spirit devoured by the ley lines are reduced to blue fire wisps. But what about the gods? Surely all the deaths over Archon War would resulted in godly spirits. And how would a being destined to be immortal and eternal dealt with death?
The answer lies in front of Hu Tao's eyes, a towering shadow of vaguely humanoid shapes, condensed by malice, unable to comprehend mortality, an unsolvable paradox that was thrust upon them. Their pain, confusion and sheer hatred was suffocating enough from where Hu Tao was standing. Her skin felt tiny needle-like prickles every time the shadow shifted their gaze or the shadow moved, however small their movement be.
And what would the masked figure have done to deserve all that undivided attention? Was he or she tied to their unfinished business? Were they haunting him or her? For what? For fun? Revenge? Wouldn't that make the masked figure their killer? That's usually the case, but not always. They said they wouldn't let him or her die, maybe they're his or her family? But why the hate? Families don't hate each other, usually, not always. Then maybe? Why would? How about?
Hu Tao's mind began to wander, creating stories and drawing conclusions on her own. Each more outrageous than the last.
And at last, her curiosity reached its limit and without command her feet took her where the masked figure lies.
Curiosity killed the cat, thought Hu Tao as the godly spirit slowly turned their gaze from the masked figure toward her, a young, living mortal. And wave of unease and unseen needles began assaulting her.
If the masses of mortal spirits felt like a stroll through the lively Li Yue Harbor night market, this council of godly spirits felt like a locked small room where every tiles of floor and walls let out a chorus of bloodcurdling scream.
Curiosity killed the cat, Hu Tao smiled slyly through the slowly building pain, but cat got nine lives.
******
“You are mine, Alatus” said the voice dripping in malice, “my little bloodhound. With my hand holding the leash, your life is mine to command.”
He nearly forgot that name. But the fear familiarly clung unto him.
“From now on,” command the voice carved in authority, “your name shall be Xiao.”
Rex Lapis, father, mentor and truest of friend. Xiao owed everything to him, his new name meant new beginnings.
“Hail to Alatus! Hail to Xiao! Hail to the Vigilant Yaksha, Bane of All Evil!”
The soldiers cheers trembled the earth. The smell of battle still raw in his nostrils while the sounds of metal clashing against metal rang fresh in his mind. The Five Yakshas stood proudly among mountains of the slaughtered. Victory tasted bittersweet.
“What comes after the war? Of dust and blood will this land be nurtured?”
How does such a quiet voice with a sad smile eroded the mightiest mountain?
“To cleanse the land and to defend our safe harbor,” though eroded the mountain still commands with such authority, “That will be the first contract in Liyue. Our promises shall be solid as stone.”
“Ten days the Guili Plains rained, whatever the flood did not carry to the sea, the famine will surely claims.”
His friend roared happily as he gave his everything and more to the land and its people. The Chili Minced Cornbread Bun felt warm on his palm.
“Outwardly the inn was constructed as a transit point for travelers and merchants heading to and from Monstadt. However, it's primary function is to serve as your abode. A place for you to rest and hopefully heals.”
He doubted her words, but he gave her his first thanks in a long while. Almond Tofu tasted like dreams he used to devour.
“Thanks for playing with me, nobody ever gave me the chance.”
He gave her a place in his home for the first thanks he received in a long, long while.
“You can't go yet,” an unfamiliar voice, with an irritating sing song voice, “they won't let you.”
In a deafening cacophony, They answered. Wraith-like hands blossomed from the earth, clawing at and dragging Xiao down into the abyss. Each cursing him in a language he didn't understand. Reminding Xiao of every karmic debt he committed. but cannot recall. For what is the point in dwelling on every sins of the past?
A slight poke on his forearm jolted him awake.
And the first thing he saw, was those two blossom like scarlet eyes.
The unknown girl stood upright with both of her hands behind her back and Xiao spotted a long piece of wooden branch popping out behind her back. The one she used to poke him awake must've been. Such audacity!
Rude as she may be, Xiao cannot fault her, human child are usually curious and lacked any self preservation instinct. He recalled many memories from his stay at Wangshu Inn, that surprisingly, so many human child tried to climb the balcony railings when their parents weren't looking that now Wangshu's staff are now on constant lookout for every guest with child in tow.
He decided that dignifying her poking with a response was not worth it and let his head down again, knowing that if ignored long enough a child will lose interest.
A second poke landed on his forearm.
Or not, Xiao thought.
Now a third and fourth poke came almost together.
Ignore it.
Fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth are now poking in a playful rhythm.
Ignore it.
Xiao steeled his resolve and hunkered down. But immediately lost his patience when the wooden stick playfully teased his ear.
“What do you want?” grunted Xiao as he swatted the thin branch teasing his ear. Not even bothering to raise his head.
The unknown young girl laughed, “Oya? A talking hillichurl!” she guffawed.
Xiao gritted his teeth, were it not for his battered body, he would've disappeared with the wind the moment he sensed the girl's presence. But alas, his body felt like stone, heavy and rigid.
“Yup, just a regular sleepyhead talking hillichurl.” To Xiao's irritation, he heard the sing song voice of the unknown girl creeping closer. “Funny mask, small body, mane's not as bushy though, must've not hit puberty yet.”
Somehow that hit a nerve.
“Go. Away.”
“Blatant disrespect of common courtesy! Of course, vital to hillichurl society!”
“Ugh,” somehow Xiao's karmic pain began to gave way to karmic headache.
“And of course, how could I forget, a symbol of status among the hillichurlian, an entourage of godly spirits wishing thousand deaths upon you.”
That caught Xiao's attention. He slowly lift his head and mere inches from his face, the girl scarlet eyes conveyed her sly smile. Xiao's suddenly felt like he just walked into a trap.
“Tell me something I don't know,” he replied coldly.
“Aiya ~,” the girl slapped her forehead in defeat. “That's the part where you said 'Y-you can see them? How?' with awe in your voice.”
“Mortal with insight upon the supernatural are unusual, but hardly the first time I encountered them,”
“Mortal?” asked the girl before bursting into barely contained guffaw. “How condescending of you!”
The karmic headache slowly built up on Xiao's temple.
“I'll ask again. What. Do. You. Want?” His voice echoed with irritation.
“I want to know, what did you do to them?” To Xiao's surprise, the girl went from overly playful to authoritative in a heartbeat. Her scarlet eyes previously danced with barely contained 'humour' now stared at him with the same intense gaze that reminded Xiao of the Immovable Mountain, Rex Lapis himself. A young girl, barely bloomed in her youth stared at the Conqueror of Demons and challenged him with such an accusing question.
“I....,” Xiao started, suddenly feeling lost. “... killed them. That's why they haunts me. Why they hated me.”
“They don't hate you, sillychurl ~,” and just like that those scarlet eyes danced playfully again. “What a bunch of paradox, aren't they? Killed, haunting their killer, yet feeling no hatred towards him.”
Xiao stayed silent, unable to comprehend the revelation she gave. But somewhere deep inside his chest something began to unravel, bit by bit.
“Then, this pain . . . ,” he began.
“Now that,” sighed the young girl, “Is still mystery to me.”
The girl squatted with her knees closed together, she put her chin on her palm, looking perplexed for the first time. And for the first time, Xiao noticed how pale she was looking, dark circles can be seen under her eyes. “If not hatred then why the pain? Grampa said, the pain and illness inflicted by vengeful spirit came from hatred and rage. Rage over what they had lost, hatred over promises of life unfulfilled. I would've assumed if such the rule for mortal spirit, surely godly spirit would've been worse? Or maybe better, accounting for their benevolent soul? Wait, such writing cannot be trusted, 'holy' texts rarely picture gods in anything else but benevolent light. Then accounting for their true nature...”
Xiao can only watch as the girl began trailing of on her own, lost in her own little world.
“It does not matter,” whispered Xiao quietly.
“Hm?”
“It does not change the fact that I killed them,” he trailed slowly, “hatred over promises of life unfulfilled you said? Yes, that how they should've felt towards me. The price I paid for a lifetime of slaughter, it should be mine to bear.”
The girl stared at him, wide eyed. And Xiao saw something slowly flickered to life behind her eyes. An inkling of idea.
“Aiya~!” she exclaimed, “how could I miss something like that!? No wonder Grampa constantly worry!”
Xiao felt his eyebrow raising questioningly, but the girl did not notice it for his face was still wrapped in Yaksha's mask.
“Speaking of Grampa,” the girl tried to stand up but began wobbling halfway, “Whoo, leg cramps.”
She took a moment stretching her legs.
“Ahem, as I said, speaking of Grampa,” she continued, even though Xiao never shown the slightest bit of interest, “Mine's still missing and I gotta find him.”
“Are you sure you're not the missing child?”
“Aha, underneath all that high and mightiness, you do have an odd morsel of an abstract idea about humor.”
“Go. Away.”
The little girl gave an exaggerated bow toward Xiao, “Your wish is my command, your highness Adeptus Hillichurlus!” And she hop skipped towards the dark forest, disappearing into the shadowy forest.
Xiao was left alone, even more tired than before and questioning his own mind. Wondering if the girl knew more than she lets on.
*****
The next night, strength finally returned slowly to Xiao's limbs. He could feel the wind he commanded by right of Anemo Vision danced around his fingertips. Now no longer pained when moving, he decided to return to Wangshu Inn and resumed his eternal vigil.
Curiously, contrary to his own insistence on not caring, he kept stealing glances toward the foggy forest.
Her grandfather must've found her, he quietly mused.
Somehow he imagined the little girl was now on the receiving end on a lecture of a lifetime. His lips curled into a smug satisfaction.
Whether it was because of his chuckling or a tinge of happiness, tiny unseen needles began stabbing into every inch of his body, slowly giving rise to sharp pains. Dark voices echoed around the Yaksha's mind.
Forget about her, just like you forget about us, the voices said in jealous tone.
No point in remembering, all of them just blurred in your mind, right? What is the point in remembering when they're but barely a drop in the vast ocean?
A blink of an eye and they're gone, but your vigil is eternal.
The voices began screaming over each other, throwing accusations, damnation and curses to him. Into a vortex of maddening cacophony they screamed again and again, while Xiao can only grit his teeth to endure this.
“Good evening, sillychurl~,” sang the unknown girl, cutting through the screaming in his mind.
“You again,” spat Xiao, “go away.”
Either the girl suddenly gone deaf (Unlikely) or she just lack common sense (Most definitely) because she ignored his warning and sat on the ground besides him. Her pack fell between them in a heavy thud, “Now, last night and all day today i've mulled over your, ahem, conditions,” she started. Was Xiao's eyes and ears playing tricks on him, or suddenly the little girl besides him now carried herself with dignity of the professionals?
“Though the godly spirits are highly, verily and with grave emphasis on unusual, I believe I found a solution in appeasing them,” the girl puffed her chest proudly.
“There are no appeasing them,” said Xiao bluntly. “Not while I still draw breath.”
That put a damper on her pep. Xiao noticed her eyes began darting around, suddenly unsure on whether to continue or to stop. He suddenly felt guilty when panic began to paint her scarlet eyes.
“But go ahead,” Xiao quickly added, “entertain me with your silly ideas.”
“Certainly, honored client,” she smiled solemnly.
What she had lost in a moment, she quickly regained. The quiet dignity slowly to return as she explained her plan to Xiao.
“Last night, I was stuck on difference between mortal spirits and godly spirits. Whether their nature would require different ceremonies and ritual of parting. But what if, there are no differences in their nature? What if death treated us all the same? Whether they are mortal or gods would make no difference, right?”
Xiao scoffed. “How condescending of you, mortal. To treat the mighty and the weak as if they are one and the same.”
“Exactly!” squealed the little girl, unable to contain her excitement. “And I believe,” said the girl while rummaging her bulging pack, “the answer is this.” The girl fished out a flat, round object and presented in to Xiao's face.
“That is a rock,” answered Xiao, unamused.
“Most astute observation, honored client,” the girl bowed in deference, “but, this is no mere rock, as much as this is no mere Mora Meat Buns.” The girl other hand deftly produce another round object, but this one is wrapped neatly with paper.
“Oh?”
“Yes, both of them are offerings! For the godly spirit.”
“What a joke,” cut Xiao bluntly, “you think spirit of the gods will be satisfied with paltry offerings such as this?”
“Honored client,” the girl now wore those solemn smile again, the one that seemingly convey the unseen truth of this world, “I ask of you, which offering are more precious to the departed? Gold and silver or a piece of bread? Which grave shelters the departed the most? The extravagant Cor Lapis grave or the clumsily assembled rock cairns?”
“That-.”
“None of it matters, for the dead has no need for jewelry, their belly would not be filled with a piece of bread, no matter how many or how few. And both stone grave and rock cairns, are there as a reminder for the living, for the dead need nothing but the earth as their blanket.”
“Then why do we do this, you ask? Why else if not for the living? All the rituals in the world, made no difference to the departed. It is the living that are in need of it. Out of guilt and shame of still clinging on precious life, they created ways to appease the departed, unaware that all of them are for the benefits of the living.”
“And you, sillychurl ~,” the girl smiled mischievously to Xiao, “are feeling the same guilt and shame for clinging to your life while all of them departs from this world.”
Xiao only stared at the young girl. Were it not for his mask, she would've found out his mouth hung agape.
“Now,” the girl jumped into her feet, “will you follow me?”
She extended her small hand toward Xiao.
Somehow, despite the echoes of curses banging inside his head, Xiao took the girl's hand.
*****
“Could you,” the girl grunted under the weight of her bag, “help me, ugh, carry this? It's all stone, you know? I gathered it all day, looking only for flat round ones. Aren't I just the best? So, pretty please?”
The two of them now climbed on an upward slope, earlier the girl pointed out a flat clearing after the short hill, suggesting it would be ideal for the rite of parting.
“Come on, honored client, i'm still a frail young maiden, what if all this weight stunted my growth, huh? I'm nearing my growth spurt, I know it and I need every centimeters I can get.”
“The honored client demands a quiet trek uphill.” Xiao savored his reply, not even bothering to look at her.
“Aiya~,” huffed the girl in defeat.
Not long after, the two reached the top of the hill. A lone tree stood on the hill, providing shelter. Though the hill was not that high, Xiao can see quite a distance into the horizon.
“This will do,” said the girl, fighting her best through sweat and heavy breathing trying to look professional.
The girl upturned her bag and streams of round stones fall at her feet. “Let's begin.”
The girl knelt and assumed a seiza sitting pose. She turned to Xiao before gesturing an invitation to join her. The Yaksha quietly knelt and sat.
“Now, let's make a rock cairn for the departed,” the girl picked up few of the rocks and began stacking it, from the widest to the narrowest. “Aaaand done. Easy right?”
Sighing behind his mask, Xiao picked up a handful of stones.
“How many stones should I stack?”
“It is up to you.”
“How many cairns should I make?”
“However many you felt like.”
“You are just making stuff up now, are you not?”
“Honored client, I am but a facilitator of this rites, here as a guide of your wish. All the rites details, how it should be conducted, that is the right and most importantly, in accordance of the needs of the honored client.”
Xiao scowled, but continue picking up stones and stacking it.
After a while, the rhythmic clacking of the stone and the pacing of such monotonous task made his mind wander.
Five stones, we clashed five times on the battlefield. My victory nearly costs me my life.
Seven stones, she believed seven is her lucky number. A foolish notion.
One stone, but i'll stack three, so he will not be ashamed I defeated him with one strike.
Four is death, that is appropriate . . .
This one should be . . .
And this one . . .
At last, Xiao's hand absentmindedly reached for the stone, only to realize that all of them have been stacked. He turned toward the girl, hoping for more clues on what to do next. She smiled and unwrapped the Mora Meat Bun and pulled three incense sticks from her bag. With a deftly trained hand, she placed the meat bun out of its wrapper and planted the incense sticks on the ground before swiftly striking a matchstick to lit the incenses.
The girl then put her palm together in a prayer, her smile signaled Xiao to follow the same.
“Now, we say a short prayer for the departed.”
“A short prayer?”
“Hush now,” whispered the child, suddenly sounded like a nagging grandma.
How would a short prayer appease them? Not while his sin towered over him like a mountain. A lifetime of slaughter and all she can suggest was to offer a short prayer for his . . . victims? No, that won't do, no matter how much he spent his time praying, it will never be enough. A promise of lives unfulfilled, of lives he took by his own hands. A prayer is an insult, he would have to give it his everything to wipe away his karmic debts.
And it would never be enough.
And none of it will matters.
None of it will matters! Xiao suddenly thought, like a thunder on a clear spring day it struck him out of the blue. Whether I atone, whether I remembered their face, whether I felt guilty, none of that matters to them! All that it matters to is to me, the one still clinging to this precious life.
For the dead has no need, but earth as their blanket.
Xiao opened his eyes and for the first time in a long, long time he could see clearly. He realized now that the pain is the illusion of his guilt. The voices? His shame. All punishments he chose to inflict upon himself, for the sins he gladly willing to bear. And for the first time in thousands of years, he willingly chose to put down his cross.
The cacophony surrounding him are now reduced to hushed whisper, the towering shadows became thin wisp of smoke. The clawing and prickling? Now a mere suggestion of the senses.
“Honored client,” sobbed the girl sitting besides him, “Isn't it as I say?”. Xiao was caught by surprise when he looked at the girl. Her lips quivered, snot bubbled on her nostrils while tears streamed down her cheeks like a waterfall, still the girl soldiered on maintaining a friendly smile.
“It is the living that needed this, for the dead are selfless,” she said stuttering between hiccups and tears, “and the living are selfish! So, so selfish!”
The little girl cupped her face on her palms and broke down crying.
“Don't leave me alone, Grampa,” she cried weakly into her palms.
“Who's gonna lecture me when I make a mess? Who's gonna pinch my ear whenever I skipped my class? Who's going to hold my hand when I walk around the city? I miss your nagging, I miss your laughter and most of all, I miss you! Don't leave me alone. I never said my farewells, I never said my sorries, I never said everything I want to say to you.”
“So please, don't leave me without saying goodbye.”
After all this time, Xiao never noticed how small and pitiful this little girl was. After all, those tiny scarlet eyes challenged him without fear and managed to squeezed out truths he long buried. But those pale face and the dark circles under her eyes are cries for help he was all too willing to ignore.
Her tiny back now trembled slightly, as the girl, no longer in seiza, curled into a ball. Her pitiful wailing echoed on this silent hills, carried by the wind.
After what felt like an eternity, the girl cries stopped, replaced by wet hiccups and slow, ragged breathing. She now lies on her side facing Xiao, but her eyes have lost their sharpness and focus.
“Little girl,” said Xiao, surprising even himself with how gentle he spoke those words.
“Hu Tao.”
“Hm?”
“My name is Hu Tao, 77th Director of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor of Liyue Harbor, successor of the 75th,” she said absentmindedly. Though her voice strained with grief, Xiao noticed the quiet pride on her voice. No wonder such young girl are knowledgeable in the supernatural, even to the Adepti, the name Wangsheng are renowned as masters of the funerary arts.
“Honored client?” she said softly, breaking Xiao's musings.
“Yes?”
“Are you satisfied with the services we provided?” Her eyes looked at Xiao and he noticed the desperation in them. The need for something to hold onto.
“I am . . . satisfied.”
“Then I am glad to be your guide,” said the girl, smiling weakly. And just like that, the girl fell asleep where she lies.
Xiao felt himself smiling behind his mask. For his first and so far, only time at the funeral, this one is definitely left quite an impression.
He turned his gaze upwards, a peaceful serenity descended upon him as the moonlight bathed the hill in silvery blue light.
I have made my choice, even if none of it matters to you, I have decided to mourn all of you. I will atone and I will built graves out of mountains for all of you. For that is the way I chose to honor you.
His Yaksha Mask slowly faded into blue light, the moonlight now gently caressed Xiao's face. The old silent witness to his new vow.
*****
Her eyelids are heavy and raw from crying all night, yet Hu Tao refused to open them.
“Go back home, girl,” she recalled how the stern old woman barked at her, “your grandfather came from a long line of truth speakers living without regret! He arrived on the Border and strolled into the afterlife without ever looking back. Now go home!”
It was not the old lady stern talking that shocked her, it was the fact that her grandfather never even bothered by a bit. That broke her heart yet filled her with pride.
She never knew her Grampa as much of a talker, in fact she recalled him wearing a permanent scowl on his face, like something went dead and decided to bury itself on his nose. Such unpleasant expression on a unusually huge frame for an old man meant people were intimidated to approach him. But he was a man of action. Everything he did were carefully considered, each steps he took were always with a destination, every word he spoke carried meanings.
I want you to conduct my funeral, was the last words she recalled her Grampa spoke to her.
That was his farewell to her. No tearful goodbyes nor warm so-proud-of-yous, just a simple passing of the baton. He walked without looking back because he knew she can pave her own path even without him.
Dawn broke and the small hill was showered in muted golden light.
“Good morning, honored client,” she said to the figure sitting cross legged besides her, surrounded by piles upon piles of rock cairns.
The young man turned his head towards her. Gone was the frightening, lifeless stare of the wooden Yaksha mask, instead two golden irises stared back at her. Even without his mask, the young man barely shown anything resembling an emotion on his face, and even his reply at her greeting came at the barest movement resembling an acknowledging nod.
“Sillychurl lost his mask~,” she said with a grin.
The young man stared at her for a few more seconds before returning his gaze forward, looking toward the horizon, not even bothering to break the silence. But Hu Tao was somehow content on enjoying this serene silence between them.
*****
It was late in the morning when the silence was broken by Hu Tao's stomach growling loudly. She had forgotten when was the last time she had eaten. The last of her rations she had packed when she ventured out searching for the departed spirit of her grandfather was just offered as a funerary offering on the young man's behalf.
“I have decided!” she proclaimed, suddenly jumping into her feet.
I came from a long line of truth speakers.
The young man never broke his silence though he offered an inquisitive gaze in its place. “Lunch shall be noodles from Wanshu Inn!” decreed Hu Tao, “and for dinner . . . Wanmin's steamed catch of the day and shrimp dumplings.”
I came from a long line of people who lived without regrets.
She began to hoist her bag over her shoulder and dusted her dirty clothes. She then offered the young man a courteous bow. “Honored client, I bid you farewell, long into the future may you thrive,” said Hu Tao with the sweetest smile she can pull. The young man said nothing, still content on watching the horizon.
Hu Tao turned on her heel and swung her leg to descend downhill. A sudden gust of wind blew from her back, ruffling her long hair and blinding her vision momentarily. It was only but a moment, but the young man, previously seated, was now suddenly standing in front of her. Though the young man was short for someone his age (supposedly, he's an Adeptus after all), Hu Tao still has to crane her neck upwards to meet him face to face.
“I have not made my payment for your service,” said the young man.
“Aiya~ , how would an Adeptus pay anyway? I thought you guys swore off the material world?”
“My name,” said the young man, again not even bothering with long sentences.
“Oya?”
“I offer my name for you to call upon. Anytime, anywhere you call and I will come to you.”
“Oya-?”
“My name is Xiao,” said the young man. Another gust of wind came and Xiao disappeared along the fluttering of grass and leaves.
This may be Hu Tao's second time conducting funerary rites, but as far as payment goes this one going to be the weirdest she received.
*****
Not even thirty seconds later.
“Xiao?”
A swirl of gathering winds blew behind her back and suddenly Hu Tao can feel Xiao's presence standing behind her.
“What do you require?”
“Is this a one time thing? Aww, did I just wasted it? I'm just trying it because, you know, we usually don't receive names for payments. Not that i'm skeptical of an Adeptus' power. Buuut, trying not to get scammed, you know?”
Xiao furrowed his brow and gave Hu Tao a dissatisfied scowl. “You wasted nothing but my time, I am still yours to call,” said Xiao before disappearing into the wind again.
His feet barely touched the wooden railing of Wangshu Inn's highest balcony when he heard Hu Tao called his name again. Xiao gritted his teeth and flew away again towards Wuwang Hill.
This time Xiao did not bother greeting Hu Tao. She just stood there smiling sweetly, her eyes glinting like she just found an amusing new toy. Xiao would be lying if he said that gaze of hers did not disturbed him.
“How many times can I call you? Are there limit for call per day?”
The karmic headache came back with a vengeance.
“The limit,” growled Xiao, “ . . . is my patience.”
“No limits! That will be all then!”
Xiao eyed Hu Tao suspiciously before disappearing into thin air.
Hu Tao stood wearing the biggest shit eating grin of her life. Her heart was beating faster in excitement, her small body trembled in anticipation.
She's waiting for the right time, it is near.
Her grin grew wider and wider, the moment building up in the pit of her stomach.
Her little feet jumped up and down, kicking dust everywhere.
She inhaled. Savoring the sweetest taste of the coming moment.
Then, with the most sickly sweet voice, she whispered.
“XI~A~O~.”
This karma shall bind them together.