226: Unyielding Mountains

The Millelith and other personnel were preparing to set up a tower crane, but Huo Xi, who walked over, stopped them. Huo Xi instructed them to only conduct the most basic exploration work, then led the group down.

As the guide, Zhi Qiong naturally walked at the very front, with Huo Xi walking beside her.

Behind Huo Xi, Hu Tao and Yakoda followed closely. Lan Yan, holding a compass-like item, and Yanfei trailed behind them, roughly in the middle of the group.

Yelan, Lumine, and Paimon walked at the very back, constantly observing their surroundings, while the five Yakshas spread out, guarding everyone from all sides.

Among them, the Hydro Yaksha Bonanus kept Shenhe by her side the entire time. Although she was a Hydro element Yaksha, as a former wielder of Calamity's Bane, she still had much to teach Shenhe.

Similarly, the Pyro Yaksha Indarias was not stingy in teaching Hu Tao and Yanfei. Although their weapons were different, in terms of mastering Elemental Power, these two young girls certainly couldn't compare to a Yaksha who had participated in the Archon War.

The Great Marshal of the Teng Snake, Bosacius, walked through the dark rock cave, waving two Luminous Stones with his two recovered arms. These are minerals that can illuminate dark places.

Zhi Qiong occasionally looked at the map in her hand, pointed in a direction, and then Bosacius would go ahead to scout the path.

Actually, for Huo Xi, whether to scout or not didn't matter much. Huo Xi could glow on his own, and when he unleashed his senses, a 3D model would directly appear in his mind. However, Bosacius's expression was truly concerning.

"I have indeed been here before." In front of a dead end, Bosacius pointed at the rock blocking the path: "This should be the aisle. I, once... here... here..."

From the back of the group, Yelan slowly walked over: "Here, with two mages and numerous Millelith soldiers, we lured the Abyssal monsters beneath The Chasm."

Everyone looked over, and Bosacius slowly turned to look at Yelan.

His lips moved, and after a long time, he only managed to squeeze out one sentence: "I... don't remember."

Menogias walked over and patted his bare back: "Boss, your bad memory is probably from catching a cold. You should really wear the clothes I gave you. Stop running around shirtless all the time, then your memory will definitely be top-notch!"

Bosacius laughed and directly slapped his hand away: "Get lost, you! Even at such a serious moment, you don't forget to peddle your shoddy clothes. Is that how you comfort people? I just love being shirtless, are you really going to force me to put something on?"

However, with Menogias's interruption, the somewhat tense atmosphere returned to normal. Indarias stepped forward and said: "Big brother, we came here this time precisely to find your true self, and your physical body. Isn't it normal that you don't remember?"

Xiao looked at Bosacius, then at Indarias: "Right."

Hu Tao and Lan Yan exchanged glances. Although this was their first time meeting the Yakshas, some truths had already emerged from Yelan and Bosacius's words.

Hu Tao rested her index finger on her chin: "So, in Liyue legends, when the battle lines were tight here in The Chasm, it was said that a Nameless Yaksha suddenly led a portion of the soldiers to open up a new path for the Abyssal monsters..."

Lan Yan also looked at Bosacius: "So that so-called Nameless Yaksha was you?"

Bosacius laughed and scratched his head: "Hahahaha! I certainly don't remember, but everyone says it was me, so it must be."

Zhi Qiong listened to their conversation, her mouth wide open. Her small hand trembled as she pointed at the Yakshas, then suddenly felt it was impolite and slapped her own hand down: "So, so we just paid respects to the Millelith, and now we're seeing the survivors of that battle? And they were the vanguard?"

"Oh, little girl, I'm not a survivor." Bosacius quickly denied: "I was pulled back from the underworld by the Heavenly Spider Emperor, and that's why I lost this part of my memory."

Zhi Qiong was stunned, then looked at the other four Yakshas in shock: "Then, then you all are?"

The other Yakshas all nodded, except for Xiao, who took a step back: "Not me, I'm alive."

Then, seizing the rare opportunity, Zhi Qiong eagerly asked about the Yakshas' situation, and everyone else listened with great interest.

Yakshas fighting for years would continuously accumulate karma. Mo Yan said that Xiao, who has survived to this day, and even the resurrected Yakshas, could not escape the shackles of karma. Or rather, this karma was summoned with them, like an 'inherent skill' of heroic spirits.

And when karma accumulated to a certain extent, the Yakshas would even lose consciousness, forget themselves, and even kill each other.

Menogias pointed at Indarias: "She's the one who killed me. She gave me a claw straight through the heart."

Indarias covered her face, too ashamed to look at anyone: "I was crazy back then too..."

Bonanus, next to Shenhe, raised an eyebrow: "I self-destructed. Didn't cause anyone trouble."

"You shouldn't be proud of something like that!"

Bosacius looked at his brothers and sisters bickering, completely unconcerned about their past lives, and burst out laughing: "Hahahahaha! That's right, we're all family, no grudges last overnight! Alright, this giant rock has blocked us for a long time. Let me smash it!"

With that, he raised his four fists and was about to walk towards the giant rock. Huo Xi saw this and asked: "Finished talking?"

Bosacius was stunned: "Uh, I guess so?"

"Oh." Huo Xi waved his hand, and golden light appeared. The rock blocking the path immediately retracted and merged into the rock wall: "Then let's go, I've been waiting for you for a long time."

Bosacius: ...So we've been standing still all this time just waiting for us to finish talking.

Zhi Qiong was startled, and she leaned over to Hu Tao and Lan Yan, asking: "Has he always been this strong?"

Lan Yan shook her head: "I haven't known him for long either."

Hu Tao merely pouted: "This is nothing, just you wait."

For the rest of the journey, since Zhi Qiong hadn't drawn a map yet, Huo Xi basically had to lead the way. Menogias and Bosacius followed on his left and right, the three of them chatting while listening to Bosacius recall past events.

Now, the tears of remembering the past years wouldn't dry.

A few steps behind, Zhi Qiong, who wasn't allowed to scout ahead, had to walk with Hu Tao and Lan Yan, seemingly asking about the Red-Clothed Immortal.

Further behind, Lumine, Paimon, and Yanfei walked quietly beside Yelan.

Yanfei pondered for a long time, then finally asked: "Yelan, those two mages you mentioned..."

"What about them?" Yelan tilted her head and asked: "They were just two civilian heroes who, along with the Millelith, stood at the forefront for the people of Liyue. Back then, there were countless such civilian heroes."

"But the archives of Liyue Harbor have never recorded such detailed events."

Faced with Yanfei's immediate retort, Yelan was momentarily speechless.

A few seconds later, she let out a slight breath: "Those two were my ancestors."

Paimon's eyes widened: "Ancestors... You mean, your ancestors were the ones who lured away the Abyssal monsters with Bosacius?"

"Yes." Yelan's tone was quite calm: "They were brothers. One returned, one went missing."

Yanfei blinked: "But why isn't this recorded in..."

"Because the one who returned went mad." Yelan remained unperturbed: "Two brothers, one went mad, one went missing.

The mad one ran home, and the missing one..."

Yelan cast her gaze towards Bosacius's back at the very front, not continuing her sentence.

Lumine also looked. Bosacius was still walking at the front with Huo Xi, laughing and chatting, but occasionally, upon seeing certain sights, his expression would suddenly freeze, then return to his cheerful demeanor.

Lumine whispered: "So, if Bosacius regains his memories, the truth of that year and the final story of your ancestors will all come to light."

"Yes." Yelan's reply was very brief, but after a moment of looking at Huo Xi's back, she continued: "I deeply know that war is always accompanied by casualties, and I know that not to mention during wartime, even in times of peace, countless people still perish in unknown places every day.

But ah, I often wonder, if the Khaenri'ah calamity had not erupted five hundred years ago, if the Geo Archon had been forced to leave Liyue, but there was a strong person like the Red-Clothed Immortal to turn the tide, if the war that happened five hundred years ago was not against the Abyssal disaster, would he, would they, even if they died on the battlefield, have been able to preserve a shred of truth or a name to be passed down to future generations?

But I also know that there are no 'ifs' in this world, and humanity should not entrust its fate entirely to the Adepti, just as an infant who never grows up can never cross 'childhood'.

But I still wonder, if only, even if it's just 'if'...

A mad ancestor, a confirmed truth, names that cannot even be found on steles.

"I know this idiom shouldn't be used this way, but... this might also be a 'hero's end'..."

Today's Yelan was a melancholy blue.

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Watched Genshin lore videos all afternoon, felt like it still had nothing to do with Earth, my eyes got tired. I'll look again when I have time.

Recently, after the Moon of Four, many good brothers have been worried that our local setting might be backstabbed, for example, how March Columbina can close the historical loop without going back in time, or what to do after swallowing the moon. Brothers, just watch my operation!

Because what we plot theorists are best at is cutting ties with our past selves! ( anxietyです - I'm uneasy)