Under the guidance of the vilgers, Yu Xie and his companions entered the vilge. Beneath the eaves of a house was a bamboo bed, surrounded by several worried-looking vilgers.

  "Make way, the vilge chief is here," someone called.

  Hearing this, the people around the bamboo bed stepped aside, clearing a path. Yu Xie and the others were finally able to see the scene clearly.

  On the bamboo bed y a middle-aged man with graying hair at his temples. His body was covered in wounds.

  Emergency treatment had been administered, and he was almost completely wrapped in bandages, like a mummy. While his life was not in immediate danger, he remained unconscious, his face pale.

  "Chief, A qi is covered in injuries—cerations, like he was cwed by a wild animal. None of the wounds are particurly deep, but there are many of them," one of the vilgers reported.

  "A wild animal?" The vilge chief frowned. "There shouldn't be any wild animals around our vilge."

  "Exactly, but look at A qi… Could it really be some kind of malevolent spirit causing trouble?"

  Xianyun and Shenhe listened to the vilgers' specutions as their gazes fell on A qi, the injured man.

  Though his body was tightly wrapped in white bandages, Xianyun and Shenhe noticed something unusual.

  Beneath the bandages, a faint chill and an ominous aura seemed to emanate from the wounds.

  "Master..." Shenhe gnced at Xianyun.

  Xianyun gave her a reassuring look before speaking,

  "Gather some fming flower stamens, grind them into powder, and boil them with gzed lilies to make a potion. Have the injured man drink it, and then treat the wounds as you would for a normal external injury."

  The vilgers looked at Xianyun with doubt in their eyes.

  "Who are you, if I may ask?"

  "Don't worry. She's an expert," Yu Xie chimed in to vouch for Xianyun.

  The vilgers turned their questioning gazes to the vilge chief, seeking his opinion.

  "What are you waiting for? Go quickly!" the chief said with an authoritative tone.

  "Understood!" The vilgers scattered to carry out the instructions.

  The chief sighed softly and walked over to the three, speaking in a low voice, "It seems the three of you have noticed something unusual?"

  Xianyun gnced at the injured man on the bamboo bed once more, then turned to Shenhe.

  "Shenhe, expin."

  "Yes, Master," Shenhe responded. "This man's wounds emit a faint chill and an ominous aura. If he were attacked by a wild animal, such phenomena wouldn't occur. Therefore, it's highly likely that he was injured by a demonic creature or a malevolent spirit."

  The vilge chief's expression grew complex. "So it truly is a malevolent spirit… If that's the case, I can only rely on you three. Please, drive it away. But most importantly, stay safe."

  "Leave it to us," Yu Xie replied. "By the way, Chief, when this man regains consciousness and stabilizes, please inform us. I have some questions for him."

  "Understood." The chief nodded.

  "Alright then, Xianyun, Shenhe, let's head to our lodging for tonight. We can discuss our next steps there," Yu Xie said, turning to look in the direction they had come from.

  But then he caught sight of an unexpected figure.

  Walking slowly down the vilge path was a beautiful figure with short silver hair.

  "Kitsune Saiguu?" Yu Xie excimed in surprise.

  Kitsune Saiguu, who had also spotted Yu Xie and the others, looked equally astonished.

  She had merely gone for a casual walk in the countryside and stumbled upon this picturesque vilge. Finding no one at the entrance, she had decided to explore, only to run into Yu Xie here.

  "Yu Xie, and Miss Xianyun, Miss Shenhe as well," Kitsune Saiguu greeted as she approached. "What a coincidence."

  "It is a bit of a coincidence," Xianyun admitted. Even as an adeptus, she found the timing a little too serendipitous. If this were the plot of a drama, the writer must be intentionally stirring tension between her and Kitsune Saiguu.

  The atmosphere grew slightly tense.

  "Since we've run into each other, is there anything I can do to help?" Kitsune Saiguu asked.

  "There's no need," Xianyun replied. "Miss Kitsune Saiguu, you're here for leisure, and we wouldn't want to disturb your enjoyment."

  "It's no trouble at all. Since fate has brought us together here, there's no harm in doing something meaningful. Helping wouldn't ruin my mood," Kitsune Saiguu countered.

  "There's really no need. Miss Kitsune Saiguu, it's rare for you to visit Liyue. We shouldn't take up your time."

  "Time passes regardless. If I can help Yu Xie and Miss Xianyun, it makes the time meaningful, and that makes me happy."

  "…"

  "…"

  The polite back-and-forth between Xianyun and Kitsune Saiguu only served to heighten the subtle tension.

  Though their words and tones were perfectly courteous, Yu Xie couldn't shake the feeling that there was a faint scent of gunpowder in the air.

  He realized he had to step in before this invisible battle escated.

  But what could he say? He couldn't exactly shout, "Stop fighting, you two!"

  Just then, a strange aura flickered past.

  It was like a sudden, eerie disturbance in the darkness—brief, sting only a second before vanishing entirely.

  Everyone present, except for the vilge chief, immediately turned their attention in the same direction: toward a mountain on the vilge's outskirts.

  "You all sensed it too?" Yu Xie asked, his brows furrowed.

  "A malevolent aura. Very faint, but definitely present," Xianyun said, her sharp gaze now far more serious than before.

  "As expected of Master. I only sensed something unusual," Shenhe remarked.

  "That aura… it's not from an ordinary creature," Kitsune Saiguu noted.

  The vilge chief, following their gazes, saw nothing unusual and asked, "It seems the four of you are extraordinary. Should we send someone to investigate the mountain?"

  "No need," Yu Xie said. "Until we have more information, it's better not to alert whatever's up there. And with such faint traces, finding anything right now would be unlikely. Let's pn our next steps first."

  "Understood. I'll take you to your lodgings outside the vilge," the chief said.

  Under the vilge chief's guidance, Yu Xie and his group arrived at a small house outside the vilge.

  The house was simple, with nothing remarkable about it, but it was very clean.

  Inside, there was only one room, no beds, just four sets of bedding and some essentials.

  Originally, only three sets had been prepared, but the chief quickly arranged for a fourth.

  "I've prepared the necessary items. The conditions here are modest, so please bear with them," the chief said.

  "We won't mind," Yu Xie replied with a smile.

  "I'll leave you to it, then. If you need anything, feel free to find me."

  "Take care, Chief," Yu Xie said.

  As the chief departed, the four stood under the eaves of the house, the atmosphere still tinged with subtle tension.

  "Miss Kitsune Saiguu, are you really pnning to stay?" Xianyun asked.

  Kitsune Saiguu gnced at Yu Xie. "With traces of a malevolent spirit here, I can't just leave."

  Hearing this, Xianyun said no more. She could understand Kitsune Saiguu's feelings—the deep-seated desire to protect Yu Xie from harm.

  Even though Yu Xie might not need protection, that instinctive concern, rooted in the depths of one's soul, was something impossible to suppress.

  End of chapter

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