Su Yuan told Zhongli all the intelligence updates he had gathered today.
Zhongli nodded after listening and asked Su Yuan, "So, Su Yuan, you think there’s something wrong with Xiao, right?"
"Yes, the intelligence tip already told us that Huai’an hasn’t been corrupted by the eerie force..." Su Yuan replied.
"And Huai’an disappeared early this morning... Although I don’t want to jump to conclusions, Xiao’s suspicion is indeed the greatest..."
"Su Yuan, I think you’re falling into a misconception..." Zhongli looked at Su Yuan and said,
"Just because someone lies or acts abnormally doesn’t necessarily mean they’ve been corrupted by the eerie force..."
"He might be trying to gain a bigger benefit, or could be coerced by something, which leads to actions different from usual..."
Hearing Zhongli say that, Su Yuan suddenly felt a sense of enlightenment!
Indeed, human nature is complex, people change, and many external factors can influence a person’s thoughts and actions—not just eerie pollution alone.
"I still tend to trust my own judgment, and I’m more inclined to believe in Xiao," he said.
"Cloud Retainer has been acting strangely. Many of us Adepti, myself included, have noticed it. And Xiao has followed me for many years—I know him very well."
"If he had really been corrupted by the eerie force, I wouldn’t be completely unaware of it."
"But isn’t Huai’an a senior member of the Liyue intelligence system?" Su Yuan asked with some confusion.
"A person at that level surely has their own sense of conviction. They shouldn’t betray Liyue or do something , right?"
"So I suspect that Huai’an is being coerced," Zhongli said.
"Coerced?" Su Yuan furrowed his brows slightly.
"If Huai’an really is being coerced, then what exactly is the purpose of the person hidden in the shadows who’s manipulating him?"
"Probably to sow discord between us and Xiao," Zhongli replied.
"So where is Xiao now?" Su Yuan asked.
"Why don’t we confront him face to face and get things clear?"
"Hmm." Zhongli nodded.
"I spoke with Xiao yesterday and told him to respond to your call. Su Yuan, you can try now."
"Xiao? Are you there?"
Su Yuan called out Xiao’s name, and soon Xiao’s figure appeared beside Su Yuan and Zhongli.
"Su Yuan, what do you need?" Xiao asked.
"Xiao, what’s your take on Huai’an’s disappearance?" Su Yuan asked directly.
"I was on guard around the Wangshu Inn all last night and didn’t notice any signs of monsters nearby," Xiao said thoughtfully.
"As for Huai’an’s disappearance, I’m quite puzzled too."
"Rather than being kidnapped by someone, it seems more like he ran off on his own."
"Alright, Xiao, I’ll be straightforward with you," Su Yuan said frankly.
"Yesterday, Huai’an told me he suspected you were controlled by the eerie force..."
"I didn’t," Xiao said directly.
"Mm, both Zhongli and I certainly believe you’re not controlled by the eerie force," Su Yuan replied.
"Do you remember a few days ago, the Wangshu Inn’s landlady, Verr Goldet, delivering almond tofu to you on the top floor?"
"Hm? Was there such a thing?" Xiao showed a slightly puzzled expression and said,
"Although I do occasionally order a few servings of almond tofu, Verr Goldet is very busy—always collecting payments, doing the accounts, and attending to guests—so it’s usually the cook, Yanxiao, who brings it up to me..."
"Uh, since you’ve said that, Xiao, then the answer seems pretty obvious—Huai’an was lying..."
Su Yuan analyzed the situation and spoke:
"Huai’an tried to pin Verr Goldet’s disappearance on you, and he also wanted to blame Jiang Xue’s death on you..."
"In the end, he threw himself into the mix, pretending to go missing as well—all to shift the suspicion onto you, Xiao."
"But he didn’t know Zhongli’s true identity, and he underestimated our trust in and understanding of you. That’s why his attempt to drive a wedge between us failed."
"But I still can’t figure out what his real motive is for doing all of this."
"Forget it, if we can’t figure it out, let’s stop thinking about it!"
Su Yuan spoke decisively:
"As long as you haven’t been corrupted by the Eerie, Xiao, then everything else is just a small matter!"
He then looked toward Zhongli and said:
"Zhongli, let’s hurry and head to the Dragon-Queller Tree..."
"Since today’s intel mentioned something about Azhdaha, I can’t shake off this bad feeling..."
"We’d better go check it out as soon as possible—before things take a turn for the worse!"
"Mm." Zhongli nodded in agreement, then turned to Xiao and said, "Xiao, stay around Wangshu Inn. There’s no need for you to come with us. If anything unusual happens, be cautious and handle it carefully."
"Understood, my Lord."
Starting from Wangshu Inn and heading west—passing through Guili Plains, Cuijue Slope, Jueyun Karst, and Qingyun Peak—one would eventually reach Minlin, where the Dragon-Queller Tree was located.
On the way, Su Yuan asked Zhongli a question:
"Zhongli, if both you and Azhdaha were in your peak states, and you two fought, who would win?"
"It would probably be Azhdaha."
Zhongli thought for a moment and replied:
"After all, if it’s Azhdaha in his prime, he would possess the full power of the Geo Dragon Sovereign and the full authority of the ancient dragons."
"But later on, he was stripped of that authority over Geo by the Heavenly Principles. And even then, I could only manage to barely surpass him."
"The Dragon Sovereigns of the dragon race were, after all, the original rulers of Teyvat. It’s not surprising for them to possess such immense power."
"If Azhdaha had already been completely eroded by wear at that time, I would have inevitably fought an earth-shaking, drawn-out battle with him—it might have destroyed half of Liyue..."
"But fortunately, he hadn’t been entirely consumed by erosion back then. He still retained a shred of reason and willingly entered into a contract with me. For the peace and stability of Liyue, he allowed himself to be sealed."
"Sigh... looking at it this way, erosion, like the Eerie, is something extremely difficult to deal with..."
Su Yuan let out a soft sigh and said:
"Then how should we fight erosion? Is giving up one’s power a solution?"
"Immense power does indeed lead to more severe erosion. Giving up a portion of one’s strength can certainly reduce the effects of erosion."
Zhongli replied, "But not everyone possesses the composure to pick up and let go so freely..."
"Then, if I were to take away all of Azhdaha’s power, would the erosion he suffers be alleviated? Would his mind recover a little?"
"At the very least, he wouldn’t have to remain sealed in that dark, sunless underground all the time... and maybe he could come and see what Liyue Harbor looks like now."
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