Chapter 38: I’m Fighting a God? For Real?

Standing at the very front of the crowd, the high-spirited Hu San had no way of knowing that his slacking subordinates were talking behind his back and even contemplating desertion.

Even if he had known, Hu San would not have been surprised. After all, when one has sunk so low as to join the Treasure Hoarders just to scrape by, one can hardly expect to find any high-quality individuals in such a group. He knew exactly what kind of riffraff he was surrounded by: they lacked the courage to kill, yet possessed an abundance of audacity when it came to petty theft and laziness.

Just thinking about it made Hu San feel that the past was better left unremembered—but this miserable history was finally about to come to an end!

Hu San gazed at the swirling mass of blue mist before him, his eyes burning with fervor. According to rumors among the Treasure Hoarders, this blue haze was known as a Blossom of Revelation. It was said to be a condensation point for all sorts of mysterious phenomena; if one could defeat the projection manifested within, they would receive a massive endowment from the Ley Lines. Among the Ley Line Blossoms, this blue variant was exceptionally rare, rumored to contain the essence of countless martial arts masters. Even for a commoner like him, acquiring the experience of those legendary figures could potentially give him the strength to face those high-and-mighty Vision holders!

Seeing the opportunity to rise to power and achieve greatness right before his eyes, Hu San could no longer suppress his excitement and immediately ordered his men to prepare.

"Brothers, whether our Raven Treasure Hoarder group makes a name for itself in Liyue all depends on today!"

"I, Hu San, swear by the Geo Archon: after this, as long as I have a piece of meat to eat, you lot shall have a bowl of broth!"

A cold breeze blew by, and for a moment, no one spoke. Seeing the awkward silence, Hu San irritably scanned his dim-witted subordinates, swallowed hard, and steeled his resolve.

"Anyone who fights bravely will be rewarded with three thousand Mora!"

"The Boss is wise!"
"We follow Boss Hu to the death!"
"Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!"

Hu San: "..." What a bunch of goddamn idiots.

To stir up the enthusiasm of those scoundrels, Hu San had gone all out, heartlessly betting his personal savings to motivate his men. Not stopping there, he even invested heavily in distributing explosive elemental bottles to everyone—a low-tier alchemical product distilled from Flaming Flower stamens and various fire-aspected materials. It was precisely this technique for crafting elemental bottles, passed down by his old man, that had allowed Hu San to become the leader of the talent-rich Raven Treasure Hoarders in the first place. As for why they were all fire-aspected, he could only lament that he wanted to make something different, but lacked the materials—Mist Flowers were far too scarce in Liyue, and Electro Crystals were nowhere to be found!

Having set up a crude formation, the over-excited Hu San failed to notice the two youths in the bushes nearby. Like a gambler who had staked everything on one hand, he activated the Ley Line Blossom with bloodshot eyes.

***

Guili Plains, in the bushes beside the Treasure Hoarders.

"Xingqiu, why are we crouching here? Are there really evil spirits on the Guili Plains?"

The young exorcist, with his icy-blue hair, looked at his best friend with clear, earnest eyes.

"Oh, would I ever lie to you?" Xingqiu, with his deep blue hair, responded in a tone of profound hurt. "Remember last time you accidentally ate chili in a rice ball and tried to dance like Xinyan in public? It was I who had to splash you with ice water to wake you up."

"Ah, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, it’s my fault! Xingqiu, please don't be angry." Chonyun, moved by Xingqiu’s past care, felt deeply guilty for his doubt. "It’s just that you said the Millelith were right behind us, so I thought it would be better not to startle the snake. I absolutely wasn't doubting you!"

As his only companion, Xingqiu not only provided him with intelligence on evil spirits but also took him out for cold snacks whenever his hunts ended in frustration. If he couldn't trust a friend as reliable and enthusiastic as this, who could he trust?

"Fine, let this be the last time; I forgive you. Once they finish challenging the Ley Line Blossom, I’ll take you to find some evil spirits." Xingqiu forgave Chongyun magnanimously, revealing a meaningful smile as he watched his friend heave a sigh of relief.

Although the intelligence about the evil spirits was something he had made up, staking out the Treasure Hoarders was no mere prank. Unlike these amateur bandits, the well-read Xingqiu knew all too well the dangers of a Ley Line Blossom. By manifesting memories from the depths of the Ley Lines into a trial for the challenger, the randomness was immense. Sometimes the projections were no different from common Treasure Hoarders, but other times, they could be incredibly formidable monsters or ancient mechanical constructs. If something powerful were to appear, this group of losers would be in danger of total annihilation.

A practitioner of the "Way of the Hero," Xingqiu could not ignore the deaths of others, even if they were bandits.

"Here it comes!"

Seeing the leader of the Treasure Hoarders finally activate the Ley Line Blossom, Xingqiu and Chongyun braced themselves. What kind of monster would appear? If it was a powerful projection like a Lawachurl, he and Chongyun would have to step out and fight to save these bandits before the Millelith arrived—though they would have to keep their identities well-hidden so his elder brother and father wouldn't find out.

Full of anticipation, Xingqiu watched the center of the field intently. With a flash of light, no rare or powerful monster appeared; only a projection resembling a young boy stood in the middle of the group.

*What? That's it?* It seemed there would be no need for him and Chongyun to intervene. Xingqiu felt a mix of relief and disappointment.

***

It wasn't just Xingqiu; the Treasure Hoarders were also relieved to see their enemy was just a solitary young man. Driven by the promise of their boss's reward, the group surged forward with such ferocity that their momentum briefly rivaled that of a regular army.

In the bushes, Xingqiu, feeling there was nothing left to see, shifted his gaze away and began to brainstorm a fun excuse to appease Chongyun—if he were seen through, it would be hard to trick him into coming out next time.

The cool evening breeze brushed against Xingqiu. Aside from the faint sound of wild grass swaying in the wind, it was as quiet as a morning after a snowfall. Xingqiu, deep in thought, suddenly felt that something was wrong.

He looked up—all the Treasure Hoarders were already lying flat on the ground. They hadn't even managed to take a single step. Countless thin vines were wrapped around the unconscious bandits, binding them like green rice dumplings.

Before Xingqiu could process what had happened, the boyish projection, which had been standing quietly in the center of the field, turned its gaze directly toward the hiding spot of Xingqiu and Chongyun, as if it had sensed their presence.