09.

"The moon shines on the jade-like mountain, there are no clouds for thousands of miles, the insects and birds are silent, but on the top of the mountain, where the lance stands, the golden roc rests for a while."

The wind whispered, and on Mount Hulao, the Yaksha, named Xiao, fell into a deep sleep, his thoughts going back to thousand years.

...

"In ancient times, demons have appeared.

The mighty Demons abused the world, and the golden roc is his confederate!"

In ancient times, the demons fought their own battles, and in the land now called Liyue, there were dragons named Chi in the north, sea demons in the east, and the devils in the west. Morax, the rock dragon, taught their people the art of mining, and the country became so rich that his people revered the rock dragon as the Rock King.

In the battle of the demon lords, those who won become gods, while those who lost were either sealed or their souls were destroyed or exterminated to the Dark Sea. Gradually, King Rock led the immortals to pacify the Liyue and eventually became one of the Seven Gods and was crowned Emperor.

"The golden roc lost its master and wandered among the Jue Yun valley."

"Morax, I have sworn an oath of enmity with you, so why should I say more?"

At the top of Mount Hulao, the Golden Roc, knowing that its sins are so numerous that it has eaten countless dreams from people, faces the Imperial Monarch of the Rock King, who is arched by all the immortals is determined to die.

"Jinpeng, I have no intention of pursuing your past. It is only that although the demons are now settled, the remaining sins are plaguing the earth. Can I use your power to pacify Liyue and bring peace to the world?" The tone of the emperor's voice was completely devoid of the condescending attitude of one who had been an enemy.

"What!?"

The golden roc raised his feet, hi* **pression stunned. But in the face of the Emperor's grace, the kindness of the immortals, and the nightstick recalling his own obscure past that he somehow called sin and evil, he was instantly enlightened. The Golden Roc Winged King bowed his head, the tip of his spear no longer pointed towards the sky, and from the side of the clouds came a slow immortal voice:

"The Golden Roc has heard the seal, giving you the name Xiao, as the Great Sage of Demon Subjugation. In the future, you are sworn to fight evil for the emperor, to purify evil and eliminate evil, to calm grievances and stop anger, and to protect Liyue firmly!"

...

The past events of a thousand years ago reappear as if they were yesterday. Xiao's memories vaguely recalled that, with the other four great and famous Yaksha, they had crisscrossed the land of Liyue.

"Xiao, wind and fire follow each other and can burn the earth!"

"Xiao, water follows the wind and can cover the sky!"

"Xiao, swift thunder and blazing wind, Nothing could stop us!"

"Xiao, flying sands and rocks, the heavy rocks stand forever!"

"Xiao ..."

"Xiao!"

"Xiao?"

"Xiao!?"

...

"Brother Xiao!"

Xiao's eyes snapped open, and a sudden surge of boundless thoughts flooded into the dusty seal of messy, unorganized memories. The mountain wind was blowing faster and faster, and the tip of Puru Kite's blade made a clanging sound.

"Xiao... Brother... Hey..."

The memory of a girl in the arms passed away with the wind, but her face is no longer remembered. It wasn't Fu she, Yingda, or Varnish, or Miharu. She was not even one of the five great Yaksha favored by the rock king emperor. Who was she? A nameless Yaksha? If that was the case, it was boring enough.

The wind grows fiercer, the moon grows paler, and for just a moment, a name, a past, a nostalgia, grief, comes before Xiao's eyes.

Hui is her name.

A little Yaksha who has not even seen in the records, manipulating the wind's power, aspiring her predecessor Xiao, longing for the other five Yaksha.

At the lonely-cloud-pavilion, he who has stayed for a thousand years, and at the island of dixie-flowers, he who has memorized a source of sorrow for countless times.

When Gan Yu of Yujing Terrace addressed him as her Master, he was bored but watched over her for hours.

When the Sea Lantern Festival burns glowing rubbish that flies, a strand of blonde hair accompanies him, and the hideous mask of the Demon-hunter can occasionally be removed.

Xiao sighs as he closes his eyes and recalls his reason for staying far away from the Min Lin and disappearing among the Jue Yun valley and living in the Lone Cloud Pavilion that hangs far overseas. Boring, even the reason was, well, boring enough.

Xiao stood up, closed his eyes, and listened to the wind as if searching for a sound that had long since faded.

Yet, sensing it, beneath the golden mountain, between the sheer walls, vines seemed to move, and the broken rock fell frequently.

"Demon... You should die!"

Xiao put his mask back on and leaped, using the skill of the wind wheel, for just a moment, holding his green spear, which reflected the moonlight, about to stab down.

"Ah! Uh-uh..."

Xiao hurried back his spear. Between the layers of rocky walls, a small body clinging to the fixed vines, the tattered talisman in front of her forehead swaying with the wind, the bamboo basket behind her, with a clump, a neatly stacked, good glazed bag.

Wait, is that the three eyes and five manifestations... Immortals?