3rd pov:
Xiao watched the sakura tree, his heart slowly breaking as he can see the withering parts of the tree, spreading down to the roots in the ground.
Zhongli stood next to Xiao, as well as Cloud Retainer, Moon Carver and Mountain Shaper.
They all watched the tree.
"She is dying." Moon Carver stated the obvious.
Xiao's eyebrows furrowed at the adeptus.
"She is not dying. She can't be..." Xiao said, hoping with all his heart it wasn't true.
"She is dying, Xiao." Zhongli backed Moon Carver statement.
Zhongli's words struck Xiao straight in the heart.
"The roots of the tree is too powerful, it will affect the power of this mountain, as well as my abode." Cloud Retainer said, not really happy with the fact that one's home can be affected.
"I will prepare to have the tree removed, asking for your permission Zhongli." Mountain Shaper requested.
Xiao slightly gasped and his eyes widened as he turned towards Zhongli with hurt eyes.
Zhongli sighed.
"She will stand as she is, right here." Zhongli said.
"No one have permission to hurt her in any way." Zhongli stated.
Mountain Shaper and Moon Carver both acknowledged his words.
"If we let her stand like this, it will most likely affect the whole mountain." Cloud Retainer said.
Xiao glared at Cloud Retainer.
"Then let it happen. This tree is worth more than a thousand mountains, I trust you all understand that." Zhongli said, looking straight at the adepti.
"Of course." They all answered.
-
Once the rest of the adepti had left, Xiao and Zhongli stood near the tree again.
Zhongli walked up to the tree and kneeled infront of one of it's roots.
"Why are you withering?..." He whispered.
It made no sense for a perfectly healthy tree to start withering out of nowhere.
Xiao didn't say anything, though one could tell that he was concerned, maybe even scared.
Zhongli stood up and walked towards Xiao.
"It's been a while since we've talked, hasn't it?" He said.
Xiao looked up at him. "It has." He answered short and simple. Xiao gave him an uninterested look.
Zhongli chuckled, although Xiao had changed a lot, he was still the same person he used to be.
Zhongli and Xiao walked towards the table, "why don't we talk for a little?" Zhongli asked. "I have a something to say." He said.
"Alright." Xiao answered simply and followed him.
They both sat down and Zhongli started the conversation.
"You've now lived two years without using your mask once. And you've not even laid a finger on your weapon." He said, he sounded proud. Proud that Xiao was at peace. Although he was a yaksha.
"Yes. I see no need to use it anymore." Xiao said, completely unaware of where this conversation was going.
Zhongli cleared his throat. "You've been at the outskirts of The chasm before, haven't you?" Zhongli asked him, Xiao gave him a unsure look.
"Yes I have, but I've never entered the caves there." He answered the question. It seemed he understood where this conversation was going.
Zhongli decided to say it straight out, "I believe you can find clues of what happened to the nameless yaksha there." He said.
Xiao's eyes widened as he let out a small gasp.
"Bosacius..." Xiao whispered extremely silent.
Zhongli smiled slightly. "When Y/n came into your life, you slowly started putting your task behind you."
Xiao's eyes were still widened. "Yes..." he muttered.
Zhongli looked at him with proud eyes. "The Conqueror of demons... the only yaksha who was able to find peace in the end, and put down the weapon for the first time in many... many years." He said.
Xiao pov:
When he mentioned clues on what happened to my brother, I immediately felt a spark of nostalgia inside me.
The quest that I put behind me, because I found a better meaning with my life, once again showed up now many years later.
I want to investigate it.
I need to know...
My eyes slowly wanders to the side, where my yaksha mask was laying on the table, my fingerless gloves next to it, with my vision.
"Xiao. Is this a quest you wish to continue on with?" He asked me.
I turned my head and looked at the tree.
It's been weeks, and I've had no contact with Y/n and her tree is now withering.
I slowly gulped.
There is no purpose left for me...
"I will. I shall continue on with my quest. I assume I have your approval?" I decided and looked at him.
3rd pov:
Zhongli looked at his young adeptus with a smile.
He was well aware that Xiao didn't have anything else to do anymore.
"Yes you have my approval." Zhongli stated.
-
Once Zhongli left the mountain, Xiao was left alone there.
Infront of Xiao was his old clothes.
They were cleaned and folded neatly on the table.
The white shirt with the pattern, all his old accessories. His old boots. His old gloves. His sleeves, his shoulder piece, everything was there.
He could feel a big feeling of nostalgia again.
He slowly loosened the green hanfu that was covering his body.
-
After he changed back into his old fit, he looked at the gloves.
He slowly took his older set of gloves on his hands, and then used his very pretty fingers to lirk the vision out of the other pair.
When he held his vision in his hands, he slowly placed it back in the original glove.
He didn't want to admit it, but he did miss being dressed like this as well.
But with the clothes, all the memories came back as well. All the memories he had of Y/n years ago came flooding back.
He walked towards the water and looked at his reflection.
You could barely tell that two years had passed.
He sighed and turned around to the table again.
On top of it laid his yaksha mask and the same jade spear that he hadn't seen in two years.
He grabbed the mask and placed it on his hip, he was about to grab the spear when I halted.
Was he really doing this?
By doing this it could mean he would have to fight again.
Maybe even use his mask.
The mask which he hadn't used for a long while. After all the time being relaxed he couldn't even remember the pain it brought.
It gave him chills to know that he would likely feel it's pain again.
And this time, Y/n's powers won't be there to easy a single bit of the pain he would feel.
-
He grabbed the spear and leaped off the mountain.
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A/N:
(I want to release the first chapters a little fast, just to get the book going and catch more interest from the readers, but as the book will keep going I will release chapters days apart.)
(Also to keep my own motivation up.)