"Director Hu, you've really guessed wrong. I'm truly not some Adeptus, though I do have an Adeptus master."
Hu Tao's expression remained skeptical; it was clear she didn't believe a word Su Ming was saying.
Su Ming could only sigh in frustration. What could he do if she wouldn't believe him? Nowadays, people wouldn't believe the truth even if it hit them in the face.
To break the deadlock, he shifted the topic toward the only casualty on the scene. "How is the old man doing?"
"He should be fine now," Shenhe replied. "I gave him the medicine my master prepared for me. His injuries are no longer a concern."
"However," she continued, "that is merely an emergency measure. He still needs to visit a proper clinic for a thorough checkup and rest for a while."
Su Ming nodded. "Then let's take the old man back to Liyue Harbor and send him to Bubu Pharmacy."
With a thought, Su Ming condensed a flat slab of reinforced ice. He found some old rags and dried grass to pad the surface before carefully placing Mingjun on top. Finally, he manipulated the ice to float steadily behind him.
Noticing the strange looks Shenhe and Hu Tao were giving him, Su Ming shrugged. "You didn't think I was going to carry him on my back, did you?"
"An injured person, especially one with fractures, shouldn't be moved carelessly. It's best if they can lie flat. If I carried him, the bumping along the way would turn minor injuries into major ones."
Just as the three of them were discussing how to transport the casualty, a voice resonated through the wind.
"Hmm? It's you?"
Accompanied by a sharp gust of wind, Xiao appeared before them.
"Adeptus Xiao, what brings you here?" Su Ming asked curiously.
"I just observed some abnormal weather patterns in this area," Xiao explained. "But they vanished just as I arrived. Do you have any clues?"
At Xiao's question, Shenhe and Hu Tao instinctively looked at Su Ming. Xiao followed their gaze, showing a hint of surprisethough only a hint. Back at the Wangshu Inn, he had already sensed that the potential within Su Ming was terrifying.
"So, it was your handiwork? That is fine then. I thought the Abyss Order was behind it again."
"The Abyss Order?" Su Ming frowned, a bit confused.
Seeing his bewilderment, Xiao clarified, "Lately, the malevolent entities across the land of Liyue have been restless."
"The situation around Liyue Harbor is still manageable, as the Millelith are on patrol. I found it strange, so I tracked the locations where monsters were appearing, only to find something was amiss."
"I have gathered clues proving that the recent unrest among the monsters in Liyue is the handiwork of the Abyss Order."
Su Ming's expression grew serious. "The Abyss Order? What kind of schemes are those guys planning now?"
Xiao shook his head. "It is not yet clear. For now, it seems those Abyss Mages and Abyss Heralds are merely creating demonic beasts and manipulating monsters in various places."
"I will continue to investigate the specifics," Xiao said, looking at Su Ming. "Since you are here, please relay this message to the Perfected Lords and the Liyue Qixing."
"For the Abyss Order to involve themselves at a time like this, they must be plotting something big. We Adepti must make preparations early."
"I must be on my way. The sooner the Abyss Order is rooted out from the shadows, the safer Liyue will be. Until we meet again."
With those final words, Xiao vanished instantly.
Only after Xiao had left did Hu Tao ask excitedly, "Su Ming, who was that? He looked incredibly strong!"
"That person... he is the Conqueror of Demons. Surely the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor has stories about him?" Su Ming explained with a smile.
"Wow! So that was the Conqueror of Demons! Hmm... he's a bit different from how I imagined."
Hu Tao was visibly thrilled. She hadn't expected to actually meet a legendary Adeptus today, let alone the Conqueror of Demons, who was said to rarely show himself to mortals!
"To be honest," Hu Tao said, "when you told me before that you and Shenhe were disciples of an Adeptus, I believed you. But now? I'm not so sure."
"You're so familiar with the Conqueror of Demons... are you sure you two aren't Adepti yourselves?"
Su Ming spread his hands helplessly. "Shenhe and I are truly not Adepti. We're just ordinary mortals."
Hu Tao pouted. "If you don't want to admit it, just say so! My lips are sealed, I won't go around telling people!"
"But really, what kind of 'mortal' can summon a blizzard whenever they feel like it?"
Su Ming couldn't explain it away, so he steered the conversation back. "Anyway, let's hurry and get the old man to Bubu Pharmacy."
"Emergency medicine from my master is fine for now, but he needs follow-up treatment. We can't risk Old Man Mingjun having any permanent complications."
Urged by Su Ming, the three of them brought the unconscious Mingjun back to Liyue Harbor. Shenhe and Hu Tao took the man to Bubu Pharmacy and planned to discuss the funeral proceedings later. Meanwhile, Su Ming headed back to their residence.
As soon as he stepped through the door, he saw Lumine and Paimon sprawled out on chairs in the courtyard like corpses.
"Yo, what happened to you two?" Su Ming asked, amused.
"Nobody told me... that preparing for the Rite of Parting would be this exhausting..." Lumine groaned, her hands covering her face, looking utterly soul-crushed.
Paimon added weakly, "We've basically walked through every inch of Liyue Harbor today... but we've only finished a third of the preparations..."
Lumine complained, "Seriously, does one Rite of Parting really need this many things?"
"The stuff we bought today is almost enough to fill the entire square in front of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor!"
"And that Zhongli actually said it wasn't enough! He said there are things we can't buy in Liyue Harbor and that he has to take me into the mountains to find them tomorrow."
"Aaaargh, just kill me... this is more tiring than fighting Stormterror!"
"Su Ming, why don't you go in my place tomorrow?"
Su Ming laughed loudly. "Oh, now you think of me? No way. You took the money, so you'd better do the work. Besides, didn't you get off work quite early?"
"They let you back just in time for dinner."
Lumine and Paimon exchanged a glance before saying in unison, "Actually, we snuck back."
Lumine explained, "Luckily, Director Hu was out on business today. After Zhongli finished taking us shopping, he was dragged away by the undertakers to handle some affairs. As soon as Paimon and I stacked the supplies, we slipped away."
Then, Lumine asked, "By the way, what did you do today?"
"Nothing much. I just accompanied Shenhe back to her hometown. I only just got back."
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