Chapter 73 – Strange Aura

Early the next morning, Qiu Bai woke up bright and early.

Stepping out of the inn’s doorway, he stretched lazily, just as Zhongli emerged from another room nearby.

“Good morning, old friend.”

Zhongli smiled toward Qiu Bai’s direction and greeted him.

“Heh, morning, Morax.”

Qiu Bai chuckled softly and waved back.

Just then, Bonanus stepped out from a neighboring guest room and walked over to Qiu Bai’s side.

“Good morning, Rex Lapis.”

“Lord Qiu Bai, do you still remember last night’s matter?”

Bonanus first greeted Zhongli beside her, then lifted her head to look at Qiu Bai.

Hearing this, Qiu Bai’s lips twitched slightly. Lord Qiu Bai? What kind of address is that?

“Of course I remember.”

“Didn’t you say there was something you wanted my help with, Bonanus?”

Qiu Bai looked down at Bonanus and smiled.

“Yes, Lord Qiu Bai.”

“About six hundred years ago, I discovered a certain place.”

Bonanus gazed at Qiu Bai before her, frowning slightly as she spoke.

“That place is roughly several hundred miles from Liyue Harbor, in the direction of what is now marked as Tianqiu Valley on Liyue’s current map.”

“When I passed by there six hundred years ago, I had a strange feeling.”

Bonanus paused, as if recalling something. She had checked Liyue’s present-day map last night, trying to locate that exact spot.

“Now, six hundred years have passed.”

“I don’t know how that place is now. Could I ask Lord Qiu Bai to accompany me there?”

Bonanus’s large eyes were filled with earnest pleading.

Qiu Bai fell into thought. What is it that specifically requires my presence? Couldn’t the four Yakshas handle it?

“Alright, I’ll go with you.”

“Just as well, I don’t have much else to do anyway.”

Qiu Bai looked into Bonanus’s watery blue eyes, paired with her adorable face, and found it truly hard to refuse.

“Morax, I’ll be heading off first then.”

“I’ll leave the other Yakshas to you when they wake up.”

Qiu Bai smiled as he glanced at Zhongli not far away.

“Heh, leave it to me.”

“Regarding the location Bonanus mentioned, I too have vaguely sensed something unusual about it.”

“But for an old friend like you, it poses no threat whatsoever.”

Zhongli seemed to know something, then smiled and offered a reminder to Qiu Bai in the distance.

“Oh, by the way, Morax.”

“Please pass this on to Qiu Yue for me.”

A Yin-Yang fish jade appeared in Qiu Bai’s hand—this was also his sister’s Authority.

He then handed it to Zhongli.

“Very well, I’ll remember this.”

“I imagine the Director is getting anxious as well. Later, I’ll first arrange accommodations for the Yakshas.”

Zhongli looked at Qiu Bai and smiled.

Qiu Bai nodded at Zhongli with a smile, then turned to face Bonanus.

“Then hold on tight, Bonanus.”

“Tianqiu Valley, huh? That’s quite far.”

Qiu Bai stroked his chin. Such a distant place—it seemed to be right at the edge of Liyue.

But then again, it wasn’t that far, at least not as far as Jueyun Karst.

“Understood, Lord Qiu Bai.”

Bonanus didn’t hesitate. Her obedient little hands tightly grasped the hem of Qiu Bai’s clothes.

Qiu Bai channeled his Divine Power and vanished from Wangshu Inn. In the blink of an eye, they were already standing atop a hill in Tianqiu Valley.

At this moment, the sunlight had just begun to rise, slanting across this vast lowland plain. In the distance, there were many ruins and a large lake.

With a sweep of his Divine Sense, Qiu Bai detected only a few small archaeological teams and some Treasure Hoarders in the area.

“It seems this place isn’t very populated.”

“Then again, it is a gathering ground for Primo Geovishaps.”

Qiu Bai stroked his chin. He had already guessed the reason why there weren’t many people in this place.

Bonanus, meanwhile, covered his mouth with his small hand, wearing an expression of surprise.

“From such a far distance, Adeptus Lord brought me here in an instant.”

“It would take a long time to fly, wouldn’t it…”

Bonanus widened his water-blue eyes, looking at the gentle and steady Qiu Bai beside him, thinking with inner astonishment.

“Bonanus, where is the place you mentioned?”

“Point it out, and I’ll take you there.”

Qiu Bai’s magnetic voice pulled the still-stunned Bonanus back to reality.

Bonanus shook his head, coming to his senses, and looked down at Tianqiu Valley below.

Beside a large mountain, the paths along the hillside were intricate and complex, with a faint glimpse of a flowing river.

Then, his small hand pointed in that direction.

“Adeptus Lord Qiu Bai is over there.”

“But it also feels a bit different.”

Bonanus’s crisp voice rang out, sounding somewhat uncertain.

“Hehe, it’s fine.”

“We can take our time searching. Hold on tight, Bonanus.”

Hearing this, Qiu Bai smiled and waved his hand. After all, he had plenty of free time, and helping a young girl was something he could do.

Bonanus grabbed the hem of Qiu Bai’s clothes. With a surge of Divine Power, Qiu Bai instantly vanished from the mountaintop.

They arrived at the location Bonanus had just pointed to.

The two figures landed beside a small stream, with some abandoned campsites scattered in the nearby woods.

As soon as he landed, Qiu Bai sensed something was off.

“Strange, since Bonanus could feel something was wrong.”

“Why didn’t I try sensing it myself?”

Qiu Bai twitched his mouth, almost forgetting he was a god.

Then, with a sweep of his Divine Sense, he detected the anomaly.

His gaze turned toward the cave at the far end of the stream.

“So it’s there after all?”

Qiu Bai murmured to himself.

There was indeed a strange aura inside that cave.

“What’s wrong, Adeptus Lord Qiu Bai?”

“Have you sensed it too?”

Hearing Qiu Bai’s murmur, Bonanus tilted his head and asked with some confusion.

“I think I understand now, Bonanus.”

“Follow me.”

Qiu Bai turned to look at Bonanus beside him and said with a smile.

Then, he walked along the edge of the stream toward the cave at the end.

Bonanus obediently followed behind Qiu Bai.

Just as they were about to reach the cave, a group of people approached from the opposite direction. They appeared to be an archaeological team.

Three members of the team had Visions hanging at their waists and were holding weapons, likely there to protect the archaeologists.

They were looking at Bonanus and Qiu Bai with puzzled expressions.

“That scholar, and the young girl.”

“This place is too dangerous. You should come with us.”

A woman in the team with a Vision hanging at her waist called out kindly to Qiu Bai and Bonanus as they approached.

They were confused. A frail-looking scholar and a delicate young girl walking alone in the dangerous wilderness—weren’t they afraid of the Monsters?

Upon closer inspection, this scholarly-looking man and the cute young girl beside him didn’t even have Visions.

“Hehe, thank you for your concern.”

“Don’t worry, we’re just here to enjoy the scenery. Besides, the Monsters around here are quite sparse.”

Qiu Bai smiled as he looked at the woman who had just called out to him.

“Wait, isn’t this Mr. Qiu Bai, the Consultant of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor?”

“This new Consultant at Wangsheng Funeral Parlor is just as knowledgeable and well-versed in everything as Mr. Zhongli.”

One of the men in the team seemed to recognize Qiu Bai and said to his companions beside him.

He once had a friend who died in a battle with Monsters. When he went to Wangsheng Funeral Parlor to arrange for a coffin, it was this Mr. Qiu Bai who received him.