As the golden sun dipped below the jagged peaks of Jueyun Karst, casting a warm glow across the city of Liyue, Xiao, stood atop a lofty cliff near Wangshu Inn. The evening breeze carried the distant hum of city life.

Xiao’s piercing gaze surveyed the city, his yaksha mask concealing the emotions beneath. The rhythmic sound of his polearm tapping against the stone beneath. The silence that enveloped him as he heard it as he always did- no matter how far.

“Xiao!,”