Seeing what was emerging from the ground, Gu Sanqiu didn't waste any time. Without looking back, he sped off into the distance.
That thing was likely a bandit or warlord when it was alive—maybe even a military leader. At the very least, it must have been some sort of head honcho; otherwise, it wouldn't have had such an elaborate set of armor.
As for the soul-fire arrow that struck the Great Shadow Eagle, it made sense that this creature had a few former personal guards among the ghouls.
Or at least, Gu Sanqiu forced himself to believe it was logical. Convincing himself to flee took more courage than staying to fight.
Once they reached a safe area, Gu Sanqiu gently set Hu Tao down and then carefully inspected the Great Shadow Eagle's injuries.
"Hmm, the soul fire has dissipated for now, but in a place like this, the wound could easily become infected or react abnormally."
Gu Sanqiu crushed another pill, using it to stabilize the injury further, and then pulled out bandages to dress the wound more thoroughly.
"Sanqiu, I'm in so much pain... I feel awful…"
(つД`)
Hu Tao leaned over, resting half her face on Gu Sanqiu's shoulder, her eyes wide and teary, giving off a "If you don't pay attention to me, I'll cry" look.
Gu Sanqiu pressed his finger against her forehead. "Stop acting cute. You're not injured—I already checked."
"(ˉ▽￣～) Hmph! You're such a boring man."
A vein popped on Gu Sanqiu's forehead. "Well then, interesting girl, can you explain what nonsense you're up to?"
"You should be grateful I brought my Wind Glider along this time. If I didn't have that single-use wind bottle, we wouldn't have outrun that horse."
"I wasn't expecting the situation to get so serious either," Hu Tao said, now sounding more serious. "We thought it was just a typical corpse uprising. We didn't expect such a powerful creature to show up."
"Corpse uprising?"
"Yeah, Wuwang Hill is a known 'boundary,' not exactly a secret among those with status and power. Some people always try to find ways to access its so-called entrance, hoping to steal secrets and treasures from the other world."
"Ghouls wander mindlessly, and some hope these corpses, driven by instinct, will lead them to the entrance. Back when Liyue wasn't yet settled, some even slaughtered civilians, using their fresh souls to guide them."
"Tsk, the feudal era, huh?"
Gu Sanqiu clasped his hands together in mock prayer. Zhongli, you're a real hero!
"So, you're thinking this isn't a natural corpse uprising, but something man-made?"
Gu Sanqiu wanted to understand the situation better so he could handle it more effectively. After all, dealing with someone bitten by a spider is different from dealing with someone injected with a serum.
"While I can't rule out natural causes, it's highly likely this is man-made."
Of course, Gu Sanqiu thought. If Liyue Harbor's wealth attracted the common folk, then the secrets of Wuwang Hill would definitely tempt the more sinister-minded.
"I saw that creature back there—it would take quite the effort for even the Millelith to bring it down."
Gu Sanqiu began checking his backpack. "I know Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's rules, but do you think you can call for any outside help?"
"All the guest ministers are occupied; otherwise, this operation would've been much easier," Hu Tao said with a troubled expression. "And with Qingce Village nearby, there aren't any skilled helpers available. We can't exactly post a bounty with Mondstadt's Adventurers' Guild from here."
Gu Sanqiu sighed. "So, finding reinforcements anytime soon is out of the question, huh?"
"Heh heh, but you're still here, aren't you?"
"Hold it, hold it! I didn't expect this to turn into a high-level event when I agreed to come. Shouldn't this be something the Qixing can handle?"
Scratching his head, Gu Sanqiu added, "That said, I might have a way to increase our combat power, but I'll need some time. Can you guard me while I work?"
With that, Gu Sanqiu took out a dark golden gemstone. At the center of the gem, a mysterious gray-yellow pattern shimmered faintly.
"Oh, isn't that the… the one from your Gu family?"
"Yes, it's the Gu family's heirloom, just like your Staff of Homa is to Wangsheng Funeral Parlor."
Gu Sanqiu tossed a food box to Hu Tao. "Guard me for a bit. I'm going to try drawing on the power of the Vision again."
"Oooh, go for it, Sanqiu!"
ヾ(◍°∇°◍)ﾉﾞ
"That food is for you. It helps with recovery."
Gu Sanqiu sat down, cross-legged. Back when the original Gu Sanqiu was alive, he couldn't use the Vision's power. But now that his souls had merged, that problem shouldn't exist anymore.
"Ancestors, bear witness. Immortals, bear witness."
The gray-yellow lines on the heirloom stone began to glow, slowly spreading across the entire gem, turning it into what looked like an ordinary lump of earth.
"Elements—what exactly are they?"
To Gu Sanqiu, the seven elements were fundamental to the world of Teyvat, a common truth as undeniable as "Barbatos never works," shaping people and things alike.
But to the "other" Gu Sanqiu, the idea of the world being composed of seven elements was plausible, but it could just as easily have been four, five, or even yin and yang.
As for the idea that each person could only wield one element?
If he weren't afraid of the consequences, Gu Sanqiu could easily flood Liyue with "theories" and spark a philosophical battle among scholars.
Even though he was an official employee of Liyue and the sole heir of the incense bearer line, not even the mighty Lord of War might be able to save him from that fallout.
Two souls coexisted independently yet in tandem. This was one reason Gu Sanqiu had been unable to activate his Vision.
The other reason was that he didn't want to be limited by a single elemental attribute, fearing it would restrict his future growth.
But now, after countless experiments, it was clear. Unless he could pull some miracle artifact from a black hole and become the brother of Nezha, if he wanted to use supernatural powers in Teyvat, he'd have to accept the Vision.
"To accept the Vision... to accept elemental energy… is to fully become part of this world…"
Gu Sanqiu hesitated, but then, with a glance at the resting Great Shadow Eagle and Hu Tao standing guard, still holding the Staff of Homa, her food untouched, he made his decision.
"At the very least, I need to make sure that those who care about me can live a little more comfortably."
The gray-yellow light within the gem began to shift, gradually forming the emblem representing the power of the Geo element.
The Vision—or rather, the Gu family's heirloom—had acknowledged Gu Sanqiu!
Neither Gu Sanqiu nor Hu Tao noticed that, as the Geo emblem solidified, a pitch-black dragon's head briefly appeared beneath the symbol before vanishing into the dark gold of the gem.
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If you spot any mistakes let me know so I can fix them.
Read up to Chapter 30! [P@treon.com/WiseTL]