"Munch, munch, munch~"
Time passed slowly. The pleasant rest period drifted by amidst the sounds of chewing. Though "slowly passing," it still felt like there was never enough time.
Sunlight occasionally shone down from the sky, occasionally hidden by white clouds. The sunshine was warm, never harsh.
Since Liyue Harbor sat by the sea, large white birds often flew across the sky. Though Bonanus didn't know their species, they were truly beautiful.
She also knew that in a game, these big birds would be worth at most two portions of fowl. Speaking of fowl, she couldn't help but think of Mondstadt's fowl merchant.
That merchant's name was Timmie. He was always generous, providing travelers with food without charging any Mora—truly generous, a legendary philanthropist.
And achieving so much at such a young age made him a genius representative for all children!
"Every day passes so quickly." Bonanus propped her cheek with one hand while slowly chewing food with the other, her expression one of pure enjoyment.
"Is that so? I think it's still the same as before."
"Aside from killing, none of this means anything to me." Xiao crossed his arms and shook his head. His voice shattered the peaceful atmosphere. What a blockhead!
"Alatus, we can't focus only on killing. Have you forgotten what I told you before?" Bonanus wore an expression that screamed "I'm saying this for your own good."
"Killing is instinct, and it's our strength. That is our duty. Beyond that, nothing else holds meaning for me." Xiao spoke his true thoughts.
As for these "meaningless" words... it seemed Xiao didn't realize he often did things he himself called "meaningless."
"You're so dense, Alatus. I've been taking you to fun places all this time. How can you still not have grown at all?" Bonanus planted her hands on her hips, exasperated.
"In that case, you can take me out a few more times. Maybe one day I'll finally understand?" Xiao said seriously.
Hearing this, Bonanus found it somewhat amusing. Still the same old story! A two-thousand-plus-year-old boy still needing someone to take him out!
Next, will you want me to chew your food and feed it to you? If that's the case, forget it.
Though she thought this, she didn't refuse. If through her efforts Xiao could gradually integrate into society, that wouldn't be such a bad thing.
She'd go along with it for now...
Shaking her head gently, Bonanus continued enjoying the moment, exhaling softly. If only it could always be like this!
Who knows what painful things lie ahead? But right now, Bonanus had a very bad feeling.
It was frightening, uncomfortable, and worrying. She didn't know why these emotions suddenly arose—they came out of nowhere.
She'd have to be more careful in her actions going forward...
---
After enjoying their rest and food and exchanging a few more words, the two parted ways to return to their respective duties. The Yakshas weren't that free.
Back at Yanfei's residence, Bonanus lay on the rooftop, quietly closing her eyes to nap. After maintaining high efficiency every day, surely resting a bit more now wouldn't hurt?
She couldn't compare to a workaholic like Yanfei. The girl hadn't returned yet—her daily schedule was packed, traveling to many places.
Hopefully, she'd get her long-term vacation soon!
As for Granny Ping, she still sat on the courtyard's recliner, quietly watching the Glaze Lilies. She said nothing about Bonanus's slacking off.
She'd slacked off too, back in the day—nothing strange about it. She'd also heard about Bonanus's recent activities.
Eliminating monsters so frequently would exhaust even an adeptus. Besides, those endless creatures would probably lie low for a while, at least not daring to operate openly.
So resting a bit more was fine.
She just hoped Bonanus wouldn't burden her body too much—otherwise, certain people would have headaches again.
After a short nap...
Bonanus slowly opened her eyes after dozing on the rooftop. She sat up tiredly, her eyes filled with confusion.
"Ah bah ah bah..."
Just waking up, her language skills seemed impaired—she babbled incomprehensibly, almost comically.
Wiping the drool from her cheeks, using her claws to straighten her messy hair, Bonanus stood and stretched.
"Sleeping on the rooftop is awful. The sun's warm, but it's too hard."
Bonanus pouted. Her back hurt now. Better sleep in a bed next time. No one can resist a soft, large bed.
Cracking her neck, she leaped down into the small courtyard. As she landed, she saw Granny Ping sitting alone, admiring the flowers.
Granny Ping always sat there alone, never seeming bored or tired. She'd maintain the same pose, sipping tea and admiring flowers.
If nothing else required her attention, she generally didn't go out.
Bonanus didn't know how Granny Ping tolerated it. She certainly couldn't—her personality wouldn't allow her to stay idle.
"Awake now?"
Seeing Bonanus finally jump down, Granny Ping's voice carried a hint of amusement.
"Mm... feeling a bit headache-y." Bonanus stuck out her tongue slightly, rubbing her head as she sat on a nearby stone chair.
"Next time, sleep inside. Rooftop tiles are hard—certainly uncomfortable."
Granny Ping smiled gently and nodded, pouring Bonanus a cup of tea.
"Have some tea. Soothes the throat."
"Thanks, Sister Ping." Bonanus accepted the cup and drank unhurriedly. Granny Ping's tea was truly refreshing—she instantly felt less drowsy!
It felt wonderful, lifting her spirits.
"You've worked hard lately. You finally returned, yet you're still toiling away at troublesome monsters like before." Granny Ping also took a small sip from her cup.
"This is what we Yakshas should do. Besides, it's much easier than back then, even if still somewhat dangerous." Bonanus covered her mouth with a light laugh. She would never admit she was doing this for the karmic debt.
"Sigh..." Granny Ping sighed softly, then continued.
"You and Bosacius keep talking about experiencing mortal life. But now, you haven't experienced much of it—you've just gotten busier."
"Sister Ping, don't say that. It's our duty. And we've gained much from our mortal experiences. Don't worry." Bonanus waved her hand, unconcerned.
"If you say so." Granny Ping nodded and said no more.
After a moment of silence...
Bonanus finished her tea and opened the Hydro Moon Ring's karmic debt panel. Seeing the number 98,700 / 100,000, she fell into thought.
At this point, rather than spending more time hunting monsters, she might as well extract it from herself. The karmic debt inside her had accumulated too long. Time to let some out.
[System, extract the karmic debt from within me.] Bonanus said to the system in her mind.
[System received... Processing. Please wait...]
Not long after...
[Extraction complete. Karmic debt limit reached. Detected host has earned one hundred thousand karmic debt. Initiate spatial teleport?]