Ren
Ren had one oil lamp on his bedside table that was flickering.
Ren couldn't even close the book in his hands, it was late, past the time decent merchants went to sleep.
The Yaksha's Vigil.
Xingqiu hadn't been lying. The prose was archaic, filled with flowery metaphors about "weeping mountains" and "skies bleeding iron."
It was a rough read, but Ren could tell the words were authentic.
He flipped to another page, his finger following a line that mentioned what happened after the Archon War.
"The gods fell, but their will did not fade. Their hatred, unwilling to return to the Ley Lines, festered upon the earth. It became a filth that drove mortals to madness, a pestilence that turned the soil black. It was not a spirit to be banished, but a grudge to be suppressed."
Ren lowered the book, staring at the grain of his wooden desk.
"Hatred," he whispered. "Grudges. Festering filth."
He gazed at his hand. He concentrated, for just a split second, and a tendril of dark energy wrapped around his fingers.
"It's almost the same thing," Ren realized
For months, he had been operating under the assumption that he was a complete anomaly.
He believed that his Cursed Energy, which comes from negative emotions, was nonexistent in Teyvat, which made him stand out from the Elemental users.
But Liyue had its own version of negative energy. They called it Karma.
"Negative energy born from corpses of gods that accumulate and corrupt," Ren muttered, leaning back in his chair. "The closest thing to Cursed Energy…"
His mind went to his shikigami. Summons created using Cursed Energy.
If his power was like this "Karma" then it was no wonder that the exorcists were so uncomfortable around him.
It was how Chongyun, a battery of pure positive energy, felt like a natural counter. And why Hu Tao, someone who surrounds herself with death, was so persistent on pestering him.
But more importantly, it meant there were experts.
Ren took the book back up and read the part about the guardians.
"To combat this invisible plague, the Lord of Geo summoned the Yakshas. The Illuminated Beasts tasked with slaughtering the demons born of filth. They swallowed the darkness to protect the light, suffering eternal torment from the accumulation of Karma."
Ren swallowed hard.
He knew who the Yakshas were. Or rather, he knew the last one, from what Ganyu told him.
'Xiao,' He thought of the name, and the temperature in the room seemed to drop a few degrees.
The Conqueror of Demons. The Vigilant Yaksha. The guy who lived on the balcony of Wangshu Inn.
Ren has always thought that his appearance in Teyvat must have something to do with Cursed Energy. He only managed to find an approximation to it now.
Was it a cursed technique that brought him here? Or was it magic from the gods of Teyvat?
Why did he become stronger when entering this world? Why did his Cursed Energy pool almost double, and why was he able to suddenly use the 10 Shadows with more efficiency?
How was his Cursed Energy able to interact with the elements of Teyvat with no side effects?
There was a connection, one that he hasn't figured out yet.
Xiao was the only one in Teyvat who could talk to him about Karma. He was the only one who had enough experience with this type of power.
Besides the obvious, of course… And maybe Ganyu.
"I have to go see him," Ren said to the empty room.
Then, he flinched.
A terrifying memory flashed through his mind.
It was the third week he had been in Liyue. He had been lost, wandering the marshlands of Dihua, trying to map out his new surroundings. He hadn't been doing anything wrong. He was simply strolling around.
But he had his Toad summoned then. He had been practicing keeping Gama summoned for stability.
He remembered the wind changing from a gentle breeze to an overwhelming presence that made every cell in his body freeze in fear.
There had been no warning. No "Halt!" or "Identify yourself!"
Just a blur of teal light falling from the sky.
Ren had just been able to fling himself back. He recalled the sound, the shing of a jade spear driving into the mud, where his head had been.
He had looked up, terrified, to see a man with a mask staring down at him.
The killing intent rolling off him wasn't like Ganyu's immense pressure. It quite literally emanated death.
Ren barely had a chance to see it before his "survival instinct" had not even cried out. It had just given up. He knew that the next blow would sever his head, without doubt.
He recalled that his hands went into a certain position. Ready to end both his and his attacker's life.
If he was going down, he was taking that demon with him.
"With this sacred treasure I summon—!"
"Wait, stop!"
That voice had saved him.
Ganyu had suddenly emerged from somewhere and stepped between them.
She had spoken quickly, explaining that Ren was under observation and not a threat to Liyue or its people, despite the aura he emitted.
Xiao had been staring at him for a long and agonising moment. After that, he had scoffed and taken his spear out of the mud and gone away without a word, into the wind.
Ren rubbed his neck, feeling a phantom ache where the spear had almost hit.
Then, Ganyu told him that the guy was Xiao, the demon conqueror, and told him about what he was and why he almost killed him.
'Wait a second… Didn't Ganyu also explain a little about Karma after that?' Ren remembered vaguely Ganyu mentioning Karma. But he was still too shaken to really digest her words.
"He nearly killed me with barely any effort," Ren groaned, burying his face in his hands. "And now I have to go ask him for advice?"
It was suicide. There was no other way to describe it.
But what other choice did he have? The books in the library were vague folklore. Chongyun thought it was just "evil spirits." Xiao was the only primary source left.
Ren closed The Yaksha's Vigil with a heavy sigh.
"Not yet," he decided. "I'll ask Ganyu first. I'm not willing to die just yet."
He also didn't want to admit that nearly summoning The Divine General spooked him so deeply that the mere thought of having to do it again made his legs weak from fear.
If he was going to walk back into the Conqueror of Demons' territory, he needed to be stronger. He needed to be able to at least see the attack coming this time. And prove to the Yaksha that he was worth listening to.
"Training," Ren muttered, standing up and blowing out the lamp. "Maybe it's time to take the spars with Chongyun seriously."
He got into bed, gazing at the dark. The way home was no longer a puzzle, but for the first time in months, he knew which way to go.
Even if that direction was straight toward the guy who wanted to decapitate him.
'Tomorrow, I'll go all out.'
/ — /
The secluded clearing near the base of Mount Tianheng was a mess.
Patches of grass had been torn up, revealing the earth beneath. Ice blocks littered the area, and the air was cold enough that you could see your own breath.
Ren was on one side of the makeshift arena, his chest heaving. His chin was dripping with sweat, which ran down the collar of his shirt.
Chongyun, opposite him, leaned on his heavy claymore, breathing heavily but in no way as agitated. The ground around his feet was frozen, even in the heat of the afternoon, with a ring of frost around his feet.
"You are..." Chongyun paused to inhale deeply, wiping a smudge of dirt from his cheek. "You are still holding back."
Ren grimaced, sheathing his simple steel sword. It was a cheap thing he had bought from the blacksmith Hanfeng.
"I'm not holding back. You're just a direct counter to my Cursed Technique, Chongyun. The closer they get to you, the more sluggish they become."
It was true. Fighting Chongyun was like fighting a furnace. His "Pure Yang" energy acted as a natural buffer against Ren's Ten Shadows.
The separate Divine Dogs could flank him, but they couldn't get close enough to land a solid hit without their forms destabilizing from the positive energy radiating off the exorcist.
"Then use the other one," Chongyun challenged, his eyes sharp. "The combined form. I want to actually fight it, not just look at it. That pressure... it was immensely superior to the dogs separate form."
Ren hesitated. "Totality isn't like the others. It consumes a lot of Cursed Energy, and I feel like using it in training is cheating."
"I need to know if my arts can stand against true malice," Chongyun insisted, lifting his claymore. "Do not worry about me. I can handle it."
Ren looked at the determination in his friend's eyes. He sighed, rolling his shoulders.
"Fine," Ren said, his voice dropping an octave. "But don't blame me for any bruises."
He dismissed the two separate dogs. They melted into puddles of ink that slid rapidly toward Ren's feet.
He drew in a breath, and drew on the cold, churning energy in his gut. He squeezed it down until it was like a lead weight in his stomach.
He clasped his hands together.
DIVINE DOG: TOTALITY
The shadows at his feet boiled.
A swirling, black blob rose out of the earth. Swirling and compacting, it became taller, wider, denser.
In the clearing, a low, guttural growl rumbled, shaking the leaves on the trees.
When the shape solidified, Totality stood on two legs, towering over Chongyun. It was a massive, werewolf-like construct of black and white fur, its claws as long as daggers.
Chongyun's eyes widened. "Wow..."
"Go," Ren commanded.
It was a blur of violence. It launched itself. It crossed the twenty feet between them in a heartbeat, bringing a massive claw down on Chongyun.
CLANG!
Chongyun barely got his claymore up in time. The impact drove his feet inches into the dirt. The ice around him shattered.
"Heavy!" Chongyun let out a grunt, and his knees nearly buckled due to the aura of the Cursed Energy.
He attempted to push back and summon an Ice Blade to hit the beast, but Totality would not move. It roared and with a backhand it swept the sword out of the way.
This was the difference. Vader and Yoda were closer to pets. Totality was a weapon.
Chongyun jumped back and put his hands on the ground. He channeled elemental energy, and everything around him froze.
Totality was not able to get away in time. Half of its body was caught in the attack, and was now encased in thick ice.
He quickly charged at the beast, not letting it a moment to break free. But as he was about to strike, Totality broke from its ice prison and parried his blade.
They went blow for blow. Chongyun tried to use more ice to slow Totality's movement, but it was too powerful.
He was getting pushed back.
"Don't lose focus!" Ren's voice came from everywhere and nowhere.
Chongyun's eyes darted around. Ren was gone.
While the exorcist was struggling to hold back the beast, Ren had dropped into his own shadow.
The world turned grey and cold for a split second—a sensation like diving into deep water—before he surged upward.
He erupted from the shadow directly behind Chongyun's left foot.
Ren didn't have the physical strength to match an exorcist, but he fought dirty. He swept his leg low, aiming to knock Chongyun off balance while the claymore was locked with the wolf.
Chongyun, sensing the ambush, stomped his foot. A pillar of frost erupted from the ground.
Ren cursed, abandoning the sweep and rolling backward just as sharp icicles pierced the air where he had been standing.
Just as he recovered, his eyes widened when the area was engulfed in ice.
'Using that, huh?'
Chongyun smirked at him as dozens of ice shards appeared overhead.
CHONGHUA'S LAYERED FROST
In an instant, all the shards fell. Forcing Totality to come to Ren's defence and deflect all the attacks.
When it was over, Ren saw the area completely covered in ice. Large shards, the size of Totality, were embedded in the earth.
Totality wasn't entirely unscathed, either. A few shards of ice were embedded in his chest. The shadow fur parted, leaking black smoke, but the wound stitched itself shut in seconds.
Ren landed in a crouch, his sword drawn. He felt the drain on his energy reserves, Totality was a hungry beast, but the thrill of the fight was undeniable.
"Again!" Ren yelled.
He rushed in, not at Chongyun, but at the shadow cast by a nearby tree. He sank into it, moving through the darkness like a shark in water.
Chongyun swung his claymore wildly, trying to keep the massive wolf at bay. "Show yourself!"
Totality lunged, clamping its jaws onto the flat of the claymore and wrestling for control. Chongyun was locked in a contest of strength, and he was rapidly losing.
Ren suddenly appeared from the shadow of the wolf itself and was right in front of Chongyun.
He brought his steel sword up, stopping the blade an inch from Chongyun's ribs.
"Dead," Ren panted, grinning.
Chongyun froze. Totality released the claymore and stepped back, letting out a huff of steam.
The exorcist lowered his weapon, staring at the sword tip hovering near his side. He let out a long, shaky breath.
"Incredible," Chongyun whispered, looking from Ren to the towering monster behind him. "The pressure... it felt like the air was being crushed. If that had been a real spirit, I..."
He shook his head, a mix of frustration and awe on his face. "My Yang energy did almost nothing to dampen it."
"Totality is strong," Ren explained, dismissing the beast. The massive wolf dissolved back into harmless ink, and Ren immediately felt his knees go weak from exhaustion.
"When I combine my shikigami, it doesn't just enhance their strength or even double it. Depending on the combination, it can grow exponentially strong."
"And you have 10 of these things? Incredible…"
Ren didn't respond, letting himself bask in the praise. He didn't need to tell him that he could only use the dogs and the toad.
'I really should tame more of my shikigami…'
After sinking his sword into his shadow pocket, he wiped the sweat off his forehead. "Though, I gotta admit... that 'final attack' of yours. You could have ended me with those, you know?"
"And you almost took my ribs," Chongyun countered, finally smiling. "Your movement... entering the shadows. It is a cowardly tactic."
"It's tactical," Ren corrected, flopping onto the grass as he desummoned Totality. "I'm a sorcerer, Chongyun, my kind are known for playing dirty."
Chongyun laughed, sitting down next to him. "I don't know what sorcerers are like in your homeland, but I don't think I would like them. Next time—"
Thwack.
Suddenly, a sharp sound cut through the air.
Ren flinched as something purple and crackling slammed into the ground between them, burying itself deep in the dirt.
It was a stiletto. Made of lightning.
Ren's blood ran cold. He knew that weapon.
A flash of purple light blinded them for a split second.
The air crackled with the sharp, distinct sound of electricity arcing through the atmosphere.
Before Ren could even process the sudden change in air pressure, a figure materialized exactly where the lightning stiletto had struck.
She stood with her arms crossed, her lavender twin-tails swaying slightly in the residual energy wind.
She wore a complex, violet dress that looked far too elegant for daily use, and her sharp eyes swept over the ruined clearing.
Keqing. The Yuheng of the Liyue Qixing.
Ren's survival instincts didn't scream for his life this time. But for his bank account.
'Trespassing,' his brain supplied helpfully, listing off his crimes at light speed. 'Destruction of public property. Unauthorized use of dangerous abilities within city limits. Noise pollution. Disturbing the peace. My residency permit is gone. My Mora is gone. I'm going to jail.'
He scrambled to his feet, dusting off his pants with shaking hands, and dropped into a bow so low his nose almost touched his knees.
"Lady Yuheng!" Chongyun said, sounding surprised but not terrified. He dematerialized his claymore and offered a respectful greeting. "I did not realize you were patrolling this area."
Keqing turned her gaze to the exorcist. Her expression softened imperceptibly—a professional acknowledging a peer.
"I wasn't patrolling, Chongyun. I was surveying the structural integrity of the nearby mining shafts for a potential expansion project. It is hard to focus on seismic readings when the ground above me is shaking from... whatever that was."
She gestured to the crater Totality had made.
"My apologies," Chongyun said, lowering his head. "We were... spirited in our training. I take full responsibility for the noise."
"The noise is negligible," Keqing dismissed, walking over to inspect a patch of frozen grass. "However, the impact of the tremors was significant. Your Yang energy is potent, Exorcist. Your clan should be proud."
"Thank you, Lady Yuheng."
Ren stayed bowed, praying that if he stayed still enough, he might turn into a shadow and disappear.
Keqing turned. Ren could feel her eyes on him. They felt like laser pointers.
"And you," she said.
Ren jerked upright, forcing a smile that felt like it was made of glass. "Yes! Ma'am! Lady Yuheng! I am just a courier! I didn't mean to break any laws!"
Keqing studied him. She tilted her head slightly, her gaze drifting from his terrified face to the lingering wisps of dark energy fading near his feet.
"Black shadows," she murmured, tapping her chin. "Nervous disposition. No Vision."
Ren held his breath. 'Here it comes.'
"You must be Ren," Keqing stated.
Ren choked on his own saliva. "I—You—How do you know my name?"
"Ganyu talks about you," Keqing said simply.
Ren felt his soul leave his body. "She... does?"
"Occasionally, when I force her to take lunch breaks," Keqing crossed her arms. A little smile played on her lips. "She mentioned she had made a friend. Someone 'unique' who helps ground her outside of work. She worries about you, you know."
Ren blinked. He looked at Keqing, not expecting this revelation at all.
"She says that you work hard," Keqing continued. "That despite your... difficult circumstances, you respect the contracts and the laws of Liyue."
"I try," Ren squeaked. "I really like laws. Laws are great. Big fan of the legal code."
Keqing huffed a laugh. "Good. We need more people who appreciate order."
She turned to the wrecked clearing and the two young men, filthy and sweat-drenched.
"I must admit," Keqing said, her voice taking a contemplative tone. "I was prepared to reprimand you for the damage. But seeing the people of Liyue dedicating themselves to self-improvement with such intensity... it is commendable."
Ren and Chongyun exchanged a glance. Chongyun looked proud. Ren looked confused.
"Too many people rely on the favor of the gods or the luck of a Vision," Keqing said, her eyes flashing with that famous skepticism she held for the divine.
"But you two... You are out here, sweating, bleeding, pushing your limits with your own hands. That is the spirit that will build the future of this nation. Not prayers, but effort."
She stepped forward, placing a hand on her hip.
"However," she added tartly, the praise was short-lived. "Effort does not excuse vandalism. You will fill in these holes before you leave. If I find a single divot in the terrain when I return tomorrow, I will bill both of you. Do I make myself clear?"
"Crystal clear!"
"Understood,"
"Good." Keqing turned, electricity crackling around her hand as she prepared another stiletto. "Keep training. But try to be quieter about it. Some of us have work to do."
With a flash of purple light, she vanished, teleporting away as quickly as she had arrived.
There was a heavy silence that followed.
Ren stared at the empty space where the Yuheng had been. He slowly lowered his hand from the salute, his legs trembling.
"She knows me," Ren whispered in a horrified tone. "Ganyu speaks about me, Keqing knows my name, Qixing speaks about me at lunch."
"You should be honored," Chongyun said, claymore gone and holding a shovel he had seemingly pulled out of nowhere (or perhaps his vision). "Lady Keqing rarely compliments anyone. She called us the 'future of the city.'"
"She threatened to bill us!" Ren cried, grabbing another shovel. "Do you know how expensive Qixing fines are? We need to fix this ground right now. Start digging!"
"You worry too much," Chongyun laughed, stabbing the earth. "But I suppose you are right. We made quite a mess."
Ren jammed his shovel into the dirt, groaning.
"Next time, rent a training arena…"
"Duly noted."