In the dark of night, little Shenhe, exhausted from a day of grief and work, had fallen asleep on the bed. In her dreams, she saw her mother again.
Meanwhile, her father found the last bit of lamp oil in the room and lit the lamp. The flame flickered, casting an eerie, mysterious glow throughout the house.
Carefully, he took out an ancient tome from his bamboo basket. He had searched for a long time before finding it in an old, abandoned place. In it, he believed, was the way to bring his wife back.
He opened the book. A chill, sinister aura seeped from its pages.
Shenhe's father was an exorcist. Under normal circumstances, he would have recognized the book's ominous nature at once. But he was no longer in his right mind. His wife's death had driven him to the edge of madness. Only one thing consumed him: bringing her back.
The moment he opened the tome, the words on its pages seemed to come alive, imprinting themselves directly into his mind. He understood them instantly.
The book described a ritual to summon a "god." If he could summon this god, its power would revive his wife.
Overcome with joy, he did not hesitate. He performed the ritual as the book instructed.
The moment the ritual was complete, a dark, demonic aura filled the room, thick and suffocating.
Then, from the pages of the book, a terrifying "god" crawled out.
Newly released, the creature was still weak. But when it saw Shenhe and her father, its eyes gleamed with malevolent hunger. It looked ready to devour them both.
If Shenhe's father had been in his right mind, he would have seen the truth—this "god" was nothing but a demon. A monster.
And the monster had fixed its bloodshot eyes on the sleeping Shenhe, greed gleaming in its gaze.
But Shenhe's father had lost his reason. He could no longer distinguish between a god and a demon. In his eyes, anything that could revive his wife was a god; anything that stood in the way was a demon.
He knelt before the monster, performing the rites of worship.
"Great God—grant my wish. Bring my wife back to life."
His eyes were bloodshot. Madness was overtaking him. Darkness was consuming his soul.
The monster stared at little Shenhe, sleeping soundly. But it did not strike immediately. It raised a clawed hand and pointed at the child.
"This girl was born under a cursed fate. She brings disaster to all who draw near—friends, family. Your wife died because of her. Soon, you too will die by her hand."
Shenhe's father stared at his sleeping daughter, his eyes full of disbelief. He did not want to believe his daughter had caused his wife's death.
But the "god's" words echoed in his heart, drowning out all doubt.
He could only beg the creature before him.
"Save my wife. I will give anything. I will sacrifice my own life."
He was prepared to die, to give up everything, if it meant bringing his wife back.
But the monster shook its head. "Your life is worthless."
Then it turned its greedy, malevolent gaze to the sleeping child.
"This girl is a curse. Offer her to me, and I will return your wife's life."
Its eyes gleamed with hunger. If the father agreed, it would devour the girl at once.
But at these words, a flicker of clarity returned to Shenhe's father's eyes.
"No," he said through gritted teeth. "Not Crane. I will not give you Crane."
Ignoring the monster's protests, he seized the ancient tome and, with all his strength, sealed the demon back inside.
But something had already changed.
Though he had refused, his heart was no longer steadfast. Doubt had taken root. Madness and darkness were already creeping into his soul, nurtured by his longing for his wife.
The lamp flickered. When the oil ran out, the room fell back into darkness.
That night, Shenhe's father did not sleep. He wrestled with his thoughts. He was torn.
Were the "god's" words true? Was Shenhe truly cursed? Would everyone who came near her die?
A balance formed in his mind. On one side, his wife. On the other, his daughter.
Should he protect his daughter? Or sacrifice her to save his wife?
As he thought, his mind seemed to shatter. Darkness spread through his consciousness, consuming him. Bit by bit, he lost himself—lost his reason and lost his heart as a father.
In the end, he made his decision.
...
That night, far away in Liyue Harbor, little Li Mo sat on a wall near the notice board, two commission papers in hand.
He waited all day. Until nightfall. Until late into the night.
But Shenhe did not appear.
How strange.
Had she earned enough Mora? Did she no longer need to buy medicine for her mother?
As the hours passed, Li Mo grew worried.
Had she been attacked by monsters on the road? Caught by hilichurls while passing through their territory?
That stubborn, strong-willed girl—she seemed clever, but she was also reckless. Anything could happen.
He made a decision. If she did not show up tomorrow morning when commissions were posted, he would follow the path she had described, through the forest and over the hills, to her home and see what had happened.