Sacrificing Myself: Nine Transmigrations (Genshin Impact)

Xiao let out a slow sigh and said, "I'm neither a bringer of fortune who blesses the world with peace, nor a saint who wields divine power and resides high above in the clouds."

"Those who meet me are always ones who've brushed past death and fallen into desperate situations."

"No one would like an Adeptus who brings disaster just by appearing. In mortal terms, I'm a jinx. A harbinger of misfortune."

His voice was distant, his expression quietly somber.

This was probably something only Elliot had ever heard him say.

Usually, he endured all of this in silence—he never spoke of it to anyone.

"Bullshit! To hell with that disaster star crap!" Elliot cursed outright.

"You didn't bring the disaster—so why the hell does it matter to you?"

"Besides, what good are those so-called 'lucky stars' anyway? Can they make you rich? Let you live forever? When danger hits, they're just as useless!"

"Take today for example—what if those Hilichurls had ambushed some rich guy instead? Without you stepping in, he'd be dragging all that money straight to the afterlife!"

"You're saving lives—and life is the foundation of all blessings. Without life, everything else is meaningless!"

"These idiots are brain-dead. Afraid of you? If you ask me, you should be ranked first among the Adepti!"

Elliot fumed, furious at the warped logic of those people, determined to set their thinking straight.

"It's fine, really. Don't be mad. I'll treat you to some almond tofu when we get back," Xiao offered, trying to calm him down.

"I'm not eating. I'm not in the mood," Elliot refused flatly.

"Two servings?"

"No."

"Three?"

"..."

"Five!"

"Let's go!" Elliot's mood flipped instantly—like a light switch.

"Oh, so that's what you were waiting for, huh?" Xiao couldn't help but laugh.

"Hey, don't get me wrong. Everything I said was serious." Elliot looked genuinely earnest.

"But seriously—how can you take this? Doesn't it feel pointless, saving people like that?"

Elliot couldn't understand what it was like for an Adeptus to be summoned by mortals who feared him.

Even knowing how it would end, just being called upon was already a rare blessing to Xiao.

He never dared to expect more.

Gratitude? Thanks? He had long stopped hoping for such things.

"An Adeptus answers when called. We don't ask for anything in return."

"Cut the crap. I told you—Adepti are basically just long-lived humans. Nothing else. You save people, and they look at you with fear? There's no way that doesn't get to you! Not even ghosts would believe that!"

Elliot ripped Xiao's defenses apart without mercy.

"I've gotten used to it."

"Don't worry. From now on, I'll go with you. I wanna see which bastard dares look at us like that again. I'll gouge their eyes out."

Elliot cracked his knuckles, clearly still pissed.

...

At that moment, something changed in Xiao's eyes as he looked at Elliot.

There was a flicker—something that hadn't surfaced in a thousand years.

It was his gentleness.

Xiao hadn't felt warmth like this in so long. It was… comforting.

It was Elliot's warmth that stirred awake a gentleness he'd locked away deep inside.

Xiao had always been a gentle, pure soul. But cruel fate had long since silenced his emotions.

During the Archon War, he was enslaved and turned into a cold, ruthless weapon.

After Rex Lapis rescued him, he became a Yaksha—guardian of the darkness.

And one by one, he watched his companions die.

In the end, only he remained, battling the endless corruption alone.

Karmic erosion left him in agony.

The darkness bred loneliness.

And the rejection from mortals made him emotionally distant.

That once innocent gentleness had been buried deep within him, sealed away.

But now, with Elliot here… he could finally let it surface again.

Because he knew—Elliot was someone he could trust.

Someone he could treat with tenderness.

...

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Elliot narrowed his eyes. "I'm telling you, I don't swing that way. Don't give me that gross look."

The moment he saw Xiao's soft gaze, a chill ran down his spine. He shuddered and quickly warned him.

"Huh… didn't expect you to be so serious for once."

"What are you talking about? I'm always serious."

"Yeah, yeah, you're the most serious guy I know," Xiao replied, playing along.

...

The two returned to Wangshu Inn, and true to his word, Xiao brought out five bowls of almond tofu for Elliot.

After eating their fill, they both turned in for some rest.

It wasn't until nightfall that they rose again.

The night belonged to them.

"Up for another match tonight?" This time, Xiao issued the challenge.

He still wasn't over losing to Elliot the night before.

"Bring it on. You think I'm scared?" Elliot accepted without hesitation.

"Same rules. Same place."

"Let's do it!"

The two once again became guardians of the night, battling evil spirits under the moon to protect the peace of Liyue.

...

When morning came and the sun rose, they returned to the same meeting spot as before.

"You go first," Xiao said, knowing Elliot was prone to exaggerating and might just lie.

"I did better than yesterday. Got 75," Elliot grinned, clearly proud.

"Well then, sorry to say—you lost. I got 80 today," Xiao said with the calm satisfaction of victory.

"Bullshit! Yesterday you didn't even hit 68, and now you're telling me 80? I don't buy it!"

"Different story today. I was in the zone."

"Don't forget what we agreed—anyone who lies goes bald, gets split-stream pee, and suffers from kidney failure. You've still got time to come clean," Elliot warned with a grin.

"I meant what I said. Eighty's eighty. I don't lie."

Seeing how confident he was, Elliot knew he'd lost this round.

"Alright then, we'll call it even. Neither of us owes the other," he admitted.

"Fine. But tonight—you ready for another round? You're going to lose hard."

Xiao threw down the gauntlet, not even giving Elliot the chance to back out.

"Try me. I'm not scared of you," Elliot said, accepting without hesitation.

...

Just as the two were brimming with fighting spirit, a tall, elegant, and gentle man slowly approached.

"Mr. Zhongli." Xiao blinked in surprise, then greeted him softly.

"You don't need to pretend," Elliot cut in. "I'm not an outsider. I already know Zhongli is the Geo Archon."

From the way Xiao addressed him, Elliot instantly guessed that Zhongli had likely asked him not to reveal his identity.

Hearing this, both Zhongli and Xiao froze on the spot, eyes wide in stunned silence.