Yu Xie gently placed his hand on Shen He's shoulder.

Feeling the warmth of his hand, Shen He slowly raised her head to look at him.

She was stunned for a moment and then suddenly smiled.

It was a very faint smile, so faint that one could barely see the corners of her mouth lift.

But Yu Xie noticed it.

This was the first time Yu Xie had seen Shen He smile, and he could tell it was genuine, not an imitation of others.

"I'm fine," Shen He said softly to Yu Xie.

After speaking, she took a step forward and raised her voice.

"Once, there was a man who lost his wife and was devastated by grief.

"In his sorrow, he longed for her return, desperate to see her again.

"Thus, he began searching for a way to bring her back, even abandoning their daughter and leaving home for a long time.

"After a long time, he returned home, claiming to have found a way to bring his wife back.

"He told his daughter that they could now go and bring her mother home.

"At the time, the daughter was still very young and knew little of the world. Hearing this, she was overjoyed and followed her father eagerly.

"In the end, the man led his daughter to a deep, dark cave and left her there.

"He believed with conviction that his daughter's 'Solitary Calamity' fate would bring misfortune to those around her. To him, it was better to use his daughter to bring back his wife than to let her live and harm others.

"But in the end, his wife never returned. The method he had spent so much time finding was nothing but a lie."

As Shen He spoke, her tone was calm, as though recounting someone else's story.

But Yu Xie could sense the deep sorrow buried in her voice.

Even though Shen He's emotions had become subdued due to the red cord, and even though she was trying hard to hide her feelings, Yu Xie could see her sadness.

After all, it was a past she could never forget.

The village chief, hearing these words, fell silent.

He looked at Shen He, shaking his head in disbelief. "Could it be... you mean to say..."

"That's right," Shen He said. "That man who tried to exchange his daughter for his wife was my biological father. And I was the girl he abandoned in that dark cave."

The village chief was completely silenced by her words.

The truth was laid bare before him. The method he had sought to bring 'her' back had already been tried before—and it was nothing more than a false hope.

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False hope is poisonous.

The village chief's entire body trembled as if he had lost the faith that had sustained him for so long. In the moment his belief crumbled, countless invisible burdens pressed down on him.

"No, that's not true. You're lying to me... She can come back, she must..."

"Village chief, please wake up. Stop deluding yourself," Shen He said.

"What do you know?" the village chief suddenly roared, abandoning all rational thought. "Have you ever experienced what I've gone through? Have you waited decades for someone like I have? I just want to see her one more time, just once... my wife..."

His voice was filled with unwillingness, and as his words trailed off, black mist suddenly emerged behind him.

The black mist gradually took form—crimson eyes, sharp fangs, and terrifying claws.

Shen He frowned slightly, a pale blue talisman appearing in her hand.

It was exactly the same as the thing she had seen in her childhood.

"Leave it to me. I don't want you fighting these things again," Yu Xie's voice echoed softly beside her. He stepped forward slowly, gripping his long blade tightly.

"What are you doing? Are you trying to destroy my last and only hope?" the village chief shouted, trying to stop Yu Xie from approaching.

Yu Xie closed his eyes, and the blade of his sword cut through the air like a streak of lightning.

With the sharp whistle of the blade and a flash of its arc, the forming black "spirits" were slashed apart, extinguished before they could even cry out.

"No… no!" The village chief roared in despair, unable to believe that his only hope had been shattered.

"These things were never your hope," Yu Xie said as he sheathed his blade. "They only deepen your guilt. Wake up, village chief. If your wife saw you harming others in her name, what would she think? Let her rest in peace."

With a thud, the village chief fell to his knees.

His eyes were hollow, devoid of their usual light.

Deep down… he knew. As the village chief admired by everyone, he knew he was harming both himself and others. Yet he couldn't help but wonder… what if?

What if that secret method was real? If his wife could return, if he could see her one more time, even if it meant going to hell, he would have no regrets.

The image of his first meeting with his wife replayed in his mind. It wasn't just that scene—countless beautiful moments flashed through his memory like a slideshow. Those cherished memories, the ones he dreamed of countless times and woke up to find missing, filled his mind.

After a long silence, the village chief pulled a short dagger from his sleeve. He unsheathed it and pointed it at his chest.

"I'm coming to join you," he whispered.

As he spoke, the dagger plunged toward his heart.

But just before it pierced his skin, it stopped.

Yu Xie had grabbed the village chief's hand. "Village chief, the one who should judge you is not yourself. A life for a life, debts must be repaid. If you've made mistakes, you must face the consequences. Let Liyue's laws decide your punishment."

Night fell.

Yu Xie reported the situation to the Millelith. They arrived in the mountains and took the village chief into custody.

This long-pending commission was finally complete.

........

After returning to Liyue Harbor, Shen He remained silent.

She told Liu Yun that she wanted to take a walk, and so she wandered the bustling streets alone.

The streets were lively, filled with people laughing and chatting, but Shen He felt detached from the scenes and the voices.

Even though she had been here for a while, it still felt as though she was an outsider.

She didn't understand the customs here, didn't know how to interact with others, and didn't even know how to smile.

Suddenly, a rumble of thunder broke the night sky, and the moon disappeared behind thick clouds, dimming the moonlight.

Raindrops began to fall, quickly turning into a downpour.

"It's raining?" Shen He looked up at the night sky.

She remembered Yu Xie's words: when it rains, you should find shelter.

But all the nearby roofs were already crowded with people seeking cover. She didn't know any of them and didn't feel like she could join their conversations.

So, she chose to keep walking.

Raindrops struck her, soaking her clothes. It was cold.

Just then, an umbrella shielded her from the rain.

"Why are you standing here foolishly? When it rains, you should find shelter," Yu Xie's gentle voice rang in her ears.

Shen He looked up at him and once again felt that indescribable warmth in her heart.

In that moment, Shen He suddenly realized that it didn't matter if she couldn't fully integrate into human society.

She wasn't without companionship, was she?

At the very least, she had her master. And she had Yu Xie.