"Paimon thinks this is the place!" A small fairy floating toward a giant tree with an inn built on top of it, "Wangshu Inn!" Paimon floated, putting her small hands on her hips triumphantly, "I told you I could find it!"
"It's not that hard to find Paimon." Aether sweat dropped, "It's pretty much one of a kind here considering there are no other trees like it." He walked to the elevator leading to the top of the inn.
Paimon followed after him, "What makes you think that Adeptus Xiao will even see us?" Paimon asked confused.
"Well I was told that to get a visit from Adeptus Xiao, you have to set out his favorite food and say his name..." Aether trailed off, wondering if this would even work.
"Where did you hear that? Paimon has never heard of such a thing!" Paimon also went into thought.
Clunk
The elevator stopped at the top, both Aether and Paimon stepping out of the elevator, heading to the main building of the Inn.
"Greetings Traveler!" Verr Goldet greeted Aether and Paimon. Aether nodded in response and headed up to the highest balcony, pulling a plate of Almond Tofu out of his bag that he'd made earlier that morning.
"Paimon doesn't think this is going to work." Paimon observed Aether setting the Almond Tofu on the terrace.
"Well we need to try, we need to get all the Adepti together." Aether said, backing up from the plate.
"Now what?" Paimon asked, looking at the food.
"Now we just call out his name." Aether mumbled, before speaking loud and clear, "Adeptus Xiao, we are in need of your help."
Silence followed soon after, Aether and Paimon looking around for any sign of the Adeptus. Nothing happened making Aether sigh and Paimon snicker evilly.
Both of them turned around to leave, "I told you it wouldn't work!" Paimon boasted.
Clatter
The sound of a plate falling to the floor made Aether and Paimon pause mid-step/float.
Both of them turned around to see the very person they'd called upon, looking at the fallen plate of what used to be intact Almond Tofu.
"Y-you actually showed up!" Paimon said in disbelief.
Xiao finally spoke, "You called out my name, it is my duty as an Adepti to come to your aid." Xiao spoke in a formal, monotonous voice. "What is it you need help with?" Xiao got straight to the point.
This time it was Aether who spoke up, "We need your help to gather all of the Adepti!" He spoke determinedly.
Xiao was confused, "Why would you need all the Adepti to come together?" He asked bluntly.
"We need your help stopping the Fatui! Paimon and Aether think that they're planning something big!" Paimon spoke before Aether.
Xiao looked perplexed, "Is that so...?" Xiao mumbled, "Well I'm afraid, that this is impossible." He spoke bluntly.
Aether and Paimon both gaped, "Why?!" Paimon almost yelled. Xiao scowled at her loud voice before sighing in annoyance.
"None of the Adepti have stepped foot in Liyue for the longest time, nor came out of their domains in Jueyun Karst." Xiao sighed, "Not to mention one of our strongest Adepti has been put to an uneasy rest for some time, in a hard to reach, unidentifiable location." Xiao scowled at telling this news.
"What Adepti is that?" Aether inquired.
"He is the oldest and most powerful Adepti, 宁静的水 (Níngjìng de shuǐ)." Xiao answered, "Though he went by (Y/n) in the newer times before he was put to sleep."
Aether nodded, "Do you know where he was out to rest?" Aether asked, a determined look in his eyes.
Xiao shook his head, "i do, but I will not disclose it." He said sharply, "I will not let harm come to 宁静的水, for who know what might happen if you tried to awaken him." Xiao denied, "And who knows what harm could come to you, some Adepti have been slain trying to reach the resting spot of 宁静的水." Xiao turned away.
"But what if you came with us?" Paimon tried to persuade him.
Xiao kept firm on his decision, "No, I will not see you nor 宁静的水 get hurt, I will not allow it." Xiao then teleported, leaving behind green and black specks, before Aether or Paimon could speak up.
"Well this stinks!" Paimon whined, stamping her feet in the air, still floating.
"Wait..." Aether walked over to the plate still face down on the ground. Aether lifted it up, and instead of seeing splattered Almond Tofu, there was a slip of paper. Aether looked around cautiously, picking up the slip of paper and opening it.
Written on the slip of paper was a map, a circle being drawn on a certain area in Jueyun Karst, with Xiao's hand writing of 18:00.
"Why wouldn't Xiao just tell us this..." Aether mumbled, before he quickly sensed something, turning around and looking at the roof, only to see a fleeting black figure.
"Hey get back here!" Paimon yelled, ready to float after the figure.
"No, don't go, it would be a waste of time." Aether shook his head, "It's best to go see where this location is, and why Xiao wanted us to go there at this time."
Paimon nodded, "Fine." She sighed.
"Alright, then let's go."
