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ArabicGenshin Impact: A Guide to the Unofficial History of Teyvat — Chapter 32
Chapter 32: Xiao’s Review of the Unofficial History
Cold moonlight spilled over the high balcony of Wangshu Inn, illuminating the crisp ink on the pages.
Xiao stared at the cover. ‘The Troubles of the Guardian Yaksha: Karmic Debt is Not as Scary as Insomnia.’
A muscle in his jaw tightened. He forced down a sudden surge of irritation and opened the cover, reading line by line. The introduction seemed ordinary enough, allowing his brow to relax for a fraction of a second before it violently furrowed again. The deeper he read, the heavier the oppressive aura around him became. On that normally impassive face, subtle cracks of emotion began to show.
[…However, recently, a concerned citizen who wishes to remain anonymous revealed that the greatest suffering endured by the Conqueror of Demons may not be that bone-eroding and heart-scorching Karmic Debt…]
Concerned citizen? Anonymous?
Several suspicious faces drifted through Xiao’s mind. Was it that green-clad poet who spent his days loitering in Dihua Marsh, humming off-key tunes to the fish? Or perhaps that white-haired doctor from the pharmacy who kept sending over unneeded medicinal herbs?
[…According to a very accidental close-range observation, the two dark circles under the Conqueror of Demons’ eyes are particularly striking…]
His fingers tightened. The paper crinkled sharply in the quiet night.
Close-range observation? When? He had sensed absolutely no one. And who exactly was this author, Li Xin? As for those dark circles, that was sheer nonsense. The shadows beneath his eyes were physical manifestations of Karmic Debt, entirely unrelated to the mundane fatigue of mortals.
[…After an in-depth yet simple analysis, a world-shaking conclusion was reached: Lord Guardian Yaksha likely suffers from a severe case of IN. SOM. NIA. that has lasted for hundreds, if not thousands, of years!]
A vein throbbed at his temple.
Ridiculous. Slaying demons was his eternal contract. What did that have to do with sleep?, he did not suffer from insomnia. The subsequent descriptions of his supposed sleepless nights were so bizarrely specific that Xiao actually glanced over his shoulder, half-expecting to find a spy clinging to the roof tiles. Only the night wind blew past.
He did occasionally count the stars, yes, but that was merely a habit formed while keeping watch over the marsh.
As he scanned the five listed reasons for this alleged insomnia, his scowl deepened.
[First, the disturbance of the residence… the sound of the wind, the rattling of windows, and even the slight groans of the building’s timber due to temperature changes are all clearly audible…]
Xiao scoffed inwardly. How could an Adeptus be bothered by the wind? He had lived here long enough to memorize the breathing of the earth itself, using those very sounds to track monsters miles away. To compare him to a fragile mortal who required absolute silence to rest was utterly absurd.
[Second, the clamor of nature… the chorus of frogs, the chirping of birds… for him, are they not amplified more than tenfold?]
Absolute rubbish. His heightened senses existed to defend the world. His mind was a fortress of stone; external noise could not sway him.
[Third, the disturbance of appetite… especially the fragrance of almond tofu wafting in the middle of the night… it evokes memories and thoughts, stirring the mind; how can one be still?]
Xiao froze. He certainly favored almond tofu, but it absolutely did not disturb his cultivation. This was blatant slander. Yet… almond tofu was a preference he rarely displayed to anyone. How did this author know? And to link it to insomnia of all things!
[Fourth, uninvited guests… the Traveler… whose visits are so random and whose reasons are so tricky…]
His gaze paused. The throbbing in his temple returned. The Traveler did indeed appear at the most unpredictable times and places, usually dragging him into chaotic situations. But attributing that as a primary cause of sleeplessness was a massive exaggeration. It was merely a nuisance, not a curse.
[Fifth, the pain of Karmic Debt… habit… the karma ravages his body and erodes his spirit… the limit of emotions…]
Xiao’s eyes locked onto the ink. He read the paragraph three times over.
He had never imagined a mortal could comprehend Karmic Debt, let alone know he had been drowning in it for a millennium. To weigh that ancient suffering on the same scale as a trivial thing like insomnia… it was absurd. Yet, beneath the absurdity, a sharp sting of exposure pierced his chest.
It was accurate. The exhaustion following a violent karmic flare-up was not just a desperate wish for the pain to end, but a craving for the ensuing darkness—a chance to temporarily cease existing. But duty always forced his conscious mind to drag his battered spirit back to the waking world to continue the watch.
He thought no one understood that feeling.
Xiao stared at the pen name. Li Xin. Who was this person?
After a long, heavy silence, he turned the page.
[…If a child does not get enough sleep, it is difficult for them to grow tall.]
Xiao’s stomach dropped. A deep sense of dread washed over him.
[…Considering the Conqueror of Demons’ millennium-unchanged upright posture, and that… ahem, delicate frame which slightly belies the title of an Illuminated Adeptus. Combined with his terrifying duration of insomnia… are the reasons therein not thought-provoking?]
Delicate frame.
A burning sensation crept up the tips of his ears, followed instantly by a tidal wave of annoyance. He immediately straightened his spine, as if fixing his posture could retroactively destroy the words on the page.
[…He silently raised his hand to compare himself with the reeds beside him, and ultimately fell into a deeper silence.]
He had never compared himself to a marsh reed.
[…One day, the Conqueror of Demons finally asked Rex Lapis: ‘Lord Rex Lapis, will a Yaksha… never grow taller again?’]
Blood rushed to his head. His vision actually blurred for a second. Blasphemy. When had he ever bothered Lord Rex Lapis with such disrespectful trivialities?
And the mention of an ‘ahoge’ on his head… Xiao caught his own hand reaching up to check his hair. Realizing what he was doing, he yanked his arm down stiffly, his expression turning thunderous.
[…Karmic erosion? Bearable. The howling of demons? Endurable. But the growth stagnation caused by insomnia is simply a public execution.]
Public execution. He understood the modern phrase perfectly now. If this manuscript spread across Liyue Harbor… he dared not imagine the consequences. The ambient noise of the inn seemed to fade away, leaving him isolated in a haze of sheer disbelief.
He forced himself to read the rest. The Wangsheng Funeral Parlor’s ‘Sleep-Aiding and Growth-Promoting Deluxe Package’. The vivid description of him threatening a civilian with a spear. How could he possibly attack an innocent mortal over a joke?
Then, his eyes locked onto the grand finale.
[…When you leap onto a roof beam, one cannot see you looking up; when you jump down, you are buried in the mist because you are too short. Therefore, it is privately suggested that Adeptus Xiao be given an honorary title: True Lord Look Down to See. How appropriate! How vivid!]
A sharp crack echoed across the balcony. The thick wooden railing splintered under his grip, crushed by leaking Adeptal energy.
Too short to be seen? An honorary title?!
[Even a certain Caretaker of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, who wishes to remain anonymous, took a sip of hot tea and smiled slightly upon hearing this.]
Master Zhongli?
Xiao felt entirely drained. The fingers pressing against his temple trembled. This book not only made a mockery of his height but dragged Lord Rex Lapis into the mud with him. Images flashed through his mind—the Geo Archon calmly sipping tea with a knowing smile, Hu Tao flashing a mischievous grin.
A silent thunderclap of social death echoed within the heart of the millennial Adeptus.
He slowly closed the book. The air around him warped, black wisps of Karmic Debt violently tangling with his cold, teal Adeptal energy, betraying his shattered composure. In over a thousand years of slaughtering ancient gods and enduring unending agony, he had never felt this uniquely stifled.
The words drew no blood, yet every single one stabbed precisely into the places he least wanted touched. The sleeplessness was real. The stature was real. But to be fictionalized, mocked, and bestowed with a title like ‘True Lord Look Down to See’…
His knuckles were bone-white as he gripped the spine of the book. He looked out toward the glowing lanterns of Liyue Harbor, his golden eyes swirling with complex, indecipherable emotions.
After a very long time, a single word, heavy with a thousand years of helplessness and bewilderment, scattered into the wind.
“…Ridiculous.”
Tonight, the karma felt far more restless than usual. Yet, despite the overwhelming urge to reduce the book to dust, ‘The Troubles of the Guardian Yaksha’ remained intact in his hand.
The affliction of insomnia truly was a disturbance of the mind. He finally understood the true meaning of that phrase.
[Elysian’s Note: “Ahoge” is an anime/manga term referring to a single, stubborn tuft of hair that sticks up from a character’s head, often used to indicate a foolish, naive, or energetic personality. “Social death” is a modern slang term describing a situation so intensely embarrassing that the person feels they can no longer show their face in public.]