Then, Shao Yun, Candace, and Dehya joined forces with Habachi to deal with the remaining Treasure Hoarders.
But in truth, the "battle" turned out to be more of a solo performance—starring Shao Yun himself.
He raised his Litchfield Repeater, aimed down the sights, and smoothly cycled the lever three times. Three crisp gunshots echoed through the night, and the last three Treasure Hoarders dropped like stones, dead before they hit the ground. The fight was over in seconds.
As for whether any demons came to claim their souls… well, the Litchfield didn't come with that feature.
Candace and Dehya, on the other hand, hadn't even had time to draw their weapons.
When the dust settled, Habachi turned toward Shao Yun, his face full of surprise and admiration. "Whoa, your marksmanship is something else!" he said in genuine awe.
Shao Yun, still sitting tall in the saddle, couldn't help recalling a conversation he'd had with Dehya back at the Lambad Tavern.
With a mischievous grin, he mimicked her tone and replied, "You single-handedly sliced down seven Treasure Hoarders just now, and you're complimenting me for taking out three? According to Dehya's logic, isn't that what they call 'excessive modesty is just showing off'?"
Dehya froze for a moment, then burst out laughing.
"Haha! So, you do learn fast! But you're not wrong—Habachi really is a beast in combat. In Aaru Village, his strength's second only to Candace's, no doubt about it!"
Candace, however, interrupted her coolly, her tone flat and faintly cold. "That's because, in Aaru Village, the only reliable fighters are Habachi and me."
Dehya sighed dramatically. "Oh, come on, can't you just let me brag about you a little in front of him? It won't kill you."
Candace didn't bite. She simply waved a hand dismissively. "Spare me the flattery, Dehya. You continue your patrol. I'll take Shao Yun to check the warehouse—I'm worried the Treasure Hoarders might try a diversion. They could already be inside."
Dehya didn't argue. With Candace and Shao Yun together, there was little to worry about.
"Got it," she said simply, then turned and disappeared into the darkness, resuming her night watch.
…
Habachi began dealing with the bodies, piling up the corpses of the fallen Treasure Hoarders.
Meanwhile, Shao Yun and Candace made their way to the warehouse.
When Candace pushed open the heavy wooden doors, a wave of stale air rushed out.
Peering into the dark interior, she frowned slightly.
At that moment, Shao Yun reached into his satchel and pulled out the Electric Lantern. Instantly, the room was flooded with bright, steady light.
Candace blinked, eyeing the mysterious "light source." "You shouldn't be using open flames in a warehouse… ah, never mind. Just be careful not to set anything on fire."
Shao Yun chuckled and teased, "First off, I don't think either of us has owl eyes. Second, this isn't an open flame—it's perfectly safe."
He gave the lantern's glass casing a few light taps to prove his point.
With the warehouse now illuminated, Candace began a thorough inspection.
As she walked, she remarked curiously, "Hmm… can I think of it as a jar full of glowing fireflies?"
Shao Yun thought for a second, then offered a more grounded explanation. "You could say… it's like electricity trapped inside a crystal, sealed in glass."
Candace nodded thoughtfully. "Oh, I see! So that's how it works…"
…
After a detailed search, Candace checked every corner of the warehouse.
Thankfully, there was no sign of intruders, and the supplies were untouched.
She exhaled in relief. "Good. Looks like none of them managed to sneak in."
Just then, Shao Yun's gaze caught on a stack of books piled near the wall.
He crouched down, picked one up, and flipped through it idly.
But after skimming a few pages, curiosity crept across his face.
"Candace, can I ask you something?" he said, looking puzzled.
"Of course," she replied. "What is it?"
Shao Yun scratched the back of his head. "Do you know if there's any kind of animal that can survive by eating sand?"
Candace blinked, caught off guard by the odd question.
After a moment of thought, she shook her head. "No way! Even the sacred golden scarabs in the desert couldn't live just on sand. Why would you ask that?"
Shao Yun lifted the book and showed her the cover. "This book's about pasture management."
"But considering this entire region is nothing but endless sand dunes, I don't see how anyone could graze anything out here."
Candace looked genuinely surprised that such a book had even made its way here.
She took it from him, muttering, "Really? Let me take a look."
After skimming the table of contents and a few pages, she placed it back thoughtfully.
"As I thought," she said. "Not even the rainforest's ideal for grazing, let alone the desert."
"But, to be fair, it does explain a lot about treating pack beasts when they fall ill. Maybe it's more of a veterinary guide than a herding manual. Could be useful for Aaru Village."
Hearing that, Shao Yun shrugged. "Huh, then I guess it's not a total waste of paper after all."
…
Finding nothing amiss, they stepped outside.
The moment they exited, a sharp, acrid smell filled the air.
Not far away, Habachi stood by a fire, burning the corpses of the Treasure Hoarders.
Candace barely reacted—she was used to such sights.
She merely gave the scene a passing glance before looking up at the starry sky.
Then she turned to Shao Yun with a small smile. "Thanks for your help tonight. You did great. It's late—get some rest. You've earned it."
As soon as she spoke, a message popped up before Shao Yun's eyes:
[Night Patrol Mission Completed]
Seeing that, Shao Yun didn't linger. He nodded to Candace, said his goodbyes, and returned to rest.
…The next morning…
Shao Yun and Dehya set out early with the merchant caravan, leaving Aaru Village behind.
The journey back to Sumeru City was much faster—without the heavy cargo, the beasts of burden could move freely.
When they passed through Gandharva Ville, Shao Yun suddenly remembered Haypasia.
They paused briefly, and he decided to go check on the scholar—
whether to visit or spook her was up for debate.
But to his mild surprise (and partial expectation), Haypasia wasn't there. Instead, he found Lumine and Paimon by the glass greenhouse.
Lumine had changed back into her signature white dress and those white wooden-heeled boots, while Paimon floated nearby, chattering as usual.
Shao Yun waved from afar. "Lumine! Paimon!"
His sudden shout startled them both—they clearly hadn't expected to see him here.
When he approached, Paimon was the first to recover. "Whoa! Shao Yun? What are you doing in Gandharva Ville?"
Shao Yun smiled. His eyes drifted briefly to the mechanical cube, Karkata, resting beside them. It seemed Lumine and Paimon had finished Tighnari's story quest.
But he still asked casually, "That's my question—what about you two? Oh, and how's things over in the Akademiya ruins?"
Hearing the question, Paimon eagerly explained, "Oh, that? It wasn't too bad! There was a ley line leak that caused some kind of corruption, but we fixed it! No big deal!"
Shao Yun repeated her key words, frowning slightly. "A ley line leak… causing a Withering Zone corruption? Huh. That's… new."
Lumine nodded. "Yeah, we thought it was strange too. Back in Liyue, when Hu Tao used the ley line anchor stones, it only drew out a few monsters—it never got that bad."
Shao Yun's expression darkened slightly as the thought clicked in his mind.
"Then I guess… Irminsul is starting to fall apart."