𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐗𝐢𝐚𝐨 ―𝐠. 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭

2 || Interesting Patient

With the referral from the God of Liyue himself, you were given a room at Wangshu Inn that you could never have dreamed to live in with your current mortal form. It was decorated with expensive and exquisite furniture all around, and there was enough space for you to do summersaults. 

"Maybe I should really start asking for mora when I treat people," you thought jokingly as you flopped onto the large bed. The sun was starting to set over the horizon, illuminating the room in beautiful hues of orange and gold. After a moment of thought, you rose again and shuffled across the room to the desk to create an elixir.

It had been three days since your first stay at the inn; however, you had yet to meet with the Adeptus you were entrusted with. Sighing, you trudged out of your room and to the highest deck of the inn to admire the sunset. When you saw that no one was present, you took a deep breath.

"Surely Morax would be upset if our little Xiao continued to refuse the help he's giving," you said out loud, purposely trying to call forth the Adeptus. You remembered hearing Cloud Retainer saying that Xiao responded to no one but the Geo Archon, so you hoped this would work as a last resort.

And indeed, it did.

"State your purpose," a cold voice said from behind. Turning around, you smiled at the appearance of the lone Yaksha. His sharp golden eyes were glaring holes into your body, wary of your existence, but you paid it no heed. Instead, you took out the elixir from your pocket and tossed it at him, to which he caught swiftly.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Conquerer of Demons," you greeted. "I created that elixir just for you. A pain killer. Though, I'd be grateful if you let me examine you thoroughly to create something personalized for you."

"Useless," the Adeptus sighed impassively, looking away. "Medications made by mortals have no effect on the Adepti."

"Mortals?" you echoed. A devious smile slowly crept up your face when you realized that your friend had failed to tell Xiao of your reputation. There was no one in the entirety of the world that could stand up to your practice of medicine. And yet, this young Adeptus was telling you that your elixir, the medicine made with your powers as a god, was useless. How amusing.

"Are you dismissing the help of Morax then?" you teased, noticing the young man tense at the name. "I was asked by him to help you, after all."

After a moment of thought, Xiao took off the lid of the tube and drank the elixir before coughing at the bitterness. In the midst of his coughing fit of disgust, you took the chance to walk closer and wrap your arm around his waist; needless to say, he was quick to try and hurl you off the balcony, but you were much stronger than him even with your mortal form. You secured him and whispered in his ear, making him freeze.

"Calm," you ordered as you modestly felt around his body, judging his level of malnourishment and lack of self-care. His waist was quite small, even smaller than yours (which was concerning because you were much like a monk), and you noticed that his muscles made up almost all of his body. The temperature of his body was higher than the norm, and his heart rate was slow, presumably from his extremely athletic lifestyle. However, even with the exercising, it was obvious that he paid little attention to maintaining a healthy body, even more so that the karmic debt was taking a large toll. 

When you were done assessing his physical state, you let go and stepped back, holding your hands up in defense. Xiao jumped back and took out his polearm.

"How dare you," he growled. "Who do you think you are, groping me in such ways?"

Raising your eyebrows, you replied, "Pardon me, but I was examining your body condition. I didn't think I'd have a better opportunity noting how defensive you are against me. Say, what food do you eat?"

"Ha. What confidence," Xiao said, giving a curt, dismayed laugh. His apathetic expression returned within seconds, but his eyes were narrowed. "You seem to have no fears, seeing your brazenness."

 "Remember, I'm doing this because Morax asked me for a favor," you smiled. You were going to use Xiao's loyalty to Rex Lapis to the fullest, continuously reminding him that this was his beloved Geo Archon's wishes. You were a doctor, but you weren't necessarily a nice one.

It just seemed like your mature, courteous business persona left the roof as soon as Xiao and his difficult personality appeared.

"If Morax were here, he'd be questioning my maturity. I can't believe he compared me to the likes of Barbatos," you thought with a huff. From your robe, you took out a notebook and waited for Xiao's reply. A few seconds passed when you heard a sigh.

"...Almond tofu is the only mortal food I can stomach," came the answer from the callous Adeptus. When he saw you writing it down, he explained that the softness reminded him of the dreams he once consumed.

"So you can eat soft, smooth foods," you reiterated, failing to notice the subtle look of surprise on Xiao's face. He assumed that you would offer your pity, which he hated, but you didn't. Your earlier shameless actions and your now solemn demeanor confused him. 

"Can you eat meat?" you consulted.

"Only grilled fish."

"Can you handle crunchy but "thin" foods like lettuce?"

"I can."

"So no greasy or thick foods. Do you prefer cold or hot?"

"Cold."

"Alright," you hummed as you put your notepad and pencil back in the security of your robe. "Since you won't let me examine you completely, let's start with fixing your diet."

"Diet? I have no need for a diet. I feed off of the deaths of demons," Xiao voiced.

"And yet your human vessel is malnourished and beaten down."

Crossing his arms, Xiao looked away at the setting sun with little emotion. As he averted his attention back to you, he murmured hoarsely, "I am merely a weapon. There is no need to take care of my body."

"I am your doctor, so I have to disagree," you stated, looking straight into his empty eyes. "Wait here." 

You left the reserved Adeptus alone on the balcony and went back to your room. Although plants of every shape, size, and color were sprawled everywhere on the desk, you were able to find all of the specific herbs required for the evening. The herbs levitated in the faint glow of your palms, altering into the forms you needed. 

"I need a ripe flower from this, a dried root from that..."

As the God of Healing and the God of Herbs (as others called you), you had the ability to change and grow any herb needed for medicine. It was extremely useful considering that these different herbs from all around the world could be grown and extracted right in your hands, whenever you needed, as long as you had even just a leaf.

Completing the basics of the concoction, you went downstairs with your supplies and greeted the chef upon arriving at the kitchen. The two of you collaborated on a modified Almond Tofu for Xiao that included necessary health supplements and analgesic herbs. Of course, with your knowledge of plants came the knowledge of seasoning. The modified Almond Tofu tasted amazing if you did say so yourself.

"Ha ha!" the Chef boomed, proud of the creation. "There is no way the Conquerer of Demons won't eat this. Your seasoning is superb!"

"Thank you," you said with a business smile. "I merely learned to cook for my traveling journies. Now, let me deliver this to little Xiao so he can eat."

Giving no time for the Chef to say more, you left the kitchen and walked up the stairs of Wangshu Inn, determined to treat your patient.