I'm in the Teyvat running group

"These stories are definitely not for the average person... This lady selling books must also be someone special." Yunxiu looked at the booklets and couldn't help but sigh. It was already an amazing thing to have all these books gathered here.

"Moonlit Night in the Bamboo Forest," "The Hidden Jade Spring," "The Wild Boar Princess," "The Story of Hirui and Shirin," "The Little Witch and the Unquenchable Fire," "The Shepherd Boy and the Magic Bottle"...

To be honest, just looking at this string of book titles is enough to make one's scalp tingle. Many of these works are the kind that would explode at first glance, and many of them have never been sold in large quantities, circulating only in a small circle. I wonder where this person got them from.

At this moment, the woman who had been sitting at the stall, seemingly taking a nap, opened her eyes and looked at the two people in front of her, saying, "Gentlemen, would you like to buy something? I'll give you a free 'Destiny' card."

However, what was very strange was that the woman's voice seemed to be two voices overlapping each other, clear and alluring, seemingly curious yet calm. The voice alone made Hu Tao and Yun Xiu feel very unusual, and the strange feeling they had was even more special than when they met a god!

"I'll buy it... is that okay?" Hu Tao carefully picked up a copy of "The Little Witch and the Unquenchable Flame," glanced at Yun Xiu sideways, and only asked after seeing Yun Xiu nod, "How many Mora does this book cost?"

“None of the books here cost Mora, but you need to pay with ‘Time’ stories.” The woman glanced at Walnut and smiled, “You have enough ‘Time’ stories to pay for them. Do you need to buy a few more?”

"Really... then I can have this set." Hu Tao glanced at the other books in "The Little Witch and the Unquenchable Flame," picked up the entire set, and handed it to Yun Xiu before continuing, "Then... which 'Destiny' volume can I get?"

"Hmm...this one." The woman handed over a card, then tapped it lightly, as if drawing something from Walnut.

Soon, a copy of "The Record of the Rebirth of the Ghostly Butterfly" appeared on the bookstall. Then she glanced at Yunxiu and said, "I'll give you a copy too. This can be considered our second meeting..."

Another card gently landed in Yunxiu's palm, and then the entire bookstall and the woman vanished without a trace.

"Yunxiu...is this real?" Hu Tao looked at the set of books and the cards in her hand, and said in surprise, "Am I dreaming?"

“It shouldn’t be a dream, but this lady isn’t that simple either…” Yunxiu looked at the card in her hand. It was the “Magician” card, which represents ability and power. The wand, chalice, sword, and coins on the Magician card represent the four elements that make up matter: earth, water, fire, and wind.

Of course, the Teyvat world is actually more complex, with grass, lightning, and ice in addition to earth, water, fire, and wind.

On the back of the card, at the bottom, is a line of small print that reads "Witch K·K".

Witch K? Does such a person exist?

Yunxiu racked his brains. Now that his intelligence modifier had increased to over thirty points, he could recall almost anything in his memory, but this K·K had hardly appeared in the story of Genshin Impact.

After thinking for a full five minutes, when Yunxiu began searching his memory for information from before the game's launch, he finally remembered where the name had appeared before. It was the name that appeared on the earliest Traveler's character illustration. According to the original scholars, this name was originally believed to be Kiana Kaslana from the neighboring Honkai universe.

However, as the Genshin Impact universe was gradually revealed, people discovered that the differences between the two worlds were actually becoming increasingly significant, and they were not even the same universe. Therefore, this speculation became confusing once again.

It is indeed possible that Witch K exists, because the Witch Guild only mentioned seven code names, but the Witch Guild actually has eight icons, that is, there is also the legendary Eighth Witch. However, in the later Abyss related to the Witch Guild, there should actually be nine icons when the results are released.

No, what if Witch K.K. was actually two witches combined into one?

That corresponds to eight avatars and nine icons...

It can also be matched with the name K·K, which is completely different from other witches, because all witches are single words, such as A, B, M, O, etc., and I have already met almost all the witches.

"Let me see your card..." Yunxiu patted Hu Tao's head. Hu Tao didn't resist and quickly handed the card in her hand to Yunxiu. Yunxiu glanced at it and found that it was a "Strength" card. This card represents humans using strength to subdue their instincts and represents the existence of love and will.

This is quite in line with Hu Tao's personality and life.

After returning the cards to Hu Tao, Yun Xiu took out the Dudu communicator and quickly contacted Alice.

However, after the call connected, the voice on the other end was not Alice, but another familiar voice to Yunxiu. The rather lazy voice came through the Dudu communicator, and Yunxiu could sense where the voice came from.

"Who is it... Oh, Yunxiu, is there something you need from Alice so late at night?"

“Miss Octavia, I have a question about something related to the witch K.K…” Yunxiu thought for a moment and then told Octavia about what he had encountered with Hu Tao that evening, especially the stories about fate itself and various books, as well as the strange voice of the witch. After he finished speaking, he continued to ask, “Is there such a thing as a witch?”

"Witch K.K.... Yes, but even at witch gatherings, they rarely appear, only once in a while."

"Them? Are there really two witches, K.K.?" Yunxiu asked in surprise. "But I only saw one person."

"They are twins, but they share one body. They are still two people, and they represent a key law... Oh, it's so complicated. I'll have Alice give you a book to read. I want to play with Alice."

"Ah...? Okay... then I won't disturb your rest any longer..."

Yunxiu scratched his head, unsure whether this woman was always like this or influenced by Alice...

However, she kept her word. Soon, a small spatial rift appeared in front of Yunxiu, and with a soft hiss, a book gently landed in Yunxiu's palm. There was not a single word on the cover, and it was very thin, seemingly a book that the witch had just created with her power...

Yunxiu picked up the book, flipped through it, and quickly finished reading all the information. This was not difficult for a great mage like him. After reading it, Yunxiu finally understood why this witch was like this.

Simply put, the Witches' Guild actually represents an essence of the world, that is, an interpretation of truth. Just as Yunxiu had guessed before, the eight witches represent the eight major factions of mages, which is indeed very close. Of course, the name may not be eight major factions, but the witches do represent eight essences of the world.

The witch K·K represents 'door', or 'gate'.

The two witches are twins, representing the 'this side of the Door' and the 'other side of the Door'. They have been divided in two since birth, and this essence is jointly guarded by the two witches.

Yes, they are also symbols of Teyvat itself, the 'gate'. So Iris and she have a pretty good relationship, because the gate that Iris actually guards on the border of Teyvat is one of the symbols of this witch.

That's why she understands travelers so well, since both travelers came to this world through her.

The two witches are named Kaleia Kerberos and Mercodia Kerberos. Kaleia, the older sister, is the positive side, with an outgoing personality, while Mercodia, the younger sister, is the negative side, with a calm and composed personality. The two are one, yet they are divided into two sides.

Therefore, when they join the Witches' Guild, they share a name and a code name, but in reality, there are nine icons because there are nine people, but only eight witches.

Both witches share the surname Kaiperos, so their designation is Witch K.K. This was entirely unsurprising to Yunxiu, as there would be no need to use a double-letter designation if it were just one person.

I see……

After thinking for a moment, Yunxiu completely understood some of the witch's strange circumstances. As for why she suddenly appeared tonight, it was probably because she also needed to enter a 'door' and was probably here to check on her.

However, since she has already met him a second time, the first meeting was most likely the moment she arrived in Teyvat. This witch must have met everyone who came to Teyvat before deciding whether to let them in, which is why she was able to make such an accurate judgment about the Traveler.

As for why there are so many stories.

Most of these books were originally written by witches N and M, so it's not surprising that she would sell them. However, the fact that she could extract stories from people and turn them into books was something Yunxiu had never imagined...

Yunxiu greatly admired this ability. Since his recent advancement, he himself had to occasionally compile magic teaching materials to submit to the Imperial Academy and upload them to the Spirit Realm. Wouldn't it be incredibly awesome if this ability could be learned...?

"Yunxiu... could there be some major crisis? The story in this book seems a bit messy." Hu Tao flipped through the book "The Little Witch and the Unquenchable Flame" and asked Yunxiu with a puzzled look, "The handwriting in this book is all crooked, and it tells these inexplicable stories. Could she be lying to me?"

The handwriting is crooked and messy, so it must be the book written by the witch N, that is, Nicolae... Apart from her gentle and calm appearance, everything else about this witch can be said to be a perfect contrast to her appearance.

Talkative, likes to talk inside other people's heads, has crooked handwriting, and is occasionally terrible at managing fairies—she's practically a ditzy witch, yet she's known as the "Memory Witch" because that might be her only real talent...

"It's okay, trust me, these things won't be dangerous, don't worry."

"Oh...really? I hope nothing's coming to slit my throat in the middle of the night or something." Hu Tao stuffed the books into her storage bag, then leaped onto Yun Xiu's shoulder. "I don't care, you're sleeping in my room tonight to protect me! Aren't you supposed to be strong? If any monsters appear, you'd better catch them!"

"Um... okay, but could you please stop choking me like that?"

"do not want!"

Chapter 274 Listening to the Night's Whispers to Protect the Ghostly Butterfly (Second update on Saturday!)

It's unclear whether Hu Tao is afraid, but Yun Xiu is actually a little worried, even though the witch herself didn't make many unfavorable predictions about Hu Tao.

However, it cannot be denied that it is not normal for Hu Tao to encounter such a thing. Yun Xiu herself does not need to worry about encountering such a thing, but this witch did give Hu Tao a card after all.

However, Yunxiu probably had a guess, most likely because she had changed Hu Tao's fate again...

Although in the original timeline the Traveler saved Kurumi in the end, this time it was the Traveler who saved her, Kurumi's sudden increase in strength may no longer be within the so-called laws of fate.

However, even if he were given a hundred more chances to choose, he would not watch Hu Tao go to her death. This was not only because the relationship between the two was much closer than that of ordinary people, but also because Hu Tao, as the head of the Hall of Rebirth, was obligated to receive the good outcome she deserved.

Even if it has nothing to do with Yunxiu, Yunxiu will still go to save her.

As for two people sleeping in one room...

The last time was when the two of them were about twelve or thirteen years old. At that time, the five little ones played together after the New Year and then rested together. However, soon after, Hu Tao's family encountered problems, and Hu Tao's contact with them decreased significantly.

As Chongyun embarks on the path of Taoist cultivation to subdue demons and monsters, Xingqiu gradually takes over a portion of his family's Feiyun Chamber of Commerce's businesses, and even Xiangling begins her culinary career at Wanmintang, starting as an assistant to Master Mao. Only Yunxiu remains, still spending her time studying and doing other daily tasks.

Of course, because her father and sister were both very busy with work, Yunxiu usually ate at Wanmintang Restaurant and helped Xiangling out.

Most of the time, only two of the five members remain, so naturally, the two of them have the best relationship.

Of course, Yunxiu didn't feel any psychological pressure. She didn't feel any pressure when she was flying around with walnuts every day, so why would she feel any pressure now? Besides, she wasn't exactly a good person...

However, Hu Tao herself was quite carefree. Although she said she was scared, she quickly washed up and fell asleep, sprawled out on the bed, requiring Yun Xiu to cover her with the blanket. This was a habit she'd had since childhood; in terms of sleeping posture alone, Hu Tao had always been the worst. In Yun Xiu's memory, the only one worse than her was probably Chong Yun.

Although I don't know why Chongyun, who appears to be quiet and peaceful, has the worst sleeping posture.

But actually, Chongyun's aunt Shenhe also sleeps very well, so it can only be said that Chongyun is most likely due to a genetic mutation.

Yunxiu casually cast a spell on Hu Tao to ensure she wouldn't glare at the blankets again in the middle of the night, and then went back to sleep.

Perhaps because the appearance of the witch K explained some of his questions, he slept quite soundly. When he woke up the next morning, Hu Tao had disappeared. He got up, went to the bathroom, and was about to wash up when he saw Hu Tao sitting at the small round table in the courtyard eating breakfast. Opposite her sat a girl with brown hair, swinging her legs, also eating the special breakfast of Shenyu Valley.

"Hey, you're awake! I ran into Yao Yao when I was buying breakfast this morning, so we invited her here together." Hu Tao held up a rather peculiar fried dough stick and shouted to Yun Xiu, "Hurry up, hurry up, this tastes really unique, but it's delicious!"

Hmm... if I'm not mistaken, this thing has cilantro in it...

Although she wasn't particularly interested, Yunxiu still casually cast a spell. The spell's function was essentially "one-click cleanup," which would remove all the dirt from her body. The only downside was that it couldn't replace a person going to the toilet.

It's probably because trying to move these things out is beyond the scope of a first-level spell.

After sitting down, Yunxiu glanced at the dishes on the table: cilantro fried dough sticks, tea-flavored spicy soup, mushroom rice noodle rolls...

It can only be described as a breakfast that is so bad that it's impossible to even put it in your mouth; it's a culmination of bizarre culinary creations.

"Who invented these things to destroy the world?" Yunxiu asked, pointing at the strange objects. "These things can't actually be some kind of signature dish of Shenyu Valley, can they?"

"Hmm... I just happened to see this place on my way out this morning and bought some. All the other shops were packed, but this one was less crowded," Hu Tao said excitedly. "Especially since we get a discount for buying a lot, this pastry was a free gift!"

Yunxiu took it and saw that it was a tofu jelly made with ice mist flowers and refreshing herbs.

"Isn't the most important reason for the lack of people this is that nobody eats these things?!" Yunxiu placed the bowl of ice jelly directly on the table, looking at the pile of things in front of him that humans might not be able to eat. Helplessly, he took out the dry food that Xiangling had prepared from his storage bag and started eating it. He didn't plan to eat any of these things.

Seeing Yao Yao's amused expression, Yun Xiu became curious about the girl's purpose in coming. He quickly finished a bag of pancakes and then asked, "Junior Sister Yao Yao, is there something you need from Qiaoying Manor? Do you need my help?"

"It's nothing. I'm here to help Grandma buy some tea. Every year, Grandma personally fries a batch of tea to give to her friends. This year, I'm here to help her buy some." Yao Yao finished eating the strange coriander fried dough sticks with Hu Tao and looked at Yun Xiu with a smile. "These foods are quite interesting, which is why I came with Hu Tao. But I didn't expect to run into you here this morning."

“Grandma Ping is indeed the most meticulous and gentle immortal… but this year we can ask her to prepare two more portions.” Yunxiu smiled and said, “If nothing unexpected happens, immortals Fujin and Lingyuan may also go to Liyue Harbor this year. If I remember correctly, these two immortals have a very good relationship with Grandma Ping.”

"Immortal Fu Jin, Grandma mentioned him just a few days ago, saying that he is kind-hearted and very beautiful..."

It seems it was indeed just a simple encounter. However, it's not surprising that I met Yao Yao. The only peculiar thing is that Yao Yao can actually accept these strange ways of eating.

However, considering that Shen He Gan Yu often eats several kilograms of Qingxin Liuli Bags together, this matter is probably not a big deal for an immortal...

Perhaps disciples of immortals possess these miraculous abilities?

Despite her complaints, Yunxiu still had breakfast with the two of them before seeing Yaoyao out of the courtyard.

Watching Yao Yao leave step by step, Hu Tao suddenly asked out of the blue, "Yunxiu, how much did you rent this little courtyard for? Yao Yao looked very surprised when she came here this morning. It looks quite secluded and the environment is very nice... It could be a branch of the Rebirth Hall."

“If you like it, you can use this courtyard as a branch office.” Yunxiu patted Hu Tao’s head and said, “Although I don’t know which business controls it, I will buy it for you if you like it.”

"Ew, what a terrifying statement! It's exactly like those statements in light novels." Hu Tao scoffed softly before asking curiously, "Can it really be a branch of the Hall of Rebirth?"

“Of course.” Yunxiu smiled, took Hu Tao’s hand and walked out of the courtyard gate toward the shop that rented the courtyard. The rare good weather made Yunxiu’s mood much better: “It’s not a big deal for me. I’ll buy it and give it to you.”

Seeing Hu Tao's slightly hesitant expression, Yun Xiu didn't say anything, but instead tightened her grip on her hand a little.

However, it must be said that, perhaps due to her fiery constitution, Hu Tao was the girl with the most heat Yunxiu had ever seen.