Suyou

Thundering drums and gongs, blazing lights. Suyou was lying quietly on the edge of a tall building with his hands behind his head. His lips stretched into a smile as he observed Zhu'an's bustle at night. A prosperous city reflected in his eyes. Under the eaves, laughter could be heard as children wearing traditional Nuo masks ran past. “Immortal Nuo, bless the land, Immortal Nuo, our most auspicious guardian! Little did the carefree children know that right above them, Suyou, the last successor of the Exorcists of Nuo, was listening, with the sacred mask and blade of Nuo, looking down with a smile. Suyou jumped to her feet like a spring and enjoyed a long stretch. He had just woken up from a dream about the past. Over ten years ago, the sky darkened and the wind howled while moans could be heard from all directions. The lingering obsessions and evil thoughts of the dead had gathered in this place, creating a phenomenon known as the Echo of Wickedness and threatening to consume the entire village. A young Suyou could only cower in fear among the rubble and wait helplessly for death to claim him. Suddenly, a massive figure broke through the clouds with a trident in hand. His fierce stature stood between the village and the echoes of wickedness like an angry mountain. The next moment, an agile figure wielding a holy blade rushed in front of Suyou, towards the evil scourge. He was an exorcist from Nuo. With a single blow, he split the sky. With another, he swept away the scourge like freshly fallen dust. There was no need for a third. That day, the fearsome power of Immortal Nuo was deeply engraved in a boy's heart. Inspired by the miracle he had witnessed, Suyou decided to travel the country, helping people in any way he could, as its savior.

Ten years passed and Suyou found himself following trails to a small town near Zhu'an in the Cadia Riverlands. The city was shrouded in echoes so thick you wondered how anything could survive in such a place. But the townspeople lived happily, unaware of the danger in which they found themselves. Strange phenomena were forming due to the concentration of echoes, only for the townspeople to look away without a care in the world. Suyou quickly found the reason. An old exorcist lived in the town and maintained a kind of fragile balance. The same one who had saved him all those years ago. Even as the echoes were about to devour the town, the old exorcist continued to lie and reassure the townspeople that everything was fine. Young Suyou didn't understand how his hero could have fallen into such a state. Suyou firmly believed that deceiving these people could only lead to disaster. Why was the old exorcist playing with their lives? The slightest misstep would surely doom them all. Suyou was forced to conclude that the exorcist was a fraud, so he set out to warn the town of the danger they were in. However, this caused complete panic and only accelerated the growth of echoes. It was only then that Suyou realized that the world was not filled with valiant heroes, but with ordinary people with their countless worries and fears. And the oversaturation of negative emotions is what creates the echoes of unkindness. After learning of the impending disaster, their fear would only fuel the echoes until they devoured everything. For the townspeople, their faith and hope were the silver lining that protected them in this dire situation. Nuo's power comes not from the heavens, but from the strength of human faith. The old exorcist has always struggled with fear and uncertainty in people's hearts. But the human heart easily wanders and gets lost without direction. Those guiding them were the Exorcists of Nuo, using faith to manifest Immortal Nuo. To repair his mistake, Suyou helped the old exorcist prepare the Nuo ritual. The exorcist had spent most of his life fighting the Echoes, and the countless injuries he had suffered in these battles left him unable to perform the ritual any longer. As luck would have it, he passed the sacred Nuo mask and blade to young Suyou to continue in his place. Suyou put on the mask and held the blade tightly. For the first time, Suyou took the stage as Nuo's exorcist: he performed the ritual dance and sang the ancient songs to summon the Immortal Nuo.

The sky suddenly darkened, as if Suyou had returned to the past. Unaware of the impending catastrophe, the masses looked at Suyou with fear and expectation. Only then could Suyou understand...What is Nuo? Nuo is faith. People's hearts are like candle flames, swaying in the direction the wind blows. And at that time, as Nuo's exorcist, Suyou was that wind. When people see your resolution, they will believe. When people see your smile, they will rejoice. When people see your fear, they will cower. And when people see your hesitation, they will doubt. Their faith comes from you, and the faith you evoke from them is the power of Nuo! As night fell, the faith of the townspeople under the stage became like flames and illuminated Suyou's performance. Immortal Nuo once said: “Do not fear evil. People chanted “Immortal Nuo will protect us from harm! » over and over again in their hearts. Thus, Immortal Nuo gained the power to dispel evil. Immortal Nuo said: “Do not fear disaster. People chanted “Immortal Nuo will save us from disaster!” again and again in their hearts. Thus, Immortal Nuo gained the power to avert disaster. Little by little, something emerged from the people. He gathered around the Nuo mask, the holy blade, and the statue of Immortal Nuo. The hopes of the people, the power of the human heart, and the sparks of their faith came together and manifested in the three-headed, six-armed Immortal Nuo. Nuo is faith, and Immortal Nuo is the resulting miracle. The sparks of their faith, gathered to give shape to the body. The thoughts of the people, sharp as an edge to cut through despair.

Suyou wielded the sacred blade and guided the people. He summoned Immortal Nuo and cut off the echoes of malice. He split the sky, just like his predecessor. He saw the faith of the people and heard their prayers. At this very moment, he had understood the true meaning of being a Nuo exorcist. Suyou carried the power of immortal deity in his body to guide people to enlightenment. It was his duty. After passing on the sacred relics and knowledge of the ritual to Suyou, the old exorcist left without a trace. The world still assumes that those who shoulder great responsibilities must bear heavy burdens and undergo trials. But Suyou was free, wandering from place to place, enjoying the sights and sounds. Sometimes he would perform the Nuo ritual to reaffirm people's faith, and other times he would draw his sacred blade to reduce evil manifestations. He has seen what the power of faith and the human heart are capable of, and he returns it in kind. His love for the world and his faith in others allow him to protect every glimmer of hope. Just like his name, Suyou, in the Cajun language... Exorcist of evil and wanderer in this world.