Suyou

As the last descendant of the Exorcists of Nuo, Suyou carried the power of the immortal deity within his body, using it to guide the people toward enlightenment. He walked the mortal plane, like a wandering swordsman, charming and uninhibited, but never forgetting that the of Nuo comes from the faith of the people. And so, he went about purging evil from the hearts of men and safeguarding their hopes for the future. Thunderous drums and gongs, blazing lights. Suyou lay leisurely on the ledge of a tall building, with his hands behind his head. His lips curled into a smile as he took in the hustle and bustle of Zhu'an at night. A prosperous city reflected in his eyes. Underneath the eaves, laughter could be heard as children wearing traditional Nuo masks ran by. "Immortal Nuo, bless the land, Immortal Nuo, our most auspicious guardian! " Little did the carefree children know that listening right above them was Suyou, the last successor of the Exorcists of Nuo, with the sacred Nuo mask and blade, looking down with a smile. Suyou hopped to his feet like a spring and enjoyed a long stretch. He just had just woken up from a dream about the past. More than a decade ago, the sky darkened overhead and the wind howled as wails 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 echoes of malice, 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 malice like an angry mountain. In the next moment, a nimble figure wielding a sacred blade darted past Suyou, towards the evil scourge. It was an Exorcist of Nuo. With one cut, 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 the Immortal Nuo was etched deep into a boy's heart. Inspired by the miracle he had witnessed, Suyou decided to travel the land, helping people in any way he could, like his savior. Ten years passed, and Suyou found himself following some leads to a small town near Zhu'an in the Cadia Riverlands. The town was shrouded in echoes so thick that one wondered how anything could even survive in such a place. But the townsfolk lived on in bliss, ignorant of the danger they were in. Strange phenomena would form due to the concentration of echoes, only for the townsfolk to look away without a care in the world. Suyou soon found the reason. An old exorcist was living in the town and had been maintaining some kind of fragile balance. The very one who had saved him all those years ago. Even as the echoes were on the verge of devouring the town, the old exorcist continued to lie and reassure the townsfolk that all was well. The young Suyou could not comprehend 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 gambling with their lives? The slightest misstep would surely doom them all. Suyou was forced to conclude that the exorcist was a swindler, so he set out to warn the town of the danger they were in. However, this led to outright panic and only hastened the growth of the echoes. Only then did Suyou realize that the world was not filled with valiant heroes, but ordinary people with their countless worries and fears. And the oversaturation of negative emotions is what creates the echoes of malice. After learning of the impending disaster, their fear would only feed the echoes until they devoured everything. For the townsfolk, their faith and hope were the silver linings that kept them safe in this dire situation. The power of Nuo does not come from the heavens, but from the strength of human faith. The old exorcist had always been fighting the fear and uncertainty in people's hearts. But the human heart is easily led astray, and lost without guidance. The ones to guide them were the Exorcists of Nuo, using faith to manifest the Immortal Nuo. To make up for his mistake, Suyou helped the old exorcist prepare for the Nuo ritual. The exorcist had spent most of his life fighting echoes, and the countless injuries he had suffered in those battles left him unable to perform the ritual any longer. As if by fate, he passed the sacred Nuo mask and blade to the young Suyou to carry on in his place. Suyou put on the mask and held the blade tightly. For the first time, Suyou stood on stage as an Exorcist of Nuo—He performed the ritual dance and sang the ancient chants to invoke the Immortal Nuo. The sky suddenly darkened, as if Suyou had returned to the past. Unaware of the impending doom, the masses looked upon Suyou with awe and expectation. Only then was Suyou able to understand... What is Nuo? Nuo is faith. People's hearts are like candle flames, swaying in whichever direction the wind blows. And at this moment, as an Exorcist of Nuo, Suyou was that wind. When the people see your resolution, they will believe. When the people see your smile, they will revel. When the people see your fear, they will cower. And when the people see your hesitation, they will doubt. Their faith comes from you, and the faith you evoke from them—that is the power of Nuo! As darkness fell, the faith of the townsfolk below the stage became like flames and illuminated Suyou's performance. The Immortal Nuo once said: "Do not fear evil." The people chanted "The Immortal Nuo will protect us from evil!" over and over in their hearts. Thus, the Immortal Nuo gained the power to dispel evil. The Immortal Nuo said: "Do not fear disaster." The people chanted "The Immortal Nuo will save us from disaster!" over and over in their hearts. Thus, the Immortal Nuo gained the power to avert disaster. Little by little, something emerged from the people. It gathered around the Nuo mask, the sacred blade, and the statue of the Immortal Nuo. The hopes of the people, the power of the human heart, and the sparks of their faith, came together and manifested into three-headed and six-armed Immortal Nuo. Nuo is faith, and the Immortal Nuo is the miracle born from it. The sparks of their faith, gathered to give form to the body. The thoughts of the people, honed as an edge to cut despair. Suyou wielded the sacred blade and guided the people. He invoked the Immortal Nuo and cut down the echoes of malice. He split the sky, just as his predecessor did. He saw the faith of the people and heard their prayers.At this very moment, he had grasped the true meaning of being an Exorcist of Nuo. Suyou carried the power of the immortal deity within his body to guide the people toward enlightenment. That 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 always assumes that those who take on great responsibilities must carry heavy burdens and suffer hardships. But Suyou was unfettered, wandering from place to place, appreciating 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 cut down 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 faith in others allow him to protect every ray of hope. Just like his name, Suyou, in the Cadian tongue... Exorcist of evil and a wanderer in this world.