The Past

When Xiao was young and naive, a certain god found his weakness and enslaved him. This was the beginning of the long nightmare that would destroy Xiao’s mind and soul.

Xiao was forced to become the god’s bloodhound and perform cruel acts against his will. He was made to kill and slaughter the innocent, and he was made to devour his victims’ dreams thereby crushing their spirit. This brought Xiao immense pain and agony, but there was nothing he could do against the cruel god. He was utterly helpless to resist.

The evil god had a sharp mind and excelled in exploiting weaknesses and dominating wills. She treated Xiao poorly, torturing and abusing him both physically and mentally. Xiao, it seems, had to resort to eating snow to survive, and to this day he still doesn’t quite realize that snow is not considered food.

Though physical wounds would eventually heal, Xiao’s mind would not, for the god made sure to destroy his ability to trust in love.

"Then tell me, child, tell me! How do those sweet dreams you have devoured taste?"
"Child, know that love is but a fleeting fog. It is power that forms the stuff of sweet dreams."
(Primordial Jade Vista)

Xiao was made to believe that all good things are fragile and fleeting. It was only power that could outlast everything else. As for Xiao himself; he was nothing more than a hollow weapon, a tool used for slaughter and destruction. Such was the life of this young yaksha. He was once an innocent, gentle soul but now all he knew was the blood on his hands.

During the Archon War, the cruel god met her end at the hands of Morax*, and Xiao was finally set free from a life of relentless cruelty. This marked the moment when Xiao obtained his current name. It was given to him by Morax for his own protection, as his true name was likely the chain that kept him subjugated to the cruel god.

Morax: In the fables of another land, the name Xiao is that of a spirit who encountered great suffering and hardship. He endured much suffering, as you have. Use this name from now on. (Character Story)

After being freed by Morax, Xiao became fiercely loyal to him and followed him as his new lord. In order to repay the debt of gratitude he felt towards Morax, Xiao served under him during the rest of the Archon War and later signed a contract with the god to protect Liyue. After all, the only thing Xiao knew was to kill. In his mind this was the only way he could be useful, not only to Morax but also to the mortals.

The atrocities Xiao was forced to commit weighed heavily upon his conscience, leading to an insurmountable amount of guilt. Xiao became terrified of the thought of harming anyone ever again, thus his only value — a tool for slaughter — had to be used for the service of his new master and to make up for the deeds of his past.

* Morax and his other names (Rex Lapis, Zhongli) will henceforth be used interchangeably.

Under the service of Rex Lapis, Xiao became one of the five foremost yakshas. There were many other yakshas, but these five in particular were known for their strength and battle prowess. Their names were Bosacius (Electro Yaksha), Indarias (Pyro Yaksha), Bonanus (Hydro Yaksha), Menogias (Geo Yaksha), and Alatus (Anemo Yaksha). Bosacius, the eldest of them, was their leader.

The yakshas were tasked with the duty of quelling the lingering hatred of fallen gods that had been defeated by Rex Lapis and the adepti during the Archon War. These wrathful spirits would cause plagues and curses all over Liyue if left unchecked. Thus, the yakshas performed their sworn duty with pride and diligence, a duty to purge the world of all evil.

They shared a bond akin to family, though Xiao remained reserved and maintained a certain amount of distance from them. Even so, he felt comfortable enough around them to sometimes let his guard down in their presence. Xiao cared deeply about his companions and took Bosacius’ words to heart.

Xiao: But Bosacius was the eldest of us. He once told us, as yakshas we will experience countless wars. Whether we live or die, we must promise to take care of each other and know each others' fate, to the very end. (Perilous Trail)

Hundreds of years later, Xiao would go on to keep this promise in Interlude Chapter: Act II - Perilous Trail. Not knowing Bosacius’ fate stung Xiao’s heart like a thorn.

Fighting the vengeful manifestations of fallen gods was no easy task alas. Those fallen gods held immense power, and their grudges and their lust for revenge ran deep. The constant battles against those poisonous demons tainted the yakshas to their core. The accumulated karmic debt slowly ate away at their soul and sanity. Over time madness and despair overwhelmed them. Ever-present cries and dark whispers were constantly ringing in their ears demanding death, seeking to break and alter their thoughts. Such evil voices thus caused the yakshas to turn on each other, like Bonanus and Menogias. The shadows constantly trailing behind them caused them to succumb to darkness, like Indarias.

In the end, Xiao was the only yaksha left standing. Despite the immense amount of karma he accumulated, he did not feel any grudge or hatred because, ultimately, Xiao hates himself the most. He has a very firm grasp on the cycle of life, suffering and death and he endures his suffering with complete acceptance. This might have made him more resilient to karma than his fallen companions. 

Even so, Xiao did come close to succumbing to darkness once. His strength was spent after fighting alone all night. The screams of hatred overwhelmed his senses and he fell to the ground in agony. It was then when Xiao was saved by the sound of a flute, played by the Anemo Archon. 

As the wind is able to carry memories from the past, perhaps the tune reminded Xiao of who he was. It brought his memories back and it reminded him of his duty and of the things that kept him grounded, preventing him from falling to the darkness.

Thus, Xiao became the last surviving yaksha, now alone and isolated to prevent others from getting harmed by the karma that sullies his soul, still performing his duty to this very day.