"H-Hello… I'm Collei. Master Tighnari sent me to deliver something to all of you…"
Inside the house, a petite and adorable green-haired girl had appeared.
Her voice was cautious, as Tighnari had warned her that everyone in this room held statuses higher than even the Grand Sage. She absolutely couldn't afford to be disrespectful or offend anyone.
Knowing that these individuals were here for a vacation, Tighnari had also decided to limit the number of people who knew their identities to avoid unnecessary disturbances.
"Collei… Collei?!"
Eula seemed to recall something, her expression turning to one of surprise.
"W-What's wrong?"
Collei looked at Eula, feeling a strange sense of familiarity with her, though she couldn't quite place why.
Eula said, "I'm Eula. I used to be with the Knights of Favonius. Amber and I are close friends. She's told me about you."
"Amber?"
Collei's eyes lit up instantly.
"How… how is Amber doing lately?"
Her tone was urgent, her fists clenched tightly, showing deep concern.
Eula replied, "Amber's been doing well. And you?"
Collei instinctively grabbed her forearm, hesitating before saying, "I… I'm okay."
Though she was curious about why Eula had been a Knight of Favonius, Amber's news was clearly more important right now.
"When… when does Amber get time off? If I have the chance, I'd like to visit her."
Eula thought for a moment. "Hmm, I'll let Amber know when the time comes. She's always been talking about wanting to travel. I'm sure she'll come to see you."
The two of them chatted casually, as if nothing else mattered.
The others, sensing the moment, tactfully left the room with their snacks, giving the two some space.
After a while, Collei suddenly realized what she was doing.
Her face turned pale, and she stammered, "I'm sorry, I…"
"It's fine. Everyone here is really nice. Don't worry, right?"
Eula glanced at the others.
Havria said gently, "Don't worry. Since you're a friend of Amber and Eula, you're our friend too…"
"Why don't you join us for a bite to eat, little one?"
Kitsune Saiguu smiled mischievously, clearly finding the girl adorable and fun to tease.
Collei quickly declined, "No, thank you. I've already eaten…"
"Then just sit with us for a while… it's fine," Eula reassured her.
"By the way, is there anything you'd like me to tell Amber? Just say the word."
Eula promised.
Collei's eyes dimmed slightly. "N-No, it's fine…"
Truthfully, she didn't know how much longer she had to live. She didn't want to trouble Amber. If Amber knew, she'd only worry.
"Is it because of Eleazar?"
Jiang Ning cut straight to the point.
"I've heard of it—a disease from Sumeru. In the past, some Sumeru people even came to Liyue seeking immortality, hoping to cure Eleazar."
Shenhe nodded in agreement. "That's true…"
Eula's expression changed. "Collei, you…"
Collei's face turned even paler. "How did you know…?"
Jiang Ning explained, "I could tell the moment you walked in. The scent of herbs on you—you're clearly sick. Your arms are bandaged, and your limbs are stiff. More importantly, I sensed a dark, ominous aura around you, like a curse."
"A curse?" Eula was puzzled. "Eleazar is a curse?"
Jiang Ning nodded. "Most likely. If it were just a disease, there would be ways to treat it. But even my master and Master Zhongli couldn't do anything about it. It has to be a curse. And…"
If even the Archons couldn't handle it, there was only one possibility.
The Abyss… or something beyond Teyvat.
Collei hesitated. "It's probably not that, because…"
Eula suddenly remembered something. "I heard Amber mention this… Collei, can I say it?"
Collei's expression was complicated. "Since you're Amber's friend…"
Eula continued, "Amber told me that Collei was once a homeless child. She was captured by that despicable Doctor and used for experiments. I'm not sure about Eleazar, but the Doctor injected Collei with remnants of a demon god… So, the curse in Collei's body must be from those remnants."
"What? What kind of lunatic is this Doctor? How can he treat human lives like this?!"
Havria was furious.
Raiden Ei said coldly, "That Doctor has also kidnapped many children from Inazuma. If I ever see him, I'll cut him down."
"And Diluc's father… his death was also caused by the Doctor," Eula added.
"Hmm… then next time we see him, we'll just obliterate him," Jiang Ning said.
"No, that's not enough…" Jiang Ning pondered. A person like the Doctor deserved to die a thousand deaths. "Let's grind his bones to dust. I heard he has many clones? That means we can give him many different painful deaths. Perfect."
The way they discussed it made it seem like the Doctor was already a dish served on a platter.
Collei, thinking they didn't understand the Doctor's power, quickly interjected, "They say… the Doctor has the strength of a god…"
Her voice trailed off, filled with despair. If it weren't for that, she would have sought revenge long ago.
But the group remained unfazed. "A god? We'll fight gods."
Jiang Ning smiled innocently and said, "Let me introduce everyone. This is Raiden Ei, the younger sister of the Raiden Shogun, who carved out Inazuma with her blade during the Archon War."
"And this is Havria, the God of Salt. Though her combat skills are average, she's still a god."
"Oh, and me? I just recently killed the Vortex God Osial… No big deal, just the next Geo Archon…"
Collei felt like she was about to faint. No wonder Master Tighnari had said those things… Three gods.
Mom, Dad, I've made it. I'm chatting and laughing with three gods…
Jiang Ning said, "I heard the Doctor and Scaramouche are in Sumeru… Since we're here, we might as well settle some scores. We've got your back."
"But do you know where they are?"
Jiang Ning turned to Lumine. "That's where our dear Lumine comes in."
"Me? What does this have to do with me?" Lumine was confused.
Jiang Ning said earnestly, "Isn't it true that wherever you go, trouble follows? I figure if we let you wander off alone, those guys will show up in no time."
Lumine looked exasperated. "Hey, don't make it sound like I'm some kind of disaster magnet."
"Alright, let's not dwell on that… We'll take things as they come. But as for Eleazar… Collei, do you want me to help you with the demon god remnants?"
Jiang Ning asked.
This girl was adorable, and she was Amber's friend. From their brief interaction, she seemed like a kind-hearted soul.
So, Jiang Ning felt he could lend a hand.
Sigh, why does it feel like my character template is getting a bit weird? Will I even earn any performance points like this…?
Forget it. My villain system has never been normal anyway. What kind of system doesn't even have a gacha?
And Ai-chan has already given up. Maybe I should just go with the flow… Is this considered doing evil?
Finally, Collei asked cautiously, "Can I… trust you?"
Jiang Ning said, "Of course… If you're still unsure, Eula, why don't you make a trip to Mondstadt?"
Eula was stunned. "Huh? Me? Now? Mondstadt?"
Wait, buddy, Sumeru and Mondstadt are separated by Liyue!
Jiang Ning explained, "Barbara has a pass for our Serenitea Pot."
Eula asked, "Then why haven't I seen Barbara?"
Jiang Ning shrugged. "No idea… I don't know what that girl's been up to lately…"
Collei quickly waved her hands. "No, no, it's fine. Amber must have her own things to do… I… I'd like to give it a try."
Having suffered from the demon god remnants for so many years, Collei hadn't had a good night's sleep in ages.
She often woke up in the middle of the night.
But there was nothing she could do. With the help of Lisa and the Knights, they had only managed to suppress it temporarily.
After coming to Sumeru, Master Tighnari had also been helping her, but it was still just a temporary solution.
So, since Amber's friends were offering, she was willing to give it a try.
After all, she had tried many methods over the years.
If it failed… well, she was used to it.
Jiang Ning's purification and absorption abilities had improved significantly.
With a simple touch, his palm glowing softly, he placed his hand on Collei's head and then withdrew it.
Collei felt the warmth of Jiang Ning's palm, her cheeks flushing slightly, but before she could fully process it, his hand was gone.
Strangely, she felt a pang of disappointment.
Jiang Ning said, "Done."
"Huh?"
Collei was bewildered.
What… done?
Eula urged, "Collei, how do you feel? Are the demon god remnants… gone?"
Collei instinctively replied, "No way, it can't be that easy…"
But soon, a wave of relief washed over her.
Collei stared at her hands in disbelief, her eyes trembling.
"This… I… he… really… but how…"
She was at a loss for words.
She could feel it—the demon god remnants that had plagued her for so long were gone.
Though Eleazar still lingered, she was certain the demon god remnants were no more…
Jiang Ning smirked. "That little bit of energy wasn't even enough to fill a tooth's gap… just a tiny amount."
"Hey!" Eula glared at Jiang Ning.
This guy had a knack for saying things that ruined the mood.
Collei had been struggling with those remnants for years, and here he was, making it sound like she was weak…
"Thank you, thank you all! Now, for the rest of my life, I can live a little easier!"
Collei's slightly chubby cheeks flushed with color as she thanked Jiang Ning profusely.
But despite her joy, a lingering sense of pessimism remained.
After all… while the demon god remnants were tormenting, the real threat was Eleazar.
With Eleazar, Collei knew her time was limited.
"Get a good night's sleep today. We'll talk more tomorrow. I'm tired too."
Jiang Ning said.
Collei quickly replied, "Then… I'll let everyone rest. I'll come back tomorrow to thank you all properly."
With that, she left, not wanting to disturb her benefactors' sleep.
"Why did you let Collei go? Aren't you going to take a look at her Eleazar?"
Havria was puzzled.
After all, Jiang Ning could even purify the Abyss. They couldn't believe that Eleazar, a mere curse, would be beyond his capabilities.
But Kitsune Saiguu saw through it. She smiled and explained for Jiang Ning, "It's not Jiang Ning's fault. He probably wants Collei to process everything first. Besides, if he cured everything at once, Collei might be so overwhelmed with joy that she'd faint. She wouldn't be able to handle such a sudden shock."
In moments of extreme joy or sorrow, people are most prone to hysteria. It's said that in Liyue, there was once a man who, after passing the imperial exams, went mad, running through the streets shouting, "Ah! Good! I've made it!" before collapsing.
Jiang Ning added, "There's another reason. I want to see if Collei can keep a secret. If word spreads in Gandharva Ville tomorrow, I'll have to reconsider whether it's worth saving Amber's friend."
"Is it because curing Eleazar would be too shocking and attract unwanted attention in Sumeru? But we don't have to fear them, do we?"
Paimon said.
Jiang Ning replied, "It's not about fear… it's about annoyance."
He was genuinely worried that his temper might flare up and he'd end up leveling Sumeru City.
"It's good to be cautious. We're here to travel, not to play the heroes," Kitsune Saiguu said nonchalantly.
"So… can we rest now?"
Kitsune Saiguu asked.
"I'll get the Serenitea Pot out…" Jiang Ning said.
"Wait." Kitsune Saiguu stopped him. "So, how are we splitting the rooms?"
Jiang Ning was confused. "Huh? Doesn't everyone have their own room?"
Kitsune Saiguu gave a seductive smile, like a fox spirit craving more.
"It's rare for us to be out like this. I want to be satisfied…"
Jiang Ning was speechless. "Didn't I satisfy you earlier?"
Kitsune Saiguu's legs trembled at the memory, but with her allies here, she felt emboldened.
"Hehehe, there are more of us this time. I'm not afraid."
Jiang Ning's gaze turned dangerous.
Fox, you're playing with fire.