Jiang Bai was not having a good time. "Do I look alright to you?"
Venti helped him lean against the wall, sighing lightly. "Their target was me; you didn't have to put your life on the line like that."
"What was I supposed to do? Stand by while they ripped your heart out? Well, if I'd known you'd survive that, maybe I would have just watched. What exactly did they take anyway? That woman mentioned a [Gnosis], right? What happens now that you've lost it?"
Jiang Bai rolled his eyes, irritation clear, though tinged with concern.
Even if this archon was notoriously unreliable, lazy, and quite unfit for his title, he was still a decent friend once you set his divine status aside.
"To me, the [Gnosis] is just a tool to connect with Celestia. Losing it doesn't really matter that much…" Venti's eyes wandered evasively.
Jiang Bai: "…"
Jiang Bai nearly passed out from sheer exasperation.
That's it? Seriously?
He'd risked his life, charging recklessly into battle, and the so-called victim was just robbed of what amounted to a divine telephone?
And he didn't even seem to care!
Seeing Jiang Bai's face gradually darken with frustration, Venti hurriedly added, "Well, it's not totally unimportant! My [Gnosis] is the source of my divine powers. Losing it means losing my godly strength. But you know, I've never intended to rule Mondstadt, so losing my powers isn't really a big deal either…"
Despite Venti's attempt to soften the blow, Jiang Bai had already figured out the truth: the [Gnosis] was practically disposable for Venti.
He couldn't resist making a sarcastic jab. "Makes sense. After all, your divine power is so weak that you can't even find your own familiars…"
Venti could only force an awkward laugh, quickly changing the subject. "You sit tight here. I'll go check on Aether."
Aether had passed out earlier and was still unconscious.
Jiang Bai leaned heavily against the wall, painstakingly stretching out his legs. Even such a slow movement made him wince in agony.
He was certain his leg was fractured.
Would Sister Barbara be able to fully heal it? If not, he'd be stuck in a wheelchair.
Maybe the Director would take pity and treat him a little more gently when she saw his miserable state…
Paimon, who'd been blasted away, finally fluttered back late. "I saw them leaving! Are you guys okay?"
"Almost dead," Jiang Bai said gloomily.
This whole fiasco had been a disaster he never saw coming.
"Huh?" Seeing Jiang Bai's pale, lifeless expression, Paimon nearly flipped upside-down in shock.
"Hang in there! I'm going to get Acting Grand Master Jean right away!" she said urgently, zipping off toward the Cathedral.
---
Jean was completely unaware of the chaos outside, busy chatting quietly with Barbara.
Though they were sisters, their parents' divorce had separated them at a young age, leading to a certain awkwardness in their relationship, despite mutual concern.
Opportunities for private conversations were rare, and Jean had been savoring this brief, peaceful moment until—
"Master Jean! Master Jean! It's awful!" Paimon zoomed inside, screeching to a frantic halt mid-air.
"What happened?"
"Jiang Bai is dying!" Paimon cried dramatically, sounding utterly convincing.
"What?!" Jean and Barbara both paled instantly.
He'd seemed perfectly fine just moments ago. How could he suddenly be near death?
"What exactly happened?" The sisters rushed out of the Cathedral, questioning Paimon urgently.
"We'd just left the Cathedral when suddenly some people appeared and—BAM! They sent me flying, and Aether passed out. They took something from Venti, and Jiang Bai fought them, but ended up really badly hurt!"
Paimon recounted the events quickly. Even though she'd been knocked away, she'd managed to witness enough.
Her words hit Jean like a lightning strike, immediately bringing back Venti's earlier concerns about someone targeting the Anemo Archon. Back then, they'd dismissed the threat, assuming the great Archon would easily fend off attackers.
Now Jean realized the painful truth.
The current Anemo Archon was not the powerful deity who'd once built Mondstadt. Having long abandoned his authority to protect Mondstadt's freedom, his strength had greatly diminished. It was exactly why he hadn't even been able to save Dvalin without help.
And that made him vulnerable—dangerously so.
"Oh no!"
Filled with regret for her oversight, Jean shot forward like a shadow, racing out of the Cathedral.
Venti had left Aether, still unconscious, next to Jiang Bai. The two wounded leaned miserably against the wall.
Jean's eyes quickly swept over them, finally resting on Venti. Seeing him relatively unharmed but somewhat weak-looking, she breathed a sigh of relief.
"Are you alright?" she subconsciously addressed him with respect.
"I'm fine, just a few minor injuries." Venti waved his hand, indicating it was nothing serious. "They, however, got hurt protecting me from the Fatui."
"The Fatui?!" Jean's gaze sharpened instantly. "What did they do? Attacking you openly in front of the Cathedral—are they trying to start a war?"
"They just took something unimportant," Venti quickly deflected. "They probably didn't want diplomatic trouble. No one saw but us."
If word got out, Mondstadt and Snezhnaya—currently allied—could face deteriorating relations, even war. Then he'd really be a criminal!
He'd only handed over a [Gnosis]; it wasn't that serious!
Jean's brow furrowed deeply, silent but clearly unconvinced.
Without evidence, the Knights of Favonius had no grounds for accusation. Yet this incident couldn't simply be brushed aside.
Barbara rushed forward to heal Jiang Bai, who clearly had serious injuries. Blue light gathered softly between her fingers, gently seeping into his body.
Jiang Bai immediately felt relief. The intense chill and pain began fading rapidly, even his fractured leg hurting significantly less.
But injuries like bone fractures couldn't be fully healed through Hydro-based healing alone. They'd need splints and careful rest for complete recovery. Exactly how long depended on the severity and his natural healing abilities.
Seeing Jiang Bai's improved complexion, Barbara let out a relieved breath. She'd genuinely believed he might be dying, thanks to Paimon's exaggerated panic.
She quickly turned to heal Aether. After a few moments, Aether slowly opened his eyes.
He shook off his dizziness, visibly relaxing upon seeing Venti safe and sound.
Venti was okay—that was a small mercy amid the disaster.
After consecutively healing both, Barbara's forehead glistened with sweat.
She wiped her brow and approached Venti. A healing glow emanated again as she gently took his hand. "You're seriously hurt too; let me help."
The soothing healing energy flowed warmly, but to her surprise, it had absolutely no effect on Venti's injuries.
Barbara stubbornly increased the healing strength, yet nothing changed, no matter how she tried.
"Weird, why isn't it working at all?"
"My body's a bit special. It's not your fault," Venti gently withdrew his hand, stopping Barbara's futile effort.
---
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