Shao Yun rushed back to Gandharva Ville. At this moment, although that terrifying Withering had only just begun to spread into the city, he could already clearly feel the decay rushing toward him.
Just from inhaling a small breath, Shao Yun immediately noticed his throat and lungs burning as if he had inhaled quicklime.
"Cough, cough, cough… so this is the Withering? Cough, cough, cough… damn devil! And that useless system, you actually ganged up to plot against me!"
The system, not knowing its place, tried to explain.
[I only wanted you to calm down a little!]
But Shao Yun wasn't listening. Still coughing violently, he roared in anger: "Cough, cough, cough… shut your filthy mouth, you shameless bastard!"
"Right, you don't even have a mouth! But just stop talking anyway!"
Then Shao Yun rushed into the treehouse where Lumine and Paimon were resting.
Inside, Lumine and Paimon were still sleeping peacefully in their beds, completely unaffected by the chaos outside.
Shao Yun thought to himself, these two girls can really sleep! The world outside is practically turning upside down, and yet they're sleeping so sweetly.
This treehouse's soundproofing is way too good, isn't it?
He hurried to their bedside, slapping at Lumine's bed and Paimon's little crib, shouting loudly.
"Wake up! Something's happened!"
Annoyed, Lumine frowned, her eyes still closed, and muttered sleepily, "Ugh, what is it now? What happened…"
Just then, an urgent, hoarse shout rang from outside.
It was from the forest ranger on night watch, his voice strained: "The Withering is here—cough, cough—everyone, don't panic! Follow the rangers' orders!"
The shocking news jolted Lumine completely awake.
She sat bolt upright, then leapt from her bed in one swift move, eyes wide in disbelief. "What? The Withering is here!"
For Lumine, who still didn't know how to clear the Withering, there was no way to face this terrible crisis.
Meanwhile, Paimon, startled awake, flew into the air in a panic, circling in confusion while babbling nonstop.
"Ah! What do we do, what do we do?! We should run away! But… but which way should we even run?!"
The room filled with an atmosphere of tension and fear.
At that moment, Shao Yun stretched out both hands, tightly grabbing Lumine and Paimon.
"Don't panic, follow me!"
He then pulled them out the door, running toward Collei's treehouse.
…
Shao Yun brought Lumine and Paimon into Collei's treehouse.
Because Collei lived farther away and had the protection of that picture frame, her place was the safest refuge.
After all, the shopkeeper of Armadillo Town had proven the power of that frame with his own experience.
Unfortunately, the devil's protection only kept him from disease—nothing more.
And of course, debts in this world are always repaid: in the nightmare of the undead, the old man was attacked and devoured by three zombies.
At this moment, Collei was sleeping quietly just like Lumine and Paimon, clutching her beloved "Cuilein-Anbar" doll, completely unaware of what was happening outside.
Sensing "uninvited guests" in her room, she slowly opened her eyes in a daze.
At first, her vision was blurry, but as her mind cleared, she saw Lumine, Paimon, and Shao Yun standing there.
Like being doused with a bucket of cold water, she snapped awake instantly, her drowsiness gone, startled into full alertness.
Although her impression of Lumine, Paimon, and Shao Yun wasn't bad, it was far from the kind of closeness she had with Amber.
After all, barging into someone's room without warning was still a bit much.
Clutching her Cuilein-Anbar doll tightly, Collei looked embarrassed, stammering, "You all… why are you suddenly barging into my home in the middle of the night?"
Shao Yun quickly let go of Lumine and Paimon's hands, rubbing his throat that still burned from the Withering air, and explained urgently, "The Withering suddenly appeared near Gandharva Ville!"
"And since your place is farther from it, I brought Lumine and Paimon here to take shelter."
The mention of the Withering invasion shocked Collei.
She quickly put away her doll and jumped from bed, her face pale with fear. "What? The Withering! The Withering has invaded Gandharva Ville!"
Months ago, even during the great Withering outbreak, it hadn't reached Gandharva Ville—so why had it suddenly invaded now?
After a few seconds of shock, Collei was about to rush toward the door to help.
But Shao Yun, watching her every move, reacted instantly. He grabbed her shoulder tightly.
"Where do you think you're going?"
Collei felt like her shoulder was trapped in an iron clamp. No matter how hard she struggled, she couldn't break free.
Anxiously, she cried, "As a trainee forest ranger, it's my duty and responsibility to deal with the Withering! And besides, I have to help my teacher!"
Seeing her stubborn resolve, Shao Yun thought, this girl is just like Noelle.
Taking a deep breath, he gave a reasonable explanation.
"Yes, you're a trainee ranger and Tighnari's student. But don't forget—you're also a patient who hasn't fully recovered yet!"
"If you enter the Withering, you won't help—you'll just distract your teacher and cause him more trouble."
"Do you think Tighnari has no other rangers to rely on but you? Please, protect yourself first, all right?"
Hearing Shao Yun talk to her like a child, Collei's voice softened, but she still argued stubbornly, "But… my Eleazar isn't a big problem anymore."
Looking at her determined expression, Shao Yun shook his head helplessly and spoke earnestly.
"Collei, listen. Think about Amber back in Mondstadt—she's really worried about you. Don't take such risks."
"Besides, your teacher Tighnari is strong. He'll handle the Withering. If you insist on going, you'll just make him split his attention."
"So, staying here is the best help you can give him!"
Collei, though still worried, was finally persuaded.
She slowly turned toward the window, her gaze full of anxiety and unease.
After a long sigh, she reluctantly nodded. "I… all right…"
Seeing her agree, Shao Yun let go.
Collei sat back on her bed, holding her doll. Her mind was too restless to sleep; she could only silently pray for Tighnari's safety.
At that moment, Lumine noticed a picture frame on Collei's desk.
For some reason, it caught her attention. She walked closer and picked it up, frowning as she studied the clothes of the person inside.
The more she looked, the stronger a sense of familiarity grew.
After a moment's thought, she raised her head toward Shao Yun. "Shao Yun, this outfit feels so familiar… but I can't remember where I've seen it. Come look—don't you feel the same?"
She showed the frame to Shao Yun.
The moment he saw the photo of the Man with a Top Hat, his heart leapt.
Quickly masking his panic, he feigned calm. "Perhaps you've just seen people from Fontaine before. Look at these clothes—classic Fontaine style, right, Collei?"
He cast a glance at Collei, desperate to shift the focus.
For Lumine to clearly see the devil was an extremely dangerous sign! Though he had made a pact with it, that didn't mean Lumine could confront it. He had to divert her attention.
Collei, uneasy under Shao Yun's gaze, stammered, "Ah? Uh… yes, the style does seem like Fontainian."
Though her words lacked confidence, they convinced Lumine.
"Oh, I see…" she murmured, brushing her fingers along the frame, her eyes lingering on it.
Watching her, Shao Yun grew more tense, fearing she might recall something.
He hurried over, took the frame from her hands, placed it back on Collei's desk, and said with relief, "Enough, don't dwell on it. Right now, our priority is to rest."
Hearing this, Paimon, who had been silently listening, looked worried.
"But the Withering is already here outside… Shao Yun, aren't you worried it'll spiral out of control?"
Shao Yun shrugged with a bitter smile. "We'll just trust Tighnari. This is his field—better to leave it to the expert."
"For us, the best thing to do is not cause trouble. So, let's all rest."
Lumine, Paimon, and Collei nodded in agreement.
Indeed, Shao Yun was right.
If even Tighnari couldn't handle the Withering, then worrying was pointless.
Thinking this through, Paimon finally relaxed.
Turning to Collei with a smile, she said, "Hehe, sorry for the trouble, Collei—we'll be staying with you tonight!"
Collei responded warmly, waving her hand with a smile. "Oh, don't worry about it! Since you're Amber's friends, you're my friends too."
"My place is small, but we can squeeze in somehow."
As she spoke, she looked at her little bed, wondering how to make room.
But Lumine gently shook her head. "No need, Collei. We'll just sleep on the floor."
Shao Yun then took two blankets from his Legend of the East satchel and spread them on the floor for Lumine and Paimon.
As for himself, he simply sat against the wall, ready to make do for the night.
…
Dawn came. The first rays of sunlight spilled through the leaves.
The Withering invading Gandharva Ville had been eliminated by Tighnari and the rangers.
Paimon, reassured by the safety outside, flew back into Collei's room and woke Lumine and Collei.
She noticed Shao Yun slumped in the corner, asleep sitting up.
Landing beside him, she patted his shoulder gently.
Shao Yun opened his bleary eyes, staring at her sleepily.
"The Withering outside is gone! Let's go see!" Paimon pointed toward the door, her face full of excitement.
Rubbing his eyes, Shao Yun stood slowly.
He straightened the Legend of the East Valley Hat on his head and smiled. "All right, let's go take a look."