Thinking this, he picked up the wine bottle, slipped past the cat sunbathing on the balcony, and jumped down from the rooftop. Like the wind taking a turn, he landed right in front of the Adventurers' Guild.
"Katheryne, if the blond Traveler comes looking for me, tell him I already know why he's come, and that I've already set out for Liyue!"
"Understood." Katheryne nodded, and in the blink of an eye, that figure in green was already gone like a gust of wind.
---
In Liyue, the group was still talking about whether to invite the Anemo Archon, completely pretending Childe didn't exist.
"Say, once the Anemo Archon's here, should we tell Hu Tao?" Paimon asked.
"Best not," Zhongli spoke up, cutting off the idea. "The Anemo Archon likely wouldn't want others to know his identity."
If Hu Tao knew Venti was the Anemo Archon, and from Venti's attitude toward him guessed that he was the Geo Archon, their little Director's tail would be up in the clouds.
"Now that you mention it, that's true." Paimon found it reasonable.
Jiang Bai thought for a moment. "Then let's just invite him in a personal capacity. When Xiangling invites us all out to eat, we'll pull him along—that counts as us treating him."
Aether pressed a hand to his forehead. "You really know how to freeload…"
"Food's food—who treats doesn't matter, it's all the same!" Jiang Bai said righteously.
"Have you all forgotten I'm still here?" Childe finally couldn't hold back.
The few of them turned to look at him—then silently ignored him in perfect unison.
"Your La Signora already stole the Anemo Archon's [Gnosis]. Don't tell me you don't know who the Anemo Archon is?"
"Uh…"
Childe had no rebuttal to Jiang Bai's words.
But he really didn't know what Barbatos looked like in mortal guise…
Come to think of it, even if the Anemo Archon came, with how weak his current power was, he wouldn't affect their plans anyway. After all, Childe wasn't the only Harbinger in Liyue.
La Signora had long since arrived, she just hadn't shown herself.
"We're going so far as to invite the Anemo Archon—don't forget your gesture from Snezhnaya."
Childe suddenly smiled radiantly. "I won't forget."
Just a matter of whether Liyue can handle it.
...
After delivering the kites to Yujing Terrace, Aether pulled Jiang Bai aside, with Paimon trailing after in curiosity.
"How did you know I can teleport via the Ley Line Waypoints?"
Jiang Bai blinked, suddenly realizing he'd let that slip.
He thought for a moment, then, not knowing how to answer, simply gave a mysterious smile.
"Guess."
Aether: ???!!!
Why not just copy Venti and say 'Ehe~' while you're at it?
The fact that he could use the Waypoints was something he'd never made public—only a handful of people knew, and Jiang Bai definitely wasn't one of them!
He turned to Paimon. "Paimon, did you tell him?"
"No, no!" Paimon waved her hands frantically.
"Well, that's strange…"
Jiang Bai pushed him forward. "Don't bother with things like that. No wall under the sky is airtight. Hurry and find Venti, or he'll miss the Lord of Geo's funeral entirely."
Paimon puffed out her cheeks and crossed her little arms. "The way you're dodging this—just like that street musician!"
"Maybe Venti really did tell him," Aether thought of another possibility.
"Perfect. We'll just ask him in Mondstat."
Aether and Paimon headed straight for a teleport waypoint to Mondstadt, but the work here still needed doing.
"What's next?" Jiang Bai asked.
"Everlasting Incense."
"What's that?"
"A type of incense—Bubu Pharmacy should have it."
"Then let's go." Jiang Bai was already turning toward Bubu Pharmacy; he was well-acquainted there.
"I won't be going with you," Childe said. "I have other matters—let's part ways here."
"Suit yourself." Jiang Bai didn't bother with him.
Now it was just Jiang Bai and Zhongli walking to Bubu Pharmacy. As they went, Jiang Bai casually asked, "Zhongli-san, do you know the Anemo Archon?"
"What makes you say that?"
"Just feels like you know quite a bit about him."
That was something Jiang Bai had only just noticed—Zhongli's attitude shifted slightly when the Anemo Archon was mentioned.
"I have, naturally, heard tales of him." Zhongli had no intention of saying more.
Seeing he didn't want to talk, Jiang Bai didn't press. "When he gets here, I'll just ask him myself—he'll definitely know who you are."
Zhongli's mouth curved faintly. "I hope you won't regret knowing."
"Regret? What would I regret?" Jiang Bai didn't believe it.
Zhongli only smiled without answering.
"Come to think of it—Childe showing up today was to try and find out where the Archon's exuvia is hidden, right?"
The Fatui's goal was the Gnosis, and the Lord of Geo's Gnosis would most likely be within his exuvia.
That exuvia had long since been hidden away by the Qixing—it was a secret among secrets. Only because they were preparing for the Rite of Parting did they know where it was stored.
Childe must have gotten no leads—otherwise he wouldn't have turned his sights on them.
"Mn." Zhongli nodded with a light chuckle. "He came all this way, learned nothing, and even got extorted for mora by you."
"Hmph! Not telling him not telling him" Jiang Bai hummed as he spoke, breaking into a singsong.
With Jiang Bai's odd little tune accompanying them, the two stepped into Bubu Pharmacy.
Today, the place was quiet—no sign of the doctor either.
Jiang Bai found it a little strange and knocked on the counter. "Anyone here?"
"Yes."
A slow voice came from beneath the counter. Jiang Bai looked down. "Qiqi? You're minding the shop today?"
"Mn." Qiqi hopped up onto a stool, just enough to get her head above the counter.
"Is Jiang Bai-ge here for a consultation, or for medicine?"
Jiang Bai patted her cool little head. "I came especially to see you!"
Qiqi felt her small face warm, but Zhongli coughed lightly and mercilessly exposed the truth.
"We're looking for something—Everlasting Incense."
"…So not here just for Qiqi." Qiqi's head drooped in disappointment.
"Don't listen to him—of course I came to see you first, then buy something."
Jiang Bai scooped the little guy sleeping on his shoulder and placed him into Qiqi's hands. "I even brought you a toy."
Qiqi looked at the tiny slime blinking up at her from her palms, and she seemed a little pleased.
"Cool, soft… comfortable."
"Fun, right? He can blow bubbles, too. Bloop, show her a bubble."
"Little friend Qiqi, please get us the Everlasting Incense," Zhongli interjected, steering the conversation back on track.
Qiqi looked up. "Qiqi needs a prescription to dispense medicine. This is an edict."
"That's easy." Jiang Bai pulled out paper and pen on the spot and wrote: Prescription: One Everlasting Incense, one Sweet Flower, one Mint.
Handing the freshly written prescription to her, he said, "Alright—now can we get the medicine?"
---
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