"Medicine made from adeptus blood?"
After hearing Yuandai's story, Furina and Focalors both found it strange. They knew what kind of status the adepti held in Liyue. How could an ordinary traveling merchant possibly have something as precious as their blood?
Furina asked, "Do you remember anything about that merchant?"
"I don't..." Yuandai sighed and shook her head. "I'm so useless..."
Shuyu quickly said, "Grandma, don't say that! If it weren't for you, I never would've grown up safe and healthy!"
Yuandai smiled and ruffled her hair. "Oh, my good girl, don't be sad. Grandma was only joking."
Xianyun comforted her as well. "Recovering memories takes time. Any progress is better than none. Rest for a while. We'll visit the next place afterward."
"Okay." Yuandai nodded and sat down nearby with Shuyu's help.
Wynlin looked at her. He could naturally tell she was not human. Then he glanced at Xianyun and Lora. Although he still did not know Yuandai's exact identity, he could see how much they cared about her.
"Hey, there's nothing else for me to do here, right? I'll head back first."
"Not staying to have some fun?" Lora looked at him. "You haven't really visited Liyue before, have you?"
"What's fun about Liyue?" Wynlin thought for a moment and asked.
"No idea." Lora shook her head.
Wynlin was speechless. "You don't even know, and you're still telling me to stay?"
Lora laughed. "Anyway, Zhongli needs to prepare for Lantern Rite. If you don't have anything else to do, stay and help them out. I'll give you a 'Best Friend of the People of Liyue' medal afterward."
Wynlin glanced at Jiehu and Houzhang.
Their expressions...
Well, they had no expressions at all.
"Hmm... then I'll stay and look around," he decided after a moment.
"One more thing. Where did Venti go?" Lora pulled him aside and asked.
Wynlin shook his head. "He told me not to tell you. Otherwise, he wouldn't have told me to say he was dead."
Just as Lora clicked her tongue and shook her head, thinking that guy was far too cowardly, Wynlin continued, "But it's fine. He said he'll come apologize during Lantern Rite. Right now... he's probably preparing a gift."
Lora grew curious. "What gift?"
"What kind of gift could that drunk poet prepare?" Zhongli said calmly. "Most likely wine."
"If he brings one of his prized bottles to apologize, then he really is paying a heavy price," Lora commented.
What she feared was Venti showing up with a Mondstadt land deed as an apology to her and Zhongli.
Accepting it would be awkward.
Refusing it would also be awkward.
Still, if he really did that, Lora figured she would simply hand him over to the Knights of Favonius.
Wynlin shook his head. "I don't know what the gift is. But before Venti left, he said it would be very precious."
"Oh no. Now that you say that, I'm almost certain it's one of his treasured wines." Lora sighed.
Focalors said, "Wine would not be bad. I've heard Mondstadt has the most prosperous wine industry in Teyvat, and its wine is quite good. Lady Egeria, after we return, why not establish an official supply route with Mondstadt?"
"That's doable. I know people in Mondstadt. We can discuss it." Lora nodded.
The old-timer expressed, with perfect confidence, that she had acquaintances all over Teyvat.
Once Yuandai had rested, Zhongli continued discussing Lantern Rite arrangements with the others, while Lora's group set off again toward the northern region of Jueyun Karst.
However, they had barely arrived when dozens of Treasure Hoarders suddenly emerged from every direction, surrounding them completely.
Their leader shook the elemental vial in his hand. "Listen up! We don't want to make this difficult. Hand over all your Mora. Otherwise, this little thing in my hand won't be so friendly."
"Are you serious?" Lora stared at them for a moment before asking.
Focalors stood beside her. "Lady Egeria, shall I handle them?"
"There's a child here, so don't go too far..." Lora did not stop her. She only gave a reminder, then beckoned to Shuyu. "Come here, kiddo."
Kiddo?
Xianyun gave her a surprised look.
"What's with that look? What is that supposed to mean?" Lora frowned when she noticed.
Xianyun shook her head. "Nothing."
The Treasure Hoarders grew impatient when they saw the group acting so calm despite being surrounded.
"Hey! Don't ignore us! We're the Treasure Hoarders, you people—"
Before they could finish, Focalors walked toward them with a gentle smile, hands folded neatly in front of her.
"Sorry, but you're being very loud."
"Huh?"
Lora hugged Shuyu and covered her eyes.
Before the Treasure Hoarders could react, Focalors raised both hands and pinched them inward.
Two enormous hands formed from condensed water, grabbed every Treasure Hoarder at once, and flung them toward the distant sea.
Their screams faded into the distance.
"Nice!" Furina gave Focalors a thumbs-up. "When are you teaching me that?"
"I can't teach you this." Focalors shook her head with a smile. "But Lady Egeria can."
She had separated her human side to create Furina, which meant she had no way to grant her elemental power herself.
"I'll get you a Vision when we're back," Lora said bluntly.
Focalors looked surprised. "A Vision? Doesn't Celestia grant those?"
"Oh? Did you forget I'm the acting Sustainer?" Lora said.
Only then did Focalors remember.
Lora was not merely the Hydro Archon. She was the Heart of the Primordial Sea, and she also carried the authority of the Sustainer.