Tighnari then led Lumine, Collei, and Paimon out of Gandharva Ville.
On the other side, Shao Yun returned alone to the treehouse where he was staying.
Once inside, he sat on the bed, reaching up to gently rub his throat that still felt somewhat uncomfortable, muttering complaints toward that useless thing.
"That good-for-nothing, now that no one's around, can you hurry up and give me a thorough full-body check? Assuming you actually have such a useful function."
No sooner had he spoken than a system prompt suddenly popped up before his eyes.
[Physical condition: You are sick; however, the special accessory at your waist and the Legend of the East outfit you're wearing can temporarily suppress the illness, preventing you from immediately showing obvious abnormal symptoms.]
Shao Yun's heart tightened as he saw the message that confirmed he was sick.
He took a deep breath and pressed on, asking, "I caught Eleazar?"
The system was silent for a moment before slowly giving an explanation.
[To put it in plain terms, you might understand it as a kind of 'consumption' curse.]
Hearing this, Shao Yun was stunned for a moment, then the corner of his mouth twisted into a mocking smirk. He sneered, "Hmph, you could've just said it's tuberculosis, couldn't you? After all, I've no idea how much of that foul polluted air I breathed in last night!"
But the system immediately corrected him.
[That is not accurate. Tuberculosis does not exist in Teyvat. In truth, you are simply suffering from a vile curse inflicted by the devil. This curse forces you to expend far more energy than normal.]
Shao Yun's face flushed green with rage. He clutched tightly at the hem of the Legend of the East shotgun coat and cursed furiously.
"You bastard, you really deserve to die!"
The system hastily explained again.
[As for that devil's plan, surely you already know it well. It considers all who do not worship the God of Wisdom to be its prey.]
[If the devil succeeds again, then Sumeru will be the end of everything!]
Shao Yun closed his eyes, straining to recall every detail of what had happened the previous night.
After a while, he slowly opened them, linking all the clues together.
Clearing his throat, he spoke. "If my understanding is correct, the situation right now looks like this."
"Because the devil sees Sumeru citizens who don't worship the God of Wisdom as having willingly abandoned divine protection, those people become prey it can freely devour."
"However, if we can successfully resolve the crisis facing Sumeru, then everyone will turn into devout followers of the God of Wisdom."
"In that case, the devil will lose any legitimate reason to claim their souls, and the borders of Teyvat will naturally remain intact."
"And for me, as payment for saving Sumeru, I'll have the Dendro Archon hand that Scaramouche over to Yae Miko, and let Yae Miko kill him."
"This way, it's a good thing for me personally, for Sumeru, and for all of Teyvat. A so-called triple win?"
Hearing Shao Yun's reasoning, the system expressed its approval.
[You're right. That's exactly the plan. The Dendro Archon definitely won't let you work for nothing.]
Shao Yun admitted the plan was solid, but he dared not bet on the boundless compassion of the Archon.
"But what if… what if she really does let me toil for nothing? What I mean is, she's the type who'd even cut off her flesh to feed an eagle."
Like Shakyamuni himself…
The system, determined to dispel his worries, made a solemn guarantee.
[If she truly dares let you work for nothing, then I'll help you create a third generation Dendro Archon. I promise!]
At those words, Shao Yun nearly burst out laughing.
Barely restraining himself, he sneered with disdain. "Listen, your promises are worth as much to me as a dog's fart."
As soon as he spoke, a stiff, mechanical system message popped up.
[A Litchfield Repeater has been issued to you.]
Shao Yun glanced down at the Litchfield Repeater that had suddenly appeared in his hand.
Normally, faced with a new weapon, he would have shut his mouth immediately.
But this time, without hesitation, he tossed it aside and roared angrily, "Hey! You listen here! Don't you dare try to shut me up with this kind of junk! I want to have a serious discussion with you about strategies for the worst-case scenario!"
Faced with his question, the system shifted the topic.
[Do you actually want the devil's plan to succeed?]
"You listen to me! I'm having a serious discussion with you right now about how to handle the worst-case scenario!"
The system dodged again, speaking with contempt of the Akademiya.
[The Akademiya as it is now? Just a bunch of so-called scholars who can only play with words and ink on paper. Do you think they could possibly stir up any earth-shaking trouble? Trust me, nothing will go wrong!]
Shao Yun glared at the entity that kept trying to divert the conversation. His fury grew hotter, but he restrained it, issuing a cold ultimatum.
"Listen well! Stop changing the subject! What I want to know is, if things really spiral out of control into a disastrous situation none of us want to see, what kind of severe consequences will it bring?"
At that point, the system finally ceased its evasions and laid out the truth plainly.
[Fine. Since you've laid it all on the table, I won't hide it anymore. If you stubbornly insist on helping the devil, then what awaits you will be direct confrontation with the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles.]
The moment the words "Sustainer of Heavenly Principles" reached his ears, Shao Yun's pupils contracted sharply. He demanded, "You mean the one who blocked Lumine and my brother-in-law Aether, refusing to let either of them leave Teyvat?"
The system confirmed.
[Correct. The Sustainer of Heavenly Principles will absolutely not sit idly by and allow you to recklessly destroy the borders of Teyvat.]
[By now you should also understand—Lumine holds the power to erase the Abyss. Alice has said Teyvat needs that power to fight the Abyss. That's exactly why the Sustainer blocked the twins!]
Shao Yun fell silent for a long moment after reading this explanation.
At last, he stared straight at the system and asked gravely, "If that day truly comes, when everything is beyond salvation and we stand at the most dangerous brink you've described—will you stand with me?"
The system made a solemn vow.
[I will do everything in my power to prevent that from happening.]
But Shao Yun knew in his heart—what he needed wasn't merely a promise to avoid the worst outcome.
The real question was, when that worst case arrived, would this useless thing truly stand by his side?
"You'll support me, won't you?"
The system then threw out one last lifeline, gambling on Shao Yun's conscience and humanity.
[Then you'd better be prepared to slaughter every last person in Teyvat, regardless of age or gender.]
What it meant was—Shao Yun could make a deal with the devil, trading the lives of everyone in Teyvat for the future of himself, Lumine, Paimon, and his brother-in-law.
Faced with that choice, Shao Yun hesitated, then asked, "And if I take that path—what would be the consequences?"
The system quietly replied with just three words.
[What do you think?]
Reading those words, Shao Yun reached into his pack and pulled out a cigar.
Holding it deftly between his fingers, he placed it to his lips and struck a match.
As the flame flickered, the cigar's tip glowed red, smoke beginning to curl upward.
He drew in a deep puff, letting the rich flavor fill his mouth and nose, then exhaled slowly.
Narrowing his eyes, he peered through the haze at the system's interface before him and spoke.
"I understand. But I need to remind you—if that moment ever truly comes, what I'll need from you is support, not betrayal."