"Sigh…"
A faint breath slipped from Nahida's lips.
Man is the butcher. I am the fish on the block.
What can I do?
For now she could be fairly sure the people outside bore no great malice.
But… her heart still felt unsteady.
There was no other solution at the moment. She could only lift her small hands and keep sending signals outward with simple power of plants.
To be honest, if those few truly were evil,
then in her current state she had no way to resist.
Once her consciousness dispersed,
that spirit-of-grass-and-wood could simply seize the nest, take her place,
and then collude inside and out to become Sumeru's god of plants and wisdom in broad daylight.
Eh? Wait!
Thinking to this point, Nahida froze.
If that happened… would it actually be workable?
Such power. Backed by the Descenders no less.
Presumably the other party's wisdom wouldn't be inferior to hers.
If that one led Sumeru…
maybe—
No. Absolutely not.
Nahida shook her head and threw out the strange idea.
Doing that would be far too irresponsible.
Too many unknowns.
Better to keep observing a while longer.
While the little grass kept sending information outward,
she also borrowed the round sparrow's senses to observe everything outside,
searching for a way to break free.
…
Outside.
Beryl flitted about with the round sparrow perched atop her small head,
but her eyes kept returning to the fruit platter Huoliya had just arranged.
"That's dessert."
"Don't try to steal a bite, little one."
Seeing Beryl's undisguised gluttonous look,
Huoliya wagged a finger lightly.
"I knooow~"
"Dessert is for after the meal."
Beryl smiled from ear to ear.
She was happy to wait a bit longer.
Besides, she wasn't going to hog it—she wanted to share it with the Wisdom Lord.
"Good kid."
Fanan tapped Beryl on the forehead.
"Food's about ready. Go call Sensei and Yingda to eat."
"On it~"
Beryl received the order, turned in the air, and flew toward where Taro was.
"Wisdom Lord, Wisdom Lord, time to eat."
"Mm?"
"So soon already?"
Chewing the braised meat Yingda had fed him, Taro sounded surprised.
If he remembered right,
they had only just lit the fire under the stove, hadn't they?
How was it ready this fast?
"Soon?"
Beryl blinked. "Not fast at all."
"It's been almost two kè already."
Half an hour.
Taro instinctively glanced at the unmoving sea surface.
Right. Fishing really eats time.
"Sensei was very focused."
"You even forgot the time."
Yingda covered her mouth and chuckled softly.
She had already put away two roasted sweet potatoes. Sensei only noticed now?
"Too bad. Looks like no green carp today."
Taro shrugged, though he didn't look disappointed.
He was just about to lower the rod when
the float on the sea suddenly plunged.
"Hmm?"
Three pairs of eyes turned in unison.
"Wisdom Lord, a green one's on the hook."
"But… it looks so strange."
Beryl's eyes sparkled.
She could already see the hooked… "fish" through the water.
"I'll give it that. This one's special."
"Some kind of variant species?"
Firelight flickered in Yingda's pupils; she too saw the "fish" caught on the hook.
"Whatever it is, we'll know when we pull it up."
The corner of Taro's mouth lifted. He gave the rod a deft flick.
The slender line snapped taut,
and a powerful, supple force raced down the line into the "fish."
It had no power to resist.
A translucent blue "fish" burst from the water and arced into the air.
In the sunlight it thrashed madly,
yet the line that it should have been able to slip free from kept coiling tighter and tighter,
binding it fast.
Its elemental power was sealed. Its authority suppressed.
Just like an ordinary fish on a hook, it was dragged ashore and dropped onto the beach.
Plap.
With a crisp smack, the all-blue "little fish" hit the sand and kicked up a splash.
That's… a Pure Hydro Spirit, a vassal of the Hydro Archon…?
Inside her awareness, Nahida's mouth fell open in disbelief.
No, that's a god's familiar.
Can a thing like that really be caught with a fishing rod, a fishing line, and a hook?
That's a powerful elemental lifeform.
How could it be so stupid as to get fished up?
Uh…
Thinking of her own situation,
she realized the Pure Hydro Spirit was probably in the same boat as she was.
Nahida's expression collapsed.
So she was like this too.
Then fine.
It's just a Pure Hydro Spirit—merely a retainer of a god.
And she… a god's retainer as well—
also currently trapped.
What's that saying? The pot calling the kettle black?
The little grass spirit smacked her forehead, suddenly not wanting to look.
"This 'fish' looks good."
"Sensei, want to add a pot of fish soup?"
Huoliya had slipped up at some point, half-squinting at the Pure Hydro Spirit "dancing" on the sand,
a look of eager curiosity on her face.
She'd never tried Pure Hydro Spirit stew.
"Uu—uu!"
The Pure Hydro Spirit's eyes bulged.
Terror spread through its whole body.
Its little blue form writhed, hopping back and forth across the beach,
as if trying desperately to say something.
"Sensei."
Fanan spoke softly. "Records say that after the previous Hydro Archon stepped down and the new one took office, these Pure Hydro Spirits flowed along the land's water-veins to all corners of Teyvat."
"Some seem to be fleeing. Some seem to be pursuing."
"Their purpose remains unknown."
"There's one downstream of Qingce Village as well. Fortunately it's well-behaved, so the Geo Emperor and the adepti never took action."
"This one even came up to bite an empty hook. It likely has a purpose."
"The Pure Hydro Spirits are not lacking in wisdom. They're no different from ordinary humans—perhaps keener."
"Don't tell me it came to get hooked on purpose?"
Biting on an empty hook is one thing.
Biting even when there is bait would still make no sense.
This whole affair was absurd.
Better to capture it and interrogate it thoroughly.
"Uuu—uuu~~"
A line of cold sweat beaded on the Pure Hydro Spirit's face.
It shook its head frantically,
like a bobble drum,
afraid they wouldn't notice.
"It's scared?"
"Must be weakened."
"Let me treat it."
A hint of a smile tugged at Yingda's lips. She twitched her right hand,
and a thread of scorching flame rose in her palm.
"Uu~"
Staring wide-eyed at the approaching fire,
sensing the end draw near,
the Pure Hydro Spirit's eyes rolled back and it fainted on the spot.
"…"
Everyone fell silent together.
What a timid Pure Hydro Spirit.
It actually fainted from fright?
Too weak.
(End of Chapter)
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