Chapter 69

The Preacher was in a bad mood.

Upon hearing about the appearance of that serpentine black fire in this area, he had rushed over immediately.

To his disappointment, he hadn't found the person he was looking for, but instead encountered another individual capable of using black fire.

That's right, he had already sensed that the black fire involved in the diplomat's death and the black fire used in today's attack by the Fatui were different.

While both incidents targeted the Fatui, the powers used in each case were not the same.

The serpentine black fire was clearly the leftover residue of a failed experiment he had once discarded.

He never expected that someone had survived and managed to persist until now.

If he could capture that person and deliver them to his master... it would surely earn him a reward.

However, the strange blue-haired man who appeared later was also one of his targets.

He could tell that the man was using a Delusion, and it was one of the early versions.

Perhaps this Delusion user would be of even more interest to his master than the failed experiment.

That was one reason why he had been relentlessly tracking this mysterious blue-haired man all day.

But the guy was too slippery. He led them on a wild chase through the wilderness, eventually luring them into the Thousand Winds Temple and into the range of ancient war machines, causing the Preacher to lose more than half of his subordinates.

"Need my help?"

Bai Luo asked, holding a sleeping cat in his arms.

The cat he held looked like it came from Sumeru, wrapped in bandages from head to toe like a mummy.

"Thank you for the kind offer, instructor, but I wouldn't want to trouble you with this."

The Preacher didn't speak sarcastically—he truly didn't want Bai Luo to intervene.

Having worked with him before, he knew just how formidable Bai Luo was. If he were to act, the Delusion user would surely die.

But to his master, the Doctor, only living test subjects held value. Dead bodies were just worthless meat, and the Doctor had plenty of that. They held no value at all.

"Alright, but are you free in the next few days?"

Bai Luo asked while stroking the cat in his arms.

The cat, though asleep, seemed to twitch its ears slightly, as if reacting unconsciously.

"Is there something you need from me?"

The Preacher felt somewhat flattered.

Even though he was the Doctor's subordinate, if Bai Luo wanted him to do something, he would have to comply, given their hierarchical relationship.

Was it because they had worked together before?

"Oh, nothing major. I just have a new recruit and wanted to see if you could help train them."

Bai Luo smiled gently, as if genuinely concerned about his subordinate.

"But, Instructor, I don't hold back well, and if I accidentally hurt them..."

The Preacher, although an ascetic, knew how deeply the residue of the Archin had corroded his will. If he accidentally lost control and harmed the recruit, what then?

Wouldn't that put him on bad terms with Bai Luo?

So, he didn't immediately agree to Bai Luo's request.

"Don't worry, I'll be watching. Besides, if I stepped in, do you think that little one would leave Mondstadt alive?"

"I understand."

With Bai Luo putting it that way, the Preacher had no choice but to agree.

Although he wasn't an officer, as one of the Doctor's subordinates, he would occasionally assist the Doctor in training new recruits.

Such tasks... as long as he didn't kill or injure anyone, it should be fine.

"I'll thank you on her behalf, then."

The Preacher didn't notice that Bai Luo's smile had subtly changed, becoming somewhat playful.

As the first rays of morning sunlight entered the room, they spread evenly over the small cat.

The cat's ears twitched first, followed by a quiver of its whiskers. Its tail, previously curled up beside it, lightly brushed across its body, as if thinking that some insect had landed on it.

But in the next moment, its body began to elongate, and the fur gradually receded, transforming into a human shape.

"Ugh..."

Collei, still half-asleep, sat up and lazily stretched.

Mid-stretch, she suddenly realized something was off.

She hurriedly ran into the bathroom and stood in front of the mirror, confirming that she had returned to her human form without any lingering effects. Only then did she breathe a sigh of relief.

She hadn't expected Bai Luo to pour that magical potion on her yesterday.

Moreover, when the potion took effect, she had felt as though she were drunk, her mind foggy and unclear.

Thankfully, she wasn't conscious at the time. Otherwise, there would've been more than just a "Sword-in-Mouth Dog" roaming Teyvat; a "Knife-Biting Cat" would have joined the ranks as well.

And she would bite—seriously.

"You should probably skip breakfast today. I hear the sealing process is like riding a roller coaster; it's quite dizzying."

When Collei emerged from getting dressed, Bai Luo had somehow appeared behind her.

He was holding a glass of juice in one hand and a sandwich with fried meat in the other, eating with evident relish.

Even smacking his lips!

"Fried meat in the morning? Isn't that too greasy... And what's a roller coaster?"

"Hmm... It's kind of like when I carry you and fly through Lisa's window."

"Oh, that's not too bad..."

"But it's flying up, down, left, right, non-stop, and very fast."

"..."

After hearing Bai Luo's explanation, Collei suddenly found the juice and sandwich he was holding less appetizing.

"Come on, time's running out. That little wolf has already left early, and we need to head out soon too."

Though it was only a little past 8 a.m., the distance from Mondstadt to Starsnatch Cliff was not insignificant. It would be impossible to arrive right on time.

Moreover, if they encountered monsters along the way, it would delay them further, so Bai Luo, who preferred to be cautious rather than rushed, decided to leave early.

Starsnatch Cliff, located south of Mondstadt, was a towering cliff that stood out on the wide plains.

It was home to the beautiful Cecilia flowers, with a view that was especially stunning at night. From the top of the cliff, it seemed as though you could pluck the stars from the sky.

Perhaps because of the flower's meaning, "The true feelings of the prodigal son," many couples loved to come here for dates.

As such, it was one of Mondstadt's three main dating spots, and many lovesick couples had pledged their undying love under the witness of the stars.

If only they knew that even the starry sky was a lie—what expressions would they make?

For Bai Luo, it was a different kind of torment.

Who knew why such a high place didn't have a teleport waypoint? Was it because of a lack of ley line connections?

Back when he had to gather materials for his buddy Barbatos, he had either climbed until his legs gave out or ran until his feet ached.

It was pure torture.

Fortunately, this wasn't a game, so he didn't have a stamina bar to worry about and didn't have to rely solely on his legs to travel.

He had even sent someone to Angels' Share to buy one of the wind slimes Diluc used for hauling cargo, which he had modified into something akin to a hot air balloon.

Though it wasn't as fast as a horse, it floated along comfortably enough, and it didn't chafe his thighs.

By the time they arrived at Starsnatch Cliff, Cyno had already been waiting there for quite a while, having set up the sealing formation.