Jiang Xiaofeng flicked Acceptance, and the Abyss Mage turned to ashes.
Ignoring Stormterror's astonished gaze, Jiang Xiaofeng repeated his trick and began absorbing the other patch of poisoned blood.
"Wow!"
To Jiang Xiaofeng's delight, he discovered that this second patch of poisoned blood was much purer!
Perhaps the main reason the poisoned blood had eroded Stormterror's sanity was that he couldn't excrete it after swallowing it?
At that thought, Jiang Xiaofeng suddenly didn't want to devour it anymore, but to grow stronger, he endured his discomfort and kept absorbing the "liquid" flowing into his brain.
Jiang Xiaofeng soon dealt with the remaining patch of poisoned blood.
Then Jiang Xiaofeng tested the power of his Evil Dragon Transformation and discovered, rather awkwardly, that he could turn into a dragon...
An evil dragon with the Beheaded's head, at that.
"..."
Would Durin end up like this too after obtaining the Beheaded's techniques?!
With that thought, Jiang Xiaofeng returned to human form.
Then he went over to Stormterror.
Stormterror, however, was staring in one direction, hatred showing in his eyes.
"What's wrong?"
Jiang Xiaofeng asked, but the next moment, he remembered Mondstadt's storyline.
Jiang Xiaofeng looked in the same direction as Stormterror, took out Acceptance, and hurled it straight over!
"Whoa!"
A green figure darted out, dodging Acceptance's attack.
"Barbatos!"
Stormterror roared furiously!
Jiang Xiaofeng looked at Venti, who was wearing an ehe smile, and felt rather speechless.
"Hey, hurry up and take your dragon away, or I don't know what I might do to this big fellow!"
Jiang Xiaofeng shouted at the slacking god.
Venti, or rather Barbatos, dropped his smile and looked at Jiang Xiaofeng.
"This... gentleman?"
"May I ask..."
Before Venti could finish, Stormterror roared beside Jiang Xiaofeng and spat a blast of wind at Venti!
"Oh, don't be so rough."
Venti raised a hand and dispelled Stormterror's attack, looking quite relaxed.
Jiang Xiaofeng narrowed his eyes.
"So you were never weakened at all."
Venti spread his hands helplessly.
"I can't help it. If I kept that power active all the time, how could I wander freely across Teyvat?"
"More importantly, what I'm curious about is how you-you seem to know so much about us and this world, outsider from another world."
"Roar!"
The moment he finished speaking, Stormterror roared at Venti.
Venti: "..."
Jiang Xiaofeng shrugged.
"As you can see, Stormterror doesn't seem to like you much."
"Dear Barbatos, even slacking off has its limits."
"If you're promoting freedom in Mondstadt, why interfere with Mondstadt City's choices?"
"After all, wasn't this all caused by that Grand Master Varka's expedition?"
"If Mondstadt's forces weren't in their current state, with only a few Vision holders left to shoulder the burden, how could the Fatui be so aggressive?"
Venti's smile had already vanished.
"Who exactly are you?"
Jiang Xiaofeng looked at Venti and smiled faintly.
"I'm not human."
The moment he finished speaking, Jiang Xiaofeng hurled Acceptance from his hand.
Venti didn't dodge, but instead relaxed.
He hadn't sensed any hostility from Jiang Xiaofeng, so Venti would avoid fighting if he could...
Jiang Xiaofeng threw Acceptance and shouted, "Come out! Stop watching!"
Venti also turned to look behind him helplessly.
A blonde girl and a little sprite floating in the air emerged from behind a tree.
"Mm, it's Lumine. We're good."
Jiang Xiaofeng made no attempt to conceal his words.
And everyone present, dragon included, heard them.
Lumine's eyes instantly lit up, and she rushed right up to Jiang Xiaofeng!
She was so fast that Jiang Xiaofeng had only just reacted.
"You know me? Then do you know where my brother is?"
Jiang Xiaofeng narrowed his eyes as he looked at the anxious Lumine before him.
He couldn't help it. Unless he laughed or expressed himself with interjections, narrowing his eyes was the only expression Jiang Xiaofeng could make.
Jiang Xiaofeng looked at the eager Lumine, then at Venti and Stormterror beside them. After a moment's thought, he said, "You two can leave now."
Venti froze for a moment.
Stormterror, however, didn't hesitate. Jiang Xiaofeng clearly wanted to discuss something secret, and he wasn't going to stick around for the fun of it.
Stormterror spread his wings and flew off, soon leaving the Whispering Woods.
Seeing this, Venti could only spread his hands helplessly.
"All right. Even if I still have questions, they'll have to wait until next time."
With that, Venti left.
Jiang Xiaofeng nodded and looked at Lumine.
"Good news and bad news. Which do you want to hear first?"
Jiang Xiaofeng asked.
Lumine clearly hadn't expected Jiang Xiaofeng to say that. After hesitating, she said, "The good news."
Jiang Xiaofeng hadn't expected Lumine to want the good news first, but he still said, "Your brother isn't dead. He's alive and well."
"The bad news is that your brother doesn't want to see you right now. He wants you to live in this world for a while."
"Yes, you can think of it that way."
Having finished, Jiang Xiaofeng left Lumine to absorb the news with wide eyes and turned to Paimon beside her with a laugh.
"Ha, I've finally met you."
Jiang Xiaofeng pulled Paimon into his arms and gave her several vigorous rubs!
Startled by Jiang Xiaofeng's actions, Paimon struggled desperately.
"Whoa! What are you doing?!"
"Let go of me! Lumine, save me!"
Lumine looked at Paimon and said helplessly, "You're not in any danger. Just make a little sacrifice in exchange."
"Whoa! Lumine, you're so heartless!"
Finally satisfied with petting her, Jiang Xiaofeng let Paimon go.
"All right, you still have your own journey ahead of you. I won't get in your way."
Jiang Xiaofeng waved and flew in the direction Lumine had come from.
Jiang Xiaofeng arrived beside the Anemo Archon's statue.
The statue didn't react at all.
Although he had expected this result, Jiang Xiaofeng still couldn't help sighing.
"So the twins really are the only special outsiders..."
Losing interest in the Anemo Archon's statue, Jiang Xiaofeng turned and flew toward Mondstadt City.
Lumine and Paimon simply watched Jiang Xiaofeng fly over to the statue, then fly back, passing straight by them on his way to Mondstadt...
"Um... Lumine, who is this guy? Why doesn't he look like a Mondstadt local?"
"Could he be an outsider too?"
"Then maybe he knows something about your brother!"
Hearing this, Lumine looked at Paimon speechlessly.
"He already told me just now..."
"Is food really the only thing in your head?"
Paimon chuckled and skipped over the subject. "Don't worry about that anymore! Let's hurry to Mondstadt City and take a look. Mondstadt is the nation of wind, a city-state of freedom. If there's any news about your brother, it'll definitely spread!"
Lumine nodded and continued onward with Paimon.
Soon, the two met the energetic girl Amber...
Meanwhile, Jiang Xiaofeng was stopped by a gate guard.
"I'm sorry, sir. You can't verify your identity, so I can't let you in."
Suppressing the urge to attack, Jiang Xiaofeng said, "Can't you really make an exception?"
The gate guard named Lawrence looked troubled, but still barred Jiang Xiaofeng's way.
"I'm sorry, sir. Perhaps you could wait here a moment while we ask the Master of the Knights of Favonius to make the decision."
Helpless, Jiang Xiaofeng could only nod.
Liyue was too strictly regulated, and he couldn't go to Inazuma for now, so Jiang Xiaofeng could only consider staying in Mondstadt for a while.
He couldn't keep living out in the open forever...
Come to think of it, had it only been a little over a week since Jiang Xiaofeng arrived in this world?
"Huh? It's you?"
Just then, a voice came from behind Jiang Xiaofeng.