Miss 55kg's Surprise Attack

"Ngh... Where is this place? I feel so dizzy..."

Greater Lord Rukkhadevata, clutching her head as she came to her senses, froze upon seeing Focalors and Jiang Qiao in Furina's form.

"Eh? Two... two Focalors?!"

"And this familiar feeling..."

"...Tree Lord?" A gentle voice broke through Rukkhadevata's surprise. Egeria materialized first, looking at the former Dendro Archon with some surprise.

"Egeria!?"

Greater Lord Rukkhadevata was stunned to see Egeria, blurting out subconsciously, "But aren't you already..."

"Yes, and I have you to thank for that."

"If not for the Pari Tree you planted all those years ago, I likely wouldn't have even this wisp of consciousness remaining."

"It was what I should have done. After all, you made a great sacrifice for Teyvat and the people of Sumeru. I had no reason to let a god from another nation perish so far from home."

"Besides, it was merely a small effort on my part."

The conversation between the two old friends instantly snapped Focalors, who had been glaring angrily at Jiang Qiao, back to reality. She looked at the world-version Fluffball with astonishment and disbelief.

"You're not Lesser Lord Kusanali... You're Greater Lord Rukkhadevata?!"

"That's correct."

"But your appearance..." Focalors gazed at the petite figure, a 100% match for Nahida, puzzled. She began examining her more closely—not just visually, but on a spiritual level.

...Hmm?!

Focalors, initially just curious, followed the connection from Greater Lord Rukkhadevata towards Jiang Qiao, and then... Her anger meter instantly shot sky-high!

Well now—you two are so close, you've practically become one person, haven't you?

From a spiritual perspective, she herself only frequently delved into Jiang Qiao to take a 'sip' now and then.

That was already practically mental intimacy.

After all, different people had distinct spirits, making complete overlap difficult.

And this Fluffball, supposedly Greater Lord Rukkhadevata... well now, the term 'merged' was practically made for this situation, wasn't it?!

Seeing Jiang Qiao hook up with another god just moments after going out, and at a speed that completely blew her own progress out of the water—even though Focalors was generally more rational and calm than Furina, she still entered 'Super Angry Fo' mode.

"Heh, your speed truly is something else, isn't it~?" Focalors' smile was exceedingly gentle, her tone dripping with subtle 'teasing' directed at Jiang Qiao. But the force behind her enunciated words sounded like she was about to shatter her teeth.

Puffing her cheeks in indignation, she couldn't resist taking a fierce 'sip' from Jiang Qiao.

This sip immediately tasted wrong.

Never mind the unpleasant woody flavor, there was also an indescribable astringency...

"...You swallowed Forbidden Knowledge?!"

Focalors, having 'sipped' the Irminsul experience from Jiang Qiao, instantly understood the reason behind the change in taste. Her eyes widened in shock as she stared at him, then grabbed his shoulders, extremely worried.

"Are you okay?"

Her previous concern about the strange state between Jiang Qiao and Greater Lord Rukkhadevata vanished instantly, replaced solely by worry.

Even living solely in Fontaine, she knew how dangerous Forbidden Knowledge was to this world.

To think he'd even swallow that filthy stuff just to fish out that older Fluffball! Honestly! Does this guy even think?!

"Aside from the bad taste, it's actually fine"

"While Forbidden Knowledge is indeed highly toxic to the beings of Teyvat, you know, Descenders aren't included in that list."

"Also, could it be you're worried about me?"

"...O-Of course not!" Seeing 'Furina' lean closer, smiling at her, Focalors blushed slightly and rolled her eyes huffily.

Almost forgot this guy is a Descender. Worried for nothing.

Even so, she didn't forget to urge him, letting out a dissatisfied hum: "Spit that stuff out later!"

Focalors wasn't worried that Jiang Qiao carrying Forbidden Knowledge would affect his body; what truly annoyed her was his current state.

Not only did he have a Fluffball in his 'stomach', but even 'sipping' from him now carried that annoying grassy taste.

And besides... this was supposed to be a journey for the two of them.

Then Lady Egeria joined in.

Since she was her former master, Focalors pinched her nose and tolerated it.

But then that annoying pink pixie tagged along too.

And now that they reached the rainforest, it got even worse—this guy directly picked up Greater Lord Rukkhadevata, who had been dead for over five hundred years!

This is just too much!

Thinking this, Miss Focalors couldn't help but throw a small tantrum, puffing her cheeks and retaliating—by glaring fiercely.

"....."

Nearby, Greater Lord Rukkhadevata was speechless.

These two... Are they completely ignoring my presence?

Because she was currently within Jiang Qiao's 'spirit', she was technically a small part of him now. Given the connectivity of thoughts, even with certain limitations, the famously wise Greater Lord Rukkhadevata could easily use various means to understand whatever she wanted.

Mind-reading wasn't Nahida's exclusive skill.

Moreover, from Egeria, she finally understood the whole situation.

Her expression as she looked at Jiang Qiao was incredibly complex.

Unexpectedly, he's a Descender, just like Phanes.

And his power is in no way inferior to the Primordial One back then.

Now, having been 'swallowed' and existing as part of Jiang Qiao, Greater Lord Rukkhadevata could more directly perceive just how special this otherworldly visitor named Jiang Qiao truly was.

Thinking back on her earlier dissatisfaction, Greater Lord Rukkhadevata felt a sense of resignation.

She had thought Egeria hadn't taught her successor well.

Who knew, not only was the actual successor taken down, but even Egeria herself had been 'eaten'.

This guy really isn't a picky eater...

As Greater Lord Rukkhadevata thought this resentfully, the internal discussion concluded—

After all, with Jiang Qiao and Greater Lord Rukkhadevata's return, Nahida certainly wouldn't just stand around foolishly in Irminsul.

What annoyed her slightly was that 'Furina' seemed to be happily chatting away within her mind.

Chatting was fine; normally, Nahida would have no reason to interfere. Gods deserved their privacy too.

The mind, something perhaps even more important than ██, how could it be casually explored by others?

But—Nahida was very anxious about Greater Lord Rukkhadevata's situation.

Also.

You two are having fun in there, leaving me standing outside looking stupid? Isn't that a bit too much?!

Given Nahida's personality, she clearly couldn't accept being excluded from the inner ██-party—resolutely refuse bullying! (Note: 80 is slang for bullying)

However, Nahida wasn't the type to rashly interrupt others.

Fortunately—fairy Ely was nearby.

"Hmph, bad Jiang Qiao~ Having fun chatting with other girls inside your body?" fairy Ely hugged her wand, humming discontentedly. "Leaving this cute fairy hanging outside. That's really mean, you know! I've noted it down!"

"Okay... Is she alright?" Nahida interjected, then looked nervously at [Furina], like watching her girlfriend being taken to the bathroom by some shady guy, feeling relieved together, and then only the shady guy comes out.

Oh... maybe not girlfriend? A young and beautiful mother?

Of course, it could also be 'herself', since as each other's reincarnation, Nahida and Greater Lord Rukkhadevata could be seen as one person.

Although the situation back in Irminsul seemed optimistic, now back in reality, Fluffball was afraid of hearing bad news.

"Don't worry, I'm in good condition."

Rukkhadevata appeared as a phantom beside them, offering comfort.

Nahida sighed in relief: "That's good..."

"Then..."

She wanted to say something, but Greater Lord Rukkhadevata revealed a decision that stunned Nahida:

"I plan to leave Sumeru next."

"...Why?!"

"The people of Sumeru need you! I need you too!" Fluffball didn't understand, craning her neck, wanting to persuade Rukkhadevata to change her mind.

But hearing this, Rukkhadevata smiled, yet her expression became even more resolute:

"That is precisely the reason."

Honestly, she hadn't initially planned for her future.

After all, Rukkhadevata's plan for herself was to quickly delete her data and get lost, avoiding causing further trouble. But after being saved, she had to start thinking about what came next.

Having learned about some of Jiang Qiao's arrangements and having her own considerations, Rukkhadevata finally made this decision.

"If the people of Sumeru welcome back Greater Lord Rukkhadevata, then how will Lesser Lord Kusanali find her place?"

The presence of two Archons would certainly be joyous and a huge boost to Sumeru's strength, especially with the resurrection of the wise Greater Lord Rukkhadevata.

Seeing the current Akademiya's reverence and obsession with the Tree Lord made it clear: in the eyes of Sumeru's people, she held a supreme position. As for Lesser Lord Kusanali, sidelined by the Akademiya for over four hundred years, the people knew nothing about her besides being the new Dendro Archon.

The only reason Nahida could command the guards was through the authority of the 'Dendro Archon' title.

But this authority didn't belong to Nahida; it was accumulated by Greater Lord Rukkhadevata.

A previous Archon whose influence and prestige far surpassed, even crushed, her successor's—her mere existence would be a huge constraint on the latter.

"I don't care about those things!"

Nahida recognized the problem but stated earnestly, "So what if the people of Sumeru don't acknowledge me? As long as I work hard to grow, isn't that enough? I'm not a mature god yet anyway."

She didn't think it would cause problems. After all, it was impossible for her and Greater Lord Rukkhadevata to have conflicts.

Even if her own efforts were credited to Rukkhadevata, Nahida's personality wouldn't mind.

After all, what was the difference between Rukkhadevata's achievements and her own?

Hearing this, Rukkhadevata fell silent for a moment, then spoke: "But I hope you can become an even greater god than I."

What she wanted to see wasn't 'Greater Lord Rukkhadevata's eternal glory'.

The Archons of the Sumeru region—King Deshret, the Goddess of Flowers, and herself—were among the earliest pioneers who conceived the idea that 'humanity must have its own voice'.

Just as a century-old tree will eventually wither and die, what matters isn't the survival of one tree, but the seeds spread, fostering new sprouts.

The tree named 'Greater Lord Rukkhadevata' had already grown too large in Sumeru.

So large it was even affecting other saplings' ability to absorb nutrients.

How could she stand by and watch this happen?

The glory should not belong to the Tree Lord.

Of course, nor should it belong to the Dendro Archon, or any specific god.

It should belong to the people living in this land.

—In the original course of events, she entrusted all glory to the sapling, allowing it to grow strong.

Now, although she hadn't died, if her presence hindered the sapling's growth, Greater Lord Rukkhadevata would rather choose death.

"The Forbidden Knowledge within me needs time to be cleared. Don't try to persuade me anymore, Buer."

"Sumeru is in your hands from now on."

"I trust you to handle things."

"....."

Nahida fell silent, reluctant.

Though she desperately wanted to keep her, as the God of Wisdom, she also understood this was the best choice.

Whether for herself, the people of Sumeru, or Greater Lord Rukkhadevata herself.

"Please take good care of her."

Like handing over his girlfriend... or maybe mother... to the shady guy after cleaning the toilet together, Fluffball looked sincerely at [Furina].

"There's no need for that, I am a god, after all..."

"Besides, you don't need to worry so much, Buer. I'm just going to another nation, it's not like we'll never meet again."

"Sumeru is my home, after all. I'll come back to visit when I have time. When I do, I hope to see an outstanding god, far surpassing me."

Watching the Greater and Lesser Dendro Archons bid farewell, [Furina] also smiled comfortingly:

"No need for reminiscence, because you will eventually surpass... Speaking of which, Sumeru isn't far from Fontaine. If you wish, the Court of Fontaine welcomes gods from other nations as guests."

"I definitely will." Saying this, Fluffball's feelings were complicated.

She was happy her mom was alive, but her mom being immediately whisked away by someone else was indeed a considerable blow to Nahida.

She could only bite her lip silently, thinking she had to quickly become an outstanding god and then welcome Greater Lord Rukkhadevata back!

"So you actually succeeded in digging her up."

On the road leaving the Sanctuary of Surasthana, leaving Sumeru, Focalors' voice, half surprised and half dissatisfied, echoed in Jiang Qiao's mind.

To this, [Furina]—Jiang Qiao—shrugged:

"I didn't do anything~"

Talking about poaching someone.

Alright, he did want to pick up a tree to plant in Fontaine, but Jiang Qiao hadn't used any words to induce Greater Lord Rukkhadevata.

It was purely Greater Lord Rukkhadevata's own decision—made after sensing Jiang Qiao's intentions.

Saying she needed to clear the Forbidden Knowledge was, of course, nonsense. For Jiang Qiao, cleaning up such things was quite simple.

Whether considering Sumeru and Nahida, or this man's idea—wanting to link Sumeru and Fontaine through 'her'—all prompted Miss Tree Lord to make the most suitable choice.

Because Rukkhadevata and Nahida were essentially both Irminsul, they were connected in a certain sense.

Leveraging this property, if 'Greater Lord Rukkhadevata' could be planted in Fontaine, and with Egeria, the mistress of the Primordial Sea, coordinating the water veins, these two neighboring nations could become inextricably linked.

Then, facing the war the Fatui were bound to incite, Fontaine and Sumeru, two relatively weaker nations among the Seven, could minimize their losses from the conflict.

There was no helping it. Besides the isolated Inazuma, Sumeru and Fontaine were arguably the weakest among the Seven. Fontaine lacked manpower and relied on Meks—but in terms of actual technology, Snezhnaya surpassed Fontaine in both tech and scale.

As for Sumeru, although seemingly large, due to the Akademiya emphasizing scholarship over martial arts, it had many research achievements but lacked combat strength.

Its military actually relied on mercenary groups (Eremites), which were themselves fractured and fought independently. Fine in peacetime, but once war broke out, everyone knew how that would go.

For the future 'War of Kindling' (or similar large-scale conflict), both Sumeru and Fontaine had to be prepared.

As Jiang Qiao basically finished his arrangements in Sumeru and prepared to leave, at the border between Liyue and Sumeru, a beautiful girl with pink hair, like a fairy, gazed at the towering rainforest close at hand and mused: "Hmm, so this is the Sumeru rainforest Hu Tao mentioned? It's really completely different from the ones I saw traveling the world before."

Of course, that wasn't important.

What was important was—

Hehe, didn't expect this, did you, bad Jiang Qiao! The flower-like beautiful girl is about to launch a surprise attack!