Chapter 209

Enjou's current state felt incredibly surreal. 

It was as if he had returned to his mother's embrace. 

Unlike the pain he had endured before, Enjou now felt an overwhelming sense of comfort, as if his entire being had been purified and elevated. 

When his consciousness finally returned, he saw Aether's surprised and delighted expression. 

"Your Highness…" 

Enjou instinctively spoke, only to be shocked by the sound of his own voice. It had changed. 

"What's… happening?" 

He trembled as he raised his hands, staring in disbelief at what he saw. 

No longer were they the claws of a monster, but the hands of a human. 

The long robe that had once concealed his monstrous form now dragged on the ground. 

The towering Abyss Lector had transformed into a scholarly, middle-aged man. 

Aether took a deep breath, suppressing his joy, and brought out a full-length mirror, "Take a look for yourself." 

Enjou stared at his reflection in the mirror. His clothes hung loosely on him, making him look like a child who had raided an adult's wardrobe. 

After a brief moment of confusion, Enjou was overcome with ecstasy. 

It worked! It really worked! He had shed his monstrous form and become human again. 

"Woo-hoo! I'm back! I can't believe it! I actually got to become human again!" 

Enjou laughed and cried, jumping around like a monkey until he accidentally stepped on the hem of his robe and fell flat on his face. 

The pain brought tears to his eyes, but he still rolled on the ground, laughing. 

Seeing Enjou's embarrassing display, even Lumine found it somewhat normal. After all, this was the same Enjou who had been a chatterbox in Enkanomiya. 

And then there was that infamous scene of him pleading, "Stop hitting me, I'm going to die!" 

"Enough, stop making a fool of yourself. Come here and tell me how you feel now." 

Aether's face darkened as he spoke impatiently. 

Enjou finally calmed down, stood up, and brushed off the dirt, still grinning ear to ear, 

"Heh, I feel great." 

"What about your strength? Has it diminished?" 

Enjou focused for a moment, then said, "No, in fact, I feel like I can control my power even better now. And there's no more Abyssal corruption tempting me." 

He had seen too many members of the Abyss Order lose themselves to the Abyss, eventually becoming mindless monsters. 

Gazing into the Abyss, the Abyss gazes back, waiting to devour you. 

Jiang Ning chimed in at the right moment, "I only purified the negative effects of the Abyss. The energy that remains is beneficial. Enjou, in essence, isn't fully human now. He's more like an elemental being with his original appearance… Of course, he can still perform all the physiological functions of a human." 

Enjou chuckled, "That's good enough for me." 

Aether asked, "Can you purify the Abyss Order on a large scale?" 

Lumine glared, "What's this? You've already received the service, and you're not even paying the deposit?" 

Aether's blood pressure spiked. 

He had been worried about whether his sister was eating and living well, only to have her slap him in the face by helping others swindle him. 

Lumine ignored Aether and turned to Jiang Ning, speaking earnestly, 

"Jiang Ning, listen to me. You need to pocket the Mora and treasures first before moving on to the next stage of work." 

Aether's fists clenched. If it weren't for the serious discussion at hand, he would have taught Lumine a lesson… 

Though it usually ended with Lumine scratching his face. 

Jiang Ning said, "Well, I'm heading to Sumeru soon. During this time, you can send the goods to Liyue. Of course, Inazuma will need some too. Just send whatever Liyue and Inazuma are lacking…" 

"Then, come to Sumeru in batches, and I'll help you there." 

"Thank you," Aether sighed in relief. 

Both sides were satisfied. Aether left with the Abyss Order, and as they departed, exclamations of surprise and envy could be heard from the Abyss followers. 

The adepti also bowed respectfully to Zhongli and Jiang Ning before dispersing. 

Jiang Ning stood in front of Ei, who looked somewhat displeased, and said, 

"I'm really sorry about the Abyss Order situation…" 

Ei shook her head gently, "You don't need to explain. While I'm not entirely happy about it, I'm not unreasonable." 

"If a war were to break out, even if we weren't afraid, more and more people would die… In the end, whether it's the people of the seven nations or the civilians of Khaenri'ah, they're all victims…" 

"The fault lies with the leaders of Khaenri'ah and the cold, unfeeling laws of Celestia." 

"If Makoto were here, she would probably think the same way." 

Ei's words surprised Jiang Ning. Kitsune Saiguu leaned in and said, 

"Wow, Ei, you're actually using your brain now?" 

Ei frowned, "What do you mean, Saiguu?" 

Saiguu shrugged, "Exactly what I said. But you've made progress. Keep it up." 

Ei huffed and ignored the teasing woman. 

Meanwhile, Xianyun was lecturing Shenhe, "You did well. Why fight alone when we have the numbers? Next time something like this happens, call me again." 

Shenhe nodded softly, "Understood, Master." 

Zhongli said, "Well, this is where we part ways. Ahead lies Sumeru… Take care." 

Jiang Ning nodded, "I will. Oh, and Zhongli, I have some good news for you." 

"Guizhong… she's showing signs of awakening. By the time I return, you might have your lively old friend back." 

Zhongli was momentarily stunned, then smiled genuinely, 

"That's… wonderful news." 

Azhdaha laughed heartily, "Such good news! Morax, you old man, you better treat us to drinks when we get back. I remember you raised Guizhong like a best friend." 

Zhongli shot Azhdaha a look, "If you didn't talk, no one would mistake you for a mute." 

Azhdaha just kept laughing, unfazed. 

"Enough… Take care on your journey. Farewell." 

Zhongli said. 

"Alright, goodbye, Master Zhongli, and Master Xianyun… We're off. Stop holding onto Shenhe." 

Xianyun coughed and let go of Shenhe, adjusting her red-framed glasses, "Fine, fine. You're becoming less and less likable these days." 

The group left quickly, some heading back to Liyue, while others… 

Set off for Sumeru! 

… 

In a cave within the Chasm, passing through the tunnel felt like stepping into another world. 

On one side was the rugged terrain of Liyue's Chasm, and on the other, the dense rainforests of Sumeru. 

Tall, lush trees blocked out the sunlight, creating a humid atmosphere. 

The forest seemed eerie, but where the trees parted, beams of sunlight broke through, creating a beautiful interplay of light and shadow. 

"So this is Sumeru… It's so hot and humid." 

Eula frowned and took off her coat, revealing a white shirt underneath. 

Jiang Ning said, "This place does feel uncomfortable… Hold on." 

With a wave of his hand, ice-element talismans flew toward everyone. 

A refreshing coolness washed over them. 

"These are cooling talismans. Just keep them close." 

Jiang Ning then took out a few sachets. 

"Here." 

"You carry sachets with you?" 

Eula looked at Jiang Ning with a strange expression. Wasn't this something girls usually carried? 

Jiang Ning explained, "If you don't want it, give it back. These were made by Yaoyao at Ganyu's request. Yaoyao, being a Dendro user, knows a lot about herbs. She prepared these sachets to repel insects and snakes, and she even made sure they smell nice." 

Eula immediately clutched the sachet, "Who said I didn't want it? I'll take it." 

Kitsune Saiguu said, "I've met that child, Yaoyao… She's very cute and mature for her age." 

Havria also adored the child, "Right? She's more reliable than some adults." 

Jiang Ning walked as he spoke, "Isn't that the truth? Before Shenhe and I came to Liyue Harbor, if Ganyu neglected herself, Yaoyao would scold her like a little adult." 

"Really? Tell me more." 

Eula was intrigued. 

Shenhe couldn't help but glance at Jiang Ning. Why did it feel like her junior's conversations were starting to resemble their master's? 

Always bringing up embarrassing stories? 

As they walked, they came across a hill with a statue of the Dendro Archon. 

"The Dendro Archon is a child?" 

Jiang Ning looked at the statue in surprise. 

Kitsune Saiguu said, "No matter how childlike, she's definitely older than you." 

Jiang Ning nodded. The Dendro Archon was known as the God of Wisdom… She was probably like the Eternal Child from legends. 

"Ei, why aren't you saying anything?" Kitsune Saiguu asked. 

Ei replied blankly, "I… don't know what to say." 

Kitsune Saiguu was stunned, "During your time governing the nation, you must have issued orders or made public appearances… Did you never say anything?" 

Ei answered honestly, "I did, but Yae Miko or Kujou Sara always prepared my speeches… I just read them." 

Kitsune Saiguu sighed, "You really need to interact with people more… Jiang Ning, this block of wood is your responsibility now. You're her fiancé, after all." 

Kitsune Saiguu felt she had to give Ei a little push, or else by the time everyone else's kids were running around, Ei would still be clueless. 

Jiang Ning agreed readily, "Sure… Hey, Lumine, what are you looking at?" 

The group turned to see Lumine crouching by a bush, peeking at something on the hillside. 

Lumine gestured for silence and waved them over. 

"What's so mysterious…" 

Curious, everyone approached. 

On the hillside, they saw a group of large, shaggy… cows? 

And a few peculiar-looking boars with mushrooms growing on their backs. 

"Are those… wild boars?" Lumine asked. 

"Those are Shroomboar, a unique species in Sumeru. The big ones are called Sumpter Beasts, also native to Sumeru, usually used for transporting goods…" 

Eula explained, and everyone looked at her in surprise: 

"Eula, you're amazing. How do you know all this?" 

Eula blushed, "It's nothing. Lisa told me. She studied in Sumeru before." 

Jiang Ning gave her a thumbs-up, "That's my wife for you. Always sharp." 

"Yes, I have a good memory, and I hold grudges. Want to test that?" 

Eula snorted. 

Jiang Ning said seriously, "It's fine. You can hold a grudge all you want at night… You can even try to get revenge, but you always give up halfway…" 

Eula was stunned, then blushed furiously and swung her claymore, "Stop talking!" 

Jiang Ning laughed and started running. 

The others exchanged knowing smiles… except Ei, who was still confused. 

What… was there to hide? 

However, the commotion startled the animals, and they ran off. 

Lumine sighed in disappointment. 

What a shame. She had been curious about what those creatures tasted like… 

Were their meats tender? How did they compare to regular boars? 

And the Sumpter Beast meat… She was curious about that too. 

Eula clearly couldn't catch up to Jiang Ning and was soon out of breath. 

She leaned on her claymore, panting, "Fine, I'll stop messing with you…" 

Jiang Ning walked over to her, "Alright, I'll stop teasing you. Later, I'll make you something delicious." 

Eula reluctantly agreed, "Fine…" 

"I want Shroomboar meat and Sumpter Beast meat!" 

Lumine and Paimon chimed in. 

Jiang Ning agreed readily, "Sure, but you'll have to do the hunting. I can't do everything." 

Lumine and Paimon eagerly agreed. 

Jiang Ning's talismans were indeed effective. 

With Eula's earlier antics, she should have been drenched in sweat, but now she wasn't even breaking a sweat. 

Paimon said seriously, "I think if Jiang Ning sold these things here, he'd make a fortune…" 

Jiang Ning rolled his eyes, "Have I fallen so low that I need to sell these to make a living?" 

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