Chapter 036: A Grounded "Raptor" is Worse Than a Chicken

(TL/N: First and foremost, I want to apologize to my readers for the delayed post. Three days ago, I was involved in a work accident that resulted in the amputation of one segment of the middle finger on my right hand. On top of that, I had to rest, and today is the first day I've been able to start translate again—though I may only manage 2 chapters a day, or perhaps just 1. But hey, I'm still alive, and that's what matters most!)

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After bidding farewell to the trio, Shao Yun left Mondstadt, crossed the bridge, and exited the Cider Lake area. He stopped in his tracks, making sure no one was around before pulling up the system interface. He navigated to the page labeled "Stable."

"You piece of junk code, I've already accepted the quest to catch the Raptor. Let me ride my horse already!"

The interface lit up slowly, as if taunting him.

[Loading...]

[Mount function unlocked.]

Seeing the words "Mount function unlocked," Shao Yun's grin stretched from ear to ear. He couldn't contain his excitement.

"My Andalusian horse, hehe, my precious!"

The screen now displayed a light pink horse. The system even kindly explained how to use the mobile stable.

[You can use the mobile stable to store your mount. Click "Retrieve" to recall your horse, and "Extract" to summon it into the world.]

What was he waiting for? He quickly pressed "Extract," expecting his horse to appear with a dramatic flourish.

Shao Yun's face was filled with anticipation and joy, his eyes sparkling with excitement. He couldn't wait to see his horse.

But after pressing the button, nothing happened. As time passed, not only did the horse fail to appear, but there wasn't even a single horsehair in sight. Yet, the system indicated that the horse had been successfully summoned.

His initial excitement gradually turned into disappointment and anger. His face darkened, revealing a hint of indescribable frustration. His lips trembled slightly as he struggled to suppress his rage.

Could this be a bug?

The thought made Shao Yun clench his fists so tightly his knuckles turned white. He gritted his teeth, forcing the words out through clenched jaws.

"You piece of junk code! Where's my horse?!"

Suddenly, a clear neigh echoed in the distance. Shao Yun's head snapped up, and he looked toward the sound. A light pink Andalusian horse was galloping toward him, its elegant and powerful figure gleaming in the sunlight.

The moment Shao Yun saw his "Carrot" running toward him, his anger turned to joy.

As the horse stopped in front of him, Shao Yun couldn't help but reach out and gently stroke its mane, feeling the soft texture. The touch was as smooth as silk, filling his heart with indescribable happiness. He pressed his face against the horse's neck and gave it a gentle pat.

"My good Carrot, my good girl!"

"Carrot" seemed to enjoy the patting. It raised its head slightly, closed its eyes, and let out a low, contented whinny.

Shao Yun grabbed the saddle, exerted force, and with a powerful leap, he mounted the horse.

"Carrot, let's head to the heart of the world—Springvale!" He gently patted the horse's neck, and "Carrot," feeling its master's encouragement, immediately lifted its head high, full of energy.

Shao Yun gripped the reins tightly, adjusted his posture to ensure he was seated firmly, and took a deep breath. With a light squeeze of his legs, "Carrot" understood and began to gallop toward Springvale.

Riding on horseback, Shao Yun moved in sync with the horse's rhythm, becoming one with it.

(TL/N: Ayoo!?)

Along the way, he encountered two novice adventurers in green uniforms, escorting a cargo balloon.

When they saw Shao Yun galloping past, their eyes filled with envy.

Adventurer A: "Hey, look! A horse! I haven't seen one in Mondstadt in ages."

Adventurer B: "Yeah, it's been years."

Adventurer A: "That's no ordinary horse either. It looks bigger than the ones the Knights of Favonius use!"

Adventurer B: "I'm so jealous. When I become a famous adventurer, I'm getting one too."

They only looked away when Shao Yun disappeared around the corner. Adventurer A suddenly panicked, seeing the cargo balloon drifting away.

"Ah! The balloon's getting away! Hurry, let's catch up!"

Riding a horse was much faster than walking. In no time, Shao Yun arrived comfortably in Springvale.

He hadn't noticed before, but Springvale had grown significantly. What used to be a small hunting village now felt much larger.

The world of Teyvat wasn't as small as it once was. You couldn't just stand on a high point and see everything anymore.

Now, traveling from Springvale in the Whispering Woods to Dawn Winery in the same region would take half a day on foot.

The expanded world undoubtedly increased the difficulty.

Just as Shao Yun was at a loss, he remembered what Amber had told him before he left.

"Amber said I have a Vision and can see elemental energy flow, but how do I activate elemental sight?"

Thinking back to his days hunting legendary animals, he realized it might work similarly.

He closed his eyes and focused his mind, activating something akin to elemental sight—his "Eagle Eye."

When he opened his eyes, he could see traces of energy left on the ground.

However, unlike elemental sight, which only showed elemental energy, Eagle Eye revealed more—animal tracks, human traces, and even plant life. He could see it all.

After a quick glance, he deactivated Eagle Eye, complaining in frustration.

"Seeing too much isn't always a good thing. The path is cluttered with all kinds of traces. It's impossible to find his trail."

Just as Shao Yun was struggling to figure out how to track the Raptor, the plot triggered.

A cry for help echoed in the distance.

"Help!"

Work was calling! Shao Yun galloped toward the sound, the thunderous hoofbeats kicking up a cloud of dust. His heart raced, sensing the tension and urgency.

Soon, he reached the source of the cry. Three Hilichurls were surrounding a man, waving clubs and fists, trying to intimidate him.

The man was curled up on the ground, his face filled with terror as he struggled helplessly.

Shao Yun quickly drew his revolver.

Bang! Bang!

The gunshots pierced the sky, and the three Hilichurls fell to the ground, returning to the ley lines.

The entire process was clean and efficient, without a hint of hesitation. Shao Yun dismounted and helped the man up. The man looked at Shao Yun with gratitude and awe.

"Thank you! You scared me," he said, his voice trembling.

Shao Yun examined the man and looked around. "Hello, have you seen a thief called the Raptor?"

Hearing the question, the rescued man looked puzzled.

"Huh? What Raptor?" he asked, his voice tinged with confusion and curiosity. He absentmindedly rubbed his chin, as if pondering the question.

"Is it some kind of Bird?"

Shao Yun sighed. This "Raptor" wasn't even famous. He quickly rephrased his question.

"No, never mind. Have you seen anything unusual lately?"

At the mention of unusual events, the man had something to say.

"Yes, last night, something happened at the heart of Springvale..."

Shao Yun's expression changed slightly when he heard about last night's events at Springvale. He quickly lowered his head and cleared his throat with a few dry coughs.

"Ahem! Not that. Anything else?"

The man thought for a moment and pointed into the distance.

"Oh, this morning, I saw a guy carrying something fall from the sky and crash into a Hilichurl camp. The Hilichurls got mad and chased him out."

He pointed to the spot where the Hilichurls had surrounded him earlier. "The ones you just killed were from that camp."

Carrying something and falling from the sky? That had to be the Raptor. Finally, a lead!

"Do you know where he went?"

The rescued man closed his eyes, scratched his head, and tried to piece together his memories.

"I remember he ran west. He almost crashed into a kid from Springvale."

With the direction in hand, Shao Yun shook the man's hand in gratitude, mounted his horse, and galloped west.

At a fork in the road, five masked, menacing figures suddenly emerged from the bushes, blocking his path.

The group consisted of a mix of tall, short, fat, and thin individuals, with both melee and ranged fighters.

One of the fat ones held a shovel, planted it on the ground, and arrogantly pointed behind Shao Yun.

"Turn back! This path is off-limits."

Oh? These guys had some nerve, blocking his way?

"Who do you think you are? I'm going through."

Hearing Shao Yun's response, the fat leader stepped forward to pull him off his horse. But as soon as he got close, the horse reared up, its hooves aimed at the fat man's head, forcing him to retreat.

The fat man wiped his forehead, realizing he'd met a tough opponent, and tried to intimidate Shao Yun.

"We're the Treasure Hoarders! If you don't turn back now, we won't be polite!"

Not polite? You're threatening me? Shao Yun almost laughed. It was like a mouse threatening a cat.

"Don't waste my time. Get lost. I'm here to catch the Raptor!"

As soon as Shao Yun mentioned catching the Raptor, the Treasure Hoarders' expressions changed. What started as a simple threat to turn back now became a matter of life and death.

Some drew crossbows, others pulled out potion bottles, and the fat man yanked his shovel out of the ground, his face menacing.

"Kid, we were going to let you go, but since you're after our boss, we'll have to bury you."

Just as they were about to attack, a gunshot rang out.

Four of the five Treasure Hoarders trembled and collapsed, blood gushing from their necks and staining the ground.

The remaining member stared in horror as Shao Yun, who had somehow drawn his revolver without anyone noticing, aimed it at him.

The man's eyes were filled with fear and confusion. His legs gave out, and he knelt on the ground, kowtowing.

"Big brother! I was wrong! I didn't recognize your greatness. Please spare me!"

Shao Yun interrogated him. "Where's the Raptor?"

When it came to saving their own skin, these guys were quick to betray their boss.

Fearing a delayed response would anger Shao Yun, the man quickly pointed south.

"He's at the camp over there. The boss is fixing his Wind Glider and told us to block the path."

With the information he needed, Shao Yun flicked his revolver, signaling the man to scram.

"Consider yourself lucky."

He turned his horse around and galloped south.

The Raptor, hearing the gunshot, sensed trouble and immediately grabbed a jar and fled.

But two legs were no match for four. Within seconds, Shao Yun spotted a limping figure carrying something.

Seeing the man's clothes matched the Treasure Hoarders', there was no doubt—this was the Raptor!

Shao Yun reached into the saddlebag and pulled out a familiar lasso. He swung it overhead a few times and threw it.

The lasso flew through the air in a perfect arc, looping around the Strange Bird's neck.

"Whoa!"

The Raptor was yanked backward, and the jar in his hands flew into the grass, thankfully unbroken.

Shao Yun dismounted, dragged the Raptor over, and punched him.

While the thief was dazed, Shao Yun tied him up and threw him over the horse.

The entire process was smooth and efficient. By the time the Raptor regained his senses, Shao Yun had already picked up the jar and mounted the horse.

"Who are you? You're not with the Knights!"

Instead of answering, Shao Yun patted the Raptor's head and teased, "I heard your head's worth a lot."

The Raptor struggled on the horse, trying to break free, but it was futile. Shao Yun had tied him up tight.

Realizing escape was impossible, the Raptor lamented, "If my Wind Glider hadn't broken, you'd never have caught me."

Shao Yun still didn't answer directly, instead mocking his nickname.

"You really live up to your name, Raptor. A bird that can't fly is worse than a chicken."

Hearing Shao Yun knew his name and still dared to capture him, the Raptor was shocked.

"You know me, and you still caught me? Haven't you heard of 'South Big Sister, North Raptor'?"

The Raptor's voice, distorted by the horse's movement, sounded strange to Shao Yun.

"What South Big Street, North Raptor? Just stay put on the horse!"

"The Knights are paying you, right? I'll double—no, triple it! Let me go," the Raptor pleaded, hoping to buy his freedom.

Shao Yun scoffed. Double or triple? That was only 200,000 or 300,000 Mora—barely enough for Paimon to have a feast.

He punched the Raptor in the face to shut him up.

"I don't care about the peanuts on your head. My friend in the Knights asked me to catch you. And if you keep yapping, I'll hand her a half-dead but still talking version of you."

Hearing that Shao Yun didn't care about money and was helping a Knight, the Raptor's hope was extinguished.