Chapter 99: Dragonspine

Klee looked up at Qiu Bai in front of her.

"Hehe, well, all of Klee allowance..."

"Was spent on these!"

Klee scratched her head, looking a little embarrassed.

"Looks like Klee really, really loves eating fish."

Qiu Bai took a bite of his own fish and smiled as he watched her.

Suddenly, Klee froze.

"Ah! Oh no!"

"Klee forgot the time! I have to go back!"

She quickly stood up in a panic, as if remembering something important.

"Big brother Qiu Bai, I need to hurry back!"

"If Captain Jean finds out, she'll lock Klee up again!"

Klee said anxiously, looking at Qiu Bai still sitting on the rock.

Then, without another word she turned and ran off at full speed.

Qiu Bai still holding his fish, looked completely baffled.

"Klee, slow down when you're running!"

He called out with a chuckle, watching her small figure disappear into the distance.

"Klee knows! See you later, big brother Qiu Bai!"

Klee shouted back as she ran.

Evening in Mondstadt

Carefully and quietly, Klee pushed open the door to her room.

She tiptoed inside, trying not to make a sound.

"Klee!"

A stern female voice suddenly rang out in the darkness.

"Ah! Captain Jean!"

Klee jumped in surprise.

"I-I couldn't find my way back! That's why I came home so late!"

She looked up at Jean's serious expression, trembling as she tried to explain.

"You only realize it's late now?"

"Did you go blow up fish again?"

Jean didn't even acknowledge Klee excuse. She had heard this kind of excuse far too many times.

"N-No, I didn't!"

Klee frantically waved her hands, trying to prove her innocence.

Then, as if suddenly remembering something, she brightened up.

"Oh! But I met that Immortal big brother you talked about!"

She excitedly told Jean.

Jean expression shifted slightly.

"The Immortal?"

She murmured, lost in thought.

"Could it be one of Liyue gods?"

"That big brother is super amazing!"

"He can bring out all the water from Skyfrost Lake, along with the fish inside!"

"And he can float in the air too!"

"When Klee was about to blow up fish, that big brother just appeared!"

Klee excitedly recounted everything to Jean, her eyes sparkling with admiration.

"What's the matter, Jean?"

"What are you lecturing the little one about this time?"

Lisa pushed the door open and walked in, immediately spotting Jean scolding Klee.

Jean sighed and recounted everything Klee had just told her.

"Lake water floating in the air like cloth?"

"Summoning firewood out of thin air and even reviving trees?"

Lisa touched her chin, slowly repeating the details.

She then crouched down and gently patted Klee's head.

"Jean" Lisa said with a playful smile.

"Could it be that our little Klee fell asleep somewhere and just dreamed all of this?"

Lisa stood back up, looking at Jean with a hint of amusement.

"Klee did not dream it!"

"It's all real!"

Klee pouted, puffing up her cheeks in frustration.

"Alright, alright~ Our little Klee didn't dream."

"Be a good girl and tell Lisa what that person looked like, okay?"

Lisa smiled warmly, gently ruffling Klee hair.

Encouraged, Klee quickly described Qiu Bai appearance to Lisa.

"Oh?"

Lisa raised an eyebrow in interest.

She slowly stood up, her long, stocking-clad legs moving gracefully.

"Jean, have you ever heard of such a man?"

Jean crossed her arms, deep in thought.

"Judging by the way he dresses, he's likely from Liyue."

"Or perhaps a Liyuean who follows one of their gods."

Jean nodded slightly. The things Klee had described were simply too fantastical, making it difficult for both her and Lisa to believe outright.

"By the way, Klee, didn't you just say you didn't blow up any fish?"

"Then what was that about blowing up fish just now?"

Jean narrowed her eyes, placing her hands on her hips as she stared down at Klee.

"Uh..."

Klee lowered her head, pressing her index fingers together guiltily, unable to say a word.

"To the confinement room."

"Take some time to reflect on your actions."

Jean tone was firm as she gave the inevitable verdict.

"Klee understands..."

Head hanging low, Klee trudged out of the room, heading toward the confinement room next door.

Jean watched her leave, sighing softly.

"Sigh... Klee is too easy to fool."

"Why would a god from Liyue suddenly appear in Mondstadt for no reason?"

Lisa, watching Jean exasperated expression, covered her mouth and chuckled.

"Who knows?"

"Maybe the little one is telling the truth after all."

"That Immortal Lord has long fallen into slumber."

"How could he possibly be in Mondstadt, catching fish with Klee?"

Jean spread her hands, frowning as she spoke to Lisa.

"You have a point."

"After all, which god would have so much free time? Hehe..."

Lisa chuckled behind her hand, amused by the thought.

"Klee stories are getting more and more unrealistic."

Jean sighed, rubbing her forehead before turning to leave the room.

"Hehe, Jean, I've already prepared your meal."

"You've been working so long, you haven't eaten yet have you?"

Lisa smiled, her graceful legs carrying her out of the room as well.

By the Shores of Sunset Lake

Qiu Bai finished his meal, glancing up at the slowly setting sun.

"Ah, time flies so quickly."

"By now, Lumine must have reunited with her brother."

Stretching lazily, Qiu Bai suddenly vanished with a flicker of movement.

Upon landing, he gazed into the distance.

Before him stood an enormous snow-covered mountain, its peaks engulfed by fierce, howling winds.

At its base, a seemingly tiny Statue of the Seven radiated a faint blue glow.

From Qiu Bai perspective, this small, glowing statue was nothing more than a tiny speck against the towering mountain.

"Whoa, what a sight."

"Isn't this every newbie's nightmare—Dragonspine?"

The corner of his mouth twitched as he stared up at the colossal peak.

He still remembered how, back when he was only Level 18, he had tried to explore Dragonspine only to be completely driven away by the merciless cold.

"To traverse all seven nations, I must set foot in every corner of the world."

"Mondstadt's landscapes are quite charming."

A slight smile played on his lips as he strode forward, heading towards the mountain.

In the blink of an eye, he teleported appearing at the very peak of Dragonspine.

Atop the Nail of Frostbearing, violent blizzards howled, whipping against his thin clothing yet he felt no cold at all.

His eyes gleamed faintly as he took in the scenery below.

After a long pause, he turned, taking in the vast, snow-covered expanse around him.

"Heh, the visibility up here is pretty bad."

He smirked slightly. Around him, snow swirled fiercely in the air, reducing visibility to almost nothing.

Flying around Dragonspine, he took a good look at the massive skeletal remains below.

"So this must be the place where the Poison Dragon Durin fell."

"It's huge... but compared to Azhdaha, it's still a little small."

Qiu Bai landed on the massive bones, glancing down at the enormous skeleton beneath his feet.

"Back then, when I purified Azhdaha a thousand years ago..."

"That beast was the size of an entire mountain, several times larger than Durin remains."

He muttered to himself, memories surfacing from a distant past.

(T/N: Like the story fellow daoist? Read 20 chapters ahead on my P@treon [p@treon.com/DaoistRongyi] Thanks for your support! 😊)