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Just like that, the two of them sat cross-legged atop the red sandstone mountain.
They gazed leisurely at the vast desert night sky while chatting and sipping their drinks.
At that moment, without warning, Shao Yun suddenly asked, "By the way, since you've got time now, why don't you go visit Lumine?"
Hearing this, Aether gulped down the wine in his mouth, savoring its lingering dryness before answering after a brief pause.
"I did go. But my sister is currently resting with a group of people at an oasis south of Aaru Village. If I show up now, it'll just cause unnecessary trouble."
After speaking, Aether seemed to recall something terrifying. He instinctively raised a hand to his forehead and added with lingering fear, "But… that's not even the main reason."
"Honestly, I'm mostly afraid she'll beat me up."
Shao Yun's face lit with curiosity. "Huh? I understand the first part—you don't want complications; that makes sense."
"But what's going on with the latter part?"
Aether looked at Shao Yun's baffled expression in surprise. "Don't tell me you've never been hit by my sister? Lumine's got a horrible temper!"
Shao Yun shook his head honestly, a faint wry smile appearing on his face. "Actually… she's only stepped on my foot a few times by accident. She hasn't really beaten me."
"But speaking of which—Enjou was miserable. Lumine had beaten the life out of him once."
As he said this, the image of Enjou's swollen face—crooked mouth, bruised eyes—floated into Shao Yun's mind, and he couldn't help letting out a laugh.
When the laugh faded, he sighed.
"Maybe in every brother's eyes, their younger sister always seems especially fiery."
Hearing that Lumine hadn't hit Shao Yun at all, Aether couldn't help but look envious.
He took a small sip of his gin and sighed bitterly. "Hah… she's so gentle with you…"
Shao Yun chuckled softly and comforted him. "That only means you must have pampered your sister a lot before."
"Even if she hits you often… isn't that exactly because she knows you love her, so she lets herself be so unrestrained?"
Aether, who had originally been grumbling, froze upon hearing this unexpectedly thoughtful explanation.
After a long moment, he scratched his head and awkwardly said, "Uh… why do you suddenly sound… how to put it… strangely gentle?"
Shao Yun casually swirled the brandy in his hand. "Because it's the truth. You definitely love your sister very much…"
…
Later, the two sat quietly on the barren desert rock outside Aaru Village, drinking straight from the bottle with nothing to snack on.
Although gin normally had a crisp dryness, at this moment Aether only felt a coarse dryness on his tongue, as if something was missing.
So he blurted out instinctively:
"Enjou, bring me something to go with the drink…"
Halfway through the sentence, Aether suddenly realized Enjou couldn't hear him right now and laughed self-mockingly.
"Aiya—look at my memory! Enjou's busy looking for Nahida right now. Forget it."
Hearing Enjou's name, Shao Yun's thoughts drifted back to their time in Inazuma.
He turned his head toward Aether. "Speaking of which, back in Inazuma, you're the one who had Enjou deliver that medicine, right? If I remember correctly."
Aether nodded lightly.
He then explained the reason he'd sent Enjou to give the medicine to Shao Yun and then to his sister Lumine.
"That's right. Because he's the one who looks the most human, handles people the best, and is the least likely to blow his cover. That's also why I had him infiltrate Watarai Village."
Then, remembering something embarrassing, he couldn't help complaining.
"Remember that one time? When our Abyss Order was shipping things by boat, a guy from Liyue caught us because the others didn't act human enough! That's why the operation got exposed…"
Shao Yun recognized the incident—it was the one where Eula and Yanfei teamed up to seize the Abyss Order's mysterious cargo.
He was about to comfort his "brother-in-law," but Aether suddenly switched topics.
"Alright, enough about me. Tell me—how have you and my sister been recently?"
Shao Yun tactfully followed his lead and began recounting what had happened between him and Lumine lately.
Strictly speaking, the two of them had really only done one major thing—namely, the intimate thing between husband and wife.
After all, Lumine and Paimon had been spending a long time in Liyue for the Lantern Rite Festival.
Already a bit tipsy, Aether nearly choked on his own spit when he heard this, sobering instantly.
"Cough! Cough! What?! You and my sister the other day—"
Shao Yun looked at the shocked Aether with complete calm.
He shrugged as if used to it. "Why so surprised? Haven't you gotten used to it yet?"
"And you're the one who asked. I'm just honestly answering."
Aether felt a wave of embarrassment and rubbed his forehead. "Anyway—listen. I still don't want to become an uncle so soon."
Shao Yun raised his chin, deliberately provoking him. "It's fine. If Lumine and I do have a kid, you can raise them! You look pretty free."
Aether silently screamed in his heart.
He looked at Shao Yun helplessly. "Wha—hey! Isn't that a bit much?! Who bosses their brother-in-law around like that?!"
Just as Aether was about to complain more, a sudden emergency message came through the Abyss Order's communication channel.
Aether's expression instantly turned serious, and he interrupted Shao Yun.
"Wait! Enough joking. It's Enjou!"
He focused and connected instantly.
"Enjou, what happened?!"
On the other end, Enjou sounded excited and hurried. "Your Highness! Great news—I found the Dendro Archon!"
"I made a deal with her. Right now, I'm inside Apep the Dendro Dragon Sovereign. I'm about to learn information the Abyss Order has never known."
He then explained the situation in detail.
Essentially, Enjou was assisting Nahida in repairing Apep's wounded body.
The moment Aether heard they'd found Nahida, he didn't care what she was doing. He immediately ordered:
"Understood. Enjou, send me your coordinates!"
After receiving them, Aether slowly set down his wine bottle and turned to Shao Yun.
"Enjou found the Dendro Archon. We need to go."
Shao Yun quickly gathered their bottles and jumped to his feet.
He brushed sand off his pants and replied, "Alright. Let's go meet up with him."
…
Meanwhile, deep in the vast desert ruins—
Within the ruins lay the colossal form of Apep, the Dendro Dragon Sovereign.
Inside her body, Nahida was using a "Fire Seed" to treat her.
Under its miraculous power, Apep's severely wounded form was visibly regenerating.
By chance, Enjou had fished Nahida out of the Ley Lines, healed her broken hands, and immediately afterward stumbled upon Apep.
…
After a long string of confusing communication, Nahida finally pieced together something: the "previous her" had promised to save Apep.
She was now grateful she had kept that mysterious Fire Seed with her after finding it among her predecessor's belongings.
After a period of effort, Apep's injuries were mostly repaired.
As her condition improved, she regained clarity.
Sensing the faint but unmistakable Abyss aura on Enjou, Apep immediately understood that although he looked human, he was truly an Abyss creature in disguise.
She sneered. "How amusing. One of the Seven Archons working together with an Abyss creature. Truly unexpected."
But Nahida remained completely calm.
After finishing the last of the repairs, she withdrew her hands and said, "Alright, Apep. Your problem caused by forbidden knowledge is solved."
Apep let out a proud, cool hum. "Hmph. Don't think healing me will make me think better of you."
Nahida folded her arms, mildly exasperated. "Honestly… now that you're better, your mouth has gotten sharp again. If memory serves, our relationship wasn't this hostile."
Apep snorted. "Maybe. But we certainly weren't sitting down politely sharing meals and enjoying dancers together…"
Her words sounded cold, but the hostility had mostly faded, replaced by faint disdain.
At that moment, Enjou stepped forward, unable to suppress his curiosity.
"Ah, esteemed and mighty Dragon King Apep, forgive my interruption! Might you answer a few questions about history?"
Apep's voice instantly chilled. "I don't want anything to do with the Abyss Order."
Seeing she refused to even look at him, Enjou turned pleading eyes to Nahida.
"Dearest Lesser Lord Kusanali, have mercy! Please persuade the mighty Apep! I risked my life in those chaotic Ley Lines to save you! And I used so many resources to heal your broken hands!"
Then he turned back to Apep and began flattering her with terrifying enthusiasm.
"Oh great Apep! Please enlighten someone as ignorant as me! If you do, I'll praise your generosity with the most dazzling words!"
And then he immediately delivered:
"In my heart, your status is only beneath our wise Prince, the Prince's blood kin, and the beloved partner of the Prince's blood kin!"
"You are the fourth person I admire most in the world!"
His words were so cloyingly sweet that both Nahida and Apep got goosebumps.
Even Apep—ancient and long-lived—couldn't endure it.
"Enough! Enough! I give in! How does the Abyss Order produce someone as sticky as caramel and as nauseatingly flattering as you?!"
After reluctantly agreeing, she asked coldly:
"What do you want to know?"
Enjou seized the chance. "I'm very interested in the history of the Scarlet King. Could you tell me everything—preferably in great detail?"
Apep blinked. "Oh… you mean Amun. As for him…"
But before she could continue, Enjou lifted a hand.
"Wait! Let me get my notebook."
He patted himself down frantically.
"Where did I put it—ah, here!"
After much fumbling, he pulled out a notebook and pen.
"Sorry. Please continue—I'm ready."
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