The Embers of King's Teyvat Journey

However, it seems that pushing the stars is quite difficult for the Knox people. The main problem is that the stars at the border are alive; if you push them, they will bite you, which makes things very difficult.

Thinking about it this way, Yu Jin suddenly realized that fate is a really messed up thing; it's impossible to untangle or unravel it.

Kong, you have a long way to go!

Chapter 388 The Kingdom Without Gods

2024-01-02

"Why do you think that changing fate requires moving stars?" Dain thought Ember's thought process was very abnormal.

"Otherwise what? Then what do you suggest we do?" Yu Jin replied matter-of-factly.

"..."

Dain glanced at Ember and decisively chose to shut up. If he had known his fate was meant to change, he wouldn't have ended up in such a miserable state.

"Then who is the [sinner]?" Ying's doubts did not lessen much; in fact, they increased.

“I’m even less sure about that. In some ways, finding him is even more difficult than finding the thread of fate.” Dain shook his head.

His initial understanding of the "Sinner" came only from that upside-down dark purple crystal.

[The Sinner] Further information simply doesn't exist on Teyvat. Perhaps, someone of his stature wouldn't leave any record of himself in the world if he didn't want to.

The thought that sinners had power over "fate" sent a chill down Dain's spine. Perhaps, he could already see himself in their presence.

"Also, it's best if we don't call that guy by his name. He might already know us the moment we mention his name."

Even if this name is just a title.

Dain paused, then decided not to discuss the news about the "Sinner" any further.

"I think that guy you called 'Sinner' is probably desensitized."

Yu Jin leaned closer and speculated as if it were a serious matter.

Ember used to be like that too; whenever someone called him, no matter how far away they were, he would always jump up.

The consequence of this phenomenon continuing is that Ember is either constantly jolted awake or on his way to jolting awake.

So later on, Ember deliberately disabled this passive skill. Otherwise, he felt he would eventually suffer a nervous breakdown.

However, judging from Dain's words, that guy called "Sinner" is incredibly oblivious. He's had that passive skill active for hundreds of years; you can't do that without strong mental power.

"From a purely rational perspective, that shouldn't be the case. The number of people who know the title 'sinner' should be no more than ten, and even if they don't avoid it, it shouldn't have much of an impact."

Dain held up all ten fingers and gestured as he spoke.

"Now I think he has a sensitive constitution. You see how timid he is, he must be afraid that too many people will call him every day and make him unable to sleep well."

"What you're saying makes a lot of sense... what a load of rubbish!" Dain was about to nod in agreement with Ember's words.

But then it suddenly dawned on him: had he been tricked by Ember?

Dain recalled the frequency with which the word "sinner" had appeared in their conversation and immediately became alert.

"Watch out, don't speak!" His eyes darted around, and he was on high alert, sensing any possible gazes directed his way.

But after a long time, the secret realm remained as desolate as ever, unchanged.

This makes Dain's behavior just now seem like that of a frightened bird.

"Hehe, how about that? I told you he wasn't that free. Think about it, if he had to check every single thing you said, how busy would he be every day?"

Ember chuckled and said to Dain.

"Maybe, but don't let your guard down. Being targeted by that kind of guy is no good." Dain gradually relaxed after seeing that there had been no movement for a while.

However, he still reminded everyone that just because he didn't look through this time didn't mean he couldn't next time.

“I understand. I don’t know why you’re so scared, Dain,” Paimon nodded in agreement.

Ever since the topic turned to "sinners," Dain has lost her previous composure and confidence.

This made Paimon wonder if Dain was afraid of being bullied by that guy called "Sinner".

"Okay, then let's not talk about this anymore." Seeing Dain's expression, Ying wisely changed the subject.

"What is the purpose of the Abyss Order and her brother's woven destiny?" Paimon naturally moved on to the next topic.

Her teamwork with Ying was flawless!

“Weaving destiny… what a beautiful wish.” Dain’s eyes narrowed slightly, as if he was attracted by the vision brought about by “weaving destiny.”

But his eyes quickly regained their clarity. Dain shook his head and asked Ying, "Kanria, do you know this country?"

As she spoke, Dain made sure to observe the reactions of the crowd.

A look of confusion appeared in Shen He and the others' eyes, which was normal. A kingdom that was destroyed five hundred years ago, even if not deliberately buried, would become known to fewer and fewer people.

What truly surprised Dain were Paimon and Luminous. Firstly, he hadn't expected that the little white fairy beside Luminous seemed to know something; secondly, he hadn't expected that Luminous wouldn't show any surprise upon hearing the word "Kanria".

As for Ember… Dain naturally ignored him. Dain felt that whether or not Ember knew about Kanria would have no impact on his behavior.

“Kanria… Oh right, as your guide, I haven’t introduced you to this country yet!” Paimon suddenly remembered his job and began to rub his hands together, eager to show off his skills.

Unfortunately, Ying didn't give her that chance. She simply shook her head at Paimon and said, "I know Kanria."

"Huh?" Paimon's excitement immediately deflated. This was the first time she had tried to fulfill her duties, but it ended before it even began.

"Why are you so discouraged? There are still a lot of things you don't know," Yu Jin said, patting Paimon on the head and pointing to the bewildered Shen He trio.

"Okay... alright, I don't know much either, Dain, don't laugh at me." Paimon rubbed his head, feeling a little guilty.

It's okay to say something wrong to Ying, because she and Ying are best friends! But it would be embarrassing to say something wrong to someone else.

"Ahem!" Clearing his throat, Paimon imitated the storyteller of Liyue, speaking with dramatic intonation: "Speaking of Kanria, that's a kingdom that was destroyed five hundred years ago..."

"Uh...uh..."

Before they had said more than a few words, Paimon started scratching his head.

"Uh... what's next?" Yu Jin asked with interest.

"That's all." Paimon shrugged. She had searched her mind thoroughly, and all she could come up with were these few words.

"You're such a useless guide," Ember couldn't help but complain. Ying, standing to the side, nodded in deep agreement.

This infuriated Paimon. Was she really that useless? It was simply that her brain was too small to remember so much!

She completely forgot how fluent her thoughts were when she was reciting the menu.

"A kingdom that perished five hundred years ago... what does that have to do with the Abyss Order?"

Xingqiu pondered for a moment and said, "This country called 'Kanria' is probably not located in Liyue or Mondstadt."

Liyue and Mondstadt were unified a long time ago, and there are no other kingdoms within their borders. Xingqiu guessed that they were probably in Sumeru.

Because some books he had read mentioned the situation in Mount Sumeru, saying that the rainforest and desert there were severely separated.

Although the desert is nominally part of Sumeru's territory, in reality, the Church's influence doesn't extend there at all.

In this situation, it seems quite reasonable for a country called "Kanria" to appear in the desert.

Xingqiu combined his knowledge and made a mental deduction. As for why they were involved with the Abyss Cult, Xingqiu had no idea.

He had only just learned about the Abyss Order; before, he had thought that Abyss Mages were like Hilichurls, sprang from the cracks in rocks!

“It’s incredibly important.” Dain closed his eyes, pondered for a moment, and then continued, “Do you know why Abyss Mages always like to bewitch Hilichurls?”

"Because Hilichurls are the most common?" Xingqiu speculated.

"That's partly true, but more importantly, most Hilichurls are former Kanriyans."

Chapter 389 The Mystery of the Hilichurls

2024-01-02

"The Hilichurls are transformed from Kanrians?!" Everyone present was shocked upon hearing Dain's words.

Who would have thought that the ubiquitous Hilichurls were once living, breathing people?

Of course, this excludes Ember, who was clasping his hands to the side.

"Indeed, and not only that, the Abyss Order is also a remnant of the ancient kingdom of Kanria."

"There are also mechanical creations such as Ruin Guardians and Ruin Machines. If you can't analyze them, they are most likely creations left behind by Kanria."

Dain nodded, and then listed more traces of Kanria's existence one by one.

"These are all...?" Xingqiu seemed somewhat incredulous. He swallowed hard and asked, "But how could such a powerful force not have left any trace in history?"

Xingqiu couldn't help but shudder at the thought of the Hilichurls roaming the wilderness and the number of Ruins Guardians.

How could a nation with such great power leave no trace at all?

“Powerful? But all of this comes from a godless kingdom.” Dain’s expression was complicated, showing both pride in Kanria’s strength and sorrow for its current predicament.

"A kingdom without gods?" Chongyun couldn't imagine what a kingdom without gods would be like.

Their lineage of alchemists originated from immortals, and the power of immortals came from the Rock King Emperor. Without gods, the role of alchemists would be meaningless.

"Yes, the gods did not die or leave, but were never part of the history of Kanria in the first place."

"This is a powerful nation that belongs uniquely to humankind," Dain said, his voice unconsciously filled with pride.

But soon, that pride vanished, and Dain returned to her usual indifference.

"But five hundred years ago, the Seven Gods descended upon Kanria and uprooted the pride of mankind. The Hilichurls scattered across the land are a curse placed by the gods."

Although Din tried to keep his tone calm, a hint of dejection and indignation inevitably appeared on his face.

"How could this be?" Paimon seemed incredulous. Recalling his experiences with Wendy and Zhongli, Paimon felt that they were not gods like that.

“This…” Xingqiu looked distressed. He took a deep breath and said, “I don’t really believe this explanation. There must be some hidden story behind it.”

Not only him, but Chongyun's complexion was also not much better. Dain's words were undoubtedly a heavy blow, hitting him mentally.

Of all the people, Shen He was the calmest; she showed no reaction what Dai Yin was saying.

For her, there were only a few people she cared about. As long as she didn't involve these people, Shen He felt that even if the world collapsed, she would still be able to survive.

"You're overthinking things. This doesn't seem to affect your lives going forward, does it?" Yu Jin said, seeing Xingqiu and Chongyun's faces contorted like the lines on a bitter gourd.