Hutao uses me to judge my performance

He and Kong had already made some guesses about that person's identity, and they were pretty close to it, only lacking Dain's final confirmation.

"Do you know Skok?" Jiang Bai asked about something else.

Dain nodded, but did not give Jiang Bai the information he wanted.

"All I know is that he is the master of Datalia, the executor of the Fools. I have no knowledge of his past or experiences."

Skork has existed for a very long time, perhaps even longer than the oldest living Rock King.

Her past seemed to have been brutally erased from the World Tree, with only very brief records of her existence.

Dain obtains information through the white branches of the ley lines. Information that is too ancient and distant is very difficult to extract, and some of the information is longer than the human brain can handle.

Jiang Bai thought for a moment and asked, "Is it because her rank is higher?"

"That's one way to understand it."

Teyvat has never lacked high-ranking beings.

Whether it's a demon god, the seven gods, the dragon king, the four rulers, or anything else, they are all essentially high-ranking beings to humans, and among these beings, there are different ranks.

The Dragon King, who has not yet obtained all authority, is of equal rank to the Seven Gods, but once he obtains all authority, he will be above the Seven Gods.

Based on what we know, the thrones of the Seven Gods are a portion of the authority that was separated from the Dragon King's authority.

As for who is stronger between the fully-formed Dragon King and the current Heavenly Law Holder, Jiang Bai feels that in terms of combat, the Dragon King should be stronger.

The current upholders of justice are probably at their weakest point in history, so weak that they have been asleep for five hundred years and it is unknown whether they have awakened yet.

Jiang Bai then asked about several names that Silky had mentioned, including his master, the Extreme Evil Rider.

Dain could only shake his head at the existence of the Extreme Evil Rider; he was unaware of this person's existence until Jiang Bai mentioned it.

As for Rheindorf, Dain did know something about it.

"【Gold】Rhinedoth is also a Kanria, but he and I do not belong to the same era, nor to the same dynasty."

"Hmm?" Jiang Bai listened intently to the distant past.

"Even among the kingdoms on earth that are under God's watchful eye, dynasties rise and fall; how much more so in Canria, which is hidden deep underground and is called a kingdom of men?"

The rule of the gods represents stability to some extent. For example, in Liyue, under the watchful eyes of the gods, there has been no civil war for thousands of years. Even if there are power struggles, they are kept within a small range.

When the gods disappear, human desires begin to swell rapidly, as seen in Mondstadt next door.

During the thousand years before the appearance of the gods, Mondstadt experienced several major upheavals, the most famous of which was the overthrow of the old nobility and the establishment of the Knights of Favonius.

In Kanria, a land that has never been watched over by any deity, one can imagine how many upheavals it has experienced throughout its history.

"In the last era of Kanria, the Black Sun shone in the sky beneath the earth; it was the royal totem and the source of light. The era before the Black Sun was called the Crimson Moon."

Neither the black sun nor the red moon are actual celestial bodies, but rather a kind of lighting device similar to the Great Sun Palace.

However, this lighting device imitates the moon and sun on the Earth's surface, making it visually more like the real moon and sun.

"In the era of the Crimson Moon, alchemy was the mainstream practice in Kanria, and Rhinedoth was the chief alchemist at the time, serving as the kingdom's right-hand man."

"Later, the Red Moon was replaced by the Black Sun, and the development of machinery became the mainstream, so Rheindorf disappeared from people's sight."

Rheindorf was an exceptionally mysterious person; everything she did seemed to be solely for the purpose of exploring the ultimate in alchemy.

Whether it's summoning cosmic consciousnesses, giving them bodies, or creating Abedo, it all looks like something a researcher would do.

However, her actions of sending Dulin to Mondstadt and Enaris to Fontaine deviated from her original intention to explore alchemy, and even led Jiang Bai to believe that she was deliberately creating calamities.

But whether it's Alice's friend or Abedo's master, Jiang Bai is unsure whether this person is good or evil.

Although people are complex and multifaceted, Jiang Bai felt that Rheindorf, whom he knew very little about, was a little too complicated.

“Unlike me, who has survived to this day by relying on the power of the curse, Rhinedoth is a true immortal being. The curse that Heaven has placed on us may not have any effect on her either…”

Rhinedoth has reached a certain extreme. Perhaps she was just an ordinary person at the beginning, but as she delved into alchemy, her life form has transcended the realm of the human.

They might even be close to the original humans.

Dain didn't say much about Rheindorf, perhaps because that was all he knew.

Rheindorf has long been a high-ranking entity, not one that can be explored casually.

For Dain, who was focused on the Abyss Order, exploring Rhinedoth was of no significance.

They agreed to meet in half a month at the Tu Ni Black Abyss in the Cangshi Desert, and the two parted ways for the time being.

Jiang Bai bid farewell to Kong temporarily and then returned to Liyue.

He planned to take a good rest and spend time with Hu Tao during these two weeks.

After being away for a while, Liyue Harbor was just as usual.

The rising waters in Fontaine did not affect other countries; the rising tides seemed to be confined to Fontaine by some rule and did not flow to other parts of the world.

Only the people living in Shenyu Valley, near Fontaine, noticed the calamity that befell Fontaine.

Jiang Bai bought two strings of candied hawthorns from a roadside vendor and hummed a little tune as he returned to the Hall of Rebirth.

He didn't tell Hu Tao he was coming back beforehand, intending to give her a surprise.

Chapter 900 Hall Master's Post

Walnut was lying on a deck chair under the tree reading a book. Sunlight shone through the gaps in the branches, making her feel drowsy.

Hu Tao's eyelids were drooping, and the book in her hand was wobbling.

Unable to resist the afternoon drowsiness, I covered my face with the book and fell asleep.

Jiang Bai poked his head out from the tree, and a vine stretched out from his palm, threading through the gaps in the leaves, and gently hooked the book aside.

Looking at Hu Tao, who was sleeping soundly and oblivious to everything, Jiang Bai grinned mischievously and quietly pulled out a blade of grass.

He hooked his legs around the tree trunk and hung upside down, his head very close to Hu Tao's face, and he could even feel Hu Tao's breath.

The foxtail grass in her hand gently brushed against Hu Tao's nose, bringing a tingling and itchy sensation. Hu Tao subconsciously scratched it, showing no signs of waking up.

Seeing her scratch her nose, Jiang Bai rubbed her ear with a foxtail grass and mischievously blew on her face.

Finally, he woke Hu Tao up.

The moment she opened her eyes, she saw a huge face, very close to her, which startled Hu Tao so much that she punched it.

Jiang Bai caught the punch with his hand and said with a grin:

"Is this the iron fist of love? It's so powerful."

Hu Tao also realized what was happening, forcibly controlling the smile on her face and pouting angrily.

"Hmph! Who told you to scare me as soon as you got back!"

"It's just that the sect leader was sleeping so soundly, and I didn't want to disturb him~"

"Listen to what you're saying, do you even believe it yourself?"

Who was blowing on her face, and who was tickling her? I couldn't bear to disturb them, thankfully they could tell.

Jiang Bai suddenly moved closer to Hu Tao without saying a word, his warm breath hitting her face. Hu Tao suddenly felt nervous, and her heart started beating faster.

The soft touch was as usual, carrying a sweet fragrance of sweet flowers, and Walnut subconsciously closed her eyes.

Only when breathing became difficult did someone voluntarily stop.

"Master." Jiang Bai's voice was low and hoarse, carrying a lingering affection that seemed to be wrapped around fine threads.

"Hmm?" Hu Tao responded softly, her eyes slightly glazed and her face flushed.

Jiang Bai's fingers gently brushed across the corner of her mouth, wiping away the streak of saliva that had leaked out.

"My head is a little congested..."

"???"

Under Hu Tao's questioning gaze, Jiang Bai fell headfirst from the tree. Hu Tao caught him quickly to prevent him from breaking her recliner.

Then, the two of them lay down together on the narrow recliner.

Hu Tao looked at the tall guy with a sense of despair, who was curled up in her arms like a little bird.

The poor recliner was bearing a weight it shouldn't have had to.

"You're so heavy, get up quickly."

"Oh dear, my head is so dizzy..."

Jiang Bai held her close, but didn't move.

"The chair is going to collapse!"

Walnut had already heard the chair creaking under its own weight.

"So what if it collapses? With me as your human cushion, you definitely won't fall."

Hu Tao's lips twitched; it was still uncertain who would be the human cushion for whom.

crunch--

Finally, the recliner, which had served for who knows how many years, was officially broken down, and the two of them fell to the ground together.

Jiang Bai lay on a pile of timber, with Hu Tao wrapped around her in her arms.

"See? I said I wouldn't let the hall master fall, and I didn't."

At the critical moment, Jiang Bai quickly grabbed Hu Tao and hugged her, acting as a human cushion.

Of course, falling from this height wouldn't cause any serious injury.

Hu Tao sat up and punched him in the chest with her soft fist.

"I've used this recliner for years, you have to buy me a new one!"

"I'll personally make an even more comfortable one for the hall master! One that can even accommodate two people lying down!"

"The latter is unnecessary..."

Lying in a recliner for two people always feels a bit strange.

"I want it! I want it!"

Jiang Bai reached out and pulled Hu Tao, who had sat up, back into his arms.

"Don't you find it uncomfortable to wear on your back..."

"With the sect leader in my arms, I'd be willing to lie on nails."

"You've certainly learned quite a few sweet talk skills in Fontainebleau..."

The two cuddled for a while, but ultimately didn't stay lying on the ground indefinitely.

Although this is Walnut Yard, where no one usually comes, it is still a bit strange for the two of them to be lying on the ground in broad daylight.

Sitting on the sofa in the room, Hu Tao poured tea and inquired about Feng Dan's situation.

"I heard that Fontainebleau was flooded a lot before, I hope the problem there has been resolved by now."

"Yes, a happy ending for everyone."

Jiang Bai pulled her onto the sofa, wrapped his arms around her waist, and rested his head on her neck, not wanting to let go at all.

It's been a long time since we last met, and now he just wants to become Siamese twins, wanting to stick together wherever we go.

Jiang Bai was talking to Hu Tao about Fengdan. As he spoke, Hu Tao peeled nuts for him, and before they knew it, a pile of nut shells had accumulated on the table.

"...So you're planning to go to Kanria in two weeks?"

"Ah."

Walnut was a little unhappy.

No one would be happy to hear that he's leaving again in two weeks after they've just returned.

These things are important, but Hu Tao won't act recklessly.

No one knows what the now-destroyed ruins of Kanria look like or how many dangers they hide.

Knowing she couldn't resist the pollution from the abyss, Hu Tao didn't suggest going with them.

"Then you'd better be careful, or if anything happens, even I, the master of this hall, won't be able to collect your corpse..."

"Oh dear, they haven't left yet..."