Hu Tao Is Monetizing My Existence.

"If you ask him to do something, he'll probably agree. But if it's something like this? He'll say he's going to listen to an opera, or a storytelling session, or that he's meeting a friend for tea.

"To him, sitting through some drawn-out, ceremony-heavy event is nowhere near as appealing as staying home with a cup of tea."

Hu Tao clearly spoke from experience.

"Is that so…"

Even though Hu Tao said so, Jiang Bai still planned to give it a try when the time came.

After all, how would I know unless I asked?

"Director, pass me the dandelion seeds we picked. I'll bring them over to Mister Zhongli later."

"Sure thing!" Hu Tao tossed over a pouch of dandelion seeds and headed straight for her room.

Jiang Bai wasn't particularly tired, but after days on the road, the dust and sweat had definitely accumulated. It was better to wash up before going to see Zhongli.

Zhongli was a man of elegance, after all—and if he was going to pay him a visit, he had to show a little care himself.

He wasn't there for anything urgent—just to give a brief account of what had happened on Dragonspine, and maybe feel him out a bit.

If he could talk Zhongli into coming along to the Rite of Descension, even better.

Back in his room, Jiang Bai found a porcelain vase and carefully placed the plum blossom Hu Tao had given him into it.

The vase's pure white surface set off the vivid red of the plum blossom, adding a rare touch of color to the otherwise plain room.

He lightly touched one of the red petals. No idea how long this flower will last, he thought. But it's still just as bright as the day she gave it to me.

Maybe I'll sneak a branch off that big plum tree in her courtyard sometime. See if I can grow one myself.

After washing up and changing into clean clothes, Jiang Bai grabbed the pouch of dandelion seeds and made his way to Zhongli's courtyard.

Dusk had already fallen, and the house was dim inside. Zhongli sat by the window, writing something with quiet focus.

Books were stacked neatly across his desk. Brush, ink, paper, and inkstone were arranged with perfect symmetry.

In the corner sat a celadon vase holding a few elegant orchids—just enough to suggest leisure without pretension.

Jiang Bai tapped lightly at the courtyard gate and peeked his head inside.

"Mister Zhongli, are you in?"

At the sound of his voice, Zhongli set down his brush and looked up.

"I'm here."

"Then I'm coming in."

Jiang Bai called out, then stepped through the gate with the bundle in hand.

"You're back. Was everything handled smoothly?"

"Smoothly? It was perfect. We packed enough explosives to flatten a mountain. Turned the summit into a crater. That Skyfrost Nail? Didn't stand a chance."

Jiang Bai flopped onto the stone bench in the pavilion and launched into his tale with gusto.

"Mister Zhongli, you should've seen it! The explosion was like the end of the world! The Director drew her bow, fire-element arrows blazing, and with a single shot—boom!—the fuse lit!"

"All that gunpowder we laid around the Nail went off in one go. The ground shook like thunder, black clouds blocked the sun, snow flew like crashing waves, and the smoke—whoosh!—filled the air!"

"The Nail was torn apart into flying shrapnel. The thousand-year-old ice melted in the heat blast, mist turned straight to vapor—didn't leave a trace!"

Jiang Bai animated his words with grand gestures, exaggerating with every sentence.

Zhongli simply listened, a faint smile on his lips, saying nothing.

He really is made for storytelling, Zhongli thought. Seems he's improved since last time.

"With that kind of force, I'd wager even an adeptus would have to back off. Only a god could stand up to that! Good thing I gave everyone a shield in time—otherwise, even a kilometer out from the blast, we'd have been toast!"

Zhongli poured him a cup of tea and played along with a small expression of awe.

"I did hear a loud boom from the direction of Dragonspine around then. I suppose that must've been your doing. Now that I've heard your story, it makes perfect sense.

"A shame I wasn't there to witness it myself—it sounds like quite a sight."

"Well, you can't see the aftermath, but I do have a photo of what the Nail looked like before we blew it up."

Jiang Bai pulled out a photograph—the group's souvenir shot in front of the Nail.

Zhongli took it and studied it carefully, as if seeing it for the first time.

"So that's what the Nail looked like… It does resemble a pillar."

"That's what I thought too. But calling it a nail definitely paints a stronger picture."

"And now it's completely destroyed?"

"Well, yes and no. The main structure's gone, but the fragments are still floating in midair. Just kind of… hovering there. It's a mess."

"Floating?"

"Yeah. Not moving, just suspended in the air. That blue crystal debris actually looks kind of pretty up there."

"I see…" Zhongli handed the photo back, his expression thoughtful.

"Something on your mind?"

"Nothing much. It's simply the first time I've seen such a thing. Fascinating, really."

"There's a path to the summit now—it's easier to climb than before. If you ever have time, you should go take a look. We had no idea what to do with those floating shards, so we just left them."

"I will, if the opportunity arises."

After chatting for a bit longer, Jiang Bai pulled out the bag of dandelion seeds.

"When we were in Mondstadt, I was going to bring back a bottle of their famous dandelion wine for you, Mister Zhongli. But the Director said you prefer to brew your own—so instead, we picked a lot of dandelion seeds. Should be enough for you to make a whole vat."

He pushed the pouch over with a grin, completely unfazed at pinning the decision on Hu Tao.

If you calculated the market value, he thought, these seeds were worth at least ten thousand Mora. You could buy several bottles of wine for that.

Which was precisely why he didn't feel the slightest bit guilty giving them as a gift.

"You're quite thoughtful. Thank you."

Zhongli seemed genuinely pleased with the gift.

Dandelions were unique to Mondstadt, usually found growing on windblown cliffs and ridges.

To collect this many, they must've climbed mountain after mountain, and even then—each plant didn't yield much. They'd likely stripped a whole hillside bare.

He picked up a few seeds from the pouch and brought them close, inhaling the subtle, breezy scent. His eyes softened with nostalgia.

"…It's been quite a while since I last brewed anything."

"Well, now that you've got the ingredients, maybe brew a bit more. I'd love to finally taste what dandelion wine is actually like."

"Alright."

"Oh, right—Mister Zhongli. Are you going to the Rite of Descension the day after tomorrow?"

Zhongli glanced at him. "You seem very eager."

"Of course I am! I've never seen the Geo Archon before. I'm dying to know what he actually looks like!" Jiang Bai's eyes gleamed with excitement.

"The form of a god is not fixed. If you're hoping to see the Geo Archon, I'm afraid the ceremony might disappoint you."

"Well, if it does, it does. I'm mostly just going to experience it. If I get to see him, great—if not, no harm done." Jiang Bai was easygoing about it.

Really, I'm just curious about what the Archon looks like. It's not like I'm hunting him down or anything.