Furina was rather annoyed. If it's not your problem, could it possibly be mine?! Although she had initiated it... Anyway! It was definitely this bad guy's fault!
Speaking of which, she had done it while in Jiang Qiao's body. Strictly speaking, Jiang Qiao should be in more trouble. But obviously—for Furina, whether the headline was 'Hydro Archon Forcefully Kissed' or 'Hydro Archon Forcefully Kisses Unidentified Male,' the outcome, once it fell into the hands of a Steambird reporter, was enough to make her faint.
However, Miss Furina, having 'partaken' of 'Focalors' and the 'dessert (Jiang Qiao),' quickly came to terms with it. Hmph, so what if it's exposed? It's not like it's something shameful! I, Lady Furina, the Hydro Archon, act righteously and stand tall! So what if I kissed him?
Thinking this, Furina recalled the earlier experience and suddenly felt dissatisfied—because it was just a fleeting moment, coupled with the adjustment period after swapping back, she hadn't felt anything at all. And that was her first kiss! What a huge loss! No, I must make up for it!
The furious Miss Furina, with Focalors's help, raised her hand and conjured a water screen, blocking off Paimon, Lumine, and even Fairy Ely on the side.
Then—she forcefully lunged at Jiang Qiao, 'biting' down again. The only trouble was that Furina's height was rather... lacking. Back in her own body, she had to stand on tiptoe to maintain the pose, actively wrapping her arms around his head.
Gulp~
Like a novice hunter, the blue-and-white-haired girl clumsily carried out her 'predation' in the small, moist space, actively consuming 'her dessert.' A deepening blush was visible on her fair skin—when talking about Fontaine, naturally, a Fontainian style of 'revenge' was required.
To retaliate for Jiang Qiao's various actions, and perhaps to salvage the experience of her first kiss, Miss Furina adopted this bold and exceedingly Fontainian method of 'punishment.'
However, things changed as she 'bit.' Initially acting on a petty whim, Fufu suddenly discovered... Sweet... warm... it feels like my whole body is being rubbed, certain hormones are stirring restlessly. Like savoring the world's most delicious pastry, the act of 'biting Jiang Qiao' brought Miss Furina an unprecedented pleasure—the more she bit, the more addicted she became!
"Bang—!"
A small figure burst through the water screen. This interruption made Furina reluctantly release him, licking her glistening lips.
"Aha! So you were doing bad things behind my back!" Fairy Ely's slightly chubby cheeks puffed out angrily. Holding her fairy wand, she glared fiercely at Jiang Qiao and Furina—Not even pretending! Pulling up a curtain and doing bad things in public! Do you really have no regard for the fairy from the Land of Symphony?!
Furina guiltily avoided her gaze, but the next moment, remembering something, she regained her courage. Wiping the lingering trace from the corner of her mouth and bringing it to her lips, the emerging 'pink serpent' (likely her tongue) 'ate' this 'escaped fish' as well.
"We're even now," Furina declared defiantly.
Provocation! That's definitely provocation, right?! Fairy Ely's anger meter instantly spiked—Eating secretly is one thing, but flaunting it in my face?! Unbearable! Intolerable!
The utterly enraged pink floating spirit immediately employed the 'Elysia Universal Anger Venting Method'—glaring with her eyes. Then... she silently added this debt to Jiang Qiao's tab!
Jiang Qiao innocently wiped his mouth, feeling rather helpless. Why are both of them like dogs, biting without a second thought? Never mind Focalors and the others 'biting' him on a spiritual level; now Furina had physically 'bitten' him twice—Am I some kind of small bread roll?
—Whatever, it wasn't important anyway.
Not dwelling on it, Jiang Qiao casually opened his palm—although being suddenly 'bitten' was startling and left him feeling peculiar, it had indeed saved him considerable effort. A vibrant green sprout brimming with life and translucent Primordial Seawater, shimmering like a rainbow, quietly swirled in his hand.
Undoubtedly, these held the consciousnesses of Egeria and Greater Lord Rukkhadevata.
If Jiang Qiao himself were using [Furina]'s body, keeping these two consciousnesses inside wouldn't be an issue. But with Furina, the rightful owner, back in her body, keeping the two gods' 'consciousnesses' within the [Furina] vessel was clearly no longer appropriate for various reasons. He had originally planned to casually retrieve them, but Furina's convenient bite allowed him to scoop them out during the process.
However, without the nourishment of the [Furina] 'womb,' these two fragmented wills would evidently become quite weak without a 'nutrient' supply. Jiang Qiao, anticipating this, gave them a few brief instructions before taking an aquabus to the Tower of Gestalt.
"Here is quite suitable."
The Tower of Gestalt was located very close to Elynas island, a place where Fontaine's ley lines converged. The tower itself stood at the center of the Seal of Reconciliation laid down by René, with the Primordial Sea lying directly beneath.
The 'water droplet' and 'green sprout' swirled in Jiang Qiao's hand—he infused a portion of 'materials' collected from Irminsul and himself to replenish the missing wills of Egeria and Rukkhadevata, then... released the Skyfrost Nail.
It plunged into the ground—not the original Skyfrost Nail, but one permeated and modified by Jiang Qiao's own power. Just as King Deshret could use Sumeru's original Skyfrost Nail to power the Eternal Oasis, this 'energy source,' capable of drawing power from the ley lines, served as an excellent 'culture medium.'
The delicate green sprout, upon entering the ground, grew rapidly, twining around and依托 (yī tuō - relying on/attaching to) the Tower of Gestalt. Egeria's primordial water, meanwhile, formed a symbiotic relationship with the giant tree, similar to the Amrita Pool.
"Hmph, finally got those two out." Furina, who had followed Jiang Qiao, gazed at the two massive trees. Although she herself was no longer a weakling but a genuine Hydro Archon, a god, she couldn't help but sigh in awe at such a miracle, while simultaneously breathing a sigh of relief.
She wasn't entirely opposed to having two other consciousnesses in her body—after all, Furina quite liked lively company. But thinking about it—Is my body a public restroom? People can just come and go as they please? Due to this awkward thought, the departure of the two old ladies made Miss Furina feel quite relieved.
As for Focalors... although annoying, since she was fundamentally a part of herself, Miss Furina pinched her nose and tolerated it. Of course—there were aspects she couldn't tolerate.
For example—That woman actually hopes I'll swap back soon... She dislikes me! Just because that bad guy was so satisfying to 'sip'... Even though it is really nice, you and I are clearly the same person, yet you're thinking of kicking me out just to keep sticking close to Jiang Qiao.
Furina couldn't stand this treatment of her body as some kind of love hotel—even less could she tolerate Focalors wanting to hog him all to herself. Even if Focalors was willing to share afterwards, Furina couldn't accept it! After all, using 'second-hand goods' from outside was one thing, but using 'second-hand me'? Fufu wants fresh goods!
A moment later, the forms of Egeria and Rukkhadevata manifested, though perhaps a bit smaller than before. Not only did Rukkhadevata maintain Nahida's appearance, but Egeria had also transformed into a young girl.
"This feeling, it's been a while..." Although Miss Rukkhadevata was slightly regretful about not getting to 'sip' more from Jiang Qiao, stretching out her small hands and feeling the vibrant land, rich with water veins, she still showed a satisfied expression.
The ley line power drawn by the Skyfrost Nail, while not top-tier 'fertilizer' like 'Jiang Qiao,' could certainly be considered high-grade fertilizer for them.
"Thank you," Rukkhadevata said.
"It's nothing. I imagine you can sense the situation in Sumeru from here?" Jiang Qiao waved it off, glancing at Rukkhadevata's 'main body'—the giant tree before them—and asking calmly.
"Er... Indeed."
Clearly, Jiang Qiao had done this deliberately. The reason for bringing Greater Lord Rukkhadevata to Fontaine wasn't simply about 'abducting a god.' As part of Irminsul, leveraging this connection and Fontaine's ley lines and water veins, Rukkhadevata and Nahida, far away in Sumeru, could form a special link.
"Through this connection, the two nations will be linked. At the same time, both nations can share the 'Akasha' through this." The Akasha System was a special device created by Greater Lord Rukkhadevata to counter the Abyss, intended to unify the wisdom of all Sumeru's people.
According to the original plot, Nahida definitely wanted to shut it down to stop it from stealing the dreams of Sumeru's people. But Jiang Qiao prevented it.
True, stealing people's dreams, as the Akademiya sages did, was cruel. But claiming the system was entirely harmful was clearly too arbitrary. With effects similar to, yet stronger than, the internet, the Akasha System itself could connect the people of various nations, erasing the barrier of 'distance' that hindered interpersonal relationships.
In terms of human civilization's development, such a thing would inevitably emerge eventually—and Sumeru had already taken the lead, creating it first. Since that was the case, why regress, discarding it due to some drawbacks?
As long as its downsides were constrained and it was used reasonably, the Akasha—capable of unifying wisdom, shrinking distances, and improving the populace's quality—would be the greatest aid for the people of Teyvat to break free from the shackles of the earth and reach for the stars.
"One day, the people of the Seven Nations will walk the same path." It was because she believed in this ideal that Greater Lord Rukkhadevata chose to leave Sumeru and follow Jiang Qiao to Fontaine. The Seven Nations were distant, but through her, at least Sumeru and Fontaine could pioneer a 'trial.'
Furina, learning everything through Focalors's 'leftovers' (shared consciousness/memories), looked constipated. Wait, aren't you a bit too capable?
The original deal was just for you to not expose the fact that I wasn't the real Hydro Archon. But not only did you act more like the Hydro Archon than the Hydro Archon, you also brought back two Hydro Archons, resolved Fontaine's prophecy crisis, and even laid out a long-term plan for Fontaine's future...
Damn it! You make me look like a really terrible and incompetent Hydro Archon!
Feeling rather annoyed, Furina glared intently at Jiang Qiao, dissatisfied, almost wanting to bite him again. But even though the 'hapless duo' Lumine and Paimon hadn't followed, instead running off to collect trash in Fontaine's wilderness, Miss Furina clearly didn't dare make such a bold move again—it wasn't really in her nature.
Acting rashly in the heat of the moment, while feeling satisfying afterward and making her want to do it again, filled her with immense embarrassment! Of course, if they were alone in private, it wouldn't be out of the question—Jiang Qiao was very soft, after all, she could 'bite' him whenever she wanted!
However, after what happened earlier, Fairy Ely had been watching her like a hawk—Honestly! Why are you staring at me like I'm a thief?! I just took a little taste! Compared to that very bold green woman, I'm considerably conservative and restrained, okay!
Besides, Furina wasn't that bothered by Fairy Ely herself—Hmph, you 'camera' are stealing from the vault yourself! What's wrong with me having a couple of bites? Is it illegal?!
The current Fufu wasn't just for show; she was the real Hydro Archon, the God of Justice! In Fontaine, she could 'bite' Jiang Qiao however she wanted! She could even have Clorinde restrain Fairy Ely and make her watch as she 'bit' Jiang Qiao!
Stealing a bite... no, 'eating openly' right in front of you! Filled with malice, the gradually awakening 'bad woman' traits made Miss Furina quite arrogant.
However, Jiang Qiao had already spent several days in this world, and his time was about up. —Every day spent here consumed those inconspicuous Chat Group points! Hearing this, the generous Fufu had initially thought—Short on points? No problem, I saved up quite a bit doing those screw-tightening missions!
But unfortunately, thanks to the vigilant Fairy Ely's interference, Miss Furina's little scheme to 'book Jiang Qiao for the night' was successfully foiled—the fairy小姐 from the Land of Symphony finally proved useful, congratulations.
Of course—don't misunderstand, the pure Miss Furina wasn't planning any strange, bad things like that green woman; that would be a bit too stimulating for her... but taking the opportunity to get a few more bites in, that should be fine!
Her good plans thwarted, Miss Furina watched Jiang Qiao disappear, puffing her cheeks slightly and clicking her tongue: Tsk, this little vixen is so annoying!
...Wait, wasn't there still a wanted poster for that girl back in the Court of Fontaine? Furina, who had initially planned to revoke it, huffed twice—Not revoking it!
Hmph, next time that little one comes, I'll have people arrest her immediately! Sentence Fairy Ely to... anyway, keep her locked up until I've had my fill, then let her out! The only problem might be that Jiang Qiao guy would definitely bail her out... So troublesome, can't release her after she's bailed...
Furina's sharp mind raced. Finally, after accessing Focalors's wisdom, now tainted with quite a bit of lewd material, she reached a conclusion—Couldn't I just temporarily disable Jiang Qiao's 'bailing ability'? If he's having too much fun here, he won't miss that stupid fairy!
Thinking this, Miss Furina couldn't help but admire her own cunning, feeling quite pleased. In a good mood, she decided to first go enjoy her favorite limited-edition dessert.
Only upon arriving did she learn from the shop clerk that all the remaining limited-time desserts for the day had already been bought out by a certain pink-haired, flower-like adorable (self-proclaimed) little lady.
Needless to say, the description required no thought. But Furina didn't get angry immediately. Instead, she 'remembered' something—the Mora Fairy Ely had was seemingly all hers. Which meant...
That little brat! Used Fufu's money, leaving Fufu with no limited-edition cake!
Realizing this, Miss Furina instantly—raged! At this moment, she even felt the urge to propose a new law. The law's content: No pink-haired women or dogs allowed within the Court of Fontaine!
But enacting such a law was clearly unreasonable; after all, Fontaine had many pink-haired women, like the Steambird reporter Charlotte she'd just seen—thinking about Charlotte's snapshot made Furina feel the law was even more necessary. Unfortunately, such a strange, obsessive, and absurd law would never pass Neuvillette.
Regarding this—Mr. Hydro Dragon looked puzzled. What's going on? Why does it feel like our Hydro Archon has entered her 'brain-damaged' or perhaps 'brain-spasming' state again? He felt vaguely worried, but recalling that she was often like this in the past, he instantly felt relieved.
Anyway, our Hydro Archon spasms three hundred and sixty-five days a year. It's stranger when she acts normal for a bit.
This current state was actually her returning to normal... Hmm, although Mr. Hydro Dragon felt a slight headache, he also felt strangely reassured.
—Ah, Fufu, when you act so competent, I get scared!
Meanwhile—
A Sumeru ship carrying a pink-haired girl was also approaching Fontaine. Gazing at the high seas in the distance, 'flames' seemed to burn in her eyes.
—Get clean and wait for me! Bad Jiang Qiao! Ely is coming!!!