Chapter 151: Tonight, No Drink, No Return

Looks like everyone likes the return of the Dendro Archon.

On Treasure Merchant Street, Dixiya and Luo De walked side by side.

It has already been half a month since Nadixa broke free and regained control of the Academy.

Inside Xu Mi Cheng, there was no disturbance caused by the downfall of the Great Sage.

Even compared to before, the atmosphere has become even more relaxed.

Because after Nadixa re-examined the Academy's regulations, she ordered the cancellation of dozens of bans and restrictive orders previously issued by the Academy.

These were originally decrees meant to consolidate scholars' status by restricting other classes, and once they were abolished...

... they instantly drew cheers throughout Xu Mi Cheng.

Even those who originally felt indifferent toward the Dendro Archon eagerly joined the welcoming party for the deity's return.

Watching the coming and going merchants whose faces now bore many more smiles, Luo De let out a light laugh.

"Because Xu Mi Cheng has gone too long without a deity."

"Godless."

"This is no small matter."

Although under the Academy's publicity, all news about the Dendro Archon said she was living in seclusion in the Palace of Purification, seeking knowledge for Xu Mi Cheng, and not missing like Mondstadt's Anemo Archon.

But Nadixa has ultimately not appeared for five hundred years.

Teyvat is a world where deities hold supreme status.

Despite knowing that their nation has a deity, they have gone several hundred years without ever seeing the deity manifest.

Furthermore, while the Academy claims she is seeking knowledge, Xu Mi Cheng's knowledge has seen no progress for several hundred years, and they have been intentionally or unintentionally concealing matters concerning the Dendro Archon.

All these various abnormalities piled up together.

Over time.

Except for some followers like Dinazedai who once received encouragement from Nadixa in a dream, the vast majority of Xu Mi Cheng's people believe that the Dendro Archon spoken of by the Academy actually does not exist at all.

"The despair of 'the God of Wisdom no longer exists' once deeply shrouded this country."

"Under these circumstances."

When the Dendro Archon, this deity, finally appeared, the Xu Mi Cheng people who had originally held no expectations for any deity suddenly felt emboldened in their hearts; even if they were not followers of the Dendro Archon, they would welcome the return of Xu Mi Cheng's deity with the utmost enthusiasm.

"Got backbone?"

Upon hearing these few words, Dixiya nodded thoughtfully.

It really does seem to be the case.

She had worked as a mercenary for many years, having contacted many merchants and travelers from other countries; she had also gone overseas to other countries to carry out missions, witnessing how people live in nations where deities still govern.

"How to put it?"

Compared to the dull Xu Mi Cheng, people in deity-endowed nations are somewhat more confident.

"Exactly!"

"It's confidence!"

Even the Mondstadt people, who likewise have not seen their deity manifest for several hundred years, wherever they go keep the Anemo Archon on their lips; if someone says their deity has disappeared, they will loudly argue that the Anemo Archon is freedom, that the old one certainly is out enjoying a free life, not like the Xu Mi Cheng deity, whose very existence is unknown.

That person's proud expression when speaking, Dixiya still clearly remembers to this day.

As for the matter of being dissed for lacking a deity at home...

She was unable to refute it, and could not think of any reason to do so.

The Great Merciful Tree King passed away five hundred years ago, which the Academy has publicly announced.

However, the new Grass God who ought to sit upon the divine throne never shows her face.

Thus whether Xu Mi Cheng indeed has a new Grass God is uncertain; only those in the know dare to guarantee it, while others, including the Grand Discipline Officer whose authority in the Academy is second only to the Great Sage, do not lightly draw conclusions on this matter.

"You don't need to rely on the name of the Great Merciful Tree King; you can still welcome the Xu Mi Cheng people's most fervent flowers and fine wine."

This is also what Nadixa said to Luo De when he was in the dream world back then.

"Fact proves it."

"He was right."

"Too bad, Laheman and his lot still don't like the Dendro Archon."

Mentioning these matters, Dixiya's face inevitably showed an expression of regret.

Originally, to let Azhaer use the canned knowledge command, Luo De arranged for the mercenaries and the dancers of the Grand Bazaar to everywhere reveal the traces of the Dendro Archon.

For such conduct defying the Academy,

The Dendro Archon's followers in the Grand Bazaar not only showed no fear, but each cheered and leapt with joy.

Being able to so closely come into contact with the traces of the Dendro Archon.

Even if Luo De did not tell them that what they were doing was rescuing the imprisoned Dendro Archon, they would still be willing to give their all for it.

But those mercenaries tasked with protecting them were different.

Don't look at the fact that they participated in the operation to rescue the Dendro Archon, and also, under the pretense of being employed by Luo De, they wholeheartedly guarded the Grand Bazaar's followers from arrest, still suffering considerable casualties.

Yet afterward they refused Nadixa's goodwill, not even participating in the victory feast within the Grand Bazaar, and resolutely returned to the desert.

"The Red King's subjects would never accept the Dendro Archon's bounty like dogs."

Recalling Lahman's parting words of cutting iron like nails, Luo De helplessly told Dixiya: "Anyway, I told him that the Red King priest's place holds the truth of the Red King and the Dendro Archon; let him go find it himself—if he doesn't believe it, there's nothing to be done."

That's also something that can't be helped.

Luo De doesn't know where the burial site of the Red King priest, which holds records of the truth from back then, actually is.

Asking Nadixa also yields no answer.

The key is that Lahman still doesn't believe what Nadixa says, nor is he willing to believe that the reclusive lineage that has cooperated with the Dendro Archon.

Such an attitude of nobody believing.

Then we could only let him go look for the relics himself and seek the truth himself.

Speaking of this.

The topic about Laheman also ends here.

The radical Red King believers who firmly believe the claim that the Dendro Archon plotted against the Red King have no convincing evidence before them, and relying solely on trash talk cannot possibly change his belief.

Next.

Luo De and Dixiya strolled all the way from Treasure Merchant Street back to the Grand Bazaar.

The Grand Bazaar has been unusually lively these days.

To celebrate the Little Auspicious Grass King's finally being freed.

After several days of tense planning.

The Grand Bazaar launched a grand celebration second only in scale to the Flower God's Birthday Festival.

Not only did the vendors who usually only appear at the Flower God's Birthday Festival gather here again, but many vendors who had never set up stalls at the Grand Bazaar before also flocked in.

Some of them genuinely wanted to make a big profit during these days of highest foot traffic, while others came with the attitude of just playing around and earning some money on the side.

After all, performances these days in the Grand Bazaar are free to watch; except for the Flower God's Dance specially for the Flower God's Birthday Festival, which won't be performed, other rare shows that are hard to see on ordinary days can all be seen here, and the flow of people coming and going can be described as terrifying—if not now to make money, when then?

Luo De and Dixiya had barely entered the Grand Bazaar when they saw Duo Li energetically hawking her wares.

This top Sumeru tycoon.

Just as before, she has no awareness of being Sumeru's richest person, and even exerts herself more than the most diligent merchants in the Grand Bazaar shouting their wares.

What she sells is also very simple.

They are all kinds of Dendro Archon dolls in various sizes, from wood carvings to plush toys, from palm-sized figurines to life-sized ones as tall as Nadixa, everything you could want.

What made Luo De even happier was that.

Dixiya actually listened to his suggestion and made a punching bag with the Great Sage's face, as tall as him, dressed in the Great Sage's robes; for just one hundred Mora you can happily punch it in the face.

She also provides hand wraps to protect the fists, so customers won't hurt themselves from over‑excited punching.

This novel play also made her stall the hottest spot in the entire Grand Bazaar.

Originally, the Grand Bazaar was a gathering place for followers of the Little Auspicious Grass King.

Now there is an opportunity to beat the culprit who imprisoned the Little Auspicious Grass King.

Although they know it's fake, they still happily toss Mora into the money box and swing with all their might to smash that poor punching bag.

Moreover, not only adults go there to vent their emotions; even clueless little kids are lifted high by adults, who then use their tiny fists to strike the face of the evil one who imprisoned the god two times, after which they go to play the role of Vigar of the Flower Knight Faris and receive a few pieces of Yalda sugar.

When he saw that a few students wearing Academy uniforms were actually eager to give it a try, coming up to the stall and actually putting money down to pick up the hand wraps.

Dixiya couldn't help but laugh and cry, saying: "Even if the Great Sage has stepped down, he was still the Academy's Great Sage after all—don't you give him any face at all?"

"What's the big deal?"

Luo De chuckled as he watched the Academy students beating up the Great Sage, and offhandedly remarked: "These people might be like Dina Zeda—when they were kids they once heard Nadixa's voice, and they have a devotion to Nadixa far surpassing that of other scholars."

"Oh—"

Hearing this reason, Dixiya drew out a long 'Oh,' suddenly realizing: "No wonder then—hey, if Dina Zeda's constitution weren't so frail, I'd definitely have dragged her along to throw a couple punches too."

Immediately.

She seemed to recall something, shifted her tone, and complained: "This Little Auspicious Grass King is really too merciful—when dealing with these white‑eyed wolves, it would be best to smash their bones to bits! Just letting them go rest in the woods is far too lenient on them!"

Dixiya hasn't said this for the first time.

Even before the Academy's public trial of A Zha'er ended, after Nadixa's verdict merely exiled him and a few other scholars who participated in imprisoning the god, Dixiya had already complained more than once.

In her words.

Selfish hyenas being exiled is fine enough, but what entitles white‑eyed wolves to enjoy the same exile treatment?

You should know that in the desert.

A captured white‑eyed wolf, aside from having its bones smashed to feed the beasts, has no other way out!

And if exile is to be carried out.

Then it should also be like the other scholars, exiled to A Ru Cun—what does exiling to the safe Path Accomplishment Forest mean?

Are they going there to repent, or to enjoy their twilight years?

"Hehe—"

On this question, Luo De had previously been vague.

This time.

He chuckled and said: "Nadixa is guarding against me and those fanatical Dendro Archon believers."

"Ah?"

"Guard against you doing what?"

Dixiya naturally overlooked the latter half of Luo De's sentence about the fanatical Dendro Archon believers.

"Afraid I'll go kill A Zha'er."

Luo De said dismissively: "Besides, no matter what you say, A Zha'er was once Sumeru's highest leader—sending him straight into exile in the desert just isn't appropriate."

Nadixa's thoughts are still easy to guess.

Exiling to the Path Accomplishment Forest is precisely because it's safe enough there, and it's also equipped with a fairly professional medical team and guards, sufficient to guarantee that A Zha'er can spend the rest of his life in peace.

This is pretty similar to what Luo De knew from his past life about certain heads of state who were peacefully ousted.

But then.

"Wanting to die is temporarily impossible."

Luo De hehe‑smiled: "It just means living will be very painful."

"?"

Dixiya didn't understand what he said.

Duoli's doll business is spread all over Sumeru, so setting up shop in the villages of Daocheng Forest wouldn't be impossible.

Besides that.

Daocheng Forest is also a rainforest, so running into various dangers is inevitable.

Such as poisonous insects, monsters, dead zones, and the like.

If you happen to encounter runaway ancient machinery, you won't even have a place to cry.

Luo De muttered under his breath, as if saying something completely unrelated to the topic.

Dixiya, who had been a bit confused, raised an eyebrow upon hearing that, then immediately laughed as well: "Oh right, the rainforest is also very dangerous."

Speaking, she leaned close to Luo De's ear and whispered: "Who did you hire?"

"Hire?"

"Do we even need to hire someone for this?"

Luo De laughed: "Just leak a little word, and plenty of people will be willing to do it."

Not killing Azhaer.

Simply making him spend the rest of his life in unease.

Even this small matter, many people are eager to volunteer for it.

Especially those mercenaries who have scraped by in the desert; who knows what lawless fellows might pick up in the desert that could disturb the former Great Sage's peace of mind?

Fortunately, the ban between the rainforest and desert zones has also been lifted.

The desert mercenaries' movements are also freer than before; fleeing to Daocheng Forest to do something they've long wanted to do but dared not is understandable.

Even if they get caught.

Anyway, they didn't kill anyone, just harassed an exiled prisoner; at most they'd be locked up a few days then released, cost almost nothing, so why not?

Speaking of Azhaer's fate.

Dixiya suddenly thought of another person: "By the way, what about that scholar?"

The scholar she mentioned.

That is Hafusai, who plagiarized many students.

Earlier Luo De had prepared many things intending to topple him, who held the title of Great Sage.

The result was a mix-up.

But it ended up toppling Azhaer first.

However, after Azhaer's downfall, Hafusai, who had once been his lackey, was not implicated because he did not participate in the affair of imprisoning the god; instead, he continued to remain safely at Amrita Academy as his vice dean.

Dixiya felt somewhat unwilling.

A De Ba Yi is a scholar who is cold outside but warm inside, erudite, and unlike other rainforest people, he does not harbor hostility toward desert folk; after resolving his inner turmoil, he made many contributions to the development of A Ru Cun.

Letting such a scholar who once schemed against him continue to roam free.

No matter how you think about it, it's not comfortable.

However, Luo De's subsequent answer was something Dixiya hadn't anticipated.

"Heh, he's done for."

"Huh?"

Dixiya, utterly unprepared for this, blinked in surprise.

Wasn't it just said that he was a vice dean at the Academy?

How did he end up done for?

Looking at Dixiya's bewildered yet eager expression, Luo De lightly uttered two words: "Void."

"Void?"

Dixiya furrowed her brows: "Don't keep us in suspense, spit it out."

"The students whom Hafusai plagiarized—when they were doing their research back then, they had all used the Void and left search records."

"And as the final presenter, Hafusai—"

"He didn't!!!"

Luo De raised his voice a bit and couldn't help laughing heartily.

Nadixa now completely controls the Void; all operational authority is in her hands.

The experience of initially clinging to Luo De gave her a very clear understanding of A De Ba Yi's situation.

Therefore, after obtaining operational authority over the Void,

she began to investigate this matter.

Afterward, she personally visited the victims who had been bullied by Hafusai.

With the backing of the Dendro Archon.

Those students who had feared retaliation and stayed silent now found courage, stepping forward one after another to testify to Hafusai's academic plagiarism.

The human evidence is ready.

As for material evidence, Nadixa investigated the Void search records and ultimately found that many of the papers Hafusai published bore no trace of Void usage, yet those papers cited large amounts of knowledge outside his expertise.

This is something that is nearly zero in probability.

You know, even someone like Luo De, who doesn't rely on the Void at all, has to borrow Nadixa's hand to search much knowledge within the Void.

Therefore, Hafusai's behavior of extensively citing sources yet showing no trace of study, merely offering a superficial defense, immediately became strong evidence of his plagiarism.

"With both human and material evidence in place, Hafusai has now been formally detained; we just await A De Ba Yi's arrival from A Ru Cun to testify, and the trial can begin."

Compared to the downfall of the Great Sage,

the impact of a Great Sage's downfall is still slightly lesser.

But who let this be the first major matter Nadixa handled after her return?

Therefore, the accusation of plagiarism against Ha Fusai immediately caused a commotion in the Academy no less than that caused by the Great Sage imprisoning a god—it's just that this matter hasn't spread much among the folk. Right now the Academy is bustling with excitement; everyone, whether related or not, is awaiting the day of judgment.

Good, that's how it should be!

Dixiya fiercely swung her fist, her mood extremely exhilarated.

A friend's great vengeance has been avenged; this is also a cause for celebration.

So she decided.

「Tonight at Lan Bade Tavern, no drink, no return! 」

「Good, no drink, no return! 」

Luo De replied with a smile.

(End of chapter)