Chapter 338

What Leidian Zhen said.

Luo De couldn't help but feel energized.

He had been worrying about how to retrieve faith from those desert folk who had already obtained evil eyes.

For this reason, he had to have the Great Merciful Tree King establish a virtual network to locate the Fatui's evil-eye factory, using the evidence at hand to shatter the false faith fabricated by the Fatui's slices.

But now there has been no news from the Great Merciful Tree King's side.

Leidian Zhen then gave him a piece of good news.

"Are you sure you can make something with the same effect using that thing?"

Luo De repeatedly confirmed with Leidian Zhen.

This matter is very important.

It concerns whether he needs to persist with the original tactical plan, waiting for the Great Merciful Tree King to retrieve the evidence.

"Hmm."

"If you hadn't brought back that experiment report, I might still not be able to do this."

"But with that report,"

"Once I understood the principle and part of the procedure, I had an idea."

"Fortunately, I now have this; I've gained control over elemental energy that I didn't have before. With an idea and the ability, theoretically there's no problem."

Leidian Zhen patted her chest, indicating the Oasis Source, but to be safe she still said: "I can go try it first; if it works, you won't need to waste time waiting for news from Ying."

"Alright."

"I'll go get the branches."

Luo De understood her meaning, nodded in acknowledgment, and immediately headed to the Academy, straight to the location of the Oasis Source.

This time.

He didn't rush to get the twigs first; instead, he raised his head and carefully inspected the surroundings.

"Whoosh—"

"Not here."

Luo De relaxed, and directly following Leidian Zhen's request, took ten twigs from here.

The Oasis Source is the transformation of Apep's elemental energy.

It in itself can be called the purest elemental creation on the continent of Teyvat.

Leidian Zhen said this thing can replace the Archon's remnants.

That's precisely for this reason.

The pure elemental creation, plus a deity capable of controlling elemental energy, plus the principle of crafting evil eyes, allowed the highly combat‑proficient Archon Leidian Zhen to easily deduce the steps for making evil eyes.

This sudden good news also made Luo De feel extremely happy as he retrieved the twigs and walked along the road.

Just this feeling.

Soon, this feeling was shattered when he heard some strange sounds.

The sound Luo De heard.

It was the sound of a group of desert folk praying devoutly.

Originally, this wasn't anything.

Because Hope City, under Nadixa's orders, did not prohibit multiple faiths.

The desert folk were free to choose whether to worship the Dendro Archon or the Red King.

Thus, in Hope City,

both the temple devoted to the Red King and the temple devoted to the Dendro Archon had been built.

Praying and worshiping the Red King had become commonplace.

But the problem is.

What Luo De heard was not the sound of worshiping the Red King.

but the sound of praying to the Seven Wise Dragon Ahe Apep.

"Apep?!"

Luo De turned on his heel and immediately walked toward the source of the sound.

After winding through four blocks,

he finally found the desert folk gathered together in prayer.

And here,

Luo De also saw a person.

with green hair and green eyes, scales on the face, a dragon tail behind, wearing a long robe of desert‑style divine attire.

Who else could it be but Apep!

However, Apep at this moment had no time to deal with Luo De; instead, like a charlatan, he sat enthroned, enjoying the desert folk's obeisance, and would occasionally bestow divine power upon those in need, healing their ailments or granting them boons.

"."

Gazing at the scene before him, Luo De couldn't help but twitch at the corner of his mouth.

What the hell.

When did Apep become a charlatan?! Moreover,

Isn't she considered a traitor by the desert folk for having devoured the Red King's corpse?

How did she manage that? It's astonishing that she could make these fanatical desert folk worship her so devoutly! What's even stranger is,

Why haven't I received any report about this? Even if someone deliberately concealed it,

yet such a large‑scale gathering of the populace is still taking place in broad daylight.

Dixiya and Youla, who are in charge of patrolling the city, should also come to deal with this, right?

Just when Luo De was puzzled.

He keenly spotted Dixiya in the crowd.

However, surprisingly.

She should have been the one maintaining order here, yet she followed the desert people in kneeling to Apep, even stepping forward to tell Apep her wishes, thus showing the other desert people the favor she had received from the Grass Dragon.

"This"

"What happened?!!"

If someone else did that, Luo De would definitely suspect she was brainwashed by Apep.

But this is Dixiya.

The atheist Dixiya.

Right.

Don't think Dixiya is just a desert person born in the desert and working for the Dendro Archon.

But she is an extremely rare atheist in all of Sumeru.

Whether it's the Dendro Archon or the Red King, her attitude is reverence, not the devout worship she now shows toward Apep.

Someone like Dixiya.

Luo De wouldn't believe she could be bewitched by Apep to this extent.

"So there must be some inside story."

Luo De continued to turn his head and look around.

Soon.

He then found another acquaintance.

So he quickened his steps and came beside that blue figure.

"Hiss—"

"Can't you make some noise next time? Why scare people like that?"

Startled by Luo De's pat on the shoulder, Youla turned and glared angrily.

"Um, I'll pay attention next time."

Luo De casually remarked, then turned his gaze toward Apep and frowned, asking, "What's going on over there?"

"Oh, you're talking about this?"

Youla, who had been happily watching the spectacle, stroked her chin and said, "Dixiya said that charlatan was doing something beneficial for you, so she went to actively vindicate her, confirming what kind of dragon she was, and then set an example there, letting others follow her in worshiping that green-haired monster."

"Hah—?"

"Something beneficial for me?"

"Just her?"

Luo De tilted his head, carefully pondering what benefit Apep's pretending to be a god could have for him; no matter how he thought.

Still couldn't figure out what exactly the supposed benefit Apep claimed to have for him was.

But Dixiya herself confirmed this.

And had to believe its authenticity. "How strange."

Luo De, really unable to understand, simply gave up thinking and patiently waited for the charlatan's ritual over there to end.

However, he had the patience to wait, but Youla, whose curiosity was maxed out, lacked patience and kept asking, "Do you know that monster?"

Actually, Youla knows Apep.

After all, they are both in Hope City.

Apep used to especially like wandering around the city and doing events.

The two of them had met before.

But this time Apep is not in human form, but rather a humanoid dragon-lizard appearance.

Youla couldn't even recognize who was who at a glance.

"That guy is A He·Apep, the Grass Dragon King who is one of the Red King's Seven Sages; that's no lie."

Luo De confirmed Apep's identity, stroking his chin and said, "I suggest you watch your words; that guy is petty, and his strength surpasses most gods; I've badmouthed her behind her back before and got beaten up several times."

"Ah?"

Youla froze for a moment, then immediately shut her mouth.

She had just said Apep was a female monster.

If it's as Luo De said, that guy is petty, then doesn't that mean I'll get beaten up soon too!

Just like that.

The two of them subsequently didn't loudly discuss Apep's affairs, quietly waiting until Apep finished his followers' worship ritual.

"Let's go, let's have a look."

Seeing fewer and fewer people, Luo De and Youla then went forward to find Apep, who had not yet switched out of his charlatan mode.

"Hmph—"

"Mortal, the wish ritual is over; I've exhausted my divine power today, come back tomorrow."

Apep waved his dragon claw, his way of speaking outright more like a charlatan than a charlatan.

Luo De totally had reason.

Just these few words.

As long as they show a bit of divine power, those desert people will sincerely offer their devotion.

"Alright, don't play around, there are no outsiders here."

Luo De laughed helplessly and said to Apep, then turned to Dixiya beside her and said, "What are you guys playing at? Making such a fuss—isn't this just messing around?"

He said.

Luo De lifted his chin at the sparse desert folk in the square and said, "Look, nobody's leaving."

"Hehe."

Dixiya blushed unusually, then whispered, "Senior Apep asked me to cooperate with her; she said without someone familiar, this god‑trick act is hard to pull off."

"You also know this is just a god‑trick, right?"

Luo De replied irritably, then looked at the composed Apep, wanting to say something, but thinking the person opposite was Apep, he didn't know what to say.

"Cough—"

"Let's change the place to talk."

"Hmm."

"Human little lass, are you also coming along?"

Apep gave a light cough and gave Yelan a glance.

But the target of her glance wasn't Yelan, but Luo De, who looked utterly puzzled.

"Let's go together."

"We're our own people; we can trust each other."

Having said that, Luo De summoned the bewildered Yelan to follow behind Apep, and together they arrived at a dilapidated house.

However, the house was only run‑down in appearance.

But once inside, it opened up into a spacious courtyard.

"Morax taught me this cave‑heaven technique—how is it? Isn't it interesting?"

Apep resumed her human form, her face full of pride.

As a primordial dragon.

In learning, she possesses extremely high comprehension and physical ability.

The cave‑heaven she created is in no way inferior to the top standard of Liyue adepts.

Dixiya and Yelan, who had never visited a cave‑heaven secret realm, instantly showed surprise, looking left and right, touching things, their faces full of curiosity and astonishment, occasionally exclaiming.

Conversely, Luo De, who had seen a cave‑heaven secret realm before, felt nothing; instead, he kept staring at Apep.

He waited a long time.

Not only did she not get Luo De's flattery, but having to endure his gaze like a stalker, Apep's face darkened: "What are you looking at? Haven't I taught you a lesson in a while? Your skin's itching again."

"Hehe—"

Luo De gave an awkward laugh, then asked with a strange look, "Now that there's no outsider, can you tell me what you're up to?"

"Oh, this."

"Gathering faith power."

Apep said matter‑of‑factly.

"Huh?"

Luo De frowned upon hearing it and said, "You're a primordial dragon—why do you need this?"

Other gods might still have some use for faith power.

But Apep is the primordial dragon king, a dragon king who existed in Teyvat before the faith‑power system was established.

Moreover, she herself is a dragon king who commands primordial grass elemental energy, so even if she wanted to use faith power, she couldn't.

So what does she need faith power for? To Luo De's surprise,

As soon as he finished asking, Apep snorted contemptuously: "It's prepared for you, idiot."

"Ah?"

Now it was Luo De's turn to be surprised.

What does "prepared for you" mean?

How could a grass dragon gathering faith power be preparing it for this mortal? Leaving aside that she can't use faith power to prepare it, just the fact that she's gathering faith power for herself—why? "Hmph—"

"Did you only see us fooling around there and miss what I set up?"

Apep's counter‑question.

This made Luo De startle.

He thought back carefully, but couldn't recall what was different about that square just now.

"Tsk—"

Seeing Luo De lost in thought, Apep snapped, "I made another statue of Amon, using his Seven Sages name to pretend mysticism, which can help you accumulate some of Amon's faith power."

"Why are you helping me gather his faith power?"

Luo De couldn't quite grasp Apep's maneuver.

Earlier, in A Ru Cun,

she used a statue of Luo De to intercept the faith power that Dottore had tricked away.

Luo De could understand that.

After all, that faith power is what he's currently using.

But now she's conjuring the Red King's faith power—what's that for?

"Huh?"

Luo De thought of something.

He pulled out that fake godhead and raised it, saying, "Because of this?"

"You idiot, you finally figured it out."

Apepu snorted and said, "This thing is quite interesting. Strictly speaking, it's not much different from a true divine status. You happen to be pretending to be that Amun guy, right? With this false-but-real divine status, you can use Amun's faith power."

So that's how it is.

With that explanation, Luo De finally understood.

No wonder Dixiya went to act as a shill for Apepu; that's what was going on.

But Luo De didn't feel any elation because of it; instead, his eyes narrowed slightly as he began to think.

Since Apepu arrived at A Ru Cun, she's been helping me gather faith power all along—this isn't like her usual behavior; could she be plotting something else? Seeing Luo De not show any joy, his face full of suspicion, Apepu smashed him with a burst-chestnut hammer: "What are you overthinking for? I'm helping you simply because I find you pleasing to the eye; any problem?"

(End of chapter)