Genshin Impact, the spear remains.

"Here's what we'll do: go to Mr. Dulaf's house first thing tomorrow morning and talk to him about this properly."

Now that things have come to this, Bai Qiyun understands that the so-called unusual activity of the spring water has nothing to do with the person in front of him.

"Okay, okay, I'll go first thing tomorrow morning."

Upon hearing this, Bai Qiyun waved to the bowing and scraping merchant, indicating that he could leave.

Hopkins felt like he'd been granted a pardon. He quickly grabbed his pockets and disappeared into the night. He could always get more water, but right now he just wanted to get as far away from those two menacing figures as possible. He could always come back for more after they left.

Watching the merchant's figure disappear from sight, Bai Qiyun breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed he wouldn't be able to figure out the reason for the spring's unusual activity tonight.

When he turned around, he found Ying standing there with a sour face, her clothes covered in patches of white and red, not saying a word.

"What's wrong?"

Feeling a little strange, Bai Qiyun subconsciously asked a question.

But as soon as he finished speaking, the blonde girl's already unfriendly face became even more gloomy at a visible speed.

"It's nothing."

Ying strode past Bai Qiyun with great speed, so fast that she even stirred up a gust of wind around the boy, stinging his face.

Watching the fireflies gradually disappear into the distance, Bai Qiyun was somewhat bewildered.

"What happened?"

Perhaps only the evening breeze and the spring water can answer his question.

--------

"You're back!"

Paimon, having finished his meal, watched the two return one after the other and jumped up from the sofa with a hint of joy.

"So, have you figured out the reason?"

Before Ying's backside had even warmed up, Paimon, like a cat that had smelled fish, pounced on her, asking all sorts of questions.

Meanwhile, Bai Qiyun was still taking off his coat. As soon as he entered the room, a wave of heat hit him, almost suffocating him. He could only quickly take off his "equipment".

"Don't even mention it."

Bai Qiyun hung the clothes on the wall behind him and turned around to chat casually with Paimon.

"The reason wasn't clear, but we caught a thief instead."

In a sense, Hopkins, who stole the spring water, was indeed a thief, but Bai Qiyun was too lazy to pursue the matter because it was too late, and besides, as an outsider, he didn't seem to have any right to pursue it.

"Thief?"

But Paimon, who knew nothing about these things, couldn't understand Bai Qiyun's words and could only float aside with a puzzled look on his face.

After catching her breath from being bitten in countless places by insects, Ying rushed into the bathroom, leaving Paimon and Bai Qiyun chatting outside.

"Well, speaking of which, this matter is related to that merchant you saw earlier named 'Granny'."

"Granny, what happened to that merchant again?"

Paimon only remembered that a few of them had mentioned the name before, and she couldn't recall anything more about it.

The boy sat on the sofa, resting his chin on his hand.

"There's no evidence yet to prove that person is problematic, but there are just too many suspicious points about him, for example—"

"Ooh—!"

Before Bai Qiyun could finish speaking, a chilling voice from afar interrupted him.

The sound was like the howl of a wolf, sometimes pitiful and sometimes terrifying, giving people goosebumps.

A chill crept up their backs, and the malice that seemed to come from ancient times weighed heavily on the hearts of everyone who heard it.

"That's the direction!"

Even though he hadn't heard about the so-called unusual activity in the spring, Bai Qiyun instinctively judged that this was definitely not wrong.

Before he could call out Ying in the bathroom, Bai Qiyun grabbed his backpack, pushed open the door, and rushed toward the spring.

"Hey! The cook!"

Left behind, Paimon was caught in a dilemma, unsure whether to chase after her or stay. In a panic, she flew towards the bathroom, hoping to call out to Ying, who was taking a shower.

Stepping out of the room, a summer evening breeze caressed the boy's face, refreshing and pleasant. However, he had no time to indulge in such a comfortable feeling. With a burst of energy, he ran towards the lakeside where Gan Gang had just left.

Along the way, lights came on in every house within sight, indicating that everyone in Qingquan Town must have heard the howl that echoed through the valley.

"Young man!"

A middle-aged man's voice came from not far behind Bai Qiyun, causing him to turn around.

Just after talking to his daughter about recent events in the middle of the night, Dulav heard the same howling sound as before.

Without a doubt, it's spring water!

He hurriedly pushed open the door and rushed out, but he didn't expect that someone would be faster than him.

Upon seeing the person approaching, Bai Qiyun deliberately slowed his pace, waiting for the other person to catch up.

Even so, the two moved very quickly and soon arrived near the spring.

Standing on the hillside, Bai Qiyun looked into the distance.

The fence that had been neatly erected before they left was now shattered on the ground, and a person lay motionless on the ground not far away, seemingly unconscious.

"It's him?"

The person lying unconscious on the ground was clearly the middle-aged businessman he and Ying had encountered before.

But didn't the other party already leave? Could it be that they came back after the two of them left?

"Hopkins?"

Compared to Bai Qiyun, who was new to the area, Dulav immediately recognized the person on the ground.

Hopkins is a merchant who frequently travels between Springvale and Mondstadt, and Drouot naturally recognizes him, but why is he unconscious here?

But now is not the time to think about these things; the most important thing is to check if everyone is alright.

After scanning his surroundings with his elemental vision, Bai Qiyun stepped forward faster than Dulav.

The further he walked, the wetter the ground became. Bai Qiyun remembered that the ground wasn't like this when he left, meaning that something had happened to change the surrounding ground.

The soles of his shoes touched the damp, sticky ground. In front of Bai Qiyun were empty bottles scattered on the ground, the same kind that Hopkins had used to fill with water. It seemed that something had happened while the other party was filling the bottles.

Bai Qiyun placed his finger against the lower part of the merchant's nostrils, feeling the warmth of the breath on his skin, which reassured him slightly.

"It looks like the person is still alive."

Having confirmed the merchant's condition, Bai Qiyun turned to inform Dulav behind him.

Although the merchant in front of him didn't have any external injuries, he still didn't dare to move him carelessly, in case something really happened, that would be terrible.

It would be best to wait until Ying arrives and then have her use wind elemental power to move her slightly.

While Bai Qiyun and Du Lafu were inspecting the site, the others who heard the commotion also rushed over.