He changed Tiwat

This greedy little guy often dreams of all sorts of delicious food, and his sleep-talking consists of phrases like "I can't eat anymore" or "I can eat more"...

But today, Ying heard entirely new content in her sleep.

Even in his dream, Paimon pleaded with someone, his face filled with terror: "No...no...red bean rice...it's so scary..."

Before leaving Inazuma, the two visited Narukami Island to bid farewell to Kage and Miko. The chief priest presented them with handmade Hizakura mochi, and Kage, not to be outdone, showed Paimon her recent culinary training results—she seemed to be studying the "love bento" recipe from a light novel...

Shadow had previously promised to treat Paimon to a royal meal, and the General's homemade bento box was certainly a royal meal, so Paimon happily accepted the bento box.

After tasting that bento box, Paimon lost her memory for three whole days—but it seems that the nightmare memories still linger in her subconscious…

Ying mercifully rescued Paimon from his nightmare.

After washing up, the two left the "temporary ward" that Tina had arranged for them and went to find Cole.

According to the conclusion they reached last night, Cole is the key to finding the truth.

Tinaly intentionally concealed information about the giant tree, so asking him directly wouldn't yield any results. However, Cole is Tinaly's disciple and should know some of Tinaly's secrets. Moreover, Cole is very friendly towards them, so talking to her might yield useful clues.

The two walked up the wooden path and saw Cole and Tinari in the distance.

Tinari was currently taking Cole's pulse, as if making a diagnosis: "Well...it seems okay, but we should still be careful, understand?"

Cole nodded obediently, then reached out to Tina: "By the way, Master, I haven't received today's forest patrol route map yet."

As is customary, Tinari would distribute the day's patrol route map to his subordinate rangers every morning.

The roadmaps planned by Tinari typically have the following characteristics:

1. Divide the entire Daocheng Forest into several patrol areas;

2. Connect all areas with a single route;

3. Following this route, the forest ranger can traverse all patrol areas without repeating or missing anything, and finally return to the starting point, Huacheng.

—Don't underestimate this seemingly ordinary roadmap. It is the result of Tinari's research during his studies at the College of the Nativity, which earned him the honor of "Outstanding Young Scholar of Mount Sumeru" and the title of "Tasata".

In the archives of the Wisdom Palace, these roadmaps are referred to as the "Seven Bridges of Zen Garden Problem".

The "Seven Bridges Problem" is about how students of the Shenglun School can cross the seven stone bridges in the Zenja Garden without repeating or missing any, and finally return to their starting point.

Zenna Garden is the research institute of the Kyoryo-samyodhana school of scholars. It is known as the "garden of contemplation" and the "paradise of thoughtful people". The garden nursery and various greenhouse botanical gardens with different functions are the research bases passed down by generations of Kyoryo-samyodhana scholars.

Every student of the Sheng Lun school has studied under a mentor in the Zen Garden, and every student of the Sheng Lun school will definitely wander around the Zen Garden when writing their papers—so scholars of the Sheng Lun school throughout the ages have studied this "Seven Bridges of Königsberg problem" a lot, trying to find a simple, beautiful and reasonable walking route.

Tinari's contribution was to prove mathematically that there was no solution to the problem, and he also summarized the graphical patterns of non-repeating routes, establishing a complete mathematical model.

His paper later became the pioneering work of the Institute of Education in the study of "graph theory".

Tinari's mentor, the life-theory sage Nafis, had been basking in the glory of his disciple's achievements, much like his old rival, the life-theory sage Gülech. Whenever the opportunity arose, Nafis would bring up his own accomplishments in education and relentlessly interrogate Gülech—"My Tinari is about to be awarded the title of Outstanding Young Scientist, when will your Seno be awarded the title of Excellent Young Scientist?"

After becoming a forest ranger, Tinari also applied his research findings to his forest patrol work.

Patrols using the forest route maps planned by Tinari can often increase patrol efficiency several times over. Moreover, the patrol routes of each ranger are arranged according to strict mathematical logic to form a perfect "Mount Sumeru" pattern, which can cover the entire Daocheng Forest and ensure that no part of the rainforest is missed.

This is also why Tinari and Cole were able to find and treat the unconscious Yingmei in time yesterday. Even if Tinari and Cole hadn't found them, other rangers' patrol routes would have covered Yingmei's area.

Since Tinari became the forest ranger, no more lost or missing travelers have been reported in Daocheng Forest.

However, it seems that Tinaari is not going to distribute route maps to trainee ranger Cole today.

He shook his head and said, "My patrol route today is very long, so you shouldn't come with me. Besides, there's a chance that 'those things' might appear on this route..."

Upon hearing this, Ke Lai paused for a moment, looked down at her hands, and her expression grew even more somber: "I clearly have the Eye of God, yet I can't help at all..."

Tina looked away. "...Don't say things like that. That's not something you should be thinking about right now."

Upon seeing Ying and Paimon approaching, Tinari immediately changed the subject: "You're here. How are you feeling?"

After a good night's sleep, Ying was noticeably more energetic, and Paimon was equally full of vitality. The two immediately offered to help Tinari with some of the work of the rangers.

After a moment's thought, Tinali nodded: "Since you're the type who can't sit still... Alright, today I'll have Kolai take you on a patrol of the southern part of Huacheng Guo. If you're confident in your stamina, you can also clean the seven statues."

He handed Cole a map marking the locations of the seven statues.

At that moment, a young man carrying a hunting bow waved to Tinari from afar: "Mr. Tinari, we are ready!"

“It’s Amir… he’ll be right there—” he replied, then turned to Ying and Paimon, instructing them, “We’re heading into the forest now. In the rainforest, please be sure to follow the ranger’s advice and do not deviate from the planned route. Although Cole is still just an apprentice, he has lived in this rainforest for a long time and is very familiar with the environment. Cole will explain the rest to you.”

Ying and Paimon quickly agreed—they had been thinking about how to find a reason to be alone with Cole in order to get the information they wanted, but now this was a golden opportunity, and of course they had to seize it.

As for the work of a ranger... I'm an S-rank adventurer in the association! From finding cats and dogs to taking on General Thunder one-on-one, I'm not afraid of any kind of quest!

Chapter Eleven: My Friend's Girlfriend is Also a Friend [4k]

On the way to the southern rainforest of Huacheng Guo, Paimon curiously inquired about the daily work of the forest rangers.

"Coley, what are we supposed to do today? Tinari just said we had to clean the statues for seven days, but I didn't realize... that's part of the ranger's job?"

“Yes, actually, the work of a ranger is very broad.” Cole nodded and began to count on his fingers: “Inspecting road conditions, maintaining forest facilities, eliminating fire hazards, providing assistance to travelers and residents... If it were my master, he would also often have to deal with dangerous areas in the rainforest.”

Hearing this long list of job duties left Xiao Pai completely bewildered, and he could only silently marvel at how demanding the work of a forest ranger was truly beyond the capabilities of ordinary people.

With local guide Kolei leading the way, their journey through the rainforest went very smoothly. They not only completed road condition checks and maintenance of forest streetlights along the way, but also got to know many adorable creatures living in the rainforest, such as the "Misty Bird," "Jungle Tree Frog," and "Fungi Pig."

As a trainee forest ranger, Cole knew the characteristics and habits of these little creatures like the back of his hand, and introduced many interesting tidbits of knowledge to Ying and Paimon.

For example, the "Toucan," also known as the "Toucan," has a long, hard, giant beak that it can peck out tree holes to use as nests. This bird, which is quite popular because of its bright colors, was called "Tuokong" in ancient times, which means "strange bird."

Legend has it that they were enlightened by the gods at the beginning of their birth, possessing amazing wisdom, able to learn human language, and even understand writing. They use their innate wisdom to judge the good and evil of humans, and when they see an evil person, they will peck at his eyes with their giant mouth—this reminded Paimon of the law consultant in Liyue Harbor.

Now, these intelligent birds have been domesticated by the biocentric scholars of the Order of the Church, serving as messengers flying through the rainforests of Mount Sumeru. They can remember fixed delivery routes and even use their giant beaks to knock on doors to remind recipients to come out and sign for their packages…

The "forest tree frog" is a clever creature in another sense.

These small animals, which are very common in humid areas, secrete a peculiar mucus that has various medicinal uses. The properties of the mucus they secrete can change depending on their living environment.

Some tree frogs even have thin membranous wings growing between their limbs, which help them glide between jungles. According to scholars, the tree frog's flight wings are very similar in principle to "wind wings," making them little "adventurers" in the rainforest.

"Fungi pigs" were originally wild forest pigs that lived in rainforests. During their evolution, they formed a remarkable symbiotic relationship with the fungi in the rainforest.

According to scholars, mushroom pigs rely on the fungi that parasitize them as a natural camouflage, which can effectively evade predators such as mangled tigers and make it easier for them to survive in the jungle.

However, everything has its advantages and disadvantages. While the mushroom pig managed to avoid the long-handled tiger, it couldn't escape human gourmets. This forest pig with mushrooms growing on its back has been used as a natural pre-cooked ingredient and is very popular on the dining table.

Besides the small animals, Cole also picked a lot of rainforest specialty fruits for Ying and Paimon, such as "Dundun peaches" and "spice fruits".

As its name suggests, the "DunDun Peach" is a plump-looking peach. It grows among forest shrubs and has a sweet and delicious taste. It is said to have a calming and soothing effect after consumption.

In the past, the dung peach was considered an ornamental plant because of its cute appearance. However, with the discovery of its medicinal value, it has now become a common commercial crop, and few people pay attention to its ornamental value.

The "spice fruit" is the most important spice plant in Sumeru. This red and green fruit, when ground into powder, can be made into spices to dispel the dampness brought by the Sumeru rainforest. The forest rangers' meals always include curry with spice powder.

Cole also told them a spice legend from Master Tinari:

Legend has it that spice berries once grew on sheer cliffs inaccessible to anyone, guarded by flying serpents and giant birds. Only warriors who could command "spirits" could harvest them under the protection of the Great Tree King through secret methods. Therefore, spice berries are incredibly precious, each berry worth its weight in Mora…

Of course, Tinari also said that all of the above were lies made up by merchants who resold spices to desert tribes to inflate prices. If any merchant uses such rhetoric to sell spices, remember to report them to the disciplinary officer of the Order of the Church.

As the sun approached its zenith, the three arrived at the location of the Seven Gods statues south of Daocheng Forest.

Cole pointed to the towering boulder in front of him and glanced at Ying and Paimon with some concern: "The Statue of the Seven is on that huge rock. Isn't it a bit too high up? I... I'm not very good at climbing, and I'm usually not allowed to help with cleaning the statues."

“If you find it difficult to climb up, it’s okay not to clean up. I don’t think Master Tinari will mind.”

Yingmei, hands on hips, said, "I'm an adventurer. This is a piece of cake."

Paimon, hands on hips, declared, "I can fly!"

Then Cole watched in disbelief as Ying, carrying a bucket, began to run and then leaped repeatedly on the almost vertical rock face, reaching the top in no time—Ying's climbing speed was even faster than Paimon's flight.

Paimon wasn't in a hurry to fly up. She knew that once Ying got up there, she would first need to get a response from the grass element and absorb the grass element power from the Sumeru ley lines. It was best not to let outsiders see the process of obtaining elemental power.

So Paimon slowly flew upwards, chatting with Coly to distract her: "Coly, what are these things? They look like blue clouds..."

Paimon refers to those peculiar "clouds" that grow on rainforest trees.

These blue "clouds" are layered together, resembling both flowers and leaves, making it difficult to distinguish their species.

Cole smiled and gave the answer: "Those are 'Tree King Holy Body Mushrooms'."

Paimon was taken aback: "'Tree King's Sacred Body Mushroom'? These things are actually mushrooms?"

Kolai nodded and said, "Yes, the people of Sumeru regard it as a sacred body formed from the legacy of the Tree King. During the disaster five hundred years ago, the Great Compassionate Tree King perished to protect the people of Sumeru, and this 'Tree King Sacred Body Mushroom' is a new type of mushroom that appeared after the Tree King's fall. Every year, the residents of the forest offer Tree King Sacred Body Mushrooms to the Church for use in rituals."

"A ritual?" Paimon asked curiously.

Kolei smiled: "Master Tinari said that the sages of the Church of Christ hold a secret 'Holy Communion Ceremony' every year at the Pure Palace, commemorating the sacrifice of the Tree King by eating 'Tree King's Sacred Body Mushroom'—well, it's actually just the Church of Christ's annual year-end feast..."

“Master Tinari attended a ‘Holy Communion’ ceremony with his master. He said that some of the scholars were vegetarians with picky tastes and were difficult to please, but the ‘King of Trees’ mushroom, when cooked properly, could taste like meat, so it was very popular with those vegetarian scholars.”

“Master Tinari’s ‘Illustrated Guide to Edible Mushrooms of Daocheng Forest’ has a dedicated chapter on ‘Tree King Mushroom,’ saying that it is one of the most delicious ingredients in the forest and was even included in his homemade mushroom platter ‘Forest Ranger’s Choice’!”

"Oh, oh!" Paimon's eyes lit up, and he prepared to urge Yingmei to climb the tree later and pick some for her dinner.

Ying had already completed the process of absorbing the grass element.

After briefly sensing the grass elemental power within her body, Ying joined Paimon and Cole's conversation: "By the way, what kind of deity is the 'Great Tree King' you just mentioned?"

Cole rolled his eyes and began to recall Master Tinari's lectures.

“Uh… ‘Great Tree King’ was the first Grass Goddess of Sumeru. She created the rainforest and built sand-proof walls on the edge of the desert, allowing everyone to live in peace. In the eyes of the Sumeru people, she was a symbol of wisdom, benevolence, and omnipotence, but she disappeared in the disaster five hundred years ago.”

"It is generally believed that the Tree King dispersed his divine power into the earth's veins to protect the people of Sumeru, transforming into rainforest plants and trees to forever protect her people."

“I heard from my master that later the sages found the reborn Grass Goddess at the place where the Tree King disappeared and brought her back to Sumeru. To celebrate the return of the deity, the sages called her ‘Little Auspicious Grass King’ and let her live in the Pure Goodness Palace.”

Paimon, perfectly in sync with Yingmei, began to steer the conversation: "Hmm, and then what? What kind of deity is that 'Little Lucky Grass King'?"

Cole rolled her eyes again, looking troubled. "And then... well, I'm not really sure."

"Huh? You don't know either?" Paimon asked, somewhat surprised.

Logically speaking, people from all the Teyvat countries can always tell a lot of amazing stories about their own gods; Mondstadt, Liyue, and Inazuma are all examples of this.

However, apart from its name, "Little Lucky Grass King" has almost no other useful information.

Ying thought for a moment, then asked Ke Lai, "Is it because we're foreigners that there are some things you can't tell us? If that's the case, it's okay, you don't need to worry about it..."

Cole quickly waved his hand: "No, no, you've misunderstood. I just... uh, my grades aren't very good, especially in history... but please believe me, I never meant to hide it from you. Besides, you're not exactly strangers to me!"

"Not exactly strangers...?"

Ying and Paimon looked at each other in bewilderment.

Cole asked cautiously, "Um...you...you're from Mondstadt, and you know Amber, right?"

Ying and Paimon exchanged another glance.

Paimon began, "Are you talking about that person, the one who serves in the Knights of Favonius..."

Yingmei continued: "A passionate flight enthusiast from Mondstadt..."

Paimon continued: "He won the Mondstadt 'Flying Champion' title three times in a row..."

Yingmei continued, "But every year their pilot's license is revoked, and they have to retake the test every year..."

Then the two of them said in unison: "...'Scout Knight' Amber!"

Cole clapped her hands: "That's right, it's her!"

“I spent some time in Mondstadt before, and I received a lot of help from Amber. It’s no exaggeration to say that she changed me.”

"Amber is really amazing! She loves life, has a strong sense of justice, is not only full of energy, but also very understanding. She can always light up others like a flame."

"In my opinion, she is the most suitable person to be a 'scout knight'—because almost everyone who sets foot in Mondstadt will meet her first, and then be infected by her enthusiasm and fall in love with that land. I also have feelings for Amber..."

"what……"

Concentrating on Amber's praise, Cole finally noticed the strange expressions on Luminous and Paimon's faces and blushed instantly.

"So this is what you, Ke Lai, are like..."

"Hmm, although I always felt that the purpose of the 'Scout Knight' wasn't what you described, I've come to realize it quite deeply..."

Ying and Paimon both smiled like doting aunts: "Coyle, you really like Amber!"

Cole covered her face.

Paimon laughed and flew to her side: "Hehe, it's okay. Knowing that you're Amber's friend makes me feel much closer to you. But how did you know we know Amber too?"

Cole quickly explained, "Oh, it's like this. After I returned to Sumeru, I kept in touch with Amber through letters. She mentioned in her letters the dragon attack on Mondstadt, saying that a blond traveler and a floating companion helped resolve the crisis."

"So I recognized you as soon as I saw you yesterday. But since Ying had just woken up from her coma, I was too embarrassed to bring it up..."

"Oh, I see." Paimon understood now.

No wonder Cole was so friendly to these strangers; it turns out that "a friend of a friend is a friend"...