Walnut used me to boost her sales performance.

Diluc chuckled, but on his indifferent face, the smile looked more like a mere twitch of the corner of his mouth.

"It's just a monster siege. Although the Knights were a bit cowardly towards the Fools, they can still handle the siege monsters. Besides..." He paused for a moment, then looked at Jiang Bai.

"I think there are people who are willing to help us."

Seeing Diluc looking at him, Jiang Bai didn't refuse. "Helping is no problem. I'm also quite interested to see what a monster siege is like, but don't have too high hopes for my combat power. Besides, are you guys really enough to go find Dvalin?"

Jiang Bai was quite worried that the abyss mages might make a comeback. Although one had been eliminated, there was no guarantee that other abyss mages would appear.

Qin placed her hand on her chest and said, "I'm here, don't worry."

With her strength, she would be perfectly capable of subduing Dvalin if he went berserk.

If they were ruthless enough to attack without holding back, Dvalin would be defeated even faster.

Jiang Bai wasn't worried that they couldn't defeat Dvalin; he was worried that the Abyss Mage had set some kind of trap.

Given that the Abyss Mage's intelligence is no less than that of a human, it is absolutely impossible for them to give up on Dvalin so easily.

He thought for a moment and said, "Just in case, let's bring Klee along too."

Dvalin seems to really like Klee, so it's not a good idea to take a child to experience a monster siege.

"That's settled then."

Ignoring Klee's opinions, who was still in the bathroom, Diluc made the final decision and settled the matter.

"Jiang Bai and I will deal with the monster siege, while you follow the poet to find Dvalin."

Jean reminded her, "Remember to spread the word that I went to find Dvalin instead of the Knights. I've already instructed Kaeya to eliminate all the unstable elements in the city this time!"

"Yes." Diluc nodded; he thought so too.

Although they didn't get along with the Knights and disliked their style, their goals were the same.

"Let's take a good rest; we're about to face a tough battle."

After spending several days outdoors in the elements, returning to a warm and comfortable room is incredibly relaxing.

After washing himself, Jiang Bai lay on the large bed at Chenxi Winery, sinking into the blankets and sprawling comfortably in a starfish position.

During these peaceful days, his habit of sleeping in enclosed spaces has been greatly alleviated.

Perhaps the safety of his surroundings allowed him to relax from the tension he had subconsciously felt, and he no longer sought the sense of security that enclosed spaces could provide.

He guessed that this problem was related to his experiences before he lost his memory. It was the environment that made him feel extremely insecure. Even after losing his memory, he subconsciously needed to rely on enclosed spaces to relax.

Thinking of this, Jiang Bai recalled the scene he saw when he came into contact with the contaminated teardrop crystals that day.

Although he had been carrying the crystallized tears of Tvalin for the past few days, the scene he had witnessed during their first encounter never reappeared.

It's possible that the same medium can only be triggered once, and subsequent touches won't trigger it again.

He stared at the pristine white ceiling, those images frozen in his mind.

Gray and lifeless.

There was no light in the sky; unknown particles drifted in the air like mist and haze, and the surrounding area was a desolate wasteland.

The once magnificent building has collapsed to the ground. The original thick pillars have been weathered so badly that they are no longer recognizable. Torn strips of cloth are wrapped around the withered branches of the ancient tree, one end of which is floating in the air, as if it will be completely weathered away at any moment.

In the distant, murky mist, there were several pairs of sharp beast claws and scarlet eyes.

"What exactly is that place... and what are those monsters...?"

Jiang Bai pieced these images together, but they were like a huge jigsaw puzzle with only one or two pieces at the edges, offering absolutely no information.

"I don't want to think about it anymore, I'm going to sleep!"

Too lazy to think anymore, Jiang Bai rolled over and covered his head with the blanket.

Whatever he went through or encountered in the past has nothing to do with him now.

Thinking about all this nonsense is not as worthwhile as getting a good night's sleep.

Chapter 222 Monster Siege

The following day, at the Goethe Hotel.

As the largest hotel in Mondstadt and the current headquarters of the Fatui in Mondstadt, the Gothic Grand Hotel houses a considerable number of Fatui members.

In a luxurious room, a lady with a hidden mirror summoned a water mirror, which reflected a picture.

In the very center of the image is the Sky Harp, which they had stolen. If you look away from the Sky Harp and outwards, the figures of Wendy and her group are clearly visible in the water mirror.

There is no doubt that they tampered with the Sky Harp, turning it into a tool that could be used for surveillance.

"My lord, they have already set off. Judging from the direction they are heading, they are probably heading to the Wind Dragon Ruins."

The executive [woman] leaned back in a large recliner, toying with a chess piece in her hand.

Before her lay a scattered chessboard, the situation complex. The king, seated on his throne, was protected by loyal guards, but his strongest protector, the queen, had vanished without a trace.

She chuckled softly, her pale, almost icy fingers gliding over the chess pieces on the board before tossing the piece representing the Queen onto the board.

In an instant, the chess pieces collapsed, the game fell apart, and it was no longer possible to form a coherent game.

The sorcerer Lei Ying beside her asked softly, "My lady, when should we make our move?"

"No rush, hunters need to be patient. Our Wind God is currently being protected by his knights."

Another Thunderfly mage bowed respectfully. "My lord, a large number of monsters have gathered outside Mondstadt and appear to be preparing to attack. Do we need any help?"

"Of course not."

The woman crossed her legs, a cold smile playing on her lips. "Since the acting leader doesn't want our Fools to take over the city's defenses, then we Fools have no reason to help them deal with the monster siege..."

As she spoke, the woman stood up, walked to the window, and looked down at the city below that symbolized freedom.

"Let me see what other capable people the Knights have in the absence of their acting commander..."

......

On the only bridge connecting Mondstadt's gates, rows of sharp and sturdy barricades are neatly arranged at the end of the bridge.

The fully armed knights stood ready, prepared to deal with any attack from the monsters.

Jiang Bai stood on the high city wall, shielding his eyes from the sun as he looked out. "It's almost noon, why haven't those demons made a move yet?"

To prepare for a Hilichurls attack, they arrived in the city before dawn.

Jiang Bai was quite excited to witness the monsters attacking the city, but after waiting on the city wall all morning, the Hilichurls didn't make a single move, as if they had just settled in the Whispering Woods.

By noon, he even saw smoke rising from the woods, where the Hilichurls were cooking.

Diluc remained expressionless. "Don't rush."

Kaeya tossed Mora forward and said, “That’s right, those abyss mages were just waiting for us to get impatient. The Knights have changed shifts, so you should all go and rest and have lunch. The Hilichurls are still cooking, so we need to eat and drink our fill before we attack.”

This is information brought back by Amber, and it's quite reliable.

Upon seeing Kaiya, Jiang Bai was somewhat surprised. "Weren't you checking for suspicious individuals in the city? What brings you here?"

Kaiya patted him on the shoulder, looking like they were good buddies, "The monsters haven't attacked the city yet, and the whole city is under martial law. Who would be stupid enough to sneak into the city now?"

Jiang Bai was already used to Kaiya's overly familiar manner, so he casually put his arm around Kaiya's shoulder, and the two of them put their arms around each other's backs.

"That's not necessarily true. Maybe they've already sneaked into the city, just waiting for things to get chaotic so they can cause trouble."

"Don't worry, have faith in our Knights!"

Upon hearing Kaeya's words, Diluc scoffed dismissively.

He said nothing and left the city wall directly.

Watching Diluc leave the city wall without looking back, Jiang Bai looked at Kaeya, unable to hide his curiosity.

"Why does Diluc hate the Knights of Favonius so much? And their relationship is so strange..."

If you say they don't get along, they do cooperate and have a good understanding; if you say they hate each other, it's like Diluc has a one-sided dislike for Kaeya.

"That's a long story..." Kaiya shrugged, but showed no intention of continuing.

Jiang Bai's lips twitched, his mysterious and cryptic manner piquing everyone's interest.

Kaiya put his arm around Jiang Bai's shoulder and led him down the street. "Let's not talk about that. Since the Hilichurls are eating too, I'll treat you to some stir-fried pork with carrots in honey sauce!"

However, the Hilichurls' attack came at such an unexpected time. Just as Jiang Bai and Kaeya were having dinner at the Deer Hunter's Restaurant, they suddenly heard a sharp whistle.

The Hilichurls' attack has begun!

Several knights who were eating nearby, disregarding the food they had barely touched, immediately grabbed their weapons and rushed toward the city gate.

Kaeya put down his knife and fork, slowly wiped his mouth, and said, "The monsters are attacking the city, I should get busy too."

Jiang Bai stuffed the remaining half of the meat into his mouth and ran as fast as he could to witness the spectacular sight of the monsters attacking the city.

It was obvious that the smoke from the forest was a smokescreen released by the Abyss Mage. Even though Amber went to scout, she was fooled by the smokescreen on the outside and thought that the Hilichurls were really eating, so she relaxed her vigilance a little.

The attack at this time was a complete surprise!

Jiang Bai climbed up the city wall, swallowed the last bite of meat in his mouth, and looked down at the plains below.

The number of Hilichurls below is not large, but there are still several thousand.

These Hilichurls of varying sizes, wielding all sorts of weapons, surged in from all directions. Their sheer numbers caused the ground to tremble slightly as they ran, and coupled with their incomprehensible roars, this monster siege seemed quite convincing at first glance.

Driven by the abyss mage, they charged toward Mondstadt with howls, the aroma of food wafting through the city—the ultimate temptation for these hungry Hilichurls.

However, Hilichurls are monsters with no discipline whatsoever. Even with the command of an Abyss Mage, it is impossible to get these low-intelligence monsters to form any formation.

Originally, the large Hilichurls were at the forefront, both because they could use their large shields and size to protect the Hilichurls behind them from damage, and because they were the strongest and most capable of breaking through the defenses.

However, the hordes of Hilichurls charged forward in one go. These Hilichurls, carrying torches, took advantage of their speed and quickly overtook the Rock Hilichurls, becoming the first to die under Amber's rain of arrows.

Hilichurl shamans hid in the distance, chanting spells while holding large wooden staffs. Hilichurls with crossbows stood on large stone pillars, firing at the knights. Hilichurls threw out slime bombs of various colors, and large Hilichurls covered in thick rock elemental armor charged forward.

In an instant, attacks mixed with elemental forces appeared one after another like a rainstorm, striking the barricades, the bridge surface, and the tense nerves of the people.

In just a moment, the bridgehead was about to fall!

Chapter 223 Crisis within the City

Proposed Yanghua!

A massive barrier made of rock element appeared, blocking all incoming attacks.

Abedo stood at the bridgehead, calmly watching the approaching monsters.

From the beginning of time, the Primordial Era came into being!

With a wave of his hand, Abedo gathered rock element in his palm, causing the earth to tremble. The rock element transformed into massive rock spikes, which crashed into the giant Hilichurl that was about to charge forward like waves.

Cracks appeared in the rock shield, the armor covering their bodies fell off, and the Hilichurls near the bridgehead fell to the ground under the earthquake-like attack, bringing the entire offensive to a standstill.

In an instant, the situation reversed.

"Amazing!" Jiang Bai clapped for Abedo from the city wall.

This was the first time he had ever seen Abedo fight. As expected of the Knights of Favonius' top alchemist, his combat power was top-notch!

Although Abedor is stationed at the bridgehead, the Hilichurls' attack routes are not limited to this one.

Several groups of Hilichurls, manipulated by the Abyss Mage, drove the Ice Slimes, using them as ice condensers, and crossed the Cider Lake along the frozen surface in an attempt to reach the area below the city walls.

The people on the city wall were holding bows and arrows, constantly shooting at the Hilichurls who were trying to cross the lake.

The arrows, ignited by fire, struck the ice like shooting stars streaking across the sky. The ice melted instantly, and the Hilichurls struggling on the ice fell into the lake, gurgling and sinking to the bottom.

"Hichurls can't swim...?" Jiang Bai exclaimed upon witnessing all of this.

He then realized that Hilichurls couldn't swim!

No wonder they had to use ice slimes to cross the lake; the massive Cider Lake surrounding Mondstadt was an insurmountable barrier for them, who couldn't swim.

It's fortunate they can't swim, otherwise we might not have been able to keep them out.

"It seems like there's nowhere I can be of any use..."

Jiang Bai looked around. No matter how the Hillbillies crossed the lake, the experienced Knights could put up a strong fight against them.

With Abeldo stationed at the bridgehead, and the knights attacking from behind, not a single Hilichurl could get past the layers of barricades.

Kaeya and Diluc have disappeared without a trace; we haven't seen them at all.