Walnut used me to boost her sales performance.

"I wonder how old Kong is. He looks like he's not even an adult yet, but he might already be thousands of years old..."

“Speaking of him, what about you?” Abedo looked at Jiang Bai, whose age was not discernible.

He couldn't determine Jiang Bai's or Kong's age from their physical condition or bone age.

"Me? I'm definitely still a young man!" Jiang Bai firmly refused to admit that he was old.

Aberdo smiled and did not refute.

"By the way, what kind of person is your master, Rheindorf?"

Abedo's expression was filled with reminiscence, "My master... she..."

Before anyone knew it, snowflakes began to fall outside the cave.

That night, Jiang Bai and Abedo talked about many things at length.

About their past, about their present, about their future.

The past is past, and no one can predict the future. The only thing we can do is live well in the present.

The flames crackled and popped, their leaping light reflecting off the two men's uneasy faces.

Those secrets buried deep in the heart, never spoken aloud, are revealed at this moment, as if they have found a listener.

Abedo looked out at the snowstorm that had started again outside the cave, as if he could see the demonic dragon buried deep in the snow-capped mountains through the snow.

"If one day I lose control and destroy Mondstadt, destroy everything... I hope you can stop me..."

"That's bad luck. You can't make a promise like that."

Jiang Bai took out a flask of wine and handed it to him. In the light of the flame, his expression was particularly serious.

"Even if you lose control one day, I will do everything I can to bring you back to your senses—this is a promise from a friend."

Aberdo's features were gentle, and his eyes curved into a smile.

"Come on, let's drink."

"Ah."

The spicy liquor went down their throats, and even though neither of them were usually drunk, they both felt a little tipsy in the snow.

......

The next day, the three of them officially set off for the cave where the Hilichurls were located.

Jiang Bai remembered that he accidentally stumbled into the mountainside while searching for the way up, which is how he met Xiao Shi.

"That place is inside the Starry Cave. Do you know any shortcuts to get in?" Jiang Bai asked Abedo, holding a map.

Even though he had been to the snow-capped mountains before, he was still unfamiliar with the roads there.

"Okay, come with me."

Aberdo put the hat on Cleo's head and then placed her on his shoulder.

The wind and snow outside were quite strong, but fortunately, it didn't have much of an effect on them because of their divine eyes.

Jiang Bai followed Abedo forward, braving the wind and snow, until they arrived at a place with many ruins of Fendenil. In the gaps between the fallen stone pillars, there was a path leading to a cave in the mountains.

Once inside the cave, Jiang Bai knew his way around easily.

He walked downwards while keeping an eye on the icicles that kept falling from above.

After reaching the bottom of the cave and navigating several bends, the path we had taken before came into view.

Jiang Bai said to Abedo and Keli, "Wait here for me."

These Hilichurls only know him, so it would be better for him to go in first and inform them in order to avoid them attacking Abedo and Klee.

Chapter 333 Me? A God?

This cave is exactly the same as the last time I came.

Jiang Bai hadn't gone more than two steps when he encountered the Hilichurls on duty. They had already heard the footsteps approaching and were armed, ready to attack any humans who had entered their territory.

“Ohal!” Jiang Bai greeted them in Qiuqiu language.

The two Hilichurls on duty were taken aback for a moment, but after carefully examining the situation, they immediately became happy.

"Ohal! Ohal!"

"Odomu!"

The two Hilichurls put down their weapons and circled around Jiang Bai.

Jiang Bai, who had learned the Qiuqiu language, could already understand what it meant.

Hilichurls can't express very complex meanings; they just mean something as simple as "my friend is happy."

"Long time no see!" Jiang Bai handed each person a piece of candy.

“la~”

The two Hilichurls didn't understand, but that didn't stop them from expressing their happiness.

The two Hilichurls popped the candy into their mouths, one ran inside to deliver the message, and the other led the way for Jiang Bai.

Upon learning that Jiang Bai had arrived, the first person to rush out was Xiao Shi, a Hillbilly who was most familiar with Jiang Bai.

This was a name Jiang Bai unilaterally gave him.

Jiang Bai waved at him, "Ohal!"

"Ohal! Ohal!" Little Stone ran over excitedly, jumping and bouncing towards him.

"Looks like you still remember me." Jiang Bai patted its head.

It's been quite a while since we last met, and the little guy seems to have grown a bit since then, though Jiang Bai can't quite tell.

Before long, the old shaman came running out, carrying a large wooden staff that was taller than itself, and it ran very fast.

"Unu! Unu!"

The old shaman spoke differently from other Hilichurls; while other Hilichurls greeted him excitedly, he simply called him "Uru."

After a brief introduction, Jiang Bai learned what Unu meant; it was a word used by the Hilichurls to refer to the deity they worshipped.

Jiang Bai stared wide-eyed in surprise at the term "Chuchu Shaman".

His memory has returned, but how come he doesn't know when he became the god of these Hilichurls?

Or have these Hilichurls gotten something wrong?

But there's no rush to figure this out; the most important thing right now is to get Abedo and Cleo to come over.

"mi odomu ya outside..."

My friend, someone, is outside.

Jiang Bai used his broken Qiuqiu language, along with gestures, to express his meaning to them.

After gesturing for a while, the old shaman finally understood and nodded.

"odomu! odomu!"

The two repeated words roughly translate to: friend, willing to believe.

Jiang Bai breathed a sigh of relief and went out to bring Abedo and Keli in.

On the way here, Abedo had already read Jiang Bai's "Quick Reference Manual for Qiuqiu Language" and memorized most of it, so he could handle simple conversations.

Abedo was somewhat surprised to see Jiang Bai and several Hilichurls emerge from the cave together.

This is truly a rare scene of humans and Hilichurls living in peace.

"Ohal!"

Abedo waved and greeted them with the root word for Hilichurls.

"Ohal! Ohal!"

For a moment, greetings rose and fell.

Clearly, they trusted Jiang Bai a lot, and therefore showed no hostility toward the friends Jiang Bai mentioned.

Looking at these Hilichurls, Klee tilted her head and imitated their shouts.

"Ohal!"

After shouting it once, she seemed to have mastered a new language, shouting "Ora ora" over and over again.

As they led Abel and Klee deeper into the cave, the homes of these Hilichurls came into view.

Jiang Bai gave each Hilichurl a piece of candy. Sweet candy is a magic tool for coaxing children, and Hilichurls are no exception.

When the Hilichurls are happy, they start dancing. Klee blends in and imitates their movements. If she were to wear a Hilichurl mask and clothes, the Hilichurls would probably really mistake her for a little Hilichurl cub.

They danced and sang at the same time.

Even though Qiuqiu language is too simple and can only express a limited range of meanings, it doesn't stop Jiang Bai from feeling their happiness.

Fortunately, the noise didn't last long. After the Hilichurls played around Jiang Bai for a while, the old shaman gave an order, and they went about their business, with only Little Stone and the Hilichurl shaman following them.

"These Hilichurls are really surprising," Abedo said, quite astonished.

He had been observing these Hilichurls, and just as Jiang Bai had said, these Hilichurls were quite special.

They displayed exceptional discipline, and the older members held the highest positions.

At the old shaman's command, although the Hilichurls still wanted to surround them, they went about their own business.

The old shaman brought out the tribe's treasured fruits to entertain his friends. As before, these fruits were not fresh; in fact, they had become wrinkled from being stored for too long, and some had even frozen solid.

But for the snow-capped mountains, where food and fruit are scarce and the environment is harsh, this is the most precious thing they have offered.

Accepting the fruit offered, Abedo remarked with even more emotion, "When I get back, I'll have Sugar research raspberries that don't need sunlight, are resistant to low temperatures, and are easy to care for..."

Raspberries are a very adaptable fruit; even in snow-capped mountains, you can occasionally find a few plants growing there.

In this small cave, the only thing we can do is grow raspberries.

Jiang Bai thanked Abedo on behalf of the Hilichurls here, "Then I'll trouble you and Sugar."

“I can’t interfere too much, so this is all I can do…” Abedo shook his head, indicating to Jiang Bai that he didn’t need to be polite.

Hilichurls have their own way of life, and it's not good for them to interfere too much, otherwise these Hilichurls who have adapted to their help will not be able to live without them.

Jiang Bai understood this principle and had no intention of affecting the lives of these Qiuqiu people.

"La la la la~"

Keli and Xiaoshi were having a great time playing together. Despite being two races with completely different languages, they somehow managed to connect on a brainwave and were making strange noises in weird tones. Jiang Bai couldn't understand what they were saying at all.

The two little ones ran around in the cave, playing with this and that, especially Klee, who found everything new and exciting in the Hilichurls' home.

"Klee, be careful not to fall," Abedo warned.

"Klee will be careful!"

Since it was a rare opportunity to come here, while Abedo was exploring the cave, Jiang Bai, just like last time, began cooking.

He brought a lot of food this time, and the pot he used to create it from rock element was as big as it could be.

Jiang Bai stood by the pot, stirring the cured pork, ham, potatoes, corn, ginger, scallions, garlic, and various seasonings with an enormous spoon.

Although the aroma hadn't yet wafted out, the old shaman wiped his drool upon seeing so much food.

Abedo wandered around the cave, trying to find out what was affecting these Hilichurls.

Normally, the tribal customs of the Hilichurls should be the same as those of the Hilichurls in Dadaupa Valley. Even the Black Sun Tribe, which appeared last, adheres to the concept of the strong being respected.

But in the snowy mountains of Fendnir, which were destroyed thousands of years ago, the Hilichurls here respect their elders and take care of their young.

Chapter 334 It's all for survival

Nothing happens without a reason; it's quite possible that something in this cave has enhanced the intelligence of these Hilichurls.

Only when one's intelligence reaches a certain level and one can consider the development of the group can such a concept arise.

After all, in the long run, the experience and knowledge of elders are far more important than the fierce strength of youth.

The latter can only determine temporary survival, while the former can guide long-term development.