After returning to the tavern with Lumine, Jia Changjiang settled into the rhythm of waiting.
Jean and Diluc had already gathered information about the crystalline Tears of Dvalin. Given their strength, collecting the tears in Mondstadt was no great challenge—it was only a matter of time.
Several days later, news finally came from Diluc. The crystalline tears had been collected.
Lumine had already purified one, Venti had gathered another, and now Jia Changjiang, Diluc, and Jean each brought one more. Together, this was enough to restore the Holy Lyre.
The group convened at Dawn Winery, where Lumine purified the corrupted tears to awaken the harp.
“Traveler, these tears are in your hands now,” Venti said solemnly as he handed the crimson crystals to Lumine.
When the tears fell into her hands, the ominous red color gradually faded, replaced by a pure blue, as clear as the sky.
This sight left both Diluc and Jean momentarily astonished. Though they had heard of Lumine’s ability to purify crystals, witnessing it firsthand was an entirely different experience.
As Lumine let the purified tears drip onto the harp’s strings, the once-dim instrument seemed to come alive, radiating a gentle, breezy aura.
“The winds are lively again!” Venti exclaimed, joy lighting up his face as the Holy Lyre was restored. “It’s all thanks to you, Traveler.”
“It’s fine,” Lumine replied after some hesitation. “This time, I won’t charge you. Next time, though, you’ll owe me.”
After learning about the story of the East Wind Dragon, Lumine couldn’t help but feel a desire to save Dvalin.
“Now we need to prepare to summon Dvalin,” Jean said thoughtfully. “Neither Mondstadt nor this winery is suitable for such an event.”
Diluc crossed his arms and remarked nonchalantly, “If the winery is damaged, it’s a small price to pay.”
“The wind…” Venti mused, “The wind will carry the harp’s song farther and help soothe Dvalin. A location with both sea breezes and high altitude would be ideal.”
The group finally decided on a location: the Starsnatch Cliff, east of Starfell Lake.
The summoning was scheduled for the following evening. In the meantime, Venti, Lumine, and Jia Changjiang stayed overnight at the winery.
“Venti, I want to talk to you about something.”
After the others left, Jia Changjiang approached Venti.
“Oh? What’s so important that you waited until we were alone?” Venti asked curiously.
“When Lumine and I were collecting the tears, we encountered an Abyss Mage,” Jia Changjiang began, recounting his experience. “Unfortunately, I couldn’t get any information about how to lift Dvalin’s curse.”
Venti’s eyes narrowed. “An Abyss Mage… It seems you care a lot about Dvalin’s plight.”
“No matter how deep into the Abyss Dvalin has fallen, I’ll dive in to pull him out,” Jia Changjiang said firmly, meeting Venti’s gaze.
“After that, let me have a proper fight with the East Wind Dragon—and with you too, Venti.”
“I’ll play my harp to cheer you and Dvalin on!” Venti laughed. “As for fighting me… I’m terribly weak right now.”
“Hmph, like I’d believe that,” Jia Changjiang retorted with a smirk before walking away.
“Watch closely—this is what mortals can do.”
“A story of a mortal and a dragon…” Jia Changjiang called back over his shoulder. “That should be inspiration enough for a song, shouldn’t it, Venti?”
Venti watched him leave and smiled. “More than enough.”
—
The next evening, at Starsnatch Cliff…
“Lumine! Paimon! You’re here,” Jean greeted them warmly.
“Huh? Where’s Mr. Jax?” Paimon asked, counting heads.
“He said he had some preparations to make and will join us shortly,” Venti replied, shaking his head. “Tardiness is a bad habit, you know…”
“Pfft!” Paimon scoffed, scrunching her nose. “So is slacking off!”
Venti chuckled lightly. “Now, step back. The world’s finest bard is about to strum his harp.”
Standing at the cliff’s edge, Venti held the Holy Lyre, plucking its strings delicately. A soothing melody flowed into the air, carrying with it an inexplicable power.
Even standing behind him, the group could feel the winds stirring to life in harmony with the music.
But the peace was short-lived.
A fierce gust howled as a massive dragon emerged from below the cliff, its presence so overwhelming that the ground trembled beneath their feet.
Through the gale, Lumine strained to keep her eyes open and saw the Stormterror- Dvalin, hovering before them, staring directly at Venti.
“So, it’s you…”
Dvalin’s voice was raspy and filled with bitterness. “There’s nothing left to talk about.”
Venti met the dragon’s gaze. “But… your eyes—they seem to remember this song.”
Jean observed the exchange, her expression pensive.
“Dvalin…” Venti called softly.
For a brief moment, the dragon seemed to waver.
Then, without warning, shards of ice rained down toward Venti.
“Venti!” Lumine shouted.
She sprang into action, shoving Venti aside and raising her hand. A vortex of wind swirled to meet the incoming ice, neutralizing the attack.
“Traveler… You…” Venti’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Jax warned me that an Abyss Mage might show up today. He said you might be vulnerable while trying to communicate,” Lumine explained.
From behind Dvalin, an Abyss Mage wreathed in ice floated forward, its voice dripping with malice.
“Don’t be deceived, pitiful dragon. That person has long since abandoned you!”
The Ice Abyss Mage pointed accusingly at the group shielding Venti.
“Look at them! Pitiful dragon, can’t you see? It’s just another lie to betray you once more!”
The corrupted blood crystallized on Dvalin’s back began to glow with a malevolent purple light. His gaze grew wild and unhinged as reason slipped away.
“Hatred… rage… You’ve become an enemy of Mondstadt, dragon. There’s no turning back!” the Abyss Mage sneered, its voice fueling Dvalin’s fury.
Overwhelmed by anger and pain, Dvalin roared, his voice shaking the very cliffs.
“Barbatos!!!”
“These people…”
“They’ve come to hunt me down, haven’t they?!”
Dvalin’s deafening roar sent tremors through the cliffside, his wrath fully unleashed.
“It’s not like that, Dvalin!” Venti pleaded, but his words fell on deaf ears. The dragon was too consumed by rage to listen.
The Ice Abyss Mage’s laugh echoed ominously. “Now this dragon will serve its true master…”
Before it could finish, a flaming arrow streaked through the air, striking the Abyss Mage’s shoulder and exploding violently.
“You there, Abyss Mage. What were you saying about my friend’s friend?”
Jia Changjiang’s voice rang out as he appeared at the cliff’s edge, wielding an enormous bow. Chains wrapped around his body, and he carried a weapon that looked like it had been ripped straight off a siege engine.
With a flick of his wrist, he nocked another arrow—its tip dusted with flaming flora powder and adorned with gleaming Mora.
Drawing the bowstring taut, Jia Changjiang aimed at the Abyss Mage.
“You were the one who made the first move, weren’t you?”
His eyes narrowed.
“Time to pay the price.”
—
This is a fan translation of 武器大师在原神绝不死于徒手 by 徐人双. All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!
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