Chapter 55: Aiden - I'm Not, I Didn't, Don't Talk Nonsense
Aiden had no intention of awakening the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles just yet.
As the new Tianli and an entity capable of purifying the Abyss, Aiden was certain that the Sustainers of Heavenly Principles would be willing to cooperate with him. Gaining their allegiance wouldn't be difficult.
However, his current strength was still lacking. Though he had reached the level of the Seven Archons, Aiden estimated that he was only on par with Barbatos in his prime.
There was still an enormous gap between him and the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles.
Even Morax, the Geo Archon, was no match for the Sustainer, let alone Aiden in his current state.
Aiden knew he needed to continue growing—at least until he could rival the Sustainer in power. Only then would he seek her out.
Besides, awakening the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles required a significant cost, and Aiden wasn't ready for that yet.
More importantly, it would be far too intimidating to wander around with a companion as formidable as the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles—like how the Traveler had Paimon.
If Aiden walked around with the Sustainer, both the Fatui and the Abyss Order would likely panic and move against him immediately.
That said, Ying (the Traveler) seemed like a perfect asset!
She had some ability to purify the corruption of the Abyss. If she could be granted access to the group chat, wouldn't that be ideal?
When it came to completing quests in Teyvat, was there anyone more efficient than Ying?
As long as there was a quest marker or an exclamation point on the map, this blonde fool and her flying pet would travel across continents to complete the task. That was simply the truth.
Aiden trusted that Ying could definitely become a reliable field agent!
However, now wasn't the right time to add her to the group chat. If Ying happened to reveal information to her brother, Aether, then the entire chat group could be in jeopardy.
Currently, Aether was unstable.
In his quest for revenge, he had embraced the Abyss. Even though he had a high resistance to its corruption, the effect on him was undeniable.
Moreover, in all of Teyvat, the only thing Aether truly cared about was Ying. Nothing else mattered to him.
That made him dangerous.
For now, it was best to hold off on bringing Ying into the group.
Still, teasing Ying was proving to be rather entertaining.
---
As the wind vortex in Ying's hand finally dissipated, she let out a sigh of relief.
"Hah… finally, it's gone."
Paimon quickly floated to her side, patting her tiny chest. "That was crazy, Traveler! You just wiped out an entire Hilichurl camp in one move!"
"No, that wasn't my power," Ying shook her head, then turned her gaze toward Aiden and Barbara, who were watching from a distance.
Barbara had been rather loud earlier, so Ying had heard her talking.
She mentioned something about Barbatos?
What was that about?
Suddenly, Barbara ran up to her and asked excitedly, "Excuse me, are you Lord Barbatos?"
"Barbatos? That's Mondstadt's Anemo Archon, right?" Paimon chimed in. "But Ying isn't the Wind Archon! She's just a super strong Traveler!
Oh, and I'm the Traveler's best companion, Paimon!"
Paimon put her hands on her hips, looking proud as ever.
Aiden, Barbara, and even the members of the group chat couldn't help but chuckle at the scene.
"I'm not Barbatos," Ying sighed, shaking her head.
It was time to clear up this misunderstanding.
---
"Oh… I see." Barbara looked a little disappointed. "I'm sorry for the confusion."
"Are you searching for the Wind Archon?" Ying asked curiously.
"I am Barbara, a Deaconess of the Church of Favonius," Barbara introduced herself. "And this is Aiden, a traveler from another world. We've been investigating the situation outside Mondstadt."
"Wait… you're from another world too?" Paimon immediately latched onto the key point, staring at Aiden in disbelief.
For some reason, Aiden's presence felt oddly familiar to her, as if they had met before. But she was sure they hadn't.
Aiden nodded slightly. "Yes, I'm from another world. Currently, I serve as an advisor to the Tianquan of Liyue."
Ying's expression changed. "Have you seen a white-haired god since you arrived in this world?
They took my brother away!"
"A white-haired god?" Aiden repeated, frowning. "Sorry, I've never seen anyone like that."
He was telling the truth—he had never encountered the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles. She was still asleep.
---
[Keqing]: "Wait a minute, I think I've seen a white-haired god before."
[Ningguang]: "What a coincidence, so have I."
[Venti]: "Haha, count me in!"
[Diluc]: "This is getting suspicious."
[Jean]: "Aiden, you wouldn't have kidnapped the Traveler's brother, would you?"
[Aiden]: "Hold on, Jean, what kind of nonsense is that?! I've only been in Teyvat for two months! Also, when did my hair turn white?! Stop slandering me! I didn't do it, don't talk nonsense!"
[Zhongli]: "Based on universal rationality, Aiden does not have the strength to capture the Traveler's brother."
[Aiden]: "Pfft… While that's true, the way you said it stings a little."
[Diluc]: "Is the Traveler's brother really that powerful? Is he on par with the Seven Archons?"
[Zhongli]: "His exact strength is uncertain, but what's clear is that Aiden wouldn't be able to defeat him alone."
[Aiden]: "I swear, I'm innocent! Besides, just because someone's brother is a good person doesn't mean the brother himself is good! He might be kind, but that doesn't mean he's on our side!"
[Diluc]: "That's a fair point. Look at Kaeya… he's definitely up to something."
---
Aiden sighed, feeling a headache coming on.
So, basically, everyone already knew he was the group leader but just chose not to say anything?
Fine. Whatever. It didn't really matter in the end.
But Keqing… Just wait. When he returned, he would make sure she understood that he wasn't someone to be messed with.
---
"So that's how it is…" Ying nodded, disappointed. Then, she looked at Aiden seriously. "The gods in this world don't seem to welcome outsiders. Be careful. A strange god took my brother away… and because of that, I lost my power."