At that moment, Amber's heart plunged into an icy abyss. An inexplicable chill swept through her entire body. The dark side of this world had finally revealed itself to this innocent girl, and human greed unfolded before her eyes. Watching the hail of arrows, Amber stood frozen, feeling as if years of her knightly spirit were crumbling.
"How could this be?"
Amber forgot to resist. But Lumine, Su Bai, and Razor weren't the type to just wait for death. Lumine raised her hands above her head, Anemo energy gathering in her palm until a sphere formed.
Lightning flashed as Razor hurled Electro energy into the air. Lumine combined it with her Anemo, successfully triggering a Swirl reaction that brought down many of the arrows.
Su Bai wasn't idle either. He casually drew a few talismans and launched them skyward. The Electro energy, enhanced by adeptal power, electrocuted the remaining arrows into pieces. The broken shafts fell harmlessly to the ground. Only then did the hunters realize how foolish their actions had been—but Teyvat had no medicine for regret.
"Hopkins, was it?"
"What you said earlier had some truth. But it seems you've forgotten where we are."
A fruit knife materialized in Su Bai's hand. Its gleaming white blade made Hopkins retreat a few steps in fear. But those golden Mora spurred him on, and he blustered, "W-What do you mean by that? Are you picking a fight with us?"
"Heh. Looks like Mondstadt's peaceful life has made you forget Teyvat's most primitive and basic law of survival. Lucky for you, I have time today. Let me help you remember what 'survival of the fittest' really means."
Su Bai motioned for Lumine and Razor to stand down. If someone needed to teach these hunters a lesson, he, an adeptus with fewer ties to Mondstadt, was more suitable than them.
"It's been a while since I stretched my legs. You all just watch."
The blade crackled with Electro, appearing like a bolt of lightning clutched in Su Bai's hand. The Vision at his waist glowed purple. Hopkins finally panicked. He hadn't expected everyone present to have Visions—even that wolf-raised boy.
"Amber! Amber, what are you standing there for?! Protect me! Can't you see someone's about to attack us?!"
"If I get hurt, I swear I'll report you to the Knights' leadership! I'll spend whatever Mora it takes to get you fired!"
As Su Bai drew closer, Hopkins—only brave against the Knights—felt his mental defenses crumbling. Amber wanted to intervene, but Lumine held her back. Seeing Amber's confused look, Lumine shook her head and whispered, "I trust Su Bai. He knows his limits."
"But... alright."
Amber wanted to argue, but remembering Hopkins's earlier behavior, she had to admit he'd gone too far. Maybe letting Su Bai teach him a lesson wasn't such a bad idea.
"Mr. Hopkins, you don't really think Mora is omnipotent, do you?"
Su Bai stood face to face with Hopkins, staring directly into his eyes. The evasion, resentment, and fear were all laid bare. Su Bai patted Hopkins's cheek.
"You taught Amber a lesson, and I'm one to repay favors. Today, I'll teach you two."
"I recall Amber and Acting Grand Master Jean are quite close. The connections you buy with Mora probably aren't that reliable."
"The first lesson is this."
The Electro energy around Su Bai's hand intensified. A tingling, numbing, slightly painful sensation overwhelmed Hopkins. Within seconds, he collapsed unconscious.
"When power stands up, even Mora falls silent."
With Amber present, Su Bai held back from killing Hopkins. He didn't want some scumbag creating a rift between them.
After dealing with the ringleader, Su Bai turned to the hunters behind him. These fools, blinded by Mora, hadn't angered him as much as Hopkins, but they weren't innocent either.
"As for the second lesson~"
"Before absolute strength, Mora, power, and truth all fall silent. Survival of the fittest—that's the law Teyvat has evolved over millennia."
A flash of light. The hunters felt their bodies go limp, dizziness overwhelming them as they lost consciousness. Su Bai had gone easy on them—his blade left no wounds. He'd simply used its conductivity to electrocute them.
"All done. Huh? Diluc? Eula? When did you two get here?"
"Why are you looking at me so strangely? If you want autographs, I have a pen and paper."
Dusting off his hands, Su Bai turned to greet everyone and was surprised to find Eula and Diluc standing behind Razor. Though the looks they were giving him seemed a bit odd.
"Wow, I didn't expect Su Bai to be so eloquent. Have you been through a lot?"
"Haha, not really. I've just read quite a few books. 'Within books lie houses of gold, within books lie faces of jade'—that saying isn't just empty words."
Paimon tilted her head. "You can make money from reading? That's amazing!"
"It's just a metaphor. Paimon, you really should read more. Alright, I've decided—I'm deducting part of your food budget to buy you books."
"What?! No way!"
Paimon's protests didn't change Lumine's mind. Lumine held her forehead. She'd always known Paimon wasn't the sharpest tool, but this was something else. Maybe Su Bai's suggestion had merit.
"Eula, Diluc, did you also hear about the Wolvendom wolves attacking Springvale? It's just a misunderstanding."
"Wolf attack? No, that's not why I came. I was worried about Amber."
Eula pulled Amber aside, carefully checking for injuries. Diluc didn't answer Su Bai's question. His eyes remained fixed on the center of the clearing.