After a quick swap of their storage spaces, Jiang Bai finally got to see just how vast Hu Tao's storage really was.
A full 20 cubic meters—enough to hold an entire house. Compared to that, his own measly three cubic meters felt downright pitiful.
And not only that—her storage was neatly arranged with shelves, every item in its place. Unlike Jiang Bai's, where everything was just crammed in until it couldn't fit anymore.
"This should be enough space to store everything, right?"
Unless Albedo's house had two full rooms of explosives, there was no way it wouldn't fit.
"Director, here's the map of the snow mountain."
Jiang Bai handed Hu Tao the map Cartis had given him. "If you want to reach the summit, you have to go through this Statue of the Seven. There's a cave here—walk through it all the way to the back, then climb up from there. But it's freezing inside, so bring plenty of warm clothes."
"Mhm." Hu Tao had been to Dragonspine before and knew where the statue was.
"Alright. Let's meet up at the summit then."
And with that, the two went their separate ways, heading toward their respective destinations.
Jiang Bai opened the map. Judging from the world map of Mondstadt and Liyue, the teleport waypoint closest to Mondstadt City that he had unlocked was… surprisingly, the one at Dragonspine.
If he left from Wangshu Inn, he'd have to circle around through Stone Gate, past Dawn Winery, and through Springvale to reach Mondstadt—clearly a longer and more roundabout route. Even if he rode a horse the whole way, it would take a day or two.
By contrast, teleporting straight to the Statue of the Seven on Dragonspine, then flying from there toward Mondstadt, would cut the travel distance significantly.
It'd just be… cold. But there was no helping that—he'd just have to bundle up.
Compared to Hu Tao, who would take days to reach the mountain from Liyue Harbor, Jiang Bai arrived at Dragonspine instantly through teleportation.
The icy wind howled across the mountain. He quickly pulled his heavy cloak tighter around him, then fished out a hood to cover his head—only his eyes left visible.
"Why does the Director keep stuff like this in her ring…?"
He held up a mirror. "Actually, I kinda look like I'm about to mug someone."
The kind of person no one would dare to approach.
Then he rummaged around again and found a pair of clear windproof goggles, which he strapped on. The whole getup looked ridiculous.
But this wasn't the time to care about appearances—function was more important.
Flying in a snowstorm meant he had to protect his vision.
Once he was fully geared up, Jiang Bai leapt into the sky in the direction of Mondstadt, wings unfurling as he dove into the storm.
---
Liyue Harbor.
Hu Tao tidied up the interior of Jiang Bai's Sanqing Bell, organizing the mess and adding a few racks. The formerly cluttered space now looked much more orderly.
"Huh? What's this?"
While cleaning, she found a small cloth-wrapped item. Unfolding it, she discovered a necklace.
"A necklace? When did he get this? It's kind of cute…"
A tiny wisp-like ghost drifted out from her body, curiously inspecting the item in her hand.
It looked too simple to be something he'd bought.
The ghost couldn't speak, but Hu Tao understood what it meant.
"You're right—he probably picked it up somewhere."
She didn't pry any further. Wrapping it back up, she returned it to its original place.
Then she went back to her room to grab a few warm clothes. After informing the ritual staff on duty, she set out toward Dragonspine.
---
Mondstadt City. In a small three-story building.
A little girl—wearing a red dress, with elf-like ears and a pouty face—sat bored at her desk, cheeks squished between her hands.
Her beloved oversized backpack sat on the desk, a plush doll named Dodoco dangling from it.
Her round cheeks puffed out, and the tiny ahoge on her head drooped low in a look of defeat.
"When is Big Brother Albedo coming back? Klee misses Big Brother Albedo..."
She began counting on her little fingers. "One day, two days, three days… five days… That's too long. Klee can't remember anymore..."
After a while, she gave up and started talking to Dodoco instead.
"Dodoco, do you miss Big Brother Albedo too?"
Dodoco didn't respond, still hanging silently from her bag—but to Klee, it was as if she'd gotten an answer.
"Yeah… Klee could go look for Big Brother Albedo… but Klee promised not to disturb him while he's doing experiments."
She was so tiny that even sitting on a chair, her feet didn't reach the floor.
Her little legs swung back and forth as she continued muttering to herself.
"Klee's a good girl who keeps her promises! I'll stay home and work on new bombs while I wait for Big Brother Albedo!"
"Heehee, when he gets back, we'll go fish-blasting again. Klee found a new spot—Captain Jean definitely won't find us this time!"
Dodoco swayed gently in the breeze, as if nodding along to her words.
---
Jiang Bai soared through the snowy skies on his glider, leaving Dragonspine behind.
Beyond the mountain, the landscape turned lush and sunlit. Behind him, dark clouds loomed and snow fell thick—like he had stepped out of one world and into another.
He landed on a hilltop and retracted his wings.
The cold of Dragonspine had vanished, replaced by the suffocating heat of too many layers.
After confirming no one was around, he quickly changed into lighter clothes. Then, checking his bearings, he set off toward Mondstadt.
The terrain here was very different from Liyue's. Liyue had towering peaks and dramatic stone cliffs, its golden foliage and ink-brush mountains like a living painting.
Mondstadt, by contrast, barely seemed to have seasons at all. The landscape was vibrant and green year-round, wildflowers blooming everywhere. Small animals darted through the underbrush and scattered at the sight of him.
The mountains here weren't steep. Though the paths weren't paved like those in Liyue, they were still broad and easy to walk.
Along the way, he saw clusters of slimes gathered near Pyro and Cryo Whopperflowers. But as long as he didn't approach, they had no intention of attacking.
Jiang Bai also spotted a sizable Hilichurl camp. Remembering his last experience on Dragonspine, he ducked behind a rock and observed them carefully.
These Hilichurls were nothing like the ones he'd encountered in the mountain caves. Here, they were clearly ruled by the tallest one—a mighty Flame Axe Hilichurl. The others didn't even dare challenge him.
Their daily life was simple. Aside from the two stationed on lookout towers with crossbows—only one of whom was actually doing their job—the rest were either napping or eating. Life seemed pretty easy for them.
Even the one "on duty" was slacking off. Only one stood watch seriously.
After watching for a bit, Jiang Bai silently withdrew.
They hadn't bothered him, so it would've felt wrong to attack them out of nowhere.
He continued forward. After passing a massive oak tree, the sun dipped toward the horizon—and finally, Mondstadt came into view.