The grand waterways saw thousands of ships passing through - this perfectly described the current state of Liyue Harbor.
Liyue Harbor, situated in Teyvat, was one of the seven nations of the continent.
The continent of Teyvat consisted of seven nations: Mondstadt, Liyue, Inazuma, Sumeru, Fontaine, Natlan, and Snezhnaya.
Each nation had its own deity as its ruler.
These seven gods were said to be the victors who emerged from the ancient Archon War, known as "The Seven."
This was all the information Jiang Ning currently knew.
Jiang Ning felt somewhat confused.
Just last night, his classmate was still trying hard to get him into the game.
Unable to resist, he finally started playing Genshin Impact with his classmate!
He had just met the tutorial guide Amber and hadn't even finished the beginner's tutorial when he was persuaded to do some gacha pulls.
One pull was all it took - a ten-pull with three golden lights, resulting in three purple-haired sword users.
His classmate exclaimed "Keqing!", "You lucky dog, how can you be this fortunate even on the standard banner?"
Then, the dorm lights went out.
The dorm supervisor urged them to sleep.
Accompanied by his classmate's sighs and comments like "watching this lucky bastard hurts more than my own failed pulls,"
Jiang Ning gradually drifted off to sleep.
However, when he woke up, instead of seeing the familiar ceiling, he saw dense trees and forest.
Somewhat dazed, he got up, looked at his navy-blue pajamas, then looked around...
Though he didn't know where this place was, he saw yellow plants emitting a sweet fragrance nearby, and blue plants that gave off a cooling sensation...
Jiang Ning found them familiar - weren't they the Sweet Flowers and Mint from Genshin Impact?
Then he saw the creatures at the foot of the small hill where he was.
Blue slimes.
Jiang Ning smiled casually.
"Let's keep sleeping, I must still be dreaming."
But when he tried to lie back down, he felt pain when his back hit the ground.
Jiang Ning sat up again, crossed his legs, thought for a moment, then realized.
Oh no, he had transmigrated?
Just like that, after one sleep? And it was his whole body that transmigrated.
There wasn't even a truck accident or anything...
As a middle school student growing up in the 21st century under the red flag, Jiang Ning had read many novels, so his acceptance ability was extraordinarily strong.
Plus, he often joked about having a protagonist's face, being an orphan raised in an orphanage after his parents' death, living off the wealthy inheritance they left behind - this was completely a protagonist template.
So, he didn't have much attachment to his original world.
The fearlessness natural to youth made him stand up and look around, even wanting to explore a bit.
Being able to transmigrate, he should be considered a chosen one of sorts, right?
The good news was that he had transmigrated, and it was into the game world of Genshin Impact.
The bad news was that he was just an ordinary person, and he had only played through the tutorial in terms of story.
He didn't even know where this place was.
The next moment, there was a rustling sound from the bushes.
Jiang Ning was alert but also somewhat expectant.
Hopefully, it would be a girl wearing red rabbit ear decorations and goggles who would emerge.
Yes, the tutorial guide, Miss Amber.
But when the figure emerged, Jiang Ning fell silent.
A bull horn mask, dark and thin limbs, holding a torch, with yellow and red mane...
Good news, it was something from the tutorial.
Bad news, it was a hilichurl, a monster.
Jiang Ning broke out in a cold sweat, instinctively taking two steps back.
"Um, since I transmigrated, shouldn't I have a system or something? If not that, at least give me some special constitution or ability to use! Don't tell me I'm really just a normal person!"
Though he didn't know the full story, just from the tutorial he could tell that in this world, ordinary people rarely survived encounters with monsters in the wild.
The hilichurl also noticed Jiang Ning's figure, let out a "Ya!", then charged forward wielding its burning club.
Jiang Ning immediately turned and ran. No matter what, survival came first - he could figure out how to live in this world later.
Though he was an ordinary person, Jiang Ning regularly exercised, so while he might not win in a one-on-one fight, running away was something he was quite good at.
"Wuoh!"
Another deep voice rang out, and a primitive-looking tent appeared before Jiang Ning.
Inside was a monster similar to a hilichurl but over three meters tall, wielding a giant axe and looking incredibly mighty.
Behind it were several smaller hilichurls.
A Mitachurl...
Jiang Ning fell silent, lamenting his luck.
"Bad luck, bad luck, bad luck!"
Jiang Ning immediately changed direction and ran, with the monsters in hot pursuit.
Though Jiang Ning ran fast enough to shake off normal hilichurls, the Mitachurl was different.
Soon, he was caught up to.
Jiang Ning felt like his chest was about to explode, and there was an iron-like taste in his throat.
His brain began to fog up, and his limbs started feeling weak and powerless...
Jiang Ning's eyes showed despair.
Did he transmigrate just to die again?
"Wuoh!"
The Mitachurl's voice was very close behind him, followed by the sound of something cutting through the air - the sharpened great axe was cleaving straight toward him.
Jiang Ning looked back, and at such close range he could feel the axe's weight and sharpness. One hit would definitely turn him into minced meat!
Instinctively, Jiang Ning raised his hands to cover his head, closed his eyes tight, and waited for death to come.
But the expected pain never arrived.
Squinting his eyes, Jiang Ning froze, then suddenly opened them wide.
What appeared before him was a female puppet made of ice crystals, with a shapely figure and what looked like a talisman on its head, though the facial details weren't clear.
Cold air surrounded it completely, and it was hard to imagine how such slender arms could easily block such a massive axe.
With a sudden burst of strength, the puppet pushed back the Mitachurl's axe, then the ice puppet exploded, scattering into elemental ice talismans that froze the Mitachurl and the hilichurls behind it solid.
Watching all this in a daze, Jiang Ning's legs went weak and he collapsed to the ground.
This was... being saved?
Jiang Ning breathed heavily, the threat of death just now and the sudden exhaustion after sprinting definitely didn't feel good.
After catching his breath a bit, Jiang Ning looked back and saw a sight he would remember for the rest of his life.
It was an immortal-like maiden.
Her delicate and flawless face was fair and bright, with snow-white thick long hair tied with red ribbons at the middle and ends.
Tall and shapely, her figure seemed identical to the ice puppet from before.
She wore a black fitted bodysuit, but with diamond-shaped openings at the waist and black silk covering the abdomen.
A white cloth with honeysuckle patterns covered her chest, though it was pushed up by her impressive figure.
Red ropes bound her body following her curves, not appearing vulgar but adding a sense of ascetic immortal charm.
She held a long spear in one hand, while her other hand held a talisman between her index and middle fingers.
Under the moonlight, she appeared dreamlike, leaving Jiang Ning stunned.
Seemingly sensing Jiang Ning's gaze, her already expressionless face grew even colder. After apparently confirming that Jiang Ning was unharmed, she turned to leave.
"Um... thank you... Where am I? And who are you?"
Jiang Ning quickly spoke up.
The maiden seemed to ignore him, continuing to walk up the mountain in her high heels at a measured pace.
Jiang Ning had no choice but to follow.
They walked for five or six minutes, neither speaking.
Finally, Jiang Ning couldn't hold back anymore, and he asked again:
"Can I at least know my savior's name?"
The maiden still remained silent.
Just as Jiang Ning was about to ask something else, another voice echoed from above:
"Really now, child, is this how you act on your first time down the mountain to save someone?"
The girl stopped in her tracks upon hearing the voice and looked up, saying: "Master."
Jiang Ning quickly looked up too.
Then he froze.
It was a crane composed of cyan, white, and light blue colors, with what appeared to be red eyeshadow beneath its eyes.
Though it stood like any other crane, it gave off an ethereal aura like that of a grandmaster observing the world with hands clasped behind their back.
And... did that crane just speak?!
Jiang Ning seemed shocked, muttering, "This... this crane can talk? It must be a divine crane..."
"How presumptuous! What divine crane? Though you're half right - This Adeptus is known as Cloud Retainer. Consider yourself fortunate that I shall overlook your mortal ignorance."
That bird... or rather, Cloud Retainer spoke again.
Jiang Ning hurriedly said, "Greetings, Honored Adeptus..."
But Cloud Retainer ignored Jiang Ning, instead addressing the girl: "One observed your progress and thought it time for you to experience the mortal realm. Saving someone would be an excellent opportunity for contact. Yet you simply walk away after saving them?"
"What meaning is there in one's efforts? Child, you must eventually descend the mountain - how can one feel at ease with such behavior..."
Looking at this divine crane, Jiang Ning couldn't help but think that this adeptus seemed somewhat... chatty?
No, he shouldn't think that way. This was his savior's master, an adeptus - he must show proper respect.
"Master." The girl, seemingly tired of the nagging, said, "I followed your orders and saved him."
Cloud Retainer continued, "But have you ensured this area is safe? Are there no more monsters? What if they appear and harm him again?"
Though the reasoning made sense, Jiang Ning felt the adeptus was just trying to save face in front of their disciple with these arguments.
"Master, he is neither family nor friend. I have no obligation to repeatedly save him," the girl said.
For the next ten minutes, no matter what Cloud Retainer said, the girl had a response ready.
The adeptus seemed to grow somewhat annoyed.
"Hmph, very well... But you there, young man, are you from Liyue Harbor?"
Cloud Retainer seemed intent on having their disciple enter the mortal world, so they wanted to first inquire about the current state of Liyue Harbor.
"Liyue Harbor?"
Jiang Ning was confused. He only knew Liyue as a nation in Genshin Impact. Liyue Harbor... was it the nation's port?
"You don't know Liyue Harbor?"
Now it was Cloud Retainer's turn to be puzzled. Liyue Harbor - how could anyone in Teyvat not know of it? As a gathering place for countless merchants and wealth, even three-year-olds should know of it.
"Well, actually, I'm not from this world..."
Jiang Ning explained his background, including his circumstances and the situation in his previous world, though he omitted the part about playing the game.
Cloud Retainer said, "So you're a traveler from beyond Teyvat? You simply fell asleep and arrived here? Though you appear to be but a common mortal."
Jiang Ning was nearly in tears: "I don't know how I got here either."
Cloud Retainer pondered thoughtfully. A ordinary person who could traverse worlds - how intriguing.
Moreover, this world the boy spoke of seemed similar to present-day Liyue.
As a researcher, Cloud Retainer's curiosity was piqued.
They raised their crane head to look at Jiang Ning: "The hour grows late. You would find no lodging if you descended now. Come with one up the mountain. If you were to encounter monsters again and perish, it would reflect poorly on one."
"One's disciple saved you - it would not do for you to die so carelessly. Of course, one is also somewhat interested in the nation you speak of."
The girl glanced at her master - there they go again, being stubborn?
Actually interested in what he has to say but making all these excuses.
She looked again at the young man she had saved but paid him no further mind.
Perhaps after satisfying their curiosity, Master would send him back down the mountain.
To the girl, this wasn't worth noting.
Cloud Retainer spread their wings and took flight, and winds began to swirl around Jiang Ning.
Then they lifted him up, flying straight toward the mountain peak.
"Eek!"
Jiang Ning couldn't help but cry out as he saw the sheer cliffs below.
"What is there to fear..." the adeptus seemed to mutter.
Then Cloud Retainer said, "Shenhe, for talking back to your master so, you shall climb the mountain yourself. No elemental power or adeptal arts allowed - run up."
The girl called Shenhe didn't respond, silently starting her sprint up the mountain.
As Jiang Ning panicked, a voice appeared in the depths of his mind.
[Ding! System loading complete. Host identity confirmed. Binding in progress... binding in progress...]
[Binding successful. Villain System at your service.]
But Jiang Ning had no time to deal with that now.
Because being wrapped in wind at such heights, with sheer cliffs below...
If Jiang Ning didn't have such strong mental fortitude, he would have fainted already.