"Ying... hurry and take Paimon and Paimon... leave here... don't mind me..."
Ying struggled to stand up and stop the Wanderer, but she was held tightly in her little sister's arms.
"No! I'll never abandon you! Don't worry, I'll win, I definitely will..."
"Hehehe... this scene is truly touching~ Then... let me send you on your way!" The Wanderer sneered, instantly appearing before Ying, his eyes filled with intense killing intent.
"Farewell!"
Just as he was about to act, a golden light appeared beside the Wanderer, firmly pinning him in place.
"What?!" The Wanderer looked up in surprise and found an arm firmly grasping his arm.
"Who are you?!"
"Heh... you were right, farewell, but... the one who should die is you!"
The owner of the hand suddenly raised it upwards, and with immense strength, lifted the Wanderer off the ground, spun him several times in the air, and then heavily threw him towards a nearby wall.
*Bang!*
The Wanderer's body slammed hard against the wall, creating a large dent before he fell.
"Cough cough cough... You... who are you?!" The Wanderer struggled to stand, looking up in shock at the owner of the arm, who gradually revealed their true form.
They were tall and slender, with a fair and delicate face. Their features were sculpted, deep, and three-dimensional. A cascade of brown hair was messily draped over their back. Their bright, lively eyes were like the clear springs of a deep pool, shining brilliantly like gems from the deep sea, captivating anyone who looked at them.
Their eyes were filled with anger and hatred as they looked coldly at the Wanderer and said, "Heh heh... you are not worthy of knowing my name. All you need to do is obediently repay the harm you have caused to the host and the host's sister..."
As the words fell, Paimon instantly appeared before the Wanderer and landed a heavy punch on his stomach. The force of the blow contorted his entire face to its extreme.
"Pfft... how... so fast..." After this strike, the Wanderer weakly knelt on the ground again, unable to believe how vulnerable his strength was before this individual.
"This punch is for the host's sister."
Saying that, Paimon grabbed the Wanderer by the neck and threw him into the air. Then, seizing the opportunity, she delivered a heavy kick to his abdomen, once again sending the Wanderer flying towards the wall, his body embedding itself within it.
"This kick is for the host."
"Cough... cough cough cough... I didn't expect you to have... such a powerful trump card..." The Wanderer felt as if his stomach had been kicked open, the intense pain spreading through his limbs, making him feel as though his insides were about to explode.
"Heh... too late to know. Farewell!"
With that, Paimon took out the Aquila Favonia, intending to deliver the final blow to the Wanderer. Just as she was about to strike, she noticed his subtle movement and instantly appeared before Ying, severing the fine needle he had shot towards her host with a single sword strike.
"You dare to make further moves... What?!" Paimon was about to turn back to finish off the Wanderer, but was astonished to find that the Wanderer, who had been embedded in the wall, had disappeared.
"Damn it! He escaped! I'll go after him!"
"Don't chase... The most important thing now is to take Ying to the hospital..." Ying stopped Paimon, who was about to pursue, and said.
"This... is also true... Hmph... he better pray he doesn't cross my path again!"
"Mhm, I will teleport you all to Liyue Harbor shortly. Once we arrive, I'll leave the rest to you."
"Don't worry, host, I will safely deliver you all to the hospital. Paimon, you're coming too," Paimon nodded solemnly and turned to say to Paimon.
"Mhm, mhm, don't worry, I would have come even if you hadn't said so!"
"Alright, then I can rest easy..." Ying sighed in relief and soon teleported with the others back to Liyue Harbor...
Teleporting...
"Arrived... arrived... the rest... is up to you."
Ying, whose energy was already depleted, felt dizzy and disoriented after teleporting everyone back to Liyue Harbor. She soon collapsed into Paimon's embrace and fell asleep, faintly hearing the system's prompt before doing so...
*Ding! Mission complete, rewards being distributed...*
Meanwhile, in a place no one knew...
"Cough... cough... damn it... I didn't expect that guy to be so strong... but... with such powerful means, why didn't he use them from the start? He must have some kind of restriction..."
The Wanderer leaned weakly against a tree. Although the injuries on his body were recovering at an extremely slow pace, it would likely take a long time to fully recover, indicating the immense damage he had sustained earlier.
"Hmph... very good. Only by defeating a powerful opponent can one truly appreciate the thrill of victory. I lost this time, but next time... who knows who will emerge victorious..."
The Wanderer wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and his figure soon disappeared into the forest...
After a long time...
"Phew... hah phew... Damn Paimon, you said you'd take care of them together, but you fell asleep yourself?! You made me put in so much effort to carry you to bed... Ouch, I'm exhausted..."
Paimon, after taking care of the three for several hours, finally felt at ease. She sat on the edge of the bed, panting, and said.
"Heh... but she did work hard. Hmph... considering how coolly she saved the day this time, I won't hold it against her (￣へ￣)"
"Hahaha, if Paimon heard you say that, she'd probably call you tsundere~" Ying sat up with some effort, rubbing Paimon's hair with her hand, and said.
"Waaah?! Ah... it's Ying... Phew... you scared me, I thought that Wanderer had come back to chase us," Paimon patted her chest, saying with some lingering fear.
"Sorry, sorry. How is Ying? Are her injuries serious?" Ying looked around and saw Ying lying on the bed next to her. She immediately jumped out of bed and went to check on her condition.
"Don't worry, that sword didn't hit any vital spots. Ying controlled the placement very well, but even so, she'll probably need a few days to fully recover..."
"If it weren't for me, Ying wouldn't have..." Ying lowered her head and bit her lip. Tears welled up in her eyes and then trickled down her cheeks.
"Hey! You absolutely must not think that way. Ying definitely won't think it's your fault. We should blame that smelly Wanderer instead," Paimon quickly reached out and wiped the tears from Ying's eyes upon seeing this.
"Mhm... thank you for your comfort, Paimon. You're right. Instead of blaming myself here, it's better to use this time to take care of Ying and improve my own strength." Ying wiped the tear marks from her face and gave a faint smile.
"Hehe~ That's more like it. Speaking of which... it's almost time to meet Zhongli as agreed..."