Feng Yi and the others followed the giant footprints and finally found the ruin guard at the foot of a mountain.
When they discovered the ruin guard, it was slumped on the ground, its entire body in standby mode.
Sensing someone approaching, the large eye on its chest, symbolizing its energy core, suddenly lit up, and it slowly stood up, propping itself against the rock face with its arms.
Perhaps due to its age, this ruin guard moved stiffly and slowly. By the time it had just gotten up, Feng Yi was already in front of it, reaching out and pulling out the energy core from its chest.
He wouldn't stand there waiting for it to slowly power up like in the game. The battle was over before it even began.
He had to admit, Khaenri'ah had some skill in alchemy to create something like this.
After dealing with the ruin guard, the group continued their search. There were quite a few footprints on the ground. At a turn in the slope, they found another slumped ruin guard. Beside it, a little boy wearing earmuffs was looking at the ruin guard with excitement.
"Look, brothers and sisters, it's so big and so majestic!"
Upon seeing people approach, the little boy introduced the ruin guard as if sharing a treasure.
"Huh, it's a strangely dressed child..." Paimon rested her chin on her hand, her gaze shifting between the little boy and the ruin guard.
The boy's attire was distinctive, especially the earmuffs on his head, which had a clear Snezhnayan style. If Feng Yi wasn't mistaken, this child was Tartaglia's younger brother.
"This is the first time I've seen one up close like this. Do you know it?"
"Little friend, it's very difficult to deal with. However, the energy core of this ruin guard seems to have been destroyed. No wonder it hasn't moved even though we've been so close..."
Paimon was about to tell the little boy to stay away when she suddenly realized the ruin guard was completely scrapped.
"The one-eyed baby is super~~~ powerful. No bad guys can escape its grasp."
The little boy was visibly excited, his words full of admiration for the ruin guard.
"One-eyed baby? So ruin guards have such a cute name?"
Paimon blinked. It was the first time she had heard anyone call a ruin guard that.
"Yes! My brother told me. My brother is the most amazing toy salesman, he specializes in selling these kinds of toys! He's working at the 'Toy Research Institute' in Liyue now, and the one-eyed baby was born there."
"Then your brother is truly amazing..."
"Brothers and sisters, you must like toys too, right? Is the one floating beside you the latest model? It can even talk!"
"Haha, envious, aren't you?" Feng Yi laughed heartily.
Paimon huffed, her cheeks puffed out, clearly unhappy. She was not a toy.
Where in Teyvat could you find a toy as smart, cute, and talented as her?
"Mr. Feng Yi, do you have any leads? Hmm? Who is this foreign child?"
Dai Pai, who had finished his patrol, came to meet Feng Yi. The immobilized ruin guard was within his expectations, but the little boy beside it gave him a headache.
Had his patrol been negligent, allowing an ordinary person to wander into the mountains?
"Uncle of the Millelith, you've arrived at a good time. We just dealt with a ruin guard, and we met this little friend by chance afterwards."
Paimon pointed behind them, indicating that the ruin guard they had just dealt with was over there.
"Thank you for your hard work... Little friend, there are killing machines roaming this area, it's very dangerous. Hurry home."
"Killing machines? Uncle, do you mean like this one?" The little boy pointed at the slumped ruin guard behind him.
"Yes, that's right, including this one. It would be bad if it suddenly started moving..."
"It's not a killing machine at all! The one-eyed baby is a friend of justice. You're not allowed to say that!" The little boy's face was angry. He wouldn't allow anyone to speak ill of his friend.
"One... one-eyed what?" Dai Pai was bewildered by the boy's name.
"Brothers and sisters, this uncle is bad-mouthing the one-eyed baby, so he must be a bad guy. We absolutely shouldn't pay attention to him."
"Little friend, I'm just trying to be helpful..." Dai Pai had a bit of a headache. He had always been bad at dealing with children, especially brats.
"You continue with your work, I'll handle this child..." Feng Yi smoothed things over. He was helping Childe's brother, and Childe would owe him a great meal later.
"I'll trouble you all. I'll continue patrolling nearby and deal with the aftermath of the ruin guards. Please take the child to a safe place. It's still too dangerous here." Dai Pai nodded and left immediately. He would rather deal with ruin guards than deal with a brat like this.
"Hmph~ Hmph~ The one-eyed baby scared away another bad guy~"
"Feng Yi, what do we do with this brat now?" While the little boy was happily distracted, Paimon quickly whispered to Feng Yi.
"Paimon, Lumine, do you notice that this child looks very much like someone we know?" Feng Yi smiled slightly.
"The Fatui Harbinger 'Childe'?" Hearing Feng Yi say that, Lumine suddenly realized that the child's hair color and eyes were very similar to Tartaglia, whom they had interacted with before.
"Oh, I get it! Feng Yi, you want to kidnap this child and extort 'Childe' for a ransom, right? You're so wicked, but I like it..." Paimon grinned mischievously. After all, Tartaglia had played tricks on them before, and now it was their turn for revenge.
"Paimon, I didn't mean it that way..."
"I know, I know. How could I not understand your intentions?" Paimon thought Feng Yi was being discreet in front of the child and immediately chuckled in understanding.
Feng Yi: ??? What did you understand?
"Leave it to me, Paimon is the best at dealing with children..." Paimon patted her chest, volunteering. The more work she did now, the more she could get later when they received the ransom. Paimon understood the rules of the road.
"Yo-ho, little friend, don't be afraid. We are good people, very good people. What is your name? Where are your family?" Paimon, speaking in an authentic Inazuman dialect, forced a smile and tried to extract more information from the boy.
"Wait, Paimon, ordinary Teyvat common tongue will do..." Feng Yi tried to stop her, finding it a bit creepy.
"Feng Yi, you don't understand! If I speak in Inazuman dialect, when this child returns to Tartaglia, he'll definitely think he was kidnapped by someone from Inazuma and won't suspect us..."