Chapter 413
Their teamwork is truly astonishing.
After walking for a short while, the two people and the mascot arrived at the foot of the giant oak tree.
"That's the statue of the God of Wind. The God of Wind is indeed not here."
Anqi held Ying's hand and looked up at the tree, but she didn't see the stunning goddess who was leaning lazily and alluringly among the treetops.
At that moment, Paimon floated over.
"Another statue of the God of Wind. Ying, do you want to touch it again? Maybe you can gain more Anemo Elemental Power."
"Touch the statue to gain Anemo Elemental Power?"
"Yeah, yeah, travelers can gain Elemental Power simply by touching the statue, without even needing the Vision. Isn't that amazing?"
Paimon stood proudly with his hands on his hips and chest puffed out.
Ying stared at that incessantly chattering divine mouth, and her eye twitched slightly.
She began to seriously consider whether to sell the floating spirit to Anqi. With such a talkative tongue, traveling with her would likely expose all her secrets, wouldn't it?
Turning to look at Anqi again, she saw that the little alchemist's eyes were shining, and he even took out a heavy bag of Mora and placed it in Ying's hand.
"Come to my lab. Don't worry, I won't dissect you or put you in a dragon's mouth. I just want to get to know you properly."
"..."
Seeing Ying's silence, Anqi seemed to have misunderstood something. After a moment of realization, she continued to take out more Mora.
Ying felt the increasing weight of the money in her hand and exchanged a glance with Paimon was completely shocked.
I feel like being studied isn't so bad after all.
Wendy responded to the choir's song, bringing them to a close with excited and happy smiles.
The subsequent performances took the stage one after another.
Wendy watched with a smile, while she herself, concealed by Thousand Winds, moved through the venue unnoticed, enjoying the grand event.
At that moment, Jean led the Liyue delegation past.
As the acting head of the delegation, she led by example. While most people were enjoying the celebration, Qin remained at work. After her opening speech, she accompanied Keqing on a tour of the celebration, carrying out her diplomatic duties.
"Your country's celebrations are indeed unique, embodying the ideal of freedom in every aspect."
"This is a gift from the God of Wind to Mondstadt. For thousands of years, we have always moved forward in the glory of freedom, and this has never changed."
"Haha, that's true."
Keqing smiled outwardly, but inwardly she couldn't help but sigh.
Perhaps a leader like Qin is the normal one? Firmly upholding the position of the gods, resolutely following their teachings, and being utterly devout.
The mainstream in Liyue is the same; everyone holds an infinite faith in and reliance on the Geo Archon.
However, compared to Mondstadt, which only relies on the gods in times of crisis and can be independent in most situations, Liyue is in a worse situation.
God will not stay with people forever. What if He leaves one day?
Keqing read extensively and felt a strong sense of crisis from the history of the Seven Nations.
Liyue has become overly reliant on the gods. Consequently, its military preparedness has slackened, and few are seeking innovation or change. The Liyue people's ability to survive and develop is weakening day by day. If this continues, sooner or later it will completely lose its independence. And such Liyue will be destined to perish when the gods cease to favor it.
"Yo, good morning, Jean, and Hengxing of Jade from Liyue."
"Greetings..."
"Stop arguing. Most people can't see me now. I want to enjoy myself in peace."
Wendy smiled and put her arm around Qin's waist, lifting her back up from her subconscious kneeling position.
Keqing, then quickly understood something from Qin's reaction.
In Mondstadt, there is only one being who can elicit such a reaction from the acting Grand Master.
"Keqing greets His God of Wind."
Wendy sighed helplessly and had to use the wind to support Keqing's body, thus preventing her from kneeling.
Then Keqing and Qin exchanged a glance, understood what the God of Wind meant, and tried their best to follow the God of Wind with normal expressions, keeping a distance of half a step behind.
"It's a rare celebration, can't you just enjoy it? Forget about diplomacy and all that. It'll only take two or three days, it won't affect relations between the two countries."
"Yes, Lord God of Wind."
"Look at you, you're getting reserved again. We're so familiar with each other, just smile more naturally."
Wendy, oblivious to everyone else, pinched Qin's cheek and gently lifted it up, as if trying to force a smile from Qin's face.
Qin tensed up for a moment, then broke into a bright and beautiful smile.
"Yes, Lord God of Wind."
Compared to the previous sentence, this one feels much more relaxed and comfortable.
Keqing watched silently, her heart filled with envy. If only the Emperor could treat her so kindly one day—then the cat-headed Seven Stars shook his head violently. Absolutely impossible. The Emperor was incomparably majestic, a completely different type from the God of Wind.
"God of Wind, are you satisfied with today's celebration? Do you have any suggestions?"
"It's great, everyone's happy, and I'm happy too. It's just that the seat is too ostentatious and takes up a lot of space for the audience. Why don't you remove it?"
Wendy, holding the cake, pointed with her fork to the tall, luxurious viewing area next to her.
Qin touched her chin, pondered, then shook her head with a smile.
"That won't do. Whether you sit there or not, that's a seat prepared for you. If I remove it, I won't even have to wait until tomorrow; I'll be booed off as acting leader tonight."
"So, you're trying to shut me down with words, huh?"
"I'm just telling the truth, God of Wind."
"Hmm? Isn't that Albedo? I'll go talk to him. You guys keep shopping and have fun!"
The God of Wind smiled and waved goodbye, then transformed into a wisp of breeze and disappeared before their eyes.