Then, under Acting Grand Master Jean's gaze, Xiu Yuan gradually disappeared into the bustling street.
Afterward, Xiu Yuan took the cider and found Venti.
"Let me compose a one-of-a-kind poem for you. In exchange... hehe, could I try some of your cider? Hmm... just a sip."
"No need for a poem. I mainly wanted to ask you a few things. If you can answer them, these bottles of cider are all yours."
"Really?!" Venti immediately brightened.
"Really," Xiu Yuan replied.
"Then ask away. As long as it concerns Teyvat, I know all about it."
"I want to know whether there's any way to change someone's fate."
"Fate?" Venti asked for confirmation.
"Yes, fate. If someone is born with an ill fate, is there any way to change it?"
Although Xiu Yuan had dismissed fate as bullshit, he knew the adepti's words could not be false.
If he wanted her to truly return to human society and live a normal, ordinary life, her fate of solitude and calamity had to be removed.
For that...
He was willing to give everything to achieve his goal.
"Fate is something you're born with. In theory, it can't be changed, but it can be replaced."
Venti's words gave Xiu Yuan tremendous hope.
"Replaced?" he asked delightedly.
"Yes, but only a good fate can replace a bad one, and the person with the good fate must initiate the replacement. The price is steep, though."
"What price?"
"When a good fate replaces a bad one, it isn't just a simple exchange. More importantly, you have to bear the karmic consequences involved."
"What would happen?"
"I'm not sure either. Karma is difficult to explain. All I can say is that defying destiny like this is no good, and you can't replace a fate just because you want to."
"Are there any requirements?" Xiu Yuan felt a faint unease.
"The people exchanging fates must be close in age. If the gap is more than three years, it won't work. That's the first requirement."
"Second is what I just mentioned. The person with the good fate has to willingly and sincerely seek to replace the bad fate."
"Third, you need to collect a lock of hair from each person before the replacement can be performed."
"Finally, neither person can have any serious illness. Both must be healthy."
After hearing these three requirements, Xiu Yuan let out a deep breath of relief.
Aside from the first and last, which he was uncertain about, the others were manageable.
Their ages probably weren't too far apart. The main issue was the last requirement.
Xiu Yuan did not know whether this world's laws had any power over the system.
Although he was healthy now and showed no sign of impending death, he knew he would leave this world once he completed his mission.
He feared that this world's laws might detect that and prevent the exchange.
"If all those conditions are met, how do you replace a fate?"
"Go to Cloud-Retainer's Abode and find Moon Carver. He has a way to do it."
"All right. Thank you," Xiu Yuan said gratefully, now that he knew where to go.
"My advice is not to do this. Defying destiny is no small matter. The power of karma isn't something a mortal can endure..."
"It's all right. My mind is made up."
"Can you tell me why?"
"There was once a little girl named Shenhe. When she was young..."
Xiu Yuan told Venti Shenhe's story.
Then he slowly continued, "I've already experienced so much of what this world has to offer."
"The lights of countless homes, the warmth and coldness of human hearts, a happy family, plenty of friends-I've experienced all of those things."
"But she has known nothing but loneliness from beginning to end. Endless loneliness."
"To protect others, she withdrew from human society and spent year after year living in the mountains, punishing the wicked without asking for anything in return. Why should someone so kind have to endure such a fate? I don't understand."
"So I'm willing to bear this fate of solitude and calamity that should never have been hers. I want her to experience the warmth of the human world, too."
Venti froze at those words, his eyes widening as he stared at Xiu Yuan in disbelief.
"You're very much like a friend of mine." He seemed to recall something, then took out a paper talisman inscribed with seal script and handed it to Xiu Yuan. "Take this with you."
Xiu Yuan looked at the talisman in his hand, then thanked him gratefully. "Thank you, Venti."
"You're welcome."
Then Xiu Yuan left.
To Venti, the cider that had always tasted so sweet and delicious now seemed bland and tasteless.
"I'll compose a poem for you, one that belongs to you alone."
Watching Xiu Yuan disappear into the night, Venti murmured to himself.
Meanwhile.
At the inn in Mondstadt.
Shenhe stood frozen by the window, staring in the direction where he had disappeared.
Her eyes were wide and her body trembled slightly. She could not believe what had just happened before her eyes.
It's a nightmare... it has to be a nightmare...
I don't believe this is real. He wouldn't do this.
Wake up. Please, wake up... I don't want to have nightmares... I hate nightmares...
Wake up. As long as I wake up, Xiu Yuan will still be beside me!
Pain wakes people up. Yes, pain.
Suddenly thinking of something, Shenhe raised her fist and slammed it into the floor.
Bang!
A dull thud rang out, and her fist instantly turned bright red.
It hurts!
But it's not enough!
Bang!
She slammed another punch into the floor, and intense pain shot through her fist.
Not enough!
Bang!
Another punch split the skin over her fist, sending blood splattering.
Bang!
One punch, two punches, three punches.
Until her entire hand was a bloody mess.
"Wake up! Wake up!"
"Stop sleeping! This is a nightmare!!"
"Wake up!!! If I don't wake up..."
"If I don't wake up, Xiu Yuan will leave me!!"
Huge tears kept falling into the pool of blood.
Her fists hammered the floor like thunderbolts, skin tearing, blood spraying, tears falling.
Even then, she showed no intention of stopping. Instead, she struck harder, until the white bones were almost visible through her blood-drenched fists.
Standing outside the door, Acting Grand Master Jean gritted her teeth and clenched her fists.
She could not go in too soon, because Xiu Yuan had told her that Shenhe was very clever.
If she went in to comfort Shenhe too early, it would look premeditated.
"It must not hurt enough. If it hurts enough, I'll wake up."
Shenhe slowly rose, went to the kitchen, and picked up the kitchen knife.
Just as she was about to plunge it into her body, the door burst open with a bang, and Acting Grand Master Jean snatched the blade from her with lightning speed.
"What's wrong, Shenhe? What happened?" Acting Grand Master Jean did her best to conceal her emotions, letting confusion and urgency show on her face.
Seeing Acting Grand Master Jean arrive, Shenhe stared blankly at her.
"Xiu Yuan... Xiu Yuan... he doesn't want me anymore... he doesn't want me anymore..."
She threw her arms around Acting Grand Master Jean and burst into sobs.
At a loss, Acting Grand Master Jean gently patted Shenhe's back and comforted her. "It's all right. It's all right. How could he not want you? Don't think like that."
"He really... he really doesn't want me anymore. He said he doesn't love me. He's gone. He left me..."
"It's all right. You still have me. Let it out. You'll feel better if you cry."
Acting Grand Master Jean did her best to soothe Shenhe while struggling to suppress her own emotions.
Before you continue