The Anemo Archon Happily Gets a New "Tremor" Skin
(Cough, cough. The personality design and original artwork are at the very bottom. A filler chapter.)
"Whoa! Tone-Deaf Bard, how did you turn into a big green frog?" Paimon exclaimed, circling Venti in shock.
"Ehe, this outfit is a little heavy, but it feels great for keeping out the wind and cold."
Venti tugged curiously at the thick layer of Tremor E.G.O armor on his body, then held out his palm. "And the best part is this souvenir."
A peculiar fruit glowing with a faint green light appeared in Venti's hand out of thin air. It was the Fairy Gentleman's exclusive E.G.O gift, the [Green Light Fruit].
As though performing a magic trick, Venti pulled out a small silver slotted spoon and a sugar cube from who knew where.
He rested the spoon across his wineglass, placed the sugar cube on it, then gently crushed the "Green Light Fruit."
A few drops of pure green juice, giving off a peculiar aroma of alcohol, fell onto the sugar cube and instantly soaked through it.
Then Venti snapped his fingers. A faint trace of wind elemental energy ignited through friction, setting the sugar cube alight.
An eerie green flame danced quietly on the spoon, filling the air with the exquisite aroma of caramel and strong liquor.
The retro ritual, true to the classic way of drinking absinthe in the 1990s, left Wei Zhenzu, a New Oriental chef, utterly dumbfounded.
"Let the sugar cube soak up the liquor, then set it alight... Whew, this is an ancient and entertaining way to enjoy a drink. I'll gladly help myself to this concept of a pleasant buzz from another world."
Venti poured the melted sugar into the glass and took a small, appreciative sip, a satisfied flush appearing on his face.
Wei Zhenzu watched the Anemo Archon elegantly savoring his drink, his mouth twitching uncontrollably.
"So you deliberately sent me out to fight monsters just so you could freeload off my equipment and drinking snacks?!"
"Don't be so stingy, Traveler." Venti put down his glass, the smile gradually fading from his face.
"In exchange, I have a piece of friendly advice for you."
He raised a finger encased in heavy green armor and pointed toward the tavern door:
"The melody in your mind called the 'Golden Bough' is currently entrenched in the deepest part of Stormterror's Lair, entangled with my old friend Dvalin. The winds there are far more turbulent than the breeze in this tavern."
Venti picked up his glass again, gently swirling the green liquor inside:
"Go back and get a good night's sleep, Traveler. On this journey with the Knights of Favonius... you must be ready to face the storm."
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Meanwhile, in Liyue, thousands of miles from Mondstadt, somewhere beyond everyone's sight.
Above the clouds, the Jade Chamber, the floating palace that symbolized Liyue's highest authority and wealth, was currently shrouded in an oppressive atmosphere.
Inside the magnificent hall, Ningguang, the Tianquan, sat upright behind a broad golden nanmu desk.
Her breathtakingly beautiful face, usually graced with a composed smile, now wore a deep frown, her gaze sharp as a blade.
Across from her, two peculiar guests occupied the guest seats.
At their head was a man with an upright bearing. Just sitting there, he exuded a suffocating pressure.
He wore a dark, front-opening robe, its hem embroidered with subtle patterns symbolizing the Great Lake.
Jia Qiu. The world also often addressed him respectfully as Kong Qiu.
Behind the man stood a tall young woman.
The lower half of the woman's face was wrapped in white bandages. Her gaze was cold, and she had a pragmatic air. She was Jia Qiu's prized disciple, Zilu.
The hall was silent, save for the occasional faint crackle of submerged incense burning in the censer.
"Lady Ningguang."
Jia Qiu finally spoke.
His voice was not loud, yet it stirred a muffled echo through the hall.
Fine ripples spread across the tea on Ningguang's desk.
"We crossed the barrier to come to this land, and we ask for little."
Jia Qiu gazed quietly at Ningguang, his eyes unfathomably deep.
"The laws of this continent are growing fragile. An ancient and chaotic power is awakening deep within the ley lines. We only need to borrow a node of Liyue's dragon veins to stabilize the Great Lake's resonance with the laws."
Zilu, standing behind him, took half a step forward.
The female assassin with bandages covering her face stood protectively at her revered teacher's side, her muscles tensing slightly as she exuded a palpable killing intent.
"In exchange," Jia Qiu said slowly, raising a calloused hand,
"when the monsters known as Distortions fully descend, and you find yourselves helpless, we can shield Liyue from that destructive erosion."
Ningguang did not answer immediately.
Her fingers, adorned with golden nail guards, tapped rhythmically on the desk.
Her gaze swept over the stack of top-secret intelligence at her side.
The intelligence, which Yelan had just delivered, documented the strange monsters appearing in various places.
Ningguang was deeply wary of these two outsiders who claimed to come from "The City."
But as the one at Liyue's helm, she was even quicker to sense the danger approaching the world.
"Borrow a dragon vein..."
Ningguang parted her red lips and gave a noncommittal chuckle, her beautiful phoenix eyes growing ever deeper.
"Your offer is indeed tempting. But in Liyue, every transaction must be founded on a contract between equals. As for these so-called Distortions, I would like to hear you both speak about them in greater detail."