Chapter 149: Venti: Zhongli Makes Me So Sad
The Traveler crossed her arms, her brow furrowed in thought.
Under Venti's bright, expectant gaze, she finally spoke, her tone calm and measured. "At the moment, all the member slots in the chat group are full. We can't add anyone new for now."
"Huh? Full?! How could that be..." Venti's anticipation shattered like a dropped glass. The light in his eyes vanished, replaced by a look of utter devastation, as if Master Diluc himself had just snatched away the last bottle of Dandelion Wine he was about to claim. A visible aura of dejection settled over him, turning his vibrant presence gray.
The Traveler watched the Anemo Archon deflate before her very eyes, then added a single word. "But..."
That one word was all it took. The despondent bard's head snapped up, his eyes instantly relit, locking onto her with renewed hope.
"...According to the chat group's initial notification, it should open up more member slots after it upgrades in the future," she offered, dangling a thread of possibility before him.
"My dearest Traveler!" Venti immediately clasped his hands together in a desperate plea, his voice dripping with an almost theatrical sincerity. "Considering our deep friendship, forged in the crucible of saving Mondstadt, you have to consider me! I promise I'll be a model group member!"
The Traveler's lips twitched. Faced with an Archon who had shed all semblance of dignity and was already playing the sentimentality card just to get an invitation, she could only sigh internally.
She cleared her throat. "But then again..."
They say the two words people fear most are "but then." The repeated twists and turns were finally too much for Venti, who clutched his chest dramatically. "My dear Traveler, please, no more 'but then agains'!" he wailed. "Adding a bard like me, who can bring joy and music to all, is an absolute win! I can even liven up the atmosphere in the group!"
Feeling she had set the stage sufficiently, the Traveler finally let a small smile grace her lips as she revealed the true obstacle. "While I personally don't have any strong feelings about who gets the next invitation, the problem is... Zhongli has already mentioned to me that if a slot opens up, he'd like to invite Hu Tao into the group."
She looked at Venti, her tone laced with a hint of helplessness. "You know what Director Hu is like. She loves anything new and is passionate about expanding her business. If she found out about a group that connects so many different worlds, she would absolutely move heaven and earth to get in."
"So... for this matter, you might have to discuss it with Mr. Zhongli first." With that, she deftly kicked the proverbial ball all the way to Liyue.
"What?!" Venti's face was a mask of genuine shock. "That old blockhead?! Zhongli is already in?! And here I was, thinking I should find him for a drink the next time I got my hands on some fine wine!"
He immediately launched into a performance worthy of the grandest stage, looking for all the world like a man betrayed by his closest confidant. "He found something this fun and didn't tell me at all! He's not much of a friend, is he? This is so upsetting!"
The Traveler watched the Anemo Archon's one-man show, spreading her hands helplessly. "You don't need to be so anxious. There will always be a chance. At worst... you can just get in line after Hu Tao. How about that?" she tried, offering a compromise.
Venti shook his head repeatedly, the words 'Not a chance' practically written across his face. "No, no, no! Zhongli's actions have wounded me deeply! I must go to Liyue—now, immediately, this very instant—to confront him in person!"
His eyes gleamed with mischief. "I'll demand to know why he wouldn't invite an old friend to join the fun! And while I'm at it, I'll see if I can... perhaps... cut in line?"
As he spoke, a faint current of Anemo energy began to swirl around him.
"Traveler, Paimon, you two can go handle a night at the Goth Grand Hotel yourselves! I'm off!"
Before his words had even faded, and long before the Traveler or Paimon could respond, Venti's form dissolved into a wisp of light and a swift breeze. He swept over the rooftops, disappearing into the vast night sky above Mondstadt.
Only the Traveler and Paimon remained, standing on the cold street and looking at each other in the sudden silence.
Paimon stomped her little feet in the air, huffing in annoyance. "What the heck! Paimon actually thought that tone-deaf bard had turned over a new leaf and was going to help us find a place to stay!"
"But the second he got the info he wanted, he just ran off to find Zhongli! He's so unreliable!"
The Traveler simply looked in the direction Venti had vanished, her expression calm, as if she had expected nothing less. She patted Paimon's shoulder comfortingly. "Paimon, haven't you gotten used to it yet?"
"Think about it. Even if Venti had 'kindly' brought us to the Goth Grand Hotel, the one who would ultimately pull out the Mora to pay—if not us—would most likely be Kaeya, or maybe Acting Grand Master Jean rushing over after hearing the news."
"There's no way Venti would have any Mora on him that wasn't already earmarked for wine!"
Paimon paused, her tiny gears turning. After a moment, she had to concede the point. "...You're right. The Mora he has probably just switches between two states: 'already turned into wine'and'about to turn into wine'."
"Hmph! Forget it! Let's not bother with that unreliable bard! We'll go find a place to stay ourselves!"
At that same moment, in Liyue Harbor, within the personal residence of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's consultant.
Zhongli sat perfectly upright at his desk, his full attention focused on an object cradled in his hand.
It was a white stone box, carefully carved from a unique, unknown material that was smooth to the touch. Through the latticed openings, one could vaguely see a runestone resting quietly within, emitting a soft yet deep emerald-green glow. The light wasn't dazzling, but it radiated a sense of security as solid as the earth and as ancient as a gnarled tree—as if one were holding the very foundation of the world, the embodiment of protection itself.
This was the most valuable item Zhongli had obtained from his recent ten-pull gacha: a purple-quality treasure named [World Rune: Guardian].
It originated from a vast and distant world, one of the fragments that formed that world's very foundation. Its power, purified by the chat group, had been cleansed of the mind-corrupting side effects present in its original form.
Azhdaha, in his human guise and currently going by the name Daiyuan, had been pacing the room, grumbling about Zhongli's earlier excuse of "no new fun things to do." But when he saw Zhongli produce the stone box and fall into a long, silent contemplation, he grew uncharacteristically quiet.
Though his personality had become more mercurial, the fundamental perception of a mighty Dragon King remained as keen as ever. He could clearly sense that the object within the box was far from simple. The power of law it contained was as deep as the sea and as vast as a mountain range, subtly connecting with the very earth beneath his feet and the entire network of mountains and ley lines that comprised Liyue.
It was a deep aura, something akin to the origin of the world itself.
He knew this was not a moment for foolishness. Calming his restless mind, he sat quietly to the side, patiently waiting for Zhongli to offer an explanation. His golden, draconic eyes, however, remained fixed on the green rune.
When Zhongli finally drew his consciousness back from its communion with the rune, he looked up to see Daiyuan sitting in such a rare state of tranquility and couldn't help but smile wryly. Since his old friend had taken on human form and come to Liyue Harbor, his mindset seemed to have grown much younger and more lively. He was perpetually curious about new things, his moods as erratic as those of an immature child. For him to be able to wait so quietly was a true rarity.
However, that thought lasted only for a second.
The moment Daiyuan saw him return to his senses, the dragon's patience evaporated. He spoke immediately, his tone brimming with an impatient curiosity that bordered on demand.
"Why are you looking at me? You've been staring blankly at that box for ages! What in the world is that thing? Hurry up and tell me!"
That fleeting moment of patience had vanished without a trace.
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