Chapter 197: Plans have changed, increase the force

Luo De and them were traveling in a carriage pulled by camels.

Actually, with their abilities.

They basically don't need this inefficient way of traveling.

But who made them currently represent their respective countries?

Moreover, Tighnari still has to carry Azhaer.

If you made him carry from Xu Mi Cheng to Hope City, with his heat‑intolerant constitution, even if Luo De turned into a refrigerator he couldn't be saved.

"They seem to have a bit of a grudge against each other."

Sitting in the carriage, the anxious Tighnari saw Luo De's Ice Elemental Power take effect, finally able to breathe easier, and had time to talk with Luo De about the hostility between the lady and the Mondstadt envoy.

No way.

It's really too obvious.

Even outsider Tighnari can see it.

That is, the setting just now was wrong; otherwise they would definitely have started fighting.

"They..."

"The grudge is big."

Luo De laughed: "It's exactly because their grudge is big that I want to throw them together."

"Ah?"

Tighnari exclaimed in surprise: "That's not good."

Even if he doesn't hold an official post in Xu Mi.

But he also knows that letting two opposing camps clash like this, especially on Xu Mi's turf, is hardly a good thing.

"There's nothing wrong with it."

"Someone wants to meddle in Xu Mi's internal affairs relying on their national strength, and conveniently her rival also showed up."

"As the saying goes."

"The enemy's enemy is a friend."

"Moreover, that woman's rival is an old acquaintance of mine, and our relationship is still decent."

"Who I help is naturally obvious."

Luo De chuckled, glancing at the carriage next door.

Although there was a curtain between them.

He could also sense that the lady was likewise staring at him.

"Hehe."

"Reach out too far, and you might get your hand chopped off."

Luo De muttered under his breath.

Earlier, when talking about the lady's matter with Kaeya and Diluc at the envoy's hall.

Kaeya had once told him.

The incident of Venti being attacked has left Jean feeling vexed to this day.

After finally retrieving their own deity, they were attacked by outsiders in the territory controlled by the West Wind Knights.

Leaving aside the impact of the deity being attacked, just the news spreading would be enough to make the West Wind Knights lose face, leaving all Mondstadt people unable to hold their heads up before foreigners.

The only thing worth celebrating.

Probably that Venti doesn't really mind having been attacked.

Even looking at his complexion.

It seems he had long anticipated this, completely appearing unconcerned.

But he can afford to be unconcerned.

Jean, however, cannot.

At that moment, upon receiving the news of Venti's attack, she immediately personally led people to the scene to investigate clues.

But.

The perpetrator did it far too cleanly.

No matter how meticulously Jean and her team searched, they could never find any evidence detrimental to her.

The only thing that can be known.

Is that the attacker is very likely the lady.

Strangely, the Wind God merely said he was attacked by the Fools and then refused to name the culprit.

That's quite troublesome.

If Venti refuses to step forward, even if the West Wind Knights come knocking, the lady could never admit to this.

This matter has troubled Jean for a long time.

Mondstadt isn't afraid of Snezhnaya.

At least on the surface, with Grand Master Fagega present, they are not inferior to Snezhnaya.

Now that it's clear the Wind God has returned, they are even less afraid of Snezhnaya.

As long as they can find sufficient evidence proving that a Snezhnayan executive attacked the Wind God, Jean can directly accuse the lady before Snezhnaya.

Attacking a deity.

Such a grave crime absolutely cannot be let off lightly.

This is the most basic bottom line that must be observed in any nation of Teyvat.

It's a pity.

Now, let alone evidence that could be used to accuse the Lady, the West Wind Knights couldn't even find a trace of the attacker.

This resentment not only made Qin feel stifled, but Diluc and Kaeya, who knew the inside story, also inevitably felt vexed whenever they thought about it.

Therefore, when Luo De said he had a way to make the Lady admit she herself had attacked the Wind God, it was clear Luo De was deliberately shifting the blame, trying to push Snezhnaya's hand onto Mondstadt.

But both Kaeya and Diluc showed great interest in being able to sanction the Lady, this blasphemer.

Both sides could be said to have hit it off immediately on this matter.

Now we just need to wait for an opportunity.

Wait for the opportunity where the Lady personally admits she herself attacked the Wind God.

Hehe—

Luo De withdrew his gaze, gave a weird hehe laugh, a creepy laugh that made Tighnari shudder involuntarily.

"I don't even know who's so unlucky to have caught his eye."

Tighnari thought to himself.

The carriage's speed was very slow.

After a day and night.

Having just passed through the Water Heaven Jungle, there was still some distance to Kawanyi, where they could rest.

During that time, it was actually peaceful all the way.

During the several rests in between, the people of Mondstadt and Snezhnaya also kept far away from each other.

It seems Kaeya and the Lady both ordered their subordinates not to clash with the opposing side.

Venti, having nothing to do, ran to find Luo De several times.

"The scenery of Sumeru's rainforest is wonderful; it gave me lots of inspiration."

"What a pity."

"Now is not a good time for creation."

This is Venti's complaint to Luo De.

No need to ask further.

It's obvious Venti doesn't want to create because of the Lady's issue.

Actually, concerning the Lady's matter.

Luo De also knows a bit about it.

As for why she bears such great hostility toward Venti and even all of Mondstadt, he could only say that the benevolent see benevolence and the wise see wisdom.

The Lady's fate is indeed tragic.

Her subsequent revenge and madness are also really hard to evaluate.

Luo De sympathizes with her, yet he does not approve of her actions.

"If Lusitan's spirit in heaven saw her like this, wouldn't he be angry enough to come back to life?"

By the campfire, Luo De poked the fire with a stick while casually muttering to himself.

"What did you say?"

After playing with Klee, Venti seemed not to have heard Luo De clearly, leaned over and asked.

"Your ears are better than mine; don't pretend you can't hear."

Luo De glanced at Venti and said irritably.

"Eh-hey—"

Upon saying that, Venti scratched his head, gave a silly laugh, but didn't comment on Luo De's words.

Just because he doesn't say it doesn't mean Luo De won't ask.

"By the way, let me ask you something."

Luo De looked left and right, seeing that Diluc and his group and the Lady were far away, and Tighnari happened to be feeding Azhaer, then he asked: "Is the organization that Diluc joined the same as the one where the "Young Wolf" Lusitan is?"

"Ah?"

Venti didn't expect Luo De to ask this; after a brief pause, he gave an affirmative answer.

"Yes."

"Sigh, how do you know everything?"

Venti put away his frivolous expression, his face solemn as he locked eyes with Luo De.

Yet Luo De's answer was still shocking.

"Guessed."

"That's the truth."

"Really, it was just a guess."

Luo De knew that after Diluc left the West Wind Knights, he joined an unnamed Northern Continent intelligence organization and became an observer there.

He could become Mondstadt's Night Knight.

A large part of that is due to the support from that organization.

Even just speaking of the intelligence network, the information Diluc receives from that organization is faster than that of the West Wind Knights.

In Mondstadt's territory there exists such a massive organization, yet it has never caused any trouble; on the contrary, it makes someone like Diluc, loyal to Mondstadt, trust it so much.

Then the nature of that organization goes without saying.

It is certainly related to the West Wind Knights.

In Mondstadt, an organization capable of achieving such a coexistence with the West Wind Knights.

Luo De thought of one.

That is the underground organization created during the noble revolt a thousand years ago by the traitor Keliouziside Laolunsi of the Laolunsi family, who sought to overthrow his own family; after the revolt ended, Keliouziside disappeared from public view and has never reappeared.

This organization is very mysterious; its internal members are all volunteers, most of whom are warriors who have abandoned their identities and reputations, and even more extremely, they can even discard their names.

And those who reappeared after Kreuzrid with clear names in this organization.

It is the North Wind Knight 'Young Wolf' Rusitan from five hundred years ago, and also the lover of Lady Luosalin·Keluzixika·Luoe fatu.

At that time, the Mondstadt Grand Master was the strongest human in Teyvat history without a Vision, the 'Light Lion' Allen Dlin, and Rusitan was his black glove, professionally helping Allen Dlin handle those unsavory matters that the West Wind Knight Corps were unwilling to get their hands on.

Before, when Luo De knew Diluc had joined the mysterious organization, he guessed that the one he joined was this organization of Kreuzrid and Rusitan.

Now there is Venti's confirmation.

It also confirmed an idea of Luo De's.

Why did the Lady, after protecting Mondstadt, suddenly do a 180-degree turn in her attitude toward Mondstadt, and completely forget the history that Rusitan died protecting Mondstadt, single-mindedly directing her malice at Mondstadt; nine times out of ten it has to do with Rusitan's experience in this underground organization.

"This organization has caused considerable harm."

Luo De sighed.

If I'm not mistaken.

Lady, oh no, Rosalin, after being reborn, should have investigated some past events, then disapproved of Rusitan's experience in this organization, and took out her disapproval on all of Mondstadt and even on the Wind God Barbatos.

As for what exactly she investigated.

That is unknown.

Anyway, Venti definitely knows.

Otherwise, even if he pretended to be weak, he wouldn't let the Lady beat him like that.

After all, that old man pretending to be young, when in Mondstadt, had ruthlessly schemed against Luo De, forcibly tying Luo De onto the chariot to save the Wind Demon Dragon.

"Give me an attitude."

"How are you going to deal with her? Let her continue opposing Mondstadt? Or watch her continue further down the wrong path, ultimately paying the price for her arrogance?"

Luo De stroked his chin and asked Venti again.

He wasn't pitying the Lady.

In fact.

Given the Lady's current arrogant and overbearing conduct, she will sooner or later not escape that blade atop the heavenly keep.

And the reason he asked Venti this question.

Simply because, when the Lady was still called Rosalin, during the Disaster of Darkness she defended Mondstadt's western gate stone checkpoint single-handedly, slaughtering all those frenzied monsters.

Looking at Venti's tolerant attitude toward her.

Luo De somewhat suspected that Venti was still remembering Rosalin's merit in protecting Mondstadt back then.

So he wanted to see what stance Venti took on this matter concerning the Lady.

「。」

It seemed he had been left speechless by the question; Venti remained silent for a while before saying, "My words won't be able to persuade her."

Venti spread his hands helplessly and said, "After she was reborn, her hostility toward me reached its utmost."

Then.

Venti then threw out a few sentences that Luo De never could have imagined.

"Cleanse the source of this world's distortion: the short-sighted, foolish gods, and the filthy, pitch-black Abyss."

Is this the reason she bears such malice toward Mondstadt and shows no reverence for any other gods?

Is it not because of Lusitan?

Luo De frowned and glanced in the Lady's direction.

These ambitions are not very good.

Moreover, Luo De didn't quite grasp the meaning of these words.

Cleansing the Abyss is still something that can be talked about.

The Lady was on the brink of death back then precisely because she exhausted herself cleansing the Abyssal monsters.

Cleansing the short-sighted, foolish gods.

What does that mean?

It's not that Luo De looks down on the Lady.

It's simply that, with the Lady's current strength, even after another five hundred years of cultivation she could not be a match for any god, including Nadixa.

So how could she dare to have such lofty ambitions?

"Forget it, I won't bother anymore."

Luo De couldn't be bothered to think about it further.

Since the Lady's hostility toward the gods has already reached this extent, the original plan for dealing with her can be suitably strengthened.

Thinking of that,

Luo De turned his head again toward the few people from Mondstadt, a wicked smile appearing on his face: "The plan has changed, but I still won't notify you for now, lest you become prepared and it wouldn't be fun."

(End of chapter)