Chapter 242: Venti's Old Friend

Luo De also wasn't quite sure whether Zhongli wanted him to see how the people of Liyue actually governed this country.

But over the next few days.

He indeed was taking Luo De, intentionally or not, to the places managed by the Liyue the Liyue the Liyue Qixing and the Eight Gates.

Of course.

It was done in the name of the mortal Zhongli.

These few days of accompanying him also let Luo De witness just how great Zhongli's reputation was in Liyue Harbor.

Nominally he was a guest consultant of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, appearing to have no connection with many fields.

However, relying on his own extensive knowledge and talents.

From civilian shops to wealthy nobles, wherever he went, Zhongli could achieve some special business with them; even when he reached the most famous wealthy Feiyun Commerce Guild in Liyue, he was still a distinguished guest requiring the head manager's personal reception.

As for Luo De, who followed Zhongli around like a little attendant.

Most people held a friendly attitude toward him.

In their view.

A young person able to be accompanied by such a learned elder as Mr. Zhongli might very well be his student.

Hiring Zhongli as a consultant costs a lot, but theoretically hiring his student would not cost that much.

Based on this idea.

Besides the few people who knew Luo De, others, while happily consulting with Zhongli, also handed him their business cards, often with the intention of recruiting or befriending him.

Luo De accepted them all with a smile, neither agreeing nor refusing their goodwill.

During this period.

To say what left the deepest impression on Luo De.

Not the Feiyun Commerce Guild, whose luxury rivals that of the Geyu Pavilion, nor the impoverished merchant who couldn't afford the consulting fee and even needed Zhongli to cover the Mora.

But rather the Blackrock Factory in Liyue.

There, the Liyue military factory specialized in the research, development, and production of equipment for the Stone Guard Army.

This was Luo De's first time seeing such a regular, professional military factory on the Tiwatedalu continent.

Perhaps other countries also have similar military factories.

But the grandeur and degree of automation inside the Blackrock Factory still left Luo De clicking his tongue in amazement.

Exactly.

Automation.

This name, which seems insulated from Liyue, actually appeared in the Blackrock Factory.

The adeptus' machinational techniques.

This is Zhongli's explanation to Luo De.

The construction of the Blackrock Factory was not only carried out by Liyue's mortals; the adepti also provided considerable technical support.

Similar to a lathe's precision automatic mechanism, smelting equipment for refining materials, and an adeptus' barrier with extraordinarily strong protection; according to Zhongli's introduction, the entire Blackrock Factory also has laid beneath it a super-large self-destruct formation capable of blowing up half of Liyue.

With the aid of these adeptus' machinations.

The Blackrock Factory's productivity is terrifying.

Anyway, seeing those batches of armor and weapons being produced, Luo De's first thought was "firepower insufficiency anxiety."

I don't know if it's because the pitch-black disaster of years past left the Liyue people with an ineradicable psychological shadow.

In short.

The Blackrock Factory's stockpile is enough for Liyue to use for decades, yet they remain dissatisfied no matter how much they produce.

This is still the reserve in the ordinary production area open to outsiders.

According to Zhongli's introduction.

Inside the Blackrock Factory there are also several research zones; that is where high-end weapons are produced.

Those places are strictly off-limits to outsiders; even someone like Zhongli, a weapons expert consultant, could not possibly bring Luo De, an outsider, in for a tour.

Following Zhongli for those few days.

allowed Luo De to gain a deeper understanding of Liyue.

The interrogation he had imagined also did not occur.

After touring various large and small organizations in Liyue, Zhongli left Liyue Harbor together with Apep, saying in between just one sentence: "Let Luo De await their good news."

After Zhongli left.

Likewise, the street loafer Venti showed up uninvited at his door.

Long time no see.

Luo De still thought Venti had already returned to Mondstadt.

Until they met again.

Only then did he know.

Over the past month or so, Venti not only obtained a position as a guest consultant of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, just like Zhongli, but also secured an officially sanctioned performance venue at Feiyun Slope.

However, Mondstadt's poetry does not seem to be very popular in Liyue.

Even though Venti put up the title of "Mondstadt's most popular bard for three consecutive terms," the audience that came to watch each performance was still sparse.

Fortunately, Venti is consistently big-hearted.

This kind of thing is not the first time he has experienced it.

Earlier, when he had just awakened from slumber, in Mondstadt, a land of poetry, he once fell to such a miserable state that there were hardly any viewers who could even afford a meal, let alone now, when he is in Liyue, where people are accustomed to listening to Liyue opera.

"How are you sneaking around like a thief?"

After finally meeting again, seeing Venti's shifty-eyed, furtive look as she glanced left and right, Luo De asked strangely.

Ah, don't mention it.

After you left the Chasm, the Snezhnaya Harbinger has been after me.

Venti wore a miserable face, pitifully complaining: 'When the old man was around, he could still help me take cover, but now that he's gone, nobody looks after me.'

So you came to find me?

Luo De said with a strange expression: 'You should know, that guy is also very interested in me, right?'

That said.

Actually, after Luo De returned to the surface, the Lady never came to see him.

Tartaglia was nowhere to be seen.

Ningguang said he had already returned to Snezhnaya early this morning; it seems he went to report Liyue's situation to the Cryo Archon.

Tartaglia wasn't around, and the Lady didn't come to see me either.

Luo De finally had a rare moment of peace without anyone disturbing him.

Now Venti has run to my place to take refuge— isn't that practically leading the Lady straight to me?

Speak of the devil.

Luo De had just finished complaining about Venti bringing trouble when the Lady appeared.

This time.

She was no longer wearing the Academy's scholar uniform.

However, she wasn't wearing the Harbinger's outfit either— just a seemingly ordinary cheongsam.

Note, it only looks that way.

The Lady— oh, no, she has come to my door now under the identity of Rosalyn.

This Liyue-style cheongsam she wears was specially made by the Feiyun Commerce Guild; though it looks plain on the outside, the fabric is actually a top‑grade, understated luxury silk that only Liyue's dignitaries can afford— Luo De had seen this material once when he visited the Feiyun Commerce Guild with Zhongli, so he recognized it at a glance.

The dress also lacked any special adornments.

It was just a few pieces of jade accessories, each estimated to be worth over a million Mora.

Her long golden hair was also styled in Liyue fashion, pulled up high with a hairpin and falling straight to her waist.

That was her entire outfit.

Luo De almost mistook her for a Liyue native; she looked completely different from how Rosalyn had appeared before.

What a rude fellow.

Hasn't the Dendro Archon taught you that staring at a lady's face is extremely impolite?

Long time no see— Rosalyn launched straight into a barrage of sharp‑tongued remarks.

Having said that.

She then ignored Luo De, narrowed her eyes at Venti and said: 'Lord Venti is also here— what a coincidence.'

Uh—

Venti scratched his head, gave a hehe laugh, and said: 'Um, we were actually on our way to visit a friend.'

Just like before.

He still didn't want to start a conflict with Rosalyn.

Oh, then it looks like my coming here really was a coincidence, huh?

Rosalyn clearly didn't believe Venti's words, and she went on to ask: 'A friend close to Lord Venti must be someone important— wouldn't you be interested in letting me introduce you to them?'

That was quite a noble‑sounding excuse.

Although she obviously didn't believe Venti was really going to visit a friend, she tried to use such a bizarre excuse to go along with him.

Luo De originally thought Venti would find some excuse to turn down Rosalyn.

But he was wrong.

Venti actually agreed.

Well, okay then— but you should know, my friend has a bad temper; if you offend her, you might end up getting beaten.

Naturally, Rosalyn refused to believe Venti's endless tall tales.

As for this Wind God's behavior before her eyes—

—she has seen it far too many times.

He is simply a compulsive liar— nine and a half out of ten of his words are deceit.

Apart from his pleasant singing, he looks nothing like a reliable deity in any way.

This also made the Lady's attitude toward Venti grow increasingly hostile.

She, who regards the Cryo Archon's dream as her own life goal, was already deeply dissatisfied with Venti's behavior when he fled the battlefield in darkness back then; seeing him now act more like a mortal than a god, she inevitably showed a hint of impatience.

Such blatant hostility, however, didn't bother Venti much.

He still kept his goofy grin and took the lead right at the front.

Who would have thought that the Sumeru Envoy, having only been here a few days, could already meet so many important figures— truly impressive.

Compared to the habitual hostility she shows when speaking to Venti, Rosalyn's words to him, while still tinged with sarcasm, are at least relatively normal— not reaching the level of sheer malice.

Although she didn't know who Luo De and Venti were going to see, she still knew that Luo De had been wandering around with Zhongli these past days.

Unlike others.

Rosalyn is one of the few who knows that Zhongli is the Geo Archon.

It's precisely because she knows so much.

That's why she grows ever more curious about Luo De, a mortal who has continually earned the favor of four gods.

If you have time to talk about this, you might as well tell me how you've been considering things.

Luo De subtly showed the Gnosis in his hand: 'Your Empress should still need this, right?'

We cannot take charge of the Doctor's affairs.

Upon seeing the Gnosis, Luo Shalin instantly lost her previous interest, knitting her brows as she said: "Why must you insist on finding the Doctor? It's just a Gnosis; wouldn't it be better to exchange for a condition more favorable to yourself?"

The Doctor is Luo Shalin's colleague.

Even among the Executors, who are all crazy, he stands out as notably crazy.

Only people or things useful to his mad research can attract him; other matters hardly manage to pique his interest.

This makes it very difficult to trade the Geo Archon's Gnosis through normal means.

This just happens to be something Luo De voluntarily brings up.

Luo Shalin then seizes the opportunity to try to get him to change his terms.

Actually, during the time Luo De left the mining area,

she has been constantly thinking about finding a chance to bring this up.

But Luo De spends all day wandering around with Zhongli, so he never finds any time to discuss this with him.

Luo Shalin, growing impatient from waiting,

simply vented her pent-up anger on Wendy, who was always easy to find.

Unexpectedly, following Wendy instead led to an opportunity to talk to Luo De about this.

Taking advantage of this opportunity,

Luo Shalin casually belittles the Doctor, whose rank far exceeds her own.

Besides, the Doctor can't hear it anyway; as long as Luo De changes his mind and agrees to easier terms, letting her take the Gnosis back, everything would be fine.

Unfortunately.

No matter how Luo Shalin explains the various drawbacks of bringing the Doctor to Sumeru, Luo De remains unmoved.

"I've told you this before."

"Just this condition."

"No change."

"No matter what you say, I won't change it."

Luo De's such firm attitude leaves Luo Shalin, who has exhausted her arguments, extremely dissatisfied.

But the reasoning still needs to be explained.

This time it's no longer about the Doctor's issue; instead, it's switched to other conditions that Luo Shalin finds more tempting.

For example, swapping in a more mild-mannered technical-type executor, the Seventh Seat's puppet heading to Sumeru.

Just like before.

Luo De still refused, stubborn as a rock.

This also made Luo Shalin, who always cares about her image, both angry and anxious, her tone becoming somewhat harsher than before.

Among them were not lacking verbal personal threats against Luo De.

Knowing Luo Shalin was speaking rashly out of desperation, Luo De paid no heed to such hollow threats that would never actually happen.

Facing this hard stone that cannot be steamed or smashed,

Luo Shalin finally ran out of ideas.

She could only follow Wendy and Luo De, looking gloomy, to the friend's house that Wendy had mentioned.

It is a house located on Scarlet Cloud Slope.

It is large in size, and its decoration is likewise not that of an ordinary household.

In Liyue, only high-ranking officials or the extremely wealthy could afford such a property here.

The door was opened by a girl who looked only eight or nine years old, with brown long hair tied into a braid butterfly knot on top, a pair of large golden bells hanging on each side, resembling twin buns, slender and petite, wearing a dark brown dress adorned with sweet olive blossoms, her voice sounding like silver bells, making one instantly feel fond of her.

"Huh, big brother, big sister, who are you?"

The little girl blinked her eyes, curiously asking Luo De and the others.

"Cough—"

Wendy gave a light cough, handed her lyre to the little girl, and said with a grin: "Little miss, give this to your master and say that guests from Mondstadt wish to visit him."

"Oh, okay."

"Um, big brother, big sister, Grandma is currently teaching the senior sisters martial arts; it might take a while, so please come in and wait."

The little girl had no guard against Luo De and the others, hugging Wendy's lyre as she invited them to come inside together.

Upon hearing that,

Wendy acted even more like the host than the little girl, naturally waving at Luo De and Luo Shalin and saying: "Come on, let's go in and wait—hehe, I haven't seen her in ages, and I don't even know if she still remembers me."

(End of chapter)