[Drunkard Venti, limited-time appearance.]
[Is Jun Bai actually the Pyro Archon? Kicking Venti even though he knows the Anemo Archon clue…]
[That's one possibility. Another is that the clue he has is fake.]
[Can closed beta players stop speaking in code? Is this drunkard named Venti related to the God of Wind?]
[Refuse spoilers. Spoilers will kill your whole family.]
While watching the story, Sushang turned her not-very-developed brain: "Is the thing Jun Bai wants us to do just drinking here?"
In Sushang's simple understanding, going to a tavern seemed to have no other purpose besides drinking.
[Matches my impression of Li Big Pillow.]
[Little Gui guessing they'd compete in drinking with Venti was more reasonable. Li Big Pillow's guess is pure nonsense.]
...
After being forcibly sobered up from his hangover by Jun Bai, Venti straightened his appearance and finally greeted Lumine and Paimon: "Good afternoon, ladies. My name is Venti, and I am the greatest bard in all of Teyvat."
For a god who was at least two thousand years old to become a bard and still not be the best, you might as well resign from your divine post and go back to being a wind spirit.
Jun Bai thought to himself on the side.
However, not a trace of emotion showed on his face. Jun Bai said calmly, "Venti, these two are helpers I invited. Please use the method you are most familiar with to tell them everything about Dvalin."
"Helpers?" Venti looked Lumine up and down, then gave Jun Bai a thumbs-up. "Not bad, Jun Bai. You really understand what I'm thinking."
"I just happened to notice that she possesses the power to purify Abyss corruption. Pure coincidence." Jun Bai explained it away as luck.
"Are you two speaking in riddles?"
Paimon, who hadn't understood a single word of their conversation since entering, stomped her feet in the air, demanding they say something she could understand.
Jun Bai gave Venti a look.
Venti understood and picked up his lyre, beginning to play a song about the Dragon of the East Wind, Dvalin.
When the song ended, both Lumine and Paimon had learned the full cause and effect behind the appearance of the Stormterror.
"Traveler, this is what I need your assistance with: purify the poisonous blood and curse on Dvalin."
"I have observed that the power you possess can purify the Abyss's erosion. The teardrop crystal that originally belonged to Dvalin, which is now in your backpack, is proof."
Hearing this, Lumine quickly took out the teardrop crystal she had previously collected from her backpack.
The teardrop crystal that had once been filled with violent aura had now reverted to the purest aggregation of Anemo energy.
"It really was purified!" Paimon exclaimed in shock.
[So that's why he asked for our help.]
[By the way, how did Jun Bai know this thing in our backpack had been purified?]
Lumine asked the question on the player's behalf: "I never opened my backpack in front of you. How did you know the crystal was in my backpack?"
Jun Bai explained, "My relationship with Venti and Dvalin is quite deep, so I am sensitive to Dvalin's aura. Moreover, when you took the teardrop crystal, Venti and I were actually nearby."
"So that's how it is. Ah… so you were the one who caused the birds in the forest to go into a frenzy!"
Paimon realized it belatedly.
[Paimon's slow reactions are truly impressive.]
[Look at Lumine's "as expected" expression.]
[Jun Bai: It's just a change of clothes and temporary hair dye. The change isn't big enough that you couldn't recognize me, right?]
Jun Bai nodded. "It was me."
As he spoke, his black hair quietly turned white, returning to his white-haired, red-eyed appearance.
"Because of my personal reasons, a trace of my aura leaked out and caused the birds in the forest to go into a frenzy. I'm truly sorry for frightening the two of you."
Jun Bai said, giving the two an apologetic look.
[My husband is so polite!]
["Frightening the two of you"… oh, what terrible wording.]
[Don't go too far, you guys up there.]
"It's fine. At the time we just thought something very serious had happened, so we were a little nervous." Paimon waved her hands, telling Jun Bai not to mind.
Lumine was even more direct: "I've already forgotten about that incident."
Considering that the frenzy hadn't caused any real consequences, and that Jun Bai would later give her one million Mora as compensation, Lumine felt she could forget the matter.
"Then may I ask what the two of you plan to do next?"
"Lumine, why don't we accept this commission? Dvalin is a victim too," Paimon said.
At this moment, three options appeared in front of the player:
["For Paimon's sake, I accept."]
["For the sake of you introducing me to the God of Wind and the God of Rock, I accept."]
["For the sake of the one million Mora you promised me, I accept."]
...
Guinaifen's livestream room.
"Do I even need to choose? Hesitating for even a second is disrespectful to Mora!" Little Gui decisively picked the third option.
Jun Bai (smiling): "Venti, looks like one million Mora has brought us an excellent helper."
"Fam, can anyone share the dialogue for the other two choices?" Guinaifen shouted in the livestream room.
Silver Wolf and Stelle applied to share screen, then displayed the dialogues for the other two options in sequence:
Option 1
Jun Bai: "I didn't realize you and your friend have such a good relationship."
Option 2
Jun Bai: "Don't worry, I keep my word. Once it's done, I guarantee I'll introduce you to the God of Wind."
Venti: "Pfft——"
Paimon: "Eh, Venti, what's wrong?"
Jun Bai: "It's nothing. He just remembered something happy."
Paimon: "Is that so? Then Venti, can you share it with Paimon? Let me be happy too?"
Venti (laughing): "Of course. Little Paimon, make sure you listen carefully…"
[Venti's laugh is definitely a hint.]
[Based on context analysis, Venti's laugh only has two possibilities. One: he himself is the God of Wind. Two: Jun Bai is the God of Wind.]
[But Jun Bai is Pyro, so there's only one answer—]
[Correct, the God of Wind is Wendy from next door (dog head).]
"I really didn't expect that the second option, which looked the most serious, would be the one with the most life in it." Silver Wolf sighed, then looked at Stelle. "Stelle, how did you know to pick the second one?"
Stelle blinked and said, "Intuition."
"Huh?"
...
"Now that the most important part has been resolved, as for what comes next…" Venti pondered, then looked toward the red-haired man who had been silently listening at the bar counter the whole time. "Would the tavern owner be willing to lend us a hand?"
Diluc calmly finished wiping the wine glass clean before looking at everyone. "This is an important matter. Why should I know about it?"
Earlier, during Venti's song, the only person in the entire tavern besides the four who were conversing who had heard it was Diluc.
For Diluc, who often operated in secret, this meant cooperation.
Calming the dragon disaster and saving the Dragon of the East Wind, Diluc was very willing to do it, for Mondstadt and also for the business of Dawn Winery. Ever since the dragon disaster began, the tavern's business had been declining day by day.
Diluc was simply curious how this wine-loving bard had been so sure he would help.
"Because you are Diluc Ragnvindr, the hero who once overthrew the old Mondstadt regime together with the God of Wind, and a descendant of the Ragnvindr clan." Venti said while plucking the strings of his lyre.
"Even if you are unwilling, there is no problem." Venti smiled. "The current us are already enough to help Dvalin escape his predicament. Asking Master Diluc to lend a hand is merely to add one more layer of insurance."
"I am not at ease leaving Mondstadt's safety to the Knights of Favonius."
Diluc walked out from behind the bar counter. His sharp gaze fell on Venti and Jun Bai. "Leaving it to an idle bard and an unidentified person from Liyue makes me even less at ease."
"Therefore, I will be watching you two."