At that moment, in Liyue Harbor at Wangshu Inn, though the story being told was not about Liyue nor about the chaotic war of gods in Inazuma, the audience listened with rapt attention.
Because in the story of young Venti, they felt something familiar.
Thousands of years ago, the land of Liyue had also been oppressed by gods.
It was Lord Rex Lapis, with his overwhelming power, who had suppressed all evil gods and driven back the demonic invasion, protecting Liyue and bringing about the peace and prosperity of today.
So, in the eyes of all Liyue's people, Rex Lapis was omnipotent and worthy of their reverence.
And so, in Mondstadt, it should be Barbatos, the Anemo Archon, who would end the chaos.
But—
Every listener below was filled with doubt.
They had been listening for so long, yet Barbatos remained a weak wind spirit, still without a physical form.
How could it possibly defeat the Lord of the Tower?
If they challenged the Lord of the Tower now, wouldn't that just be throwing their lives away?
"I have a feeling that if they charge in like this, they might all die."
"Not necessarily—"
"Look deeper. The Lord of the Tower's power largely comes from the faith of his subjects. But now, his subjects have raised the banner of rebellion. His power will surely be affected."
"That's right. The Lord of the Tower is powerful, but without the faith of his people, his strength will be greatly diminished."
"This war could go either way."
"But one thing is certain—many will die."
The people of Liyue could only view this long-past history from an omniscient perspective, through the story Li Mo told.
Still, they had been moved by young Venti and Barbatos's longing for freedom.
"I bet the storyteller is going to break our hearts again."
"I really wish they'd play it safe and wait until Barbatos forms a physical body. Then they'd have a much better chance of winning."
"They can't wait any longer. The Lord of the Tower may have already discovered them."
"Storyteller, hurry up and continue!"
"If you kill off Barbatos, I'll kill you!"
"For some reason, I find Mondstadt's Anemo Archon a little adorable."
...
On stage, Li Mo had been speaking for over an hour. His throat was dry, and maintaining the projections above the inn with his own power was consuming a great deal of energy.
But he told the story with tireless passion.
In this life, he was young Venti.
He took a pill from his pocket and placed it in his mouth, instantly replenishing the elemental power within his body.
[Ding! Congratulations, host. You have successfully used a Grade 1 Elemental Affinity Pill.]
[Ding! Congratulations, host. Elemental power replenished.]
As Li Mo cleared his throat and prepared to continue, a gentle breeze suddenly stirred the curtain at the entrance of Wangshu Inn.
The soft sound of a harp, carried on the wind, drifted into the inn.
The sudden change drew the attention of many listeners.
"Hey, did you hear that? I think I heard a harp."
"Could the Anemo Archon have come to Liyue to hear the storytelling?"
"Really? I hope he didn't—I was just talking about him earlier—"
"You've gone mad from listening to too many stories."
"A breeze blows into the inn, and you think it's the Anemo Archon? You've lost your mind."
"I'll go close the door so you can stop imagining things."
The next moment, someone actually walked to the door and shut it tight, not even a wisp of wind could get through.
But at that moment, Zhongli and the Raiden Shogun, seated in the corner, both frowned.
Ordinary people might have misheard, but as two of the Seven Archons, they certainly had not.
There had indeed been the sound of a harp.
Barbatos had arrived and was nearby.
The Raiden Shogun said coldly, "That fellow is always so mysterious. He neither governs Mondstadt properly nor protects his people."
"I have no idea what he does all day."
Clearly, the Raiden Shogun had some criticisms of Barbatos.
In her eyes, Barbatos was hardly a worthy archon.
Zhongli, however, wore his usual indifferent expression.
He looked around and sniffed the air but saw no sign of Barbatos nor caught the scent of wine.
Disappointed, he said calmly, "Barbatos's power is the wind. He can hear the voices of all his people."
"I imagine whatever he does is what his people have chosen for themselves."
The Raiden Shogun merely snorted. "Humans can only make wrong choices. Only under the protection of the gods can they achieve eternal peace."
With that, they stopped arguing and turned their attention to the stage, waiting for Li Mo to continue.
...
Meanwhile, unnoticed by anyone, a breeze swept over the roof of Wangshu Inn.
An unexpected guest appeared.
Dressed in a green cape, wearing a green hat, holding a small harp in his hand, and with two small braids, a boy now sat atop the inn.
He looked up at the sky and took a big bite of the apple in his hand.
"Venti, did you hear that?"
"That storyteller in the inn—he knows the story of our past in such detail."
"Did you tell him?"
Through the window, the boy could see Li Mo on stage and the projections above the inn, showing images of their story.
Now, inside the inn, urged on by the audience, Li Mo took a deep breath, adjusted himself, and began to tell what came next.
Above the inn, the Electro-formed images shifted once more.
That day—
As one of the leaders of the rebellion, young Venti sang songs of freedom and raised the banner against the Lord of the Tower.
Leading those who longed for freedom, he charged toward the crumbling tower.
The people's will to resist was strong.
But the power of the Lord of the Tower was still a formidable, overwhelming force to mere humans.
Despair set in.