Tsk, this guy is clearly determined not to let anyone dig up his embarrassing moments.
Gu Sanqiu shrugged. "Well, I'll take my leave then. Since you all enjoy sneaking out late at night for a little... fun, I won't disturb you."
With that, he rose and flew away from Windrise. Rosalyne tucked the Gnosis away and left first, while Childe remained behind, keeping a wary eye on Venti as he slowly backed away.
Whether the Gnosis was real or not, judging from that whirlwind of Anemo energy earlier, if their opponent had truly wanted to act, he could've blown them all straight to the abyss without breaking a sweat.
Once they were a safe distance away, not only did Childe exhale in relief, but even Venti, who had played the role of the overbearing archon so well, let out a long breath.
"Phew, those troublesome folks are finally gone."
Venti wiped the sweat from his forehead before flashing a bright smile at the wide-eyed Traveler and Paimon beside him.
"Alright, I can fulfill what I promised you now. You're looking for your sister, right? If you call me something nice and take a moment to think, maybe I could help you recall a thing or two~"
"After all, Mondstadt is my territory. If your sister ever visited my Mondstadt, surely I'd have noticed as its Archon."
"You—you—you…"
Paimon stuttered, her words barely coherent. "That whole act earlier... was fake?!"
"What else? Did you really think I could blow those people to the Abyss?"
Venti took a swig from his bottle. "I'm just a poor, helpless god without even the strength to truss a chicken. Such flashy moves are way beyond me."
The Traveler and Paimon gave him a sidelong glance.
They suspected that the real performance was happening now.
What a shameless god. Does he take everyone else for fools?
---
Meanwhile, Rosalyne toyed silently with the Gnosis in her hand. Childe occasionally glanced behind them, clearly uneasy, as though fearing the Anemo Archon might change his mind and ambush them.
"Stop looking. He's not coming."
Rosalyne's tone was impatient. "Now that our goal is achieved, follow the plan: return the Gnosis. Tonight, we move out."
"That soon?"
"The land of a thousand winds," Rosalyne sneered, her expression cold. "This wretched place is disgusting. Do you really want to linger here?"
"Fine, fine. Since you hate it so much, we'll arrange for transport out of Mondstadt as soon as we return to the city."
Their conversation ended, and the two walked in silence. Childe's mind drifted to the bloodstained shadow of Durin they had encountered in Wyrmrest Valley. He was already strategizing how to deal with such a formidable foe.
Rosalyne, on the other hand, found her thoughts inexplicably drawn to Venti's earlier words: I've never abandoned any citizen of Mondstadt.
Was it true?
Perhaps. But what did it matter to her?
Her eyes hardened with resolve. Even if he never gave up on any of his people, her beloved was never coming back.
The cause must go on!
Even if the path ahead led through a sea of flames!
"Ahem!"
A deliberate cough interrupted their thoughts.
Ahead, a masked figure clad in dark clothing and wielding a broadsword blocked their path.
"Hold it! This mountain is mine, and so are these trees. If you wish to pass…"
Childe's flat voice cut him off. "Sanqiu, what the hell are you doing?"
"Huh? You noticed me?"
Gu Sanqiu feigned surprise as he stripped off his disguise. "Not bad. Your observational skills are improving."
Childe growled, "Could you at least put some effort into your disguises? This is Mondstadt. Why the hell would someone be spouting Liyue bandit clichés outside Mondstadt City?"
"Tsk. I thought you might mistake me for a Treasure Hoarder from Liyue looking to make a quick buck here."
Childe massaged his temples. "People aren't idiots. Anyone daring to travel at night these days has at least some skill. Do you think Treasure Hoarders are that stupid?"
"Enough chatter. Didn't you already fly off? What are you doing here?"
"I never said I was flying back to Mondstadt City. Where I go is my business."
Gu Sanqiu stomped his foot, and jagged rock spires shot up from the ground, forming a barrier that enclosed the three of them.
"What are you doing?"
Childe's expression shifted, the casual demeanor of their earlier conversation vanishing as the sharp instincts of a warrior took over.
"Oh, it's simple." Gu Sanqiu grinned. "I'm robbing you. Hand over the Gnosis you just acquired."
Back at Windrise, Venti faceplanted onto the ground.
"R-Robbing them?!"
Childe couldn't believe his ears. Since when did anyone dare associate robbery with something as lofty as a Gnosis?
But then again, judging by the man's strength, he might just have the audacity to rob even the Fatui's Harbingers.
"You didn't hear me? I'm robbing you. What I want is the Gnosis you just obtained."
Gu Sanqiu pressed his right hand down, and the ground beneath Rosalyne and Childe intensified in gravitational force, multiplying twentyfold in an instant.
"If you don't hand it over, then your bodies will fertilize the soil here today."
Childe's voice trembled under the crushing weight. "This is... for the Tsaritsa…"
"I know. That's why I'm robbing you, not trading with you."
Gu Sanqiu's gaze flicked briefly toward Windrise. "Out of respect for certain ties, I'll give you one last chance to reconsider."
Rosalyne and Childe simultaneously unleashed bursts of elemental energy, using the momentary surge to retrieve an icy blue gemstone from Rosalyne's possession. The gem was engraved with an intricate cryo elemental symbol, emitting a chilling yet strangely comforting light.
"The Mourning Ice Core?"
Gu Sanqiu's expression turned curious as he observed the two Harbingers, now visibly struggling to withstand the overwhelming gravity.
"What's the point of that? Do you want me to inscribe an epitaph for your graves?"
"Fallen Harbingers crushed under their own folly… doesn't make for much of a legacy."
A cold, clear voice emanated from the gemstone, cutting through the tension like a sharp blade.
"That's enough, Morax's disciple. There's no need for such pointless actions."
"Wow," Gu Sanqiu whistled, his demeanor shifting slightly as his shield of dragon scales materialized instinctively at his side. "A woman's voice. And here I was thinking this day couldn't get more interesting."
His gaze returned to the icy gemstones, now flickering faintly with concentrated elemental energy.
"So that's how it works. Using an elemental core of the same type inscribed with a resonance rune to establish long-distance communication through elemental energy… clever. Very clever."
Though it sounded straightforward, replicating such a mechanism was anything but simple. This was a method uniquely devised by the speaker, who clearly possessed extraordinary understanding and mastery over elemental forces.
The voice spoke again, calm yet unyielding:
"Morax's disciple, answer me. What is it you hope to achieve with this elaborate charade?"
---
T/N: NO WAYYYYY also mount hua reference perhaps? :3c