"A domain? With these two?"
Gu Sanqiu frowned. "You're joking, right? Even a standard domain isn't a place they can just casually explore. You really have that much faith in them?"
"Hehe, just go. You might find that the one needing help ends up being you," Venti teased, plucking his wind-formed lyre strings lazily while humming a tune in an unintelligible melody.
"Consider it a favor for me. If you're unsure about anything, feel free to ask."
Without hesitation, Gu Sanqiu asked, "Where is Gu Shaochong? Does the old man know his location?"
"Sorry, no idea. Liyue matters aren't my specialty. Sure, communication between gods isn't likely to be intercepted, but some things, just by being spoken aloud, have a way of reaching the wrong ears. Understand?"
Gu Sanqiu understood perfectly. The old man definitely knew where Gu Shaochong was.
He nodded internally and followed up with another question. "What weapon did Gu Shaochong typically use?"
"A claymore," Venti replied smoothly. "If my memory serves, it's a divine weapon capable of splitting seas and rivers with its sheer weight."
"And aside from Geo, what element did he commonly use?"
"...Goodbye."
Venti cut the connection immediately, dispersing the soft wind strings that had formed his lyre. His expression turned serious as he glanced in the direction of Liyue.
"My old friend, I think I understand why you've kept so many things hidden."
"The Gu family lineage is no ordinary one. With just a fragment of a clue, your nephew has already pieced together so much."
Venti crouched, brushing his fingers across the delicate petals of a dandelion.
"You've seen so much, endured so much. If you hadn't locked this information away, a boy like him would be walking straight into his death."
"Was it all to ensure that the last of your kin could grow up in peace? You must be so tired."
He sighed, muttering to himself. "Since when did we start following such strange rules… One must achieve immortality before stepping into the mortal world."
Knocking on his head lightly, he grimaced. "I really shouldn't have made that bet with that tornado fool. Those Abyss Order higher-ups might've had some secrets I should've uncovered. I should've had Dvalin capture them alive."
With a long exhale, Venti raised his hand toward the sky. Gathering clouds and wind into string-like patterns, he plucked a lighthearted tune.
"Here's a song for you, my friend. Just a small comfort."
The playful melody carried on the breeze, drifting toward Dihua Marsh and Liyue Harbor. Zhongli, mid-sip of tea, froze as the faint strains of the lyre reached his ears, sending ripples through his cup.
"Barbatos…"
He closed his eyes, letting the melody wash over him, but his face soon tightened in irritation.
Crack.
"Zhongli! That tea set is super expensive!"
Hu Tao's twin ponytails bounced as she angrily wagged a finger at him. "What's with you lately? You keep breaking tea cups! Do you need me to take you to Bubu Pharmacy?"
"No need to trouble yourself, Director," Zhongli replied with perfect calm, though a storm raged inside him. "It was merely a fleeting distraction."
Barbatos, what kind of friend are you?!
And that brat… get back here already! Why must you meddle so deeply in these matters?!
---
In Mondstadt's skies, a streak of cyan light tore across the horizon. Within it were Gu Sanqiu, Aether, and a hovering Paimon, who was patting her bloated stomach as they sped toward their destination.
"Sanqiu, are you sure this is the place?" Aether asked hesitantly.
"Well, not really," Gu Sanqiu replied bluntly. "Ask that fake boy bard instead."
His senses remained on high alert, searching for anything unusual in the surroundings. "I just know something here might've changed."
Descending to the ground, Gu Sanqiu glanced back at the pair. "You two stay in the air for a bit. I'll go take a look."
The Heart Cavern? Nothing unusual.
The central structure? Still intact.
Outside the cave? That's where the anomaly was.
With his spear at the ready and his catalyst orbiting defensively, Gu Sanqiu observed the swirling vortex ahead of him. Its outer edge glowed blue, its core pitch black, spinning relentlessly—a spatial rift in the shape of a whirlpool.
"Did the Abyss Order leave the back door open?"
He shook his head. If Venti said this was a domain, it shouldn't connect to any Abyss stronghold. Otherwise, he wouldn't have brought Aether here.
"Come down," he called, gesturing for Aether and Paimon to land.
"See if you sense anything. Something in there might be drawing you in."
Aether nodded and, rather than reaching out recklessly, sat cross-legged to concentrate.
"Sanqiu, why'd you drag us here? Is this really the thing that tone deaf bard said was connected to us?" Paimon asked, tilting her head and scrutinizing the vortex. "It doesn't look any different from the secret domain entrances people talk about in town."
"Yeah, I feel the same. But when a big shot gives orders, I follow," Gu Sanqiu quipped, tossing a small bag to Aether. "Here. Albedo rushed this condensed resin for me. If this thing starts absorbing power, throw the resin at it."
Paimon pouted. "Wait, are we seriously going inside? This looks super dangerous! I just ate, and I haven't even had time to rest!"
Just ate?
Gu Sanqiu's eyes narrowed, the thought sending a jolt through him before he quickly suppressed it.
He could swear that the only "domain" in Dragonspine worth mentioning was the warped entrance to the Peak of Vindagnyr—the so-called Cryo Domain.
The Heart Cavern was the most dangerous place here, but that was old news.
So what kind of anomaly created this rift? What's fueling it?
And could it have caused Paimon's sudden energy drain, leading to that monstrous feast at the Good Hunter?
The more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.
Aether opened his eyes and stood, shaking his head. "I don't feel anything."
"Nothing at all?" Gu Sanqiu frowned. "Alright. I'll take you in, but wait a moment."
From his pouch, he took out several gemstones, scattering them on the ground.
"These are marked with our energies and an emergency signal. If something goes wrong, at least Barbatos won't be clueless."
Gu Sanqiu raised his hand, channeling his elemental power to merge the gemstones with the wind and create a large protective barrier. The energy encompassed their signals and a thread of Anemo essence.
"With this, I'll feel a little safer going in."
He tightened his grip on his spear. "Let's go."