Elsewhere.
Inside the Angel's Share, Venti was drinking with a crowd of regulars.
Everyone was still congratulating him on winning the music competition yesterday.
Halfway through, Venti pulled out a bottle of wine and declared that a dear friend had gifted him something extraordinary, which he now wanted to share with everyone.
Most of them just laughed.
After all, this was the Dawn Winery's own tavern. Mondstadt's finest booze was already right here. What could be better?
Wait—
That smell…
As soon as Venti uncorked the bottle, a rich and unfamiliar aroma wafted out, instantly entrancing everyone nearby.
Especially the bartenders, who stared wide-eyed at the cup in his hand like they'd seen a miracle.
"What wine is that?"
Venti took a sip and closed his eyes in bliss. After a long pause, he murmured, "An unbelievable flavor... My friend called it a special Rainbow Wine."
"Rainbow Wine?!"
"Would you like a taste?"
"Please, fill my cup!"
"Don't worry, there's enough for everyone."
One bottle wasn't enough. Venti pulled out several more, pouring generously for the eager crowd.
Soon, the entire tavern was thick with that dreamlike fragrance—an intoxicating scent that seemed to shimmer with every shift in temperature and humidity.
Ordinary people couldn't handle it. One sip of the supreme Rainbow Liquor, and they were already tipsy.
Only a few heavy drinkers remained barely coherent, smacking their lips and begging Venti for another glass.
Venti chuckled and waved them off. "Ah ah, one cup's plenty. Too much isn't good for your body, and I don't have much left… But hey, pop quiz—how many ways can you write the word 'wine'? Get it right and I'll pour you another."
"..."
—
In a mountain valley somewhere.
A massive dragon shadow swept across the sky, scattering hordes of Hilichurls in a panic.
Dvalin landed with a heavy thud. A small campfire still glowed on the ground.
Hilichurl campfire.
Dvalin stared at it, then used his claws to carefully scoop up a few burning logs and flew away.
Back at his lair, he set the half-extinguished logs on the ground, stacked dry wood on top, and gently flapped his wings.
A gust of wind stirred the embers.
Soon, the flames roared back to life.
Campfire—check.
Next, he took off again, swooping through the forest to catch a few plump wild boars. At the edge of a stream, he washed them thoroughly with his claws, just like Xia Zhi had taught him yesterday.
Then he returned to the fire, skewered the meat, and began roasting it.
Before long, the scent of roast meat filled the air.
Dvalin stared at it with hopeful eyes.
When it seemed cooked—about the same time Xia Zhi had waited yesterday—he took a bite.
And immediately spat it out.
So gross.
Staring at the slightly charred meat on the ground, Dvalin's expression was pure confusion.
Something was wrong. But what?
----
The gliding competition was over.
Amber only managed to take second place, unfortunately missing the chance to defend her title.
The new champion was a traveler from Liyue—Miss Xianyun.
To be fair, Amber had performed better than ever this year, even faster than her record last year. But she still lagged behind Miss Xianyun by a noticeable margin.
The real gap was in the Wind Glider.
Amber's Wind Glider was a very standard model she'd used for years. Though well-maintained, it couldn't compare to the newly designed Wind Glider co-created by Xia Zhi and Cloud Retainer, enhanced with built-in mechanisms.
Of course, Cloud Retainer didn't use any adeptal arts during the competition—she relied purely on the glider.
As a crane adeptus, she's essentially a seasoned pro when it comes to flight.
Xia Zhi wasn't surprised at all by the outcome.
He'd once heard the Dragon King say that Cloud Retainer had a competitive streak.
She used to challenge others with her contraptions and always insisted she hadn't really lost even when she did… So of course, even in a competition held with regular mortals, she wouldn't allow herself to be outdone.
After the competition ended, Dori's stall began its final tally.
Kaeya went over to collect the earnings and returned with a huge money pouch in his arms.
The girls only took half of the profit and left the rest with Kaeya, saying it should be donated to Mondstadt for city repairs.
Kaeya was momentarily stunned before smiling gratefully at everyone.
What he didn't tell them was that, during the betting frenzy earlier, he had even wagered his own wallet.
Watching their retreating figures, Kaeya shook his head and murmured, "This task from the Acting Grand Master… isn't so bad after all…"
The finish line of the competition was on a small island. It had been easy for the contestants to glide there, but getting back was a hassle—they had to take a slow boat ride.
Xia Zhi and the others stepped down from the viewing platform and strolled leisurely through the streets. By the time they reached the lake, the boats still hadn't docked.
So, they paused to watch some fishermen casting lines along the shore.
When the boats finally pulled up, they walked over and offered Cloud Retainer warm congratulations on her championship win.
Cloud Retainer responded with a calm, unbothered look and simply said it was "just standard procedure."
Ping gave a quiet, unimpressed "tsk."
Cloud Retainer pretended not to hear and turned to Amber beside her. "You'll be out scouting in the wild this afternoon, not ideal timing. Once you're back, I'll help you upgrade your Wind Glider."
Amber beamed. "Thanks, Miss… Xianyun!"
Even though she'd lost the championship, there wasn't a trace of disappointment on her face. She was still her usual energetic self.
"I'll head out on patrol now! Wishing everyone the best of luck in the rest of the events!"
"Take care out there."
"Don't worry, I'll be fine!"
Amber waved and departed.
It was close to 11 a.m., so everyone decided to grab an early lunch while the restaurants were still relatively empty.
Inside a private room, Xia Zhi fulfilled his promise and gifted a Black Iron Treasure Chest to Cloud Retainer.
It was her first time receiving such an item, and she was clearly intrigued, turning it over and inspecting it closely.
"Not planning to open it?" Xia Zhi asked.
"Let me study it a little first."
Unfortunately, aside from some unusual patterns on the surface, there wasn't much to analyze.
Cloud Retainer looked a bit disappointed, then raised her head. Just as she was about to open it, she paused, reconsidered, and handed it to her disciple.
"Ganyu, you open it."
"Master?"
"You carry auspicious fortune—better luck than I do. Since Mr. Xia said the contents depend on luck, it's more fitting for you to open it."
"…Alright then."
Ganyu took the chest and opened it with practiced ease.
A flash of light, and the treasure chest vanished, replaced by a small fabric pouch.
"What's this?"
Ganyu picked it up curiously. The pouch felt soft to the touch, made from what seemed like high-quality silk.
Ying'er glanced over and said hesitantly, "Looks a bit like a sachet."
"A sachet?"
Ganyu opened it. It was empty.
If it were a sachet, it should contain incense or herbs.
But that seemed… a little too mundane.
Everyone turned to Xia Zhi.
"Boss, what is this?"
"Pass it here."
"Okay."
Xia Zhi took the pouch, held it in his hand, and checked its description in his inventory.
[Dream Sachet]
Quality: Black Iron
Type: Auxiliary Item
Trait: None
Effect: Place a strand of hair inside. Wearing it while sleeping will allow you to dream of the hair's owner.
Hidden Effect: None
Recyclable: 1 point
Xia Zhi opened his palm to reveal the little pouch and nodded. "It really is a sachet."
"Does it do anything special?"
"It lets you dream."
"Dream?"
"Just put someone's hair in it, wear it while sleeping, and you'll dream of that person."
Cloud Retainer was taken aback, and her mind drifted to that strange, unfinished dream from before.
She'd only had that kind of dream once.
Even when she tried again afterward, it never happened.
Everyone seemed a little let down after hearing the explanation.
"That's it?"
"That's it."
"Doesn't sound very useful…"
"Just treat it as a little trinket," Xia Zhi said as he handed the pouch back to her. "You're good with your hands, Cloud Retainer—maybe you'll figure out a way to make something more interesting out of it."
"Mm…" Cloud Retainer accepted it calmly. "I'll look into it later."
Madame Ping glanced at her, thoughtful.
----
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