Venti claimed he was going to call for someone, but he made no move to do so.
Lucian didn't rush him either, and the two simply sat in silence.
Seeing this, Yun Jin neither grew impatient nor asked questions. Instead, she brewed tea and handed cups to both of them.
"Ah, Liyue is wonderful in every way, except for the fact that people here prefer tea over wine. What a shame, what a shame," Venti mused casually.
Ever since arriving in Liyue, he had barely had any alcohol. Even when hosting guests, the people of Liyue preferred serving tea.
The problem was, if no one invited him, Venti couldn't afford to buy wine himself.
Back in Mondstadt, serving tea instead of wine to guests would be considered poor hospitality.
"Others drink occasionally during their breaks, but the people of Mondstadt take breaks occasionally while drinking."
"Others have a little alcohol in their blood, but the people of Mondstadt have a little blood in their alcohol."
"My apologies for the inadequate hospitality," Yun Jin said regretfully.
She genuinely blamed herself for not researching her guests' preferences beforehand.
Lucian felt his finger-flicking technique itching for action.
If he were a bit closer to Venti, he would've already flicked him—just like he would've done with Hu Tao.
"Huh? That's not what I meant," Venti quickly waved his hands, not intending to criticize.
Fortunately, Shenhe pushed the door open, interrupting the group.
While Shenhe was tidying up the tables, a guest had tried to pick a fight with her. She was just about to consider knocking their head twice when a sudden gust of wind blew in.
The wind knocked the troublemaker over and seemed to guide her somewhere.
Curious, Shenhe followed it and ended up here.
"I've called for someone. Let's get down to business," Venti swiftly changed the subject.
"Junior Brother?" Shenhe looked calmly at Lucian, who seemed to understand her unspoken question.
"Here's what happened," Lucian explained the situation to Shenhe, including the story of "The Divine Damsel of Devastation."
After listening, Shenhe nodded. "I understand."
Silence fell as everyone waited for her to continue.
But Shenhe remained quiet, as if she had no intention of elaborating.
"What does Miss Shenhe think of this story?" Yun Jin finally asked.
"I like it very much," Shenhe replied.
"But the little girl in the story wasn't as brave as the tale makes her out to be."
"She probably doesn't deserve such praise."
Yun Jin smiled gently. "Regardless, the 'Divine Damsel' has inspired many people. Such praise is well-deserved."
Shenhe fell silent. This story was far kinder than her actual experiences.
"Bard, I'll need your help with the next part of the adaptation," Yun Jin said, seeing that Shenhe wasn't opposed to the idea. She began considering how to expand "The Divine Damsel of Devastation."
For now, though, Yun Jin had no concrete ideas. It might take some time.
"Gladly," Venti agreed cheerfully. Stories, fine wine, and the wind were among his favorite things.
Shenhe, Venti, and Yun Jin chatted among themselves, leaving Lucian as the listener.
With Shenhe present, there was no need for him to explain anything. As for the musical aspect... Lucian was truly out of his depth.
The only thing he could do was spoil the old man's plans a little to give Yun Jin some inspiration.
Meanwhile, among the Qixing, Ningguang was speaking with Yelan.
"Has the Exuvia of the Geo Archon been delivered to the Golden House?" Ningguang asked.
"It's been transported securely, and no information has been leaked to anyone," Yelan confirmed.
Ningguang nodded. If such a confidential operation had been leaked, it would've seemed suspicious. The only credible way for this information to spread was through Lucian himself.
"From now on, you're responsible for following Lucian. Make sure to protect him," Ningguang instructed.
Whether or not Lucian was Rex Lapis, his identity and abilities warranted protection.
As for Tartaglia, after parting ways with Lucian, he returned to the Northland Bank.
Signora was extremely dissatisfied with Tartaglia. "You went to meet Lucian—why didn't you take me with you?"
"Toy Salesman, have you forgotten our bet?"
"I haven't lost yet," Tartaglia scoffed.
Little did he know, he had already lost the bet from the very beginning.
Signora pondered silently. Even though she was guaranteed to win the bet, by the time Tartaglia fulfilled his end of the bargain, she might already have left Liyue.
That wouldn't do. She'd have to think of another way.
Everyone had their own schemes, and several days later, everything was finally in place.
On this day, Lucian personally invited Tartaglia, claiming he would take him to where the Exuvia was located.
Tartaglia, suspecting no trick, readily followed Lucian to the Golden House.
"Wow, so this is the Golden House! So much Mora! Can I take some?" Paimon's eyes sparkled like stars.
Lumine and Paimon had also been brought along by Lucian. With three elemental powers at her disposal, Lumine was now a formidable bodyguard.
If Lucian really couldn't defeat Tartaglia, he could always rely on Lumine to back him up—better safe than sorry.
"Taking money from here is illegal, Paimon. If you like it, I'll ask Childe to give you some," Lucian joked.
"Really?!" Paimon's eyes lit up with hope.
Tartaglia ignored them, dashing straight to the Exuvia and reaching inside.
His hand came up empty.
"Partner, how could you lie to me?!" Tartaglia glared at Lucian in displeasure.
The Gnosis was supposed to be here—so why was there nothing?!
"I didn't lie. I said I'd take you to where the Exuvia is, but to get the Gnosis, you'll have to defeat me first," Lucian shrugged.
"Word games, typical of Liyue... Tch." Tartaglia clicked his tongue.
However, that single attempt made Tartaglia realize that the Geo Archon wasn't dead. He eyed Lucian suspiciously.
"So that's how it is... Hmph, the Geo Archon of Liyue is quite the schemer."
He assumed Lucian was the Geo Archon—after all, having to defeat him to obtain the Gnosis was far too misleading.
Tartaglia stared at Lucian warily, electricity crackling around him as he prepared to activate his Foul Legacy transformation.
Now he understood how he had gotten injured in the Golden House in his story—it was from fighting the Geo Archon.
He didn't think he could win against an Archon, but that didn't mean he wouldn't fight.
"Fool, he's not the Geo Archon," Signora stepped out from the shadows. She had been secretly following Tartaglia the entire time.
"Signora?! You were tailing me?!" Tartaglia scowled. "We agreed you wouldn't interfere in my affairs!"
"I'm not interfering. I just wanted to meet this 'Prophet.'"
Signora's gaze locked onto Lucian. This was the man who had made her the scapegoat for so many scandals.
Things that were once unknown had become common knowledge because of him.
"Shikikan, I've finally met you," Signora said as a frigid wind began to sweep through the room.
Just as the biting cold was about to reach Lucian, a fierce gale rose, blocking the icy wind before it could touch him.
Lumine stood with the Harbinger of Dawn in her right hand, her left shielding Lucian behind her.
"Hmph, the renowned Prophet needs a traveler to protect him?" Signora sneered.
Lucian paid no mind to her taunt. So what if I need Lumine to protect me?
If you're so tough, try beating her first before coming for me.
Hidden in the shadows, Yelan already had an arrow nocked. If Signora dared attack Lucian, that arrow would fly.