Shao Yun listened to Venti's response, brows tightly knit, clearly dissatisfied with the ambiguity. He said in a low voice, "That kind of vague answer isn't what I was hoping for."
Venti didn't seem bothered by Shao Yun's displeasure. He stepped forward and gently lifted the Vision from Shao Yun's waist, examining it closely. "Really, I just noticed—your Vision isn't of the kind found in any of the Seven Nations."
At those words, Shao Yun looked down to examine it as well. Aside from the glaring red orb, he noticed the Vision was embedded in the mouth of a skull, which had two revolvers hanging behind it, and wore a cowboy hat on top.
Venti pointed to the Vision in the skull's mouth and continued, "And don't you see? The red it gives off isn't the gentle kind—it's the color of blood."
Shao Yun was taken aback. He stared closer. Indeed, the red hue did seem to carry a bloody undertone. He asked, puzzled, "Isn't red just red? What's the difference?"
Venti explained, "Bright red and dark red leave completely different impressions. The former feels warm and vibrant; the latter—eerie and unsettling."
Though still uncertain, Shao Yun didn't press further. "Just blood, huh? I thought maybe it had some ghostly resentment in it."
Venti was silent for a moment, then raised his head and asked, "You and Lumine… you're both from beyond this world, aren't you?"
Shao Yun nodded. There was no need to lie—Venti was the Anemo Archon, he would know regardless. After all this time, there was no hostility between them.
Venti studied Shao Yun's expression as if pondering something. After a moment, he offered a theory.
"Perhaps that's exactly why your Vision is so unique—because you come from beyond this world."
With just a few words, Venti steered the conversation away from power and back to the Vision itself.
As Shao Yun recalled Venti's earlier words about the Strange Man whose face even the Anemo Archon couldn't see, a thought crept into his mind. Could this Vision be his gaze?
He chose to share a portion of his truth.
"Yeah, I'm from another world. In that world, I chased after a phantom paradise with a group of others. I killed for it. Died for it. But I have no regrets. I only met Lumine after arriving in Teyvat, and if I had to follow one person now—it would be her, no question."
Venti raised an eyebrow, not particularly surprised. He asked gently, "But have you ever considered… parting ways? You know, no feast lasts forever."
Shao Yun shrugged, a wry smile tugging at his lips.
"That's like picking a burial plot the day you're born. Don't you think it's a bit premature?"
His tone was teasing, sidestepping the weight of the question.
Venti chuckled and shook his head, clearly unwilling to dwell on the topic. He changed the subject. "Alright, let's drop that. Got any other questions?"
Shao Yun nodded. He knew Venti didn't want to dig too deep into this. He moved on.
"Yeah! I want to know where I can get a Wind Glider that fits me."
Turning around, he showed Venti the glider strapped to his back—an oversized model, but still not fit for someone with Shao Yun's build.
Venti looked it over, rubbed his chin, and nodded. "Yeah, it's a bit small… but with my blessing, it should work fine."
His tone was full of confidence, as if doubting his magic was absurd.
Shao Yun wasn't convinced. He frowned. "You booze-hound, take a proper look. I once jumped from Amber's third floor and nearly died even with the glider deployed!"
Venti's expression changed slightly. He closed his eyes, reached out with his senses, then opened them and looked to the sky. Realization dawned.
"Oh, I get it."
Shao Yun leaned in. "What is it?"
Venti stroked his chin again, clearly trying to find the right metaphor. After a pause, he said, "Let's put it this way… bird wings can't lift a deer into flight. You get it?"
Shao Yun looked to the sky at the freely soaring birds and felt a flicker of understanding.
He never imagined that under Teyvat's starlit sky, he would be seen as a deer. Flying with bird wings truly was an unrealistic fantasy.
With a quiet sigh, he said, "I see. Alright, I won't force it. I'll just treat this Wind Glider as a keepsake."
Venti quickly interjected. "Don't give up that easy!"
With a sweep of his hand, teal Anemo energy surged into Shao Yun's glider. It pulsed with new life, glowing faintly.
Venti nodded with pride. "That should do it. With a little extra blessing, jumping from three stories won't be your death sentence anymore."
Shao Yun wasn't convinced. "So now I'll just twist an ankle instead of breaking a leg, right?"
Venti spread his hands helplessly. "Not at all! I'm reliable! You could jump off Starsnatch Cliff and still walk away fine!"
Shao Yun wasn't exactly moved. "Still, thanks. But I'm not dumb enough to go jumping off Starsnatch Cliff just for fun. That's all my questions."
Venti was surprised. "That's it? I thought you'd ask a lot more."
"You heading to Liyue now?"
Shao Yun pointed toward Lumine and Paimon in the distance. "Whenever they go, I'll go."
Venti nodded. "Alright, just don't miss the timing, or you'll be stuck waiting a year."
As Shao Yun was about to rejoin Lumine and Paimon, Venti stopped him with a sly grin. "Hey, Shao Yun—you're forgetting something…"
Shao Yun looked puzzled. "What are you talking about?"
Venti rubbed his fingers together with a chuckle. "The Lady's money. You said you'd cut me in. I helped you get it, remember?"
There was a gleam in his eyes—after all, that money could fund days of drinking.
Shao Yun blinked, then smacked his forehead with a laugh. "Oh, right. Almost forgot."
He pulled a pouch of Mora from his pocket and was about to hand it over—
Then suddenly pulled it back, leaving Venti grabbing air.
"Hey! What gives?"
Shao Yun dangled the pouch with a smirk. "Before I hand this over, we gotta settle a few accounts."
Venti blinked, confused. "Settle what? I don't owe you anything, do I?"
Shao Yun held up three fingers.
"First, you almost got Lumine wanted. That's huge. As her friend, I gotta demand a little emotional damage fee."
Venti's eyes went wide. "That… that's not totally my fault! I didn't think borrowing the Lyre of the Sky would be such a big deal…"
Shao Yun didn't budge. "Second, you used me as your story template. You owe me royalties."
Venti groaned. "Ugh… I didn't even make that much off it!"
Shao Yun put the pouch back in his bag. "Third, in the cathedral, you almost got Lumine killed. That's major. The fact I didn't challenge you to a duel is mercy enough, and now you want my money?"
Venti slumped, face twisted in dismay. "No wonder Rosalyne called you a bandit!"
With a grin, Shao Yun suddenly pulled out a bottle of premium brandy and waved it in front of Venti.
"No money. But I'll give you a bottle of this."
Venti's eyes lit up. He recognized it—it was the same fine brandy from last time.
To him, it was worth more than Mora. He always ended up trading Mora for alcohol anyway.
He eagerly reached for the bottle, beaming. "Hahaha, Shao Yun, you're the best! May your travels be safe!"
He ran off with the bottle clutched tightly.
Shao Yun rejoined Lumine and Paimon.
"I've asked everything I wanted. Got any plans now?"
Paimon's eyes twinkled. She flew to his side and tugged his sleeve. "Hehe, Shao Yun, Lumine and I decided to earn enough travel funds here in Mondstadt before heading to Liyue."
Shao Yun looked at her round belly and teased, "If you ate a little less, we'd have enough to tour the whole world, not just Liyue."
Paimon puffed out her cheeks in outrage and punched his shoulder, then put her hands on her hips. "Food is not negotiable! If you're starving, you won't even have the strength to run away!"
Shao Yun gave a resigned smile. "Fine, fine. Whenever you're ready to leave, just say the word."
He whistled and summoned his horse. But just as he was about to mount, Paimon stopped him.
"Wait! We're not done talking!"
He chuckled. "What's left to say? Just tell me when you're leaving."
Paimon glanced sideways. "Shao Yun, you take commissions from the Adventurers' Guild, right?" she asked cautiously.
Shao Yun frowned. He didn't enjoy guessing games. "Just say it straight."
Lumine stepped in with a smile. She saw through Paimon's intent. "Paimon's just hoping you'll do more jobs—to support her."
Paimon gasped. "Hey! Don't twist my words!"
Her face turned bright red in frustration.
Shao Yun laughed and patted her head. "Why so mad? I spend on you all the time anyway."
He thought for a moment, then told them, "If it's an interesting commission, I'll take it. But boring stuff like slime-clearing or balloon deliveries? Count me out."
He mounted the horse with practiced ease, then extended his hand to pull Lumine up behind him.
"Same as always—if you two want to head to Liyue, I'll take you. And don't worry about the money."
Just then, a system notification echoed in his mind:
[You are now in Free Exploration Mode. You may explore all of Teyvat.]
[Hint: It is recommended to explore the Mondstadt region.]
[If you complete the Free Exploration phase in Mondstadt, you will be rewarded: Mount (Random).]
Shao Yun's eyes lit up. A horse as a reward? Nice. Perfect for Lumine!
(Guess I'm skipping Sumeru and the forest quest for now!)
…
He turned to Lumine and smiled. "Lumine, when we leave Mondstadt, I'll get you a horse. How's that?"
Lumine's eyes widened. "Huh? You really want me to ride a horse?"
Shao Yun snapped the reins, setting the horse into motion. "Of course. Now hang on—we'll be back in Mondstadt before sundown."