Genshin Impact's Incense Burner Of Liyue [329]

Gu Sanqiu calmly endured the bottle-throwing.

No matter how much this guy resembled an adorable shota, he was still an elder—a senior well-acquainted with Gu Sanqiu's boss. Besides, after subjecting him to two or three bombardments, some retaliation was fair game.

Throw all you want. Not like it's going to hurt.

Seeing Gu Sanqiu remain unfazed, Venti grew visibly irritated. Huffing, he grabbed two more bottles of fine wine and began chugging.

"You should pace yourself," Gu Sanqiu remarked. "No matter how good your tolerance is, drinking too fast will knock you out."

"Do you think... hic... I'm your old man or something? Hic!" Venti retorted, hiccupping between gulps. "I'm Barbatos! A thousand cups can't topple me! Ten thousand casks and I'm still sober!"

Ten thousand casks? You'd die of water poisoning before the alcohol got you. Unless, of course, you're using your Archon powers to expand your stomach.

Gu Sanqiu remained expressionless as he nibbled on his food.

"Heh, good wine," Venti chuckled dumbly. "Hey, hey, don't you Liyue folks have a lot of storytellers? With good wine like this, you need a good story to go with it. Tell me a couple, will you?"

"My performance fees are steep," Gu Sanqiu replied, giving the bard a side-eye. Even his boss had never asked him to play the storyteller.

"Oh, come on! Don't be so stingy—we're having fun!"

Venti leaned closer, throwing an arm around Gu Sanqiu's shoulders. "Why don't you tell me about your trip to Inazuma? From what you hinted earlier, you had a run-in with her?"

"It wasn't a fight—more like a one-sided thrashing," Gu Sanqiu corrected. "If I had the skill to hold my own against the Raiden Shogun, Liyue might already have its second Archon."

"True, true," Venti mused, swirling his bottle. "Raiden Shogun... even back when she was a shadow warrior, she was obsessed with perfecting her martial arts. By now, she must be even stronger."

"Doesn't matter how perfect she is. Without some god-level trickery, I'll probably never set foot in Inazuma again."

Venti grinned slyly. "Oh, don't say that. I could tell you about that imperious woman's weakness, you know~"

"I'm listening," Gu Sanqiu replied with half-hearted skepticism.

"Her weakness is sweets! Thank the great Barbatos for this juicy tidbit—it's a secret known only to gods and their chosen followers."

"Great," Gu Sanqiu said dryly. "What am I supposed to do with that? Hurl cakes at her until she surrenders? It's not like the world will run out of desserts if I'm gone. What use is this supposed weakness to me?"

This wasn't some romantic comedy where he could charm his way to victory. His relationship with Raiden Shogun was far from sweet—it was more like she wanted to bury him six feet under.

"She saw through my identity and didn't hesitate to strike. Do you really think knowing her preference for sweets will make a difference?"

"Wait, seriously?" Venti sobered up slightly. "She knew who you were and still attacked?"

"She shot me full of holes with a concentrated beam of Electro energy. What do you think?"

"Hmm... I remember she was quite strict as a shadow warrior, but this seems a bit extreme," Venti muttered, shaking his head. "Maybe that great upheaval was a heavier blow to her than we thought."

"Great upheaval? Tell me more."

"Heh, can't do that," Venti teased. "If I spill those secrets, your old man might skewer me on a Geo spear."

He nudged Gu Sanqiu with his elbow. "Don't overthink things, kid. If the sky falls, there are taller people to hold it up. As long as my old friend is around, no one—aside from that extremist—would dare touch you."

Of course I know my boss is intimidating, Gu Sanqiu thought, keeping his face neutral.

But that was only true while his boss remained in active service.

Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if my old man's retirement was orchestrated by this shota-faced bard. All he does now is drink tea, enjoy snacks, and buy pointless "collectibles" in the name of their "value."

If Gu Sanqiu didn't come up with a plan to strengthen himself, would the future really depend on their allies bailing them out every time?

You can't win a game by relying solely on the jungler. Strengthening your own lane was the only way forward.

"Hey, let me ask you something. Have you met anyone from my family before?"

Venti thought for a moment. "I have. But back then, your family was constantly traveling with the Geo Archon, stabilizing the land and quelling unrest."

"We only saw them more frequently during the times when all seven Archons gathered in Liyue."

"Have you heard of someone called Gu Shen?"

"Of course! That guy was legendary—hailed as peerless in combat. Everyone knew about him."

Venti took another swig. "I remember my old friend mentioning that back in the day, some war-hungry hotheads from Murata's domain refused to believe Gu Shen's reputation. They braved countless dangers to reach Liyue just to challenge him."

"And?"

"They were completely annihilated by Gu Shen, solo. He even appropriated some of their advanced combat techniques under the guise of 'martial exchange' and used them to enhance the Millelith. It was... entertaining."

"Back then, when the Archons visited Liyue, who was the head of my family?"

"Hmm... hard to say. But it definitely wasn't Gu Shen."

Venti gave Gu Sanqiu a once-over, his gaze filled with mild disdain. "One thing's for sure—you're nowhere near Gu Shen's level."

Gu Sanqiu remained expressionless. "Give me another 20 years to develop. Then we'll see if I can beat you senseless."

"Heh, beat me? Not likely. I may not excel in combat like my old friend, but I'm still an Archon."

Venti swayed slightly as he drank. "If you want to beat me, you'll at least need to..."

Gu Sanqiu's eyes lit up. Here it comes—the drunk truth session!

"...bring ten years' worth of fine vintage to Barbatos as tribute. Then you can beat me however you like—even toss me into a frying pan if it pleases you."

Venti smirked triumphantly. "How's that for a deal? Just ten years' worth of good wine, and you'll earn the bragging rights of defeating an Archon~"

For the umpteenth time that day, Gu Sanqiu fell silent. Venti's ability to test one's patience was leagues ahead of people like Hu Tao or Xingqiu.

"Alright, alright, I'm done messing with you," Venti said, setting his bottle aside and taking his first bite of food for the night.

"How about we strike a deal?"

"What kind of deal? What's in it for me?" Gu Sanqiu asked warily.

"Oh, there's something in it for you, alright," Venti said, his eyes gleaming. "How about a chance to spar with a real powerhouse? Interested?"

Gu Sanqiu narrowed his eyes. "This isn't one of those schemes where I do the heavy lifting, and the fight itself is my 'reward,' is it?"

Venti froze, caught off guard.