Genshin Impact's Incense Burner Of Liyue [350]

Venti sighed and rubbed his temples. Once again, Gu Sanqiu had shown him what it meant to "hoist one's own petard."

If he hadn't helped the kid grasp the power of the laws, would Gu Sanqiu even have noticed anything different today?

"Well, yeah, I guess we had a bit of a scuffle," Venti said, puffing up his chest. "Andrius said your medical skills were trash and that you were recklessly poking around. I was shielding you from disaster, you know!"

He tilted his chin smugly at Gu Sanqiu.

"You should respect and thank your elder, little nephew. A lifetime free pass to Angel's Share would suffice."

...

How much would it cost to sponsor a drunkard's lifetime supply of unlimited booze? Especially considering this guy's lifespan was measured in millennia. Angel's Share probably wouldn't even last that long.

Gu Sanqiu glanced at Venti, his expression unreadable.

"Is that so?"

Without a word, Gu Sanqiu pulled out a pile of "souvenirs" from Wolvendom—wolf teeth and claws that had naturally fallen off. They were excellent materials for forging weapons.

These had been gifted to him after he treated the wolves, making them perfect evidence to refute Venti's claim.

Venti's eyes widened. "They gave you those?"

"What else? You think I yanked them out while pretending to treat cavities?"

Gu Sanqiu packed the items away. "They might not compare to the materials bathed in leyline energies from domains, but they're still pretty valuable forging materials. In simple terms, worth quite a lot."

Among the collection was even a tooth shed by Boreas himself. That wasn't just a forging material—it was a collectible.

If I flash this in front of the old man, he might not spill ancient secrets under the guise of "reading old texts," but I could probably wring a small fortune out of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.

Gu Sanqiu's thoughts began to wander.

Hmm… that's actually a solid plan.

Wait.

Incense burner alert.

If I overprice it, there's a good chance that girl with the Staff of Homa will come knocking at my door. Forget Mora; I'd probably end up getting extorted by that little rascal instead.

Probability: 80–90%.

Gu "Waking Wallet Consciousness" Sanqiu.

"What are you spacing out about?" Venti's voice snapped him back to reality. "During the trial, you seemed to have a mental breakthrough. Don't tell me you're experiencing side effects now?"

"Not a chance. My mental and physical states are always perfectly aligned."

Gu Sanqiu waved his hand lightly, sending a group of slimes tumbling into the shade of a tree with invisible force.

"Even if there's excess energy, I'm refining it with the power of the laws. Painful, sure, but it's manageable."

Venti raised an eyebrow. "You even know how to do that? But using a law power focused on emotions to refine your mind… aren't you worried about losing it?"

The name of the technique Gu Sanqiu had mentioned clearly pointed to a law power steeped in negativity. Using such a power to refine one's mind seemed like asking for trouble.

"How do you normally manage it?" Gu Sanqiu asked.

"Heh, we don't need to bother with that."

Venti grinned. "Our mental energy is naturally in harmony with the power of the laws."

"If I had to explain it, I'd say your current state is like a cocoon ready to become a butterfly. Our mental energy, though? Already butterfly-level."

Gu Sanqiu nodded. This sort of innate advantage wasn't something to envy. He was practical about such things.

"Have you ever thought about going further? From butterfly to celestial dragon?"

"That's not something I can share with you."

Venti winked playfully. "Little nephew, you're already delving into things far beyond what most Gu clan descendants ever touch."

"Most descendants…" Gu Sanqiu frowned. "I only know about Gu Shen and Gu Sheng. If you know more, why not share?"

"I'm the Archon of Mondstadt, remember? I don't know much about Liyue affairs."

Venti shrugged. "You know about your family's sacred lineage, but I've only heard of one other Gu clan member—a girl. Quite pretty, too."

"A girl? What's her name?"

Gender didn't matter to Gu Sanqiu; he just wanted to know if she had any juicy secrets.

"Her name… I think it was Gu Wen, or maybe Gu Shuwen. Not too sure."

Venti scratched his head. "Anyway, she was anything but ladylike or quiet. Want to know how I learned her name? That little girl once dumped something bizarre into Azhdaha's mouth, and the enraged dragon chased her all the way to Mondstadt."

"She looked like a wild lunatic, hair flying everywhere. And since your dragon king has an agreement not to step foot in Mondstadt, she stood at the border apologizing profusely. She almost ended up clinging to his leg, wailing."

...

Gu Sanqiu was silent.

Oh.

If he wasn't mistaken, this was the "Abyss-tier Dark Cuisine Master" Xiao had once mentioned. She had a track record of breaking the mighty Rex Lapis' composure with her culinary disasters.

The kind of food that makes your knees weak just by the smell.

He'd thought the ancestor who built carriages for Rex Lapis and roped Azhdaha into pulling them was outrageous enough. But this one? She might just top the "Gu Clan Hall of Infamy."

"Gu Wen, or Gu Shuwen. Got it."

Time to "ask the old man casually" (scratch that).

Time to "tactfully hint at it" with the old man instead!

"Oh, by the way, little nephew."

Gu Sanqiu immediately tensed. "What now? You're not about to throw me into another absurdly difficult mission, are you?"

"Can we at least have some trust between us?"

"Clearly not. I was only supposed to check on Dvalin, and that turned into fighting him. Why would I trust you?"

Venti sighed. "This is about something else—Wolvendom. What do you think? Could the environment here be improved?"

Compared to the rest of Mondstadt, Wolvendom certainly had its own distinct—if bleak—character.

"That's a tall order. I'm not on your level, and you should probably ask the old man. He's the Geo Archon—boosting land vitality should be a simple wave of his hand."

"Your old man isn't exactly great at that. For something like this, the best at it would probably be…"

Venti trailed off, then shook his head. "Never mind. Let me change the subject. Are you free in a few months?"

"If it's for drinks at Angel's Share or out in the wild, sure. Anything else? Pass."

Venti clapped Gu Sanqiu on the shoulder. "Don't be so rigid! How about visiting Mondstadt in a few months?"

"If there are no surprises, something surprising will definitely happen."

Gu Sanqiu's lips twitched. "If it's a surprise, why would I come? Got nothing better to do?"

Though… a few months?

Could it be about the Traveler?

Does this guy somehow know the precise timing of Lumine's arrival? Some kind of divination prodigy?