Genshin Impact: I'm The Envoy of Snezhnaya
Chapter 349: I, Bai Luo, Acknowledge You as the Strongest
"The inverted Statue of the Seven is like the moon reflected in water, or flowers seen in a mirror. It appears illusory, absurd, impossible to understand. Yet if you try to gaze directly at the moon in the water, you'll find that it still emits a gentle glow; and the flower in the mirror still carries a fragrance that soothes the heart."
The flickering candlelight from the tavern ceiling swayed within the wine in the glass.
And Venti's words were rather puzzling.
The moon in water shines? A flower in the mirror has fragrance?
Did he mean that something that appears false might still contain truth?
Or was this drunken bard simply unwilling to reveal too much under the watchful eye of the Tsaritsa, and was therefore spouting something that sounded profound but was actually just nonsense to brush him off?
Bai Luo thought that if he told Venti about how he couldn't see the Statue of the Seven before, he might get something useful out of him.
But reason stopped him from acting on that impulse.
So far, only the Tsaritsa might know about this matter.
He didn't know what kind of trouble it might bring him, nor whether other gods would harbor ill intentions toward him if they learned about it.
After all… the only one who had openly raised a banner of rebellion against Celestia was his Queen.
"I've met Dvalin, in Whispering Woods."
After thinking for a moment, Bai Luo decided to share this information with the Anemo Archon in front of him.
He treated it as a bargaining chip for exchanging intelligence.
"Hmm… my awakening is somewhat related to it as well."
Jean's prayer had merely been a catalyst to awaken Barbatos.
What truly caused him to awaken from his slumber was the crisis appearing in Mondstadt.
"The Abyss was there too. I briefly fought with their Prince. I'm not sure what they're trying to do yet, but when they left, they were pursuing Dvalin."
Did Bai Luo truly not know what the Abyss was planning?
Of course he knew.
But even if he did, he couldn't reveal those things.
He only needed to tell Barbatos what he had seen, and what the Abyss wanted him to see.
After all, Venti had tried to fool him earlier with all that talk about the moon in water and flowers in mirrors.
And Bai Luo held grudges.
"Well then—first expensive wine, and now valuable intelligence. If I want to repay you, it seems I can only offer an ancient and long-forgotten poem."
Venti truly deserved to be called a god who had lived for thousands of years.
When Bai Luo mentioned Dvalin, he didn't show the slightest sign of concern.
It was as if he didn't care about Dvalin's life or death at all.
But Bai Luo knew this was merely Barbatos hiding his concern in front of him.
However, his words also further confirmed Bai Luo's guess: Venti's earlier explanation had indeed been a way of brushing him off.
"There's no need for poetry. Honestly, I didn't really give you anything significant."
Leaving aside the wine, Venti likely already knew about Dvalin.
Bai Luo's words had only further confirmed that the Abyss was involved in the situation.
"Huh? Then how about… treating it as advance payment for the next round of drinks?"
When Venti heard that Bai Luo didn't want to hear his poetry, he scratched the lyre at his waist awkwardly.
Someone this generous was rarer than a bottle of fine apple cider falling from the sky.
If he didn't fleece him a few more times, he'd regret it for a long time.
"You're the Anemo Archon, Barbatos. Surely it's not that bad?"
Although Bai Luo had already seen in the game how poor this slacker god's lifestyle could be, after actually meeting him he realized something.
There really was someone in the world as stingy as himself.
"Well… I did try going to the Cathedral of Favonius as Barbatos to ask for help. Unfortunately, the lady at the door refused to believe me and even chased me away with a broom…"
Venti spread his hands helplessly.
As for whether he really did that… Considering his personality, it honestly seemed completely possible.
"Couldn't you just show a little divine miracle?" Bai Luo asked.
"You wouldn't even need to put on your divine attire, just show a little miracle to the people of the Cathedral of Favonius, like in the story."
After that, forget drinks, he wouldn't have to worry about food or shelter either. He wouldn't even have to fear someone stealing the Mora he earned from "work" while he slept on the streets.
"How could that be acceptable? A god's power isn't meant for showing off. Besides… if they found out I was Barbatos, wouldn't they keep me locked inside the cathedral every day to serve them? My life right now is much better—free and unrestrained."
"..."
No matter how you looked at it, the first half was just an excuse. The second half was clearly his real intention.
In the end, you simply don't want to do any work, you just want to slack off!
You'd rather wander homeless than reveal your identity.
I, Bai 'King of Slacking, Avoids Work, Loves Disappearing' Luo, admit defeat—you're the stronger one.
"By the way, you like apple cider, right?"
After realizing he wouldn't be able to get any more useful information from Venti, Bai Luo had already decided to end the conversation.
As for how to effectively conclude it, he had his own unique method.
"Mm. It has the taste of apples and the flavor of wine. Nothing could be better."
Wine, wind, and apples—these were the three things Venti loved most.
Apple cider combined apples and alcohol together. To him, it was practically a gift from the gods.
"Have you ever heard of Valley Sunset?"
Bai Luo asked while idly playing with the Sunsettia in his hand.
He had heard that name from Kaeya.
Apparently the drink Diona mixed for him that day—the one supposedly "cursed by the spring fairy"—was called Valley Sunset.
Hmm… it paired quite nicely with the name Sunsettia.
"Ah, that. Of course I know it. Though if you replaced the Sunsettia with apples, it would probably be even better."
Valley Sunset was one of the rare non-alcoholic drinks in Mondstadt.
Yet its taste had still conquered many drinkers.
Venti had certainly tried it before.
"Bartender! Could I borrow a juicing tool?"
Looking at Barbatos with a slightly strange expression, Bai Luo decided to show off a little.
The mixing and juicing tools were readily available in Angel's Share.
Normally they required a small usage fee, but considering Bai Luo's identity, the bartender decided to let him use them for free this time.
Skillfully, Bai Luo cut open the Sunsettia and placed it into the juicer.
Before the juice was even extracted, the plump fruit released a sweet aroma that spread through the entire tavern.
"That smell is…"
Originally Venti hadn't been particularly interested in this version of Valley Sunset.
But the fragrance—sweeter even than apples—caught his attention.
Come to think of it… the Sunsettia, which grows all across Teyvat, is also described in poetry as a beautiful gift given by the gods to humanity.
"Valley Sunset. But now I prefer to call it 'Anemo Archon's Drunken Dream.' One glass will make you sleep for three days."
After adding plenty of mint leaves and lemon slices, Bai Luo placed the drink in front of Venti.
It's worth mentioning that when he said "sleep for three days," he spoke so quickly that it almost sounded like "be drunk for three days."
"Then I won't hold back."
Venti picked up the drink.
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Latest Chapter: Chapter 391: Never Make a Deal with Bai Luo[1]
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