"Jiang Yan, you're in Mondstadt and you didn't even tell me?"
"If I hadn't happened to come to the restaurant for a meal, I wouldn't have known you'd already arrived."
Venti shot Jiang Yan a slightly aggrieved look, then found a seat beside them.
"I only got to Jingfu Port today,"
Jiang Yan shrugged, then pointed at Barbatos.
"I didn't even have time to send you a message before he dragged me off."
Hearing this, Venti looked at Barbatos with some helplessness.
"You, honestly…"
Venti shook his head and teased with a smile,
"Just now, our Lord of the Wind was this close to ending up singing on the streets to pay off his debt~"
"Wuwuwu, Venti~ this time I really have you to thank…"
Barbatos grabbed Venti's hand, speaking pitifully.
"And whose fault was it that you refused the money when I tried to give it to you?"
Venti rolled his eyes.
Others might not know his true identity, but as Barbatos's close friend, Venti certainly did.
Back in Mondstadt's early days, Barbatos had returned political power to the people.
But he loved drinking—and had no money of his own.
So in order to buy alcohol, Barbatos would often go to taverns to recite poetry and sing songs in exchange for a little income.
Naturally, Venti couldn't stand to see that.
The God of Wind, reduced to singing in taverns—what kind of image was that?
At first, Venti had wanted to simply give Barbatos money so he wouldn't have to sing anymore.
But Barbatos refused, insisting that wine bought with money earned through labor tasted best…
Listening to Venti's explanation, Jiang Yan looked at Barbatos with some helplessness.
This guy really was something else.
"Let's see if you'll dare to treat people blindly next time. I thought you were loaded,"
Jiang Yan teased Barbatos.
"Ehe!"
Barbatos just chuckled.
After lunch, Venti and Barbatos took Jiang Yan on a proper tour around Mondstadt City.
Since the Ministry of Civil Affairs from Liyue and the Millelith were still over at Jingfu Port, Jiang Yan's solo visit this time didn't count as an official state visit.
Only when he returned tomorrow with the Ministry officials would the formal diplomatic visit truly begin.
For now, he was simply here as their friend, enjoying Mondstadt.
Time passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, evening arrived.
It was about time for Jiang Yan to head back to Jingfu Port to find where the Ministry of Civil Affairs was staying.
Originally, Venti and Barbatos wanted to treat him to dinner as well,
but Jiang Yan waved it off.
After all, he'd spent the whole day having fun, while the Ministry officials and the Millelith were still waiting for him at Jingfu Port.
He really couldn't keep playing around.
Seeing the reluctant looks on their faces, Jiang Yan couldn't help but laugh.
"Come on, it's not like I'm not coming back."
"Isn't tomorrow the same?"
"That's different!"
Barbatos suddenly said.
"The person coming tomorrow is the Tianquan of Liyue, the Wood Spirit Immortal Lord."
"Not our friend, Jiang Yan,"
Venti added.
Jiang Yan froze for a moment, then smiled.
"Whether as the Tianquan of Liyue, or as Jiang Yan—
I'm still your friend, aren't I?"
"..."
This time, Venti and Barbatos were left speechless.
After all, he'd already said it that clearly.
"Instead of trying to keep me here, you'd better think about tomorrow's visit,"
Jiang Yan said with a smile.
"After all, the Tianquan of Liyue isn't exactly easy to talk to."
That was absolutely true.
In Inazuma, he beat up the Raiden Shogun.
In Sumeru, he beat up the Dendro Dragon King.
In Natlan, he beat up their elite forces…
No matter where Jiang Yan went, something always happened.
The only exception was Snezhnaya, where things were relatively peaceful.
And that wasn't Jiang Yan's fault.
The first Cryo Archon was simply too gentle. A god so benevolent and compassionate—
even Jiang Yan had no desire to stir up trouble when facing someone like her.
After all, you can't pick a fight with someone who hasn't provoked you.
As for Mondstadt, Jiang Yan had no intention of causing trouble.
But Mondstadt's governing style—whether it was Jean's Mondstadt from his past life's storyline, or the Mondstadt under Venti right now—felt strangely similar.
That wouldn't do!
The aristocracy hadn't even been overthrown yet, and Mondstadt was already raising a bunch of oversized babies?
Tomorrow, he absolutely had to give the Three Great Families a harsh dressing-down!
Sure enough, the moment Jiang Yan said that, Venti and Barbatos's expressions changed.
They remembered how, back when Jiang Yan came during Mondstadt's early days to establish diplomacy, he had ruthlessly lectured them over their governance strategies.
So much so that even now, some aristocrats would go pale just hearing Jiang Yan was coming.
"Um… when you come tomorrow…"
Barbatos asked weakly,
"what exactly are you planning to talk about…?"
Venti also looked at Jiang Yan nervously.
Jiang Yan just smiled at them.
"Relax, it's nothing major."
"Just prepare yourselves mentally."
Those words landed like a heavy hammer in their hearts.
Disaster.
This guy was serious.
Barbatos was already thinking about how to slip away.
As the vanished God of Wind, maybe it wouldn't matter if he didn't show his face?
But Venti was doomed.
He could already picture himself tomorrow, humbly standing there, getting chewed out.
Jiang Yan didn't care what they were thinking. He simply said,
"I'll be heading off then. See you tomorrow."
"See you tomorrow,"
Venti and Barbatos replied, nodding.
Jiang Yan turned around, rose into the air, and shot off toward Jingfu Port at full speed.
"This is bad. I'm definitely getting scolded tomorrow…"
Venti said with a mournful face.
"Sigh, I'd better go inform the aristocrats first,"
Barbatos sighed.
"After all, it won't just be you—none of them will escape either."
"Let's just hope Jiang Yan goes a little easy on us tomorrow."
Venti nodded and turned toward the city.
He needed to hurry and warn Mondstadt's nobles.
As for Barbatos, now that he was free, he rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"Hmm… where should I get properly drunk tonight?"
"Ehe!"
—
At Jingfu Port, Jiang Yan quickly located where the Ministry of Civil Affairs and the others were staying using his cosmic perception.
"Get some good rest. Tomorrow we head to Mondstadt City."
After issuing his orders, the Millelith and the Ministry officials finally relaxed and went to rest.
Since the schedule was already set, there was nothing for them to worry about.
All they had to do was follow behind their Tianquan.
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