On the grassy peak of Tianheng Mountain, the fragrance of apple wine—brewed from Mondstadt apples—drifted gently with the breeze.
An old friend, absent for centuries, stood tall in the wind, his features clear and unchanged.
"Buying osmanthus wine to share,
Yet it's never again like youthful days of roaming…"
Zhongli took the apple wine Venti offered. The familiar taste bloomed slowly across his tongue, just as it had a thousand years ago when he drank with old companions.
Sadly, many of those companions had long since faded into the unreachable years.
"Thousands of years have passed. Of the original Seven Archons, only you and I remain. All others have lost much to time. Old man… I hear you go by the name Zhongli now, living as a mortal?"
Though centuries had gone by, their faces were unchanged. Yet the scars of erosion and the weight of regret ensured they were no longer as spirited as in the past.
Even the once rigid Morax, the "stubborn old man," had changed.
Venti sighed as he sat cross-legged, placing eight bottles of wine around them, as if to recreate the long-ago feasts with friends.
"The Geo Archon has lingered in the mortal world long enough. Perhaps the duties you bore are already complete. Even gods cannot change everything. It's time this world passed into human hands."
Zhongli's deep amber eyes reflected wistful emotion as he gazed at the other wine jars.
The two sat for a long while. Only after finishing their drinks did the nameless heaviness in their hearts fade somewhat.
"It's been centuries since I last visited Liyue. Take me there, will you? Let me taste some food—see if they have anything that goes well with wine."
Venti shook off his melancholy and once again became the carefree, unruly Anemo Archon of old.
Business as a bard hadn't been good lately, and he hadn't eaten proper side dishes in a long while. Even this wine came from a cache he'd buried at Windrise a millennium ago.
It was meant for a reunion feast—but in the end, only he and Morax were left to drink.
"…Barbatos now carries Mora with him?" Zhongli asked curiously.
Venti scratched his head. "Eheh… This is Liyue, after all."
Zhongli: "..."
Just from that look, Zhongli understood—he had no Mora.
The Anemo Archon of Mondstadt, traveling without Mora and freeloading meals from colleagues? Ahem… though he himself rarely carried Mora either.
"Well… I do have one food item. Perhaps you'll find it interesting."
After a thought, Zhongli pulled out a pack of instant noodles Hu Tao had given him.
Not for their flavor, but because Hu Tao already knew his identity. Taking Barbatos out for an extravagant meal might be… awkward to expense.
Even an old god like him still had some "divine pride" to maintain, however minor.
"…This?"
Venti stared at the two tubs of spicy beef noodles, utterly baffled.
"Morax, old man—we haven't met in 500 years, and this is what you bring out? Instant noodles to entertain a divine guest? Where's the dignity of the Geo Archon?"
"Does Mondstadt have these now?" Zhongli asked.
Venti spread his hands. "No, but I've already visited Blue Star. Ate these long ago."
"You too went to Blue Star?" Zhongli was surprised.
He had assumed Mondstadt's crisis with the dragon was due to Barbatos being asleep. Never did he imagine Venti had not only awakened but even traveled to Blue Star.
"Your power…" Zhongli's gaze grew sharp.
Venti chuckled lazily. "Weaker than before, huh? Your strength, though… seems fine. But that's not the point. I came not only to see an old friend, but also to tell you something important."
"Oh?"
"About erosion," Venti said, suddenly serious. "On Blue Star, erosion weakens. If in Teyvat it's 100%, there it's only 5%."
Though gods lived long, erosion from Celestia hung over them like a sword.
Venti had once fallen into deep slumber trying to lessen its toll. Zhongli too had felt its grinding through millennia.
But in Blue Star, erosion was different—gentle, like the soft touch of time, not torment.
"…Such a thing exists?"
Already planning retirement, Zhongli found himself even more tempted.
"I lived there a while—no mistake," Venti said thoughtfully. "Mondstadt now runs fine without me. Perhaps soon, I'll live in Blue Star instead of sleeping to avoid erosion. I'll still return when needed—but otherwise, I'll stay there."
"If erosion can be avoided, Blue Star is worth considering. If given the chance, I'd like to see it myself," Zhongli murmured.
Yes… the plan must move forward quickly.
"You'll definitely get the chance. Ken should appear in Liyue soon. If he doesn't invite you, I'll introduce you myself," Venti said cheerfully.
"He's already here," Zhongli replied with a faint smile.
He had even invited Zhongli's "boss" to visit Blue Star.
Zhongli had long been curious about Ken. Now, hearing about erosion, he was even more so.
"Oh? Moving fast. Let's have him buy us drinks then—he's rich, after all." Venti grinned.
Zhongli: "A reasonable proposal."
Whether Ken was rich or not, it was only right he treat them. Strictly speaking, he owed Zhongli a favor anyway.
Thinking of Tartaglia, Zhongli glanced at Venti. "And your Gnosis?"
"I traded it to the Tsaritsa. Just like you, eh?" Venti said with a laugh. "So my second reason for coming—was to eat at the Geo Archon's banquet."
Zhongli: "..."
"I'll stay a few days. Best if Mr. Ken comes too. He's rich, unlike us broke gods. Then we can eat and drink properly."
Zhongli: "..."
Looking at Venti's smug face, Zhongli suddenly wanted to summon a stone spear.
Why did everyone want to "eat his banquet"? It was supposed to be serious!
Still… considering Hu Tao's impatient nature, now that she had secured the shop, she would probably drag Ken to open it tomorrow. Meeting him then wouldn't be bad.
He had been curious for some time.
…
The Next Morning
After staying up late handling business and interacting online with fans, Ken had gone to bed far too late. Though he didn't technically need sleep, old habits were hard to break.
And it was the fans' fault—their passion for Genshin Impact was overwhelming.
After playing through so many storylines, they were practically feverish. Many flocked to Ken's account and Star Dome's official page, hoping for new videos or cosplays.
But lately, Ken hadn't posted. The official account uploaded plenty, but not with real cosplay interactions. Fans were anxious.
So last night, Ken finally replied—promising to cosplay Barbatos in the upcoming preview livestream. Excitement skyrocketed.
One thing led to another, and it was nearly dawn before he rested.
"Hmm? Mr. Ken isn't up yet?"
At that moment, Hu Tao—bound to Ken by contract—appeared at his villa through a vortex gate, just as he'd shown her. The house was quiet.
"Hehe… guess I'll give him the Director's wake-up service."
Her eyes gleamed mischievously as she crept toward his bedroom.
The door creaked. She slipped inside, peeking around.
The room was spacious, curtains drawn, dimly lit. On the bed lay Ken, asleep.
"Hehe…"
Giggling, Hu Tao tiptoed to his bedside. She stretched a hand toward his nose, ready to pinch—
But just before she touched him, his eyes snapped open. His hand shot out, seizing her arm, and with a dizzying twist—
She found herself pinned beneath him on the bed.
"Director Hu, sneaking into my room… what exactly are you trying to do?"
Ken looked down at her with a faint, teasing smile.
Not to mention his heightened senses—his system's alerts alone made sneaking up impossible.
"Uh…"
Even the mischievous Hu Tao was caught off guard, speechless under such compromising circumstances.
"You'd better explain yourself," Ken said, releasing her as he calmly put on his coat.
He had done it deliberately—to give her a warning. Otherwise, her pranks would never end.
Hu Tao, flushed, leapt back up and pouted only once she was at a safe distance. "The shop's ready! I came to take you to the opening!"
"…Alright." Ken wasn't surprised.
He had already arranged shipments for Liyue after witnessing Zhongli freeload Tartaglia yesterday.
"You don't seem surprised. Too fast for you, no?" Hu Tao narrowed her eyes.
Ken answered smoothly: "Forgot? I'm the great prophet. Of course I knew."
"Ohh~ That's right, I almost forgot! You are the great prophet!"
Hu Tao smacked her forehead, plum-blossom eyes sparkling as she stared at Ken—unabashed, even as he casually changed clothes before her.
Only when he reached for his trousers did she, finally realizing the impropriety, scamper off to the living room to wait.
After finishing up, Ken grabbed breakfast, collected goods from the warehouse with Hu Tao, and headed to Liyue Harbor.
But when they arrived at the shop… Ken froze at the scene before him.
"…Uh—"