In Teyvat, it all begins with rescuing the grass god.

Then he mentioned something else.

"The stone that Lord Kripps used back then is called the Evil Eye, a false god's eye specially developed by the Fools."

"This artificially synthesized pseudo-divine eye can grant users the ability to use elemental power, amplifying their abilities to the extreme. However, it also carries the risk of backlash. If one's physical strength is insufficient, it is easy to lose one's life by using the evil eye."

Evil eye.

Diluc knew this name all too well.

After his argument with Ylock years ago, Diluc, in a fit of anger, abandoned the Eye of God, left the Knights of Favonius, and began traveling across the continent in search of the truth of what happened back then.

The secret of the Evil Eye was gradually uncovered during this process.

Ultimately, he was targeted by the Fatui Enforcers and accidentally stumbled into their ambush, where he was severely injured. If it weren't for the Observer rescuing him, Diluc would not exist in Mondstadt today.

Thanks to the underground intelligence organization in the North Continent where the Observer is located, Diluc has gained a clearer and more thorough understanding of the Fatui's actions over the years.

It was precisely through these years of training within the organization that I gained this experience.

He no longer has the impulsiveness he once had.

Therefore, after a brief moment of anger, Diluc calmed down and asked in a deep voice, "What exactly is your purpose in spreading these rumors? Don't try to fool me with such a ridiculous reason as fighting back against the Fools."

"hehe."

"I knew I couldn't fool you."

Rhodes chuckled and said frankly, "I want you to have some conflict with that Fatui executor, the bigger the better, so that she can no longer focus her attention on Mondstadt."

"Oh?"

Diluc naturally wouldn't agree immediately, but instead stared at Rhodes with a scrutinizing gaze: "Using these so-called 'rumors' as a reason?"

"Isn't that enough?"

Rod laughed and said, "This is the truth about your father's death."

Diluc pondered for a moment before replying, "It was enough before, but not now."

He spoke with a firm tone and solemnity: "Mondstadt needs a night hero to protect it, not a reckless man who will clash with a powerful enemy out of momentary anger and bring unbearable consequences to Mondstadt."

Diluc is not afraid of the Fools.

But the Knights of Favonius are not an option.

In terms of diplomacy.

They communicated with the Fatui in a soft, coy manner that Diluc found utterly distasteful.

Therefore, even though Diluc can openly clash with the Fatui, he still has to consider whether the diplomatically weak Knights of Favonius will be bullied.

"Tsk."

The news that Diluc had given up on avenging his father and was now focused on protecting Mondstadt caught Rhodes completely off guard.

He was originally quite confident.

I believe that once Diluc knows the truth about what happened back then, he will definitely choose to avenge his father.

Fortunately.

He has a backup plan.

"So."

"What if I told you that the Fools have already found Barbatos, the god of the winds, and are secretly watching him, ready to attack him at any moment?"

This is yet another trump card for Rhodes.

Diluc, aren't you focused on protecting Mondstadt and no longer dwelling on the past?

If I told you now that Fengshen is being targeted, would you still maintain this detached attitude?

The effect of this message was indeed immediate.

Diluc, who was just moments ago so resolute.

Upon hearing the news that the wind god Barbatos had been targeted by the Fools, his expression changed immediately, but then his brows relaxed, and he calmly said, "The wind god is a deity, and he is absolutely not someone that those mortal Fools can harm."

Excessive worship of gods was a common practice among the Teyvats.

In particular, Barbatos is portrayed in the biographies and legends of Mondstadt as a god who performed numerous miracles and achieved great victories.

It's hard to believe that a god would be in danger if he were targeted by a mortal.

"Then let me tell you, I also found the wind god Barbatos, but he has only just recovered from five hundred years of injuries, and his strength is extremely weak. He can barely even protect himself."

Whether Diluc believes it or not, just say it first and then improvise.

This is Rhodes's current logic.

and this.

This did indeed make Diluc frown once again.

"You're saying that the Wind God is now so weak that he can't even protect himself?"

Diluc didn't believe Rhodes's words, and his skepticism was very strong.

Rhodes then presented another piece of evidence: "If the Wind God really had the power, then why did he use me and Ying to drive away the Wind Demon Dragon instead of doing it himself?"

"You should also know that Stormterror is Dvalin, the Dragon of the East Wind, right?"

"Then let's look at it from the perspective of the wind god."

"To deal with such a weakened Dongfeng Dragon."

"Is it better for him to personally appease Dvalin, or for someone like me, who doesn't know how to use force, to forcibly expel Dvalin?"

This statement sounds flawless, with no loopholes whatsoever.

The only thing that can be criticized.

Just

"Are you sure the person you found is Barbatos, the god of wind?"

"Or."

"Is the person the Fools found necessarily Barbatos, the god of wind?"

Diluc's suspicions were entirely valid.

He could believe that the Wind God had just recovered from his serious injury and his strength had not yet returned, and he could also believe that the Wind God was currently being targeted by villains and was in a dangerous situation.

But I want him to believe that.

The prerequisite is that the person must be a real wind god.

If not.

No matter how much Narod says, it's all in vain; it will only waste manpower and resources.

Regarding such questions.

Rhodes pointed to the void terminal behind him and said with a smile.

"I am very sure."

"Pretty sure."

"And he's right here beside me now, relying on me for protection."

“Lord Diluc, I am the messenger of the Grass God. Kaeya told you, didn’t he? When it comes to recognizing gods, no one in Mondstadt is more professional than me right now.”

The fact that the messenger of the grass god can recognize the gods is indeed a good reason.

But this is not critical.

What really bothered Diluc was...

Is the Wind God right next to Rhodes?

Diluc immediately thought of the guy who had been following Rhodes these past two days, the bard who often went to his family's tavern for drinks and whose face looked so youthful that he didn't seem like an adult.

"Wendy and I have already agreed on a way to appease Dvalin and resolve the dragon plague."

"But the Fools' clandestine spying is very troublesome."

"They put a lot of diplomatic pressure on Chin and are also looking for an opportunity to sabotage our plan to appease Dvalin in order to target Aeolus. These are all troublesome issues."

"The rumors I helped Qin create."

"The purpose is not to make you fight the Fatui to the death, but to let you use this incident to attack the Fatui, to keep that executor occupied, and to prevent her from attacking Wendy at will."

Rhodes revealed his true plans and intentions.

As for the matter of revealing Wendy's identity.

He had asked Wendy before.

The answer they received was that if it was someone involved in appeasing Tvalin, then they could tell them their identity.

This almost certainly narrows it down to Diluc, Jean, and Luminous Paimon.

After openly revealing Venti's identity to Diluc, Rhodes said to him again, "It is very important to keep that Executor in check. Her malice towards Venti is beyond your imagination. I cannot guarantee that I can protect Venti at all times. Moreover, I am only here to help you deal with the Dragon Plague. Afterwards, I will still leave and return to Sumeru. So it is best for you Mondstadt people to do this yourselves."

After listening, Diluc remained silent for a moment before saying, "The person monitoring you, is actually monitoring him?"

"Ah."

"You disposed of him?"

Since tonight, Rhodes has no longer noticed the watchful gaze in the shadows. He initially thought it was the nun who did it, but now, after hearing Diluc's words, it seems that he did it himself.

Diluc's answer confirmed this.

"Anyway."

"You are the hero who drove away the Stormterror."

"From both a moral and logical standpoint, I cannot stand by and watch the Fools plot against you."

Very official answer.

Rhodes nodded: "The Fatui problem is a minor matter. Kaeya should have told you that there are still people from the Abyss lurking in Mondstadt, right?"

"He said that."