Genshin Impact's Sweet and Hard Free People

"You're a minute late for the appointment. Looks like you're having a good time living with that Boss Xinhui." Ningguang covered her smile with her folding fan, not forgetting to tease him.

"Speak, what's so important that you had to inform me yesterday?" She was already used to Ningguang's investigation, so she simply kept a serious expression and ignored Ningguang's gaze.

Heh~

As expected, Ningguang scoffed, but with important matters at hand, her expression became serious and dignified.

She pinched a letter from the drawer below and flicked it across the table with just two fingers.

“Take a look,” Ningguang said softly.

The red seal on the envelope was no longer intact, indicating that Ningguang had already opened the letter, which was not surprising.

However, to Keqing's surprise, the lower right corner of the envelope was clearly engraved with the fleur-de-lis crest of the Knights of Favonius of Mondstadt...

Chapter 55 If you are trapped in a windless place

"This is... the Knights of Favonius of Mondstadt?" Keqing was naturally very puzzled. She held the letter in her hand and carefully examined the fleur-de-lis crest on it. "Why would they send a letter to the Seven Stars?"

Seeing Ningguang remain silent, Keqing glanced at her with a slightly furrowed expression and could only open the letter first.

Inside was a pure white sheet of paper, engraved with ink-like handwriting.

Dear Liyue Seven Stars, Ningguang of Tianquan, greetings!

I am Jean, the acting Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius in Mondstadt.

As you can see, this is a letter from the Knights of Favonius. When you receive this letter, you should already know what I am about to tell you.

Meanwhile, the Knights of Favonius have also learned of the disasters that have occurred in Dragonspine and the Laminar Falls, so what I'm about to say is not good news either.

According to the Knights of Favonius's investigation, the Wind Sea in the western part of the continent has experienced unusual activity. The winds that have not flowed for thousands of years are surging again in the Wind Sea. If the Wind Sea becomes turbulent as a result, it will inevitably affect the entire continent of Teyvat.

I had intended to personally lead the Knights to the Sea of ​​Ashes to investigate, but Grand Master Falgar's expedition was not yet over, and the Knights were short-handed, plunging me into deep anxiety.

Therefore, the Knights of Favonius plan to launch a joint operation with the Liyue Septim, the specific actions of which are as follows:

……

……

The safety of the continent now rests in our hands, under the protection of the gods. To protect the people of Mondstadt and Liyue from disaster, the acting Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius requests the assistance of the Liyue Sept.

I eagerly await your reply.

……

Ke Qing read it with a tense feeling, and when she finished reading the whole letter, she fell into deep thought.

After a few breaths, she slowly spoke: "It seems that the expedition led by Falgar, the Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius, took away four-fifths of the Knights' strength, didn't it?"

“Yes, so it’s understandable that they are short-handed right now.” Tianquan Ningguang nodded slightly.

"Then we..."

Ningguang's crimson eyes seemed to shimmer with a pale yellow light as she softly said, "It's time to make such preparations. You and I must be on standby at all times. For the people of Liyue, nothing can be lost."

……

Just as Ningguang and Keqing were discussing the feasibility of this joint operation, in the distant city of Mondstadt, a girl with short blonde hair and her adorable floating companion learned from Flora and Irene, the shopkeepers of the [Flower Language] shop, about an adventurer named [Stanley] who was famous throughout Mondstadt.

Both Ying and Paimon expressed great interest in Stanley's story.

"Jack and Mr. Stanley went on an adventure to the Temple of the Lion of the South. He's a legendary adventurer renowned throughout Mondstadt, who once reached the Sea of ​​Ashes. We had planned to discuss our adventure tonight... Could you please tell him we'd meet another day?"

Eileen was so focused on practicing that she forgot what she was supposed to do, and now she was too tired to move. So she asked Ying and her group to pass on a message to Jack.

At this moment, Ying is not only accompanied by Paimon, but also by a boy-like figure named Wendy.

Wendy has short black hair with two small, gradually fading green braids hanging down her sides. Her clothes are similar to those of an elemental spirit, with the blue stripes now appearing as patterns on her body, replaced by gold stripes and decorations. The wings on her back have transformed into two pure white feathers connected to her cloak. She wears a Baroque-style outfit, a green cloak, and a Cecilia flower pinned to the brim of her hat.

Aside from Luminous and Paimon, almost no one knows that Wendy's youthful appearance hides the image of Barbatos, the god of wind.

As for delivering the message, Ying and Paimon naturally accepted the task, and Wendy nodded approvingly, also wanting to see just how amazing this so-called Stanley really was.

The group arrived at the Temple of the Lion of the South Wind. Contrary to their expectations, they encountered two reckless individuals who had been attacked by monsters and nearly lost their lives.

"Huff...huff..." The adventurer named Stanley was still panting heavily after being rescued by Ying. He and the boy named Jack beside him were both wearing the same green adventurer uniforms.

Ying carefully examined the two men. Stanley was a middle-aged man with brown hair and a thin face covered with brown sideburns, while Jack next to him looked young, wearing a white and green hat and carrying a large light yellow backpack, which seemed to be their luggage.

Both of them looked somewhat frightened, standing in front of these ancient black stone bricks, still not recovered from the battle they had just fought.

Young Jack said with lingering fear, "I thought I was going to die!"

Wendy chuckled and replied, "It was indeed just a little bit short. By the way, you must be the adventurer Jack, right?"

Wendy stared directly at Jack with her emerald green eyes, waving her arms and speaking politely.

"Yes, may I ask who you are...?" Jack seemed to have never seen Wendy before.

Paimon: "We've come to find you."

Wendy continued, "Eileen asked us to give you a message: he can't discuss the adventure plans with you today; it'll have to be another day."

Jack could only apologize profusely: "Uh... I see. I'm so sorry to have troubled you to come all the way here to find me... and even saved me."

At this moment, Stanley, who was standing to the side, said disdainfully, "Ha! Mind your own business! There's no need to help at all. Do you think I, Stanley, can't handle such a simple situation?"

He seemed to have regained his composure, as if he hadn't taken the dangerous situation he had just experienced seriously at all.

"Wow, you're the legendary adventurer who's famous throughout Mondstadt and once reached the Sea of ​​Ashes!" Paimon exclaimed in disbelief as he listened to his self-narration.

Their conversation echoed through the empty temple, and upon hearing Paimon's exclamation, the middle-aged man named Stanley immediately crossed his arms and proudly admitted, "That's right, I am Stanley!"

After hearing this, Wendy placed her right hand on her chest as a sign of politeness: "Haha, it's an honor to meet such a legendary figure. So, everyone, what are your plans now? Moving forward? Or turning back?"

“Haha, young man, the man with you is none other than Stanley, the renowned adventurer of Mondstadt! Is there any need to turn back?” Stanley became serious, while Jack beside him looked somewhat worried, as if he was still concerned about whether there would be any danger in the adventure ahead.

Since it passed unanimously, the group decided to raid the ruins together.

In reality, they were just some Hilichurls with battle axes and shields, and some Hilichurls who fired Frost Stones. To Luminous and Paimon, it was child's play.

Throughout the journey, Jack continued to extol Stanley's story, and Stanley seemed to get more and more excited as he talked, emphasizing his identity as a "great adventurer" as if afraid that others would forget Stanley's achievements.

However, his constant emphasis on this only gave people a strange feeling—this Stanley seemed somewhat unrealistic compared to the one in the story.

Of course, Stanley dismissed Ying and Paimon's doubts with disdain.

"Hmph, let's continue with my adventures with my companions, Jack. Where were we?"

Jack chimed in, "The legendary Sea of ​​Ashes is completely empty; it's terrifying!"

Stanley: "Yes! There was an ear-piercing silence there, and the [sea] as far as the eye could see was made entirely of ash. It was terrifying! My companion was nearly swept away by the whirlpool created by the monsters, thank goodness I held on tight to him!"

To be honest, Stanley is quite a storyteller; his husky voice really manages to convey the sense of suspense.

Jack: "Whoa! Is he alright?"

"It's a pity... that I'm the only one who will ever set foot on my homeland again, letting the wind blow away the tears from my eyes..."

"..."

In this story, Ying and her companions reach the end of the temple ruins.

Paimon then asked curiously, "Speaking of which, why do they keep emphasizing that you can't die in a place without wind? Is it because of this reason that Stanley described the windless 'Sea of ​​Ashes' as the most terrifying place?"

Paimon was unaware that for the Mondstadt people, who valued freedom of religion, the wind was a spiritual symbol. Therefore, it would be a sad and lamentable situation if a place of burial were devoid of wind.

At that moment, Wendy whispered to Luminous and Paimon, "Traveler, I've made a small discovery. Could you please turn on the detector?"

The so-called detector is actually more like a monocle, which Wendy borrowed from Lisa to play with, and it can see other people's "imaginary friends".

After Wendy had Ying turn on the detector, when they looked at Stanley using the monocle, they were surprised to find that the [Imaginary Friend] standing next to him looked remarkably like himself.

Wendy examined him closely and said, "It seems his friend is a seasoned warrior... covered in scars, with a very resolute expression. Is his imaginary friend an idealized version of himself?"

"Interesting, but is that really the case?"

At this moment, Stanley also said goodbye to them, and then calmly left, step by step.

Ying was about to leave with Wendy when Jack called them back again.

He said that a few days ago, Mr. Stanley got drunk and told him some secrets that no one else knew.

Stanley's weapons during his adventures were the relics of the great hero Vanessa: the Sword of Brilliant Courage and the Shield of Radiant Will. Both weapons are currently hidden within Mondstadt, in Dadaupa Valley.

Jack's idea is to have Ying help him find these two artifacts. If he can find something powerful enough to prove himself, then Jack's family might support him becoming an adventurer.

Because he is still a newcomer with insufficient abilities, and his father and mother strongly oppose his ideals, he needs to be eager to gain their approval. Obviously, Jack also sees this as a way to achieve this.

Furthermore, Jack stated that once he found the two artifacts, he would return them to Stanley immediately after using them.

It was a rather humble request from a young boy, which made Paimon and Ying feel a surge of sympathy, and they both felt that they should help Jack.

However, Wendy was deep in thought and didn't really want to go, until Jack reminded her and promised, "Two years ago I had someone get me a bottle of rare and precious wine. If you can help me find the artifact, the wine is yours."

Having gauged Barbatos's interest, Wendy immediately declared, "Dadaupa Valley, is it?! Let's not delay, let's set off now!"

Meanwhile, in a hidden spot within the ruins behind them, a figure was quietly watching them.

……

Ying and Paimon went to find the two artifacts Jack had mentioned, but the result was somewhat unexpected.

The Sword of Brilliant Courage was just an ordinary, worn-out old sword, and the Shield of Radiant Will was even more ridiculous. It was tattered, still had barrel hoops, and had some wine stains on it, as if it had been casually taken off a wine barrel.

Wendy responded that they didn't understand and then began his charade.

"Have you ever seen the Wind Crystal Butterflies fluttering outside Mondstadt? These butterflies are inconspicuous during the day, but they become dazzling at night, like flying jewels."

"Isn't courage the same? People who have always had a smooth life don't understand its value, but when you are in dire straits, courage is the only light that makes you rise up and fight to get out of the predicament."

Ying was already shocked by Venti's words, saying, "I'm almost convinced." As for Venti's explanation of the [Shield of the Radiant Will], although it made sense, something still felt off.

"But according to my bard's intuition, this is the [Shield of Radiant Will]. Warriors take pride in the scars on their bodies, and so do their shields. The more intact a shield is, the more it indicates that the warrior is far removed from the battlefield."

"Isn't the tattered shield proof of his countless battles? Even with a broken body, he fought to the last moment on the battlefield, until his last drop of blood was shed. Isn't such will precious?"

However, Jack, a naive young man, was actually fooled and excitedly took the two "magical artifacts" home.

Wendy was still a little disappointed because Jack had left in such a hurry that he had forgotten his drink.

Just then, Wendy suddenly said to a large tree, "Hmm? Isn't this Stanley? Are you here for a walk?"