Reading poems from Teyvat

"By the way, the old man next door is a famous war god for thousands of years. If he is hostile to you, you probably won't be able to resist. So if you really want to meet him and you are not sure if he is the god who blocked your way, it is best to bring someone who can help you escape safely."

"Who?"

Paimon asked.

Wendy immediately patted Shen Zhigui on the shoulder and said, "Of course it's Zhigui. You see, he originally had a personal relationship with that old man. If you guys fall out at that time, Zhigui might be able to mediate and persuade him to calm down and let you go. Even if he is unwilling to let you go, with Zhigui's strength, there is still a lot he can do. Although I don't know if Zhigui will give up his personal relationship with him for you. Of course, in my opinion, with your current strength, you can't get any good results against anyone except the God of Wind and the God of Grass. It's better to let Zhigui go with you--"

"I think it's better to send you on your way."

"That's what I meant anyway."

Wendy took another swig of dandelion wine.

Although Ying had a simple mind, she reacted at this moment: Did the drunkard bard's words imply that he admitted that he was the wind god Barbatos?

Chapter 16: Coming from the Desolate Smoke and Sunset (Part 2)

After understanding this meaning, Ying's gaze towards Shen Zhigui also became somewhat strange:

From her point of view, Shen Zhigui is indeed different from most people in this world. There is always a sense of alienation and incompatibility about him. Even when observing Shen Zhigui with her elemental vision, he does not seem to be filled with a lively atmosphere like the ordinary holders of the Eye of God. Instead, he is shrouded in a layer of gray mist, isolating him from observation by outsiders, making his sense of incompatibility and alienation become more profound in this perspective. But why is it that such a young man who is incompatible with the elemental force can repeatedly gain the favor of these gods who are deeply bound to the elemental force?

Is it that the people in the city want to go out of the city, and the people outside the city want to enter the siege dilemma in the city?

Of course, looking at Shen Zhigui's current look, he actually doesn't want to have anything to do with elemental power.

Ying could also see that although Shen Zhigui looked lazy and unfocused, he might not have lived that long, at least not as long as an immortal like her, so he would occasionally reveal some youthfulness. Of course, in reality, Ying would also behave like a young girl, but that was only because Ying didn't care about many things, so she just expressed her opinions intuitively, appearing innocent and doing what she wanted. And it was precisely because of this that she and Paimon became partners.

In this situation, should she let a boy whom she couldn't see through go on the journey with her?

However, Shen Zhigui obviously had no intention of traveling with her.

After all, he didn't have the spirit of Ying to meddle in other people's business, nor did he want to go to great lengths to find a needle in a haystack in the crowd just to track down someone's trace.

Shen Zhigui's recent goal is to travel all over Teyvat, fulfill his destiny, and leave his mark somewhere in this world forever. He is not interested in accompanying Ying to travel from Mondstadt to Liyue and then to Inazuma again. So when he heard what Wendy said, he thought about it and said, "I can introduce Morax to you. As for what's going on between you two, I don't necessarily need to intervene."

Although Shen Zhigui actually knew very well who stopped them.

However, there is no evidence at the moment, so he can't reveal the truth.

And he had no way of finding any trace of the "Prince" of the abyss.

As for the whereabouts of Dainsleb, Shen Zhigui had even less idea.

But if one wants to find the traces that the prince left behind in this world, it is not impossible to do so through the followers of the grass god or the flower spirits.

But then he still has to deal with the Fatui, and if this traveler arrives at Xumi, he will probably naturally complete the Forest Book and the Flower Spirit Book, and thus inadvertently retrace the path that her relatives have taken before?

Shen Zhigui also looked at the young girl-like traveler with a little surprise, and then recalled the plots in the original game, thinking that this brother and sister were really awkward. However, he was too lazy to meddle in other people's family affairs, so he just casually set a time with Ying, saying that if Ying went to Liyue at that time, he would take her to see Zhongli, and if that time passed, she could also meet Zhongli directly during the Qingxian Dianyi ceremony soon, and she didn't even need Shen Zhigui's introduction.

Then he left.

Leave space for Wendy and Ying to talk.

Afterwards, Ying also asked Wendy directly if she was the wind god Barbatos. After Wendy admitted it and said that she had been sleeping during that period, Ying was speechless. However, Wendy just played the strings of the zither and said, "Speaking of which, Zhigui may really know something about your blood relative. He may just not know how to express it."

"Why do you say that?"

Ying was stunned for a moment and then asked.

"It's just a feeling. Don't you have that feeling? He may be able to see through the fate of others to some extent, so he will always consciously or unconsciously confront others in his words. I don't think his foresight is based only on his personal knowledge, but on some kind of talent, a talent that is close to prophecy. In the past, he may have deliberately wanted to intervene in the fate of others in order to seek progress in his martial arts. Now, he seems to let things take their course. So, maybe your arrival is not the right time, or it is actually his arrival that ruined your 'timing'."

"what do you mean?"

Ying couldn't stand this style of speaking anyway, so she asked directly.

"I mean, he probably completes part of your 'story' in a way."

Wendy spoke these words in a very bardic manner.

Although his drunken appearance ruins the atmosphere.

Ying just thought about it, then shook her head: "Even if that's the case, so what?"

"But if he can see your future, that means he can probably see the future of you and your blood relatives, right? But if he's unwilling to say it at this time, then that future must be a little cruel to you, or even if he tells you now, you might not believe it, so you have to pursue it yourself. Even so, do you want to continue pursuing it?"

Wendy asked Ying in a poetic rhythm.

Ying was silent for a moment, then nodded: "That's my brother, a relative connected to me by blood. In a sense, he is another similar me in this world. No matter what, I will never give up on finding him."

"But the end of your journey may not be what you wish. You are now eager to find your blood relatives, but your blood relatives may not want to see you now," Wendy just sat drunkenly on the chair and said lazily, "Maybe in a sense, your goals are contradictory. However, this is just my preference as a bard. I just prefer those chapters that are more tortuous and bizarre and beautiful and moving. So you don't have to take my words seriously. But one day, if you end your journey, please come back to Mondstadt and tell me your story, how about it?"

Ying thought about it and still just nodded, but still said: "If you really want to say it, Shen Zhigui will also start his legendary journey, why don't you make a promise with him as well?"

"Because he's a bard himself! He sings his own stories."

Wendy just said.

Chapter 17: Coming from the Desolate Smoke and Sunset (Part 2)

Shen Zhigui did have that need.

Because it is not enough for him to just fulfill his destiny. He also needs his existence to be widely recognized, so as to permanently rewrite the destiny of the creatures in this world, and let these creatures provide a path from the metaphysical to the physical for his own destiny. But he is not Wendy after all, and he does not have the nerve to brag about himself. Even if he did that, in this universe where the World Tree exists, it is difficult for Shen Zhigui to say that the traces and influences he left in this world will not be cleansed. From this point of view, he really needs to go to Xumi. Whether before or after completing his destiny, he needs to truly understand what kind of mechanism the World Tree is.

Although if he could defeat Tenli now, he wouldn't necessarily need to worry about any modifications to the World Tree.

But this is obviously just wishful thinking.

But if he doesn't solve the problem of the World Tree, even if he fulfills his destiny, he may not be able to escape unscathed from the conflict with the laws of nature.

Although it is also possible that he suddenly realized some martial arts truth in the process of observing the void, and thus broke through to the "Styx" or even "Reincarnation" in one fell swoop, or even created some martial arts. At that time, he would be able to punch the law of nature and kick the abyss, and they would never return from the first throne or the second throne!

But now he is having trouble even modifying those martial arts.

Up to now, he has only completed the modification of "Mountains and Rivers Shattered and Wind Blowing Catkins". He has no idea about the remaining martial arts for the time being. Even in the process of observing the void, he has some insights from time to time. However, just as the inference of the mass-energy equation is based on the entire special theory of relativity, Shen Zhigui wants to develop his martial arts in the existing system like handicrafts to the nuclear power industrial system. The knowledge required is not just that little bit of insight. If he wants to achieve that level by his own efforts, without special opportunities, it will probably take hundreds of years to achieve it.

He can only do this if he doesn't give up.

"In short, let's continue the geographical survey of Teyvat."

Although Ying is still in the state of an adventer, the World Tree should not be able to modify her cognition. So if Shen Zhigui completes his destiny and is accidentally cleared away by the law of nature, perhaps he can establish an anchor in this world through her.

Of course, with this in mind, Tianli would probably be able to see through the clues quickly, and would then physically eliminate Ying.

But at the moment Shen Zhigui really couldn't find a better way, so he could only take it one step at a time.

So he has been elusive these past few days just like he did in the past, and the Fatui did not seem to notice the death of the stragglers and the loss of that part of their manpower. Although they still occupied the Goethe Hotel in a swaggering manner, they ignored Shen Zhigui who was hanging around under their noses. Although Shen Zhigui knew that the Fatui would never be an organization that would settle things peacefully, seeing their behavior, he thought for a moment that they might not dare to take action because no one was in charge.

So the other executive officers haven't arrived in Mond yet?

Shen Zhigui couldn't tell for a moment whether he was satisfied or disappointed with this situation.

However, it didn't take him long to observe the void in Mond.

If the Fatui of Solstice don't come again, he will just sneak into Solstice. I don't know if the entry and exit management of Solstice is strict or not. However, judging from the fact that Tartaglia's brother can go to Liyue alone, it is not worth the trouble. Although he now has the standard appearance of a Liyue person, with black hair and black eyes, it seems that it is not easy to get away with it. But do the countries in Teyvat really have a standard appearance? Don't you see that Barbara and Jean are obviously a pair of sisters, but their hair colors are different? So should he also learn from Wendy and forge a God's Eye and pretend that he is actually the holder of the God's Eye?

Anyway, those people with colorful eye and hair colors he saw were basically the holders of the Eye of God.

But if you want to pretend to be an ice type, it seems that black hair and black pupils are not the normal hair color of an ice type god's eye. It should be lighter, although there is actually an example like Kaeya...

At dusk that day, Shen Zhigui was thinking about these seemingly absurd trivialities in his heart while walking from the wasteland outside Mondstadt towards the city. But at this time, he saw the figure who was wearing a cloak and a mask on his face even in the middle of summer. Shen Zhigui glanced at him suspiciously, but heard the man say to him: "You are Shen Zhigui who killed the scattered soldiers, right?"

"Fools?"

Shen Zhigui then remembered something and spoke.

"The second-in-command of the Fatui, you can call me Doctor."

Shen Zhigui immediately reached back and grasped Meng Xiang Yixin's hilt. Seeing him like this, the doctor just shook his head gently: "I didn't come here with hostility this time, at least not now, otherwise, I could have kidnapped your friend earlier and then come to see you, right? Sanbing was wrong because he thought that kidnapping one of your friends would make you surrender, but 'I' am not just one person, and your friends seem to be more than just the bard who looks like Barbatos, right?"

Shen Zhigui suddenly didn't know what to say, since he suspected that Wendy was Barbatos, why didn't he take action?

But saying this is just superfluous.

So Shen Zhigui just said: "So what do you want to do?"

"It's not what I want to do, but what you want to do." Although his eyes were covered by the mask, Shen Zhigui could still sense his gaze looking at him. "If we have a common enemy, why don't we sit down and have a good talk?"

"Even if I killed the stragglers?"

"What's so great about the death of a mere stragglers?"

The Doctor said calmly.

"So your queen's purpose in collecting the hearts of gods is really to rebel against the laws of nature?"

"So your enemy is indeed Heaven's Law," the doctor's tone suddenly became higher, and then he said, "In this case, you should also know that the Heart of God is useless to Baalzebul. If you can get her to hand over the Heart of God, I promise that the Fatui will no longer operate in Inazuma, and you can also join the Fatui, inherit the seat of the Skirmishers, and fight against Heaven's Law together with us. How about it?"

"not so good."

Shen Zhigui just responded coldly and pulled Mengxiang Yixin out of the scabbard.

Chapter 18: Coming from the Desolate Smoke and Sunset (End)

"I thought people like you wouldn't care about temporary gains and losses, but I didn't expect that you are just an ordinary human being."

The Fatui executive standing opposite Shen Zhigui just shook his head and said.

Shen Zhigui said nonchalantly, "The correct result must be achieved by the correct means. Otherwise, even if the correct result is temporarily achieved by the wrong means, sooner or later it will be destroyed because of enough deviations accumulated in the process. Maybe you think that if you can successfully resist the laws of nature, you can calm all complaints and wash away all sins, but if you are used to using that method to achieve your goals, after completing your goals, I am afraid you will become even worse, right? Because you don't think it is wrong, not to mention that you succeeded by using that method, so from beginning to end, you are the organization that has committed many crimes, but your goals make your actions look a little more just."

"But isn't justice and evil in the world just a matter of stance?"

The doctor was actually still in his spare time to continue the conversation with Shen Zhigui.

"But speaking of stance, do you think that most people in the world will sympathize with those who died in your attempt to seize the Heart of God, or will they applaud your conspiracy?"

"But the wailing of a hundred sheep, no matter how much, is not as loud as the roar of a lion."

Hearing what the doctor said, Shen Zhigui just sighed and said, "Of course, lions don't have to care about the wailing of sheep, because sheep are just prey to lions, but humans are not lions or sheep after all. After all, humans are creatures with their own reason and emotions. You may think that humans can be kept in captivity by superiors like sheep, and deceived by false truths, but falsehood is not true after all. Sooner or later, they will discover the truth. At that time, do you think they will retreat if you raise the butcher knife?"

"Why not?" The doctor just said coldly, "There is always an insurmountable chasm between mortals and geniuses, so they are destined to be just a background to complement geniuses, destined to be used by geniuses, and become stepping stones and nutrients for the progress of geniuses. Even if there are people like you among them who empathize with them, it is only because of the support of geniuses like you that they become brave, not because of their achievements. Except for those who lead them to rebel, without a leader, they will soon become a pile of scattered sand, a group of rabble."

"Honestly," Shen Zhigui raised the sword in his hand, looked at the man standing in front of him, and his voice became cold, "This conversation can go on forever, but I'm tired of this kind of language, so let's just use the sword to talk."

"Aren't you just saying this out of anger because you can't win the argument?"

The doctor suddenly chuckled and said.

"That's because you always think that geniuses are born geniuses, and ordinary people can't become geniuses through education and experience. But if you ask me, the birth of geniuses often requires the soil of the masses," Shen Zhigui just calmed down and said, "and if the masses become a stagnant pool, no matter how talented a person is, he won't be able to stand out. Otherwise, people like you, if there is no Council of Ordinances, I'm afraid you won't be able to join the Fatui, right?"

"Foolish! Without the obstruction of that pedantic Order, I can get closer to the truth!"

"Oh, so what you mean is that your knowledge has nothing to do with the House of Lords, nor with the documents that our ancestors painstakingly preserved in the library. You figured it all out by yourself. Or, you just think that the advancement of knowledge is just an intellectual game of geniuses, and has nothing to do with the people who pass on the knowledge? In that case, in your eyes, these mediocre fools must have nothing to do with the construction of civilization, right? But if it weren't for them, how could the dialogue between geniuses spanning hundreds of years be achieved?"

Shen Zhigui's questioning made the doctor suddenly silent.

At this moment, Shen Zhigui suddenly saw the flaw in the breath of the man opposite him, so he thrust his sword forward, but strangely, the man did not dodge or resist at all, allowing Shen Zhigui's sword to pierce his chest, oozing out a pungent dark red liquid. Shen Zhigui took a step back, but saw that the man just covered his wound with a strange smile on his face: "I'm looking forward to our next meeting. I hope that by then, you can find enough basis for your theory."

"But I'm not looking forward to seeing you again."

In Shen Zhigui's clear pupils, he could only see that the vitality of this person was gradually draining away, but that draining away was turning into the void in a very strange way. Or, in other words, the vitality and death energy in this body were actually very illusory in nature, as if his state was a superposition of some kind...

No, that's not accurate either.

Because Shen Zhigui himself never understood quantum mechanics.

He also didn't know what superposition was.

However, by observing this person's "death", Shen Zhigui suddenly gained some insight into the "Sword Song of Penglai", which had been confusing to him. He suddenly realized what the so-called "life is like a dream" was all about, what the core meaning of this abstruse martial arts theory was, and how it affected the world:

The so-called "Life is like a dream" refers to the separation and combination of space, "Heaven and earth are the inns of all things", and time, "Time is the passer-by of hundreds of generations". From the beginning to the end, it is to explain this truth that is like a heavenly book to normal people. Shen Zhigui could not understand the theory of relativity in his previous life, so at this time, he naturally could not understand the messy words written in ancient Chinese. But it was at this time that he vaguely felt a strange texture through the "death" of the doctor, and then he read it word by word along this texture, and finally found out...

He really doesn't have any talent at all in this area.

I think if he could understand it, he would have chosen to study theoretical physics without hesitation.

But now the road to heaven is clearly in front of him, but he can't get in. He suddenly felt a little annoyed, so he thought of something: since he could gain some insights by killing the doctor once, wouldn't he be able to gain more insights by killing him a few more times? By then, maybe he could understand the words of the principal of the mixed-race school in the youth fantasy novel he had read!

Chapter 19: Life is full of regrets and little joy (Part 1)

Thinking of this, Shen Zhigui changed his words to the doctor who was still breathing: "Come to think of it, from what you said, you have many 'selves' who can also know about the current conversation, right?"

The doctor should have proudly revealed his methods at this time, because he did not want to keep his existence a secret, especially for an enemy of Shen Zhigui's level. Speaking out would only hit him harder. But at this time, the young man became even more eager to try:

"Then I hope you have enough selves, or in other words, you can actually create yourself unlimitedly? Therefore, your progress in creating yourself had better catch up with my progress in killing you. Otherwise, you will end your life before completing the mission given to you by your queen."

"So you think you have already won the game?"

The doctor sneered and was about to say that he was just slacking off for a moment and didn't want to argue with him at this time, but he saw the boy suddenly smile and said, "I really don't know what kind of state you are in. Maybe you can really superimpose the 'selves' you created in a short period of time. But even if you can really do that, so what? Whenever you face the enemy, no matter how fast and detailed your mental calculations are, there must always be a reaction speed between the mind, the body and the elements. Do you really think that after your different selves are superimposed and come to a conclusion, your body used to fight the enemy can respond immediately?"

So even though Shen Zhigui saw that he did divide time to some extent and made the most of it within his ability, this utilization was not flexible enough, or in other words, this understanding and utilization of time was not the direction that Shen Zhigui wanted.