Chapter 41: The Mastermind Behind the Scenes

Chen did not seem surprised by the changes in the dragon's tear, for this was exactly what he had intended.

When he had shown the teardrop to Jean and Lisa at noon that day, he had noticed that while it was still saturated with that strange, ominous power, the intensity had faded significantly compared to when he had first picked it up in the dense forest. This discovery had left him feeling both puzzled and intrigued, and after returning to the inn, he spent the entire afternoon experimenting.

He eventually confirmed that the sinister energy within the dragon's tear was not dissipating on its own; rather, the remnants of the unsealed power within his own body were purifying it. He did not know why his power possessed such a property, but for Mondstadt, currently struggling under unfavorable circumstances, this was undoubtedly good news. As for Chen himself, it would at least earn him another favor from the Knights of Favonius.

He had originally planned to share this good news with Jean the next morning, but he had not expected to run into this individual tonight.

Beneath the great tree at Windrise, a gentle breeze rustled through the dense canopy, creating a soft, whispering sound.

"Ah... I haven't been here in such a long time. I truly miss the atmosphere of this place," Venti said, spreading his arms and tilting his head back, savoring the breeze blowing under the tree.

Watching the strange, wispy energy emanating from and then dissipating around Venti, Chen’s dark eyes flickered. "You’ve been tainted by this strange power, too. Was it from that time?"

Clearly, Venti’s current state reminded him of the incident in the forest a few days prior.

"Indeed," Venti replied, slowly lowering his arms and turning to look at him. His emerald eyes held a hint of grievance. "I had finally found an opportunity to soothe Dvalin and was about to ease his suffering, but your sudden appearance interrupted everything. Not only did I fail to help him, but I ended up contaminated myself."

Chen couldn't help but curl his lip. He refused to take the blame for that; he hadn't been the one to actively trigger the Anemo energy. If anyone was to blame, it was the person who had forced that power upon him.

"However, I must thank you. If you hadn't shown me Dvalin’s teardrop, I wouldn't have remembered that I could come here and use the power left behind by an old friend to cleanse the Abyssal energy from my body."

As Venti spoke, he looked around at the surroundings with a nostalgic expression, as if lost in memories of the past. Chen, however, had no intention of asking who this old friend was; even if Venti told him, he wouldn't know them.

Lowering his eyes in thought, Chen asked, "So, what are your plans now?"

Although his intrusion had caused Venti’s previous rescue attempt to fail, he didn’t believe this fellow would give up so easily. On the way to Windrise, Venti had already explained the reason behind Dvalin's madness.

Chen finally understood the source of this strange power: the Abyss. He also learned the true culprit behind the Stormterror incident: the Abyss Order. In exchange, he had revealed to Venti his identity as an outsider and explained that his ability to purify the tear was due to a unique characteristic of his own power, though the specific reason remained unknown.

"As for what's next... hmm, let me think. Oh, I have it!" Venti’s eyes lit up as he looked at Chen and extended an invitation. "Haha, if you’re interested, why not accompany me to the Cathedral of Favonius in Mondstadt?"

"The Cathedral? Why go there?" Chen asked, puzzled. As the most famous and magnificent building in Mondstadt, he already knew of it, even though this was his first visit to the city.

"To retrieve a lyre named 'The Holy Lyre der Himmel'." As Venti spoke, he began walking toward the city of Mondstadt.

"A lyre? What for?" Chen asked, catching up to him.

"To play for Dvalin, of course."

"Play for a dragon? Is there something special about that instrument?"

"It is the instrument the Anemo Archon once used to play for the great dragon. If we play it, perhaps we can awaken the lost nature of the Dragon of the East..."

...

"Wahhh! Traveler! Waaaah—!"

Inside Mondstadt, little Paimon suddenly appeared from nowhere, her eyes brimming with tears. She threw herself onto Chen, clinging to his neck and sobbing uncontrollably.

Just moments before, as Chen and Venti were walking along the street toward the Cathedral, a white "meteor" had shot out from a nearby alleyway and tackled Chen. Looking closely, it was none other than Paimon.

"Waaaah! Traveler, where did you go? You disappeared the moment I stepped out. I looked everywhere for you! I thought you’d left me behind! Waaaah!"

Paimon was sobbing so heartbrokenly, tears streaming down her face like beads from a broken string, her little nose twitching with every sob. It was a pitiful sight.

Seeing Paimon crying like a river, Chen opened his mouth, truly at a loss for words.

*(It couldn't have been that long, could it? Is Paimon really that sensitive?)*

Despite his thoughts, seeing how devastated she was softened his heart. He reached out, gently patting her head, and soothed her in a soft voice, "Alright, alright, Paimon, stop crying. I just ran into an acquaintance and went to greet them; I wasn't going to leave you behind. Look, do you see who this is?"

The teary-eyed Paimon lifted her head from Chen's shoulder and looked in the direction he pointed. The next second, her sobbing came to a sudden halt.

"Eh?"

"Ehhhhhh—!!!"

"You, you, you! You’re that..." Paimon’s eyes widened as she pointed at Venti, her face full of disbelief, unable to string a coherent sentence together.

"Hehe~" Venti made a playful face at her and waved enthusiastically. "Hello there! Paimon, my name is Venti, and I’m the best bard in all of Mondstadt."

"Umm..." Little Paimon was thrown off by his familiarity. She leaned into Chen’s ear and whispered, "Chen, why are you hanging out with this suspicious guy? Are you sure you aren't in danger?"

Chen shook his head and replied, "Alright, Paimon, I’ll explain everything later. We’re heading to the Cathedral now. Want to come along?"

"Huh? To the Cathedral?" Paimon mused for a moment, deciding not to worry about whether Venti was a dangerous character. If Chen thought the guy was fine, then he probably was.

With that thought, Paimon put her little hands on her hips and said firmly, "Of course I'm coming! I'm your guide, and I'll lead the way wherever you go. The Cathedral, right? I know where that is. Follow me, this way~!"

She flew ahead to lead the way. Chen shrugged helplessly, signaled to Venti, and the two followed in her wake.

"My, this little one really relies on you, doesn't she?" Venti leaned over to Chen and gave him a knowing wink.

Chen’s expression shifted. He looked at Paimon flying ahead, and a sense of warmth stirred within him. When she had lunged at him earlier, he had clearly seen the fear and panic in her eyes. He could easily imagine how anxiously and helplessly the little creature must have searched for him during his absence.

"Yes, little Paimon really does rely on me," Chen replied, a flicker of unreadable emotion in his eyes.