Genshin Impact: The Beginning of the Wind

"..."

"How about you put me down first? I can handle it myself!"

Even though she knew that Su Feng was just messing with her, Wendy still cautiously tried to see if she could temporarily end this 'lesson'—even if Su Feng wanted to continue, she would wait until he had drunk his fill!

"What are you thinking? If you want to drink, figure it out yourself. I'm not going to help you!"

Su Feng chuckled dismissively, then placed the wine bowl directly beneath Wendy. The delicate aroma of the wine gradually filled Wendy's nostrils, and upon smelling it, Wendy became even more excited.

"Wait, this isn't the sake I was just drinking, this is... the divine sake that Shin once brought to the banquet of the gods! You actually kept such a good thing hidden away, and you didn't share it with me before!"

Wendy, who had just been trying to get Su Feng to let her off the hook, became excited after smelling the aroma of the wine. As a seasoned wine connoisseur, Wendy's knowledge of alcohol was unparalleled. She could tell from just a sniff that the wine Su Feng was drinking was definitely not the French wine or sake she had used to deal with him before.

It's not that the wine Wendy drank before was bad. In fact, the wine that her servants gave her would be a rare find if it were sold on the market. But compared to the divine wine that was once offered at the feasts of the gods, it was naturally worthless.

Wendy couldn't even remember the last time she smelled this fragrance.

"Hmph, do you think I'm some freeloader like you? This was specially selected for me by Ying from her sisters' collection. Do you think just anyone can get their hands on this?"

"What a pity for some people, they won't be able to drink it!"

Su Feng finally smiled with satisfaction after Wendy noticed something was wrong. He had specially brought out this rare and precious wine just to provoke the guy.

Now it's finally his turn to have some fun, isn't it?

"..."

Before Su Feng could enjoy himself for long, he watched with a dark expression as Wendy easily summoned a breeze that swept up the wine beneath him and sucked it into his mouth, then drank it all down in front of Su Feng's dumbfounded gaze.

This guy is really going all out for a drink!

Chapter Seventy: Invitation

It's perfectly normal for Venti, the Lord of a Thousand Winds, to summon a thousand winds, but that doesn't mean Su Feng thinks it's a reliable thing for Venti to use a thousand winds to make a straw so he can drink the divine wine below.

This guy really has no shame when it comes to getting a drink. Seeing this, Su Feng only had one thought in his mind: if he could, he would especially wish he didn't know this scoundrel who used one of the most powerful things in the world to do such a thing.

Unfortunately, Su Feng's current power does not allow him to modify the real world, so he is still Wendy's familiar—at least nominally.

"Crack!"

Just as Su Feng was shocked by Wendy's actions and Wendy was intoxicated by the deliciousness of the divine wine, a crisp shutter sound brought them back to their senses.

Then they saw Ying return with a large group of people, just in time to witness Wendy's amazing skill.

As expected of Ying, even though she was completely bewildered by Wendy's antics, she still maintained a high level of professionalism by pressing the shutter button on her camera and taking a pretty good picture of Wendy.

Yes, this photo will definitely have considerable 'commemorative value' in the future.

This is especially true for Wendy.

Of course, a single photograph wouldn't mean much to Wendy, but if we include Paimon, Shin, Kage, and even Miko, who returned with Sparkle at some unknown time, things might be quite different.

Even if Wendy didn't care about social situations, being stared at by so many people, especially her colleagues, former colleagues, and even...

Even the most socially adept person would feel awkward in this situation, right?

Probably so?

Will it?

Right?

"Ahem... well... how about we put Wendy down first? I happen to have something I'd like to discuss with you two?"

"This doesn't seem... quite right?"

In the end, it was not anyone else who broke the awkward atmosphere, but Zhen, who had been handling all sorts of political affairs since his resurrection.

Although she tried to smooth things over, the slight upturn of her lips revealed that she was probably quite satisfied with Wendy's current appearance—after all, they were all beings evolved from the power of Ishtar, and even the rulers of the mortal world.

Why should she have to work hard and dutifully handle the country's affairs, while Wendy can just be a drunkard and live a life of debauchery all day long?

It's not that I really have a problem with Wendy, it's just that when you're working and your colleague is slacking off like crazy, it's bound to make you feel a little unbalanced.

Even if your colleague has already completed the task assigned to them, it's the same.

So seeing Wendy, the slacker, get punished by Su Feng was really quite interesting, and the scene I'm seeing now has also effectively relieved my bad mood from dealing with the mess caused by those bureaucrats and nobles.

It's a pity that as the host, she couldn't very well step in and stir things up, otherwise she really wouldn't mind letting Wendy know what it means to be wicked.

However, it might be worth trying to ask travelers for some photos to keep as souvenirs? After all, opportunities to see Wendy make a mistake are rare, and she wouldn't have seen this scene if it weren't for Su Feng.

"It's okay, you can say whatever you want. As for this guy, just leave him hanging and let him sober up."

"It also gives us a good environment for communication."

Faced with Zhen's suggestion, Su Feng preemptively rejected it before Wendy could even speak. Wendy, who was overjoyed after Zhen pleaded for her, hadn't even had a chance to laugh when she heard Su Feng's words.

Upon hearing that even the real Wendy couldn't save her, she quickly lowered her head and became as still as a corpse.

It looks like this guy is planning to shut himself off for a while—of course, it's also possible that he just wants to put on a show to gain some sympathy.

At least Zhen couldn't help but chuckle a couple of times after seeing Wendy's funny expression, but thankfully she didn't go too far.

After relieving some of her recent fatigue, she let it go. After all, they were colleagues, so she wouldn't laugh too loudly.

"Inazuma has basically settled down now. If it weren't for your help this time, Inazuma would probably be finished."

After temporarily setting aside the quirky Wendy, Makoto once again expressed her gratitude to Su Feng, just as she said, Inazuma had received many favors from Su Feng this time.

At least in Zhen's view, Su Feng had done Inazuma a great favor, and as the ruler of Inazuma, she had to make a gesture in return.

"This is nothing to me, and you don't need to keep thanking me."

"Moreover, I got what I wanted in Inazuma, so it was a mutually beneficial relationship."

Su Feng simply waved his hand in gratitude, not thinking he had done anything particularly remarkable.

Obtaining the core of the Herrscher of Thunder and a portion of the power of the Herrscher of Death from Inazuma was already a pleasant surprise for him.

"In any case, please don't hesitate to ask us sisters for help if we ever need anything in the future."

Zhen didn't dwell on the issue for too long; she simply reiterated her sisters' promise, which was the only reward they could offer at the moment.

After all, it's unlikely that Su Feng would be interested in such a run-down place as Inazuma; otherwise, he wouldn't mind giving Inazuma to Su Feng.

"In addition, Inazuma may hold a huge festival soon to ease the panic and anxiety of the people. Please enjoy it."

After finishing their business, Zhen brought up a small matter, and Su Feng nodded in agreement to the invitation.

He has indeed been quite tired lately, after all, he has been involved in almost all sorts of things that have kept popping up, so it's impossible for him not to be tired at all.

It's good to have some fun at the festival and relax, because even for beings like them, being too tense is a problem that cannot be ignored.

As for the matter of Yuanxia Palace... thinking of that mysterious space located below Haiqi Island, Su Feng couldn't help but glance at Wendy, who was still pretending to be dead.

Forget it, let's talk about that place later. Besides, he needs to digest the power he just gained first, otherwise he might make a fool of himself again with jokes like "six-core expanding pufferfish".

After thinking for a while, Su Feng decided to temporarily put aside his thoughts about Yuanxia Palace.

Let's relax now!

Chapter Seventy-One: The Festival... Run Now!

Various festivals and celebrations were the best remedy for people who had just experienced a disaster that could have wiped them all out.

She was well aware of this. As the ruler, she had to find a way to help the people at the bottom of society, who were living in constant fear, to settle down again. In particular, for a long time to come, Inatsume would have to do her best to heal the wounds of the past. At this time, it was even more important to reassure the people at the bottom of society that they were still safe.

Only in this way can this suffering country have the best chance of getting back on track.

At this time, festivals or ceremonies, regardless of their purpose, can serve this purpose effectively.

In fact, it's not just the ordinary people who were worried about their safety who need an opportunity to relieve their tension and anxiety; the soldiers who fought bloody battles on the battlefield, the logistics personnel who worked tirelessly to ensure supplies for the front lines, and even the high-ranking officials who devoted themselves to Inazuma also need to take a break—although such high-ranking officials are indeed pitifully few in Inazuma now, they still exist.

And precisely because there are far fewer people working, those who are even more exhausted need to rest even more.

Even the real person herself plans to take this opportunity to get some rest.

However, considering that Shin, Kage, and others are quite famous in Inazuma, even with spells to conceal their forms, it's not guaranteed that they won't be discovered. So in the end, to ensure the festival can proceed smoothly, everyone had no choice but to split up and experience this rare festival.

Even if we don't know how Zhen and the others plan to enjoy this rare rest, Su Feng can have a good time just by bringing Ying and Paimon along!

Of course, to prevent the bard from wandering off and causing trouble again, Su Feng simply kept him by his side and kept a close watch on him.

"So I'm really sorry that I disturbed your enjoyment of the trip. If you don't mind, I can take care of myself."

Wendy was equally annoyed by Su Feng's impatient expression and kept muttering to herself.

Do you think he wants to stay by Su Feng's side?

If he could, he would prefer to wander around alone, especially to those hidden taverns—perhaps they don't have the fine wines or even divine wines that Zhen offers, but the people who gather there always bring more stories, more joy, and more fun.

This is something that fine wine alone cannot provide. He has already drunk quite a bit of fine wine during his time in Inazuma. Wouldn't it be better to go to the tavern now, have some fun, and hear more stories?

Wendy enjoys drinking, but he also loves more interesting stories. As the best bard in the world, he would be abandoned by his audience if he didn't keep updating his story library.

However, Su Feng didn't care about Wendy's thoughts and complaints. Although he knew that this guy wouldn't cause any major problems that couldn't be solved, Su Feng felt that this guy had already embarrassed himself enough, so he thought it would be better to take him with him for the time being.

After all, as a member of Mondstadt's Anemo Familiar, he still had to consider Mondstadt's reputation—even if Mondstadt's reputation was probably not very good right now, he could at least salvage it a little.

However, Su Feng's considerations did not affect the fact that everyone else was having a great time at the festival, especially Ying and Paimon, who were almost having a blast.

After all, their lives haven't been easy since they arrived in Inazuma, whether it's being wanted, participating in the Inazuma civil war, fighting against the evil god's followers, or helping to fulfill the last wishes of the dead in Tsurukan.

All of this is not something that can be easily accomplished. It's only because Ying's strength has been constantly improving that she might not have been able to hold out until now.

Now that they finally have a chance to relax, how could Ying and Paimon possibly miss it?

Fishing for goldfish, popping balloons, making masks... Ying didn't miss any of the various little activities. To thank Ying for her help, both Umijima Island and the Shogunate gave her a large sum of commission money, so Ying's wallet is quite full now. She even prepared enough for Paimon's food expenses for several years in one go!

It's definitely good to be rich!

Luminous and Paimon, who were having a blast at the festival, had the same thought. Sufeng and Wendy, who were also freeloading off Luminous, expressed the same opinion. After all, even gods and their followers sometimes suffer from a shortage of Mora. If they could have fun without worrying about the cost, they would definitely enjoy themselves even more.

Then, the group of people who were having a blast at the festival soon ran into another acquaintance who was also having fun—or more accurately, an acquaintance of Ying.

This was the part that Su Feng admired most about Ying.

No matter when, Ying always manages to quickly build up quite good relationships with a large group of people in the local area. Su Feng even suspects that it won't be long before Ying will be able to make a living by simply showing her face in several countries.

Su Feng was marveling at Ying's remarkable ability to make friends, while Ying was chatting happily with the 'Queen of the Summer Festival' in front of her.

That's right. Since such a big festival is being held in Inazuma Castle, how could it be complete without the highlight: fireworks and Naganohara Yomiguchi, where Inazuma is most skilled at setting up fireworks?