Qui Xue looked at the massive wolf in front of her.
She hadn't expected the King of the North Wind to be this... gullible.
Maybe it had just been too long since he'd had any contact with the outside world.
"But that Ruin Guard really was far stronger than the usual ones."
Judging by the wolf's description, it must have been the first cultivator ever built.
After all, ordinary Ruin Guards couldn't possibly fight a Vision holder one-on-one.
Qui Xue mused in quiet surprise.
"Fireballs...? Huh, didn't I hear that word somewhere recently?"
"In any case, doesn't this prove that the world's first cultivator really did come to Mondstadt?"
Paimon looked at Lumine, then at Qui Xue and the others, speaking slowly.
"Sounds like the first Ruin Guard was way stronger than the mass-produced ones that came after."
"But in this story, it got damaged during the Wolf's Trial..."
Paimon waved her hand as she spoke to Lumine.
"I don't know. So, did it help?"
Razor asked quietly, looking at the three of them.
"It helped a lot! Thank you!"
"We've got something really important to investigate now."
"Even though the Abyss Herald is gone, the Order's attacks aren't over. You be careful too!"
Paimon turned to Razor and Boreas, offering a sincere warning.
"Mm. I can smell... something even more dangerous."
"But that big sister gave me more power. I can protect this place."
"You all... stay safe too."
Razor spoke haltingly, but his tone was full of concern as he looked at the group.
"Hehe, good boy, little Razor."
"You take care too."
Qui Xue smiled, patted his head, and then walked off with Lumine and Paimon.
Boreas and Razor watched as the group departed.
"We've got some really important intel!"
"Let's go report to Dain!"
Paimon twirled happily after they exited Wolvendom, speaking to Lumine and Qui Xue.
"You two go ahead, little Paimon."
"I've got something else to handle."
Qui Xue gently patted Paimon's head and smiled at Lumine.
Lumine nodded with a smile.
Then, Qui Xue vanished.
"Sigh... I hope next time we see Qiu Bai instead."
"They're clearly the same person, but the personality difference is way too big."
Paimon waved in the direction Qui Xue had disappeared.
Lumine nodded, and the two set off to find Dain.
...
Qui Xue appeared on a cliff, looking at Venti, who stood playing a gentle melody on his lyre.
He faced the vast scenery of Mondstadt, the wind brushing against him as his music danced in the breeze.
"You were just standing here, watching the whole time?"
Qui Xue ran a hand through her hair and walked leisurely toward Venti.
"Hehe, the wind in Mondstadt is still so refreshing..."
"Like a gentle girl caressing my face."
Venti glanced at the graceful Qui Xue and smiled faintly.
At that, Qui Xue's mouth twitched slightly.
Classic topic shift. Truly worthy of the Wind Archon known for smooth talking.
Then an idea seemed to come to her.
She smiled slyly and strutted over to him, her steps full of poise.
"This gentle girl you said caresses your face... is it like this?"
She raised her hand—and smack!
A crisp sound echoed across the cliffs.
Venti clutched his now-swollen cheek with one hand, tears welling in his eyes.
"Ow ow ow..."
"What was that for? You just slapped me out of nowhere!"
He looked at the smiling Qui Xue, his face full of sorrow.
"Just seeing you makes me want to slap you—is that not allowed?"
"Didn't you say a gentle girl was stroking your face?"
Qui Xue crossed her arms and gave him a mischievous look.
"You call that stroking?"
"My handsome face...!"
Venti whined as he rubbed his cheek, tears streaming down.
"Hahahaha..."
Qui Xue burst out laughing, unable to contain herself.
"You're still laughing? This is all your fault!"
"Waaah..."
Venti glared at her while crying.
"Hahahaha!"
Qui Xue laughed so hard she had to wipe tears from her eyes.
"Alright, now tell me—why didn't you go down there earlier?"
"What were you doing up here the whole time?"
She finally calmed down and asked, brushing away her laughter.
"I couldn't! If I went down, Boreas would've recognized me."
"And the little wolf pup was down there too."
Venti explained while rubbing his face, still sounding pitiful.
"That's your excuse?"
"...Fine, I'll let it slide."
Qui Xue sighed and waved her hand.
Then, in a flash, she shifted back into Qiu Bai.
He had taken on the form of Qui Xue earlier to avoid being recognized by the same Abyss Herald who had once run from a single flick of his finger.
He hadn't expected that this time the Herald would charge straight at him.
Venti stared in a daze as the beautiful woman in front of him transformed into an incredibly handsome scholar.
"Your ability to change genders..."
"Really opened my eyes."
Venti blinked, genuinely surprised.
"As the God of Balance, male and female represent balance in Teyvat."
"So shifting between them is one of my authorities."
Qiu Bai smiled and waved his hand casually.
"I see...
No wonder you have no ties to Celestia—your Gnosis wasn't given by them."
Venti's eyes lit with understanding as he spoke slowly.
"But... didn't the old man tell you?"
"Our memories were tampered with—deleted and altered."
He walked forward, gazing out over Mondstadt's landscape.
"Morax never said anything like that to me."
Qiu Bai frowned in confusion.
"Our memories... our awareness... they were all modified, over centuries."
"If it's your own mind, you eventually sense that something's off."
Venti looked into the distance, speaking quietly.
"But your memories can't be changed.
Which means your rank surpasses that of the Seven Archons."
"You know very little...
Because you've been asleep, and missed the disaster that struck 500 years ago."
Venti turned, staring at Qiu Bai with a large bump still swelling on his face.
"My rank... surpasses the Seven Archons?"
Qiu Bai muttered, puzzled.
"There are three kinds of existences in this world:
Foreign beings.
Beings whose rank surpasses the Seven Archons.
And... those who aren't even considered 'beings.'"
Venti looked at Qiu Bai's confused face and explained slowly.
"Their memories—cannot be altered."