aircannonsinc Chapter 1196 You don't need to pretend anymore
Chapter 1196 You don't need to pretend anymore
Despite the fact that a large amount of Geo Faith was stolen during the Liyue Temple Fair, which significantly nourished and stabilized the Anemo Archon's soul, the blurry outline in the bottle is much clearer than before.
But Barbara knew very well that this was still a long way from "resurrection".
"Where can I find enough faith..." Barbara frowned, her confusion deepening, completely unaware of the faint footsteps behind her.
Just as she was at a loss about her future plans, a calm and familiar voice suddenly rang out behind her.
"Miss Barbara."
"!"
Barbara froze, gasping for breath.
She didn't realize when this person appeared behind her, and it didn't alert her at all.
She slowly turned around, her heart pounding wildly in her chest, almost bursting out of her throat.
Standing before her was none other than Zhongli.
Barbara prayed frantically in her heart: Please don't let them find out! Please don't let Zhongli find out about the bottle containing the Wind God's soul!
She suppressed her panic, forced a standard smile, and bowed slightly to Zhongli.
"Ah? It's Mr. Zhongli! Long time no see. What brings you here?"
Zhongli did not answer her question directly, but simply gazed at her quietly with his all-seeing eyes.
Then, with a serious expression, he asked a seemingly insignificant question.
"Is the temple fair over?"
Barbara looked at Zhongli's expressionless face, her mind filled with doubt.
Why did he specifically ask, "Is the temple fair over?" The question was so ordinary that it felt unreal to her.
But she didn't dare ask too many questions, and could only respond step by step, trying her best to make her tone sound natural.
"That's right. As the saying goes, 'all good things must come to an end.' No matter how lively the event is, it will eventually come to an end."
After listening, Zhongli still maintained his inscrutable expression.
Then, he slowly nodded, his tone suddenly becoming meaningful, as if he were talking about the temple fair, or perhaps hinting at something else.
Indeed, all good things must come to an end...
Barbara felt increasingly uncomfortable looking at Zhongli, who was acting mysteriously and speaking with hidden meanings.
His gaze and his tone exuded a certainty that seemed to say he "had already seen through everything," which sent chills down her spine.
That intense sense of unease surged back into my heart, even more so than when I was suddenly called back.
Barbara instinctively took a half step back, swallowed hard, and, eager to end the conversation, quickly said goodbye:
"Um... Mr. Zhongli, if you have nothing else, I'll be leaving now. I don't want to get in the way around here..."
As she spoke, she was already prepared to turn around and leave, hoping to escape this suffocating place as soon as possible.
But Zhongli didn't let her have her way. Seeing Barbara's eagerness to escape, he knew the time was ripe and there was no need to beat around the bush anymore.
He took a step forward and bluntly posed a question that would send shivers down Barbara's spine.
“Alright, since you’re in such a hurry to leave, I’ll get straight to the point. I want to ask you about the ‘Soul of the Wind God’…”
The moment Zhongli uttered the words "the soul of the Wind God," she froze on the spot, feeling a chill run down her spine.
How could he know? !
She did this so secretly, how did Zhongli find out?
But after Barbara visited the secret realm of the upside-down statue, her mental fortitude was strengthened.
She forced herself to calm down, refusing to admit it. Instead, she immediately adopted a dejected and sorrowful expression, saying:
"Ah? Mr. Zhongli, why...why did you suddenly bring this up?"
"The death of the Anemo Archon was an irreparable tragedy for Mondstadt, and I feel very sad every time I think about it."
"Bringing this up now is like rubbing salt into my wounds."
As she spoke, she secretly observed Zhongli's reaction, trying to use "sadness" to avoid and cover up her true purpose.
Zhong Li looked at Barbara's "improvisational" act and was not fooled by her pretense. Instead, he nodded in satisfaction.
It must be said that she reacted quickly and her excuse was quite reasonable. If it were someone else, they might have been fooled by her.
But I already know everything, or rather, I've guessed pretty much everything.
Now, considering Barbara's unusual behavior recently, I've already guessed seven or eight parts of it.
Zhong Li slowly shook his head, completely shattering Barbara's pretense.
"You don't need to pretend anymore, I know everything."
……
A few days before the temple fair ended, Zhongli went to Mondstadt to find the second Anemo Archon, Dvalin.
Zhongli felt guilty in front of the Wind Dragon. Back then, in order to fulfill his promise to Shao Yun, he had led the immortals to hold off Dvalin, who was on his way to rescue Barbatos.
The relationship between the god and the dragon cannot be described as friendly; they are more like irreconcilable enemies.
Dvalin even hoped that Zhongli would be as clueless as Louis XVI.
But Zhongli had no choice; she had come to apologize and ask some questions...
Inside the Wind Dragon Ruins.
Dvalin's enormous dragon body lay sprawled on a slope, his mind filled with memories of his time with Barbatos.
That drunkard... he's always slacking off, hiding away drinking all day, never doing anything productive...
Even so, you shouldn't have been so stupid... Why did you go and throw your life away for nothing!
Now that you're gone, I'm left alone to guard this land of wind.
"Barbatos, I miss you so much! How could you be so stupid? Why did you have to go and die?" Tvalin muttered sadly.
Just then, Zhongli's figure slowly appeared in front of Tvalin.
Looking at the dejected Dvalin before him, he took a deep breath and cautiously greeted him, "Lord Dvalin, I apologize for disturbing you, and please forgive my uninvited visit."
Dvalin's previously unfocused gaze suddenly sharpened the moment he heard Zhongli's voice!
This "murderer" who indirectly caused Barbatos's death actually had the nerve to come looking for me!
“Hurrah!”
Dvalin let out a deafening roar, and with a powerful flap of its enormous wings, it stirred up a sandstorm that sent stones flying everywhere from the ruins.
Its massive body soared into the air, circling above Zhongli, and roared with boundless hatred:
"Ah! It's you! The murderer who indirectly killed Barbatos! How dare you show your face before me! I will make you pay for his life!"
A fierce wind howled across the ruins, and the wind element around Dvalin fluctuated violently, about to launch an attack on Zhongli.
Zhongli did not dodge, but stood quietly in place, letting the wind and sand ruffle his robes.
He knew that Tvalin's anger was not without reason, and he had to bear it.
"Lord Tvalin, I know you hate me." Zhongli spoke slowly, sincerely apologizing.
“My holding you back then did indirectly lead to Lord Barbatos’ tragedy, and I will not deny that I made that mistake.”
"I have come here for two reasons, firstly to apologize to you, and secondly..."
Before he could finish speaking, Tvalin interrupted him with another roar.
"Important business? Barbatos is already dead, what important business could possibly warrant your feigned concern? I think you're just here to provoke me! Today I'll make you pay with your life!"
Zhongli felt helpless as he watched Tvalin swoop down, ready to take his life.
He knew that Tvalin harbored deep resentment over Barbatos's death and was even more deeply entrenched in hatred towards him, but now was not the time to take action.
He quickly took a half step back, raised his hands to make a "pause" gesture, and, knowing he was in the wrong, tried to persuade her kindly.
"Wait a minute! Lord Dvalin, I'm not here to cause you any trouble!"
Dvalin was already blinded by rage. If he were a fire dragon, he would probably have already spewed out raging flames and burned this "indirect culprit" to ashes.
This is utterly shameless! It killed its own "master" and now it dares to show its face. It doesn't respect me at all!
"I have nothing to say to you! The murderer who killed Barbatos, what right do you have to talk to me? Die!"
Dvalin roared, his huge mouth suddenly opening wide, and a vast and fierce wind dragon breath instantly surged out of his mouth, rushing straight towards Zhongli.
Seeing this, Zhongli sighed helplessly.
He knew that saying anything now would be useless; he could only protect himself first.
He spread his arms, and golden rock elemental light instantly emanated from his body, forming a thick and sturdy rock shield that protected him completely.
"As solid as a rock".
"Boom—!" The wind dragon's breath slammed into the rock shield, creating a deafening roar.
The wind blades frantically sliced at the surface of the rock shield, but the rock shield remained as solid as an iron wall, not even a single crack appeared.
As the power of the wind dragon's breath gradually dissipated, Zhongli remained standing unharmed.
Seeing Zhong Li unharmed, Tvalin became even more enraged and roared at Zhong Li:
"Damn it! What kind of skill is it to just pull out a shield? If you're so capable, take off that lousy shield and I'll fight you for three hundred rounds, and I'll tear you to shreds!"
It cried out and hovered anxiously in mid-air, the wind from its flapping wings causing the stones in the ruins to tumble again.
Zhongli, seeing that Dvalin was determined to fight him to the death, still patiently tried to persuade him.
"Lord Tvalin, I truly have no intention of being your enemy."
"I'm sorry, I did indirectly cause the tragedy of Lord Barbatos by holding you back then, but I had no choice at the time! I owed Shao Yun an explanation!"
He tried to explain his predicament, but Tvalin wouldn't listen.
It suddenly rose higher, and the wind elemental power around it began to surge wildly. The wind blades in the air became denser and denser. As it gathered its power, it roared at Zhongli.
"You bunch of bastards from the south! All you do is use 'the agreement' as an excuse; in the end, you're just bullying Mondstadt!"
"Do you really think Mondstadt has no one left? Barbatos may be gone, but I'm still here!"
Before he finished speaking, Dvalin suddenly spread his huge wings and let out a long and passionate dragon roar.
That was the name that Barbatos, the god of wind, once gave to his ultimate attack: "The Last Song of the Day"!
As the dragon's roar resounded, the clouds above the Wind Dragon Ruins began to churn violently, and countless "arrows" imbued with the power of raging wind elements condensed from the clouds, glowing with a blue light, densely covering the entire Wind Dragon Ruins.
Zhongli was speechless at the sight of Tvalin's desperate efforts.
This irritable and stubborn nature is exactly the same as the Dragon King Ruoduo that I sealed away back then.
Are all dragons the same?
Sigh, it's all my fault. I made that choice back then, and now I can only swallow this bitter pill myself.
"Um……"
Dvalin, staring at the arrows of wind gathering in the clouds, roared, "Die! Pay for Barbatos's life!"
As soon as he finished speaking, countless arrows of wind rained down from the sky like a torrential downpour.
In an instant, the wind howled and rocks flew through the Wind Dragon Ruins as golden rock shields clashed with cyan wind arrows...