Angels Share.
The paradise for drunks.
Every night, this place is packed with drunken louts.
As everyone knows, once a cup of wine goes down, the secrets in one's heart are often impossible to keep hidden.
In this lively atmosphere, with the excuse of being drunk, even if you say the most outrageous things, no one will take you seriously. Therefore, people often take the opportunity of being inebriated to speak the heartfelt words they usually dare not utter.
And sure enough, the drunks started discussing the hottest topic in Mondstadt recently—rummaging through trash cans.
"Hey! Brothers, have you seen that photo?"
"What...?"
"That photo of the statue of the anemo archon digging through a trash can."
"statue of the anemo archon?!"
"Rummaging through a trash can?!"
Hearing those two keywords, Venti, who was passed out on the wine table with hiccups, raised his head, his face flushed with drunkenness, rosy like a red Apple.
Holding his wine cup, Venti staggered into the crowd, wanting to hear the details.
"I don't know who took that photo, truly... a genius."
"Using perspective distortion, they managed to capture the grand and sacred statue of the anemo archon and a trash can together in the Church Plaza, then made hundreds of copies and scattered them throughout the streets of Mondstadt."
"I heard the Knights of Favonius were furious."
"The most despicable thing is those newspapers, actually claiming things like 'statue of the anemo archon Rummages Through Trash Can at Midnight, With Pictures as Proof.' Moreover, they deliberately made the character'Statue' small and blurry to mislead people."
"That's malicious."
"Who says it isn't?"
Secretly pouring himself a cup of wine from his drinking buddy's jug, the drunk Venti nodded with a flushed face, agreeing:
"Exactly, so malicious! The statue of the anemo archon can't even move, how could it possibly rummage through a trash can?"
"They can't even make up a good story."
"If you ask me, they should have said... the Anemo God ha—Ugh!!!"
Before Venti could finish his words, those half-drunk patrons instantly broke out in a cold sweat.
The person closest to Venti quickly covered his mouth, stuffing the words he was about to blurt out back down his throat.
"Mmm... Mmm mmm~~"
"Haha..."
"This guy is drunk, completely drunk."
"Yes! Yes! When he's drunk, he just spouts nonsense, it shouldn't be taken seriously."
Seeing this scene, the bartender at Angels Share breathed a sigh of relief.
It was a good thing this Bard named Venti didn't utter those words that would offend the Anemo Archon, otherwise, this tavern would surely be stormed by the Archon's followers!
Venti desperately wanted to explain.
The free and generous, passionate Anemo Archon wouldn't care about such a small offense.
But alas, his mouth was tightly covered.
Everyone exchanged glances, and two burly men stepped toward Venti, flexing their muscles.
With 'hearty smiles' on their faces, they brandished moves from the 'Jie Fist Style,' Venti looked on with some alarm—was he 'Jie-nable to escape' this time?
Thud.
With a dirty rag stuffed in his mouth, Venti shed tears of humiliation from the corner of his eye.
"How dare you!!!"
"To take the greatest Bard in Mondstadt..."
"And toss him into a trash can!!!"
Watching Venti, with tears in his eyes and a flushed face, trying to fight back but only able to make muffled 'Mmm mmm mmm' sounds because his mouth was gagged.
The two muscular brutes sneered:
"Sissy!"
"A real man should hang out with men!"
"Jie jie jie."
"Tossing you into the trash can is the punishment for you wanting to insult the Anemo Archon!"
With that, the two left without looking back.
Only Venti, with a complicated expression, remained inside the trash can.
To be disciplined for that reason, Venti didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
Inside the trash can, Venti could still hear his two devout muscular brothers discussing:
"Hey, Brother Jie, what do you think the Anemo Archon actually looks like?"
"I certainly don't believe the Anemo Archon looks like that statue of the anemo archon at the Church, the one who looks like a little girl."
"Jie jie jie, A-Bin, why even ask!"
"The true Anemo Archon must be a muscular man like us!"
Inside the trash can.
Venti, the Anemo Archon of Mondstadt, who had just been disciplined by his devout followers, muttered to himself:
"My devout followers..."
"I'm sorry to disappoint you."
"The real Anemo Archon is actually a sissy, my bad!"
Although a muscular version of the Anemo Archon incarnation sounded quite interesting, Venti considered that his current appearance was a copy of his friend's, so it was probably best not to change it casually.
Inside the trash can, assaulted by the stench, most of Venti's drunkenness faded.
He struggled and climbed out of the trash can.
He recalled the rumor he had heard in the tavern earlier:
"The big shots of Mondstadt are all rummaging through trash cans."
Venti stroked his smooth chin and turned to look at the trash can he had just escaped from.
"Rummaging through trash cans—is this some new trend sweeping Mondstadt?"
"Wait, what is that?"
Venti suddenly noticed that the trash can in front of him seemed to be glowing!
Treasure!
Could there really be treasure in the trash can?
Primogem, the miraculous product formed by the convergence of the beautiful wishes of the masses, possessing incredible mystical power.
If the people of Mondstadt believed there was treasure inside trash cans, the power gathered from those wishes might actually cause treasures to appear in Mondstadt's trash cans; it wasn't impossible.
It was just like the inexhaustible treasure chests on the continent of Teyvat, miraculous products born in response to the desires of Adventurers.
Venti pondered.
Was anyone around?
Venti furtively turned his head, looking left and right, and found no one nearby.
Thus.
He quietly extended his hand toward the unguarded trash can.
"Let me see!"
"What treasure is inside here!"
Venti reached into the trash can and fumbled around, suddenly touching something hard and cold and cylindrical.
"This is!!!"
Venti excitedly pulled hard!
"It's actually a limited edition commemorative bottle of aged wine from the Dawn Winery's collection!!!"
"A souvenir from the 500th Windblume Festival!!!"
"This is amazing!!!"
Venti hugged the wine bottle, not caring at all that he had just fished it out of a trash can, kissing it again and again.
"Mwah, mwah, mwah..."
"My treasure, my little darling!"
"Meeting you tonight is truly my lucky day!"
However.
Just as Venti was raving over this bottle of fine wine, a strange sound came from a dark corner.
Click!
Click!
The first sound was the shutter of a camera being pressed.
The second sound was Venti freezing in shock upon realizing he was being secretly photographed.
Ahhhhhhh!!!
Damn it!
Paparazzi!
You stop right there!
That photo can't be published!
Venti, with a ferocious expression, chased after the reporter who had snapped his embarrassing photo, and the reporter, realizing he had been discovered, immediately activated sprint mode without hesitation.
Venti's terrifying facial contortion scared the reporter.
If he got caught, he would definitely be beaten to death!
Fueled by the instinct for survival, the reporter unleashed his potential, and under the cover of Mondstadt's streets, he actually managed to escape the enraged Venti for the moment.
Once Venti failed to catch the reporter immediately, the outcome was sealed.
The next day.
Mondstadt Newspaper Headlines.
"Green Bard Goes Wild at Midnight, The Reason Is Actually!!!"
"Trash Can Rummaging Virus Spreads to Liyue, Knights of Favonius Declare It All Rumors!"
"Late Night, You Chase, I Flee, Nowhere to Hide!"
"..."
Venti: "..."
Looking at the headlines on the newspaper, he silently rolled up the paper and threw it violently onto the ground.
"Damn it!!!"
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