The wind blew bleakly.
The surrounding area was filled with the whispers of gossiping people.
"Look, that's the 'Green Trash Man' from the newspaper."
"You really can't judge a book by its cover. He's so handsome, yet he's associated with trash."
"Sigh! I heard he even won an award, named Mondstadt's most outstanding Bard. What a waste of such talent..."
"Ruined, completely ruined."
Listening to the buzzing sounds of the crowd around him.
Walking on the streets of Mondstadt, Venti felt exceptionally desolate.
He took out his lyre and played a mournful piece of background music for himself.
"Hum hum hum, hum hum, ah ah ah ah..."
"In my life as Venti, I've walked on thin ice. Can I still reach the other shore?"
Ding dong.
Two or three Mora coins dropped onto the ground, making a crisp, pleasant sound.
Venti's face immediately broke into a wide smile.
"Thank you for the tip, sir!"
Venti nimbly picked up the Mora from the ground. Looking at the heavy Mora pouch at his waist, a smug smile appeared on his face.
It seemed that being famous wasn't entirely without its benefits.
The tips he received from acting pitiful all the way while putting on a show earned him much more than what he made performing in the tavern.
As if! Did anyone really think that he, the great Anemo Archon, would be upset just because people were buzzing about him?
At worst, he could just go back to sleep for a few hundred years. Once he outlasted these generations, he could reappear.
By then,
He, Venti, would once again be a handsome, dashing, exceptionally talented, and stunningly beautiful young man.
However.
Venti still made up his mind.
His identity as the Anemo Archon absolutely could not be exposed.
His personal embarrassment was a small matter.
If the glorious image of the Anemo Archon in the hearts of his many believers were to be tarnished, that would be terrible.
Heh heh.
Venti weighed the heavy Mora pouch in his hand, a triumphant smile spreading across his face.
Just as Venti was planning to go have some fun at the tavern, he received a message carried on the wind from afar.
"Venti, are you still alive?"
"Hurry over, I'm treating you to a drink!"
Venti's eyes immediately lit up.
"Treating me to a drink?!!!"
"Is there such a good thing!"
Although the voice that came with the wind did not reveal its identity, how could Venti not guess who it was?
A familiar aura, the power of a Blessed One of the Anemo Archon, inviting him for a drink—who else could it be besides his good Brother Lu Ming!
"My dear friend!"
"Wait for me!"
"Save some fine wine for me!!!"
Venti manipulated the Anemo Element, forming a wind current around himself.
Take off!
With a swoosh!
Venti's figure vanished.
A poor passerby who stepped onto the wind current.
Was blown up into the air, screaming in terror.
Fortunately, a kind-hearted Outrider managed to rescue the unlucky pedestrian.
Watching the gradually dissipating wind current.
The Outrider Amber clenched her fist:
"Darn it!"
"Using an Anemo Slime to take off inside Mondstadt City!"
"This is strictly forbidden by the Knights of Favonius!"
"But, why couldn't I find any slime condensate?"
"Could it be that the Vision holder of the Anemo Element used an Anemo Traveler's Souvenir?"
Aided by the wind current, Venti's flying speed was extremely fast.
Of course.
Once he flew high into the sky and confirmed no one could see him, Venti completely stopped pretending.
Even with the wind current, flying with his wind glider felt too slow to Venti.
He directly transformed into a gentle breeze.
His speed was incredibly fast.
It wasn't until he reached the airspace above Springvale Farm that Venti reverted to his usual appearance as the green-clad Bard.
"Yoo-hoo!"
"My dear friend, I'm coming, damn it!"
Arkz, who was basking in the sun, lifted his sunglasses and glanced at Venti floating in the sky.
"Where's the wine? Where's the wine!"
Venti swooshed over next to Arkz.
Looking left and right, jumping up and down, he frantically searched for any trace of fine wine.
Seeing Venti constantly rummaging through his pockets, Arkz was speechless.
He pushed Venti away by pressing a finger against his forehead.
Speechlessly saying:
"No matter what, there's no way I'd hide wine in such a small pocket."
Venti grinned sheepishly:
"Heh heh."
"That's not necessarily true."
"My dear friend, you're so powerful, it wouldn't be impossible for you to know some spatial storage techniques from those old folks over in Liyue."
Arkz sighed helplessly,
"Sigh!"
"It's a good thing I know you're the Anemo Archon, otherwise I'd really worry about you drinking yourself to death."
"I don't have any fine wine bought from outside."
Venti: "????"
Venti: "Then should I leave?"
"Brother Lu Ming, you must be joking with me, right?"
The corner of Arkz's mouth curved up:
"However, the strawberry fruit wine I brewed myself just finished fermenting. That's why I invited you, this wine tasting master, over to sample it."
Venti gave a thumbs up.
"Great!"
"Truly my dear friend!"
"Don't worry, as a wine taster, I will definitely sample all the wine you brewed today."
Arkz shook his head speechlessly:
"You call me 'dear friend' when there's wine, but you call me 'Brother Lu Ming' when there's no wine, right?"
Faced with Arkz's teasing, Venti guiltily averted his gaze.
"This... that..."
"Hehe!"
Led by Arkz, the two walked towards a small wooden house in the corner of the farm.
This small wooden house was temporarily constructed by Arkz to serve as a temporary wine cellar.
As for.
The official wine cellar planned for Springvale Farm.
It was currently still in the preparation stage.
Not enough staff, lack of funds, and the blueprints weren't even finished.
Aqiu, who was responsible for excavating the cellar, was already incredibly busy.
But Arkz wasn't in a hurry.
Once this batch of strawberry fruit wine was sold, he would have enough funds to build the cellar.
As for staff recruitment, at worst, Arkz could personally step in to help Aqiu recruit some people.
When the cellar was finished, he could even establish a Hilichurl Construction Team to take on projects and contracts, maximizing the surplus value of these Hilichurls—what could be better!
As for this cellar, this small wooden house was sufficient as a temporary one.
The cellar work for Springvale Farm could be treated as practice for Aqiu.
Pushing open the wooden door.
The aroma of wine wafted out.
Venti inhaled the scent of the wine, a look of bliss on his face.
Opening the sealed wooden stopper of the brewing barrel, a sweet wine fragrance rushed out, intoxicating.
Arkz used a ladle conjured from Dendro Elemental Power to scoop a cup for himself and Venti.
"Here, have a taste."
Venti took the wine cup. The red liquid emitted the fresh fragrance of strawberries, just like strawberry juice.
But upon closer sniffing, it carried a flavor that made one feel utterly immersed.
Venti couldn't help but exclaim:
"Just smelling this aroma, I know this wine must be incredibly delicious!"
Then he eagerly took a sip.
Hssss—!!!
The exquisite taste struck his very soul.
Venti repeatedly praised:
"Good wine! Good wine!"
Afterward, he drank the strawberry fruit wine in his cup in large gulps, greedily savoring every drop of juice.
He didn't even spare the residue clinging to the cup walls.
Watching Venti's blissful posture, Arkz also raised his cup and took a sip.
His eyes immediately lit up.
It really was delicious.
This strawberry fruit wine lacked the throat-burning, hard-to-swallow sensation of strong liquor; instead, it felt incredibly smooth upon entering the mouth.
Sweet with a hint of sourness, upon careful savoring, it possessed a unique flavor.
As expected.
Whatever the system produces is guaranteed to be a masterpiece.
-------------------------
If you enjoy this story, you can read 70+ advanced chapters on Patreon!
Webnovel will keep getting 1 new chapter every day but Patreon readers can stay far ahead.
Maybe it's not a big deal now… maybe it will be later.
[email protected]/Rexlent
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"