One hour earlier, at the border between Liyue and Mondstadt, atop Dragonspine—
Venti stood quietly, gazing into the swirling storm above the mountain. A rare seriousness darkened his usually carefree features. Something in the air stirred a familiar, complicated feeling in his heart.
"Old man, you came," Venti murmured, barely audible, yet tinged with quiet anticipation.
"Barbatos, you received a message from an Abyss Mage too?" Zhongli stepped beside him, his tone calm.
Venti pulled a crumpled piece of parchment from his cloak. The handwriting was crooked and jagged, unmistakably the work of a non-human.
"'Traveler has stopped traveling. Reason: Shao Yun found her brother. Abyss needs your help,'" he read aloud, a touch of incredulity in his voice. "How absurd... The Abyss begging us for help."
Zhongli withdrew a similar letter from his sleeve, nodding in agreement.
"Her journey has ended... earlier than expected," he said, eyes thoughtful and distant, as if weighing a heavy decision.
"So, you're thinking what I'm thinking, old man?" Venti asked, turning toward him, eyes searching.
Zhongli gave a slight nod. "We go talk to Shao Yun. If necessary… we tell him our plan."
But Venti hesitated, worry creasing his brow.
"And what if… he refuses to listen?"
Zhongli was silent for a long moment before finally replying.
"Then we tell the Traveler. We persuade her… to talk to him."
Venti understood—and in his heart, he prepared for the worst.
"And what if he still won't listen?" he asked softly.
Zhongli didn't answer immediately. He seemed to dread even the thought.
"…Then it will be… another fracture for us," he said at last, a cryptic but heavy truth.
Venti sighed, sorrow deep in his breath. "Let's hope it doesn't come to that…"
…
Now, in the heart of the storm—
Shao Yun stood outside Albedo's laboratory, left hand gripping his revolver, barrel aimed high into the ashen sky.
BANG!
A gunshot tore through the blizzard's roar, its echo slicing the silence of the snow-covered peaks. A shot not of hostility—but of warning.
"Venti! Zhongli! If your damn braids keep glowing—I swear I won't hold back!"
The two gods, usually so laid-back and enigmatic, fell silent. At Shao Yun's command, the divine glows from their braids quietly faded. They approached slowly, expressions a blend of wry resignation and calm.
Venti spoke first, his tone light as always.
"Ehehe~ Shao Yun, don't be so serious. Me and the old man just… felt like taking in the mountain scenery, that's all."
But Shao Yun wasn't one to be played.
He stared coldly at Venti. "You? Who'd rather drown in taverns? And Zhongli, who'd rather spend his days listening to opera? You expect me to believe you two came to enjoy the snow? I don't buy it."
Zhongli knew there was no point in dodging further.
"Shao Yun," he said plainly. "We came because we know you've reunited Lumine with her brother."
Shao Yun sneered, unbothered by how they learned. His focus was elsewhere.
"Oh? So, you're here to help us fight the Abyss Order?"
Venti and Zhongli exchanged a glance. Then Venti replied, tone laced with persuasion.
"Of course, we'll help you. But more importantly… we want you and Lumine to continue your journey."
Shao Yun frowned.
"Continue? Why? Explain yourselves."
Venti looked troubled, but forced himself to speak.
"The journey means more to Lumine than you realize. For her future—you must keep going…"
But Shao Yun had heard enough. He couldn't understand why everyone kept pushing this mysterious "journey," like it was some divine law.
He snapped, "What the hell do you mean?! I gave her what she wanted—her brother back! You wouldn't even tell her the truth about Aether! And now you come to command me?!"
Venti looked skyward, as if searching for strength.
At last, he said, "Shao Yun, we understand your devotion. But the journey… it matters. For all of us."
But Shao Yun cut him off with a growl.
"Enough! Don't you dare preach to me about what's best for Lumine! I have my own plan. Now listen well—you've got two choices: help me kill those Abyss bastards, or leave now while I still call you a friend."
He raised his voice, fierce and unyielding.
"But if you try to stop me… I will kill you."
Zhongli, filled with conflict, recalled a mysterious figure's words: "The writer sleeps." It gave him courage.
He stepped forward.
"Then I'll speak plainly. Our true goal—is to rebel against Celestia."
The snowstorm roared on, but the heavens stayed silent. That alone gave Zhongli some reassurance.
The devil had told the truth.
And so, he began to speak.
"It started with the Archon War…"
He told the tale of how Celestia orchestrated a brutal conflict among gods, of how seven emerged victorious and became Teyvat's rulers.
He explained the Khaenri'ah Cataclysm—how the Heavenly Principles summoned the six other Archons (excluding the Dendro Archon) to raze that land of knowledge and defiance.
Beside him, Dainsleif added his own truth, naming the five sinners of Khaenri'ah:
The Wise—Hroptatyr. The Visionary—Vedrfolnir. Gold—Rheindottir. The Foul— Surtalogi. And The Rächer of Solnari—Rerir.
Five who stole Abyssal power and condemned an entire nation.
Zhongli's heart trembled. "So… there was even more beneath it all…"
Shao Yun, stunned, realized they were now sharing secrets beyond even Sumeru and Fontaine. So that's what crying loud gets you—truth. Obedient ones just get lies…
Still, he kept his guns up.
"Keep going."
And Zhongli did.
He spoke of what happened after the cataclysm—how the Cryo Archon took up the banner of rebellion.
At their last meeting, she'd said, 「"We are the herders. Vision-bearers are sheep. The rest… grass. We must destroy the Shepherd, or Khaenri'ah's fate will spread."」
Venti picked up the thread.
"After that, the Seven stopped meeting. Contact between us ended. But now, the Cryo Archon has begun collecting Gnoses. It's part of her plan… to defy Celestia."
Finally, Venti turned to Shao Yun, bowing his head.
"I'm sorry. Zhongli and I used your journey. We kept pushing you to visit each nation… because Lumine's steps would reconnect the Seven. By the time she reached the last, the rebellion would begin."
So Lumine… was just a messenger?
They'd sold her a lie—told her to be grateful for it.
"You used us," Shao Yun hissed. "If I hadn't thrown a fit, you'd have just kept leading her by the nose!"
Venti bowed deeper, his voice weary. "Yes. We admit it. But we're telling you now. If you want anything—anything—Zhongli and I will agree. Just… please continue the journey."
But Shao Yun wasn't one to forgive betrayal.
"You've never spoken a word of truth. I found Aether—that was the goal. We're done. You can't force me. And if you try—I will kill you both!"
He spat to the side, pure disgust in his glare.
Dainsleif, beside him, frowned. He's really going to war with the gods…
"Shao Yun… is this the path you choose? To slay the divine?"
Shao Yun nodded firmly.
"Since coming to Teyvat, I've feared no one. Not the devil. Not Lumine. Not Paimon. Those three matter. Anyone else—if they stand in my way, I'll kill them."
He looked Venti and Zhongli dead in the eyes.
"Today—I say it clearly. I kill you both and take Lumine and Aether far from all this. Or you kill me—and I lose. But if I'm alive, I won't help you. Find your next sucker."
Venti and Zhongli exchanged one last look.
They saw no hesitation, no doubt.
At last, Venti raised his hand. The Elegy for the End appeared, swirling with wind's fury.
Zhongli gripped the Vortex Vanquisher, prepared for the inevitable.
"If this is the path," Zhongli said gravely, "then we've no choice. Though I hate needless strife, there's no going back."
Venti smiled—sad, soft, and tired.
"Shao Yun… I'll remember you."
Shao Yun's Vision flared crimson, casting a bloody light across the snow. Even the air seemed tainted.
"Save your words. We're enemies now. If I win—I'll forget you."
Dainsleif unsheathed his blade, stepping beside Shao Yun.
"I didn't want to walk this path. But with Aether free… the Abyss is weakened. That alone makes this worth it. I'm with you."
…
But before blades clashed, a voice cut through the storm.
Lumine.
She stepped from the lab, her presence silencing the wind.
"Shao Yun," she said gently. "These two… they don't matter. Let's not let them take away what we've found."
He turned to her.
"These bastards tried to tear you and Aether apart. Once I kill them—no one will ever try again."
But Lumine just walked up and wrapped her arms around him.
"Shao Yun… it's time we woke up from this dream. My journey isn't over. Let's keep going—together."