Mona bit her lip, forcing herself to calm down.
She hesitated for a moment, then finally gathered the courage to voice her doubt.
"Right, there's actually something I've always been curious about. It's about the Lawrence family. I heard from others before that Mr. Albedo had already sealed off that manor.
"Out of curiosity, I once tried a divination."
At this point, Mona's body trembled slightly. She swallowed hard and continued, "And from the result, I finally understood why you didn't let me divine the fate of those four people you dealt with at Stone Gate."
Shao Yun lifted his chin slightly, the corner of his lips curling into a faint smile as he asked lightly, "You want to know how the Lawrence family was wiped out?"
Mona bit her lip tightly and nodded firmly, her expression tense. "If possible… could I trouble you to explain it in detail?"
Shao Yun drew in a deep breath, then used the simplest and most straightforward words to tell Mona the story of a night of extermination.
"In truth, nothing special. I simply broke into their mansion and killed every last one of them. In the end, I put this thing on Schubert Lawrence's face."
With that, Shao Yun reached into the Legend of the East satchel and gently pulled out a mysterious, eerie object—a skull, either bovine or ovine, that served as the Pagan Skull Mask.
Mona stared in horror at the skull in his hand, her body instinctively stepping back two paces.
"Wah! Don't just take out something like that without warning! If you absolutely must, at least tell me first! I'm not like Miss Sucrose, who's interested in these bizarre things!"
Shao Yun seemed completely oblivious to Mona's fear and disgust. He simply admired the Pagan Skull Mask in his hand.
Then, in the same calm tone, he continued the tale of that bloody, terrifying night.
"When I killed Schubert, I nailed him upside down to the wall, then hung this mask on his face. At first I thought I'd get to talk to that guy, but he never showed up. In the end, Albedo returned this thing to me."
Mona swallowed nervously, inching closer to Shao Yun. Trembling slightly, she stretched out her right hand and asked softly, "May I try divining this skull?"
After a brief pause, Shao Yun handed her the mask. "Mm. Go ahead."
Mona carefully accepted the heretic's mask and immediately performed her hydromancy.
But something unexpected happened. Her water scrying dish suddenly shattered without warning, collapsing into a puddle that evaporated with startling speed.
Startled by the sudden turn, Mona cried out. "My scrying dish!"
Shao Yun quickly stepped forward. Seeing Mona unharmed, he bent down to pick up the fallen mask.
Eyeing the vanished scrying dish, he teased, "I won't be paying for that, you know."
Mona waved her hands quickly, explaining, "It's fine, the scrying dish is mostly just made from ordinary Hydro essence. Nothing serious."
Shao Yun examined the heretic's mask in his hand, curious. "So, did that divination yield anything useful?"
Mona shook her head helplessly. "No, nothing at all.
"I think I might need special instruments to analyze it further, but… I'm worried they'd damage the object. And these things… are very expensive…"
Hearing that, Shao Yun didn't press further. He simply nodded and put the mask away, speaking slowly. "Forget it. I already know more than enough. If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave."
With that, Shao Yun turned and walked toward the door.
But when he reached it, he suddenly stopped, turned back, and said to Mona, "Right—before I go, there's one message I'd like you to pass on to your master and to Klee's mother, Alice."
Mona, intrigued, studied him and asked, "What message?"
Shao Yun's expression darkened, his tone dripping with menace.
"If they want my life, then let them come at me. But if they dare target Lumine and Paimon, then I'll make them witness firsthand what the Old Continent's witch hunts really look like."
A chill ran through Mona at his words, her body shivering as she hastily explained, "Mr. Shao Yun, my master and the witches' circle… they're just curious about you, nothing more. No malice!"
At this, Shao Yun's lips curved upward in satisfaction. He nodded slightly, his "kind" smile returning. "Good. Then thank your master and Klee's mother, Alice, for their answer."
With that, Shao Yun turned and left Mona's home.
…
After he was gone, Mona quietly walked to the window. She stared at his retreating figure until she was sure he had completely disappeared, then let out a soft sigh of relief.
She then hurried to a delicate lantern and spoke softly, "Lady Alice, you heard that, right?"
The lantern glowed gently, and Alice's clear, melodious voice flowed out.
"I heard. That fellow now sees everyone except the Traveler and that floating cutie as potential enemies. Like some child scarred by trauma."
Mona frowned, puzzled. "So… what should we do next?"
Alice's lazy voice came from the lantern again. "Nothing. Thank you for finding him."
Just then, Mona's stomach growled loudly.
Her face flushed red, and she covered her empty belly in embarrassment. "Then… I'll go get something to eat. Haven't had dinner yet…"
…
Shao Yun rode on horseback, gazing up at the Mondstadt night sky.
Clad in the Legend of the East set, he felt no fatigue. A sudden thought struck him: should he use this chance to seek out Venti?
So, he issued a command to the system.
"Useless thing, do your job. Find me Venti."
The system responded, opening a display.
[Venti's current location: At the statue of the Anemo Archon in the square before Favonius Cathedral]
Shao Yun blinked in mild surprise.
That drunkard wasn't in Angel's Share singing for coin, but here instead.
"Alright."
He closed the display, spurred his horse, and raced toward Favonius Cathedral.
The pounding hooves echoed through the streets, blending with the night wind.
…
The night was deep. Moonlight spilled over the square before Favonius Cathedral, illuminating the towering Anemo Archon statue.
Venti stood silently beneath it, gazing up until the crisp rhythm of hooves shattered the quiet.
Shao Yun rode up behind him, his arrival breaking the stillness and drawing Venti from his thoughts.
"I thought I'd find you singing for tips in Angel's Share," Shao Yun said with a smile as he dismounted.
Venti turned, his face lighting with pleasant surprise.
"Mr. Shao Yun! Wow, when did you return to Mondstadt? Truly unexpected!"
Shao Yun gave him a long look, his smile carrying a hint of irony. "Don't play innocent. The moment I stepped on Mondstadt's soil, you must have known I was here."
He was, of course, referring to that time he killed the couple. Back then, right after passing through Stone Gate, Venti had appeared—did he really think Shao Yun would believe he hadn't noticed? Ridiculous.
Venti could only shrug helplessly, raising his hands in defeat.
He gave a wry smile and sighed. "Fine, you got me. So, what brings you here? Don't tell me you're planning another killing spree?"
Shao Yun shook his head lightly, his tone flat. "I only have a few questions for you."
Venti's eyes flickered with curiosity as he pressed, "Oh? Do you now? What is it you wish to know?"
He thought to himself: hadn't he already told Shao Yun everything? What else could be missing?
Shao Yun was silent for a long moment, then asked the three great questions of philosophy.
"Who am I?" His calm voice carried a faint chill.
The question struck Venti's heart like a hammer, stunning him.
Eyes wide, he stared at Shao Yun, inwardly cursing.
'By Barbatos' cider! He's starting with that kind of question? How am I supposed to answer this?!'
Awkwardly scratching his head, Venti said with a strained smile, "Ahaha, don't start with such profound questions right away. That's really difficult for me."
But Shao Yun wasn't letting him off. He fixed Venti with a relentless stare. "You must know something! Before I encountered that devil, you were the only Archon who had seen 'me'!"
At that, Venti's mind conjured the images of the great tree in Windrise and the Whispering Woods.
He stroked his chin and muttered, "Oh, so that's what you mean. Indeed…"
After a moment of troubled thought, he scratched his neck uneasily and said, "About who you really are… well… how should I put it? I think I mentioned it before—I saw three with heads, and one without."
Shao Yun shook his head firmly.
"That wasn't me! Those four were Arthur Morgan, John Marston, Jack Marston, and that devil. I'm asking about me! Do you know my identity?"
Venti looked at him with genuine helplessness, spreading his hands. "Honestly, I truly know Aether and Lumine. But you? I really don't. The winds never carried your story to me, and time hasn't yet sown its seed.
"Even if you asked me to fabricate a tale about you, I'd have nothing to draw from."
Shao Yun's eyes dimmed with disappointment. He murmured, "So you mean… you don't know…"
Venti nodded firmly. "That's right. Honestly, even regarding Aether and Lumine, I can't reveal too much…"
Seeing that Venti knew nothing of his past, Shao Yun's disappointment deepened. Still, it was within reason.
He didn't press further. Instead, he turned silently to leave.
"Sorry to disturb your lovely night. I'll take my leave. Once Noelle's exam is over, I'll buy you a drink."
With that, Shao Yun mounted his horse, seeking a quiet corner to pass the time.
He decided to return tomorrow morning, to cheer Noelle on in her exam.
And perhaps, had things ended there, the two of them might have slowly drifted back to how they once were.
But as always, there's a but.