"Old man, why did that girl do that? And you just agreed to her?"

After Kaito and Wendy left, Venti couldn't help but ask.

Honestly, he couldn't understand why Wendy would beat up that Fatui Harbinger in his name.

And more importantly, the old man actually agreed to her; he was truly shocked.

"Her strength is considerable."

To the bewildered Venti, Zhongli calmly replied.

There was nothing he could do; Wendy's immense power was the main reason he agreed.

If he wasn't mistaken, Wendy's true power hadn't been fully displayed yet; what she showed earlier at Mt. Tianheng was clearly just a slight demonstration.

"Considerable strength?" Hearing Zhongli's words, Venti was shocked. "Could it be... she's already so strong that even you, old man, can't defeat her?"

"Indeed."

Zhongli nodded.

"She's actually that strong..."

After receiving Zhongli's reply, Venti, who turned to look in the direction Wendy and Kaito had departed, couldn't help but murmur to himself.

Before, he had seen Wendy a few times, but he never imagined this girl would be so powerful that even the old man couldn't defeat her.

But if she's that powerful... why would she do this? Wouldn't it be enough to just go and beat up that Fatui Harbinger directly?

Sow discord?

No... who sows discord like that...?

Suddenly remembering that the old man hadn't answered why Wendy would do this, Venti continued to ask, "Then, old man, do you know why she wants to do this?"

"I do not know." This time, Zhongli's reply remained brief.

"Then... what should we do? Just wait for her to beat up that Fatui Harbinger?"

Not expecting the old man to also not know why, Venti was at a loss for a moment.

Although what Wendy intended to do didn't seem like a big deal at the moment, Venti always felt there was some unspeakable secret hidden behind such strange occurrences.

"Now you are both in Mondstadt..."

"Does the old man mean for me to secretly monitor her? But with her immense power, it would likely be ineffective, and might even provoke her."

Venti had actually considered the idea of monitoring, but he felt his own strength would make it difficult to achieve, and it might even anger her.

"No, I am not asking you to monitor Miss Wendy. I merely wish for you to try to make contact with young friend Kaito. Miss Wendy seems quite fond of him, and he appears to be an ordinary person."

Although Kaito hardly spoke the entire time, Zhongli could tell Wendy's attitude towards him was very unusual.

"You mean the young man who paid for us just now? So his name is Kaito. Oh, and Miss Wendy just called his name, asking him to pack things."

Although Venti had seen Kaito a few times, he only now learned his name.

"Wait, old man, you said that young man is an ordinary person? An ordinary person, accompanied by such a powerful girl? How strange."

"It is indeed somewhat strange, but anything is possible." Pausing, Zhongli continued from his previous statement, "Therefore, my intention is for you to try and make contact with young friend Kaito and establish a good relationship with him; this might bring some advantages."

"Advantages? What advantages? To find out through him why Miss Wendy wants to do this?"

"No, merely for some matters that might arise later."

In truth, after Zhongli realized he couldn't logically deduce why Wendy was doing this, he considered that it might just be a sudden whim of hers, or in other words, for amusement.

Although he couldn't be 100% certain, Zhongli still wanted to prepare for the unexpected by having Venti build a good relationship with Kaito, lest Wendy come up with even stranger ideas later.

Some matters might just be amusement for Wendy, but for others, or even the continent of Teyvat, that might not be the case.

Of course, besides this conjecture, Zhongli would still investigate other possibilities.

"Alright, no problem."

Seeing the old man so mysterious, Venti didn't ask further but agreed directly.

"Now I must return to Liyue Harbor. Should anything arise, seek me there."

"Rest assured, old man."

After speaking, Zhongli also vanished before Venti.

"Sigh, it seems I can't live like before anymore."

After muttering to himself, Venti also vanished from the spot.

-------------------------------------

Liyue Harbor.

Whoosh—

The tranquil Liyue Harbor, peaceful just a second ago, suddenly became swept by violent winds the next, with no prior warning, as if these gales had appeared out of nowhere.

Instantly, people walking on the streets all stopped and looked up, gazing around at the invisible tempest.

They didn't understand why these fierce winds had suddenly appeared.

But just as everyone was bewildered, the gale seemed to intensify, making it difficult for people to stand, their ears filled with the howling of the wind, making it hard to hear others speak.

What's happening? Why did such strong winds suddenly pick up?

On the street, a purple-haired girl also looked up in confusion at the still clear sky.

Eerie, truly eerie.

Could it be... something from the sea causing this?!

Suddenly thinking of this, the girl quickened her pace towards the seaside.

And just as she reached the seaside, she saw a familiar figure who had already arrived there before her.

Ningguang...

Looking at the figure standing by the sea, Keqing couldn't help but utter her name inwardly.

"Is it something from the sea causing this?"

Coming beside Ningguang, Keqing, also looking at the sea, asked loudly.

"It doesn't seem so."

Ningguang did not turn her head; her gaze remained fixed on the sea.

But just then, the fierce wind suddenly subsided.

Just as it had suddenly appeared, it now suddenly vanished.

"Vanished?"

Unable to resist, Keqing extended a hand and found that she could no longer feel the howling wind that had just been there.

For a moment, it seemed as if the entire world had grown quiet, forming a stark contrast to the howling wind that had filled her ears just moments before.

"I fear this matter is far from over."

Recalling the previous incident where the Northland Bank was attacked, Ningguang's brows remained tightly furrowed.

She felt that these two incidents might have an unknown connection.

__

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