Mr. Zhongli, we can't slack off anymore!

Set off from Liyue Harbor and head north.

After passing through Guili Plains and taking a short rest at Wangshu Inn, we crossed Dihua Isle, passed through the Stone Gate, and finally arrived at the Azurewind Highlands of Mondstadt before nightfall.

"I should be in Mondstadt by now..." the traveler muttered to himself, holding the map.

I followed the map, and the previous routes were all correct; every location was right.

This time she didn't use teleportation anchors, but walked step by step, not very confident in her judgment and navigation skills.

Is this Mondstadt? I hope I didn't end up in Crane View.

A gray fog enveloped Mondstadt.

The deeper you go, the thicker the fog becomes. It's no exaggeration to say that visibility is only one or two meters. You can't even see your toes when you look down.

The traveler walked for a long time without hearing any sound; it was very quiet.

We drove around in circles until it got dark.

All around were the howls of wolves, the sounds of wild boars, and the cooing of owls.

Even a little human voice would be nice, even if it's just a group of heist thieves.

Oh, by the way, Mondstadt doesn't have any treasure hunting groups...

The wilderness is inhabited by Hilichurls.

She took out a rock butterfly from her pocket to keep herself company.

Seeing it reminds me of Zhongli, and when travelers think of him, they inexplicably want to get angry, but they can't bring themselves to do it even when they look at his face!

In a rage, I got angry!

"That broken rock is in the way!" The traveler kicked a rock at his feet.

The stones rolled and flew a long way before finally stopping after hitting something.

A tall, dark figure rose from the ground in the fog, sniffed the air around it, and finally charged toward the traveler.

The heavy footsteps drew the traveler's attention, prompting him to put on a protective shield just in case.

The enraged Hilichurl slammed into the shield, shattering both the shield and its mask at the same time.

How could a mere hillock possess such power?

They seem to be stronger than the Hilichurls of Liyue...

An unprepared shield is less effective than the one from the previous two battles, and it shouldn't have been shattered by the Hilichurls.

Could it be a legendary monster of the region?

Is it different from the ordinary one?

The Hilichurl mobs stopped attacking and chose to flee.

It's like the fog of war mode in Plants vs. Zombies; you never know what monsters might appear ahead.

Hilichurls are fine, but it would be bad if they were the kind that lurk in the mist waiting for an opportunity to strike.

For safety's sake, the traveler had no choice but to keep the rock shield active.

Sigh, a sense of security comes from within.

After circling around again, the traveler realized that the mark he had made on the tree wouldn't work.

Or maybe we should try that carpet search approach.

This move consumes too much elemental power, and Mondstadt's population is concentrated in Mondstadt City, while the Azurewind Highlands are far from Mondstadt City.

Moreover, people who can unleash large amounts of elemental power are also feared.

After weighing the pros and cons, the traveler decided to take a gamble.

The traveler infuses the earth with rock element, searching for humanoid creatures; she still cannot distinguish between Hilichurls and humans.

The stronger one's elemental power, the easier it is to locate them. The easiest to find are demon gods, followed by the holders of the Eye of God.

No matter how weak a person's elemental energy is, the traveler can still find him.

What a terrible thing! I can't think about him anymore!

Ok?

It seems like we've found something.

The other side also discovered the traveler, searching for the source of the spreading elemental power, and gradually approached.

Is the visitor well-intentioned?

It's upsetting to not be able to find someone, but even when you do find them, you still have to wonder if they're a good person.

Traveling alone is really not easy.

A strange feeling lingered in the traveler's mind, and it grew stronger as the unknown creature approached.

Let's open a blind box and see what "he" is.

The traveler summoned his spear and commanded the rock element to form a solid shield.

The familiar footsteps drew closer, followed by that familiar figure.

"Zhong...Zhongli?" Did he follow us here?

wrong……

wrong!

The traveler could tell from his elemental power that it was definitely not him.

What is that thing in front of us?

The shadow receded into the distance, seemingly guiding the traveler in a certain direction.

If you add a certain piece of music, the atmosphere will rival that of a horror movie.

Unfortunately, "he" encountered a traveler from this era! Just seeing him infuriated him! Ideally, it would be a demon who looked very much like him, so he could vent his anger without any burden!

"Hey! Don't go!" The traveler followed.

The shadow grew faster and faster, and the traveler ran to keep up, creating a rock wall to block "his" path.

He actually passed right through the rock wall.

The traveler stopped, calmed down, and considered his current situation.

The fog won't dissipate anytime soon, so we might as well go back to Chengehu and rest for a while.

Continue the trip tomorrow...

Thinking it over, she took out the Dust Song Pot and deactivated the shield. Just as she was about to use the Rock Butterfly to open the entrance to the cave, a loud and sharp eagle cry came from above the traveler.

The sound of a sharp blade striking rock suddenly came from behind the traveler.

Rock Butterfly blocked the attack from the two-handed sword.

The swordsman had red hair tied in a ponytail and wore expensive clothes.

He raised his cold, stern eyes and looked at the traveler, a hint of surprise in his expression.

It's Diluc of Mondstadt.

The rock butterfly withstood the sword strike squarely, yet its body remained unshaken; its material was incredibly hard.

As the traveler gripped the starry sky and cruised through the night, he prepared to fight him.

But he made the first move.

Whatever the reason, protect yourself first.

"I'm sorry, miss, you're not the person I'm looking for. I apologize for any offense." Diluc sheathed his greatsword, making no move to attack the traveler.

"What...are you looking for?" Realizing it was a misunderstanding, the traveler also put down his weapon.

"Perhaps it's a demon god." He wasn't sure either.

Diluc's expression softened slightly when he caught a glimpse of the Eye of God hanging at the traveler's waist.

She wasn't that kind of thing; her attire looked like it came from Liyue.

"I did just encounter a strange person... I don't know if it's the one you're looking for."

“No wonder. I chased after him all the way here, but almost accidentally hurt you,” Diluc explained.

"Does he look like..." The traveler paused, considering whether he should describe Zhongli's physical characteristics.

Diluc preemptively said, "It looks like the person you most want to see."

"Huh?" The traveler was stunned.

“Isn’t that right?” Diluc asked, confirming further when he saw her hesitation.

"Right..." the traveler said, though he was reluctant to admit it.

"Lord Diluc!" came a series of calls from the other side of the mist.

"Sigh, I told you not to follow me." Diluc rubbed his forehead helplessly as an eagle landed on his shoulder.

"Excuse me, do you know how to get to Mondstadt?" the traveler asked him.

"So you want to go to Mondstadt. I haven't introduced myself yet. My name is Diluc, and I own a winery nearby. May I ask what brings you to Mondstadt?"

"My name is Lü Ren, and I am the deputy head of the Liyue Harbor Hall of Rebirth. I heard that property prices in Mondstadt have dropped, so I have been ordered by the head of the hall to purchase property and open a branch hall," the traveler said truthfully.

Diluc, who is in front of you, has access to Mondstadt's intelligence network, so it's best to make your point logically when talking to him.

"You've come at the wrong time. There's a lot of crisis in Mondstadt recently. It would be better to turn back the way you came."

"Such a good price wouldn't be available when things are calm. Besides, I'm capable of protecting myself. There's no need to worry." The traveler now spoke with a hint of Zhongli's accent.

Hey……

"Heh, you've got guts. Miss Lu is a woman who does big business." Diluc felt a bit of admiration for the traveler when he heard her say that.

"You flatter me. I was just doing my job."

"My manor is nearby. If you don't mind, please stay the night, Miss. It would make up for my rudeness earlier."

"Thank you so much, you don't mind."

How could she possibly dislike it! She's finally found someone.