Genshin Impact: Awakening in the Darkness

Xuan Yue, fanning himself, crossed the stone gate and arrived at the foot of the snow-capped mountain. Looking at the snow-covered mountain, he suddenly felt that Xuan Qing's suspicions were not without basis.

"I'm still not used to it. Being a mortal is too tiring." Xuan Yue sighed.

"You...are you going to Mondstadt?" This time, it was Xuan Yue's mouth that uttered Xuan Qing's cold voice, no longer communicating through thoughts.

"Well, wars don't end anytime soon. These kinds of high-intensity battles happen every now and then. If you have another episode like this, I won't be able to stop you."

"You know perfectly well..."

"Yes, I know, but I don't want to. In layman's terms, you are my family."

“…Never mind, I can still manage…” Xuan Qing paused and continued, “Did you bring Mora?”

"What?!" The topic changed so quickly that Xuan Yue didn't react for a moment.

"The currency mortals use for trade... cough cough, mortals need food, and food is traded for Mora. We... cough, we're penniless... going like this will arouse suspicion..." Xuan Qing tried his best to speak steadily, but couldn't overcome the weakness of his soul, and coughs occasionally escaped his lips.

"Oh, just rest and don't talk. I copied a part of Morax's authority back then, I'll try it out in a bit. Also, once we get to Mondstadt, just keep an eye on things. If you need any reminders, just blink. Otherwise, we'll be seen as freaks for talking with the same body like this."

"Mm," Xuan Qing responded, and then fell silent.

“Mortals are sometimes truly fragile.” Xuan Yue sighed deeply again, then walked towards the snow mountain.

The snow-capped mountains, covered in a blanket of white, are a beautiful sight. However, the harsh climate makes them unsuitable for long-term human habitation.

"Hey! It's done!" Xuan Yue looked at the Mora that had appeared in his hand, his expression bright with joy. After all, he had been researching how to create Mora all along the way. He had even hidden in the snowy mountains for more than ten days to avoid the wind-elemental mages in Mondstadt. Now, he had finally succeeded.

Xuan Yue immediately took advantage of her skill and created a large number of Mora until all the storage talismans were filled before she stopped.

"Humans seem to be carried in bags... Hmm, then I'll refine another bag." Xuan Yue put the talisman into the storage bag she had just brought. "Perfect."

Only then did Xuan Yue feel relieved and boldly head towards Mondstadt at the foot of the snow-capped mountains with the storage bag.

Mondstadt city gates—

"The weather is so nice today, it feels like freedom," said a Mondstadt soldier.

"Haha, you're right. Stand guard properly and don't let the commander down."

"Hey, look! Someone's coming!" a soldier quickly alerted his comrade.

The newcomer held a fan in one hand and had the other hand behind his back. His long hair was tied back with a ribbon, giving him an otherworldly air, unlike any ordinary person.

"Who are you?" a soldier asked warily.

"Don't be nervous, I'm here from Liyue on business." Xuan Yue chuckled, appearing remarkably relaxed.

"Merchants? Indeed, they've been coming from the mountains to buy goods quite often lately. Please show your identification," another soldier said.

Xuan Yue produced an ID card. Don't doubt it, it's real. He specially copied it from a Liyue merchant who passed by the snow mountain, only changing the name.

"No problem, go in." The two guards let them through.

Upon entering Mondstadt, Xuan Yue first sensed the presence of wind.

"So faint? That's unlikely," Xuan Yue murmured.

"There's a faint presence in that winery on the left," Xuan Qing said softly.

"Are you sure?" Xuan Yue asked.

"Mm." Xuan Qing responded, and Xuan Yue walked towards the winery.

Compared to the streets outside, the bar was particularly lively, with people drinking and chatting, arms around each other. The bartender was warmly greeting customers, occasionally chiming in with a word or two, just laughing all the while.

Xuan Yue, dressed in a white robe, stood out conspicuously among the group of men. Upon seeing out-of-town guests, the receptionist quickly ended the conversation.

"Hello, what would you like to drink?"

"What are the best-selling wines here?" Xuan Yue originally wanted to ask about Barbatos, but Xuan Qing stopped her before she could speak.

"Oh, in Mondstadt, dandelion wine sells the best. People from other places have different tastes. Judging from the guests' clothes, they should be from Liyue next door, so I recommend that they try our recently developed fruit wine."

"Give me a drink, everyone," Xuan Qing said again.

While waiting, Xuan Yue and Xuan Qing communicated with each other using their minds. Xuan Qing briefly expressed his opinion: if they asked about Barbatos's whereabouts as soon as they came up, their identities would naturally be suspected by others. At that time, no matter what they did, they would be monitored by others. Since they were assigned the identity of a merchant from the beginning, they should do things that are in line with their identity in order to gain the greatest degree of freedom.

"Guest, these are the drinks you ordered."

"Thank you. Could you please move it upstairs for me? I just saw there was an empty table, and I'd like to savor it properly."

"Of course." The bartender at the front desk placed all the drinks Xuan Yue had ordered upstairs by the window.

Looking at the colorful wine in front of her, Xuan Yue felt somewhat embarrassed.

(Xuanqing...are we really going to drink? You know we haven't touched a drop of alcohol for the past few years, what if we get drunk...)

(This is indeed a problem. If we get drunk and our thoughts become synchronized, we might lose control and Mondstadt could be destroyed.)

(So, what should we do with all this alcohol?)

(How about... we order a few barrels and send them to Liyue? Let Morax and the others evaluate them.)

(Good idea.) Xuan Yue nodded and was about to get up to go downstairs when a hand landed on his shoulder.

"Brother, there's so much wine, and you haven't touched a drop. Are you unable to drink it all? Do you want me to help you finish it?" A young man's voice rang out. Xuan Yue turned to look at the owner of the hand, a boy with two braids and wearing a gray cloak.

"You...you're still young, right? Can you drink alcohol?" Xuan Yue asked this question. It wasn't that Li Yue didn't have alcohol, but her family wouldn't allow a child this age to drink.

Upon hearing this, the boy was clearly taken aback, as if he wanted to say something, but it came out as, "Don't let my small size fool you, I'm actually an adult."

Xuan Yue sized up the boy and asked again, "What's your name?"

"Wendy, my profession is a bard." The boy was clearly very proud of his profession, his smile seemed to glow.

“Alright, Wendy, I’m a businessman, so I want to know the quality of these wines, what they taste like, what flavors they have, what aromas they have. I need to know as much detail as possible. If you can do that, then you can not only drink these wines but also get 500 moras.”

"500!" Wendy shouted.

"Is that too few? How about 1000?"

"1000!" Wendy's mouth was agape.

“Then…?” Xuan Yue had just uttered the number when Wendy slammed his hand on the table: “No need to add any more, I’ll help you with this.”

After saying that, Wendy sat down in front of Xuan Yue and started drinking one cup after another.

"This is dandelion liqueur, with mint and dandelion seeds in it. It has a refreshing taste and the alcohol content isn't too strong, at least for Mondstadt residents... This one is made with water from the Cider Lake in Mondstadt, the lake outside the city..."

Wendy spoke eloquently, and Xuan Qing listened attentively, while Xuan Yue was not paying attention and just drank the juice that the bartender had just brought over to pass the time.

"Burp! So satisfying." Wendy said with a happy expression, holding her wine glass, "A special thank you to this... uh, friend, what's your name?"

"Qingyue." Xuanyue said casually, and Xuanqing in her mind raised her eyebrows slightly but did not react.

"Oh, Grandpa Qingyue's hospitality is truly wonderful. It's best to enjoy these wines yourself, as I am from Mondstadt, not Liyue, and our tastes and preferences differ."

"Hmm, so you want me to get drunk and spill some information?" Xuan Qing spoke again, while Xuan Yue watched the show with a smile, though to ordinary people she appeared as a demon with a cold voice uttering a smile.

Surprisingly, the boy remained calm: "Grandpa Qingyue, how can you see me like that? I was just offering a good suggestion. Grandpa is a businessman, and from a profit perspective, you have to choose what suits the public's taste so that you won't lose money in business."

(Buying and selling? We can produce Mora infinitely ourselves, so there's no such thing as a losing proposition. Of course we...)

“Okay, then go ask the front desk to bring a few bottles of each of these wines.” Xuan Yue—no, it should be Xuan Qing—spoke, and placed a large handful of Mora in Wendy’s hands.

The boy's eyes immediately lit up, and he quickly ran downstairs and ordered dozens of bottles of wine from the bartender, asking him to bring them upstairs later.

Xuan Yue discussed it with Xuan Qing and finally decided that Xuan Yue would drink while Xuan Qing would sober up. If there was any other reason, it was because Xuan Yue was worried that Xuan Qing's mind was weak and he couldn't control him when he was drunk and out of his mind.

"The drinks are here!" Wendy came up with the bartender, grabbed a bottle of wine, and filled Xuan Yue's glass.

"Come on, try this. It's fruit wine, very low in alcohol. Most people will only feel slightly tipsy, not drunk," Wendy explained as she introduced the product.

Xuan Yue picked up the wine glass, took a sip, and indeed tasted the sweetness of fruit in her mouth. She nodded in agreement.

Seeing this, Wendy immediately tried to refill his glass, but Xuan Yue stopped her. Wendy thought he wanted to try a different bottle of wine, but Xuan Yue simply tilted his head back and took a big gulp.

"This wine is good, make a note of it." Xuan Yue said the last sentence to Xuan Qing, and then he casually picked up another bottle of wine next to him, opened it, and poured it into his mouth.

“Hey! That’s…” Wendy’s words came too late; Xuan Yue had already finished her drink. “High-proof liquor…” Wendy could only finish her sentence silently.

Xuan Yue's expression remained unchanged; she merely shook her head slightly before grabbing another bottle. She'd say she'd write down the ones she liked, and shake her head at the ones she didn't think were good. In the end, nearly 30 bottles of wine were about to be finished when Wendy quickly protected the last few.

"Um... Grandpa Qingyue, you'll get drunk easily if you drink like this," Wendy kindly reminded him, thinking to himself that he wasn't trying to protect the bottles of wine he had ordered for him; Lord Barbatos could testify to that.

"I'm perfectly sober, Wendy." Xuan Yue was indeed not drunk; he felt nothing at the moment, and his thoughts were even much clearer.

"Really?" Wendy was skeptical, but seeing that Xuan Yue's face was normal and not flushed at all, she was certain that he was not drunk. However, it was a bit scary that he had drunk more than 20 bottles of wine and was still fine.

"Really, bartender, bring me a few more bottles."

"Hey! Wait a minute, Grandpa Qingyue, you're still a newbie, don't order so much alcohol, what if you get drunk..." Wendy didn't finish her sentence.

Upon hearing this, Xuan Yue smiled slightly and said, "Since that's the case, how about we have a competition?"

"Compete... in drinking?"

"Well, I'll pay anyway. Let's see who gets drunk first. If I win, you have to agree to three conditions. If you win, all the drinks I had while I was still in Mondstadt can be on my tab, how about it?"

“It’s a deal! Rox, bring a few more bottles of wine!” Wendy, clearly familiar with Rox, immediately called out.

When dozens of bottles of wine were served again, Wendy's eyes lit up, while Xuan Yue remained calm.

"let's start!"

"please."

……