"Zhongli said that the person you saw is very likely Lumine's brother! As soon as we heard, we rushed to Mondstadt to confirm with you!"
Lumine nodded along, adding, "Zhongli said you were afraid of startling the snake and didn't dare get close. We want to know the specific details of what you saw, like what clothes he was wearing, if he had any special movements, and which Statue of the Seven you saw him near most recently."
She stared intently at Venti, afraid of missing any expression on his face, her eyes filled with anticipation and apprehension.
"Oh, so that's how it is!" Venti finally understood, slapping his forehead. The confusion in his eyes instantly vanished, replaced by a hint of realization. "I was wondering why you suddenly showed up. It turns out that old man Zhongli passed the word along."
He smiled and shook the apple cider in his hand, the liquid shimmering in the bottle. "I thought I hadn't mentioned that matter to anyone else, but I didn't expect him to take it to heart."
As he spoke, he walked to the Statue of The Seven and reached out to touch its base, his tone gradually becoming more serious: "Since Zhongli was the one who told you, then you've definitely come to the right person."
"I did indeed see a blond stranger near the Statue of The Seven a few days ago. His appearance and build... did indeed bear some resemblance to Lumine."
The smile on Venti's face gradually faded, replaced by a trace of gravity: "That person was wearing a set of deep black martial attire, and his face was covered by a mask that hid half of it. He looked quite stern."
"I used the wind's cover to eavesdrop for a few moments. He seemed to be asking passersby... about the Abyss's whereabouts."
"Asking about the Abyss?" Lumine and Paimon froze at the same time, their faces filled with astonishment.
Paimon turned to look at Lumine, scratching her chin with her small hand, and asked in confusion: "Traveler, you told me before that your brother usually doesn't wear black clothes, right? And wearing a mask... that sounds way too strange."
"Clothes can be changed, and a mask could be for hiding his identity. None of this proves he isn't my brother." Lumine slowly shook her head, her brow furrowed tightly. "After all, Teyvat is so dangerous. He's all alone, so it's normal for him to be cautious."
Hearing this, Venti nodded gently in agreement. "You have a point. And I noticed that when that person heard from a passerby about the Abyss attacking Mondstadt and Liyue, his body visibly stiffened. He looked... very angry?"
"Angry?" Lumine's heart skipped a beat, Aether's gentle face flashing through her mind.
She knew what kind of person Aether was.
Even if he didn't know anyone from Mondstadt or Liyue, it would be reasonable to feel angry upon learning that the Abyss had successively invaded the two nations.
Yet, within this reasonableness, there was also a hint of something inexplicably strange.
The three fell silent for a moment. Suddenly, as if remembering something, Venti tapped his forehead and said something that shocked Lumine and Paimon even more. "Oh, there's one more thing that's quite strange."
"A few days after that person appeared in Mondstadt, a Statue of The Seven mysteriously vanished."
"Vanished?!" Paimon was so startled she nearly fell from the sky, her voice suddenly rising. "How could a Statue of The Seven just vanish? Could someone have torn it down?"
"I only found out the next day when I sensed an anomaly in the Anemo element." Venti nodded with a grave expression. "When I arrived at the scene, the air still reeked of the Abyss's foul stench, as if it had been corrupted by the Abyss's power."
"And not long after I arrived, that blond traveler appeared within my senses, barely a hundred meters from that area."
"Could it be that my brother stole the Statue of The Seven?" Lumine blurted out instinctively.
But as soon as the words left her lips, she shook her head vehemently, her eyes filled with determination: "Impossible! My brother would never do such a thing. Besides, the Statue of The Seven is completely useless to him. Why would he steal it?"
"I agree that it's unlikely," Venti echoed.
"The Statues of The Seven bear the power of the gods; not just anyone can casually destroy or steal them."
"From the traces at the scene, it seems more like the Abyss used special methods to take the statue."
"And that traveler probably happened to arrive nearby after the statue vanished, coming to investigate after sensing the Abyss's presence."
Even so, Venti's tone held a hint of hesitation, a flicker of confusion crossing his eyes: "It's just... are there really such coincidences in this world? He had just been asking about the Abyss, then the Statue of The Seven was tainted by it, and he just happened to appear nearby when I arrived."
The wind swept across the meadows of Windrise, carrying fallen leaves that brushed against the hems of their clothes as silence once again filled the air.
Lumine gazed at the distant Statue of The Seven, the unease in her heart intensifying. Was that blond traveler really her brother?
If so, why was he asking about the Abyss?
If not, then who could it be?
And what connection did the missing Statue of The Seven have to the Abyss?
Countless questions swirled in her mind, leaving her unsure where to even begin.
Lumine pondered Venti's words over and over, while Paimon muttered, "Could it really just be a coincidence?"
Just then, the Festering Desire at Lumine's waist suddenly vibrated slightly. The movement was so faint that Lumine, lost in her thoughts about her brother, didn't notice it at all.
But Venti's gaze was drawn to that weak ripple.
He stared at the Festering Desire for two seconds, the Anemo energy around him subconsciously trembling.
Just as he was about to warn Lumine, a gentle breeze suddenly brushed past his ear, carrying fragmented messages as if someone were whispering.
The confusion in Venti's eyes vanished instantly, replaced by a knowing smile.
"Since you are so curious about that Outlander, why not go see him yourself?" He raised a hand and patted Lumine's shoulder, his voice carrying a hint of cheerfulness. "Whether he is your brother or not, won't you be able to tell clearly once you meet him?"
Lumine snapped back to her senses, her eyes full of bewilderment. "How am I supposed to see him? We don't even know where in Mondstadt he is. We can't just search blindly like before, can we?"
"Isn't this simple?" Venti raised a finger to point at the wind above, his emerald eyes reflecting the vast, drifting clouds as the smile on his lips deepened. "Just follow the wind."
"I just heard from the wind that the Outlander is currently near the plaza in Mondstadt." He paused, his tone suddenly becoming serious as his gaze locked onto Lumine. "Seeing is believing. If it really is your brother, even if he changed his clothes or wore a mask, you will surely be able to recognize him, right?"
"After all... you are blood-related family."
Lumine nodded heavily, a light of urgency instantly igniting in her eyes, even the inexplicable tightness in her chest easing a bit.
"Yes! No matter what he has become, I can recognize him! His gaze, his gait, I will never forget them!"
"Then let's go." Venti snapped his fingers sharply.
Before the words had even fallen, three gentle currents of Anemo rose from the ground, supporting their bodies like soft hands.