Attending Lisa's afternoon tea and getting a reward like that—what a pleasant surprise. No need to worry about crafting supplements anymore.
A glance at the time revealed that quite a bit had passed at Lisa's tea party. But Angel's Share wouldn't close until well past midnight. The sun was still high, and he had nothing else to do.
In Mondstadt, the best places for entertainment were the taverns of all sizes, listening to bards on the street spinning their tales, or perhaps visiting the Favonius Cathedral to hear the choir sing praises to the Anemo Archon.
Guess the tavern it is. Maybe Venti's still there busking. Passing time with music isn't a bad idea—after all, there's not much else in Mondstadt for fun.
But if you go to Angel's Share, you can have it all.
A tavern, a bard, and the Anemo Archon.
Afraid Lisa might trace him, Shao Yun first returned to Amber's place, then exited from the back door, weaving through the alleys until he arrived at Angel's Share.
Afternoons were quiet at the tavern.
The all-night drinkers were back home, sleeping off their hangovers.
Ordinary folks in Mondstadt who might want a casual drink weren't off work yet.
Other than a few hardcore drunks passed out at their tables, only the bartender Charles was wiping glasses behind the counter.
At the sound of the doorbell, Charles looked up. Seeing a guest, he immediately offered a welcoming smile.
"Hello, welcome to Angel's Share. What would you like to drink?"
Shao Yun glanced around the tavern. No sign of Venti? Could he be out busking? No way…
"Hello, have you seen a bard around here?"
Shao Yun described Venti's attire. Charles scratched his chin thoughtfully.
"That sounds familiar."
"Oh, right! You must be talking about Master Venti. He's over there."
Following Charles' gesture, Shao Yun saw Venti sprawled out on a table in the corner, his face bright red.
Shao Yun hurried over. Even from a distance, the strong scent of alcohol hit him—not the acrid stench of cheap liquor, but the rich fragrance of quality wine.
Still, this was way too strong. Venti, how much did you drink?!
Pinching his nose, Shao Yun nudged Venti's arm. No reaction—Venti just scratched the spot and kept snoozing.
"Hey, you drunkard poet! Just how much did you drink?!"
Enduring the thick wine scent, Shao Yun helped Venti off the table. Lying sprawled out like that—so indecent.
Venti was as limp as a boneless slab of meat, clinging tightly to Shao Yun.
The motion stirred Venti. He groggily opened his eyes, unfocused and clearly still drunk.
"More! Bartender, I want more wine!" Venti shouted, stumbling toward the bar.
"If you drink any more, I'll toss you into Cider Lake!" Shao Yun yanked him back and dumped him onto a wooden chair.
The jolt made Venti woozy again. He slumped onto the table and went right back to sleep.
Returning to the bar, Shao Yun looked at Venti's gently rising and falling back and muttered, "Just how much did that guy drink?"
Charles scratched his head, thought for a moment, and replied.
"I think… just one bottle of aged wine. Didn't expect it to knock him out like this."
Mentioning aged wine instantly brought something to mind—the 100,000 Mora bottle he'd given Venti yesterday.
"You don't mean that one?"
Shao Yun pointed at a nearby cabinet.
"Yeah, that's the one. That kind of wine has to be refrigerated to preserve its flavor but must be consumed at room temperature. Otherwise, it's very easy to lose control and overdrink—ends up knocking people flat."
"Ah!" Just because it was drunk cold? That 100,000 Mora wine's kick was really something if it could knock out the Anemo Archon.
But considering Venti was the Archon, it's not like a single bottle would do any real harm. He could relax.
While Shao Yun's attention was still on Venti, Charles slipped into promotion mode—every bit of commission counted.
"Oh, right, sir—would you like a drink?"
If the Traveler were here, he'd just go for juice. But they weren't, so… maybe just a taste?
Shao Yun had never tried Mondstadt's liquor. As long as he didn't drink too much, there should be no issue.
"What would you recommend?" He handed the choice to the bartender—money wasn't an issue.
Seeing that, Charles hesitated. Wine was wine—the main difference was price.
"What's your preferred price range?"
"If I'm drinking, I want something good. I trust Angel's Share won't disappoint."
Shao Yun raised a brow at him. Charles chuckled heartily in response.
"Haha! At Angel's Share, we never serve cheap booze. It's all top-quality. The difference lies in the ingredients."
He pointed at a large barrel behind him. "If it's your first time, I recommend pure dandelion wine. It's made only with dandelions, no additives. Very pleasant flavor."
Shao Yun nodded. Venti's show was off the table anyway—might as well drink a little to pass the time. Whatever type, as long as it's quality, just serve it.
"Alright then. I'll have a glass."
Charles poured him a mug of pure dandelion wine with practiced ease. It was served in a stout wooden beer mug shaped like a bucket. Crafted from fine hardwood and reinforced with metal bands—it was sturdy and could hold quite a bit.
"Three hundred Mora. Enjoy."
Not bad. Shao Yun paid promptly and picked up the mug.
[Item: A glass of Dandelion Wine.]
[Effect: Slightly restores Core Stamina and Core Elemental Energy.]
[Post-consumption state: Lightly tipsy.]
Hm, not bad. Doesn't damage Core Health—definitely quality. Poor-grade wine always chipped away at your life force, even just a bit.
Satisfied it was safe, he raised the mug.
The aroma of dandelion wine wafted into his nose—fresh and elegant, with a subtle intoxicating sweetness.
He sipped.
"Very refreshing. Light and a little sweet, with a mellow wine fragrance."
Shao Yun didn't plan to get drunk, so he sipped slowly, pacing himself to pass the time.
Who knows how long had passed when someone came tumbling clumsily down from the second floor, immediately catching the attention of Shao Yun and Charles.
The man staggered to his feet—it looked like a Fatui member.
"Just my luck…"
Shao Yun cast a sidelong glance at the drunken Fatui and muttered under his breath.
Though Lumine's hug last night had comforted him a bit, just seeing a Fatui made his blood boil. That anger surged up again, begging for release.
Though the man's eyes were masked, his flushed cheeks and swaying body screamed of intoxication.
One hand pulled out a pile of Mora, the other waved wildly through the air, as if trying to catch something. His voice was hoarse and gruff as he bellowed.
"Bartender! Another round!"
Charles was a bit annoyed, but years in the job meant he stayed professional. He accepted the money and casually poured him a drink.
As the Fatui downed his glass with a furious gulp, he caught a glimpse of Shao Yun sipping calmly beside him. His temper flared—he thought he was being mocked.
"You punk—are you looking down on the Fatui? Huh?!"
Just great. Shao Yun had been restraining his anger just seeing one of them, and now he was being provoked? Some people really have a death wish.
Shao Yun glanced at Charles. Best not to bring trouble to Diluc. If this drew the Fatui's attention, it'd get messy.
"You're drunk." He took another sip, forcing down the urge to lash out.
Seeing that reaction, the Fatui thug leaned in, pushing his luck.
"Drunk? Me? Hic I'm Fatui! Like I'd make such rookie mistakes."
No point arguing with a drunk.
"Back off. Your breath reeks."
As soon as the words left his mouth, the Fatui swatted Shao Yun's drink aside.
"Oh? 'Back off'? Listen to you, big guy talking like a little girl, hic—hahaha…"
Charles saw the vein bulging on Shao Yun's forehead and quickly stepped in to defuse things.
He addressed the rowdy Fatui with a calm tone: "Please don't disturb the other guests."
The Fatui only grew bolder.
"Haha, other guests? When the Fatui are here, there are no other guests!"
Shao Yun pressed a hand against the bar, turned toward the man, and took a deep breath. He slowly raised his right index finger and pointed it squarely at the Fatui, delivering a final warning.
"I don't want any trouble. Go drink your wine."
The Fatui grinned, a taunting smirk on his lips—clearly unfazed by the threat.
The Fatui walked around Mondstadt unchecked these days. Their headquarters was just a few streets from the Knights' headquarters in the Goth Hotel, and no one said a word. So, who did this guy think he was?
"I'm not causing trouble. Thank your Anemo Archon for that, hahaha."
He raised a hand to slap Shao Yun's face in mockery.
"Shut your damn mouth!"
Shao Yun had had enough. This fool didn't know who he was dealing with—the Deadshot of the West!
He grabbed the man's head like he was handling a lamb for slaughter. With a vicious smash, he slammed it into the bar.
Thud.
A sickening crack echoed. Bone shattered.
Blood and flesh burst across the Fatui's face. His nose was crushed. His front teeth—eight in all—shattered.
The wood of the bar bore the imprint of his face.
Despite the gruesome injury, he wasn't dead—just moaning in agony, his cries echoing through the tavern.
If Shao Yun had used full force, the guy's head would've popped like a watermelon.
Effortlessly, he lifted the limp man like a ragdoll. The Fatui's head drooped, powerless to resist.
Shao Yun carried him out of Angel's Share, dumped him into a deserted alley like tossing out garbage.
The man hit the ground with a thud, then lay still.
Shao Yun helped himself to every Mora on him. As he turned to leave, he saw the man was still breathing, barely conscious.
He added a parting threat.
"Next time you mess with me, I'll go to the Goth Grand Hotel and slaughter every last one of you."