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As Lisa had anticipated, this became a formidable challenge that many players found hard to overcome. At this moment, players were actively studying tactics.

"These darn fools are just too hard to defeat!"

"The Debt Collectors are disgusting."

"Not only do they deal high damage, but they also summon clones."

"My Razor got taken out before I could even go big."

"I've run out of Sweet Madame's Chicken..."

"If only Lisa were here, at least we could ask her how to deal with this."

However, among the players, there were a few who quietly controlled their in-game characters. They not only refrained from joining the discussion but also had rather peculiar expressions, as if they were being insulted but couldn't respond.

In a corner, a man gritted his teeth.

"When Lady [She] arrives, all of you will die!"

...

Inside the Knights of Favonius.

Lisa and Jean sat in a meeting room, with some manuscripts and records on the table, all extracted from their previous gameplay of the mobile game. This time, Lisa brought even more shocking information.

"What? Venti is the Wind God Barbatos!?" Jean covered her mouth with one hand, clearly shocked by this news. But more than that, she was astonished. Mainly because their previous consensus was that Takumi, who had disappeared for a millennium, was the Wind God Barbatos. They didn't expect Venti to be the true deity. The game's plot had also hinted at Venti being the Wind God, but when it was confirmed, it was still surprising.

"If Venti is the Wind God, then who exactly is Takumi, who knows all the secrets of the Wind God?" Jean couldn't help but have this doubt.

"I think the most important thing now is that since we know the Abyss Order is behind Dvalin's attack on Mondstadt, and the Wind God Barbatos has returned, should we first focus on resolving the issue with the dragon?" Jean nodded

"Of course... But, based on the current situation, even if Lord Barbatos joins forces with our Knights, there's no guarantee we can successfully rescue Dvalin."

"In the game's plot, it's the same. Even with Jean, who has perfect healing abilities, she was still defeated by the Abyss Mage at the Starfall Valley."

Lisa took a sip from the water glass on the table. She understood Jean's point. Although they now had a lot of advantages through the mobile game, they still didn't have full confidence when it came to dealing with Dvalin's problem. Of course, all this was based on the premise of "saving" Dvalin. If it turned into "killing" Dvalin, things would be much simpler. While the dragon was powerful, it was not impossible to defeat it.

"In the end, it's because the Traveler with special abilities hasn't appeared yet. Otherwise, we wouldn't be in such a passive situation," Lisa sighed.

"The current situation is delicate, Lisa. You've already noticed that among the players, there are also members of the Fool's Guild."

"Their progress may not be as good as yours, but it's not far behind. Soon enough, they'll find out the truth that '[Venti is the Wind God Barbatos],' and at that time, they'll definitely use the Windstorm Dragon matter to obstruct our plan to save Dvalin."

"Are you suggesting we use this information gap during this time?" Lisa blurted out. She and Jean had worked together for many years, and they had developed a kind of understanding where they could quickly grasp each other's intentions.

"Yes, now that Barbatos has returned to Mondstadt, it's a good thing, but I can't help feeling that this is the calm before the storm."

"Whether it's the Fool's Guild or the Abyss Order, it seems like they're both plotting a conspiracy that could shake the entire world."

"In times like this, if we can save one of the Four Winds, Dvalin, it will have an immeasurable impact on Mondstadt's future," Jean said as she began to pack her things, seemingly preparing to go out.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going to personally meet with that boss, not as an acting Acting Grand Master but as [Jean]."

....

It was late at night. Most of the players in the gaming hall had already left, leaving only six players still battling it out. Among them, one man was breathing heavily, his eyes glued to the screen. His hands were constantly in motion, and there was a slight trembling. Finally, when his Diluc had only a sliver of health left, he unleashed his elemental burst. He engulfed the Debt Collector in front of him in flames and killed it.

"Phew..."

The man let out a long sigh. Finally... he had passed. To clear this domain, he had even spent 500,000 Mora, pulled a five-star weapon, the "Pride of the Sky."

At this moment, he even felt tears welling up in his eyes. However, he didn't forget his mission – to bring the Skyward Jean to the Dawn Winery and then proceed to the Starfall Valley to summon the Stormterror. The man carefully watched everything on the screen, afraid to miss any important details.

"Barbatos..."

"Are these people here to hunt me down with you!?"

Upon seeing this scene, the man's heart nearly skipped a beat. This bard Venti turned out to be the legendary Wind God!? He had even run into the gaming hall today, wandering around. The Lady's target had once been so close to him? Although it was already very late, the man's heart was in turmoil, eager to share this information with the Lady. He immediately settled his bill and left the gaming hall.

Following the Fool's Guild's unique method of communication, he found out where the Lady was. She wasn't in the hotel but rather in the square in front of the cathedral. The Lady stood not far from a statue, gazing at everything on the square. Her expression had a sense of desolation.

The man rubbed his eyes carefully, thinking that he must have been playing the game too intensely, causing hallucinations. How could the esteemed Executive Officer show such a vulnerable expression? Indeed, the next moment, two Debt Collectors appeared in the night and brought him to the Lady's side.

"Lady [She], I've obtained important information in the game!"

"The Wind God Barbatos has appeared, and he is the bard who calls himself Venti!"

Upon hearing this information, the Lady didn't seem very surprised or shocked. Her face remained cold and aloof.

"Heh, so it's him after all."

===

The Fool's Guild had a significant presence in Mondstadt, with many spies infiltrating the city. When the bard appeared, the Lady had already dispatched people to keep an eye on him. She had a feeling that this bard might be her target, and now it seemed to be confirmed.

"Well then, let's deal with this bard first." Originally, the target for tonight was the owner of the gaming hall, but now that Venti turned out to be the Wind God, the Lady naturally intended to complete the task of the Ice Queen first – to seize the Wind God's Heart. Afterward, she would gather information from Takumi. The two objectives did not conflict.

After tonight, their purpose in coming to Mondstadt would have already been fulfilled. Even if the Knights of Favonius were furious, it wouldn't matter.

As for Takumi, the Lady's plan was to capture him alive. Based on the information from the mobile game, he must know many secrets. Once Takumi was apprehended, the Lady had many ways to make him divulge everything he knew.

It could be said that the main mission of returning to Mondstadt this time was to obtain the Wind God's Heart, while the unexpected appearance of Takumi was a pleasant surprise.

"Favored Lady, it's been confirmed. The target is inside the 'Angel's Gift' tavern."

"Let's go."

...

Outside the tavern, Venti placed the empty wine bottle aside. Finally, he had the chance to taste Mondstadt's wine again, which provided a momentary relief to his gloomy mood today.

The owner of the gaming hall was just too practical. As soon as he refused to provide the Heart of the Gods, he immediately indicated that there was nothing more to discuss. He was really not suitable as the new protagonist of his poems.

However, at that moment, Venti's gaze suddenly sharpened. At the same time, two shadows emerged from the corner.

Two Debt Collectors simultaneously attacked Venti with extremely skilled moves. The wine bottle in Venti's hand instantly shattered into countless pieces, creating a dazzling display in the air, while he himself disappeared in an instant.

"Ugh...!"

The two Debt Collectors knelt halfway to the ground. Their initial attack failed, and they were temporarily incapacitated by the counterattack. However, at the spot where Venti reappeared, a mark of ice element suddenly appeared on the ground.

Immediately after, an intense chill enveloped his entire body. A huge ice crystal formed instantly, freezing Venti within it. Inside the ice crystal, a faint green light glimmered in Venti's eyes for a moment, but it quickly extinguished.

A tall woman walked slowly towards him. It was the Lady, the Eighth Seat, of the Fool's Guild.

"Heh, giving up control of Mondstadt's gods, now you're left with this little power," the Lady sneered. It seemed extremely arrogant, completely disregarding the Wind God. However, the content of her words was more of mockery. It was a complaint directed at Venti right from the start, denying his qualifications as the Wind God.

Venti, encased in the ice crystal, remained silent. Perhaps it was because he couldn't speak, or perhaps it was because he truly felt guilty for his past actions towards his people.

Seeing this, the Lady seemed to lose interest in taunting him and approached the ice crystal. She placed a hand on its surface. Venti displayed a pained expression, and a chess-like item emitting the power of wind elements was extracted from his chest. The Lady took it directly into her hand. Then, without looking back, she left.

The members of the Fool's Guild were left dumbfounded. Could it be that obtaining the Wind God's Heart was this easy? Was it that the Wind God was weaker than they imagined, or was the Lady too strong? As the Lady had already walked quite far, they immediately followed. It was time to move on to the next destination: the gaming hall. In the Lady's presence, even the Wind God couldn't make any waves. The owner of the gaming hall was probably just a piece of cake.

.....

"Eula, it's late. Aren't you going back yet?"

"Well... I'll leave once all the guests have gone, and I finish cleaning up."

In truth, Eula wanted to spend more time with Takumi. Infatuated teenagers always had such thoughts. Eula took a sip of the orange juice in her hand and looked at Takumi's handsome profile. The slightly sour orange juice seemed to turn sweet.

Eula loved cool things, and she would often add ice cubes to her drinks or alcohol to satisfy this preference. She even had a habit of taking baths in the ice lake at the foot of the mountains. However, at this moment, she felt a bone-chilling coldness that seemed to crawl up her spine like a thin veil.

"Boss, something's not right!"

Eula immediately stood up from behind the bar and went to the front door. Outside the door, two people in black hoodies stood, and further away, a woman's figure appeared and disappeared in the darkness.

Trouble had come!

Eula immediately summoned her ice-blue greatsword, holding it in front of her chest. But at that moment, five players in the hall exchanged glances and, with great coordination, launched an attack from behind Eula.

They were all members of the Fool's Guild!

"Trouble has found its way to us after all."

Was it an unexpected development, or was it as they had expected?

Takumi had long noticed the unusual behavior of these players. After all, in this world, there were no professional actors. Through various details, expressions, and glances, it was easy to tell. These people were not ordinary residents of Mondstadt.

The power dynamics in Mondstadt were straightforward. Besides the Knights of Favonius, there was the Fool's Guild. However, even though Takumi knew they were part of the Fool's Guild, he hadn't restricted them. After all, making money, whether it was from Mondstadt citizens or Fool's Guild members, was all the same. Moreover, these players had poured quite a bit of money into the game to advance the plot faster. But now that they wanted to cause trouble in his shop, he couldn't just sit idly by.

Takumi pointed at the nearest person. A burst of red electricity surged and instantly linked all five of them.

"Plop!" None of them even had a chance to scream; they were knocked out cold.

Eula turned around and saw the five people falling one after another. She was slightly surprised but more worried. It seemed like today's scheme was specifically targeted at the owner! The people inside the store were just small fry; the real threat came from outside. In any case, she couldn't let the boss get hurt!

.....

Near the Angel's Gift Tavern, Diluc approached the ice crystal. The Flame Eye on his waist flickered slightly with fire attributes. The ice crystal instantly melted, and the person inside fell out.

"Ah... So cold," Venti rubbed his shoulder.

"Who froze you?" Diluc asked.

"The Fool's Guild's executive," Venti replied. He spoke with visible puffs of breath. Suddenly, he seemed to recall something and exclaimed, "Right, that executive took her subordinates to the gaming hall, and the boss is in danger!"

Diluc's expression changed upon hearing this. He didn't have time to deal with Venti and immediately sprinted towards the end of the street.

On the other side, Jean rushed from the Knights of Favonius towards the gaming hall. However, as she entered the commercial street, two masked women emerged from the darkness.

"Captain Jean, why are you here so late?" The two women blocked the middle of the road, clearly not intending to let Jean pass.

Jean's brows slightly furrowed. "Step aside."

"Sorry, it's Lady's orders. Tonight, no one should get near that gaming hall."

Jean nodded. In the next moment, she made a move, reaching for the masked woman's arm. However, the two women seemed to have anticipated Jean's actions and instantly dodged several meters away, surrounding Jean from front and back.

"Captain, please stay here obediently."

In the night, a buzzing sound filled the air. Many fireflies floated around like will-o'-the-wisps. Jean's expression turned sharp, and her Windblume Blade gripped firmly in her hand. She had to resolve this quickly because she had already realized what was about to happen. The Fool's Guild's executive, the Lady, was about to make a move against Takumi.

.....

"Such bad luck, it seems like there are a lot of party-poopers tonight."

The two debt collectors at the door disappeared, replaced by the figure of Lady. "Would you like to come with me voluntarily, or do you want me to 'invite' you?" Lady's gaze shifted to Takumi behind the counter.

"The executive of the Fool's Guild!?" Eula's eyes trembled. She had heard of this Lady before, but she couldn't believe she would be so audacious to come directly to their doorstep. "If you want to take the boss, you'll have to get past me first!" Eula's expression was resolute as she blocked Lady's path.

"Ha, young girl, trying to protect your beloved? Unfortunately, your strength is not enough," Lady raised her right hand, and instantly, a terrifying frost interweaved around Eula. Eula had a unique preference for cold things, but this coldness had transcended the physical definition of cold.

She held her greatsword like a shield, trying to withstand the extreme cold and launch an attack against Lady to buy time for Takumi to escape. However, it was futile; she couldn't even manage to block it. Just as Lady had said, her strength was not enough.

"Stop, I'll go with you," Takumi seemed unable to bear seeing Eula get hurt and spoke up.

Lady, upon hearing this, revealed a satisfied expression. "Not bad," she assessed Takumi. Willing to sacrifice himself to protect his little girlfriend. Although he didn't possess a Vision, he was still quite a character. If he cooperated well and revealed all the secrets he knew, perhaps she would reward him with a significant position within the Fool's Guild.

....

"Boss, you can't!" Eula was so distressed she was almost in tears. She knew very well what kind of people the Fool's Guild members were—willing to use any means to achieve their goals. They had their eyes on the boss's value.