The reward from Lisa's afternoon tea had truly lifted Shao Yun's spirits. Now, he wouldn't have to worry about running out of potions.
Glancing at the time, he realized that the afternoon tea had taken up quite a bit of his day. However, Angel's Share wouldn't close until late at night, and the sun was still high in the sky. He had nothing else to do.
The best entertainment in Mondstadt was the various taverns, listening to bards tell stories on the streets, or attending the choir at the Favonius Cathedral to hear hymns praising the greatness of the Anemo Archon.
He decided to head to the tavern. Maybe Venti was still there performing. Listening to some music would be a good way to pass the time. After all, Mondstadt didn't have much in the way of entertainment.
But if he went to Angel's Share, he could experience all the essentials: the tavern, the bard, and the Anemo Archon.
To avoid being tracked by Lisa, Shao Yun first returned to Amber's house and then left through the back door, taking a winding route to Angel's Share.
The tavern was relatively quiet in the afternoon.
The overnight drinkers had sobered up and gone home by noon.
The regular Mondstadt citizens who wanted a quick drink hadn't gotten off work yet.
Aside from a few loyal drunkards who were completely wasted, only Charles, the bartender, was left behind the counter, polishing glasses.
Hearing the doorbell, Charles looked up and smiled as he saw a customer enter.
"Hello, welcome to Angel's Share. What can I get you?"
Shao Yun scanned the tavern but didn't see Venti. Had he gone out to perform? That couldn't be…
"Hello, have you seen a bard around here?"
Shao Yun described Venti's appearance to Charles, who stroked his chin, deep in thought.
"That name sounds familiar…"
"Oh, I remember now. You're talking about Mr. Venti, right? He's over there."
Following Charles' pointing finger, Shao Yun saw Venti sprawled out on a corner table, his face flushed red.
Shao Yun hurried over. Before he even got close, he was hit by a strong smell of alcohol—not the pungent stench of cheap liquor, but the rich aroma of fine wine.
But the smell was overwhelming. How much had Venti drunk?!
Shao Yun pinched his nose and nudged Venti's arm. Venti didn't react at all, just scratched where he'd been touched and continued sleeping.
"Hey, you drunk bard! How much did you drink?!"
Enduring the strong smell, Shao Yun helped Venti sit up. Lying sprawled out on the table was just undignified.
Venti, completely drunk, leaned heavily against Shao Yun.
The movement caused Venti to open his eyes groggily, his gaze unfocused. He was clearly still drunk.
"More! Bartender, I want more!" Venti shouted, trying to stumble toward the bar.
"If you drink any more, I'll throw you into Cider Lake!" Shao Yun grabbed Venti and plopped him back into a wooden chair.
The jostling made Venti dizzy again, and he promptly passed out on the table.
Returning to the bar, Shao Yun watched Venti's back rise and fall as he muttered, "How much did that guy drink?"
Charles scratched his head, thinking for a moment before answering.
"I think he only had one bottle of aged wine. I didn't expect it to knock him out like this."
At the mention of aged wine, Shao Yun immediately remembered the 100,000 Mora bottle he'd given Venti yesterday.
"You're not talking about that one, are you?"
Shao Yun pointed to the cabinet.
"Yes, that's the one. That wine needs to be chilled for preservation, but it's best consumed at room temperature. Otherwise, it's easy to lose control and drink too much, leading to getting drunk."
"What?!" Shao Yun was shocked. A single bottle of chilled aged wine had knocked out the Anemo Archon himself? The aftereffects of that 100,000 Mora wine were no joke.
But considering Venti was the Anemo Archon, he probably wouldn't have any serious issues from drinking too much. Shao Yun felt reassured.
While Shao Yun was preoccupied with Venti, Charles seized the opportunity to make a sale. Every bit of profit counted.
"Ah, by the way, sir, would you like something to drink?"
If Lumine were here, Shao Yun would've just ordered some juice. But since she wasn't, why not have a drink?
Shao Yun had never tried Mondstadt's alcohol before. As long as he didn't overdo it, it should be fine.
"What do you recommend?" Shao Yun left the choice to the bartender. Money wasn't an issue.
Seeing that Shao Yun was leaving the decision to him, Charles wasn't entirely sure. Wine was wine—the only difference was the price.
"What price range are you looking for?"
"If I'm drinking, I want the good stuff. I trust Angel's Share won't disappoint me."
Shao Yun raised an eyebrow, looking at him. Charles laughed heartily.
"Haha, Angel's Share only serves quality drinks. The only difference is the ingredients used."
He pointed to a large barrel behind him. "If this is your first time trying our drinks, I'd recommend pure Dandelion Wine. It's made only from dandelions, with no other additives. The taste is quite refreshing."
Shao Yun nodded. Since he couldn't enjoy Venti's performance, he might as well have a drink to pass the time. It didn't matter what kind—as long as it was good quality, he'd take it.
"Alright, I'll try a glass."
Charles skillfully poured Shao Yun a glass of pure Dandelion Wine. The glass was a large, wooden beer mug, shaped like a barrel. Made from carefully selected hardwood and reinforced with steel bands, it was both durable and capable of holding a lot of wine.
"That'll be 300 Mora. Enjoy."
The price was reasonable, so Shao Yun paid without hesitation and picked up the mug.
[Item: A glass of Dandelion Wine.]
[Effect: Slightly restores Core Stamina and Core Dead Eye.]
[Aftereffects: Slight tipsiness.]
Hmm, not bad. As long as it didn't reduce his Core Health, it was good wine. Cheap alcohol often had the side effect of slightly lowering Core Health.
Confident that it wouldn't harm him, Shao Yun took a sip.
The aroma of Dandelion Wine wafted up, fresh and elegant, with a hint of intoxicating sweetness.
He took a small sip and gave his verdict.
"The taste is refreshing, with a touch of sweetness and a rich, mellow wine flavor."
Shao Yun didn't want to get drunk, so he decided to sip slowly, letting the time pass.
After a while, someone stumbled down from the second floor, immediately drawing the attention of both Shao Yun and Charles.
The person wobbled to his feet. From the looks of it, he was a Fatui agent.
"What bad luck…"
Shao Yun glanced sideways at the drunken Fatui member, muttering under his breath.
Although Lumine's hug last night had eased his frustration, the sight of the Fatui reignited his anger, making him want to vent.
Even though his eyes were hidden behind his mask, his flushed cheeks and unsteady posture made it clear he was completely wasted.
The Fatui agent pulled out a handful of Mora with one hand while waving the other wildly, as if trying to grab something. His voice was hoarse and rough as he shouted.
"Bartender, another round!"
Charles was slightly annoyed, but years of bartending had taught him to maintain his professionalism. He hid his displeasure, took the money, and casually poured another drink.
Just as the Fatui agent was about to chug his drink, his eyes landed on Shao Yun, who was calmly sipping his wine. Instantly, he flew into a rage, thinking Shao Yun was looking down on him.
"Hey, you! Are you disrespecting the Fatui? Huh?!"
Drinking your own alcohol was one thing, but provoking Shao Yun, who was already on edge because of the Fatui, was just asking for trouble.
Shao Yun glanced at Charles, thinking it would be best not to cause trouble for Diluc. If the Fatui got suspicious, it would be a problem.
"You're drunk," Shao Yun said, taking another sip of his Dandelion Wine to suppress his urge to act.
Seeing Shao Yun's calm response, the Fatui agent became even more brazen, leaning closer to him.
"Drunk? Me? No way, I'm with the Fatui. We don't make stupid mistakes."
There was no point arguing with a drunk.
"Stay away from me. Your breath reeks of alcohol."
As soon as the words left his mouth, the Fatui agent reached out and knocked over Shao Yun's glass.
"Oh, stay away? You big guy, you talk like a little girl, haha…"
Charles, seeing the veins bulging on Shao Yun's forehead, quickly stepped in to defuse the tension.
He turned to the rowdy Fatui agent and said in a calm tone, "Please don't disturb the other guests."
Faced with Charles' mild words, the Fatui agent only became more aggressive.
"Haha, other guests? When the Fatui are here, no one else can be called a guest."
Shao Yun placed his left hand on the bar, turned sideways, and looked at the clueless Fatui agent. He took a deep breath and slowly extended his right index finger, pointing directly at the Fatui member as a final warning.
"I don't want trouble. Go drink your wine."
The Fatui agent wore a smug, almost taunting smile, as if Shao Yun's threat meant nothing to him.
The Fatui were practically untouchable in Mondstadt. They had set up their headquarters just a few streets away from the Knights of Favonius, and the Acting Grand Master hadn't said a word. Who did this guy think he was?
"I'm not causing trouble. You should be thanking your Anemo Archon, haha!"
With that, he reached out to slap Shao Yun's face.
"Shut your filthy mouth!"
Shao Yun had had enough. This Fatui agent had no idea who he was messing with.
In one swift motion, Shao Yun grabbed the man's head like he was grabbing a lamb for slaughter. He slammed the man's face into the bar with a loud, bone-crunching thud, as if something had been shattered.
Instantly, the Fatui agent's face was a bloody mess. His nose was broken, and his front teeth were knocked out.
The wooden bar now bore the imprint of his face.
Despite the severe injuries, the man wasn't dead. He groaned in pain, the sound echoing through the tavern.
If Shao Yun had used full force, the man's head would've been smashed like a watermelon.
Shao Yun grabbed the now-unconscious Fatui agent and dragged him out of Angel's Share like he was carrying a sack of potatoes. The man hung limply, offering no resistance.
Shao Yun tossed him into a secluded alley like he was discarding trash.
The man landed with a heavy thud in the corner, unmoving.
Shao Yun casually took all the Mora from the man's pockets. Seeing that the man was still breathing and somewhat conscious, he added one last warning.
"If you mess with me again, I'll storm the Goth Grand Hotel and kill every last one of you!"