Venti returned to the world outside the storm wall and, following his memory, found the "Goshawk's Path" that Coppelia had once led him through.
He plunged into a narrow rock crevice, advancing swiftly along the winding path.
However, just as the light of the exit was about to come into view, an unusually violent gale, carrying a sharp whistle, poured into the passage from ahead!
The force of the wind was far stronger than usual, imbued with a heart-pounding power that sent Venti's small body tumbling through the air. His wings of light fluttered in disarray, and he grew dizzy and disoriented.
Had the power of the storm wall... already spread and seeped this far? To defend against Andrius, had Decarabian strengthened the storm wall again?
He steadied himself, not daring to advance any further.
Just from that momentary contact, the violent power contained within the wind made him feel a pain and repulsion that stemmed from his very instincts.
He was also unsure if passing deep into this strengthened gale would immediately alert the being in the high tower.
He decisively abandoned this route, instead ascending upwards, recalling another entrance Coppelia had mentioned.
To the southeast of the storm wall, there was another great gate.
He changed direction, carefully heading south to bypass the wolves' territory.
After some distance, before a deep canyon pass, he saw a magnificent gatehouse built from massive stones.
He lowered his altitude, approaching with caution. The scene below the gatehouse made him pause.
There were two groups of people there.
On one side stood a dozen cavalrymen clad in armor and holding long spears, their expressions arrogant and cold.
On the other side were about thirty people in seemingly luxurious attire. Their clothes were embroidered with intricate but faded patterns, and the collars and cuffs perhaps still held frayed golden threads. The garments looked heavy, yet the stitching was loose and the lining thin.
They looked like nobles, but their clothes were too old. Venti continued to observe.
Every one of the people in the old noble attire had a sallow complexion, high cheekbones, and a frame as thin as a reed in the wind.
The fine clothes, rather than improving their appearance, only served to highlight their long-term malnutrition and fatigue. The oversized garments hung empty on their gaunt bodies, as if draped on hangers.
Nobles shouldn't be this frail, Venti guessed. This group must be commoners wearing old clothes from the nobility.
Among the crowd, some faces were filled with irrepressible joy.
Venti heard them conversing in low, excited tones:
"Soon... we're almost there..."
"I heard there's a valley outside, with fertile land and no gales..."
"No more starving, and no more reciting that damn encomium!"
Their eyes, fixed on the vast, white world beyond the canyon, were filled with yearning for their imminent escape from suffering.
But another part of the group looked terrified, their bodies trembling slightly.
They kept pulling their not-so-warm "fine clothes" tighter, trying to ward off the cold wind blowing from the canyon's mouth.
"So cold... These clothes don't seem to do much..."
"Can we... really survive out there?"
"I-I'm a little scared..."
Just then, a man standing beside the cavalrymen spoke up. His clothes were equally ornate but of new fabric, and his face was ruddy. He wore what seemed to be a kind smile:
"What's there to be afraid of! The King is benevolent to you, specially permitting you to leave first and find a new life outside! It's a bit colder out there, but it's freedom! Once you reach the new place, work the land well, and life will be good! Now hurry along, don't dally!"
At his urging and under the silent pressure of the cavalry, the thirty or so people exchanged glances and finally began to move, following a leading cavalryman onto the snow-covered path in the canyon.
Venti hid behind a rock above the canyon, his heart filled with doubt.
Are they really fleeing Mondstadt? But Gunnhildr had said that without ample supplies, tools, and warm gear, it was impossible for ordinary people to survive on the icy plains outside the wall...
They're carrying so little. Something isn't right...
Venti rose higher, staying out of their line of sight. He decided to watch a little longer to figure out what was truly going on.
However, once the group had fully entered the canyon, far from the shadow of the gatehouse and deep within an open area flanked by steep rock walls, the cavalrymen who had supposedly been merely "escorting" them suddenly moved with speed, forming a tight circle and trapping the thirty-some commoners in their fine clothes!
The next second, the cold shadow of a whip cut through the air!
"Crack!" "Crack!" "Aaaah—!"
The whips struck like venomous snakes, lashing mercilessly into the crowd!
Screams, cries, and pleas for mercy instantly replaced the earlier yearning and whispers, echoing mournfully through the canyon.
The people cowered and dodged in terror, pushing against one another. Their beautiful clothes were torn, and red, swollen welts immediately appeared on their thin bodies underneath.
The cavalrymen remained expressionless, as if carrying out a routine task, their whips falling with cruel precision.
Venti was stunned by the sudden, brutal scene!
He couldn't understand why things had taken such a turn.
Hearing the agonized cries from below, his small wings of light flared brightly. Venti shot down from behind the high rock like a bolt of cyan lightning!
The moment he neared the crowd, a gentle yet powerful Anemo force burst from his body!
"Whoosh—!"
A ring of airflow expanded outwards from him as the center. It was not violent, but it carried a considerable thrust, pushing the whip-wielding cavalrymen back on their heels and nearly knocking the whips from their hands.
Immediately after, a gentler wind formed an invisible shield, enveloping the panicked and wounded commoners in the middle, attempting to block further harm and soothe their pain.
The city-guarding cavalrymen were momentarily stunned by this unexpected gust of wind.
They were acting on the nobles' orders to give these "deserters" a proper "welcome," inflicting enough wounds and creating a sufficiently miserable spectacle before waiting for the King to descend his gale.
They guessed the nobles wanted to have these bloody "examples" swept back into the city to terrify all the commoners.
When they saw the wind rise, they first thought the King's gale had arrived early and instinctively looked for cover, fearing they would be caught in the aftershock of the divine punishment.
But they soon realized this wind was different. It was too gentle, completely lacking the violent, shredding force of the gales.
A few of the bolder cavalrymen peeked out from behind the rocks and slowly approached, trying to find the source of this strange wind.
Just then—
"BOOM!!!"
An irresistible, terrifying suction, imbued with absolute will, suddenly surged from the direction of Mondstadt City!
The air in the canyon was instantly vacuumed out, forming a visible cyan ribbon of wind! The roar of the wind howled, piercing through the entire canyon.
This was the true gale of Decarabian!
The immense wind pressure made it impossible for anyone to stand. Exposed skin directly hit by the wind immediately felt an excruciating pain, as if being cut by countless blades!
"Argh—!" "It hurts so much!"
The moment this ferocious gale touched the fresh whip wounds, the pain magnified several times over! Cries even more piercing than before erupted from the crowd.
Alarm bells screamed in Venti's mind!
The divine power in the wind tore relentlessly at his body, and a deep terror seized him in an instant!
Decarabian!
He desperately channeled his power, the gentle wind trying to form a barrier against the violent suction.
Just as he succeeded in tearing open a tiny rift, the gale seemed to sense this alien wind and abruptly intensified severalfold!
"Not good!"
That was the only thought Venti had time for before his small, faintly glowing body, along with the thirty-odd wounded commoners he was trying to protect, was utterly consumed by the irresistible cyan torrent. They were swept up and violently dragged toward the city gate, flying at high speed into Mondstadt City!
...
In the square, the crowd was still enduring the long torment. Suddenly, someone pointed to the southeast and cried out in alarm!
People looked up one after another and saw a giant ball of wind flying rapidly from the direction of the southeast gate! In mid-air, the ball of wind violently split in two!
The larger part plummeted toward an open area of a nearby plaza, the wind suddenly dissipating as it neared the ground.
"Thump!" "Ah!"
Dozens of figures fell from mid-air like rag dolls, slamming onto the hard stone ground!
Their clothes were in tatters, the fine garments reduced to shreds, and their bodies were covered in a crisscrossing network of bloody wounds. Many curled up in agony on the spot, letting out faint cries.
The sudden, gory sight made the surrounding citizens recoil, their faces filled with shock and terror.
The smaller ball of wind, however, did not stop, flying straight toward the tall, solitary tower in the city's center!
...
In the crowd, Columbina pointed sharply at the smaller ball of wind. "That is..."
Coppelia's heart sank, and a strong sense of foreboding washed over her.
She immediately focused her mind, activated her Elemental Sight, and unleashed the extraordinary vision granted by her mechanical body!
She saw it! Inside the ball of wind, two distinctly different Anemo energies were entangled!
One was powerful, tyrannical, and full of destructive force; the other, though weak, was incredibly pure and gentle.
Coppelia's expression changed drastically. She grabbed Columbina's hand, her voice sharp with urgency:
"It's Venti! He's been captured! Let's go save him!"
___
We hit 140 members! 🥳 As promised, here are the bonus chapters 📚✨
___
🔥 New stories are available now! 🔥
✅ Access up to 40 advanced chapters of ALL stories!
✅ Receive exclusive content and updates!
Help us hit our community goals:
🎯 100 Powerstones = +1 Bonus Chapter for everyone
🚀 140 MEMBERS = +5 extra chapters of ALL STORIES!
👻 P - Walnutchan