latelenovela Chapter 140 The Hidden Kindness of the West Wind
Chapter 140 The Hidden Kindness of the West Wind
Xu Ning tilted his head back, took a sip of wine, and then stepped back a few paces.
If I hadn't already known that Jean and Lisa both knew that Cole was the culprit in the Blackfire case, I probably would have thought that they had already suspected Diluc!
Watching Jean earnestly drag Diluc into this incident, Xu Ning secretly sighed at Jean's painstaking efforts.
I just don't know if Diluc will appreciate it.
Seeing that Kaiya was intently studying the manuscript, Cole couldn't help but ask, "What's written on it?"
Kaiya pondered for a moment before replying, "Ah, it says so—didn't you already read it? Shouldn't you know the contents better?"
Cole blushed and said, "I don't recognize many of the words in here; I only recognize some of the patterns."
Kaiya seemed thoughtful. "Oh, which part would you like to know about?"
Cole looked down at the bandage wrapped around his arm and whispered, "I...I have a friend who was injected with something by the Fools using the instruments drawn on those things, and she developed a strange illness, like...If we can find out what those things are, maybe I can save her."
Kaiya and Qin were both taken aback.
A look of pity appeared in Qin's eyes. "So this child was injected with it!"
Amber grasped Cole's hand tightly, tears welling in her eyes, "Wow, so you came to Mondstadt to help your friend... I'm really impressed with you."
Kaiya: ...
Xu Ning: ...
Kaiya waved the manuscript in his hand and said, "It's a pity, I can't understand it either. A large part of it seems to be written in encrypted language."
Qin quickly comforted Cole, saying, "It's okay, Lisa will definitely understand."
“I don’t understand it either, but I can write a letter to ask my teachers at the Sumeru Academy for help, hoping they can come and assist me.”
"Lisa, who had just returned, smiled."
"That's great, your friend is saved!" Amber hugged Cole happily.
Jean was going to convene a meeting of the Knights of Favonius, so she took Kaeya and Amber with her.
Xu Ning asked Lisa, who was preparing to return to the library, "I heard from the leader of the guild that you went to see Diluc. You're back so early, is it because Diluc came to Mondstadt?"
Lisa laughed, "Oh my, you little drunkard are surprisingly perceptive! He's drinking juice in the Angel's Gift right now. I've gotten a lot of secret information from him, do you want to come in and share it with me?"
Xu Ning thought for a moment, then smiled and shook his head, saying, "I think I should listen to what the person involved has to say."
Xu Ning and Ke Lai arrived at Angel's Gift and went inside.
The other day, I just ate lunch at their table on the side of the house.
This was the first time he had ever stepped into this tavern.
Upon entering, the first thing you see is the bartending counter, with a simple and straightforward style.
Charles, the bearded bartender, stood behind the counter, glanced at Xu Ning and his companion, and then spoke.
"You're not old enough to drink, so we won't be serving you here. Go somewhere else."
Xu Ning smiled, raised his gourd, and took a big gulp. "I didn't expect you to entertain me. I have better wine to drink."
Charles glared at him. "You brat, are you here to cause trouble?"
Diluc's voice came from the second floor, "Charles, this is my friend, let him come upstairs."
Charles waved dejectedly at Xu Ning, indicating that the stairs were inside.
Xu Ning pressed Ke Lai down to a seat against the wall on the first floor and called out to Charles, "Give my friend a glass of non-alcoholic sparkling plum juice."
“Coley, sit here for a while. I’m going to talk to the owner here, Diluc, and ask him about the Blackfire case from a few years ago.”
Ke Lai was initially unhappy that Xu Ning had left her there, but when she heard that Xu Ning was going to inquire about information, she obediently nodded and sat down with her plum juice.
Xu Ning went up to the second floor and saw Diluc sitting at a table in the corner, with a glass of deep red... grape juice in front of him?
It's definitely grape juice!
Xu Ning's nose is now extremely sensitive to alcohol; he can tell just by smelling it.
"It's like a satirical play that you, as the owner of the largest winery in Mondstadt, don't like to drink yourself."
Xu Ning dragged over a chair and sat down, shaking his wine gourd. "Want to try my wine? It's the kind of premium wine that many people in Liyue can't get their hands on."
Diluc shook his head slightly.
"It's not that I can't drink, it's just that I have reasons for not being able to drink."
Xu Ning smiled and took a sip by himself.
"Miss Lisa came to see you. I suppose you already know quite a bit about the Black Fire case?"
Diluc nodded.
"The murderer is the little girl I brought with me," Xu Ning dropped a bombshell.
Diluc was finally moved. He stood up and walked to the railing, looking down at Cole, who was sipping plum juice.
"He's still a child."
Xu Ning nodded. "Yes, she's still a child, but she was even younger when she was tricked from her parents into doing experiments by the Fools."
“She is different from the evil eye in your hand. She was directly injected with the remnants of the demon god, but the two are of the same origin and the black fire they release is also very similar.”
Diluc walked back and sat down, asking, "You want me to help her get away? Would the Knights of Favonius agree?"
"If nothing unexpected happens, the Kingdom of Winterfell should soon use the Blackfire case to launch an attack on Mondstadt, right? The Knights of Favonius will definitely be forced to come to you to hand over the murderer in order to protect Mondstadt."
Xu Ning laughed and said, "How could that be? I brought the murderer to them, and none of them made a move. Instead, they deliberately used the guise of investigation to leak information to you. Isn't that because they want you and the Knights to face this crisis together? You mustn't waste everyone's good intentions!"
Diluc snorted coldly.
"This morning we found a mechanical bird in Whispering Woods, bearing the emblem of the Fatui. This thing is very peculiar; it can attract monsters from afar and make them attack their target with abandon."
Xu Ning looked into Diluc's eyes and asked, "Do you still remember the Demon Dragon Usa?"
Diluc's pupils suddenly contracted.
"I suspect that the reason this dragon has attacked Mondstadt time and time again is because the Fatui used similar methods. Your father's death, whether it was Usa's attack or the appearance of the Evil Eye, was just part of the Fatui's conspiracy."
Xu Ning turned to look at Ke Lai and said, "Now that I've met her, I won't let her become another victim, so I'd like to ask you for this favor."