The Gift of the Mother of Wind

"A grand symphony of a thousand years?"

Wang Yan raised an eyebrow slightly, feigning surprise.

This wasn't an act; I was genuinely surprised.

Those familiar with the original studies probably know what the Millennium Grand Symphony is. The full name of the so-called Millennium Grand Symphony should be "The Great Symphony of a Thousand Years".

To explain this, we must talk about Mongolian tradition.

Mongolia is centered on the traditions of poetry, folk songs, and bards.

However, as time went by, the complete original work was lost, the poem was torn apart by the wind, and the power and story were scattered, some of which were condensed in the three weapons.

The ancient oath of freedom—a grand symphony spanning millennia? The story etched within the song.

It records Mongols' vow to pursue freedom, corresponding to the history of breaking free from the isolated king in the tower and establishing a free city-state.

When the pine trees rustle – a grand symphony spanning a thousand years? The history of dawn breaking.

It is the song of the North Wind Rider, recounting the legend of the North Wind and the heroes who rebelled against the old nobility and protected Mon.

A final lament—a grand movement of a thousand years? A song of parting.

It is a poignant poem that speaks of parting, loss, and remembrance; it is a lament of the poet.

Of course, as mentioned in the text, these are only part of a grand symphony spanning millennia; there are many more chapters to come, still lingering in the wind.

嗏

What does this have to do with Wang Yan? He doesn't make music.

"Hey, hey, hey, what's with that expression? You're not looking down on our Grand Symphony of Montreal, are you? Let me tell you, if it weren't for Yi... cough cough, if it weren't for my good mood, I wouldn't have shown it to you."

Seeing Wang Yan's hesitant expression, Wendy said with some dissatisfaction.

Did you just hear something...?

Wang Yan became even more distrustful, leaning back slightly: "If I remember correctly, the 'Great Music of a Thousand Years' is a collection of poems recording old Mongolian stories... Even if it's rare and powerful, what use is it to me?"

"What? As a scholar, you're so superficial. A grand movement is art!" Wendy's tone was still full of dissatisfaction.

Wang Yan shook his head: "I don't have much of an artistic talent. I can listen to it, but I'd rather not learn it."

Of course he knew that since Barbatos had brought it up, the grand movement must be more than just a piece of music. But... if he agreed immediately, wouldn't that make him look like he was getting the better deal?

Moreover, Wang Yan really wanted to know what benefits this so-called "Millennium Grand Symphony" could bring him.

:

"...What a blockhead." Wendy muttered with a hint of exasperation.

However, Wang Yan was unmoved and took it as him being coquettish.

Seeing that Wang Yan remained silent, Wendy had no choice but to speak again: "Since you know the story of the Great Symphony of a Thousand Years, do you know how the first Great Symphony came about?"

Hey, I really don't know this about Wang Yan.

Although he claimed to be an apologist, the text of the Millennium Grand Symphony was too ancient and not much had been discussed. Wang Yan had no basis for its origin in his memory, only a vague recollection that it should have been played by Wendy.

"I don't know, please enlighten me, Your Excellency Barbatos." Wang Yan's expression became more serious.

When scholars seek knowledge about the unknown, they should show respect to the knowledge holder, even if the other party is a slacker.

"You should know about the Lone King in the Tower, right?"

"Of course, the Demon God of Old Mongols, the Demon God of Tornadoes, Dekalapian," Wang Yan nodded.

He was indeed familiar with this one. As a textual daemon that appeared in the early stages of Genshin Impact, it was a powerful daemon, a tyrant, and was later redeemed by the "Lover" theory, but it was not a completely redeemed daemon. In the early discussions among Genshin Impact scholars, Deckardian was still a very popular topic.

"Yes, during the Old Mongol period..."

Wendy slowly recounted the story of the past—

In ancient times, the entire Mongolian region was covered in ice and snow, making it almost impossible for humans to survive outside.

Dekalapian raised a giant hurricane wall to keep out blizzards and monsters, creating a royal city within the high wall where people could live. However, this wall only allowed entry and not exit, and even birds could not pass through it.

Within the city, one cannot see the true sky, birds, or the earth outside. Gale-force winds howl year-round, grinding rocks and soil into dust.

People bowed their heads and knelt in worship, not out of respect or love, but because they were unable to stand upright due to the fierce winds of the demon god.

But the lonely king in the tower was very satisfied with the city he had built. He accepted the kneeling of all his followers on the tower, taking it as their respect and love.

He believed that since he had shielded people from death, they should be grateful and obedient.

Of course, upon hearing this, some might think that although the King was a bit dictatorial, he was actually quite good for that era, after all, it was the time of the Demon God War, and Teyvat was full of dangers.

But in reality, the king's oppression goes beyond that.

The Lone King will prohibit certain tunes and chords.

Because bard songs could convey signals of rebellion, he regarded songs and poems as a threat. Only hymns praising the king could be sung in the city; private songs of resistance could only be sung in cellars and dark alleys.

People's thoughts are restricted, and their right to sing is taken away.

At the same time, he decided everyone's life.

The royal city is laid out in a circular pattern, and the living positions and ways of life of everyone are all arranged in advance by the lonely king.

:

Humans have no choice; they cannot leave, cannot question, and cannot yearn for the world outside the walls.

Therefore, even though the area outside the walls was a desolate wasteland of snow and wind, some tribes still fled at any cost.

Gunnhill's father led his tribe to flee the tower and face the deadly threat of the frozen plains.

They would rather die than leave the Lone King's territory, which shows how suffocating Descarabian's rule over the old Mongols had become.

As Wendy spoke, she took out her xylophone and gently plucked the strings: "Later, there was a boy who grew up in a high tower. He had never seen a bird, yet he longed for the world beyond the high walls."

One day, he said to the naive wind spirit: "Isn't the true sky, the poetry and songs outside the cage, a wish worth fighting for?"

"So the boy picked up the xylophone and, together with the archer, the knight, the elf, and the red-haired warrior, started a rebellion against King Lone Tower."

"Time and time again, they fought and fought, and finally, they stood before their king."

"They told me of their will to rebel, but I could not understand. I said: I have already given you a life free from freezing to death, why do you still rebel against me?"

"And so, the battle broke out."

This novel was first published on [website name].

"The archer who once deeply loved the king was torn apart by the fierce wind that enveloped him."

"But the people did not back down. With their combined efforts, they defeated the former god."

At this point, Wendy paused slightly and looked at Wang Yan: "Do you know what will happen when the Demon God falls?"

Wang Yan frowned, but still nodded: "Of course, the power belonging to the demon god will go berserk instantly, causing a terrible disaster on the spot."

This was demonstrated by Heureia herself.

The Salt God was killed by his people, and the uncontrolled power of the Salt God turned the entire city into salt. Only a few Salt People escaped their homeland and eventually merged into Liyue.

"Yes, everyone rebelled against the Lone King for freedom, but after defeating him, they discovered that the dead Lone King would bring an even more terrifying disaster than before," Wendy sighed.

Wang Yan asked somewhat sarcastically, "Has the Lone King in the Tower lost control?"

Actually, a long time ago, there was a debate among the scholars about why the death of Dekalbian did not destroy the entire ancient city of Gumen (the ruins of the Wind Dragon).

It should be noted that the fall of a weak god like Heuria turned the entire ancient salt capital into salt.

Then, the disaster brought about by the fall of a powerful demon god like Dekalapian should have been even more terrifying.

But in reality? There was no disaster at all. In fact, the reason why the Wind Dragon Ruins became ruins was all Alice's doing, and had nothing to do with Deckalapian.

Therefore, some scholars believe that Dekalapian, as a powerful demon god, controlled the loss of his power at the time of his death because of the underlying code of his lover, thus preventing him from causing great destruction.

Some scholars believe that when Deckardapian fell, his dissipated power was absorbed by Barbatos, who was then a wind spirit, thus preventing the power from leaking out.

:

In short, this topic was quite popular in the early discussions surrounding Genshin Impact.

"Yes, the tyrant who couldn't understand why his people rebelled has fallen." Wendy nodded. "And the uncontrollable gale is now swirling before the crumbling throne."

"and then?"

"Then... the frail boy plucked the strings one last time."

"The boy knew very well that with his power, he was simply no match for the raging storm brought about by the fall of a demon god."

"So he used his body as a lyre and played the songs that gave the oppressed a little courage."

"Since the songs of 'this moment' cannot stop the calamity, then let the wishes of countless 'this moment's' connect with the countless yearnings for freedom in countless eras, and let that piercing hatred, frozen in a single instant, be diluted into the long passage of time, like drifting petals."

"The boy, who used himself as a harp, plucked the strings that originally belonged only to the Lord of Time in an instant. This surprised even Qianfeng's mother. Before she cast a brief glance at the desolate northern border, the violent, momentary storm had already transformed into a gentle poem of wind and color that lasts for thousands of years."

After saying that, Wendy took another sip of her drink, this time not gulping it down, but taking a small sip: "This is the first time the great symphony of a thousand years has been played."

Wang Yan finally revealed a hint of surprise: "So, the Great Symphony of a Thousand Years... wasn't played by you?"

"Hmm... Although I've played it before, I wasn't the first to play it." Wendy nodded. "The one who played the Great Symphony of a Thousand Years was that rebellious boy, and the one who solidified the Great Symphony of a Thousand Years in Meng was the power of the Mother of a Thousand Winds."

"And I and everyone else in Meng are just adding more stories to this movement later on."

Wang Yan nodded and raised his glass to Wendy: "It's a really good story. I deeply felt Meng's spirit of resistance and freedom... So, what's the use of the Great Symphony of a Thousand Years?"

Wendy: "..."

The God of Wind was silent for a moment, then said somewhat angrily, "After hearing such a wonderful story, what's the use of only thinking about the Great Melody of a Thousand Years?"

"Didn't I say I felt the spirit of Meng?" Wang Yan shrugged, put down his wine glass, and said, "I'm a pragmatist."

The main thing is that, apart from the fact that the grand movement was played by an unknown boy and was mixed with the power of Ishtar, which surprised Wang Yan, he had already read the rest of the story more than once.

The initial感动 (feeling of being moved) had mostly dissipated by the first meeting.

Even the best stories become tiresome after a while, unless they're stories by disgusting people, in which case you'll feel nauseous every time you read them.

This is one of the reasons why many people in the media prefer to publish negative content rather than positive content.

Because negative emotions are indeed more likely to stir a person's emotions.

anyway.

Wendy glared at Wang Yan: "Didn't the story say that the Great Melody of a Thousand Years transformed the raging storm of the fallen demon god into a gentle poem?"

"This..." Wang Yan's eyes narrowed slightly, as if he had just realized something. "The Great Melody of a Thousand Years can control the wind? Wait... control the wind? The wind elemental source rune?"

"Hmph." Wendy snorted. "Is this royalties enough?"

:

"No..." Wang Yan wasn't happy; instead, she hesitated. "This copyright fee... is it correct?"

Wang Yan's first reaction was that something was wrong.

For example, someone might say they want to use your story to write a poem and then offer you royalties. You agree and ask how much the royalties are, and they say they'll give you one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council.

Is this correct?

"Just tell me if you want it or not." Two more empty wine glasses appeared in front of Wendy.

Do you want it? Or don't you want it?

Is there even a choice left?

"Okay, I'll accept the copyright fee," Wang Yan nodded.

Since you say it's a copyright fee, then it's a transaction that's separate from the main issue. Let's take the benefits first and talk about the rest later.

"Since you've accepted this 'copyright fee,' then take a good look at what the things truly flowing through Meng Qianfeng are really like." Wendy smiled and gently plucked the strings. Wang Yan immediately felt an inexplicable force pulling him.

It must be the power of Barbatos.

Wang Yan did not resist.

The next moment, their gazes shifted, and the two appeared under the big tree where the wind rose.

"Please listen to this ancient melody from Mongolia. This is your only chance to hear it."

Wendy gave Wang Yan a NK.

Wang Yan: ...

The old man is quite adorable.

With her eyes closed, Wendy began to gently stroke the strings.

The zither music was soft and gentle, not loud or rousing, but rather like a song sung in the ancient Mongolian cellars millions of years ago, its voice suppressed and not daring to be sung aloud.

In an instant, countless translucent, shimmering white musical notes drifted and rose from the strings, floating in the air and flowing in all directions along the path of the wind.

The surrounding wind suddenly came alive.

The lazy breeze that rises from the ground seems like an echo of distant years, carried by the air currents across a thousand years, blowing from the vanished past to the trees at this moment.

The wind seemed to carry countless overlapping voices: a hushed chorus in a dark alley, vows raised in unison beneath a tower, the shouts of soldiers charging forward, and the long, mournful sighs of young girls.

The resolute resistance against tyrants, the yearning for the sky, the resounding vows, the sorrow of lovers parting, the tragic heroism of knights going to their deaths, the joy and sorrow of generations of Mongols—all these are transformed into fragments of poetry, entwined in the ever-flowing wind.

Musical notes danced across the sky, skimming over the branches of oak trees, past the distant outlines of Montreal's houses, over the shimmering surface of Cider Lake, and spreading across the entire land.

:

Wang Yan stood up, gazing intently at the distant sky.

What appears to others as merely a sky of drifting clouds and long winds is a completely different scene in his view.

Dense, mysterious lines of pale blue-silver light, like an endless, enormous woven net, covered the entire sky.

Those are the source runes of the wind.

Countless fine rune chains intertwined and flowed slowly with the breath of the wind, like living patterns, echoing the drifting musical notes.

Each rune carries with it a long-forgotten story: the raging storm that erupted when the tower collapsed, the melting snow that melted when spring arrived, the cries of rebellion against the old nobility when the pines trembled, and the tragic songs of parting in the years of calamity, where arrows pierced the sky and knights' blood stained the valley.

The Great Symphony of a Thousand Years is a grand narrative interwoven between heaven and earth, fused with the runes of the wind's origin.

The Psalms are the wind, and the wind is the Psalms.

'The Root Rune... it can be used like this?'

"Could I learn this method to integrate different root runes into my elemental domain, like merging wind and poetry?"

Forgive Wang Yan's blockheadedness, but when faced with the story of Meng Qiannian, Wang Yan's first reaction was not to be moved, but rather... what kind of technology is this?

We scholars are like this…

The cause-based school: ? ? ?

The musical notes swept past Wang Yan's side, and the mysterious wind source runes trembled slightly. A faint ray of light broke away from the huge network in the sky and slowly fell in front of him.

The harp music never stopped. Wendy lowered her eyes, her fingertips still slowly tracing the strings, her green hair flying wildly in the long wind.

"See?" Wendy's voice, mingled with the whisper of the wind, gently reached Wang Yan's ears. "The young man used his body as a harp, borrowing the power of the Lord of Time, to reforge the destructive storm of the fallen demon god into a poem."

"This movement is not just a memory and a song; it is imprinted in the history of Mongolia and engraved in the origin of the wind."

"Ancient times, the sound of pines, the end are just a few fragments picked up by the world. The truly complete grand movement has always been floating in every gust of wind on this land."

That wisp of light originating from the runes of the wind's source floated before Wang Yan's eyes, like a gift awaiting him.

"Accept it, outsider. This is a gift from the Mother of a Thousand Winds, and also her small apology. That dream was a necessary act," Wendy said, putting down her lyre [Felin]. The countless musical notes quietly disappeared, as if the grand poem had never existed.

Wang Yan looked at him in surprise: "What do you mean... the apology from the Mother of a Thousand Winds?"

The Mother of a Thousand Winds, needless to say, is Istaru.

The relationship between Venti and Ishtar goes without saying; Ishtar even gave Venti a portion of time's authority, granting him the power to blow the Ember Sea out of timeline.

The wind has blown a region out of the timeline.

Tell me, is it yin or not?

:

"Hmm... I don't know either. He only said... that dream was a necessary step."

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