Chapter 8: This Trainee Fatui Harbinger is Too Unreliable [8]
A full rendition of "Let's Learn to Meow" takes three minutes and twenty-nine seconds. Excluding the eighteen seconds for the intro and outro, there are three minutes and twenty-one seconds of actual singing.
Luo Qing's item card effect lasted for five minutes. If the target's mental resilience was weaker than his own, they'd end up singing the song twice.
But Yelan, known for being an elusive presence within the Ministry of Civil Affairs, possessed an extraordinary willpower. Luo Qing's item card only affected her for two minutes.
Yet those two minutes were more than enough for Luo Qing to do plenty~
In the upper floor of the Northland Bank's pavilion, at a square tea table made of refined sandwood, Luo Qing and Yelan sat facing each other.
As a newly captured Liyue "prisoner of war," Luo Qing was quite satisfied with his prize. He was ready to interrogate her, to forcefully extract the reason she was spying on him!
On the opposite side of the table, Yelan knelt with her hands and toes bound by thumb cuffs, her gaze locked onto Luo Qing with a mix of rage and frustration.
Never in her life did she expect to be captured by Luo Qing in such a humiliating manner, let alone be forced to punch the air with cat paws while singing such an embarrassing song...
Those two minutes were the most agonizing moments of her life.
"Speak! Who are you, and why were you spying on me?!"
Of course, Luo Qing knew exactly who she was, but he had to play the fool to avoid revealing his own knowledge.
Yelan remained silent in the face of his question, her fingers straining subtly against the cuffs, attempting to break free.
Noticing her movement, Luo Qing chuckled coldly.
"I wouldn't bother. The more you struggle, the tighter those cuffs will get.
If you keep this up, your slender fingers will be ruined from lack of blood flow.
And don't even think about using elemental energy — these cuffs block elemental power. I'm sure you've noticed that already."
Luo Qing stood and circled around Yelan, putting on an air of authority.
"So, why not just tell me who you are and why you were watching me? Maybe I'll even let you go if you're honest."
Finally getting a chance to play the villain, Luo Qing was going to enjoy it to the fullest.
Seeing Yelan's steadfast expression, as if she were ready to sacrifice herself for her mission, made his heart race with excitement.
Is this the thrill of being a villain?
Ah, it felt fantastic.
"So, still not talking? Impressive. Don't blame me, then!"
He waited, but Yelan remained silent, refusing to say a word. Luo Qing nodded slightly, then called out towards the door.
"If you three keep eavesdropping, I'll make you regret it!"
Suddenly, there was a scurry of footsteps outside the door.
"Natalia, you stay. Come in," Luo Qing commanded.
One set of footsteps abruptly stopped.
After a moment, the door creaked open, and Natalia, with her blonde hair and blue eyes, entered. She was just as tall as Yelan, wearing an awkward smile.
"Master Luo Qing, you... you called for me?"
"Come in. I have a task for you."
"Uh..."
Natalia hesitated, glancing at Yelan who knelt at the tea table, her posture revealing every elegant curve.
Wow, this Liyue woman's figure is stunning...
"Master Luo Qing, you could handle this on your own... Do you really need me here?"
"Hmm?"
"Y-yes, sir."
Regretting her decision to join the two men in eavesdropping earlier, Natalia reluctantly stepped into the room, shutting the door behind her.
Yelan's gaze shifted from the two of them, her eyes filled with defiance.
"Master Luo Qing, what exactly do you want me to do...?"
Natalia's nervous glance fell once more upon Yelan.
Does Master Luo Qing enjoy... threesomes?
Hiss...
"Stand behind her," Luo Qing ordered.
"Understood."
Natalia obeyed, moving to stand behind Yelan. Due to the thumb cuffs on her toes, Yelan's shoes had been removed.
"Now, I'll ask you one last time. Why were you spying on me?"
Luo Qing's voice was cold, his eyes sharp as he issued what seemed like a final ultimatum.
Even Natalia felt a chill down her spine — she had never seen Luo Qing so serious before.
But Yelan merely sneered, remaining silent.
"Fine, impressive determination. Natalia!"
"Yes, Master Luo Qing!"
"Tickle her feet."
"Y-yes, s—what?!"
Natalia froze, thinking she must have misheard.
"Did I stutter?"
"N-no, you were clear."
"Then hurry up and do it."
"Yes, sir!"
Natalia had been bracing herself for something much darker, maybe even a life-or-death situation, but Luo Qing's command was... to tickle?
Even after arriving in Liyue, it seemed that Master Luo Qing was still as quirky as ever.
Following orders, Natalia's cold fingers slowly reached Yelan's bare soles.
Despite Yelan's frequent fieldwork, the Vision granted her a perfect physique. Her feet were immaculate, soft and smooth, without the calluses of a normal warrior.
Luo Qing had already noticed this when he bound her toes.
And why didn't he do the tickling himself?
He feared Yelan would kill him someday for it.
Meanwhile, Yelan couldn't help but scoff internally. She'd never heard of a torture method involving foot tickling.
She'd survived countless perilous missions — this was nothing to her.
But the moment Natalia's fingers brushed against her sensitive soles, a wave of unbearable ticklishness shot through her body.
Before long, Yelan's expression began to change, her eyes twitching, glaring daggers at Luo Qing.
Some people are naturally immune to tickling, but Yelan was clearly not among them.
[Frustration Value from Yelan +1+1+1+1...]
"Master Luo Qing, is this pressure good?" Natalia asked, fingers gently working Yelan's feet.
"Perfect, keep going. I'll be right back."
Seeing that Yelan's face was already contorting, Luo Qing nodded in satisfaction and walked over to his pile of luggage.
As he rummaged through it, he casually added,
"Oh, and Natalia, try tickling her armpits too."
"Yes, Master Luo Qing!"
After a few moments, Luo Qing returned, cradling a Kamera in his hands.
He placed it on the tea table, not saying a word, simply watching Yelan's growing discomfort.
Around thirty minutes passed.
By now, Yelan's face was a study in strained emotion.
Struggling against the relentless tickling had left her cheeks flushed, sweat dripping from her brow, staining her thighs. Tears glistened in the corners of her eyes as she gasped for breath, chest rising and falling with each ragged exhale.
She still glared defiantly at Luo Qing, though.
"Not bad at all. You managed to hold out until now."
Luo Qing admired her resolve, nodding approvingly.
Tickling might sound childish, but it was a legitimate interrogation method. Prolonged tickling could lead to incontinence or even death by laughter if taken far enough.
"Alright, that's enough, Natalia. You can stop."
"Yes, Master Luo Qing... huh?! What happened to her...?"
Natalia stepped away, staring at Yelan's flushed and humiliated expression with shock.
She had only tickled her, so why did Yelan look like she had endured some kind of terrible torment?
"Perfectly normal. Smile for the Kamera."
Luo Qing gestured with his hand, holding the Kamera in front of Yelan's face before pressing the capture button.
A few seconds later, the device clicked, and a white-bordered photograph popped out.
Luo Qing examined the photo.
Yelan, kneeling at the tea table, her expression a mix of shame and rage, her eyes glistening — it was a sight of breathtaking beauty.
Perfect. A true collector's item.
"Execution's over. Let's go, Natalia. It's time for dinner."
Luo Qing pocketed the photo, shot a final glance at Yelan, and walked out of the room with Natalia in tow.
Once they had left, Yelan glared in their direction before turning to the tea table.
Amidst the porcelain teaware lay a small, delicate key.
She knew all too well what it was: the key to her cuffs.
With Luo Qing's skill, there was no way he could have accidentally left it in plain sight.
He must have done it on purpose.
Is he trying to help me?
Her mind raced with possibilities, but first, she had to get out and report everything to Lady Ningguang.
Whatever the case, her mission came first.
Chapter 9: This Trainee Fatui Harbinger is Too Unreliable [9]
By the time Luo Qing returned to his room, it was empty — Yelan was long gone.
"Master Luo Qing, that woman escaped!" Natalia gasped.
"I'm not blind. Stop making such a fuss."
"But, Master Luo Qing, she was such a beauty! Isn't it a shame to just let her go like that?" Sergei asked, confused.
"Sergei, watch your words! We are proud soldiers of Snezhnaya, not some bandit gang! Go outside and give me three hundred push-ups!"
[Frustration Value from Sergei +10]
Luo Qing turned to Igor next.
"Have the researchers arrived?"
"Master Luo Qing, they're already waiting downstairs," Igor replied respectfully.
"Bring them up."
Luo Qing waved him off and walked back into his room. After a moment, he added, "If any of you three eavesdrop outside my door again, I'll make you dance on Yujing Terrace. Got it?"
"Yes, sir!" the three chorused.
Luo Qing ignored the three troublemakers. They were the most troublesome of his former recruits back at the training camp, and he'd brought them to Liyue for good reason.
He checked his luggage and found no signs that it had been tampered with. Yelan must have been focused on escaping and hadn't lingered in his room.
Remembering her unwavering expression, Luo Qing knew he wouldn't have gotten any information from her, no matter how long he had Natalia tickle her. He had a good idea why she was there, so there was no point in pressing further.
He'd given her an out, hoping they wouldn't cross paths again.
Otherwise, it wouldn't be just a photo for the scrapbook next time.
Soon, there was a knock at the door.
"Come in."
At his command, several Fatui scholars entered the room.
"Greetings, Master Luo Qing. I am Ovelo, the head of the Fatui research division in Liyue." The leader bowed politely.
"We have been informed of your mission by the headquarters in Snezhnaya. Until Master Childe arrives, we are at your full disposal."
The Fatui's influence spanned across the seven nations, not for mere spectacle, but to gather any information or objects beneficial to Snezhnaya.
Whether they hailed from the Archon War or the Khaenri'ah cataclysm, the Fatui would claim them if they proved useful.
Their research institutes existed for precisely this purpose.
Artifacts from Khaenri'ah or ancient mechanisms left behind by the Adepti — all of these fell under their purview.
"Alright, Ovelo. Did you bring what I requested?" Luo Qing asked calmly.
"Yes."
Ovelo gestured to one of his assistants, who stepped forward with a small box and placed it on the table before Luo Qing. Opening it, he presented its contents.
"This is the newly recreated Forbidden Talisman. It should possess almost the same power as the original, but whether it will work against... that individual's creations has yet to be confirmed."
"Is that because you're too afraid to test it yourselves?"
Luo Qing chuckled, picking up the talisman to examine it closely. It was inscribed with ancient Liyue script in cinnabar ink, with Adepti energy faintly pulsing between the runes.
"Impressive that you managed to harness Adepti energy. How many of Liyue's hidden ruins did you plunder for this?" he asked, a teasing edge to his voice.
"Well, about that..."
"Liyue is, after all, an ally. Don't push things too far," Luo Qing warned with a smile.
"Of course, Master Luo Qing. We understand," Ovelo replied, bowing deeply.
"Good. You're dismissed. I'll test this thing out myself."
"Understood. We'll take our leave."
Once the researchers were gone, Luo Qing went to the balcony. He wasn't worried about Yelan returning for a sneak attack — no, this was something more important.
It was time for his second ten-pull.
He needed a spot with good Feng Shui to try his luck.
[Single Pull: 100 Points / Ten-Pull: 1,000 Points (Current Frustration Points: 1,083)]
"Heaven and Earth, hear my plea! Grant me a golden miracle!" Luo Qing chanted dramatically, pressing the ten-pull button with a flourish.
Ten meteors streaked across his system interface.
This time, surely it's gold...
Just kidding.
Still only purple.
With a string of swooshes, the ten items appeared in his inventory.
[You received: ]
Millelith Spear (+0) x1
Physique Enhancement Card x3
Affection Boost Card x2
Weapon Enhancement Card x2
Tears of Sorrow Card x1
Complete Restoration Pill x1
"Even the perfect Feng Shui can't save me..." Luo Qing sighed as he looked at the list of items. At least, this haul was a bit more useful than the last. He began examining his new treasures.
[Physique Enhancement Card: Use on a target to increase their overall physique by 100 points. (Standard Teyvat adult male physique: 100 points)]
[Affection Boost Card: Use on a target to increase their affection for the host by 10 points. (Maximum affection: 100)]
[Weapon Enhancement Card: Increases a weapon's enhancement level by +1.]
[Complete Restoration Pill: Heals all injuries of a target, restoring them to peak condition.]
"Definitely more practical than the last batch." Luo Qing nodded approvingly, turning his attention to the only purple item he received — the Millelith Spear.
Once the standard weapon of the ancient Millelith, this spear was crafted from the rock shards of Guyun Stone Forest. It was said to pierce anything, even dragon scales. With Adepti blessings, units of Millelith soldiers once used these spears to destroy demons and slay gods.
However, after the Archon War, the Millelith's capabilities had dwindled, and fewer soldiers were able to wield the Millelith Spear. The standard weapon of today's Millelith had become the lighter, more practical White Tassel spear.
Of course, the Millelith Spear Luo Qing acquired wasn't quite the same. His version could be enhanced.
Checking the details, Luo Qing noted that a single enhancement would boost the weapon's stats by 10%. With a maximum of +20, this meant he could potentially double its effectiveness.
Since he had it now, it wouldn't make sense to leave it in his inventory.
With a thought, the Millelith Spear materialized in Luo Qing's hand.
Thud.
The spear slipped from his grip, landing heavily on the mahogany floor with a dull thud.
He... couldn't lift it.
"Wow, this thing's really that heavy," he muttered, eyeing the slight indentation it had made in the hardwood. No wonder the modern Millelith didn't use it anymore.
For anyone else, that might be the end of the story.
But Luo Qing wasn't just anyone.
He had cheats.
With another mental command, he used all four Physique Enhancement Cards at once.
A rush of power surged through him, his muscles and senses sharpening instantly.
Four enhancement cards meant he now had five times the strength of a normal Teyvat adult male. In terms of raw physicality — strength, reflexes, endurance — he had reached the level of a seasoned Vision wielder.
Grasping the spear's handle again, Luo Qing gave it a gentle tug.
This time, he lifted it effortlessly.
Weekly Power Status
200+ Power
Ranking 
388 Power
stone 
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