Chapter 37: This Trainee Fatui Harbinger is Too Unreliable [37]
The lookout towers sounded alarm bells, urging ships to hastily return to port. Those too far out began sailing away from the harbor, all seemingly avoiding a certain impending threat.
Thunder rumbled overhead as the Jade Chamber soared across the sky, heading out to the sea. Meanwhile, the Millelith soldiers hurried through the streets, gathering at the port in an organized manner.
It was clear they had anticipated this, as they moved without panic.
"It's finally happening," Luo Qing muttered, watching the ominous shadow beneath the sea.
"Mr. Zhongli, you'd better take Master Hu Tao and retreat somewhere safe. After all, Liyue is a harbor city, and one casual wave from that guy could be disastrous," Luo Qing said, nodding toward the approaching threat.
Zhongli calmly replied, "For ordinary people, this is indeed a catastrophe... Farewell."
With that, Zhongli turned and returned to the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, preparing to take Hu Tao to the mountains for safety.
After all, Hu Tao was his current employer—he couldn't allow any harm to come to her.
As Zhongli left, Luo Qing also made his way back to the Northland Bank. Seeing the commotion out on the sea, some confused Snezhnayan merchants had started to panic and rushed to the bank for refuge.
Being an official Snezhnayan establishment in Liyue, the Northland Bank served as a kind of embassy—once inside, they were under its protection.
Luo Qing glanced around the lobby, noticing that all the guards had been pulled away, leaving only the trembling Snezhnayan merchants.
He didn't even need to ask to know that this was undoubtedly on Childe's orders.
"Luo Qing, what should we do now?"
Natalia and the others, visibly nervous, calmed down slightly once they saw Luo Qing enter. The looming presence of an ancient god was terrifying, and even the residual shockwaves from such a battle could easily crush them like ants.
"You need to evacuate the people in the bank to the mountains. This place is too dangerous. If just one wave crashes down, you'll all be dead," Luo Qing ordered, looking at the panicked merchants surrounding them.
In Childe's absence, Luo Qing was now the highest authority here.
"And what about you, Luo Qing?" Natalia asked, concern evident in her voice.
"Me? I'm invincible, that thing out there won't be able to harm me. Now go, follow orders and stop dawdling."
With a sharp rebuke, Luo Qing gestured to Sergei and Igor, who nodded and began organizing the evacuation of the merchants.
Childe, the reckless brute that he was, was solely focused on causing chaos. He clearly didn't care about the lives of the merchants, nor did it even occur to him that he should've evacuated his own people before attempting to wake Osial.
Out on the streets, the people of Liyue hurriedly followed the Millelith's instructions, heading toward Yujing Terrace to escape the impending danger by ascending Mount Tianheng.
Soon, the bustling streets of Liyue became deserted, save for the soldiers standing at attention by the docks and the figures aboard the Jade Chamber—Ningguang, the Qixing, and the Adepti.
Luo Qing stood alone on the balcony of the bank, watching the sea.
Before long, a colossal figure broke through the water's surface, its entire body towering over the waves and rising to the same height as the Jade Chamber itself.
And the first words that bellowed out of its mouth shook the entire harbor:
"Tianji Star Li Feiyu, come out and face your death!"
Osial's thunderous voice echoed across Liyue Harbor.
On the Jade Chamber.
Ningguang and the others, along with the Adepti, were left utterly dumbfounded.
Isn't Osial supposed to be an enemy of the Geo Archon? they wondered. Why is the first thing out of its mouth a demand for Li Feiyu?
And... what's with the strange black markings all over Osial's body? Some of them look like little chickens… and is that a ball? Are those... dancing figures?
Upon closer inspection, they noticed large black characters painted around Osial's neck that read:
"Liyue Tianji Star Li Feiyu Was Here."
"…"
Everyone stared in disbelief. No wonder Osial came out screaming for Li Feiyu's head—it was because someone had turned its body into a canvas for artistic expression!
The poor creature had been defaced so thoroughly that even its own wife probably wouldn't recognize it anymore.
Suddenly, Luo Qing's system interface lit up with notifications:
[+10 Frustration Points from Ningguang]
[+10 Frustration Points from Ganyu]
[+10 Frustration Points from Keqing]
[+10 Frustration Points from Yelan]
[+10 Frustration Points from Cloud Retainer]
[+10 Frustration Points from Mountain Shaper]
[+10 Frustration Points from Moon Carver]
[+10 Frustration Points from Wang Fugui]
[…]
The fear and concern Osial had struck into the hearts of Liyue's inhabitants now morphed into Luo Qing's precious anxiety points, his system's notifications updating almost every second, and the rate was only increasing.
The Adepti, already angry at the Qixing, grew even more furious upon seeing the state of Osial. Now they were convinced that the Qixing were irresponsible jokesters who couldn't handle serious matters.
Cloud Retainer spat, "Tianji Star Li Feiyu… Hmph! Is this how your Qixing conducts business?!"
"Uh... not gonna lie, the drawings are pretty good," Paimon commented, hovering nearby.
"Yeah, they are," Lumine agreed.
Ningguang, Keqing, and the others looked grim, thinking, Who on earth is this Li Feiyu? He's definitely not one of our Qixing!
"Esteemed Adepti, I believe the most pressing matter is not this 'Li Feiyu,' but rather how to deal with Osial," Ningguang interjected. "We can discuss the rest after we've taken care of Osial."
Ningguang knew that any attempt at explaining the situation to the Adepti would be futile at this point. It was better to focus on the immediate threat and deal with the aftermath later.
Meanwhile, down in the city.
Hearing Osial's deafening roar, Shenhe glanced up at the Jade Chamber. Seeing her master standing there, she assumed Li Feiyu must be up there as well.
With that thought, she activated her Adeptal arts and leapt toward the floating structure.
The group on the Jade Chamber was still debating when Shenhe suddenly landed among them.
Cloud Retainer's eyes widened in surprise. "Shenhe! What are you doing here, child?!"
Shenhe scanned the crowd but didn't see Luo Qing. She responded calmly, "Master, the person I seek is Li Feiyu."
"..."
Everyone else was speechless.
Li Feiyu again?!
Cloud Retainer's temper flared. "Hmph! Qixing, is this how you operate? Colluding with the Fatui and stealing from my domain? We will settle this account as well!"
"Is Li Feiyu not here?" Shenhe asked, turning to Ningguang and the others.
"I understand that you may not believe me," Ningguang said, frowning slightly, "but there is no such person as 'Tianji Star Li Feiyu' among the Qixing."
Still, she mentally noted the name Li Feiyu.
Daring to use the Qixing's title as a shield? You better hope I never catch you!
"Interesting," Cloud Retainer sneered. "So, my disciple and Osial are both lying, are they?"
"..."
Before the situation could escalate further, Osial interrupted their standoff. Frustrated by the lack of response, his anger grew.
"Very well. Whether it's Morax or Li Feiyu, since you refuse to show yourselves, I will flood all of Liyue!"
With that, he summoned a massive tidal wave, aiming it directly at Liyue Harbor.
---
T/N: LI FEIYU!!!( ｡ •̀ ᴖ •́ ｡)💢
Chapter 38: This Trainee Fatui Harbinger is Too Unreliable [38]
For a moment, the area around Osial was filled with dazzling bursts of energy, but none of it seemed to deal significant damage. Though Osial had been sealed for so long, a god is still a god, and its power remained formidable. Even with the combined efforts of the Adepti, victory was far from certain.
Each time Osial summoned another massive wave, the Adepti had to work together just to hold it back. In their desperate attempt to defend Liyue, the Adepti and the Qixing were gradually being overpowered.
Just as the situation seemed dire, a barrage of golden arrows rained down from the Jade Chamber, striking Osial and eliciting a series of agonized roars.
These were not ordinary arrows—they came from the Guizhong Ballista, a weapon from the Archon War. With the Ballista's relentless assault, Osial's massive body became an easy target, each volley leaving deep wounds. For a moment, the tide of battle shifted, and Osial began to retreat under the onslaught.
The Millelith stationed at the harbor cheered, believing the victory was within reach. Their morale soared.
However, the current Millelith was nothing like the elite force from the Archon War that had once hunted gods. These days, they were more suited to maintaining law and order rather than fighting ancient gods. Their strength was far from what it once was.
And just when they thought victory was assured, shadows emerged from the southern mountains, moving stealthily through the storm toward the battlefield.
While the Qixing and the Adepti were focused on the battle against Osial, a faint blue glow appeared on the deck of the Jade Chamber, where the Guizhong Ballista was stationed. Several portals opened, and from them emerged well-armed Fatui Skirmishers, their sights set on sabotaging the Ballista.
The Adepti and Qixing were fully engaged in their struggle with Osial, leaving the defense of the Ballista to Lumine and a small detachment of Millelith soldiers stationed on the Jade Chamber.
The Millelith posed little threat, so in the end, it was essentially Lumine facing the Fatui forces alone.
Without hesitation, Lumine's eyes sharpened as she drew the Dull Blade, engaging the Fatui Skirmishers in combat.
Meanwhile, back at the Northland Bank.
Natalia and the others had returned to the building after successfully evacuating the Snezhnayan merchants. As Luo Qing's personal subordinates, they couldn't abandon him, even in the face of such danger.
While Luo Qing had a quirky temper and an unpredictable personality, they still considered themselves lucky. If he hadn't chosen them to be his subordinates, they might have ended up on the Jade Chamber, fighting to destroy the Guizhong Ballista alongside the rest of the Fatui.
"Luo Qing, is this part of the plan that Childe ordered?" Natalia asked.
"They're just marching to their deaths, aren't they?" Sergei added.
"Osial's already been unleashed. What's the point of sending them up there?" Natalia's voice wavered with fear. She had just emerged from training, and seeing the fierce battle unfolding above filled her with a deep sense of dread.
Some of the Fatui soldiers now lying dead on the battlefield had been Northland Bank guards, people she had spoken to not long ago. Even though Lumine was holding back to avoid unnecessary death, her strikes—enhanced by Adepti magic—were deadly to the ordinary soldiers.
With each clash, another Fatui soldier fell.
Although Natalia, Sergei, and Igor couldn't see the details of the battle, the sight of their comrades falling one by one weighed heavily on their hearts. They understood Childe's plan, but they didn't understand why, after releasing Osial, he had sent people to interfere further.
"Are you scared?" Luo Qing asked, glancing at them casually.
"You should understand something—soldiers live to follow orders, even when those orders lead them to certain death..."
Of course, if it were up to him, Luo Qing would've been more cunning. He wouldn't have let his people die so senselessly.
As he spoke, a familiar figure caught his eye through one of the portals—Electro Cicin Mage Teresa.
"So, she's there too…"
Luo Qing had suspected this after his conversations with Teresa back at Guyun Stone Forest. He had a feeling Childe had gathered the surrounding Fatui forces for this exact moment.
But now that he saw Teresa fighting on the Jade Chamber, a complicated feeling stirred within him.
The Electro Cicin Mages, with their distinctive combat style and rigorous selection process, were far stronger than regular Skirmishers. Teresa herself had considerable combat experience, more than many of her peers. Her Cicins, sparking with electricity, joined the fray, making it difficult even for Lumine to hold her ground.
Just when Luo Qing thought Teresa might succeed in destroying the Ballista and retreating, an elderly figure in the sky summoned a zither.
With each note, the energy around Lumine surged, and soon she was surrounded by even more powerful magic.
It was Madam Ping's boon.
Lumine, now strengthened by the Adepti's support, grew even more formidable. Each swing of her sword cut through Teresa's Cicins, killing them en masse.
With her Cicins gone, Teresa's combat ability plummeted, and the Fatui forces were once again at a disadvantage. Not only could they not destroy the Ballista, but now they were struggling just to survive.
The portal they had used to arrive was a one-way ticket. The only way out for them now was to leap from the several-hundred-meter height of the Jade Chamber—an almost certain death sentence.
"Tch, this is really a tough spot…" Luo Qing muttered, watching Teresa's desperate situation.
Though he wouldn't normally intervene, the sight of Teresa cornered, her life hanging by a thread, tugged at him.
If he jumped in to save her, and the Qixing or Adepti recognized him, all the trust he had painstakingly built would be gone.
"Ah, screw it. I'll save her," he muttered, shaking his head.
If he hadn't shared those moments of casual conversation and meals with Teresa back at her little camp, he might not have cared. But now, after spending time with the lively, energetic girl, the thought of her dying here felt… regrettable.
"Igor, give me your hood and mask," Luo Qing ordered.
Igor hesitated, glancing at the Jade Chamber high above. "Sir, are you sure you want to go up there? It's too dangerous…"
Luo Qing, irritated, snapped, "Do I need to repeat myself? I'm perfectly fine. Now hurry up."
Without further protest, Igor handed over his hood and mask. Luo Qing slipped them on, covering his face. His eyes, now glowing with a golden, catlike gleam, disappeared as he leapt from the balcony.
On the Jade Chamber.
Teresa stood alone, the last remaining Fatui operative, cornered at the edge of the deck.
Her once pristine combat gear was torn, her body riddled with cuts and bleeding as rain mixed with blood, staining the ground beneath her.
Behind her was a sheer drop, hundreds of meters down to the port below. If she fell, there would be no coming back.
But with Lumine and Keqing closing in, there was nowhere else for her to go.
After all, they had come to sabotage the Ballista. It was only natural that their enemies wouldn't let them leave alive.
Keqing's sword crackled with lightning as she approached.
Teresa steeled herself, believing this was the end. Soon, she would join her fallen comrades.
But just as Keqing's blade was about to strike, her vision blurred. In the blink of an eye, Teresa felt herself being swept off her feet, held securely in someone's arms as they evaded the deadly strike.
A figure, cloaked in a hood, had come to her rescue.
---
T/N: Li Feiyu has arrived.
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