Chapter 52: This Trainee Fatui Harbinger is Too Unreliable [52]
In the large private dining room, Luo Qing and Shenhe sat at opposite ends of a round rotating table, nearly two meters apart. The table was covered with an array of Xinyue Pavilion's finest dishes.
Luo Qing wouldn't be staying in Liyue much longer, so he wanted to enjoy authentic Liyue cuisine a few more times before leaving. He had the server bring one of every signature dish Xinyue Pavilion had to offer, all charged to the Northland Bank's account.
Staring at the table full of beautifully presented dishes, Shenhe sat silently, not even picking up her chopsticks. Her stillness was in stark contrast to Luo Qing's enthusiastic feasting.
Seeing her remain motionless, occasionally glancing at him devouring the meal, Luo Qing paused, lowering his chopsticks in confusion.
"Miss Shenhe, why aren't you eating? Don't you like the food here?"
"You only said I should accompany you here. You didn't say I had to eat."
Just as she finished speaking, a faint rumble echoed through the room.
Luo Qing froze. There were only two of them in the room, and his stomach was already full of delicacies (including Hu Tao's infamous Golden Fish Soup), so the sound clearly hadn't come from him.
Even immortals' stomachs can rumble when they're hungry, huh…
Seeing Luo Qing's direct stare, Shenhe quickly turned her head away, refusing to meet his gaze.
From behind her back, she pulled out a small pouch, opened the drawstring, and delicately picked out a pale petal of Qingxin flower, slipping it into her mouth.
"Just nibbling on Qingxin petals won't satisfy your hunger, Miss Shenhe. If you want to eat, go ahead," Luo Qing said with a smile. He got up, picked up a pair of chopsticks, and offered them to her.
"I never said I wanted to eat."
Shenhe tilted her head slightly, showing little interest in accepting the chopsticks from Luo Qing's hand.
"Look, if you don't eat, that's like slapping me in the face. And if you don't respect me, then I won't keep my promise to duel you later," Luo Qing teased, still holding out the chopsticks.
By now, he felt he had figured out Shenhe's… triggers. Not in a bad way—just her personality.
A girl with an aloof yet adorable demeanor… How could he resist teasing her a little?
Seeing Shenhe still hesitate, Luo Qing added, "I'm serious. If you don't eat, I'm leaving. Three... two..."
"..."
Shenhe's indecision showed on her face. As Luo Qing counted, it seemed as though each number tightened a knot inside her.
"One—"
Just as Luo Qing was about to withdraw his hand, Shenhe, head bowed, grabbed the chopsticks he held, stopping him.
[Frustration Value from Shenhe +1]
"That's the spirit! Eating good food is the key to a… um, healthy body! Here, try this—Liyue's famous Golden Broth Beef," Luo Qing said with a grin. He released the chopsticks and sat back down, spinning the table to bring the dish of beef to Shenhe.
Ah… Hu Tao's cooking really left an impression.
Holding the chopsticks, Shenhe stared at the dish in front of her, feeling strangely conflicted.
She had come here to duel Luo Qing, to settle things.
So why was she doing everything he suggested?
Annoyed with herself, Shenhe stubbornly picked up a piece of beef and bit down hard.
After the meal, she would definitely give Luo Qing a proper thrashing!
"That's it! Now try this one…"
Seeing Shenhe finally start eating, Luo Qing felt a surge of joy, a sense of pride like he'd just guided a wayward child back onto the right path.
No longer focusing only on his own meal, he made sure that each time Shenhe picked up her chopsticks, he rotated the table to let her try another dish.
The spread was immense. Even though Shenhe only took a single bite from each dish, by the time she had sampled everything, her stomach had a slight bulge, the fabric of her tight black outfit noticeably stretched.
Before long, Shenhe set down her chopsticks and said softly, "I'm full."
Then, raising her gaze, she locked eyes with Luo Qing, a flicker of fighting spirit shining through.
"Now, will you duel me?"
"Emmm…"
Seeing the resolve in Shenhe's eyes, Luo Qing knew he had no choice.
"Alright. But Miss Shenhe, you've just eaten. It's not good to engage in vigorous activity right after a meal.
How about we go for a walk outside Liyue, find a quiet place, and have a nice… um, duel to settle things? A chance to walk off the meal?"
"..."
Shenhe frowned slightly, suspecting that Luo Qing might be stalling, and coldly said, "Swear it."
"Swear?"
Luo Qing was momentarily taken aback. He had to swear just to go for a walk?
"Swear that once we're outside Liyue, you'll fight me without any more excuses," Shenhe said firmly.
She had learned to be wary of Luo Qing's tricks.
Back in the mountains, when something bothered her, she would handle it head-on. This whole situation was utterly foreign to her.
"Fine," Luo Qing shrugged, pressing four fingers to his forehead. "I swear, by the name of Morax, the Geo Archon, that once we're outside Liyue Harbor, I will duel Miss Shenhe. If I break this promise, may I remain single forever. Does that work for you?"
"Hmph…"
Shenhe snorted coldly, getting up and heading for the door.
With night falling over Liyue, warm lanterns hung everywhere, casting a golden glow. Families strolled together, seemingly unbothered by the shadow of Osial that had so recently loomed over the city.
Shenhe walked ahead of Luo Qing, maintaining a slight distance between them. They looked almost like a couple in a quarrel, or perhaps a proud lady and her loyal attendant.
Every time she spoke to Luo Qing, Shenhe felt as if he was leading her by the nose.
But she hadn't spent much time outside the mountains and was a little awkward in conversation. Even when she knew Luo Qing was messing with her, she had no idea how to counter.
So she decided to remain silent, focusing instead on their impending duel, which she believed would bring closure.
The two walked from the southern part of Liyue to the cliffs on the eastern side without a word, yet somehow they knew when to stop.
"Here. This is the spot," Shenhe said, summoning her spear. With a swift motion, she leveled the tip at Luo Qing, eyes blazing with determination. If he gave even the slightest nod, she was ready to attack.
But just as she prepared to strike, Luo Qing raised his hand.
"Hold on!"
"..."
[Frustration Value from Shenhe +1]
"You swore—"
"I'm not trying to get out of it," Luo Qing said, shaking his head.
"What I said earlier still stands. If I lose, Miss Shenhe, I'll be at your mercy. But if you lose… shouldn't we have a fair wager on the table?"
"..."
Shenhe's brow furrowed slightly.
"What do you want…?"
Luo Qing shrugged casually. "If I win, Miss Shenhe, you'll have to promise me one thing. Deal?"
"..."
Hesitating, Shenhe pondered for a long moment before speaking. "Fine. But you cannot use that spiritual entity's power. It has to be a spear fight, and only a spear fight."
She wasn't foolish. She knew if Luo Qing used that spectral giant of his, she wouldn't stand a chance.
But if it came down to a test of spears, she, having trained from a young age, did not believe she would lose to him.
"Alright, no problem."
Luo Qing smiled, summoning the Millelith Spear.
After the last round of gacha pulls, he had maxed out the enhancements on the Millelith Spear with weapon enhancement cards.
The +20 Millelith Spear, with all attributes doubled, sank a third of its length into the sand as Luo Qing planted it firmly in the beach.
---
T/N: Pretty late but uhh Millelith spear is basically the Lithic spear.
---
If there are any mistakes let me know!
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Chapter 53: This Trainee Fatui Harbinger is Too Unreliable [53] [30 PS]
Luo Qing gripped his Millelith Spear, pulling it from the sand, his face relaxed as he faced Shenhe.
But it was precisely this nonchalant attitude that irked Shenhe. Without another word, she lunged forward with her spear.
Shenhe's figure darted through the night, slicing through the air, leaving behind a streak of inky white. Her speed was far greater than it had been that day at Jueyun Karst, and her strikes were even more forceful.
Shenhe knew about Luo Qing's incredible speed, so she had to defeat him before he could activate that ability.
The gleaming spear tip aimed straight for Luo Qing's chest, but in the next instant, he casually lifted his right hand, holding the Millelith Spear, and flicked it to the side, deflecting her attack with ease.
Shenhe stared into his eyes and noticed that his irises were still the deep black of Liyue's common folk—they had not shifted to the golden slits that signaled the use of his extraordinary speed.
That meant he hadn't relied on that ability, merely using a simple flick of his wrist to parry her thrust.
Shenhe's hands trembled slightly as she gripped her spear. She recalled the weight that had surged through his weapon during that exchange—it was immensely heavy.
His spear was unimaginably dense.
"Miss Shenhe, don't hold back. You're free to use your elemental power," Luo Qing said with a lighthearted smile. His recent gacha draws had given him over twenty Physical Enhancement Cards, and after using them, his physique had become about 35 times stronger than an average adult's.
These cards enhanced overall attributes, including his reflexes.
Now, even a Vision wielder's speed seemed trivial to him. He didn't even need to activate his Time Zero ability to dodge Shenhe's moves.
"..."
Shenhe remained silent, lifting her spear. Ice crystals condensed at the tip as she formed a hand seal.
"Spirit of Ice, Transformation!"
Several ice-blue spirits materialized from the frozen crystals, hovering between the two of them, leaving a lingering, frosty mist before disappearing into the haze.
Just as Luo Qing's gaze shifted to the surrounding mist, Shenhe's figure blurred, lunging at him once again. At the same time, those spirits emerged from the icy fog, each armed with a spear, attacking from all angles.
They surrounded him from all directions, giving him no room to escape.
But instead of retreating, Luo Qing charged straight at Shenhe, his movements fluid as he dodged her spear and the spirits' strikes, leaving them all grasping at empty air.
Shenhe's eyes widened. His gaze remained as dark as the night.
Without even using his speed ability, Luo Qing was already moving this fast...
A surge of powerlessness washed over Shenhe. Yet, just for a moment, she shook it off and renewed her assault, thrusting her spear toward him.
Time passed slowly, with Shenhe's attacks growing more and more desperate. Yet Luo Qing remained solely on the defensive, never striking back.
Their abilities weren't even close to being on the same level, and Luo Qing couldn't fathom why Shenhe insisted on challenging him.
Was it really just because of that brief moment he had grabbed her waist?
...
Shenhe's attacks became more frenzied, as if she didn't care about maintaining her breathing or conserving her elemental power. In no time, she was leaning heavily on her spear, gasping for breath.
Meanwhile, Luo Qing stood there, completely unscathed.
"Why, Miss Shenhe?" Luo Qing's voice was gentle as he watched her struggle to catch her breath. He felt a twinge of sympathy.
In Snezhnaya, it was normal for men and women in the military to roughhouse, hugging and tussling as part of daily life. He'd gotten used to it.
How was he supposed to know that in Liyue, customs were so different? That just one touch on the waist would drive someone to chase him from Jueyun Karst all the way to Liyue Harbor?
He couldn't quite understand what was going on in Shenhe's head.
She had to know she couldn't beat him, yet here she was, willing to make a wager just for another chance to fight.
She was so stubborn.
After a brief rest, Shenhe attacked once more, but her strikes, like before, never found their mark. Exhausted, she stopped again, her chest heaving, glaring coldly at Luo Qing.
Seeing the resentment in her eyes, Luo Qing felt a pang of guilt, as if he had heartlessly betrayed her.
What was going on in this girl's mind?
Shaking his head, he flicked his finger, sending a small stone toward Shenhe's forehead.
The pebble struck her fair skin with a soft thud, leaving a tiny pink mark—much like a teacher reprimanding a daydreaming student with a flick of chalk.
The sudden sting left Shenhe momentarily stunned.
When she looked back up, Luo Qing was standing right in front of her, a hint of frustration on his face.
"You silly girl, why are you doing this? I just don't get you."
"I..."
Shenhe's voice faltered, her expression uncertain.
She couldn't find an answer.
"Alright, I surrender. Do whatever you want," Luo Qing said, crossing his arms in mock defeat.
He was always the type who responded better to softness than force, and Shenhe had been one of his favorite characters in the past. He couldn't bring himself to truly fight her.
If it had been anyone else, he wouldn't have wasted his time at all!
"This doesn't count... I haven't beaten you yet..."
Shenhe shook her head, trying to stand up while leaning on her spear.
But before she could rise, another small pebble struck her forehead, leaving a second mark.
"Well, now I've won. You lost."
"..."
Hearing his words, Shenhe suddenly slumped to the ground, an inexplicable sense of relief filling her.
"You really do like to throw away your chances, huh," Luo Qing said, crouching down until they were eye-level.
Looking at the adorably stubborn Shenhe before him, he couldn't help but feel both amused and exasperated. He asked softly:
"You knew you couldn't beat me, didn't you?"
"I..."
"If you knew that, why insist on fighting? And why make a wager? Didn't you think about what I'd make you do if you lost?"
"I..."
"You silly girl... weren't you worried I'd ask for something weird?"
"Ah..."
Shenhe struggled to respond as Luo Qing's questions bombarded her. Maybe he was right—perhaps she was a bit foolish...
"Alright, you lost, so now it's my turn to ask for something."
"I..."
"Alright then, here's what I want you to do..."
Luo Qing paused, waiting until Shenhe's eyes were focused solely on him before continuing.
"You're too naïve. I want you to stay in Liyue, learn the ways of this world, and only return when you've grown wiser. Understood?"
---
T/N: Shenhe was one of my favorites too! I made sure to pull for her and her weapon when she first came out... too bad I barely used her.
If there are any mistakes let me know!
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