Bab 18: This Trainee Fatui Harbinger is Too Unreliable [18]
"Hmm, even if it's one-time use, it's still worth it," Luo Qing muttered to himself. He had no idea how powerful the Teyvat edition of Susano'o would be, but at the very least, it was a trump card—something he could rely on if he ever ended up facing a god-level entity.
Having acquired new powers, there was no way he was going to leave them untested.
Luo Qing scanned the area to make sure he was alone.
Satisfied that no one was around, he focused, and the Geo Vision appeared in his hand.
In an instant, a strange sensation flooded his mind, as if the very rock and earth around him responded to his will. At the same time, his physical capabilities surged dramatically, the binding of the Vision amplifying his strength severalfold.
With a casual wave, the earth responded—Geo energy emerged from the ground and coalesced into a solid crystal in his palm.
"So, this is the power of a Vision," Luo Qing marveled. No wonder ordinary humans couldn't wield elemental energy—the secret lay within the Vision itself. Without it, he wouldn't even be able to sense the elements, let alone control them.
With another thought, he directed his focus to a rock in the distance and slashed the air with his index finger.
In a split second, a deep brown Geo spear, surrounded by a golden glow, materialized and crashed into the rock.
Boom!
A gelatinous substance splattered in all directions.
The Geo Slime, who had been peacefully sleeping underground, was now... gone.
Geo Slime: wdnmd.
"..."
Luo Qing wiped off the sticky residue from his clothes, feeling slightly exasperated. He bowed his head slightly to the remains of the Slime, muttering, "Mercy, mercy... Amen."
Despite the unexpected outcome, he had a good sense of how to control the Geo spears. They could be summoned from any direction, and their impact strength was entirely up to his will.
They could be gentle... or they could be absolutely devastating.
With these new abilities, his combat power had significantly improved. He no longer needed to rely on emotional prop cards to defeat opponents like Yelan.
After collecting his thoughts, Luo Qing turned his attention to the newly acquired Word Spirit: Time Zero.
It could slow the passage of time within a designated field, enhance his perception, and allow him to move freely within that slowed timeframe.
Basically...
ZA WARUDO!
I reject my humanity, Jojo— cough, he was getting carried away.
Since slowing time required a reference point, the best choice was another person. Scanning the mountainside below, he spotted a small house nestled halfway down the slope. With a light leap, he started his descent.
After using all his Physical Enhancement Cards and the boost from the Geo Vision, his physical strength was now fifteen times that of an average adult male.
In just a few swift movements, he landed quietly near the courtyard of the house.
From a distance, he had seen lights coming from the main room, indicating someone was inside. With his current Time Zero multiplier at x25, one second in real time would stretch to twenty-five seconds for him.
To a normal person's eyes, if he sprinted around them with that kind of multiplier, they would only see a faint blur.
And that's exactly what he planned to do—activate Time Zero, dash into the house, circle around the occupant, and then make a quick exit.
He focused his will, and a golden gleam lit up his eyes.
Time Zero, activate!
For a space as small as a single house, Luo Qing could maintain the field for a full ten minutes—plenty of time for his little experiment.
As he stepped into the courtyard, a faint, soapy fragrance wafted through the air. He didn't think too much of it and made his way toward the lit main room.
Meanwhile, inside the house, behind a screen...
A large wooden bathtub was half-filled with steaming water, occupied by two girls—one older, one younger—both with long hair pinned up. The steam brought a warm blush to their cheeks.
Through the misty steam, their fair, delicate skin was just barely visible.
"Ganyu, you've worked so hard these past few days. Let Yaoyao scrub your back," the younger girl offered.
"Mm... Yaoyao, I can manage on my own," Ganyu replied softly.
"No way, Ganyu! You've been so busy with preparations for the Rite of Descension, you're exhausted! Just relax, I'll take care of it."
With her brown hair tied up, the petite girl grabbed a soft cloth and moved behind Ganyu, using her chubby little hands to scrub Ganyu's smooth back.
Seeing that Yaoyao wouldn't take no for an answer, Ganyu closed her eyes and allowed herself to enjoy the comforting warmth.
Suddenly, a cold breeze swept through, and Ganyu's eyes snapped open, her gaze locking onto the window.
"Who's there?!" she called out sharply.
In one swift motion, she pulled Yaoyao behind her, one arm across her chest while the other summoned a longbow, ready to strike.
"Ganyu, it's just the wind! The window got blown open," Yaoyao said, puzzled by Ganyu's alarm.
"...It's nothing," Ganyu replied, lowering her bow.
Was she just overworked and overtired?
For a moment, she could've sworn she felt someone's presence—someone who had briefly entered through the window...
It had to be a trick of her fatigued mind.
Yaoyao's right, she reassured herself, it was just the wind blowing open the window.
She definitely needed a good night's sleep.
Meanwhile, several hundred meters away, just outside the courtyard...
Luo Qing couldn't deny that sneaking into someone's home was wrong, but did the universe really have to mess with him like that?!
The moment he had stepped halfway into the window, he had seen the two girls soaking in the steaming bathwater.
Ah...
That sky-blue hair down to her waist... that porcelain skin...
And those... coconuts...
Oh no.
It was forever seared into his memory.
He had seen too much.
Should he take responsibility for what he saw...?
Wait... he had even seen Yaoyao's...
This is...
Criminal! Criminal!
He stared back toward the house, watching for any sign of Ganyu chasing after him. When it became clear she wasn't coming, Luo Qing relaxed—she must not have realized he'd been there.
It was just one glance!
He swore on his honor as a gentleman—it was just a single, accidental glance!
"Not even an adeptus can sense it..." Luo Qing murmured, looking back at the dimly lit courtyard.
If Ganyu, an adeptus, hadn't detected his presence, it meant that his Time Zero field was truly imperceptible. With his multiplier currently at x25, and with the promise of it increasing as his physical abilities grew stronger, who knew how powerful it could become in the future?
One day, if his multiplier grew high enough, not even the gods themselves might be able to sense him.
If only he knew where Uncle Zhongli was right now...
If he did, Luo Qing would love to activate Time Zero and do a little dance to "Ginyu Force" right in front of him.
Just to see the reaction.
---
T/N: Something I like about this is all the references! Also he can now summon spears to launch at people...? AND HE'S BLONDE?? Zasshu when??
Oh and wdnmd is a Chinese slang for fuck you politely
Bab 19: This Trainee Fatui Harbinger is Too Unreliable [19]
Late Night – Jueyun Karst
Once the domain of the Lord of Dust, the Guili Plains are still filled with remnants of the Archon War era. Among the ruins lies a hidden research outpost where Oviro and his team work on replicating the Sigil of Permission.
North of Liyue Harbor, perched on a cliffside ruin, lies the research camp.
Since her last encounter with Luo Qing, Yelan couldn't shake the humiliating memory of that day in the attic of the Northland Bank. Singing that shameful song while Luo Qing unfastened her shoes and bound her toes was burned into her mind.
The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. If it wasn't for Ningguang's orders to investigate the Fatui's replication of the Sigil of Permission, she would have gone to Luo Qing herself to reclaim her pride—maybe even capture evidence of him threatening Liyue, just to drag him back to the Ministry of Civil Affairs.
After several days of surveillance, she had narrowed down the area where the Fatui were working on the Sigil of Permission.
Fatui encampments were notoriously well-hidden, with vigilant guards patrolling at all times. Anyone approaching the camp would be detected in an instant.
To avoid detection, Yelan chose to infiltrate under the cover of night and pinpoint the camp's exact location.
Using the snow-colored fragments she had taken from the Jade Chamber, Yelan approached the camp's perimeter. In the distance, she spotted fully armed Fatui soldiers stationed around the ruins.
She had to admit, the Fatui were indeed the most battle-hardened force in all of Teyvat. If a full squad showed up, even Yelan preferred not to engage them directly.
After observing the patrol patterns of the squad for a while, Yelan was about to slip inside when she noticed someone whistling casually as they approached the camp.
"It's him..."
Seeing Luo Qing's figure, a storm of complex emotions surged in Yelan's heart.
To put it simply, she wanted to beat him up.
Tie him up and whip him mercilessly.
Since Luo Qing was here, Yelan decided to bide her time, waiting until he entered the camp so she could follow him unnoticed.
This time, she vowed, he won't catch me.
Meanwhile...
After leaving Ganyu's house, Luo Qing made his way to the research outpost. As the acting leader of the Fatui's operations in Liyue, he felt it necessary to check in on his subordinates.
He hadn't even reached the entrance when the sentries spotted him.
Though Luo Qing had Liyue blood, the Fatui didn't care about bloodlines—an officer was still an officer, regardless of origin.
"Good evening, Lord Luo Qing. Master Oviro and the others are waiting inside," said two vanguard officers who approached to greet him respectfully.
"Alright, keep watch. Lately, Liyue's spies have been more active—don't let anyone get close," Luo Qing ordered.
"Yes, sir!"
Luo Qing scanned his surroundings, feeling a vague discomfort—like someone was watching him.
After warning the guards, he entered the research camp.
Inside, piles of ancient artifacts lay scattered around. The Fatui's mission wasn't just to replicate the Sigil of Permission; each camp was tasked with gathering ancient adeptal relics to draw out adeptal energy.
The extracted energy would then be used to simulate the power of the true Sigil of Permission.
"Lord Luo Qing, welcome," greeted the researchers, who immediately stopped their work to gather around him.
"Will you be done before the Rite of Descension?" Luo Qing cut straight to the point, picking up an unfinished replica of the Sigil of Permission.
"With Lord Childe's assistance, it should be enough to temporarily break the Geo Archon's seal," Oviro responded with confidence.
"Good. As long as it's ready before Lord Childe arrives," Luo Qing said casually. If they could complete it, then one of his missions in Liyue would be accomplished.
All he needed to do was maintain the status quo until La Signora acquired Mondstadt's Anemo Archon's Gnosis and brought it to Liyue.
Given that Luo Qing's predecessor was from the House of the Hearth, La Signora was one of the few Harbingers he was most familiar with—apart from Arlecchino. Despite being ruthless to her enemies, La Signora had a sharp tongue and a tender heart for her allies.
Luo Qing's previous incarnation had met her once while on a mission with Arlecchino. He wondered if she would recognize him when they met again.
Meanwhile, Yelan had begun her own infiltration.
With a subtle movement of her fingers, water element coiled around her hand, forming delicate blue threads—the Lifeline. She wove the threads carefully, avoiding the sight of the sentries as she sped towards the camp.
The two vanguard officers on duty were talking about what they'd have for dinner after their shift when they noticed blue lines materializing in front of them. Before they could react, Yelan tugged sharply on her Lifeline, and the two men fell unconscious.
Sneering, Yelan slipped past them and pressed herself against the wall, silently sneaking into the camp.
The ruins weren't vast, and after just a few steps, she spotted Luo Qing inspecting the work, surrounded by his three subordinates.
"So, this is the place..." she muttered, recognizing the talismans on the research table. They were Sigil of Permissions.
"Is he the one behind this?" she wondered, choosing to observe a bit longer.
Meanwhile...
"Achoo!"
"Lord Luo Qing, are you alright?" one of his subordinates asked.
"I'm fine. Just a bit of an itch," Luo Qing said, rubbing his nose. He accepted the tissue that Natalia handed him but couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching him.
Activating his system, he accessed the inventory menu.
[Use Painful Tear Card? Target Options: Oviro, Natalia, Igor, Sergei, Jesse... Yelan...]
"Hmm?!"
Luo Qing's eyebrows shot up as he saw Yelan's name on the target list.
It's fate, he thought, a bit amused. He always managed to detect her whenever she was nearby.
"Lord Luo Qing?" Natalia's voice broke his train of thought.
"It's nothing," Luo Qing replied, shaking his head slightly. He was debating whether or not to expose Yelan's hiding spot.
If he did, by Fatui standards, she'd be treated as a covert operative.
For those who know, they know...
But his position within the Fatui was tenuous. Though the Fatui agents here answered to him, they ultimately served another faction. If he handled things poorly, they might report back to the upper ranks.
For now, Luo Qing decided it wasn't time to reveal his true loyalties. There were still secrets to uncover.
He hesitated before shouting suddenly toward the entrance, "Who's there?!"
Realizing she had been discovered, Yelan didn't waste a second. With a flick of her wrist, she channeled her elemental power and darted out of the camp.
"An intruder! Quickly, pursue her! Don't let her escape..." Oviro started to bark orders, but Luo Qing raised his hand to stop him.
"I'll handle the intruder myself. This camp isn't safe anymore—pack everything up and find a new location," he ordered.
"Understood," Oviro hesitated, then agreed. The Sigil of Permission replication was their priority, after all.
Luo Qing shot a look at Natalia and the others, then sprinted out of the camp, following Yelan's escape route.
Status Power Mingguan
200+ Peringkat
Power 
238 Power
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