บท 44: This Trainee Fatui Harbinger is Too Unreliable [44]
By now, many residents had returned to the port area, so his presence on the streets wasn't out of place.
Reaching the funeral parlor, he saw that Hu Tao and Zhongli were still standing at the entrance. It seemed that after all this time, Zhongli still hadn't found a satisfactory explanation to appease Hu Tao's anger.
Hu Tao, her bare calves exposed, stood defiantly in front of the doors with her arms crossed, making it clear that Zhongli wouldn't be allowed inside without a proper explanation.
"Hey there, what's going on between you two?" Luo Qing greeted them with a grin, feigning ignorance of the previous events.
"Hmph, you'd have to ask Zhongli here!" Hu Tao pouted, her displeasure evident.
"What kind of employee hypnotizes his boss and drags her away against her will?!"
Luo Qing glanced at Zhongli's slightly resigned expression and couldn't help but think how difficult it must be for this stubborn, old bachelor to handle someone as lively as Hu Tao.
"Master Hu, Mr. Zhongli was only thinking about your safety," Luo Qing said gently, trying to sound earnest. "Did you see how ferocious Osial was earlier? If it hadn't been for that heroic young man, Liyue Harbor would've been in serious trouble. Maybe you could cut Zhongli some slack?"
While Hu Tao was known for her mischievous and carefree personality, she could be softened by gentle persuasion. Luo Qing's soothing words had an effect; her expression softened slightly.
"Hmph! Regardless, Zhongli ignored my wishes and forced Yiguan to hypnotize me and take me away. I'm very upset about this!" she declared, cheeks puffed with indignation. "But… if it doesn't happen again, I'll let it slide. Do it one more time, and I'm docking your pay!"
With that, Hu Tao turned on her heel and marched back inside, leaving Zhongli and Luo Qing standing alone at the door.
As they watched Hu Tao disappear up the stairs, Luo Qing finally relaxed and turned to Zhongli.
"So, Zhongli, did you feel what it's like to have a daughter?" he teased.
"..."
"You know, each piece of furniture in the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor has a deep history. The Master is only acting out of a deep sense of duty to protect it," Zhongli said, dodging the question.
"I'm asking if you're exhausted yet," Luo Qing replied with a smirk.
"...Perhaps a little."
"There we go!" Luo Qing laughed, patting Zhongli's shoulder. "By the way, remember our little agreement. Don't forget about that favor you owe me."
After all, a favor from the Geo Archon himself was a valuable thing, something that gave Luo Qing a sense of immense security.
"Of course," Zhongli nodded solemnly. "A promise is a contract. I will remember it."
Luo Qing's display of power had exceeded his expectations. The mysterious nature of his abilities intrigued Zhongli, as they seemed foreign to this world—a detail that only piqued his curiosity further.
"Oh, and there's one more thing I'd like to ask, Zhongli," Luo Qing said, his expression turning serious.
"Go ahead."
"If I'm not mistaken, you're planning to eventually reveal your true identity to them, right?"
Zhongli hesitated, then nodded. "Yes, that's my intention."
Before he could say anything else, Luo Qing suddenly grabbed Zhongli's hand, his face earnest and slightly frantic.
"Then please, make sure you wait until Ganyu is asleep before you visit her in a dream!"
"..."
"And, if you don't mind, could you specifically tell her that I'm not to blame for any of this?"
"..."
"It's very important to me!" Luo Qing insisted.
"...Alright," Zhongli agreed with a small nod, baffled as to why Luo Qing seemed so fixated on what Ganyu might think of him.
But considering he was already retired, it wouldn't hurt to clarify things for Luo Qing when the time came.
Seeing Zhongli's quick agreement, Luo Qing thought to himself that the world was full of good people after all. With Zhongli's promise, surely Ganyu wouldn't miss the message this time.
With that settled, Luo Qing and Zhongli moved on to more casual topics, chatting about when they'd go fishing together next.
Meanwhile, at the port…
After hearing Ganyu's explanation and cross-referencing their reports, the group finally realized that the person posing as "Li Feiyu" was none other than Luo Qing.
As a Fatui operative, it was Luo Qing who had stolen the adepti artifact from Cloud Retainer's vault, held Shenhe's slender waist, sabotaged the ballista, and ultimately repelled Osial and Beisht.
The revelations left both the adepti and the Qixing at a loss regarding Luo Qing's true intentions and allegiances.
If he was an enemy of Liyue, why save the city during its darkest hour? But if he was a friend, what about all the chaos the Fatui had sown?
Ningguang and the others found themselves caught in a conundrum—how should they treat Luo Qing and the Fatui going forward?
"Hmph, that brat's dealings with Liyue are your concern," Cloud Retainer huffed. "But he stole my invention and had the audacity to hold my disciple... That's a matter I'll handle personally!"
She deliberately separated her personal grievances from the broader concerns of Liyue, hoping that Ningguang wouldn't let her anger at Luo Qing's theft skew her judgment of his actions.
"Shenhe, are you coming back with me?" Cloud Retainer asked, looking down at her disciple.
"Master… I… I'm not ready to return yet," Shenhe said softly, glancing at Ganyu. For some reason, Luo Qing's face flashed in her mind, and her emotions grew even more muddled.
"Very well. If that's the case, I'll leave you in their care for now," Cloud Retainer said before spreading her wings and taking to the skies.
With Cloud Retainer's departure, the other adepti soon followed, leaving behind a few parting words before departing themselves.
"The most urgent task is to help the people rebuild. We can discuss everything else later," Ningguang said firmly.
With the Geo Archon gone, Ningguang felt it was her duty as one of the Qixing to guide Liyue forward in its time of need.
Receiving their orders, the gathered soldiers and citizens seemed to find renewed purpose, dispersing to begin their work.
Only Ganyu and Shenhe remained at the port, reluctant to leave.
After Ganyu had lost consciousness, Osial's storm had continued to rage. When she awoke, she had initially assumed that Luo Qing had only rescued her, leaving Osial to wreak havoc.
But when she returned to the battlefield, she found out that both Osial and Beisht had already been repelled. Only then did she realize that Luo Qing hadn't just saved her—he had also driven away the ancient threats.
Thinking back on it, she wondered if her earlier attitude toward Luo Qing had been too harsh. It was the first time she'd spoken so coldly to anyone.
On the other hand, Shenhe, noticing her senior's distracted expression, couldn't help but feel puzzled. After a moment's thought, she approached Ganyu.
"Senior Sister, are you... close with that 'Li…' I mean, Luo Qing?" she asked quietly.
"W-What?!" Ganyu jumped, startled.
"W-Why would you ask that, Shenhe? We've only met a few times... well... I guess you can't really say that..."
Ganyu hesitated, remembering how Luo Qing had accompanied her from Liyue to Dihua Marsh and back again. In total, they had spent nearly half a month together. It almost felt like they had gone on a short trip together.
"In that case… could you take me to meet him?" Shenhe asked softly, not understanding why Ganyu seemed so flustered.
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