Courting Death!

The group proceeded forward after he returned.

No one questioned the strange scream, which surprised him.

(At the very least, I won't have to justify myself.)

Paimon felt a little worried, so she hid behind Lumine. She was probably the only one who associated the scream with the Dendro Loli...

Although the travel was not as lengthy as he had anticipated, it was nonetheless exhausting.

When they arrived in the town of Liyue, the sun was setting.

Liyue was one of the seven nations of Teyvat.

A bountiful harbor that lied in the east of Teyvat.

It was the city-state that worshipped God Morax, the Geo Archon who sometimes took on a form of a dragon.

Just how many gifts from the Geo God lay in wait amongst the rocks of Liyue's mountains?

Unlike in Mondstadt, where the God of Wind Barbatos didn't show his presence at all, Morax on the other hand, showed itself at least once per year as a tradition, to bless his country and make all mortals bow to his excellence.

Towering mountains stood tall and proud alongside the stone forest, that, together with the open plains and lively rivers, made up Liyue's bountiful landscape, showing off its unique beauty through each of the four seasons.

The establishment of the harbor kicked off Liyue's seafaring trade.

As the Teyvat's largest market harbor, the sheer amount of goods that flew into and from it was simply incomparable for other ports.

"We're here~!"

Hu Tao cheerfully announced. She was reluctant to return here at first, but the moment she felt the familiarity, she couldn't help but smile.

She was finally back in her hometown.

"Yeah, yeah...just don't run off too far... You're supposed to be leading us, after all..."

Fischl brushed her blonde hair and announced, "Worry not, for I, Prinzessin Der Verurteilung, am the fastest genie of burning darkness vowed by women."

"Mein Fräulein said she visited this city before, so if lady Hu Tao did run off, she could lead us without a problem."

Oz swiftly translated.

"Ah...right..."

From what Yomite remembered, Fischl was in Liyue many times before.

Yomite glanced around in astonishment and took in the view as they arrived in the majestic city of Liyue.

The sun was setting, casting a golden glow across the entire city from afar, and the street lights were starting to come on.

The place was truly beautiful...

It was nothing like Mondstadt.

While the streets in Mondstadt were crowded, this was on a whole another level.

Lghts sparkled in the evening sky with the city's skyline shining in the background like a fire on the horizon.

He inhaled deeply, the scent of the sea mingling with that of freshly cooked food off in the distance.

While the weather was quite hot and unpleasant, he was glad he came to Hu Tao's hometown to finally witness it in its full glory...

Everything was going great...

Until...

"You have the audacity to question my integrity!? Scram!"

"Hmph! This will be brought to the attention of the young master! If you don't kowtow now, and walk around the town like this, your limbs will be broken!"

Two young men were cursing each other in the middle of the street, and the fact that the locals seemed unconcerned about the situation just confirmed that this was an everyday occurrence in Liyue.

Which was a fact that made Yomite uneasy.

In fact, one would have to be blind and deaf not to notice these two arguing; they were so loud and it seemed like they had nothing but ill intentions towards each other.

Hearing their words, Yomite stopped in his tracks.

"Oh...no..."

There was no way...That this was happening...

"Your father shall drink my piss instead!"

"Fuck your nine generations! Just wait till he hears of this! You will be kowtowing before us!"

"Oh, no no no..."

Yomite's face darkened as he subconsciously took a step back, his party gazing at him curiously.

"Assistant-kun? Is something the matter?" Hu Tao was the first to noice his odd behavior.

"Party leader?"

Lumine was also wondering what was wrong.

"...I-I wanna leave...I wanna go back to Mond...Can we go back??? Please...I'm begging you..."

"Leave? But we just came!" Hu Tao frowned, "I wanna show you around!"

"No! We aren't entering this city! I'm going back! This is full of Young Masters, I can already tell!!"

"What are you talking about, Stupid Tattoo!? We are finally here! Paimon wants to try the new delicacies!"

Hu Tao climbed on his back while, Lumine and Paimon pulled on his hands to make sure he wouldn't leave. Similarly, Fischl grabbed onto his waist.

"N-No! Stop it! I'm leaving! Get me out!"

Iris on the other hand just stared at all of them curiously, and since it looked like it would take a while, she lay on the ground and sunbathed.

(Sun is good. Praise the sun...)

And so began...

One hell of a journey...

In a new land...

***

"You dare!"

"You are courting death!"

Both of the arguing men wore simple clothing that looked handmade, but not so cheaply that it wouldn't look good for their future earnings; most likely indicating their status as lackeys towards certain young masters.

One was a dark brown haired man, around twenty years old. He had a very thick black mustache which covered most of his face, with just the ends left uncovered. His eyes were also very brownish blue.

The other youth appeared to be younger; he wasn't as muscular or tall as him, yet still quite sturdy.

The two men stopped arguing when they noticed an elderly woman walking up towards them, she was dressed in plain clothes, again, nothing special.

"Oh children...please don't act like this. There are many who wish to stop your little quarrel, yet they do not wish to offend you. Please bear in mind the time and place of your arguments. The streets are full of people..."