Genshin Impact's Incense Burner Of Liyue [160]
Outside the city gates, the caravans from Liyue and Snezhnaya were lined up in two neat rows. Jean offered a respectful bow to Gu Sanqiu and Tartaglia, presenting each with a commemorative badge representing the Knights of Favonius and Mondstadt.
"Hey, you're really leaving? Not staying around to cause a bit more trouble in Mondstadt?"
Gu Sanqiu lay sprawled on a pile of cargo, while Tartaglia sat up front, reins in hand, lazily propping up one leg. Together, they painted a perfectly unbothered picture.
"What do you mean, staying in Mondstadt to cause trouble? Do I look like that kind of guy?"
"No, you're not the type to do the dirty work yourself. You're more like the evil mastermind who sends his minions to do it for him."
Tartaglia fought the urge to smack Gu Sanqiu with his whip.
"So, is this your way of warning me not to make any reckless moves when we get back?"
"Hah? You're still going to have time for reckless moves after we get back?"
Gu Sanqiu chuckled. "After all that drama with Dekarabian showing up, aren't you bound to write up a report of a few thousand words for your Tsaritsa?"
"Didn't you just say I have minions? Shouldn't this kind of work fall to them?"
"I don't think you're careless enough to let those guys handle information that sensitive."
"And yet here you are, casually discussing top-secret info out in the open."
"As if anyone here understands a word of it."
Gu Sanqiu yawned. "When it comes to matters of the past, who today really understands? Don't make me laugh."
"But isn't Liyue pretty dedicated to its history? Even they wouldn't know?"
"History doesn't put food on the table for most people. When the granaries are full, people talk of honor; when clothes are ample, people discuss shame. It's only after they're fed that they'll care about anything else."
"Very few can make a living from history, so it's only natural that some things get lost along the way."
Gu Sanqiu smirked. "In Liyue, you'll hear all sorts of people shouting about rewriting history, spouting all kinds of slogans."
"Not to say there aren't noble souls in it for Liyue's sake, genuinely wanting to preserve its history, but good people are few and far between."
"Most are just hoping that if more people cared about history, their shaky livelihoods might get a bit more secure."
"Others even dig up the darker sides of history, stirring up unrest to create fear—just to make their expertise seem more valuable."
"In other words, to make it worth more?"
"Exactly. Looks like these things are the same everywhere. Only the approach varies."
Tartaglia laughed. "You know a lot about this—don't tell me your family used to 'take care' of people like that?"
"Heh, curious? It might be a bit bloody. I'd hate to ruin your appetite."
"Oh, don't underestimate me! I've been on battlefields before. That's not going to scare me."
"Fine. I'd hate to ruin my appetite either. With luck, we'll reach Wangshu Inn soon, and the food there is quite good. I have no interest in spoiling that."
"Oh, so you're already thinking about it? Isn't that enough to spoil your appetite?"
"Thinking and speaking are two different things. You're the one who brought it up again just to make me dwell on it. If anyone's sneaky, it's you."
Gu Sanqiu waved his hand, summoning a small pebble from the ground and tossing it at Tartaglia's head.
Thanks to their Mondstadt journey, they'd at least forged a temporary camaraderie, enough to make their mixed convoy of Fatui and Liyueans feel like a single group.
People like them, shamelessly chatting away in the same cart, weren't few either. Some merchants even dared to ask the Fatui about Snezhnayan specialties.
Even bolder were the young men from Liyue's nobility, attempting to strike up conversations with Electro Cicin Mages, clearly unaware of the true power behind those dainty faces.
Gu Sanqiu, Feng Yan, and Tartaglia could only applaud their courage.
Of course, the Cicin Mages wouldn't give these types the time of day. If any trouble came of it, it'd be their own fault for ignoring family warnings about dangerous situations like this.
By evening, they managed to reach Wangshu Inn, narrowly avoiding the miserable fate of camping out and taking night watch shifts.
For Gu Sanqiu, though, there was one last thing to handle.
"Good evening, Verr Goldet."
Gu Sanqiu greeted the inn's intelligence contact with a wave.
"Oh, it's you again, Traveler. Been a while."
Verr Goldet raised a surprised eyebrow. "Though I didn't expect you were a public official."
"'Official' might be a bit generous. More like forced labor."
Calmly, Gu Sanqiu handed over a small note, his demeanor as casual as if he were settling his bill.
"You've got a direct line to Liyue, right? Pass this on so they can prepare."
"No problem. I'll send this out shortly."
Verr Goldet didn't question the message's contents. Knowing Gu Sanqiu had already figured out her role, she saw no point in probing further.
"Farewell."
Gu Sanqiu gave her a respectful bow and left. Once he was out of sight, Yanxiao came up from the kitchen, knife still in hand.
"Boss, wasn't that the guy from last time…?"
"Yes, it was him. Don't ask any more."
Yanxiao understood immediately, muttering, "How did that guy not fall off a cliff…" before heading back to cook.
After all, if his previous identity got out, it'd be nothing but trouble for both him and Verr Goldet.
"Here, have a drink."
Tartaglia poured a glass for Gu Sanqiu, who swirled it thoughtfully.
"You didn't poison it, did you?"
"Get lost."
Tartaglia took a sip of his own. "Or are you saying I'm no fun to drink with, and you'd rather have a pretty girl here instead?"
"Heh, nothing of the sort."
Gu Sanqiu glanced up at the top floor of Wangshu Inn. "Just reminded of something, and now I've got this urge to dig deeper."
"If you've got the urge, then go do it. Telling me won't change anything."
"Say you saw a beautiful girl on the street and wanted to hug her and kiss her. Would you just do it in public? Millelith would take you down in seconds."
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