Genshin Impact's Incense Burner Of Liyue [145] [DDD!]
December Double Drop!
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"Oh? Wondering if there's a place for me?"
Gu Sanqiu looked at Kaeya with an amused, almost teasing glint in his eye.
Is this guy asking me… or is he just looking for an outsider's perspective on his own doubts?
"Take Mondstadt, for instance. If I'm not mistaken, plenty of people here still struggle to accept anyone from the Lawrence clan."
"True enough," Kaeya said, with a wry smile. "Even now, the Lawrence name brings its own set of issues. But what's the point of bringing this up?"
"Oh, there's a point," Gu Sanqiu replied, shrugging. "Say they genuinely turned over a new leaf and dedicated themselves to Mondstadt's well-being. Even then, they'd never fully integrate. Do you know why?"
"Because… the prejudice runs generations deep?"
"Exactly."
Gu Sanqiu smirked. "Liyue's no different. Take a friend of mine, a girl whose family runs the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. You know what people say? That being around coffins and death has made her… odd. People discourage their kids from getting too close."
He chuckled, leaning back against the wall. "As for me, in this era of fame and Mora, I'm just a symbol. To Liyue itself, maybe I'm a tourist attraction?"
"But what does it matter?"
"My family, and that funeral parlor run by my friend's family, have both been here for generations. Do you really think our only purpose now is to be educational tokens for Liyue's children?"
"No. It's not like that. It's just that we don't spell it all out."
"We are nobles in Liyue, but you'll never see us flaunting that status for pointless things. We focus on our duties, our ancestors' legacies."
Gu Sanqiu's gaze turned steely. "Our goals and convictions are solid. We're here to stay."
"All that so-called noble pride and rhetoric? It's nothing more than the foolish noise of people with too much time and too little purpose."
Gu Sanqiu said this with confidence, thinking back to an old friend of his. Yuheng herself, despite her affluent background, wore an old hairpin with pride. The more worn it became, the prouder Keqing seemed of it—a testament to her growing bond with the land and people of Liyue.
"Living in luxury, surrounded by servants and admirers… is that what they call nobility?"
He yawned widely, stretching his arms. "If that's what they believe, then fine. They're welcome to their delusions."
"'Focus on yourself,' huh?" Kaeya rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Interesting. If there's a chance, maybe I'll introduce you to the Lawrences?"
Gu Sanqiu gave a lazy eye-roll. "Don't forget—the reward for that expedition hasn't been finalized yet. I'd focus on that first if I were you."
Kaeya raised an eyebrow, recognizing that this wasn't a man to be satisfied with something mediocre.
"Alright, alright, hear me out, Gu, my dashing friend… how about five hundred thousand Mora for your troubles?"
Gu Sanqiu cast him a dry look. "Tell you what—bring me a team willing to face a domain with one of Liyue's top officials, a Knights captain, and a Fatui Harbinger, and I'll happily pay you double."
The corners of Kaeya's mouth twitched. This man had seen enough to make an ordinary reward laughable.
"Enough about that." Gu Sanqiu lifted his bow. "The ones we've been waiting for… they're here."
Outside Mondstadt, a group of masked figures were clustered in the darkness, chattering about plans.
"Listen up! Our mission tonight is to make an impact, to show Mondstadt what the Treasure Hoarders are made of!"
"They're probably still drinking, so this is our chance—let's storm the city!" one of them shouted.
"You idiot! That's exactly why we should go in from Cider Lake by zipline! Less guards to deal with, and more loot for us."
"Forget loot! Tonight, it's about making a name!"
"Forget it," came a cold voice from the shadows. "None of you will be leaving here alive."
Eula stepped into view, weapon in hand. "Everyone, surround them!"
"Damn it! It's the Knights of Favonius!"
"How did they know? Did someone snitch on us?"
"This must be a trap! I thought the Lawrence family and the Knights hated each other!"
"Lawrence family, huh?" Eula's grip tightened, her voice icy. "I'll remember that little insult."
"Attack!"
"Take them down!"
In a heartbeat, battle erupted. But the Treasure Hoarders were no match for the Knights' tactical ambush, set up to take advantage of their every weakness.
"Now this is the kind of action I was hoping for!" Gu Sanqiu laughed as a blue-green energy sparked around his hand. He nocked three arrows and loosed them, the arrows whistling through the air and piercing several Treasure Hoarders in one shot, sparing some slowed Knights from harm and plunging the enemy into chaos.
"It's the reconnaissance Knight! Their scout is on us—retreat! The mission's blown!"
"Let's split up! Whoever can get out, just run!"
"Not following them?"
As the remnants of the Treasure Hoarders scattered into the night, Kaeya turned to Gu Sanqiu, eyebrow raised.
"Weren't you just saying how much fun this was?"
"Oh, I'm waiting," Gu Sanqiu said, his smile widening. "Waiting for the real prize. The Treasure Hoarders? Small fish."
BOOM!
An explosion echoed from across the city. A burst of red flames lit up the night sky.
"With a commotion like that… we've got monsters, don't we?" Gu Sanqiu grinned, leaping down from the wall as his bow transformed into a spear.
Kaeya followed, the crimson glow in the distance sparking an uneasy thought. He hadn't checked to see if his adoptive brother was at Angel's Share tonight, but seeing the glow made a particular image come to mind.
"Yeah, likely. But it's the one fighting them that's making the noise."
Gu Sanqiu chuckled. "You're Mondstadt's Cavalry Captain. You know of the Darknight Hero, don't you?"
"Oh? Is the Darknight Hero your real target, then?"
"Not quite. I expected monsters and a Treasure Hoarder attack, but the Darknight Hero showing up… that's just a possibility. I'm curious about the guy, that's all."
Kaeya gave a relieved sigh.
"But, don't you think the name 'Darknight Hero' is a bit tacky? I mean, sounds like a taste problem to me."
…
Kaeya snickered, barely keeping a straight face. "Perhaps. Could be our 'hero' is just a classless fool in disguise."
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✧ New Story Announcement! ✧
Introducing: The Weapon Master Shall Never Die Bare-Handed in Genshin Impact! ⚔️ This isn't like the misunderstanding fun of Unreliable Harbinger or the calm, slow-paced journey of Incense Burner. Oh no, this one is action-packed, laugh-out-loud funny, and full of feel-good moments that'll leave you grinning like (๑>ᴗ<๑).< p>
Thanks for reading! Let me know if you spot any mistakes or inconsistencies!
Posture and water check! Remember this is a fan translation!
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