Girls from Teyvat

Chapter 4: Girls from Teyvat

Ningguang, Faruzan, and Kuki Shinobu entered the Nalan City and after asked for direction, they navigated through the city toward the marketplace. 

"Young Mistress, welcome to my humble tent! Please take a look around if there's anything fancy you." the merchant with abundant belly put on professional smile and welcomed them.

Ningguang scanned his stall like other stalls that she passed. The thing that was on display is a mundane mortal things, but there's also one or two things that they refer as artifact, martial art manual, and demon core and materials. These things intrigued her that she asked for more details about them.

"Actually, I want to sell something." Ningguang stated as she finally found the merchant that her Young Master recommended. She took a wooden box filled with a dozen of glass bottle.

"This is ..."

"It's a wine brewed from my master hometown."

"I may not a wine connoisseur, but I know some. If it's alright with you miss, can I have a sip first?"

Ningguang put on thoughtful expression and then she smiled.

"Well, my Young Master has stated to cooperate with you. Please Mr. Shi Dacheng, help yourself."

"Ahaha, thanks ..." Shi Dacheng smiled and opened the cork of the bottle.

It has been the third time that the glamourous lady mentioned her Young Master .To think that a woman of such caliber served a certain shaoye, and it's not just her. The little girl with blue and green hair who stood not too far away from the lady is quite dazzling too. Shi Dacheng felt like the world is indeed unfair. 

"I wonder who is lady Ningguang refer to when she said Young Master, perhaps you may enlighten me?"

"Oh, please ... Mr. Shi Dacheng doesn't need to know it just yet. Our Young Master identity is sensitive and don't want to get revealed so soon. But know that he put his trust on you."

"I see ... I'm quite honored with such trust." Shi Dacheng felt more intrigued with the figure of this mysterious Young Master. 

He has tasted the wine, it was not the clear rice wine that he expected but blood red wine. He smell the odor and fragrant fermented grape wafted over. The sweetness and the slight alcohol washed through his taste bud as it streamed down his throat and then to his stomach.

"Ahh ... I've never drank such a good wine in years." Shi Dacheng dreamily commented, relishing on the taste. "Lady Ningguang, I will buy all of them a thousand silver for each bottle. How about it?"

Ningguang took a second pause, she didn't know the regular price of wine in this place. But he wanted to buy it for a thousand silver coin, her Young Master said that he bought it for eight silver per box which contain 12 bottles. That's quite the profit.

But Shi Dacheng is still Shi Dacheng no matter who his opponent is, he thought that Ningguang silent because she's unhappy with the price. Thus, he bargained the price for more.

"Not enough? Then what about 1,200? Still not enough? I'll be blunt with you, my final offer is 1,444 silver coin per bottle." 

"Make it 1,999 silver coin."

"Looks like we have a deal. Lady Ningguang." Shi Dacheng outstretched his hand for a handshake.

Ningguang shook hand with him and received the money. Now with fund in hands, she had more freedom on what to do. But first, she need to secure lodging space for the group.

Most of the inn establishment in this city also integrated with brothel, after all the city is not a tourist spot with a lot of travelers coming from other region. Merchants and mercenaries who stayed the night in this city fond of spending their night in the brothel with company of a comfort girl. Soon, many normal inn started to change their business by buying slaves and train them into prostitute. However, some still stubbornly stay with the old style inn business. 

Ningguang, Faruzan, and Shinobu entered the Full Moon Inn and immediately they were greeted by the owner who was an old lady. Ningguang rented a courtyard and paid for a week of stay. After settling in the inn and eat their dinner they discussed on some things that need to be discussed.

"Let's talk about our Young Master first before proceeding with other things that we have. Madam Faruzan, what's your opinion about him?" Ningguang, who was now already become the de facto leader of the group opened the conversation.

"I don't have concrete thing to say, after all I just met him. But just the fact that he saved me from dead and gave me a second chance of life ... I'm grateful toward that youngster." stated Faruzan. She has changed into a simple one-piece night dress that is comfortable for sleeping.

"Ms. Kuki Shinobu?"

"Same, not much to say. But I have the feeling that he might be a better boss than my previous one." said Kuki Shinobu who has changed from her samurai/ninja attire into a pajama, her hair was let loose and her oni mask was put down on the table.

"Well, yeah there's so little information we got on him ... that's why I wanted to know more. Ms. Kuki Shinobu, tomorrow ..., can I bother you to ask around information about him. Be it from rumor or anything, I want you to gather any crucial information about Young Master."

"Hmmm ... alright."

"As for Madam Faruzan-"

"I will go to the library." Faruzan chimed in before Ningguang finished her sentence. "I mean, I will go to the library and gather more information regarding this world."

"Well, that's it. I also need to check on something ... let's go to the library together next morning." 

Ningguang took out the coin pouch that contain 239 gold coin and 53 silver coin. The total revenue from selling the wine is 23,988 silver, and a hundred silver is equal to one gold coin. She only spend 35 silver for lodging and meal. She took the silver coin and divided it equally between three of them.

"Take it and use the money if necessary. Ms. Kuki Shinobu ..., I also want to ask for your help to pass this gold to Young Master." 

"Didn't Boss asked you to gather enough fund to purchase a shop? And please, Lady Tianquan ... call me just Shinobu." 

"Alright, Shinobu. I'm not the Tianquan anymore so refrain from calling me with that title." Ningguang took a puff of her favourite weed and then said, "What you said is true, but I feel like our Young Master could make use of these money better than me right now. Beside, I need to study the market before jumping in."

"If you say so, Lady Ningguang."

"Just Ningguang, don't be so stiff with me Shinobu. We'll be working together for a long time after all." Ningguang is quite fond of Shinobu, she kinda reminded her of Keqing. 

"Hmph, I suppose you both have the right to call me Faruzan." Faruzan who felt a bit left out said.

"Ahaha, yes ... of course, Faruzan."

"Speaking of which ..., how do our Vision operate? Will it still connected to our respective Archons? But how? Why? This place is another universe entirely different from Teyvat. There's no Archons in this plane of existence." Faruzan rambled on the thing that has plagued her mind since her summoning.

"Hmmm ... won't it be related to our Constellation? If I'm not wrong, Archons hold certain authority over the power of elements. However, the matter of a person gaining Archon's recognition and then received a Vision from the Archon is still debatable. If that's the case, why is that the people in Inazuma ... for example, you, Shinobu received an Electro Vision while there's a Vision Hunt Decree? If she want to take every Vision from Vision Holder, why distribute it to you?"

"Ah, if I may interrupt, Ningguang. Actually, the one who approved the Vision Hunt Decree is Raiden Shogun. She is actually a puppet created by the real Shogun, Raiden Ei to deal with the daily matters of Inazuma."

"Puppet ..., hmmm, it's not surprising. If I'm not wrong, Scaramouche is not a human either." 

Faruzan recalled the cheeky brat who fancy himself as god. Though, that brat has the power to back his cheeky words. Still she hope that Nahida and the others managed to stop him from causing more damage to the Akademiya and Sumeru. 

"Well, isn't it good that we can use our Vision. As for the reason behind it? I don't think we have the luxury to unravel the mystery." Ningguang stated as they really didn't have that luxury. "Let's complete the task assigned by Young Master and then when we have enough free time, we can carefully find the answer to this problem."

"Agreed."

"Alright then ..., I'll put this matter off for now."

The next morning. 

The three women went separate ways as they have decided on where to go. Shinobu would roam around the street asking for some information about her new boss. Ningguang and Faruzan would go to the City Hall to check on the library.

Shinobu found out that her new boss has gathered quite infamy around the streets. She heard only negative things about him, and the populace didn't even spare him any last bit of respect at all. While she lost some respect to him because of his previous conduct, but she decided to trust in him as her first impression of the boss is bright person with clear head. Not the good-for-nothing wastrel who gambled and chasing skirt all day long before getting manhandled by his wife she heard from these people.

As the sun starting to reach the peak, she spotted her new boss. He was walking the market street with unfocused eyes as if his mind plagued by something. Shinobu remembered that she had to hand over the money received from selling the wine to him. Thus, she run up to him trying to catch up.

Li Yuguo turned to the alleyway. And that's when a group of people riding a horse wearing a bandana to cover their face galloped toward that alleyway. Sensing the ill-intent of these people, Kuki Shinobu jumped through the walls and roof like an agile ninja and hasten up her pace.

"Li Yuguo, someone just 'bought' your life. Die!"

Facing the assailants, Li Yuguo still impassive even with sharp sword pointing at him. He crossed his arm on his chest and wondered.

"Was it that adopted Li Yutang?" he wanted to recall this particular scene in the manhua. After all, Lingga forget many of the small details in the story. But his thought leaked out and it startled the assassins. 

"Damn it, kill this kept-man! Don't let him live!" the leader shouted and his henchmen pulled their horse to attack him.

Li Yuguo pulled out his [Staff of Homa] and impaled the horse's neck as the sharp edge of the staff lit up with fire. It didn't stop with just that as the staff then pierced the man who ride it. He then pulled back the staff, dislodging it from the gory flesh of its first victim in this world. Li Yuguo with agile movement sidestepped from the other horseman attack. He then swung the staff and dismembered his upper and lower half of that person.

'Don't blame me for this, you've chose this path yourself.' he tried his best to hold the nausea in his stomach.

"Boss ..., I'm sorry for my late arrival." 

"How dare you try to murder him."

A petite figure with green hair gracefully landed behind him. Followed by a middle-aged man with eyepatch.

"Shinobu ..., brother Yunfan?"

In a matter of second, the last assailant was neutralized by Guan Yunfan. Even Shinobu didn't take a part on this. After knowing there's no more he stored the [Staff of Homa] back to his inventory and walked ahead.

"Speak who's behind this?" Guan Yunfan interrogated.

"There's no need for that, brother Yunfan. I've already know who's behind this incident. It's my adopted brother. Just kill him and take everything off value from his corpse." Li Yuguo walked pass the dead men without ounce of expression in his face.

"..." Guan Yunfan beheaded the last man and rummaged their bag finding coin pouch with few gold and silver inside.

Li Yuguo after passed that alleyway feels like the aftereffect from his first time murdering people take an effect. He raced toward the nearest bush and vomited his breakfast and dinner. Shinobu who was still guarding behind him helped him by massaging his back throat. After he was done, Shinobu handed over a water canteen to wash his mouth.

"Thanks, Shinobu." he passed the water canteen back to her.

"En." she nodded subtly. "Please punish me, boss. I didn't arrive fast enough to prevent this from happening."

"There's no need for that, you did nothing wrong ... and these people posses no threat to me." 

"B-but!"

"No but ..., it's not your jobdesk. Speaking of which, does Ningguang have something for me?"

"Ahhh, yes ... boss. Here you go." she took out the coin pouch from her vision pocket and gave it to him.

"Hmmm ..., that's enough I think." he stored the coin into the system and resupply for more things that he could sell.