The opera ended, and the crowd dispersed into the rain. While discussing the opera, people also talked about Sir Yun. Undoubtedly, the title "Sir Yun" was likely to become known to all of Liyue's citizens.
Looking at the continuous rain, Bai Luo took out his umbrella. The faint scent of plum blossoms drew glances from passersby, who almost thought someone had brought a flower branch.
The seemingly fragile oil-paper umbrella perfectly shielded them from the wind and rain, holding strong without breaking, though the rattling sound made one wonder if it could last.
"Shall we walk together?"
At this moment, a beautiful woman holding an umbrella stood beside Bai Luo. From her attire, it was clear her status was extraordinary; at least, ordinary Liyue citizens couldn't afford such a soft, incredibly smooth robe that even amazed Bai Luo.
"Alright." Bai Luo had a guess, but he wasn't entirely sure. Still, he agreed to her invitation.
After the beautiful woman stood beside Bai Luo, those who had been intentionally or unintentionally monitoring him disappeared.
Only the Fatui remained lurking nearby, likely fearing that the woman might pose a threat to Bai Luo. In reality, after Bai Luo entered Liyue Harbor, the Fatui's informants in Liyue had discovered him, but they all knew the Instructor's temperament and dared not approach him actively.
The umbrella with the fang sheng (square knot) pattern was more solemn than Bai Luo's red plum umbrella. The beautiful woman had the characteristic features of someone born and raised in Liyue.
Holding a vermilion oil-paper umbrella, her golden eyes held faint rhomboid pupils. She carried herself with grace and dignity, every gesture exuding nobility.
A golden tassel hung from her pale golden earring on her left ear. Despite no deliberate adornment, her appearance was more outstanding than women who were meticulously made up. This was a natural beauty that others couldn't compare to.
After the opera, it was nearly evening. The merchants of Liyue Harbor had already left, and besides some workers guarding the ships, there were no other figures at the dock.
The waves crashed against Liyue's harbor, making a surging sound. Although powerful, they could not shake Liyue Harbor in the slightest. For this nation, protected by the Geo Archon, had been this way for thousands of years.
"Hey, you two, don't stand so close to the edge. Be careful, the waves might sweep you away." An old man in a straw cape, carrying several strings of sea fish, advised Bai Luo and the woman.
These idle rich people always pursued so-called poetic sentiments. Standing so close to the edge in such bad weather, weren't they afraid of being swept away by the waves? A few days ago, Old Li's granddaughter was swept away by the waves; if not for an Adeptus's intervention, she might have been dragged to the bottom of the sea to feed the Monsters.
Speaking of which, it was strange. After the Adeptus saved Old Li's granddaughter, Old Li's family offered the freshest Sunsettias, because Adepti do not consume mortal food, only mountain spring water and morning dew. They believed that mortal food would disrupt the Adepti's pure cultivation, which was why they picked Sunsettias.
Unexpectedly, the Adeptus not only didn't appreciate the Sunsettias but also changed expression drastically, as if facing a formidable enemy. This had worried Old Li's family for several days, as they felt they had been disrespectful to the Adeptus.
"Old man, we understand. You shouldn't linger here either; go home early." Bai Luo, without his mask, gave no hint that he was the nightmare feared by many in Snezhnaya; instead, he exuded a very approachable aura.
He was like Guan Hai, the boatman at the pier, Wang Er, the helper at Three Bowls Rice, or Zhang San, whom Yanfei spoke of. No matter where he appeared or what work he did, it would not arouse suspicion, making people feel he belonged there.
His only drawback was probably that he was more attractive than ordinary people, perhaps even enough to captivate a rich young lady.
"Alright, you two be careful." It was hard to persuade those bent on folly. Since the two insisted on staying, the old man no longer argued, carrying his fish and humming a tune as he went home.
"How is it?" The beautiful woman looked at the surging sea, asking Bai Luo. It was as if she was asking whether to heed the old man's advice, or perhaps inquiring about his feelings towards Liyue Harbor.
"Compared to here, Snezhnaya is still a bit cold." Snezhnaya's harbor was covered in white snow. While there was no need to worry about the intrusion of waves, breaking through the solid ice was another problem.
"Then have you found your ship? The ship that can carry you?"
"I'm already on the ship." Bai Luo smiled in the rain.
"Even if the front of that ship is an iceberg, would you share life and death with it?" The beautiful woman lightly touched the harbor with her toe; the surging waves seemed to calm down somewhat, and the crashing sound diminished considerably.
"So I'm trying to find a way to avoid that iceberg." Looking at her fair, beautiful feet, Bai Luo had no improper thoughts. For the woman before him was not someone he could casually disrespect.
"What if it's unavoidable?"
"Then I'll destroy that iceberg." Bai Luo said this without hesitation. If that iceberg wanted everyone to die, then no one would expect to live! Don't let his usual cautiousness fool you; in crucial moments, he was more ruthless than anyone.
Don't forget, to maximize his damage, he even didn't hesitate to stab himself three times. Even if he wouldn't die, the pain was real. This kind of person, who was cruel to others and even crueler to himself, was the most unprovokable existence.
"If you had appeared in this world a few years earlier, it would have been much livelier." A flash of reverie crossed the beautiful woman's pale golden eyes, eventually turning into a sigh.
Assumptions were just assumptions; what had already happened could not be changed. In that case, the contract the Tsaritsa had drawn up with him could also be considered.
But if power were ceded rashly, could Liyue truly remain as peaceful and harmonious as it was now? How would the Adepti choose? What would be the Qixing's attitude? If it were like a battlefield, it would be easier to handle; at worst, he could just throw a spear and end it all, without worrying about anything. The things he needed to consider were still too many.
After being injured by Bai Luo last time, he had already been trying to decentralize power. As he had anticipated, the Tianquan and Yuheng of the Qixing took on all the burdens without hesitation. However, this alone was not enough.
Because this only showed their talent in governance, but not their decisive means. If he were to completely relinquish power, the Liyue Qixing still needed to prove themselves in more ways, proving that they could protect Liyue.
But when he first established Liyue many years ago, it aroused the resentment of many gods. If he retired and his deterrence was gone, could Liyue still withstand the invasions of those Gods and Devils? Most importantly, there was his old friend.
Did the reappearance of the Geovishap species mean that he too was about to escape his confinement? If that were true, could Liyue, without him, quell his wrath?
He wished to buy osmanthus wine with an old friend, but alas, the old friend... had grown plump.
A long and arduous journey lay ahead.
______________________________________
Hey guys, A little support will be appreciated. As you know, we don't earn on fanfiction.
Check my P@treon for advance chapters:-
Their are 10+ advance chapters available on P@treon.
[email protected]/AnimeDarcx