"Hah… finally safe."
In the back hills of Liyue, inside a dimly lit grove, Bai Ge let out a long breath.
Keqing had chased him all the way from the city into the wilds—
nearly an hour of nonstop pursuit before he finally managed to shake her off.
He genuinely hadn't expected her to be this furious.
Looks like she really was angry.
Still, there was nothing he could do about it.
Five o'clock off work was his absolute bottom line.
If getting chased for an hour was what it took to make that clear to Keqing,
then honestly—it was worth it.
As for whether she'd fire him tomorrow…
Well.
First, Bai Ge didn't think she would.
Second, even if she did—
Clinging to Ganyu's thigh didn't sound like a bad backup plan at all.
That thought inevitably reminded him of the excellent feel of Ganyu's horns under his hand, and the way her tired little head would nuzzle softly against his chest…
Cough.
Nope. Stop. Dangerous thoughts.
"But… where exactly did I run to?"
Coming back to his senses, Bai Ge looked around.
The sky had already grown dim.
Inside this lush grove,
the remaining daylight was blocked by dense foliage, casting everything in shadow.
Combined with the silence of the forest, and the occasional rustle of small animals moving through branches and grass, the whole place felt straight out of a horror movie set.
"Better get out of here first, then figure out the direction…"
Bai Ge muttered.
Teyvat does have actual ghosts, after all.
He wasn't afraid, but lingering in a place like this was still a bad idea.
"Oh right—today's sign-in!"
He suddenly remembered that Keqing had kept him so busy
he hadn't even used today's check-in yet.
Better sign in now.
If something went wrong here,
a power boost would at least give him some confidence.
"System, sign in."
Bai Ge spoke silently.
[Ding! Weekly sign-in successful.]
[Reward obtained: Greatsword Talent Upgrade!]
[Current Greatsword Talent: One in Ten Thousand → Peerless!]
As the system's voice rang out,
Bai Ge felt an indescribable sensation flood into his body.
His palms, arms, muscles, meridians, bones—
all underwent subtle adjustments.
A tingling, itchy sensation spread everywhere,
like ants crawling over his skin.
Soon, the feeling faded.
It felt like something had changed…
yet also like nothing had changed.
After a moment of thought, Bai Ge decisively summoned the Thousand-Rock Greatsword.
His newly adjusted hand closed around the hilt.
Instantly—
Something incredible happened.
It no longer felt like he was holding a sword.
It felt like he was gripping another limb.
The sword became an extension of his arm, a part of his body itself.
With a single thought,
he could now wield the massive greatsword in any posture he desired.
But that wasn't the most terrifying part.
Holding the Thousand-Rock Greatsword, Bai Ge closed his eyes.
Then—
He suddenly hurled it backward!
With a deafening whistle, the massive blade shot out like a heavy cannon shell, cleaving straight through three massive trees in its path.
And just before it struck its final target—
A blazing red spear shot out and deflected the sword away!
Clang!
The rebounding greatsword flew back into Bai Ge's hand.
"Who's there?!"
Bai Ge stared at the still-standing final tree and demanded.
This—
Was the effect of his greatsword talent reaching Peerless.
Sword-heart clarity.
Or, more precisely—
A natural-born sword heart.
Once holding a blade,
this was a special perception and combat intuition beyond the five senses, beyond instinct, elemental sensing, or even spiritual awareness.
The reason legendary sword geniuses in history seemed to instinctively know how to fight—
This was why.
"So this is the world of geniuses…
damn, this really is being fed by the heavens."
Bai Ge held the sword calmly, staying alert while silently marveling.
At his words, the owner of the fiery spear stepped out from behind the tree.
Brown hair. Red eyes. Twin tails.
A small hat adorned with talismans.
Bright plum-blossom pupils full of energy.
Slim clothing with wide sleeves, paired with short shorts,
and long, fair legs boldly on display.
With a hint of mischievous, devilish charm—
The Director of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, Hu Tao, appeared.
"Hey!"
She puffed her cheeks and glared at Bai Ge.
"What's wrong with you?
We haven't even met yet and you're already attacking!"
"…Uh."
Hearing Hu Tao's accusation, Bai Ge felt a bit awkward.
First, his talent had just upgraded,
and like a kid with a brand-new toy, he'd gotten a little excited.
Second, his freshly awakened sword heart had suddenly sensed a strong presence behind him, making him overly sensitive.
Third—
The only powerful people he'd run into recently were Fatui, and since they hadn't shown up in a while, he instinctively assumed it was an enemy.
All of that combined—
And out went a casual Hundred-Step Flying Sword.
"My bad," Bai Ge said sincerely, nodding in apology.
"I was too jumpy."
But—
Why was Hu Tao here?
Recognizing her clearly now, Bai Ge was thoroughly puzzled.
—------------------------------
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