Liyue Harbor was not quiet at night. As the commercial center of Teyvat, it seemed as though it would never truly rest. Even though night had fallen, the area remained bustling and vibrant.
Amidst the crowded streets of Feiyun Slope, Su Ming looked at the snack stalls with great interest, wondering if he should fish out a few Mora to buy something and have a taste.
Behind him, Shenhe wore a look of confusion. "Su Ming... are we really looking for Senior Sister Ganyu just to borrow a house?"
"Of course. Why else would I look for her?" Su Ming countered. Finally making a decision, he pulled some change from his pocket and bought a portion of fried small fish from a vendor.
Then, to the sound of the vendor's polite farewell, he led Shenhe further down the street.
"Liyue Harbor is far less peaceful than it appears right now," Su Ming said. "Although the most tense period has passed, the conflicts and contradictions haven't vanished. they've simply moved underground, shifting into corners where ordinary people can't see them. This kind of hidden crisis is much more serious than the ones out in the open."
Stopping for a moment, Su Ming used a wooden skewer to pick up a piece of fried fish and popped it into his mouth. "Under these surging undercurrents, every move made by anyone is amplified—especially someone as high-ranking as Ganyu."
"She might not realize it herself, but having overseen the actual administrative affairs of Liyue for three thousand seven hundred years, she is the city's manager in every practical sense. Believe me, if Yuehai Pavilion were to lose her, the city wouldn't just be paralyzed; a severe drop in administrative efficiency would be unavoidable."
"Moreover, she has another identity." Su Ming turned to Shenhe. "She is a half-adeptus, belonging to both humanity and the Adepti. More importantly, she is an Adeptus who signed a contract with Rex Lapis. With such a sensitive status, it's better for us, as her junior disciples, to avoid causing her trouble. While she isn't necessarily afraid of trouble, we should keep our movements discreet."
"You probably heard the talk on the streets; everyone is discussing the arrival of the Adepti. I imagine Master and the others have reached a general consensus and have already arrived in Liyue Harbor. At a time like this, it's best for Sister Ganyu to keep a low profile."
After hearing Su Ming's explanation, Shenhe simply shook her head. "As I thought, these matters are still too complicated for me."
Su Ming laughed. "Yes, it's very complicated. But the complexity of the current situation in Liyue Harbor is real. Let's just get a good night's rest first; we can talk about everything else tomorrow. Today, I've truly learned the meaning of travel fatigue. I'm also quite curious to see what kind of residence the Tianquan gave to Sister Ganyu."
...
A few minutes later, Su Ming fell into a stunned silence when he saw the luxurious estate situated on Feiyun Slope. Looking at the ring of keys in his hand, he estimated that Ningguang must have given five or six houses like this to Ganyu.
"Are we staying here?" Shenhe asked. "It doesn't look as good as Master's abode."
Su Ming sighed. "Master's place took her how many years to decorate and arrange? If we sold this mansion, it would be enough for a family of three to live in total luxury for a lifetime. Tsk, as expected of the Tianquan, whose wealth rivals nations. Such a lavish hand. Come on, let's go enjoy the life of the rich."
The courtyard was massive and contained many rooms. The furnishings inside were perfectly arranged, without a single speck of dust to be seen. It seemed the Tianquan sent people to clean it regularly; otherwise, this unoccupied mansion would have surely been covered in a thick layer of dust.
Su Ming and Shenhe picked their own rooms and settled in. Once inside, Su Ming collapsed onto the large, soft bed. Ever since the System awakened, he had been constantly busy. He had intended to sleep last night, but instead, he had spent the entire night receiving a swordsmanship inheritance, followed by a full day of traveling.
Even with Su Ming's current physical strength, the physical toll of such activity was practically non-existent, but his spirit was still undeniably weary. Not long after lying down, he drifted into a dream.
When he opened his eyes again, it was already the next morning.
A slight noise drifted in from outside the window. Su Ming rubbed his sleepy eyes, stretched, and walked out. He saw that Shenhe had already woken up and was in the courtyard wielding Calamity Queller, beginning her day of training.
"You're awake?"
"Mhm. It's a rare day of rest, yet you still get up this early to train?"
Shenhe retracted Calamity Queller and said, "Master said that the path of cultivation must never be neglected. One must practice daily to achieve refinement."
"Let's put Master's words aside for a moment. What time is it?"
"Eight o'clock."
"Hmm... after I wash up, let's go for a walk in the streets," Su Ming said. "According to the information we gathered yesterday, Master and our Senior Uncle reached the Jade Chamber yesterday. I wonder if the Qixing reached any sort of agreement with them overnight."
After a quick wash, Su Ming pulled Shenhe out the door. Before they had gone a few steps, they ran into Lumine and Paimon, who were also just leaving; the inn they were temporarily staying at was also located on Feiyun Slope.
"Oh! What a coincidence, meeting you the moment we step out!" Paimon sounded happy. It was clearly a good start to the day for her to meet an acquaintance so early.
Su Ming returned the smile. "Did you sleep well last night?"
Lumine and Paimon looked at each other and sighed in unison.
"I can only say it was passable," Lumine said. "After all, I don't have much money left, so I couldn't afford a very good room."
"No worries, no worries. You'll have a better place to stay tonight," Su Ming said with a laugh. "I borrowed a few houses from an acquaintance. Do you want to pick one for yourselves, or would you rather stay with us for now?"
Lumine answered without a second thought, "We'd rather stay with you! As long as there are spare rooms!"
"Oh, right!" Lumine seemed to remember something. "Last night, the Fatui found me and told me to meet with the Harbinger, Childe, today... Why don't you guys come with me? It'll help put my mind at ease!"
"That sounds fine to me."
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