The Embers of King's Teyvat Journey

Chapter 241 The Disguise Techniques of Embers

2023-10-19

As the new day began, Chu Yi entered the counter of the Yan Shang Tea Room through the back door and opened the closed wooden window.

"Ah—" The bright sunlight poured in, making Chu Yi, who had just woken up, feel sleepy again.

This job is great in every way, except that the start time is early and the end time is late, and sometimes I have to work overtime.

Thinking about it this way, this job doesn't seem so good after all. Chu Yi sighed. What could she do even if it wasn't good? She was already on a sinking ship; there was no getting off.

Fortunately, the new boss paid the same amount as the working hours, which lessened Chu Yi's frustration considerably.

Although it was still early, Chihuyan was already bustling with activity. Chihuyan may not be as lively as Feiyunpo in many places, but when it comes to liveliness, Chihuyan is second to none.

Watching the passersby and merchants was a good way for Chu Yi to kill time during her boring work.

Because of the nature of her work, Chu Yi quickly scanned everything around the Iwasaka Tea Room the moment she opened the window, and then her mind suddenly went blank.

On a large tree by the street, there was an unusually dense patch of green leaves. Others might not notice it, but Chu Yi, who had received training from her new boss, immediately recognized the anomaly.

Seemingly sensing Chu Yi's gaze, Yu Jin shrank his feet. Had he been exposed?

In order to find the "evidence" of the crime at the Rock Tea House, he had climbed to this excellent hiding place well in advance. In order to avoid being discovered, Ember even pulled up the green bushes in Liyue to use as camouflage.

[I'm going to die! I'm going to die! Boss, come back quickly!] Chu Yi pretended not to see Yu Jin clinging to the tree, but in her heart she was screaming wildly.

She had never longed for her boss to return so intensely. Chu Yi truly couldn't handle Yu Jin.

Yu Jin stared intently at Chu Yi, while Chu Yi remained vigilant, her gaze occasionally glancing towards the large tree opposite.

If nothing unexpected happens, this contest will likely end with Chu Yi winning a seat at the Bu Bu Lu due to her mental exhaustion.

But how could that be? Yu Jin was someone who had thwarted the executor's plot with Ye Lan; his name was probably already on the Jade Capital Terrace.

Soon, the Yanshang Tea House, which had been empty for half a day, finally welcomed its first customer of the day.

"Miss Bai... Baiwen." Upon seeing the newcomer's appearance, Chu Yi immediately forgot about the embers on the tree.

"Miss Chu Yi, hello." Bai Wen nodded to Chu Yi, then smiled and said, "Chu Yi, there must have been a strange fellow here yesterday, right? Tell me more about him?"

As Ningguang's personal secretary, Baiwen is mainly responsible for intelligence gathering. Now that Yelan is not in Liyue, the intelligence work at the Rock Tea House naturally falls on her shoulders.

However, Chu Yi was unaware of this.

"A strange fellow?" Upon hearing Bai Wen's words, Chu Yi immediately thought of Yu Jin.

The Rock Tea House had been shut down once, and given its previously established "good reputation," very few people still came there. Therefore, Chu Yi immediately thought of Yu Jin.

"What's wrong? Is it inconvenient?" Bai Wen saw Chu Yi's expression and knew that Chu Yi was hesitating.

"No." Chu Yi shook her head. Bai Wen's backer is Lady Ning Guang. Surely she can handle that guy called Yu Jin?

With that thought in mind, Chu Yi made up her mind. She then said to Bai Wen, "Miss Bai Wen, instead of asking me, you should ask him yourself."

"Oh? You know his whereabouts?" Baiwen raised an eyebrow. It seems that Yelan's new subordinate is quite capable.

"Um... well, you could say that. If I'm not mistaken, he should be here!" Chu Yi pointed to the big tree across the street and said after a moment of silence.

"Here?" Baiwen looked in the direction Chuyi was pointing and saw an abnormally dense canopy of branches and leaves on the tree.

"Yes, this is it." Chu Yi felt Bai Wen's incredulous gaze and nodded with absolute certainty.

Next, it was Baiwen's turn to remain silent.

……

Inside the rock-top teahouse, Yu Jin sat in a chair and patted the green leaves off his clothes.

"Girl, what do you do for a living? You saw through my disguise at a glance, impressive!" Yu Jin finished cleaning the wood chips off his clothes and nodded in praise to Bai Wen, who was sitting opposite him.

"Baiwen, just a lowly secretary at Yujingtai." Upon hearing this, Baiwen's smiling lips twitched involuntarily. Clearly, the shrub leaves and tree leaves you used for disguise aren't even the same species, okay?

Baiwen had sensed something was off about Eating Tiger Rock outside the teahouse on the rock, but she never imagined it was like this.

Could this be considered a case of a novice beating a master? Bai Wen felt a chill run down his spine. It seemed he had been too caught up in those sophisticated disguises for too long, and hadn't even seen through such a simple one.

"Speak, what do you want?" Yu Jin said, then downed the tea on the table in one gulp.

"It's nothing, I just heard that the great adventurer Ember has come to Liyue, so Jade Capital Terrace naturally can't neglect him." Baiwen said, reaching for his teacup.

Then she put down the scalding hot teacup. Baiwen looked at his reddened fingers, then at the embers he had been guzzling, and silently withdrew his hand behind his back.

"Ouch! Is this guy made of iron?" Bai Wen shouted silently. She rubbed her fingers; if she hadn't stopped in time, she probably would have gotten blisters.

"You're too kind!" Yu Jin waved his hand, realizing that being famous had many advantages.

At least now someone is treating him to tea for free.

"Mr. Ember, what are your plans for coming to Liyue this time? If not, I can show you around. The scenery in Liyue is magnificent."

As Baiwen spoke, a look of eager anticipation appeared on his face. He seemed eager to drag Yujin to see the scenery of Liyue right away.

"Well, no rush, I have things to do." Yu Jin shook his head, rejecting Bai Wen's idea.

He had a commission to make, so he couldn't agree to Baiwen's request. Besides, when it came to sightseeing, Yu Jin preferred to wander around on his own rather than be led around.

"That's a real pity, but it's normal. After all, great adventurers can only truly experience the joy of adventure in secluded, uninhabited realms."

"No, who would want to go to those deserted places for no reason?" Yu Jin's tone was somewhat disdainful; he had seen far too many deserted places.

Then, as if remembering something, he asked Baiwen, "By the way, Baiwen, do you know where the Hall of Rebirth is?"

"The Hall of Rebirth?" Bai Wen pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "The Hall of Rebirth is not far from here."

"After Mr. Yu Jin crossed the wooden bridge next to him, he would usually walk to the left. The shop on the far left is the Hall of Rebirth."

"Thanks! I'm busy, but the tea is delicious." Yu Jin clapped his hands, stood up, and ran straight out of the Yanshang Tea House.

They were rushing around like crazy, as if something urgent had happened.

However, he had no urgent business at all, and there was only one reason why he was running so fast—that he was about to be unable to continue acting.

Baiwen was subtly probing Yu Jin in her words and actions. Talking to her almost killed Yu Jin.

"Going to the Hall of Rebirth?" Baiwen muttered a few words as he watched Yu Jin's disappearing figure.

When Chu Yi sent over her daily summary last night, Ning Guang immediately became serious upon seeing the name "Ember".

Today, she was directly sent to search for information about Yu Jin. Bai Wen originally planned to wander around Chi Hu Yan to gather information, but unexpectedly, she directly encountered Yu Jin.

Baiwen recalled his conversation with Yu Jin and wondered if this person was worth caring about so much.

The Great Adventurer is indeed powerful, but in Baiwen's opinion, it's better to focus more on the Fools than on the Great Adventurer.

Another Fatui Enforcer arrived in Liyue not long ago. I think her codename is "Lady"?

With the addition of "Young Master", Liyue now has two Enforcers.

Thinking of this, Baiwen couldn't help but rub her head. She desperately wished Yelan could come back; then she could delegate all the intelligence-related matters to her.

"Sigh~" Thinking about the miserable days ahead, Baiwen couldn't help but sigh again.

Chapter 242 Return to Rule by Man

2023-10-20

"Baiwen, tell me what kind of person he is?"

Behind the desk atop the Jade Pavilion, Ningguang looked at Baiwen as he slowly approached and asked.

Judging from her expression, she probably has quite a few takeaways and questions.

"Hmm... how should I put it?" Baiwen rested her chin on her hand and pondered. She organized her thoughts and said, "A... very unpredictable person."

"Unpredictable?" Ningguang recalled Yelan's evaluation of Yujin and nodded slightly. Baiwen's evaluation was very similar to Yelan's.

"Yes, that's right, unpredictable. That guy named Ember seems to think of things on a whim, his thoughts jump around a lot."

Baiwen actually thinks that "unpredictable" is a bit inappropriate. A more suitable adjective for "Ember" would be "unserious" or "unserious in dealing with things."

“Your thoughts are jumping around,” Ningguang repeated softly. To be more accurate, it should be “out of tune.”

Recalling the headache her partner looked at the mention of Ember, Ningguang couldn't help but smile slightly.

This is probably the first time that Ye Lan has encountered such a troublesome and helpless person.

"Lord Ningguang, is he worth our concern? The Fatui have been making quite a few moves lately."

Baiwen looked at Ningguang, a hint of confusion on his face. With Yelan, the strongest intelligence officer, gone, they should have used Liyue's intelligence capabilities more effectively.

"Hmph, no need to worry." Ningguang walked to the huge floor-to-ceiling window, looking down at the vast Liyue. She slowly said:

"Young Master is just a simple-minded fellow. As for Madam? She's an extreme old woman. These two executives from the Winter Solstice faction probably look down on me."

Wow, Ningguang is so handsome!

Bai Shi, who was carrying a huge pile of documents, saw Ning Guang's imposing speech and his eyes immediately lit up with admiration.

"Cough cough!" Bai Shi's words left Ning Guang speechless. Of her three secretaries, Bai Shi was the one Ning Guang couldn't understand the most.

Several times, Ningguang saw Baishi grinning foolishly at her. When she asked her, all she got was the answer, "Choose an outfit for Lady Ningguang."

Over time, Ningguang got used to Baishi's gaze.

"It seems Lady Ningguang was prepared long ago. In that case, I won't worry any longer." Baiwen nodded to Ningguang, and then pulled the mad Baishi out of the hall.

With Baiwen and Baishi gone, the vast hall of the Jade Pavilion fell silent. Ningguang walked back to the desk from the window and knocked on the wall next to her.

A hidden compartment appeared, and Ningguang took out two scrolls from it and unfolded them.

One ink is jet black and soft, the other is bright red and sharp.

What lies on the gentle scroll? A leader of an incomparably heroic armed fleet; a hermit residing in seclusion yet renowned for his might…

They are all powerful individuals who could stir up trouble in Liyue, but have no intention of doing so. Given their strength or influence, the General Affairs Department deserves to pay more attention to them.

As for that intimidating red book, it represents a potential enemy of Liyue.

The Fatui's executive officers; the Abyss Order's apostles who once operated in Liyue; even the god who commanded the Fatui... all of Liyue's enemies are listed above.

However, neither of the scrolls contained the name "Ember".

Logically, he should have been on the first scroll. However, the scroll's compiler, Ye Lan, did not include him.

It wasn't that Yelan didn't value Yu Jin, but rather that the pressure from Black Knife was immense. An assassin who could never be seen—that was any intelligence agent's nightmare.