The Embers of King's Teyvat Journey

Qiqi was a child adopted by Bai Shu, the owner of Bubulu. She was a bit special and always had a bad memory. So, these less important matters were handled by Qiqi as a way to train her.

Yu Jin followed the direction the receptionist pointed and arrived at the counter, but found no one there.

So Yu Jin braced himself against the counter and peered inside. Sure enough, he saw a girl—Qi Qi was too short and was hidden by the counter.

The girl had light purple hair and wore a winter-themed crown, on which shone an ice-attribute divine eye and floated a yellow talisman.

A peculiar little girl.

Yu Jin glanced at Qi Qi and made a decision in his heart. He wondered what Hu Tao would think if she saw the child who had been forcibly left on the edge of life and death.

"Hello, Qiqi!" Yu Jin greeted Qiqi, who was busy sorting medicinal herbs behind the counter.

"Hmm... Hello, what do you need, Qiqi? I... I don't think I know you." Qiqi stopped working, looked at Yu Jin, and said slowly and emotionlessly.

"This! I'm here to pick up my medicine." Yu Jin slammed the authorization form on the counter, ignoring Qi Qi's tone. Maintaining this special state must have its side effects.

Upon hearing Yu Jin's words, Qi Qi took the commission letter and began flipping through the notebook in her hand.

"Hmm... Ah! Found it, deliver the medicine... deliver the medicine... here it is!" Qiqi seemed to suddenly gain energy after finding the record in her notebook. She ran to a cabinet and took out a stack of medicine packets.

"Here... send it to Tianheng Mountain." Qi Qi glanced at the notes and said to Yu Jin.

"Thanks, goodbye then, Qiqi." Yu Jin took the medicine packet and slowly walked out of Bubulu.

It seems this girl named Qiqi doesn't need his help for the time being. He'll contact her again sometime.

Upon leaving Bubulu, Yu Jin saw the Jade Capital Terrace on its opposite corner and the Jade Pavilion high above it.

"Tsk... there are so many rich people." Yu Jin looked at the Jade Pavilion and couldn't help but sigh. He had heard that the Jade Pavilion, which was so large, was built with funds from Ningguang of Tianquan Star, one of the Seven Stars. The amount of Mora it cost was probably beyond everyone's imagination.

However, Ember only sighed for a moment before walking out of Liyue City along the official road. Ember admired the Jade Pavilion not because of its scale, but because it was built by one person. The many difficulties involved were probably only known to that Tianquan himself.

There are two major official roads in Liyue. One starts from Liyue, runs through Guili Plain, crosses Dihua Island, and goes straight to Mondstadt.

The other route passes through Mount Tianheng, connecting the various ancient city ruins within Liyue. The former route is mainly frequented by merchants and travelers; the latter route is primarily for adventurers and the like.

And Ember, of course, is on the second path.

He walked along the road, with towering mountains on both sides. This is a major characteristic of Liyue, with its numerous majestic mountains, a stark contrast to the vast open landscapes of Mondstadt.

Ember opened the map and looked at it. Hmm, the destination was to his right. Right? Ember suddenly turned around and looked to his right.

"Where's the road?" The silent peak answered Ember's question. He looked up but couldn't see how high the mountain was.

"No wonder no one answered! So we have to climb such a high mountain?" Yu Jin immediately began to complain.

However, he didn't intend to give up; he said that simply to vent. While cursing and swearing, Ember had already climbed quite a distance.

The mountain may be steep, but someone will eventually conquer it, not to mention that the climber is Yu Jin.

"Ha...ha! I'm exhausted!" Just like when he climbed Dragon Ridge Snow Mountain, Yu Jin lay down as soon as he reached the top.

After resting for a while on the mountaintop and enjoying the scenery, Yu Jin stood up and headed towards his destination.

It was a house nestled on a side peak of Tianheng Mountain. When Yu Jin arrived, he saw a fat man standing in the courtyard.

"Hello, the medicine has been delivered!" Yu Jin waved a large stack of medicine packets in his hand and said to the man in front of him.

"Okay, thank you, big brother." Xiao Jiang had clearly seen this scene more than once before, and skillfully took the medicine packet and placed it on the table.

Big brother? Yu Jin looked up at Xiao Jiang, who was the size of an adult, then looked at the letter of authorization and asked, "Xiao Jiang, why are you all alone here? Where are your parents?"

"Mom and Dad went out to run some errands and won't be back for a while." Xiao Jiang shook his head. His parents had been gone for a long time, and he didn't know where they were.

"Really?" Yu Jin walked to the table, unwrapped a packet of medicine, and smelled it. It was a very peculiar medicine that could directly affect the soul; this was the first time Yu Jin had ever seen such a medicine.

So he wrapped the medicine up again and looked at the papers scattered on the table:

Regarding Jiang'er's mental health issues, I have already sought medicine at Bubu Cottage, and I expect to have results in the next few days...

[After I finish my last shift, I'll resign. I've dedicated most of my life to Qianyan Army, and I want to spend more time with you all. You and Jiang'er can wait a little longer.]

……

Looking at the two stone tablets in the distance, Yu Jin understood. He was a man with a tragic fate, having lost both his parents and suffering from intellectual disability.

But then Yu Jin looked at the medicinal herbs on the table and the food laid out in the room, and couldn't help but smile to himself; the situation wasn't so bad after all.

At least if Xiao Jiang takes Bu Bu Lu's medicine, there shouldn't be too much of a problem for him to recover.

“Bu Bu Lu, Qi Qi? Bai Shu, a capable and ambitious person.” Yu Jin gazed at Bu Bu Lu, wondering if Bai Shu could find immortality on his own.

As he swayed, the embers arrived at the stone tablet, which was covered with tiny characters.

One is the tomb of Shaoyuan, which still bears wine stains, suggesting he was a wine lover in his lifetime; the other is the tomb of Duanya, which has scattered flower petals beside it, presumably indicating she was also a lover of beauty.

"Phew! I wonder how long you've been dead. If it's been short, I might be able to pull you out," Ember muttered to himself, looking at the tombstone.

That's what they say, but Ember didn't move, because he was afraid that something like Joseph of Dragonspine Mountain would happen again.

It's better if that kind of thing happens less often.

Returning to Xiao Jiang's side, Yu Jin sat down on the bench. He tapped the table, looked at an open space in the distance, and said to the Fools who had followed him for so long:

"Everyone, you can come out now. You've been following me for so long, aren't you tired? I'm starting to pretend I am."

"Did Big Brother play hide-and-seek with the others?" Xiao Jiang's eyes lit up when he heard Yu Jin's words. Hide-and-seek was his favorite game.

"More or less," Yu Jin said with a smile. Then he snapped his fingers, putting Xiao Jiang to sleep.

"When did you find out?" a deep male voice asked. A debt collector wearing a mask, his entire body hidden beneath a cloak and coat, stepped out.

"Those who work in this line of work need to know their own capabilities. Leading people to follow someone? That would be extremely risky and give you away." Yu Jin said, looking at the empty space next to the debt collector.

"I underestimated you." Another almost identical voice came, but this time, in addition to a debt collector, a standard squad also appeared.

Yu Jin looked at the Fools soldiers and nodded in satisfaction. "Just in case, let me ask, if I die, Xiao Jiang, what will you do with me?"

"It's not hard to shut a fool up forever."

“Okay.” Yu Jin nodded again.

People need to eat when they're hungry, and they need to add firewood when the fire gets too small; this is perfectly normal.

Chapter 76 Firewood

2023-08-28

The fire within Yu Jin's body had waned. So he needed to add more fuel, and what he was burning was, naturally, his soul.

Since arriving in this world, he hasn't devoured many souls. On the contrary, he has consumed quite a few curses. Although curses also contain power, they are barely usable when burned.

The largest he ever suffered was the fragments of the abyss that the Dark Abyss had devoured and the curse of tens of thousands of Hilichurls. Apart from that, he mostly relied on his own self-healing to restore his strength.

Will this restore their strength? Yes, but very slowly. Yu Jin was in a bad mood just now, and they just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Plus, they weren't exactly good people, so it would be against all reason for Yu Jin not to take them in.

“No need to hold back.” Ember nodded to Black Blade. Ember considered himself weaker than Black Blade in single-target combat, so he wouldn't waste any more time.

Besides, they didn't cut themselves three times, so Ember wouldn't do it himself.

At Ember's command, the black blades revealed their unique sharpness for the first time.

Without any warning, the Fools in front of Ember suddenly found themselves pierced in a vital spot by a forked dagger, without a sound or pain.

The daggers had barely pierced their flesh when the death runes within them shattered their souls.

If they want to come back to life, they can only hope that someone will take them with them when time is reversed.

"My king, the soul." Black Blade knelt on one knee, her hands pulsating with a pure white light invisible to ordinary people.

That was the purest soul power; it was the same power that Ember used to complete the Chronicles of Uku.

"Hmm." Yu Jin nodded and absorbed the soul into his body. This small amount of soul was insignificant, but who told them to offend Yu Jin?

Then Ember looked at the corpses on the ground again, too lazy to bury them, and decided to burn them all.

Then, the corpses of the Fools not far away burst into flames from the inside out, along with their remaining bloodstains, turning into sparks and ashes, becoming part of the embers.

"Phew, I feel so refreshed!" Yu Jin shook his head. Sure enough, the best way to vent is through fighting, although he didn't actually do it this time.

"Hey! Little Jiang, wake up! You're drooling!" Yu Jin patted Little Jiang, who was still drooling while lying on the table, and woke him up.

"Huh?" Xiao Jiang seemed to wake from a dream, looked around, and tears streamed down his face involuntarily. He had just finally seen his parents, but was it all a dream?

"It felt so real," Xiao Jiang murmured to herself, a hint of reluctance in her voice. Even if it was a dream, it felt too real.

Seeing Xiao Jiang's expression, Yu Jin knew exactly what he was thinking, so he smiled and asked, "Did you see your mom and dad?"

"Yes, I saw them! They even complimented me on how much stronger I've become!" Xiao Jiang said excitedly, tears welling up in her eyes, as she recalled the scene from her dream after hearing Yu Jin's words.

Upon hearing Xiao Jiang's words, Yu Jin looked at his physique. Good heavens, so this is how Xiao Jiang got his physique – thanks to the feeding by these two old men.

Seeing how happy Xiao Jiang was, Yu Jin didn't reveal the truth. Perhaps one day, when he himself discovers that something is amiss, his parents, knowing this from beyond the grave, will be immensely gratified.

"Then you'd better take your medicine properly, or your parents will scold you," Yu Jin instructed Xiao Jiang.

"Will Mom and Dad come again?" Xiao Jiang was overjoyed to hear Yu Jin's words.

"Yes, they will definitely come. You have to trust your parents. That's what they just told me." Yu Jin nodded and prepared to get up and leave.

"Big brother, what's your name?" Xiao Jiang asked anxiously as Yu Jin prepared to get up.

He didn't know why he asked, but he felt it would be good to ask.

"Ember, remember this! If you need anything, come find me at the Adventurers' Guild." Ember generously gave his name.

"Brother Yu Jin often comes to play here!" Xiao Jiang shouted loudly as he watched Yu Jin's departing figure.

Yu Jin, who was in the distance, shuddered when he heard this. Although he knew that it was normal for Xiao Jiang to call out like this given his mental age, he couldn't help it because Xiao Jiang was a grown man.

However, it's a completely new experience, isn't it?

Yu Jin smiled and waved to Xiao Jiang, "I heard you! I'll definitely come often in the future, take care!"

……

"Where is the Fatui's base in Liyue?" Ember asked casually as they walked.

"My lord, the executive officer at the Northern Bank is [The Rich]," Black Knife's voice rang out out of nowhere. Ember had to admit that, most of the time, having Black Knife gather intelligence was definitely a good choice.

"Is that so? We need to give them a warning." Ember stroked his chin; he needed to make sure the Fatui didn't target anyone else.

Judging from their behavior just now, if we don't teach them a lesson, this kind of thing will probably happen again.

"Your Majesty, should we take action?" Black Blade asked from the shadows. This was something they excelled at.