Genshin Impact's Sweet and Hard Free People

When Abedo thinks of the people of Liyue, a blue figure involuntarily comes to mind...

The afternoon sun was scorching; to call it bright would be an understatement. Fortunately, a gentle breeze made it less unbearable.

The knights stood before the stone bridge, involuntarily following their captain's gaze into the distance.

It wasn't until the sun was setting and the afterglow was about to arrive that a line of black dots appeared in their field of vision.

It's a team.

A dozen or so figures suddenly appeared in the distance, which invigorated the Knights of Favonius who had been waiting for a long time. They were eager to know who these people were that required such a welcoming ceremony from their leader, Jean.

As the figure drew closer, they gradually came to see what the person looked like.

Approaching us was a young woman in a purple dress. She had an outstanding presence, and her steps were elegant and natural.

Beside her were two girls who also possessed the Eye of God, and a strikingly handsome young man with ice-blue hair. Behind them followed a dozen or so people in light armor, who appeared to be guards.

"Hello, I am Jean, the acting Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius." Grand Master Jean was already extending her hand to greet the girl in purple politely.

The girl in purple also took the hand of the ensemble leader.

"I am Keqing, Yuheng, one of the seven stars of Liyue."

Chapter Sixty-Nine: Introduction to the Drinking Table

When teams from two countries meet, guests from afar are naturally given a warm welcome by their hosts. For example, Xinhui and his group are currently seated inside the Temple of the Knights of Favonius, while Commander Qin is pouring them fresh dandelion wine.

This is to demonstrate hospitality.

Xin Hui took a sip of this special wine. Although it had the spiciness of alcohol, it was mostly the unique aroma and refreshing feeling of dandelion.

The headquarters of the Knights of Favonius is a magnificent hall, with dazzling decorations. Compared to the ancient architecture of Liyue, it offers more of a sense of novelty than comfort.

Of course, after the welcome, we naturally moved on to the main topic of this joint operation.

At this point, the Thousand Rock Army could not be present to discuss the matter. The remaining members, apart from Ying, the honorary knight of the Knights of Favonius, and Xinhui of the Yiyu Pavilion, all possessed the Eye of God. However, they all had in common that they could manipulate elemental power, making them much stronger than normal people.

Xin Hui had already met Ying and Abedo, and the latter naturally recognized Xin Hui as well. So Abedo directly said to the leader of the ensemble, "That blue-haired boy can also manipulate elemental power."

Qin naturally didn't expect that there would be someone like their honorary knight. In this way, the remaining people would all be important figures in this operation, and she could talk about all the plans for this joint operation without any scruples.

"Everyone." Leader Qin stood up at the table, and everyone immediately fell silent.

"You've probably all heard about this joint operation. Our Knights of Favonius are cooperating with the Liyue Sept to investigate and will head together to the place where the ashes have scattered, the lifeless and windless Sea of ​​Ashes."

Qin's gaze held a hint of seriousness, but more so her clear and bright eyes. Because of this change in her aura, everyone listened to her story with a serious attitude.

Even Keli and Kurumi were incredibly focused, after all, in such a formal setting, they put away their usual little habits.

Jean's resolute voice followed: "Gentlemen, according to the Knights of Favonius's investigation, the ashes in the Sea of ​​Embers west of Mondstadt seem to be about to reignite, because the winds that have not flowed for a thousand years in the Sea of ​​Embers are surging again..."

Her firm voice seemed to represent Qin's personality.

The Knights of Favonius are the sword and shield protecting Mondstadt. Besides clearing the wilderness of monsters and safeguarding the city and roads, their most important duty is to maintain order in Mondstadt. Although Mondstadt is a city of freedom, boundless laxity only brings chaos and uncertainty. Jean understands this perfectly, which is why she maintains a rigorous and diligent work ethic, demanding the highest standards of herself.

It can be said that her work and responsibilities shaped her personality.

"The above, coupled with the Knights of Favonius's manpower shortage, are the main reasons for our joint operation. Now, I will announce the Knights of Favonius's personnel."

At this moment, the ensemble leader picked up a writing board from his right side, which appeared to contain the list of names. This meticulousness was evident even in such a small detail.

"Jean, Acting Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius; Amber, Scout Knight; Yura Lawrence, Wave Knight; Kaeya, Cavalry Captain; Diluc, former Cavalry Captain; Luminous, Honor Knight; and her partner Paimon."

She didn't choose to send Klee and Abedo along, firstly because the Ember Sea was too dangerous and an unknown territory, and secondly because neither of them were skilled in combat.

After Jean finished reading the list of the Knights of Favonius, Keqing also stood up, and everyone's eyes shifted to the girl in purple.

"Now that Commander Jean has confirmed the Knights of Favonius, I, on behalf of the Liyue Sept, will confirm our roster."

Then, as Keqing read out the names, the latter stood up, bowed deeply to everyone, and that was also a way of introducing himself.

"First is me, Keqing, the Jade Balance of the Liyue Seven Stars." Keqing took the lead, her purple dress swaying as she bowed to everyone, polite yet graceful.

"Then there is Yuehaiting's secretary, the half-immortal beast Gan Yu."

"The leader of Liyue Rebirth Hall, Hu Tao."

"Xin Hui, the secretary of Ningguang, the Tianquan star of the Liyue Seven Stars."

All the people saw was a girl with blue hair and black and red horns on her head, and a girl who looked relatively immature, but whose fire element power was very strong. When it was Xin Hui's turn, they were even more curious about his background.

Logically speaking, this operation implicitly stipulated that those without the Eye of God could not participate, because the Sea of ​​Ashes was too dangerous. However, almost everyone present knew that Honor Knight Ying was an exception, and now it seems that this Xin Hui also has some special characteristics.

Actually, Xin Hui was quite flattered. He should have felt embarrassed seeing so many people looking at him. But how did he become Lord Ning Guang's secretary?

Perhaps because the identity of the owner of Yiyu Pavilion doesn't carry much of a deterrent effect, Keqing arranged this for herself on the spot. It has to be said, she really put her heart into it.

"Let me introduce you all. Although this secretary of Tianquan Ningguang doesn't have the Eye of God, she can simultaneously wield both ice and rock elemental forces, making her strength no weaker than a Seven Star," Keqing said at the opportune moment, aiming to deepen everyone's impression of Xinhui.

"Oh?" When Abedo, who was in the corner, heard Keqing say that, his blue eyes lit up, as if he had become interested.

Xin Hui's situation was as he had guessed. Like the honorary knight Ying, he was a life structure that did not belong to this world. That was why he was different from ordinary people and did not need to rely on external objects to contain and use different kinds of elemental forces.

"That's great. With everyone's help, I believe this joint operation will be much easier." After listening to Keqing's introduction, Commander Qin's chest heaved, and she breathed a slight sigh of relief.

The seven stars of Liyue, the celestial beast, the girl with powerful fire elemental abilities, and the boy who is no weaker than Qingqing and can master two elements are undoubtedly a great help. With this, Jean's plan is much more likely to succeed.

"Well then, since you have all just learned of this news and have not yet received the specific plan, the joint operation is tentatively scheduled for two days from now. I hope that the mission will be successfully completed by then!"

Cheers to this important day!

Qin raised her glass, and seeing her flushed face and excited expression, she guessed that she was in high spirits.

Naturally, the others couldn't be left behind. The young man named Kaiya took the lead, wanting to drink with the band leader until they were completely drunk. As for the children, they were told to obediently drink their apple juice.

"cheers!"

"..."

Chapter Seventy: The Wind God Comes to Ask for Wine

After being treated to a meal by the Knights of Favonius, Xinhui and his group were all slightly tipsy. Because Commander Qin had considered that there were women present, she had prepared a milder dandelion wine instead of strong liquor.

Ke Qing was naturally fine. Having grown up in the Ke family, she was quite adept at handling low-alcohol drinks. Hu Tao, on the other hand, was not a good drinker, so she drank apple juice instead.

On the contrary, Gan Yu was quite drunk, and she looked unsteady on her feet.

Xin Hui hadn't expected this. He thought that Gan Yu, being a celestial beast, wouldn't have any problem drinking a little wine. But that wasn't the case. In fact, Gan Yu had only drunk less than a cup of dandelion wine and was already so confused.

"Ah Xin, Ke Qing, there are so many stars in the sky." Gan Yu now gives off a silly vibe, and her originally soft and sweet voice has become somewhat casual and teasing.

By this time, they had already left the hall. Xinhui was holding the map given to her by the troupe leader, which had been marked by her. That was where they would stay for the night.

Originally, the leader of the troupe, Qin, intended to send someone to guide them there, but Keqing declined, which was in line with the latter's style.

Hu Tao helped Gan Yu steady herself along the way, but Gan Yu was still dizzy and her face was flushed when she walked, so she seemed to be very drunk.

When Xinhui and Keqing heard Gan Yu's words, they exchanged a glance and couldn't help but find it amusing.

Because there were indeed stars in the night sky tonight, and they were quite bright. They thought that the stars Gan Yu was talking about might not be the stars they were seeing.

Even Hu Tao complained beside her, "Is this dandelion wine really that powerful? I should have let this master try it too. Lord Gan Yu, you're starting to talk nonsense."

Then came the sound of Xinhui and Keqing's hearty laughter.

There was no way around it; this scene was just too funny, so even Keqing, who usually didn't like to express her emotions, burst out laughing.

Unlike the bustling streets of Liyue at night, the streets of Mondstadt are rather quiet, but the streetlights are very bright, and the roads are paved with stone bricks. So, in Mondstadt, the nighttime scenery is best enjoyed alone.

Xin Hui walked beside Ke Qing, while Hu Tao supported Gan Yu ahead of them. The surrounding environment gave them a sense of comfort and an urge to speak freely.

Keqing breathed in the foreign wind, and now that the welcome party was over, the burden on her shoulders felt lighter. She was also grateful that she hadn't encountered any powerful monsters along the way.

Also affected by the alcohol, Ke Qing's face was slightly flushed. Compared to her petite figure, Xin Hui appeared rather tall, with blue hair and bright golden eyes. She recalled how Xin Hui had risked his life to save her in the snow-capped mountains.

Without the Eye of God, he was unable to control elemental power at the time. He could only roll around in the snow, but even so, Xin Hui never backed down. An ordinary person managed to injure the Frost Armored Hilichurl King with courage and faith. That figure naturally left a very deep impression on Keqing's heart.

Coming to her senses, Ke Qing found Xin Hui's large hand beside her. An idea suddenly popped into Ke Qing's mind, making her movements awkward.

Perhaps I should take the initiative.

So Keqing tried hard to control herself, thinking about how to hold Xinhui's hand without disturbing him too much.

Slowly, slowly, we approached.

They were almost there, but Keqing suddenly hesitated to touch Xinhui.

Or maybe we should just forget about it.

Just then, she felt a strange sensation from her fingertips, followed by a long, strong hand pressing against hers.

Ke Qing didn't move, which meant that it was Xin Hui who finally held her hand. This made Ke Qing feel a surge of warmth and shyness.

Looking at Xinhui's expression, his smiling face actually showed a lot of joy, so it seemed that he didn't care about these things.

Ke Qing slowly savored the warmth from Xin Hui's palms, clasping her hands together. As she walked, even her steps became lighter.

However, this feeling did not last long. As they walked through a small alley, Xinhui suddenly said to her, "I have something to take care of. You and Ganyu should go back first."

After saying that, he let go of her hand and handed her the map that the troupe leader had given her. Ke Qing froze on the spot, watching Xin Hui's figure run away into the distance, and then, she felt inexplicably angry.

Actually, Xinhui didn't mean to abandon her; it was just that he caught a glimpse of a pale green figure out of the corner of his eye.

Coupled with the familiar feeling in his heart, Xin Hui became even more certain of the identity of the pale green figure.

It wasn't Xin Hui's intention to abandon Ke Qing and the others; he just hoped that Ke Qing wouldn't be angry with him.

In front of a tavern, Wendy, with his hair in braids, appeared. He was still wondering why Angel's Gift was not open today, so he had no choice but to come to Cat's Tail Tavern.

He entered and skillfully went to the bar. Standing there was a short, girlish bartender named Diona.

Diona wore a pink top and shorts, revealing her fair legs. She had bright blue-green eyes, short pink hair tied up at the forehead, and most striking features were her cat ears and long tail.

Whether mixing drinks or walking, they would stand on their tiptoes to make themselves appear shorter.

Diona, the super popular bartender at "Cat's Tail Tavern," a rising star at Mondstadt Brewing Company, and the biggest challenger to the traditional forces—this is how Mondstadt drinkers see Diona.

However, this cat-eared, cat-tailed girl from Clear Spring Town has always called herself the "Alcohol Killer." Even her bartending skills are basically just "I'm really trying my best to ruin that nasty liquid."

This subtle contradiction stems from Diona's constitution, which is neither "blessed" nor "cursed." Any alcoholic beverage mixed by Diona becomes an unimaginably delicious delicacy.