"Take this, my Dugu Nine Swords!"
"That name sounds pretty cool. Where did you learn it?"
In an open space at Chihu Rock, Yu Jin and a white-haired boy were engaged in an intense "battle."
Calling it a battle was really just Yu Jin wielding a stick and the white-haired boy holding a dull dagger, haphazardly clashing them together.
Seizing the opportunity, Yu Jin lightly flicked his stick, tapping the boy's chest.
"Great Hero Dugu, I win!" Yu Jin said, tapping Dugu Shuo's head with the stick as he was still in a daze.
Originally, he was just strolling around as usual, not expecting this kid to follow him, eyes shining.
When asked, he said he was Great Hero Dugu. Only later did Yu Jin learn from passersby that his name was Dugu Shuo, and his dream was to become a great hero.
Preferably, a great hero with a Geo Archon's Vision.
As for why it had to be a Geo Archon's Vision? According to Great Hero Dugu himself, with a Geo element Vision, he could erect tall stone pillars, making everyone look up to him!
Yu Jin could tell that Dugu Shuo's "looking up" was meant literally. It seemed he held a grudge about his height, which was shorter than a Sword.
"Wow! Great Hero, you really are a great hero!" Dugu Shuo was only dazed for a moment before he cried out in surprise.
"Indeed, only a great hero would always wear such cool armor!" Dugu Shuo said, circling Yu Jin.
After so many years of loitering, he had finally found a great hero hidden from the world. Dugu Shuo was very excited now.
"Alright, alright, stop circling." Yu Jin reached out and pressed Dugu Shuo, stopping his circling.
This kid ran quite fast; he almost made him dizzy.
"Okay, Great Hero, what's your signature martial art?" Dugu Shuo ran hard but found himself just spinning in place. So he gave up struggling.
A great hero is indeed a great hero; his strength is extraordinary.
"Signature martial art?" Yu Jin stroked his chin, then pulled out a straight Sword and performed a flourish, saying, "Hehe, I have too many martial arts to list."
Seeing the straight Sword in Yu Jin's hand, which stirred up gusts of wind, the light in Dugu Shuo's eyes intensified.
"Is... is this a real Sword?!"
Dugu Shuo touched the dull dagger at his waist, wiped his drool, and said enviously.
Although he had a dream of being a great hero, the only real weapons he had ever seen were the long spears in the hands of the patrolling Millelith. It was, undeniably, a sad story.
"Of course, absolutely!" Yu Jin looked around. Good, no one was there.
Then he struck a stone curb by the street with his Sword, and the hard stone curb immediately gained a noticeable gap.
At the same time, the Ministry of Civil Affairs' work increased by one.
"So powerful!" Dugu Shuo became even more excited. If Yu Jin hadn't been there, he probably would have tried it himself.
"It's powerful, but you can't hold it yet." Yu Jin stroked Dugu Shuo's white hair and put away his straight Sword.
Dugu Shuo looked about seven or eight years old and hadn't received any training. If he were given a weapon, he would likely injure himself before defeating any bad guys.
"Is that so?" Dugu Shuo's face immediately fell, like a frosted eggplant.
"However, a little practice is still possible." On the nearby lawn, a patch of grass was mysteriously gone. But in its place, there was a scarecrow.
The scarecrow was green, and its exposed roots were still covered in a lot of dirt. It was clearly newly made.
"Want to try?" Yu Jin pointed to the scarecrow and lightly pushed Dugu Shuo.
"When did..."
"Why do little brats ask so many questions?"
Dugu Shuo clutched the back of his head. He now realized this great hero seemed to really like tapping his head. Was it because he was too short?
Dugu Shuo decided that when he went back, he would definitely drink more Milk to grow taller.
"Ha, take this, my Sword!"
Dugu Shuo looked at the scarecrow smiling at him and suddenly felt a surge of anger, because he felt mocked.
The angry thrust went deep into the scarecrow, and then nothing. Because it was stuck in too deep, the dagger was lodged inside.
Just as Dugu Shuo was wrestling with the scarecrow, a sudden clamor reached Yu Jin's ears.
"Hey, have you heard? It seems an adeptus has arrived at the city gate bridge!"
"An adeptus? There really is an adeptus!"
"Of course, my great-great-great-grandfather once saw an adeptus!"
...An adeptus? Yu Jin's interest was immediately piqued. In Liyue's legends, adepti were definitely the most mysterious kind.
The Geo Archon's annual Rite of Descension allowed one to see him once, but adepti were different.
Liyue is mountainous, and according to legend, Liyue's adepti often lived in seclusion deep in the mountains. Those seeking adepti often had to go through immense hardship to meet them.
Adepti were hard to find, so much so that many Liyue people were skeptical about their existence.
"Kid, practice with this. When you can cut down five scarecrows at once, you'll have your own weapon!"
Yu Jin threw a thick book, then disappeared without a trace.
He was going to see the adeptus!
"Ouch!" Dugu Shuo clutched his forehead. Yu Jin's book had hit his head, making him turn around.
Picking up the heavy parchment book from the ground, Dugu Shuo was now only thankful that Yu Jin's control over his strength was masterful.
Because he felt that if someone else had thrown it, he would surely have been crushed to death by this large book.
Wiping the dust off the book, several crooked large characters came into view. The title was "Warrior Training Manual for Intelligence 9".
Dugu Shuo was silent for a moment. This seemed a little different from the martial arts secret manual in his mind, didn't it?
Besides, where would he find five scarecrows?
But soon, Dugu Shuo knew where to find the scarecrows.
A rustling sound came, and Dugu Shuo felt his Vision suddenly darken.
He looked up, and five scarecrows had surrounded Dugu Shuo, looking exactly like the one he had just stabbed.
"Ghosts!!!"
Then Dugu Shuo was quickly carried home by the five scarecrows... Liyue doesn't have city walls like Mondstadt. If you enter the city by land, passing through the archway at the bridge end counts as entering Liyue.
And that archway was habitually called the city gate by Liyue people.
At this moment, quite a few people had gathered in front of the archway. If the Millelith hadn't been blocking the crowd, it would probably have been a chaotic mess long ago.
"Is that an adeptus? He doesn't look like one?"
"Do adepti have horns? I heard in legends that adepti are full of immortal aura and only consume the essence of heaven and earth."
"That's wrong. My great-great-great-grandfather said that adepti rarely appear in human form and mostly in beast form."
..."Adepti, please do not be angry. We have already informed the Qixing, and someone from Yujing Terrace will surely arrive soon to receive the esteemed adeptus."
A Millelith soldier glanced at Morgott, who was huge and wearing a gray-brown cloak, and said apologetically.
The Qixing had specifically instructed that if any spiritual beasts or unknown non-human entities approached Liyue recently, they should all be treated as adepti, and Yujing Terrace should be notified immediately.
"Adepti? I am not an adeptus." Morgott looked at the surrounding crowd and said to the soldier-like person beside him.
"Yes, yes, yes, you are not an adeptus, but since you've come all the way to Liyue, you must visit Yujing Terrace and have a seat."
The Millelith wiped the fine sweat from his forehead and echoed. This adeptus seemed to be one who specialized in killing; even from this distance, he could feel his overwhelming aura.
Now, he absolutely couldn't let him act on his own!
"..."
Morgott closed his eyes. It seemed he wouldn't be leaving anytime soon. He calmed himself, and the noisy discussions of the crowd began to pour into his ears.
Fatuus, Qixing, adepti, the death of the Archon... countless pieces of information flowed into Morgott's mind through the mouths of the crowd.
A slight smile appeared on his unperturbed face. The calm before the storm.
He just wondered what role the King played in all of this?
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