A few minutes before standing up to leave...
Bonanus first stepped forward and ruffled Yanfei's little head. She had to admit, the sensation was top-notch—soft and fluffy, like a kitten's.
Ah, no, more like a young deer's. It was just a shame her hands were so large, so she had to be extra careful with her touch.
This head-pat move from Bonanus directly flustered Yanfei. Since childhood, aside from Granny Ping, few people had patted her head.
However, the Yaksha before her was Granny Ping's good friend and her own senior, so Yanfei didn't resist too much.
"Yanfei, if you ever run into any trouble, don't hesitate to come find me. For instance, if you need a fight or something."
Bonanus grew more and more addicted to the petting. If possible, she'd really like to take Yanfei into a Serenitea Pot. Unfortunately, she didn't have one; after all, that thing belonged to the Traveler.
"Thank you, Senior Bonanus! If such a situation arises, I will definitely seek you out!"
Little stars seemed to sparkle in Yanfei's eyes. Though given her own combat abilities, she might not need help in that area, having Senior Bonanus say this was more than enough to make her very happy.
"Promise, then."
Bonanus smiled again, gave Granny Ping a slight nod, and then in a flash, she was gone, leaving only a faint trace of elemental energy behind.
---
After Bonanus's departure...
"Hehe..."
Yanfei sat in place, giggling foolishly to herself. Perhaps she was still savoring the touch from earlier?
"Yanfei, what are you giggling about?" Granny Ping lifted her teacup once more, looking at her curiously.
"Senior Bonanus is so gentle! It's impossible not to like her!" Yanfei recalled the earlier touch. She usually disliked being touched by strangers, but Bonanus was an exception.
Even though the senior's hands looked somewhat intimidating, the gentleness within was undeniably real.
"Haha, that girl Bonanus was always very well-liked back in the day."
"But in battle, she becomes utterly cold and detached. It's like she's two different people."
Granny Ping reminisced about past events once more. She could never forget the scene of Bonanus tearing enemies apart alive.
The deep blue Yaksha mask stained with crimson blood, the black fabric of her garments soaked a dark, murky red—like a god of slaughter.
Of course, Bonanus's four other siblings were the same.
"If I get the chance, I must seek advice from Senior Bonanus!" Yanfei said admiringly.
"Hehe, aren't you going to go handle your matters? You might run overtime."
Seeing her junior's starstruck look, Granny Ping couldn't help but shake her head slightly in reminder.
Hearing this, Yanfei suddenly jolted upright. She looked up at the sun in the sky, her pupils contracting sharply.
Oh no! She got too engrossed in listening to Granny and the others chat and forgot to check the time! She was never late!
In an instant, with a whoosh, Yanfei was gone without a trace. Once again, the garden held only Granny Ping and the echo of Yanfei's departing words:
"Granny! I'm heading out! Take care of yourself!"
---
Bonanus was currently leaping from roof to roof somewhere in Liyue. This was a dense residential area, almost labyrinthine in layout.
Any outsider unaware of the way would surely be confused by these winding buildings.
But Bonanus paid it no mind. After all, the higher you stand, the farther you see. Standing atop a structure, she gazed into the distance.
Liyue Harbor was surrounded by mountains. Looking carefully, one could see a few tents on the slopes, likely Millelith stationed up there.
They could be travelers, or perhaps gourmands.
Without overthinking, Bonanus headed towards the nearest visible exit. Along the way, she occasionally saw armed Millelith patrolling the streets.
There were many of them, each looking broad-shouldered and powerful, seeming capable of punching a deer to death—though whether they actually could, who knew?
"They're really strict with security!" Bonanus muttered under her breath. She hadn't seen so many patrols back in the game.
As she leapt across rooftops, Millelith gazes would occasionally fall upon her. After all, they'd just experienced a demon god disturbance.
The nerves of the Millelith were taut; no one dared be careless. What if, in a moment of inattention, someone with ill intent slipped in?
That would be a loss for Liyue!
---
Not long after...
Bonanus arrived at the southwestern region of Liyue. In the middle of the southern area was a river, spanned by a massive wooden bridge supported on both banks.
Millelith guarded both ends of the bridge. From time to time, people pushing carts of goods passed over it, most appearing to be locals.
On the other side of the bridge lay several large acres of farmland, planted with golden grains—a spectacular sight.
"Wow! This is scenery you don't see in the game!"
Standing on a mountaintop looking down, Bonanus saw a stretch of golden fields where a group of farmers toiled.
Around the fields, Millelith stood guard. Though the world was at peace, Treasure Hoarders and Hilichurls would occasionally attack and plunder.
Thus, the Millelith were here to ensure the safety of the surroundings and the people.
"Feels like you can see the Millelith everywhere..." Bonanus mused, glancing around again. She didn't see any armed Fatui here.
But she did encounter many Fatui without their weapons—all wearing masks and the iconic coats.
Having paid some attention to the lore, Bonanus vaguely remembered that at this point in time, Liyue and Snezhnaya were still allies.
Prior to this, Snezhnaya had dispatched a vanguard—the "Fatui 9th Company," 64 soldiers—to the Chasm to cooperate with the Millelith in resisting a great enemy there.
Though the Chasm was sealed at the time, where there's a will, there's a way. They had some hidden passages to go below.
The "9th Company's" original purpose in going to the Chasm was not for evil, but to "resist the Dark Enemy," protect the people of Liyue from the Black Calamity's erosion, and form an alliance with Liyue.
When the Fatui set out for the Chasm, they received blessings from the citizens, who hailed them as "heroes."
But after the "Jade Chamber Incident," when the Harbinger "Childe" unleashed the vortex demon god, and the Harbinger "Pulcinella" made the decision to abandon what he deemed "low-value assets," Liyue and the Fatui turned against each other.
Though many cooperative agreements between the two sides ceased, in certain aspects, cooperation still continued.
These actions caused the "Fatui 9th Company" in the Chasm immense suffering.
The Millelith did not harm them. When the retreat order came, they even left supplies for the "9th Company."
But the Fatui who never received the retreat order remained in the Chasm, without food supplies, enduring the erosion of the darkness.
They became discarded pawns, trapped underground in the Chasm, facing the dire straits of hunger and cold.
From the original 64 individuals, only four remained, lingering on as "famished ghosts" desperately searching for food.
Thinking of this, Bonanus couldn't help but shake her head and sigh. Though she was an Adeptus, these political matters weren't hers to handle.
If possible, once the Chasm's seal was lifted, she could simply go down and help the last four soldiers of the 9th Company escape.
Thinking this, Bonanus took a deep breath and executed a leap of faith from the mountaintop. The sensation of rushing descent was exhilarating.
Bonanus aimed for the position of a certain Millelith soldier, charging towards them with the momentum of a precise strike.
At the last moment before impact, she used her Adeptal energy to hover about a meter above the ground, locking eyes with the startled soldier.
"Hello there!"