After finishing lunch, Su Ming had the captain sail back to the shore.
Once he settled the final payment, Su Ming casually gave almost all the fish he had caught to the captain, keeping only two or three of the largest ones for himself.
Leaving the docks, Su Ming followed the road until he reached Chihu Rock.
Chihu Rock in the afternoon was at its peak of bustling activity. Laborers who had just finished their shifts at the docks were devouring food at the cheap roadside diners and stalls, quickly replenishing their stamina in preparation for the afternoon's work.
Those in better financial standing would choose to spend a few Mora on a bowl of perhaps watered-down, low-quality liquor. Those less fortunate would simply ask the shopkeepers for a large bowl of cold water to gulp down.
Having finished their meals, the workers would pay hurriedly before continuing back toward the port.
Smoke rose from the roadside stalls, blending with the fragrance of various snacks and pastries to create a vibrant atmosphere of city life. Even though the Qixing had already announced the news of Rex Lapis's assassination to all of Liyue, it didn't seem to affect the work or living conditions of the Liyue people.
After all, life had to go on.
Thud.
As Su Ming was looking around at the city scenes, he suddenly felt someone bump into him.
With his strength, it was naturally impossible for him to be knocked over. The only sign that he had been hit was the ripple spreading across the surface of the water in the bucket he held.
Su Ming turned around and saw a burly man sitting on the ground with a look of confusion on his face.
The man was utterly baffled. He was nearly 1.9 meters tall and weighed over two hundred pounds. How could he fail to knock aside this fair-faced youth while running at full speed? Forget knocking him asidethis pretty boy hadn't even wobbled!
However, the man didn't have much time to think. He could already hear the shouts of the Millelith chasing him from behind.
"Stop right there! Don't run!"
A squad of Millelith rounded the street corner, only a few paces away from the burly man.
Seeing that he couldn't escape, the man's heart turned vicious. Without a second thought, he pulled out a small knife and lunged it toward Su Ming.
Su Ming: "???"
Are you even lucid?
Su Ming almost laughed out loud. This was the first time he had seen such a brainless brute. Did the man not stop to think? If a man of his size couldn't even budge someone during a full sprint, could that person possibly be an easy target?
Perfect. I'll just use this to test a move, Su Ming thought as he silently set the water bucket aside.
"Watch out!"
A sharp cry rang out from behind Su Ming. In the next instant, he felt someone tug at the corner of his clothes, trying to pull him to a safe position.
Of course, they couldn't move him.
And the burly man who had lunged at Su Ming with the knife flew backward like a tattered rag.
Su Ming slowly retracted his fist and turned to look behind him.
Standing there was a purple-haired beauty in black stockings. At first glance, she seemed to have a pair of cat ears, but a closer look revealed it was just the way her hair was styled.
Her hand, which she hadn't yet had time to pull back from Su Ming's clothes, made it clear that she was the one who had tried to pull him away.
"If I'm not mistaken, you are the Yuheng, Keqing, right?"
"I might have hit him a bit too hard just now. That guy probably won't survive. I'll have to trouble you to clean up the mess for me."
"You saw it yourself. He initiated the attack and was even armed. I only countered once with my bare hands. This is a very clear case of legitimate self-defense."
After speaking, Su Ming picked up his bucket and flew away using the Sky Dancing Technique.
He left behind a crowd of dumbfounded onlookers, a stunned Keqing, and the bewildered Millelith.
The Millelith soldiers searching for the burly man saw Keqing and immediately stepped forward.
"Lady Keqing!"
Keqing looked at the soldiers and asked, "Are you pursuing a criminal?"
"Yes, Lady Keqing! This man once gathered a band of fierce bandits around Mount Tianheng, specializing in robbing homes and plundering merchant caravans!"
"A few years ago, the bandits he gathered were wiped out by our Millelith, but we failed to capture him."
"Today, a brother on patrol said he spotted him, so we rushed over. The man tried to play dumb at first and refused to admit his identity. But he didn't know that one of the patrolling brothers recognized him. He bolted, and we've been chasing him all this way."
As the lead Millelith soldier reported the situation, the others who had gone to check on the man suddenly cried out in shock.
"Chief! This thief is dead!"
"Every bone in his body is shattered! He's nothing more than a pile of mangled meat!"
Hearing the Millelith's exclamation, the surrounding crowd began to gossip.
"Goodness, who was that man just now?"
"Could he be an Adeptus? Didn't they say the Adepti came to Liyue Harbor to confront the Qixing?"
"It's not impossible. Look, as soon as he saw the Yuheng was here, he just flew away!"
"Rumor has it the Adepti and the Qixing don't get along. The possibility is quite high."
"That's right. He can fly, he has an ethereal temperament, and he's so handsome. He must be an Adeptus."
Keqing naturally heard the Millelith's cries and the discussions of the crowd.
However, she didn't seem to care, simply saying, "Take the body away. Something like that deserved a death by a thousand cuts anyway. If he's dead, so be it."
"Clear the scene immediately. Don't block the street traffic."
The Millelith soldiers hurriedly nodded in agreement and made a quick exit with the corpse.
Meanwhile, Keqing began to feel curious about who that man was. She knew he couldn't be an Adeptusat least, not one of the Adepti currently confronting the Qixing at the Jade Chamber.
"I'll go ask Ningguang. She might know something."
Keqing wasn't foolish enough to investigate on her own when it would be such a hassle. Why waste effort when she had a well-informed colleague she could ask?
Moreover, based on the fact that the man could fly through the air, his strength couldn't be weak. It wouldn't be easy for a person like that to remain hidden.
With that thought, Keqing hurried toward the Jade Chamber.
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