Leaving Liyue
I wasn't surprised that my plans to leave Liyue undetected would fall through. While my stealth skills weren't the greatest, they were good enough that I had snuck up on my enemies in the past and struck them from behind without them realizing it until it was too late.
Then again, I suppose I stood no chance there when it came to someone who actually specialized in that field- espionage.
I was a former soldier, not a spy.
A frustrated sign born by the fact that I had been caught just leaving the city left my lips before I could stop myself. I had managed to weave my way through streets and alleys, avoiding the occasional drunkard and the Milileth patrols easily only to be caught close to the end.
Normally I would have drawn my weapons, but I was confident that I could take on the person whose eyes were burning right into my back. There weren't many people who would be able to take me on in a straight fight after all.
It was arrogant of me to say that, but it didn't make it any less true.
I turned around and saw no one, which only confirmed the identity of the person who was watching me. There was only one person in all of Liyue who could conceal themselves from sight while literally standing in front of you.
I glared at a space that would have looked inconspicuous to most people. But I had lived far too long to be easily fooled by a simple glamour or anything else similar to it.
"What do you want, Yelan?" I demanded, addressing the woman who was affiliated with the Ministry of Civil Affairs.
At least on paper.
The spot that I was glaring at shimmered for a moment before the glamour dispersed to reveal a tall and beautiful woman dressed in dark blues with a white coat laying on her shoulders. There was a sense of sensuality to her that often drew the eyes of people towards her as well as an undercurrent of danger if you were dumb enough to think that you could fool her or underestimate her because of her beauty.
But once again, she didn't intimidate me.
Yelan looked relaxed and unfettered, but I could see the signs that she wasn't as calm as she tried to project herself in front of me. Her shoulders were slightly tense and she was positioned in a way that would have her grabbing her bow in seconds and shooting at an unsuspecting enemy before they even knew what hit them.
Not that it would have done her any good and we both knew that.
My lips tilted upwards in amusement; I tended to have that effect on people who didn't underestimate me.
Most people in Liyue saw me as the blonde whore who seduced every man in her wake, but half the time they tended to forget that I could easily kill them. I WAS the top Adventurer in Liyue for a reason. It was nice when people acknowledged just how much I could wreck them if I felt like it.
"It was worth a try to see if I could fool you." Yelan sighed. "I know I was expecting it, but that doesn't make it any less unnerving."
I stared at her.
"So I guess this means you're leaving Liyue Harbor?" She got straight to the point.
"Yes." There was no point in denying her statement. I had been caught in the act. "There's nothing left for me here."
"I heard that the relations between you and that Liyuen gentleman from the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor had soured, but I didn't realize things were so bad that you would leave Liyue over it."
"Yes."
Yelan looked both annoyed and amused at my answer. I suppose it was in her nature as a spy to wring as much information as she could from her target.
"Well, I can't say I'm sad to see you go." Yelan finally said. "It would definitely be one less worry off my shoulders."
Though I was used to people being wary around me, the acknowledgement still somewhat stung. You would think after centuries of this I would be used to it by now. I guess I was on that infamous list that the Liyue Ministry of Civil Affairs kept if Yelan was admitting that me leaving the City of Commerce would make things easier for her.
There was a saying in Liyue that went 'The walls have ears' meaning that everything you did in Liyue would likely get back to the Qixing.
In other words there were spies everywhere.
I will shamelessly admit that I did everything in my power to make their jobs difficult for them. Even though they were just doing their jobs, I hated people watching my movements.
From purposely yanking them into crowds where they would be crushed by the sea of people, to literally kicking them into the ocean if they were close enough, to purposely tripping them up…
I must have given Yelan an aneurysm with all the ways I took care of her people when I caught them in the act. Not fatally, but definitely not pleasant.
"At least you're honest." I said bitterly. "I would prefer people being upfront rather than smiling sweetly at me while looking for an opportune moment to stab me in the back or screw me over."
It was certainly a breath of fresh air compared to the whispers, jeers, and the judgemental stares the locals directed at me when they thought I wasn't looking. I was tempted to show them that I was more than capable of taking care of them if they tried anything, but doing so was more trouble than it was worth. Especially in a city where prestige, connections, and wealth was power.
"I suppose I should be flattered." Yelan chuckled. "Coming from someone who kept me on my toes the entire time."
"Is there anything else or can I leave now?"
The further away from Liyue I was, the better. Being here had been tolerable when he was around to ramble on and on about history or the value of something that caught his eye. Or when he was just so proud of Liyue and how far it had come along ever since it was founded right in the middle of the Archon wars.
But now? Now it had become unbearable to the point that I was turning tail and getting away from it all.
I was leaving the nation of Liyue because otherwise I would never be able to get away from him.
Maybe I was giving up. Maybe I was a coward who was running away from everything.
I was tired.
I was so, so tired.
So I give up.
I'm done.
Besides, he seemed to have replaced me with the 11th Harbinger, Tartaglia. Or Childe. Whatever name the young ginger haired man went by.
Just… just as it was supposed to be.
"No." Yelan sighed. "I just wanted to confirm some things. I would suggest waiting until early morning to leave, but you seem to have made up your mind and I know you are more than capable of dispatching those who make the mistake of earning your ire."
Yelan melted into the darkness.
"Good luck. I hope that wherever you go next, things work out for you there." Her voice spoke from the shadows. "I know it won't mean much from me, of all people, but I'm sorry that your experience here was… unpleasant."
I heard the click clack of her heels against the pavement until they disappeared and I was left alone once again.
I stared at the city that I had stayed at for close to three years. Even though I had made up my mind, my feet were still practically rooted to the ground. Raising my arms, I held them at level with my cheeks before immediately slapping my palm hard against them to get my act together.
No.
I couldn't have second thoughts.
As much as I was leaving because there wasn't anything in Liyue that was worth staying for anymore, because of that dark ugly emotion that always blossomed whenever I saw him and Tartaglia hanging out with each other, there were still other things I needed to do.
Being in Liyue, being with him… had nearly made me forget that.
Maybe despite how painful things were, this was probably a blessing in disguise.
I looked at the city that had been the closest thing to home for a long time before turning on my heel and walking away one painful step at a time. But despite my resolve to leave, I couldn't help but look over my shoulder several times as the city got smaller and smaller the further away I was.
Even though I knew he couldn't hear me, even though I already wrote a letter to him that wouldn't reach him until several days passed and I was long gone and away from his reach, I couldn't help but say one last goodbye to my old friend as I left Liyue for good.
"Farewell, Archaic Lord."
Goodbye, Morax.