Chapter 2 – Bloodstained Maiden

''Ganyu, open this stupid door !''

No response. Keqing's patience was wearing dangerously thin.
Well, she didn't have lots of it to begin with.
Resisting the urge to kick the door down commando style, she knocked again.

''Listen, i get that this situation is difficult for everyone, especially you, but you can't sulk forever. You've been like this for three days now.''

Still no response. In Ganyu's defense, a lot of people were still shocked by the incident. But past the initial surprise, the Yuheng went back into work mode immediately.
She was also the only one who believed that one day, Liyue wouldn't need a god. And now that the baby bird had been kicked out of the nest, it was time to learn how to fly. It would probably take a lot of time and effort, but it was going to happen.
Did Keqing want to force the secretary to embrace this mentality ? No. Was it vital for Liyue's future ? Yes.
And she was going to do it, even if she had to play the mean teacher.

Repressing a sigh of exasperation, Keqing played her last card.

''I know who killed Rex Lapis.''

Bonk !

Now she heard something. Panicked footsteps, and someone falling down the stairs. An ornamental vase hitting the floor, and finally, a door unlocking.
Ganyu's horned head peeked at the visitor, her front door still half-closed.

''Who did it ?'' she asked, her voice almost inaudible.

''First of all, good morning to you too. Second, I'm not actually sure.''

The adeptus tried to close the door, but the Yuheng immediately blocked it with her foot.

''Lady Keqing, I'm really not in the mood right now.''

''At least listen to what I have to say !''

Goodness. If Ganyu, of all people, didn't want to work, then things really had taken a turn for the worse. The nice little secretary who always tried to satisfy everyone was nowhere to be seen. Instead, there was this depressed, sleep-deprived, blue-haired wreck.
She was probably too tired to offer much resistance, because she simply shrugged and let her guest in.

Every curtain was pulled, in the complete mess that she called her home. With probably nowhere else fit for entertaining guests, she gestured for Keqing to sit at a small table. After grabbing a bowl of Qingxin flowers, she sat down opposite to her.

''Aren't you supposed to be on a diet ?'' the Yuheng asked, pointing at the flowers.

The half-qilin shook her head ''Honestly, I couldn't care less about dieting right now.''

Seeing someone with so little motivation for anything would have normally pissed Keqing off. But the secretary was usually the complete opposite of that.
Man, depressed Ganyu was deeply unsettling.

''So, what did you have to say ?'' she asked, munching on a flower.

Just what she had been waiting for. ''Please look at this.'' Keqing energetically passed a document to the adeptus, who in turn browsed it with little interest. ''I visited a few injured Millelith this morning. As you probably already know, they tried to arrest a mysterious individual, but the suspect beat them up and fled the scene unscathed. So I've decided to investigate myself, and I'm here to share what I've gathered so far with you. I am being led to believe that the suspect who defeated them so easily could very well be our late Archon's killer.''

The one responsible for Rex Lapis' death. Ganyu's face hardened. Liyue's leader, nothing short of perfect, her guiding light, was dead. In a few seconds, six thousand years of might had crumbled to nothing.

''Foreign clothes, a fighting style unlike any other, the ability to manipulate both Anemo and Geo, and...a floating baby ?'' Ganyu read the list and turned to the Yuheng, eyebrow raised. ''Is he human ? Does he have a Vision ? If so, which element ? Did his clothes correspond to a particular nation's style ? Is he registered as a citizen ? Does he have a family ? Were his movements erratic or was he a trained professional ? An assassin, maybe ? Did he have a Fatui insignia ? A Treasure Hoarder's ? What do you mean by 'floating baby' ?''

Keqing waved her hands to stop the interrogative flow. ''I don't have the answer to half of your questions ! The only people present were the soldiers.''

''Oh, okay, I get it...'' replied the secretary. ''But is there anything else that can help us identify him ?''

''I'm glad you asked !'' Keqing puffed her chest and handed her a sketch. ''Thanks to the visual description provided by our brave soldiers, I was able to make a rough sketch of the suspect's physical appearance.''

Rough was clearly the keyword, but the Guardian of All Living Things recognized him nonetheless.
His golden eyes, his blond hair tied into a braid, and his outfit that, for some reason, exposed his midriff. She had trouble believing it herself, but there was no doubt about it.
Her mysterious outlander and the Yuheng's suspect were one and the same.

''I know him. That's Aether.'' she said, a slight shake in her voice.

Now Keqing was the one in shock. ''Who ?''

''I met him at Yujing Terrace the night before the Rite of Descension. He gave me his name : Aether, also known as the Traveler.'' She thought for a bit before coming to the horrible realization. ''Do you think he was at the terrace because he was planning something ?''

Now she was even more troubled. In her three thousand years of serving the Geo Archon, Ganyu had never felt like this. Her god was dead and she knew the killer, she wanted nothing more than a break but Liyue needed her, she wanted to cry but coudn't afford to, her head hurt, everything was confusing, dark and sad.
For the first in her life, she felt like quitting. Giving up on everything. Her work ethic, her pride, her life. Everything.
But she couldn't.

''Okay, that's a lot of information. I need to write everything down.'' Keqing scribbled in her notebook. ''And yes, definitely. You don't kill a god without thorough planning and a lot of preparation, no matter how strong you are. What I need to know now is whether or not you're willing to help me out with my investigation.''

Ganyu was still a bit hesitant. Were they really not making a mistake ? More importantly, she had trouble imagining the kind stranger who genuinely listened to her troubles being a devious murderer. The golden eyes she saw that night, they had been through a lot, but somehow still had kindness to share.
But maybe he was just a wolf in sheep's clothing, and was really good at hiding his true motives. Deep down, she already knew what the right thing to do was.
If she couldn't give up, then she would fight until her final breath.
Even if there was only a one percent chance that he was the culprit, she still had to go after him. Because compared to serving a god for millenia, a few minutes spent with a stranger were insignificant.

To protect Liyue was her duty.

To avenge Rex Lapis was her promise.

Her face and her resolve hardened like stone. Just like during the Archon War, Ganyu looked straight ahead.

''I will. Let's bring the culprit to justice, Lady Keqing.''


''Man, everyone must think I'm guilty.''

A few more bangs echoed around the plains, and Aether was finally done. Looking at his work with satisfaction, he wiped the sweat from his forehead, and jumped down.

''Gramps, I'm done with the roof. Do you need help with anything else ?'' he shouted.

An old man walked out of the decrepit house. Despite his age, he shook Aether's hand with vigor. ''You've already helped me out a lot, youngster, take it easy. Come in and let's have a drink.''
The Traveler took a quick whiff of the liquor and winced. It was probably strong enough to melt a boulder, but a corrosive drink was still better than no alcohol at all.
On second thought, a healthy liver was better than alcohol.

''To your hard work, my boy. And to my new roof !'' cheered the old man. He downed his cup in one go, while Aether politely placed his own glass back on the table.

''It's the least I could do, really.'' Aether chuckled. ''You offered us your hospitality for three whole nights, and I won't forget it.''

It was a stroke of luck, too. After wandering around Lisha with Paimon, they'd finally found a shack inhabited by a lonely but welcoming fisherman. But since it was the only house in the vicinity, the Millelith would obviously look for the suspect here. Not wanting to put his host in danger, the Traveler decided that it was now time to get up and leave.

''Ah, shame. I guess there's no making you stay for another day.'' the fisherman sighed. ''You mentioned going west, right ? Could you do a little something for me while you're on the road ?''

''Sure, what is it ?''

The old man scratched his beard. ''I've heard rumors of a mysterious woman, roaming around these parts. She's been slaughtering monsters near Qingxu Pool, and this whole thing's got me worried.''

Aether raised a brow. ''You're fearing for your life ?'' Qingxu Pool wasn't that far away, but the house was so isolated, he would have been surprised if someone came all the way here just to bring trouble.

''Nah, I've survived seventy winters. But from what I've heard, she always makes a ruckus when she fights, real chaotic.'' the fisherman looked at Aether in the eyes, dead serious. ''I'm worried that she might scare away the fish.''

''Oh.''

The Traveler didn't know if he was supposed to laugh or take the old man seriously. Then again, his only sustenance came from fishing, so it was probably the latter. But sure, he had no reason to say no. He would help out the old man, and also find a good hiding spot in Qingxu Pool.
Two birds with one stone.

''I'll check it out, then.'' he smiled and shook the old man's hand one last time.

The fisherman gave him a mischievous smirk. ''Live your life to the fullest, boy. The thrill of adventure from my younger days is what's keeping me sane. So no regrets. I hope you manage to solve these problems you won't tell me about.''

''Don't worry, I will.''

Time to get back on the road.

As he left the shack, Paimon appeared next to him. By the look on her face, Aether could she'd just had an idea, which could be either decent or absolutely terrible.

''Say, when we're done with this errand, can we go back to Mondstadt ?'' the fairy asked. ''With the Geo Archon being dead and all that, we don't really have a reason to stay here. The Knights will definitely protect us, too.''

Aether had considered it at first. If they'd traveled really fast after leaving the harbor, maybe they could have reached Stone Gate before the soldiers. But then, he realized that there were several problems.

''We're wanted criminals, Paimon. Even if we managed to get past the border, the Qixing would eventually find out that we're in Mondstadt. If the Knights of Favionus refused to hand over the guy who's suspected of having killed their god, all of this could very well escalate into a war.''

And it terrified him. Because Mondstadt didn't stand a chance. Even with Venti and Dvalin's help, most of the Land of Freedom's military forces were on Varka's crusade, and the remaining warriors would simply be overwhelmed. And if the Anemo Archon somehow managed to turn the tide of the battle in their favor, it would still be a massive bloodshed.

The death of Rex Lapis was an event that prevented him from entering any other nation. Aether's only chance was to somehow prove his innocence.
But before that, he had to tell a woman to fight monsters more quietly.

...

Why was his life like this ?


The Traveler could talk to most women without a problem. Most women.

Because talking to this woman could very well result in death.

With a thrust of her spear, Shenhe pierced the mitachurl's chest. Twisting it within its stomach, she pulled it out, spilling the monster's guts everywhere. A hilichurl jumped her from behind, but her fist sent it flying through a wall. Three archers drew their crossbows, only to be bludgeoned by her Cryo avatar.

''Excuse me ma'am-'' Aether dodged a beheaded hilichurl corpse at the last second. ''I was sent here- oh lord.'' An unfortunate mitachurl's arm flew over his head. He raised his voice to cover the sounds of torture and a young hilichurl's shrieks of agony. ''Can you please calm down ?''

It was so violent that he forgot to cover Paimon's eyes. The stench of blood and insides didn't make him feel too well either.

The white-haired woman noticed them, and finally stopped the slaughter while the remaining hilichurls ran, or crawled, for their lives. Completely ignoring the black blood staining her face, Shenhe tilted her head like a puppy. The puppy would've probably looked a lot cuter if its eyes weren't filled with murderous intent.

Aether wanted to ask if she needed therapy, but right now was probably a bad time. ''I'm going to make this short : An old man sent me here to ask you to stop disturbing the fish, so if you want to kill hilichurls, please do it a bit more calmly okaythatsitseeyabye.''
Aether grabbed Paimon and made a u-turn, but to his dismay, he felt a powerful hand grab his cape.

''Help me.''

That wasn't a plea. That was an order. Heck, maybe even a threat. The Traveler gestured for his traumatized friend to disappear, which she did. As if she'd just been waiting for the witness to leave, Shenhe pinned him against the wall. Aether didn't know if he was supposed to be scared or aroused, so his body decided for him, and he began to sweat bullets.

Scared was probably the better alternative.

''Help me.'' She repeated herself, but he had a feeling she wouldn't say it a third time.

''S-sure ma'am, what do you need ?''

Maybe that wasn't the right answer, because her cold fingers slowly wrapped around his neck. But she didn't apply pressure. Yet.

''My name is Shenhe. I need my ropes. Now.''

Aether looked around frantically. Ropes. Where the hell was he supposed to find ropes ?
Wait. She wasn't going to strangle him with said ropes, right ?
Should he just fend her off ? Sure, she looked strong, but if he managed to read her moves, he could escape with barely a scratch. But that was easier said than done. She definitely was a little deranged. It was probably best to humor her, at least for now.

''Pleasure to meet you. I'm Aether.'' he nervously chuckled. ''What kind of ropes are you looking for, miss Shenhe ?''

Her iridescent eyes still gazed deep into his. ''Red ones. I lost them around here. Help me look.''

''I would gladly help you, but someone is trying to choke me.'' he politely retorted.

Maybe she only heard him partially, because her hands moved up to his cheeks. Only then did he realize how close their faces were.

''Scared, Aether. You're supposed to be scared.''

Shenhe nodded and let go of him silently. Aether immediately got to work, looking under the mutilated corpses. How hard could finding a few ropes be ?
Pretty hard, apparently, because the afternoon came and they still couldn't find them.

They had inspected the ruins in their near entirety, and the ropes were nowhere to be seen. The Traveler was worried, for the both of them.
Every minute, Shenhe would side-eye him, her breath short, while holding her wrist firmly. That, combined with the tremendous amount of murderous intent he felt emanating from her made the atmosphere incredibly tense.
If they couldn't find her ropes, what would she do ?

Unbeknownst to him, Shenhe was even more scared than he was.

She was shaking and silently cursing herself. She was meant to always wear the ropes, but she'd disobeyed her master's orders. Why did she untie them ? When did they slip ? Why was the temptation so great ? Why her ?
There were no answers to her questions.

Only an unquenchable thirst for blood. Which was fueled by the mysterious blond.

Every time she looked at him, that burning desire was there. To see his golden eyes lose their light. To hear his screams of pain and horror. To dye his blond hair red with his own blood. To feel her polearm pierce his fair, tender skin. Why ? Maybe because he didn't try to escape. He was no prey. Just another predator who was trespassing upon her territory.
And so, against the need to hurt him, she stood her ground. She could do this. She could overcome her urges, even though she didn't know why.

''I think I found something.'' His voice caught her attention.

In his hand, he was holding her salvation. Her ropes.

''Do your red ropes look like this ?'' he asked, exhausted.

Shenhe did not know what to say. So she nodded and said nothing. Taking the ropes from his hand, she bound her body, sealing away her homicidal nature.
As Aether watched her pale figure relax, he let out a sigh of relief. Finally done. And in the end, he'd made it out without a single scratch.

Figuring that his presence was now unnecessary, he waved. ''If you no longer need me, I'll be on my way.''

He turned around, and walked to the exit. But he stopped in his tracks when he heard her knees hit the ground.
When he heard her sobbing. When he heard the desperation in her broken voice.

''Don't turn around. You can't turn around. This is none of your business. Leave this to somebody else. This woman is crazy and dangerous. You saw what she did to these hilichurls. She could have done the same to you. Even if it looks like she's calmed down, you should just go. Go. Leave. Now.''

But his gloved hand wiped the tears from her eyes anyway.

''It's alright, Shenhe.'' he said, his voice calm and reassuring. ''You wanted to hurt me, huh ? You really wanted to. But you didn't.''

''Why ?'' she asked, still crying. ''You could've ran. You should've ran. Why did you help me...when I threatened your life ?''
But there was only kindness in his eyes. He was radiating a light, and even though she wanted this light, she was too scared of engulfing him in her own darkness.
''For your own good, please, stay away from me.'' she pleaded. ''I'm going to hurt you. Even with my red ropes, I sometimes struggle to control myself. I'm...

''You are a cursed child !''

''She's not human...''

''You're a witch !''

A single tear rolled down her cheek. ''I'm a monster.''

Aether closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again, his golden orbs looked even warmer than before. ''Listen here, Shenhe. I'm a traveler. I've been all over, and I've seen a lot of things. Including a ton of monsters. And let me tell you something : you're not one of them. You're a human. So if someone ever calls you a monster or anything of the sort...''

His eyes glowed with determination. ''You won't hurt them, I will.''


Kneeling by the river, Shenhe washed the dried blood from her face. Good. She had completely calmed down.

She then turned to her blond companion, who had just finished telling his story. ''So, did you kill Rex Lapis ?'' she asked innocently.

Aether handed her a napkin with a sigh. ''No I did not. My biggest mistake was to freak out and try to escape at all costs. The only crimes I've committed are resisting arrest and beating up the Millelith.''

Her head tilted again. ''Okay. I still think you're a good person, though.''

She believed him just like that ? Aether wasn't going to question Shenhe's judgement, especially when she was the only person who was sure of his innocence.

''Thank you, Shenhe.'' he smiled. ''But now I can't let myself get caught. No more mistakes. I need proof that what happened at the Rite has nothing to do with me, otherwise I'm screwed.''

She wanted to say something. In her eyes, someone like Aether didn't deserve to suffer. But even with her strength, they were still limited. They needed advice from someone smart, preferably not from Liyue Harbor. Someone like-
Wait a minute.

''Have you thought about talking to the adepti ? Rex Lapis was originally an adeptus. Maybe they'll know something useful.''

''Don't you need a Sigil of Permission to enter Jueyun Karst ?'' he despaired. ''I don't have one of those. And trespassing is not an option either. Making an enemy of a bunch of magical creatures is not on my bucket list right now.''

''Oh, I have one.'' The mystical paper slip materialized in Shenhe's hand. ''It was given to me by Master. I'm an adeptus disciple.'' she explained. ''If I'm with you, there shouldn't be a problem.''

The Traveler didn't know how he got from Bennet's level of luck to this, but he was certainly going to seize the opportunity before something went wrong again.

''You're an absolute lifesaver !'' he exclaimed. ''If I meet the adepti, then there might be a way to prove my innocence, and put an end to this mess.''

He laid back on the grass, the blazing evening sky reflecting in his eyes. He had a clear goal now. Things were beginning to change, and if he played his cards right, he would have a massive advantage over the Qixing. If his life was a battle, then this was an opening in the enemy's defenses.

Now was the time to strike.


And done ! Man, Shenhe is such a fun character to write about, the words just come naturally to my fingers. I hope I managed to make her likable in my own writing style. This can't beat the Interlude Chapter, but I hope it's obvious enough that she's more calm and affectionate with the ropes on.
Also, some of you might have noticed that Childe's role got stolen twice now. First against the Millelith, and now with the Sigil. It's because he's gonna be doing his own thing (definitely nothing to do with the Gnosis). More about that in the next chapter ;)

Btw, I'm still writing Please teach me how to fly, just making a big chapter about the twins' backstory.