Chapter 862: Liyue’s Current Situation
Ten minutes later, Yanmi was outside the main tribe.
More than twenty huge ceratosaurus from Wolu pulled huge "dragon carts", on which sat many seriously injured and disabled Nata warriors, as well as some special groups such as the elderly, children and pregnant women.
An Ice Gun Heavy Guard from the Fatui advance team, referred to as "Ice Fat", saw Shao Yun and Xitrali coming from afar.
He waved his arms excitedly and shouted, "Hello! I'm here!"
After Shao Yun approached, he looked up and down at this silly-looking "Fathead Vanguard·Ice Gun Heavy Guard".
Although the Fatui are not good people, his chubby figure and silly voice make people feel that he is kind of cute.
Shao Yun teased with a half-smile: "Are you the one who will escort these civilians to the Holy Fire Arena with me?"
Bing Pang didn't seem to notice Shao Yun's teasing. He touched his big belly, nodded, and said, "Yes, it's me."
"By the way, do you like raspberries?" As he said that, Bingpang took out a small bag of dried raspberries from his waist bag and handed it to Shao Yun.
Shao Yun looked at the dried raspberries that Bing Pang handed over. He took the bag and examined it carefully.
"Dried raspberries? They're things like candied fruits or dried fruits, right?" Shao Yun asked puzzledly.
Bing Pang nodded and said in a naive tone, "Yes, this is my treasured Liyue dried raspberries. They are delicious. Would you like some?"
Shao Yun smiled slightly, and felt a little more favorable towards this adorable fat boy.
He put the dried Liyue raspberries that Bingpang handed to him into his mouth and started chewing.
The sweet and sour taste of dried raspberries spreads in the mouth.
"Well, it tastes really good." Shao Yun praised.
Seeing this, Bingpang scratched his head and said a little embarrassedly: "Hey, I brought this back from Liyue specially. The raspberries there are so delicious!"
Shao Yun nodded and continued, "Have you really been to Liyue before?"
Bing Pang quickly replied, "Yes, yes, I used to work for the Fatui executive officer 'Young Master'. But later, I was assigned to work under the captain."
When Bingpang mentioned that he was assigned to the "captain", his eyes lit up. This was the luckiest thing in his life.
He said excitedly: "I am so lucky to be sent to the captain's command! The captain is so powerful, I can learn a lot from him!"
Then, Bing Pang suddenly shuddered and said, "Fortunately, I was not sent to the doctor, otherwise I would definitely be finished..."
"I heard that many of our colleagues who were withdrawn from Liyue were taken by the doctor for human experiments. It's terrifying..."
After listening to Bingpang's words, Shao Yun pursed his lips, as if thinking about something.
After a while, he pointed at himself and said to Bing Pang: "You should know me."
Bingpang nodded slightly. He certainly knew what Shao Yun had done in Liyue.
"I know, I know. But the captain said that we are now on the same front, right?" Bingpang replied slowly.
At this moment, Shao Yun suddenly thought of something. Could this fat guy in front of him be the unlucky guy who was picked raspberries and was beaten near Qingce Village in Ganyu's legendary mission?
Shao Yun decided to test it out, and asked with a half-smile: "By the way, have you ever been beaten by Gan Yu?"
Upon hearing this, Bingpang couldn't help but scratch his head, very confused.
"Gan Yu?"
This name was a little unfamiliar to him. He thought about it for a while before he suddenly realized it.
"Oh, you mean the secretary of Liyue Seven Stars? No, I didn't participate in the mission to attack the Jade Pavilion. After all, those colleagues who participated in the attack on the Jade Pavilion did not come back alive..."
After listening to Bingpang's words, Shao Yun nodded thoughtfully.
"That's right. After you Fatui were expelled, Ganyu probably wouldn't be able to meet you again..."
Bingpang still misses the raspberries of Liyue. He said, “I don’t know how Liyue is doing now. I miss the raspberries of Liyue so much…”
Shao Yun pondered the word "Liyue" in his mouth and muttered: "Liyue..."
……
At this moment, Liyue Harbor was bathed in the afterglow of the setting sun, and the atmosphere in the Yanshang Tea House seemed particularly peaceful.
Keqing did not work overtime at Yuehai Pavilion as usual today. After get off work, she strolled through the streets of Liyue Harbor, feeling the pulse of this city.
The afterglow of the setting sun shines on every corner of Liyue Harbor. The commercial street is full of shops and is bustling with people coming and going.
However, even though everything was the same as before, Keqing had an indescribable strange feeling in her heart.
After the fierce business war that lasted for half a year, the business atmosphere in Liyue Harbor seemed to have undergone subtle changes. This change made Keqing feel a little strange and uneasy.
She wandered the streets, her eyes scanning her surroundings, trying to figure out the source of this strange feeling.
However, no matter how hard she looked, she couldn't tell exactly what was wrong.
Before she knew it, Keqing had arrived at the door of the Yanshang Tea House.
After hesitating for a moment, she decided to walk into the tea room, order a pot of tea, and let her thoughts settle down.
When Keqing picked up the teacup and took a sip, her mind could not calm down.
At this moment, Ye Lan appeared in front of her like a ghost and sat down gently opposite her.
Ye Lan stretched out her fingers and snapped them crisply in front of Keqing's somewhat dull eyes.
"Keqing, what's wrong with you? You look disturbed."
Keqing slowly raised her head and looked at Ye Lan who had sat in front of her without her noticing.
She sighed and said in a depressed tone: "It's okay, I just feel that the recent days have been unusually quiet, so quiet that it's scary."
“I originally thought that I could use Mr. Shao Yun’s reputation to help Lady Ningguang overcome the crisis and resolve the disorderly commercial competition in Liyue.”
"But now, everything is so weird. I always feel like something is going to happen, but I can't tell what it is."
When Ye Lan heard Keqing use "peaceful" to describe the current Liyue, she couldn't help but feel puzzled and asked, "Is peace not good?"
She really couldn't understand why Keqing was dissatisfied with this situation.
However, Keqing shook her head vigorously and denied it firmly: "No, I think all this is too 'orderly' and makes it feel unreal..."
She frowned, deeply worried about this deadly calm.
Next, Keqing tried her best to describe the current business atmosphere in Liyue.
She described it this way: "The current business community in Liyue Harbor is like a pot of thick rice porridge. No matter what you throw into it, it won't cause any ripples."
After hearing this, Ye Lan said thoughtfully, "Perhaps this is the best situation for Liyue."
"Everyone can make money. Not only can we earn Mondstadt's wealth, but also Inazuma, Xumi, and Fontaine's money!"
"This way, everyone can benefit. Why fight among themselves?"
Ye Lan’s words made Keqing fall into deep thought.
After thinking for a moment, she looked at Ye Lan with some confusion, and finally expressed the "fear" deep in her heart.
"Actually, what I'm really worried about is that I seem to have lost my original heart..."
"Yuhengxing should be a motto for being upright and incorruptible, but I... I feel like I have tarnished the name of Yuhengxing."
Seeing Keqing's self-denial, Ye Lan's heart tightened. She quickly reached out and held Keqing's hand, and whispered to comfort her:
"Keqing, you are still too young. Sometimes, ideals alone are not enough. Reality is often so cruel..."
Keqing frowned slightly, disagreeing with Ye Lan's words, but did not interrupt her and continued listening.
Ye Lan paused for a moment, then continued: "You have done very well. Many things are not what you want them to be. Sometimes we need to accept reality and learn to adapt to it."
Keqing pulled her hand back and murmured to herself, "But I always feel that I have changed, and Lady Ningguang seems to have changed too. Everything has become different."
“But I can’t really tell what has changed.”
As she spoke, Keqing raised her head and stared at Ye Lan, trying to find the answer in her eyes.
Finally, she asked the question that had been buried deep in her heart.
"Do you think Lady Ningguang has changed?"
Ye Lan was startled by Keqing's sudden question. She avoided his gaze and didn't dare to look Keqing in the eye.
After a moment of silence, Ye Lan slowly said, "Ningguang... maybe she has never changed... maybe, she is just getting closer and closer to her truest self..."
……
At this moment, in Qun Yu Pavilion.
Ningguang sat behind her carved and jade-inlaid desk, her posture elegant, blending in with the luxurious environment around her.
She crossed her legs lightly, with her right hand casually resting on her knee, her fingertips rhythmically tapping the cheongsam on her body, revealing a leisurely yet dignified temperament.
Her eyes fell on the female businessman in front of her named "Zhi Qiao". Zhi Qiao wore a jade hairpin and dressed in elegant and luxurious clothes. Together with Ningguang, she set off the glittering jewels in the Qun Yu Pavilion.
She carefully held an antique box in her hands. The box was intricately carved and looked very valuable.
There was a hint of nervousness and anticipation on Zhiqiao's face. The goods she brought were obviously extraordinary, a family heirloom, and she hoped to attract the attention of Ningguang, the big shot.
"What brings you to see me?" Ningguang's voice was clear and gentle, yet it carried a majesty that could not be ignored.
Zhiqiao trembled all over, and opened the box tremblingly. She put it on the table and introduced the treasure in the box to Ningguang with a forced smile, saying:
"Master Ningguang... This is my family's heirloom. Please accept it."
Ningguang's eyes were attracted by the things in the box. She saw several exquisite jade stones placed inside, each of which exuded a warm luster.
She reached out and picked up one of the good quality jade stones, held it in her hand and looked at it carefully, feeling the texture and line of the jade.
The surface is as smooth as a mirror, with a faint warm luster, and it is round and smooth like pearls and jade...
Then, Ningguang looked at Zhiqiao with interest and said softly, "I remember you. Your name is Zhiqiao, right?"
"Your family is in the mineral business. Since the reopening of the Layered Abyss, your family has made a lot of money..."
Zhiqiao felt a little uneasy as she listened to Ningguang's words.
She placed her hands awkwardly on her lower abdomen, lowered her eyes, and did not dare to look at Ningguang. She just nodded slightly and replied with a slightly trembling voice:
"Yes... yes, Master Ningguang, you have a very good memory."
In order to ease the slightly awkward atmosphere, Zhiqiao quickly flattered Ningguang.
"Thanks to Lord Ningguang for your wisdom and righteousness, you are willing to give us small merchants a way out and let us have something to eat..."