Luo Qing turned his head.
A group of knights in uniform surrounded him, gripping longswords as they closed in.
Standing directly in front of him was a young woman with short, sky-blue hair. She wore tight black leather pants and a cropped white jacket with deep blue accents. Beneath her right shoulder, an icy-blue Vision was pinned with a feathered ornament, exuding an air of elegance.
She held a dark blue, intricately engraved greatsword in both hands, pointing its edge directly at Luo Qing with a gaze full of vigilance.
“…”
Luo Qing glanced down at his outfit and immediately understood the misunderstanding.
To prepare for unexpected combat, he had donned his rarely worn Fatui uniform before heading to Tenshukaku. The dark gold insignia of an Executive glinted conspicuously at his waist in the sunlight.
“I… uh… I’m not actually—”
Before he could explain, the woman scoffed.
“Hmph! Save your excuses for my sword!”
With that, she swung her greatsword at him without hesitation.
“…”
【+1 Frustration Value from Luo Qing.】
Watching the woman charge toward him, Luo Qing shook his head.
He might not have been able to defeat the Raiden Shogun, but surely he could handle her.
You’re asking for it, he thought, resigned.
The next moment, in the woman’s vision, the “dangerous Fatui agent” before her suddenly locked her in a golden gaze.
Before she could react, the world spun around her, and screams from her subordinates filled the air.
—
A few minutes later…
The entire knight squad was tied up in an intricate mess of ropes, piled together like a sack of potatoes.
As for their leader, the Vision-wielding swordswoman, she had been given special treatment. Her leather pants, which had perfectly highlighted her figure, were removed, and her hands and feet were fitted with suppression cuffs to block the flow of elemental energy.
“Let me ask you something,” Luo Qing began, glancing at the bound knights beside him. He sat cross-legged in front of the woman and gestured to the still-healing wound on his abdomen. His tone was calm but pointed.
“I’m already this badly injured, and you all thought it’d be a good idea to finish me off? Don’t you think that’s a bit over the top?”
“…”
The woman glared at him, her lips tightly pursed. After a long silence, she finally spat out a few words:
“You’re… a Fatui agent…”
“What kind of logic is that?!” Luo Qing’s temper flared.
Why was it that everywhere he went, people insisted on treating him like some sort of villain?
Did he really look that shady?
“Fatui agents deserve to have swords pointed at them, huh? That it?”
“Hmph…”
The woman scoffed again before spitting at him.
“…”
Luo Qing leaned back to dodge, slightly startled.
Does she even understand her situation? Does she realize who’s in charge here?
Despite being tied up like this, she still acted so defiant.
Was she begging for trouble?
“You… come here,” Luo Qing muttered.
Grabbing the rope around the back of her neck, he lifted her effortlessly. Her smooth, bare feet wiggled helplessly in the air, the cuffs gleaming against her pale skin.
Then, in full view of her bound squadmates, Luo Qing slung her over his shoulder and carried her behind a dense thicket nearby.
The knights’ eyes widened in disbelief.
Their expressions screamed, What the hell is happening?!
—
After throwing the woman onto the ground amidst the bushes, Luo Qing made sure they were out of sight of her subordinates.
Sitting cross-legged before her, he said in a calm voice, “Now, I’m going to ask questions, and you’re going to answer them. Understand?”
While Luo Qing had a rough idea of his current location, Teyvat’s map was vast and unfamiliar to him in many places. It was best to confirm the details.
“…”
The woman’s eyes darted nervously, but she quickly forced herself to appear composed, glaring at him with defiance.
She reminded Luo Qing of a short-haired blue kitten, puffed up in a futile attempt to appear threatening despite its fear.
“What’s your name?” he asked.
“…”
No answer.
“Alright, you asked for it.”
With a flick of his wrist, her white jacket disintegrated into shreds, exposing the deep black bodysuit underneath and her snow-white shoulders.
“Next time, it’ll be something else. Let’s hope you’re wearing enough layers,” Luo Qing teased, lightly poking her flat stomach with his finger.
“You—!” The woman gritted her teeth and tried to summon elemental energy.
But the suppression cuffs blocked her power, leaving her helpless under the weight of the thick ropes binding her.
“Three… two…” Luo Qing counted down, curling one finger back with each number.
“One—”
“E… Eula Lawrence!” she blurted out, turning her face away to avoid meeting his gaze.
“See? That wasn’t so hard.”
Luo Qing smiled, patting her head.
“Don’t touch me!” Eula shouted, jerking her head to push his hand away.
Her voice carried back to her bound knights, who now looked even more horrified.
That’s our captain! their eyes seemed to cry out. This Fatui agent is shameless!
—
“Next question. Where are we?”
Luo Qing continued.
He already knew he was in Mondstadt, but without a map of Fatui outposts in the region, he had no idea where to find their forward operating teams.
Ideally, he needed to locate a safe spot to set up another teleportation “toilet” and get back to Inazuma.
Of course, the teleportation toilets worked randomly.
If Ei hadn’t destroyed the one in the Plane of Euthymia, there was still a fifty-percent chance he could end up back there.
The idea of running into Ei again sent a shiver down his spine.
For now, he just needed a safe place to regroup.
“…”
Eula remained silent.
“Three… two…”
“Whispering Woods,” she mumbled reluctantly.
“Why do you only behave when I start counting?” Luo Qing sighed.
Many noblewomen seemed to value their dignity above all else, and using that to threaten them often proved more effective than brute force.
“How far is Mondstadt City from here?”
“…”
“Three…”
“On foot… half a month’s journey…”
Eula lowered her head, biting her lip. She had never felt as humiliated as she did now.
She swore she would remember this grudge.
“Half a month, huh?” Luo Qing muttered, weighing his options.
Heading straight back would mean leaving critical supplies unattended in the wild. On the other hand, the trek to Mondstadt City’s safe house would waste precious time.
Still, with the Inazuma situation wrapped up, he figured Lumine could handle the rest.
And besides, there was still that fifty-percent chance of landing back in the Plane of Euthymia.
No way he was risking another run-in with Ei.
Lost in thought, Luo Qing’s gaze drifted back to Eula.
“Wh-what are you planning to do?”
“Take a guess~” Luo Qing replied, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.
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