Sushang gently laid the Millelith soldier on the ground.
Then she unfolded the bloodstained paper.
One glance—
Her eyes widened instantly.
[They've come. They're already inside Liyue Harbor. Be careful… do not trust anything they say.]
Then came the rules:
They hide among people during the day and move at night.
At night, only the Millelith patrol. If you see other nations' troops—run.
The Keqing and Ningguang can be trusted—but only at night.
If you find Zhongli, he can help you—but you must prove you are still human.
Xiao can eliminate them—but only if he wears a yaksha mask. If he wears a different mask, find Zhongli instead.
The wealthy can resist corruption—but only temporarily. Find them quickly.
Eat at Wanmin Restaurant during the day—only food made by Xiangling.
Ganyu eats strictly vegetarian food.
If you meet the "divine maiden," she can protect you—but don't anger her.
Exorcist families can drive away evil and protect humans.
By the time she finished reading—
Sushang's brain felt like it was overheating.
"…What does all this even mean?"
So many rules.
And worse—
Some of them might be wrong.
She looked up at the sky.
Still daytime.
Plenty of time before night fell.
"…Alright."
She made a decision.
Enter the city first.
Find a wealthy household—Rule 6 said they could resist the corruption.
As for the rest—
She'd deal with it later.
Step by step—
She walked into Liyue Harbor.
Everything looked normal.
Bustling streets.
Vendors calling out.
Ships coming and going.
"…Doesn't seem dangerous at all…"
"Hey! Isn't that Miss Sushang?"
A cheerful voice called out.
She turned—
And saw Hu Tao hopping toward her.
"Miss Hu Tao?"
Even though she knew this wasn't the real Hu Tao—
Sushang still greeted her politely.
After all—
If "wealthy people" could resist corruption…
Hu Tao definitely counted.
"You shouldn't be out alone," Hu Tao said brightly. "Things have been pretty chaotic lately."
Sushang nodded, then put on a troubled expression.
"I actually came here to visit… but my currency doesn't work here…"
Translation:
I'm broke.
"Oh, that's easy!"
Hu Tao immediately pulled out a large handful of Mora and handed it over.
"Use this. Just pay me back later."
"…Thank you!"
Sushang accepted it gratefully.
Then casually asked about Wanmin Restaurant.
Hu Tao answered everything without hesitation.
After gathering enough information—
Sushang prepared to leave.
"Go on, go on!"
Hu Tao waved cheerfully and walked off in the opposite direction.
"…She's really nice."
Sushang smiled, heading toward Wanmin Restaurant.
Behind her—
Hu Tao suddenly stopped.
Her body remained still.
But her head—
Turned 180 degrees.
She stared at Sushang's back.
And smiled.
A twisted, unnatural smile.
The viewers exploded.
[Hu Tao]: WHAT WAS THAT?! THAT'S ME?!
[Xiangling]: That's terrifying!
[Yun Jin]: My legs are shaking…
[Xinyan]: Same here…
Even those who weren't easily scared felt chills.
Seeing a familiar face become something like that—
Was far worse than facing an unknown monster.
[Keqing]: That Hu Tao must be one of "them."
[Ningguang]: Or already corrupted.
[Ganyu]: Am I going to turn into that too…?
Meanwhile—
Sushang kept walking.
Unaware.
Soon—
She arrived at Wanmin Restaurant.
[Xiangling]: Wait, that was fast?! Is Liyue always this small?
[Keqing]: …Definitely not.
Something was off.
Distances didn't make sense.
Space itself felt… distorted.
And just as she stepped closer—
The real test was about to begin.
Welcome… to Strange Liyue.
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