Keqing had a temper too!
She had originally intended to just step out and act as a distraction, but she never expected these Treasure Hoarders to be so arrogant, let alone spout such filth! She loathed those lewd, greasy stares more than anything.
"You dare offend the Liyue Qixing? Come with me to the Ministry of Civil Affairs to stand trial!"
With that, she drew The Black Sword. Everywhere the blade pointed, hearts turned cold with fear. Keqing's sword intent had already reached a state of absolute perfection.
Huang Mazi let out a cold snort. "You little brat, you have no respect! I was hunting for treasure in Liyue while you were still in your mother's womb! You think the Liyue Qixing are a big deal? I hope you can keep that haughty attitude in a moment! Men, get her!"
With a wave of his hand, the Marksmen behind him raised their crossbows and aimed at Keqing.
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
Several bolts carrying concentrated pressure whistled through the air. Each one was aimed at Keqing's ankles, thighs, or shoulders. If any of these spots were hit, she would either be unable to move or unable to swing her sword. Their attacks were clearly not meant to be lethal; they wanted to strip Keqing of her mobility and ability to resist so they could carry out their vile intentions.
Keqing would never let them have their way.
With her Yunlai Swordsmanship, she easily deflected the bolts. As her blade met the arrows, crisp clinking sounds rang out, accompanied by bursts of sparks.
"The girl's got some skill. Potioneers, move in!"
At the command, several Potioneers pulled prepared mixtures from their pockets. One of them hurled a potion bottle. Keqing was no stranger to dealing with Potioneers. One could never underestimate these bottles. If they contained a Pyro potion and were shattered by a blade, the flames would instantly erupt, engulfing the person entirely. Such an attack was almost impossible to avoid.
Keqing had once seen it happen with her own eyes. A Millelith soldier had used a spear to pierce a potion bottle, and the fire had slithered up the shaft like a venomous snake, swallowing him in an instant.
There were also those who tried to smash them with swords, only for the exploding flames to drench them like scalding water, affecting not just the soldier but their comrades nearby as well. In the end, the soldier who struck the bottle lost his life, and those caught in the blast were so severely burned that they were forced to retire. And that was the lucky outcome!
So, she immediately lunged to the side to dodge.
As expected, flames roared up from the spot she had just occupied, setting the grass ablaze. A second bottle followed immediately. Before Keqing could even land, the bottle exploded, releasing a massive cloud of ice mist. At that moment, however, Keqing threw out a Lightning Stiletto!
[Stellar Restoration]
In the blink of an eye, her figure vanished and reappeared on the other side. Because of her increased speed, she perfectly evaded the crossbow bolts from below. Looking at the arrows embedded in the dirt behind her, Keqing felt a lingering fear. If she weren't wearing the clothes Ye Xi gave her, she certainly wouldn't have been able to dodge those lethal shots.
"Dammit, how is she so fast?"
"We can't catch her at all!"
"She's too quick!"
"Boss, the crossbows can't hit her!"
Their assault did not let up. The Marksmen continued to fire their bows, and the Potioneers kept throwing their bottles. But Keqing simply kept her distance and dodged. As long as she didn't charge forward, the Grapplers couldn't move in, or they would be caught in the blast of their own potions.
"Keep attacking! Let's see how much stamina she has left to keep running!"
Huang Mazi wasn't worried at all. They held the tactical advantage. They couldn't hit Keqing for now, but Keqing couldn't do anything to them either. On the contrary, Keqing's stamina would be rapidly depleted, and they could just wait for her to tire out.
Keqing understood this perfectly, which was why she was stalling for time. While dodging, she noticed a stream of water surreptitiously flowing toward the Treasure Hoarders from behind.
This was Ye Xi's plan. She would draw their attention in the front while Ye Xi secretly released a flow of water. Then, using Cryo Elemental Power, he would freeze them all at once! This would spare the Treasure Hoarders' lives,
keeping in line with the laws of the Ministry of Civil Affairs. All Treasure Hoarders had to be judged before being sentenced. If they were to slaughter them outright, it would damage the reputation of the Qixing.
Ye Xi kept a close watch on Keqing while releasing Hydro energy, letting the water creep unnoticed beneath the Treasure Hoarders' feet. Originally, he had planned to just use an Overloaded reaction to blow them all to the sky.
But freezing them wasn't a bad idea either; making too much noise might attract unwanted attention. Freezing them would leave them with severe frostbitea fitting lesson.
The plan was going smoothly. The water had already begun to spread under the feet of the Treasure Hoarders in the back row. Engrossed in their crossbows, they hadn't noticed a thing.
But just as Ye Xi was waiting for the perfect moment, an accident happened on Keqing's side.
"Eek!"
Keqing had intended to land on a patch of grass, but she hadn't expected a Dendro Slime to be hiding there. The creature stayed underground, but its body was soft. When Keqing's shoe stepped on the slime, she lost her balance and took a hard fall to the ground.
In an instant, her heart sank.
"Now's our chance! Watch me knock her out with this Electro potion!" the Potioneer shouted, hurling a bottle.
The others stopped their attacks. If hit by Electro energy, a person would be knocked unconscious instantly. This way, they could capture Keqing alive without leaving a single wound. It was perfect.
Keqing squeezed her eyes shut, preparing to endure the hit. She believed Ye Xi would succeed, so even if she was knocked out, she wasn't afraid of falling into their hands. It was just that the shock would hurt quite a bit... and it might ruin the clothes Ye Xi gave her.
Just then, a figure suddenly stepped in front of Keqing. He looked calm and unhurried, his back turned to the incoming potion bottle with utter indifference. Instead, he reached down to pick up the fallen Keqing.
"Who is this guy? Is he crazy?"
"What an idiot, he isn't even dodging! He must not know how dangerous those potions are!"
"I knew the Yuheng wouldn't charge in alone. Turns out she had backup. Take another one!"
The Potioneer threw another bottle. The Electro potion smashed against Ye Xi's back, instantly erupting into a violent surge of lightning.
Keqing was startled. She hadn't expected Ye Xi to suddenly appear. If the plan failed, they would be in serious trouble! If Ye Xi were knocked out, she would be completely on her own. Trying to protect him while fighting off these Treasure Hoarders would be a losing battle.
"Watch out!"
The warning had barely left her lips when it was already too late. The Electro energy surged into Ye Xi's coat. A look of panic flashed across Keqing's face, but just as she thought he was about to be electrocuted, she realized he was completely unharmed.
[Electro damage received: Immune.]
Ye Xi gave a faint smile and lifted the fallen Keqing into his arms. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine... but watch out, there's another" Keqing started, but another bottle exploded. This time, it was Cryo. The ice mist erupted; any contact with it would cause severe frostbite. Yet, even as the mist completely enveloped Ye Xi's back, he didn't react at all.
[Cryo damage received: Immune.]
Now it was the Treasure Hoarders' turn to be dumbfounded.
"Holy crap, is this guy a robot?"
"Did a Ruin Guard reincarnate as a human?"
"How is he completely fine?"
While his underlings were frozen in shock, Huang Mazi was the first to recover. "Marksmen, fire! Shoot them! Kill them both!"
He finally realized that this opponent was dangerous beyond measure. If they delayed any longer, reinforcements would arrive, and they would all be finished!
Keqing, with her arms wrapped around Ye Xi's neck, stared with wide eyes. She couldn't understand why Ye Xi was completely unaffected by elemental attacks! It was simply inconceivable! Before she could ask, she saw a trace of coldness flicker across Ye Xi's handsome face.
In the next moment, she felt the wind. A piercing, howling wind!
A gale swept across the land, carrying broken grass and shattered leaves in its wake.
"I was planning to just freeze you, but I've changed my mind now."
His voice echoed in the hearts of all the Treasure Hoarders.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
The crossbows fired several bolts, all aimed at Ye Xi's vital points: the back of his head, his heart, his neck, and his spine! These arrows carried no elemental energy. If they hit him, even with his elemental-immune coat, he would still be injured.
However, he didn't show a hint of panic. He simply looked back calmly.
At that moment, the howling gale arrived! Every Treasure Hoarder tried to get a clear look at Ye Xi's face, but the swirling leaves and grass forced their eyes shut. The more they tried to see, the more blurred everything became. All they could see was a black coat fluttering violently in the wind.
The incoming bolts lost all their momentum before they could even get close to Ye Xi, blown back by the sheer force of the wind.
Keqing watched in a daze. She hadn't expected Ye Xi to be able to use Anemo energy as well. The wind whipped his coat into a frenzy around her, yet within his embrace, everything was calm and peaceful. She could see his hair being ruffled by the breeze and the resolute look on his face.
He's so handsome...
Suddenly, the wind changed. It became bone-chillingly cold! Snowflakes actually began to appear within the gale. The Treasure Hoarders nearby were instantly thrown into a panic.
"What's going on?!"
"Where did this snow come from in the middle of summer?"
"Damn, this kid is using Cryo! He can use two elements!"
"Fall back! If this keeps up, we're all going to freeze to death in this wind!"
Anemo and Cryo elements combined to trigger a Swirl. The piercing cold wind could drop their body temperature so rapidly they would pass out. Huang Mazi realized the danger and immediately ordered a retreat.
"Get out of here! Dammit, this kid is too freaky!"
Hearing their leader give the order, the men began to scramble backward. But how could Ye Xi give them the chance?
Rain began to fall amidst the howling wind, turning into ice crystals the moment it met the snowflakes. Pea-sized hailstones began to pelt the Treasure Hoarders.
But it didn't end there. The ice crystals immediately began to spread. A single tiny hailstone could expand to cover an area the size of a palm in an instant! Almost immediately, every single Treasure Hoarder was encased in a block of ice.
Keqing watched, mesmerized. By the time she regained her senses, the wind and rain had subsided, leaving behind a collection of lifelike ice sculptures. The cliff walls, the grass, and the trees before them were all sealed in ice, as if they had suddenly entered an ice age.
Dozens of Treasure Hoarders had been frozen solid from head to toe. They didn't even have time to utter a final word before they were turned to ice.
Since becoming a member of the Liyue Qixing, Keqing had never witnessed such a marvel! Most importantly, the one who caused all of this was Ye Xi! He had frozen the entire valley single-handedly! Just how much Elemental Power did he possess?
Keqing blinked, looking at Ye Xi as if he were a monster.
"Phew... handled." Ye Xi let out a breath and set Keqing down. "They shouldn't die from the cold. we can head back and get the Millelith to take them away."
"Um... alright." Keqing's amethyst-like eyes trembled. Even now, her heart was racing.
Yesterday, at Ningguang's residence, Ye Xi's back had made her grit her teeth in frustration. In the evening, within the Realm Within, the way he cooked had made her feel a sense of attachment. And just now, Ye Xi had made her heart skip a beat! She felt as though she would dream of him tonight.
"Well then, let's not delay. Shall we head back to Yujing Terrace together?"
Keqing nodded quickly, accepting his suggestion. But before she could even take a step, a sharp pain in her ankle caused her body to tilt, and she fell right into Ye Xi's chest.
"Ow!"
Hearing her cry of pain, Ye Xi finally noticed that Keqing's originally fair and slender ankle was now red and swollen.
"Your foot is injured. You should go rest in the Serenitea Pot while I head back to Yujing Terrace."
As he spoke, Ye Xi reached into his spatial backpack to pull out the Serenitea Pot. However, a pair of delicate hands pressed down on the lid, preventing him from opening it. He looked at Keqing and saw her face was flushed bright red. She kept her head low, one hand clutching the corner of his coat.
Hiss... she's too cute...
Ye Xi felt his heart melting as he watched Keqing acting spoiled. He knew he couldn't afford to be dense at a time like this. He smiled and asked knowingly, "What is it, Ke-shifu?"
Keqing buried her head even deeper into her chest, murmuring in a bashful voice, "I... I want to see the scenery along the way..."
What kind of strange reason is that for wanting a hug? But then again, it fits her personality perfectly.
Tsunderes really just can't be honest, can they?
Hearing his inner thought, Keqing looked up and saw the smile playing at the corners of Ye Xi's mouth. She wished she could just crawl into a hole in the ground.
This bad man! I won't let him hug me anymore!
She gripped the corner of his coat tightly and gave it a downward tug.
Ye Xi understood and lowered his body. Then, Keqing climbed onto his back like a little kitten.
Nice legs. I feel like I could admire them for a whole year.
Through her thin white stockings, he could feel a slight, cool temperature. Her skin was so delicate it felt as if it would bruise at the slightest touch. He held her slender legs in his hands while her arms wrapped around his neck. She clung to him like a little octopus.
Keqing was too embarrassed to say a word, pressing her face against Ye Xi's back.
"Hold tight, we're going."
With that, the surrounding wind gathered together, creating a powerful thrust behind Ye Xi. With a light leap, he jumped straight out of the valley.
...
At Yujing Terrace, the Millelith were changing shifts. The afternoon guards were taking over their posts. At this moment, two squads of Millelith were gathered at Yujing Terrace.
The Chief Instructor was giving a briefing in front of the gate of Yuehai Pavilion. Just as he finished his sentence, he saw a figure approaching in the distance.
Noit was a figure carrying another person on their back.
When they looked closer, everyone was stunned.
🚨 Note: Consider supporting this story on Patreon.com/Flokixy to access 400+ advance chapters and 2 new chapters daily! (Full story bundles also available without a subscription).