At the entrance of Yuehai Pavilion, the Chief Instructor of the Millelith was shouting at the top of his lungs, organizing the day's affairs.
Suddenly, the Millelith soldiers below all turned their heads in one direction. This sudden lack of discipline made the Chief Instructor feel like he had lost all face. Just as he was about to bark a reprimand, a voice drifted from behind him.
"There is a valley between Mt. Tianheng and Lingju Pass. A group of Treasure Hoarders is there; go and handle them."
Ye Xi explained the situation briefly.
The Chief Instructor was displeased. You're just a personal bodyguard; no matter how skilled you are, you can't just go around commanding the Millelith, can you?
He was about to give the man a piece of his mind when a small, familiar face peeked out from behind Ye Xi's shoulder.
"Yu... Lady Yuheng!?"
The Chief Instructor was instantly dumbfounded. The rest of the Millelith broke into a sudden uproar.
"Am I seeing things? Lady Yuheng is actually being carried on a man's back!?"
"No way, has Lady Yuheng been won over too?"
"Good heavens, Lady Keqing is actually holding onto a man of her own accord. I must be going blind!"
The crowd whispered and gossiped, their voices naturally reaching Keqing's ears. She gave a dry cough and climbed down from Ye Xi's back, her face flushed with shame.
"I... I injured my foot and cannot lead you to the scene personally. Deploy your troops immediately! Bring the Treasure Hoarders in that valley back to the Ministry of Civil Affairs for interrogation!" she ordered. "And remember, bring plenty of men. There are many of them, and some are quite cunning and arrogant."
The Chief Instructor hurriedly bowed. "Yes, Milady!"
These were the orders of the Liyue Qixing; how could he possibly refuse?
The Millelith soldiers stared straight at Ye Xi. They watched as he slowly entered Yuehai Pavilion, one hand resting on Keqing's slender waist and the other supporting her delicate arm.
Everyone felt like they were on the verge of a breakdown.
"There's no justice left! This guy is way too powerful!"
"Lady Yuheng's standards are so demanding, yet she can actually accept Ye Xi even though he's already with Lady Tianquan? This is absurd!"
"Lord Ye Xi is truly a legend! He's already captured two of the Liyue Qixing. Don't tell me even Miss Ganyu is next..."
"Don't talk nonsense! Miss Ganyu definitely wouldn't! Even though she looks gentle, she has that ethereal, distant aura of an adeptus that keeps everyone at arm's length!"
"True, true. Miss Ganyu's detached, otherworldly temperament is something else. No matter how capable Lord Ye Xi is, there's no way he could win her over!"
"Speaking of which, have you ever seen the clothes Lady Keqing is wearing? I've never seen anything like them."
"Yeah, they look incredibly novel!"
"Lord Ye Xi probably gave them to her!"
"Lady Keqing comes from a prestigious noble family. How could she be swayed by just a set of clothes? It's impossible..."
Seeing the chaos among his subordinates, the Chief Instructor clapped his hands, pulling everyone's focus back. "Form ranks!"
"According to Lady Yuheng's intel, there is a valley between Mt. Tianheng and Lingju Pass. The enemy consists of dozens of Treasure Hoarders!"
"This is a difficult mission, but that doesn't matter, because we are the Millelith!"
"Do you have the confidence to go with me and knock them flat!?"
The Chief Instructor's voice boomed, and a resounding response echoed back.
"We do!"
"Yes, sir!"
The Chief Instructor nodded and gave the command: "Move out! Watch out for Potioneers. Do not let them break their potion bottles!"
"Forward!"
With that command, the Millelith, armed with their long spears, marched out of Yujing Terrace with focused intensity.
Inside Yuehai Pavilion.
Thump!
Ningguang slammed her hand onto the desk and stood up, her voice tinged with anger. "You're telling me the two of you took down dozens of Treasure Hoarders on your own!?"
Seeing Keqing limping back supported by Ye Xi had worried Ningguang to death. After hearing Keqing explain the situation, she lost her temper.
"Do you have any idea how dangerous that was!?"
"If something had happened to you, how was I supposed to explain it to the other Qixing!?"
"Keqing, how many times have I told you? If you encounter enemies, you must return to Yujing Terrace to report first!"
Even though Ningguang trusted Keqing's strength, even the best can stumble. If she had fallen into an enemy trap, Ningguang truly might have fainted from the shock.
"Alright, alright, why are you so upset? Ye Xi was there, wasn't he?" Beidou cut in, trying to smooth things over. She patted Ye Xi on the shoulder. "With Ye Xi around, Keqing was bound to be protected. This brother of mine is incredibly capable. If he wasn't sure of himself, he wouldn't have acted recklessly."
Hearing Beidou's words, Ningguang finally calmed down a bit.
"Don't let there be a next time. Ye Xi, that goes for you too!"
"Situations like that are extremely dangerous. The Treasure Hoarders aren't just made up of simple Potioneers and Marksmen!"
"There are many powerful forces backing that organization. We cannot afford to be careless!" Ningguang sounded like a mother worried sick.
Hearing the lecture, Keqing felt a bit defiant. "Ningguang, you're looking down on Ye Xi too much!"
"Taking down those Treasure Hoarders by himself was a breeze for him!"
"If it weren't for the law requiring us to keep them alive, Ye Xi could have wiped them out completely!"
As she spoke, Keqing recounted every detail of what had happened in the valley.
"Ye Xi, you can also use Anemo!?" Ningguang was stunned. In this world, the only people known to use two elements were those from Snezhnaya, who utilized Delusions alongside their Visions. However, there wasn't a single person in all of Teyvat who could use more than three!
Beidou began to count. "Back on the ship, Ye Xi lit up an Electro Vision and received the favor of the Pyro Archon. Just now, in the battle with Keqing, he showed Anemo, Hydro, and Cryo."
"That makes five elements already!" Beidou was equally astonished.
Seeing the three girls staring at him, Ye Xi smiled. "Don't be so surprised. I've simply been blessed by the gods."
Keqing raised another question. "Ye Xi, when you helped me block those potion bottles earlier, why weren't you hurt? I saw two bottles hit you with my own eyes. When I checked your back just now, even your clothes weren't torn!"
Ye Xi nodded and explained, "The clothes I gave you all today have special buffs. This coat I'm wearing provides me with elemental immunity."
"What!?"
"Elemental immunity!?"
"That's actual elemental immunity!"
The three women were all shocked. Vision holders were the chosen ones of heaven, capable of unleashing elemental attacks. But if someone was immune to those attacks, wouldn't all Vision holders be rendered useless against them!? This was practically a god-tier artifact!
"Can I try?" Keqing pulled out a Lightning Stiletto, looking eager to test it.
Ye Xi didn't know whether to laugh or cry as he extended his arm. When the Electro energy struck his coat, the fabric didn't change in the slightest.
"It really is immunity!" Keqing's mouth hung open slightly, her eyes full of wonder.
Only Ningguang frowned. "Speaking of clothes... even Keqing has new clothes. Why don't I?"
The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. She felt like she was being isolated by Ye Xi! Beidou had new clothes, Ganyu had them, and now even Keqing had themonly she was left out! She felt both envious and wronged.
She couldn't exactly act like a spoiled girl and beg for them, could she? Setting aside her position as the Tianquan, at her age, acting like a little girl felt far too awkward!
Ye Xi looked away, feeling a bit embarrassed. "I'm going to grab some lunch. I'll be back this afternoon."
With that, he hurriedly got up to leave.
Ningguang called out in mock anger, "Ye Xi, don't you dare run off! Come to my room tonight!"
However, Ye Xi had already bolted out of the office. It was unclear if he had even heard her.
"He makes me so mad! That Ye Xi!" Ningguang had never felt so slighted. In Liyue, everyone always listened to her. Since Rex Lapis rarely appeared except for the annual Rite of Descension, she held a high position and had grown quite proud over time. This was the first time someone had appeared whom she couldn't control, leaving her feeling quite helpless.
At that moment, Keqing spoke up quite boldly. "It must be because you didn't make Ye Xi happy last night. If you put in more effort tonight, won't he just give you what you want?"
"You!" Ningguang's face was painted with a rare shade of crimson, unsure of how to respond to Keqing's insinuation.
Keqing crossed her arms and smirked. "Aren't you already cohabiting with Ye Xi? I heard from the patrolling Millelith that someone heard strange noises. Then again, it's understandable. Your body is 'ripe' after all; Ye Xi must be very fond of you."
Hearing this, Beidou burst into laughter, as if she had just heard the funniest thing in years.
Ningguang felt incredibly stifled. Who's cohabiting with Ye Xi? Who's ripe? That was clearly Yae Miko!
She knitted her brows and shot back, "Keqing, what is wrong with you? I've noticed that ever since Ye Xi arrived, you've been siding with him more and more! From what you just said, it sounds like he even carried you back on his back? What happened to keeping your distance?"
The barrage of questions made Keqing turn beet-red. However, she didn't want to lose face in front of Ningguang. Since she believed Ningguang was already living with Ye Xi, that meant Ningguang was the "first arrival." If Keqing backed down now, wouldn't she be stepped on by Ningguang forever?
She decided to go all in. Putting her hands on her hips, she retorted, "So what? As long as Ye Xi is happy, I don't care what I have to do."
Ningguang saw right through her. Keqing had clearly developed feelings for him! Even the Yuheng had fallen! Ningguang found this hard to accept.
Meanwhile, Ye Xi, who had already left Yuehai Pavilion, suddenly sneezed. He had a feeling people were talking about him behind his back.
He suddenly remembered something. When he had explained the situation to the Millelith earlier, he forgot to mention that the Treasure Hoarders were currently frozen solid.
Well, it should be fine...
At the foot of Mt. Tianheng.
The Millelith had finished forming up and were marching toward their objective. The Scouts at the front were looking around cautiously.
"Reporting to the Chief Instructor! As far as I know, there is a low-lying valley just ahead. Villagers have reported issues there before, and we've tried to clear it out several times!"
"However, those Treasure Hoarders are extremely cunning and use the terrain to run circles around us!"
"Several brothers were ambushed and are still recovering in the clinic," a Millelith leader reported.
Upon hearing this, the Chief Instructor's brow furrowed into a tight knot.
"Lady Yuheng personally gave this order. We must wipe out those Treasure Hoarders in one fell swoop! Otherwise, we'll bring shame to the Millelith!"
"The Chief Instructor is right!" the leader responded quickly.
The Chief Instructor pulled out a map and examined it closely. "Look here. This valley has three exits. we will split into three groups and flank them from these three points!"
The other leaders nodded and began counting their men. Before long, they had divided into three teams. As long as they blocked all the exits simultaneously, there would be no escape.
The Chief Instructor led his group to the base of the mountain and quickly entered the valley through one of the entrances.
"Report! The camp ahead seems empty!" a Scout reported. There wasn't a single soul in the camp ahead, even though it was clearly the Treasure Hoarders' main base.
The Chief Instructor frowned. "It's the middle of the day, yet they haven't even started fires for cooking. Don't tell me they've already run off?"
As he was thinking, a subordinate beside him shivered. "Chief Instructor... don't you feel like it's a bit cold in this valley?"
Following the remark, the Chief Instructor also felt a sudden chill. The sun was high in the sky, and the wind should have been warm. Yet, inside the valley, it felt like the middle of winter!
"Never mind that. Head straight for the center of the valley to regroup with the others!"
"Yes, sir!"
They resumed their march and soon reached a wide, open area. The sight before them left everyone completely stunned.
The entire valley was covered in a layer of ice. Despite the brilliant sun overhead, the valley was exceptionally cold!
"This... how can this be!?"
"Where did all this ice come from?"
"Did we take a wrong turn?"
Just as everyone was wondering what was going on, a panic-stricken scream erupted from within the valley.
The Chief Instructor's expression changed instantly. "The brothers must have been attacked! Forget stealth, double time, move!"
He was worried his men had been hit by a Potioneer's attack. If that was the case, there would certainly be casualties!
"Move!"
They began to move quickly across the ice. The massive rocks on either side blurred past as they ran. After rounding a bend, the area opened up completely.
A group of Millelith soldiers were standing around a cluster of ice sculptures, inspecting them closely. There was no battle taking place.
The Chief Instructor found the scene eerie. Seeing him approach, the leaders of the other two squads hurried over to report.
"Chief Instructor! We just arrived and found that there are actually people inside these ice sculptures! The brothers were quite startled!"
"What did you say!?"
The Chief Instructor immediately walked up to one of the ice sculptures. Seeing the terrified face of the man inside, his own face filled with shock.
"How was this even possible!?"
He struck the ice with the butt of his spear. The ice shattered, revealing the Treasure Hoarder inside. The man was shivering violently, looking as if he had seen a ghost.
"Don't kill me! Don't kill me! There's a ghost! There's a ghost!!"
🚨 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).