As the fleet of ships, escorted by Xiao Lan's Giant Octopus, approached the distant landmass on the horizon, the sea goddess suddenly turned to Ray, her expression tinged with worry and fear.
"Boss, I'm afraid this is as far as I can go," Xiao Lan admitted, her voice uncharacteristically subdued. "Beyond this point lies the territory of the Warrior God. Only Sea Gods with a death wish would dare enter his domain." With a solemn bow, she made her farewell, commanding her Giant Octopi to halt and retreat into the depths.
Ray gave her a small nod, understanding her hesitation. He did not press her to stay. Instead, he conjured a large pile of World Tree's fruits, their radiant glow reflecting off the sea. "Take these," he instructed, his tone firm. "Recruit other Sea Gods who are willing to serve under me. Be diligent."
Xiao Lan's eyes briefly widened in surprise before she magically stored the fruits, their golden light vanishing into her grasp. She saluted Ray with a rare air of reverence. "Understood, Boss." With that, she and her army of Giant Octopi disappeared into the waves, leaving the fleet to continue its journey alone.
Hours passed, and the landmass ahead gradually grew larger, stretching across the horizon until the shoreline came into view. The merchants aboard began pointing excitedly, explaining the landmarks.
"There's a port nearby," one of them said, gesturing southward. "Just beyond the Guili Plains. It's where we typically stop for trade."
The port, renowned across Teyvat, was a bustling hub of commerce that thrived year-round. Its fame stemmed not only from the sheer volume of trade but also from its divine overseer—the Warrior God, Morax, also revered as the God of Wealth and Commerce. It was he who controlled the global currency, Mora, crafting it with his own divine power and ensuring its value endured across the continents.
The trade port served as the beating heart of Teyvat's silk road. Ships arrived from every corner of the world, bringing exotic goods, rare materials, and exquisite crafts, while exporting Liyue's famed raw resources, masterful artisanal works, and local specialties—particularly its highly sought-after spices. The air there was said to be rich with the scent of opportunity and prosperity, a testament to Morax's influence.
As the fleet of ships approached the future nation of Liyue, Ray noted a lot of inconsistencies of the landmarks and landmass between the past and present Liyue. Most notably is how much larger the land was when in the future, a portion of it would be sunken by water. No doubt the aftermath of the Archon War that is still in its earlier stages.
Once the ship is docked, the merchants immediately disembark and meet the officials that came to collect the docking fee and identify the people that arrived.
As for Ray and Freya, they had long slipped into the city and avoided the checkpoint at the gates manned by a group of guards dressed like soldiers.
Ray remembers the saying that the prosperity of a nation can be evaluated by the citizen's lifestyle. Without a doubt, this is a very prosperous nation.
Unlike the people from Inazuma. Most are poor villagers wearing tattered clothes. Even in the port city that is considered the third most prosperous city in Inazuma, rarely did he see anyone wear lavishly.
But here, in Guili, people wear fine silks and jewellery are plenty while the opposite is the actual dime in a dozen.
With groups of soldiers, decked out with proper steel armor and wielding spear with spare sword on their hip, patrolling the streets constantly. There's little to no crime such as pickpocketing or fights that he sees. Not even beggars can be seen on the street.
Even the path along the city is properly paved with stones and marbles. The disparity is simply too vast when compared to the centre of Teyvat's commerce.
While Ray quietly marvels at the city before him on Freya's shoulder, he quickly finds himself interrupted when Freya comes to a sudden halt.
Suddenly, they noticed the street had become quiet and deserted when it was totally crowded a moment ago. Then, appearing from each end of the street are soldiers in formation, pointing their spears at Freya.
Seeing this, Freya didn't bother to ask and immediately prepared herself for battle until Ray suddenly pressed his paw on her face.
"Stop." He said, his eyes looking at Freya with certainty before he turned his head to one of the building's roofs where someone was standing.
A short bo— *cough* man, named Xiao or his true name, Alatus, which Ray recognised. He has a striking and warrior-like appearance that reflects his role as the Yaksha. Although his body is quite slender, his strength is unmistakable, with pale skin, and sharp golden eyes that are devoid of his future sorrow. His hair is a mix of black, teal, and turquoise, with glowing tips.
He wears a sleeveless outfit in shades of purple, teal, and black, adorned with gold details and traditional patterns, symbolizing his connection to Liyue. On his shoulder is an arm guard and a demon-inspired mask hanging on his hip, representing his Yaksha identity and the power he wields to fight evil.
Xiao stared very fiercely and vigilantly as if he would stab his spear at any wrong movement from Freya. But the moment when his eyes noticed Ray who had managed to escape his perception, his expression turned to that of confusion before twisting with anger.
"An Evil God dares sneak into the land of Lord Morax! I'll kill you!" He said before immediately leaping up into the sky with his spear soaring up into the sky with the grace of a falcon hunting its prey.
Freya instinctively raised her shield to block. But Ray, who knew about Xiao's attack pattern, did not hold much confidence for Freya to block his powerful and signature plunging attack.
Dark swirl of energy shoots from Freya's shadow before quickly engulfing both her and Ray as a vortex of wind gathers at the end of Xiao's spear before he suddenly shoots to the ground with a fierce momentum. But, when he impacted the stone and marble street below which cracked like a spiderweb, the impact felt hollow as Xiao immediately raised his head vigilantly to assess his surroundings before he noticed Freya and Ray appeared on top of a roof with Freya looking surprised by the sudden teleportation.
When Xiao was about to leap up to the roof and pursue Ray, he found his lower limbs had been restrained by tendrils made of shadows. But, not giving up that easily. Xiao held his spear over his shoulder in a throwing pose, about to throw his spear to attack when a clear and commanding voice swept through the surroundings.
"Stop."
Xiao froze, his eyes widening in recognition. "Lord Morax?" Xiao murmured, his voice tinged with both surprise and recognition.
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