Gu Sanqiu's so-called "work" was never office-related. Instead, he hopped over the stone railing and returned home.
"Tch, forging means I have to leave the house. Nowhere is as comfortable as Liyue Harbor."
He removed his long robe, tied up his hair, and changed into lighter clothing. After pressing a few hidden buttons on the wall, he descended into his basement.
Unlike in the game, the Liyue Harbor here wasn't confined by map scale. The real Liyue Harbor was vast, no smaller than a large port city. This meant that the Gu family's spacious estate had plenty of room to expand underground.
Clang, clang, clang—
Rhythmic sounds of metal striking metal echoed in the basement, where Gu Sanqiu, typically laid-back, was now hammering a steel ingot with a serious expression.
He didn't flinch at the sparks flying, and the muscles on his back and arms showed that he wasn't just some weak scholar but someone with real strength.
"This Hundred Forgings Iron really has something to it."
Looking at the blue and purple mist rising from the steel, Gu Sanqiu frowned deeply.
"I thought this was just some natural product with strange claims attached by uneducated people, but there's really something inside it."
"So... does that mean there really is a country of monsters ruling the Northern Sea?"
Even a regular furnace should have burned away anything inside the ingot, let alone his carefully designed one.
"This mist..."
Gu Sanqiu hesitated, resisting the urge to sniff the mist. Although he had a good relationship with Hu Tao, he had no desire to become a customer of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor anytime soon.
Besides, the so-called Northern Sea Monster Kingdom didn't scare him at all.
If it really existed, they were welcome to come to Teyvat and cause trouble for him.
┓(´∀`)┏
Considering that one certain guy collecting a harem had yet to appear, the timeline hadn't reached the point where that emergency food was fished up.
This meant that all the major power players still had their full strength.
And someone wanted to mess with a government employee in Liyue?
Heavenly Principles Alert!
Having worked through these thoughts, Gu Sanqiu wasted no more time. With a carefree motion, he slammed his hammer down, dispersing the mist surrounding the ingot.
"Preliminary forging is done. Now I just have to wait for tonight."
Gu Sanqiu lightly ran two fingers over the still-hot iron, a mix of amusement and seriousness flashing across his face.
"I'll keep my promise. Don't worry."
...
Late at night, Gu Sanqiu changed into nightwear, slung a small pack over his back, and slipped out of his house. Moving swiftly, he darted across rooftops, barely making a sound.
At this pace, no ordinary Millelith guards could catch up to him. They'd need someone with a Vision to stand a chance.
"Hmm, the data I gathered during my tests was right. If you're talking about speed and efficiency for rooftop running, this is the fastest route."
"Sigh, the Gu family has never had a quiet life, not even for a day."
Up above, Granny Ping watched as Gu Sanqiu raced out of Liyue Harbor and sighed softly.
"The Gu family used to be the leaders of the mystic sects, but they followed the Geo Lord's decree and became incense bearers, preserving some of the world's incense for us."
A slightly raspy voice spoke beside her: "So, should I send some of my men to follow and protect him?"
"No need. The boy has plenty of secrets of his own."
Granny Ping's eyes flashed with a hint of something unusual. "To this day, I've never seen Gu Sanqiu's Vision, nor have I sensed any elemental power from him."
"...That's impossible. The Gu family may be small in number, but the Geo Lord's protection is undeniable. Unless one of their descendants dishonored the family, how could he not have a Vision?"
"And to move at that speed without elemental power or a Vision?"
"That's what piques my curiosity."
Granny Ping smiled. "Send a clever little one who knows some magic to follow him. I'd like to see what Gu Sanqiu is up to, sneaking around in the middle of the night."
Outside the city, Gu Sanqiu patted the pack on his back, moving through the woods without alerting the sentries stationed outside the port.
"Why are there so many guards? There hasn't been any big incident lately, has there?"
Gu Sanqiu frowned. Normally, he might encounter two or three guards, but today the number had doubled. Anyone could see something was off.
Whistle—
Reaching the designated location, Gu Sanqiu made a strange hand gesture and pulled out a whistle from his chest, blowing it.
The whistle's sound, like a birdcall, grew hoarse and unpleasant after passing through his hand gesture, as if the stench of old socks could be felt through sound.
"Well, well, what a good boy."
Ahead of him, four men in nightwear appeared, grinning greedily as they eyed the pack on Gu Sanqiu's back.
"So, did you bring what we asked for?"
"Everything's here."
Gu Sanqiu tossed the pack at their feet. "Now, as agreed, give me back what's mine."
"My dear young master, we've had such a hard life out here. We spent days roughing it in the forest just to keep your goods safe."
The leader drew a dagger that glowed faintly blue, and he and his companions advanced toward Gu Sanqiu step by step.
"So, as the sole heir of the Gu family of Liyue, you must be worth quite a fortune, no?"
"Young master, how about coming with us for a little trip?"
"Sigh."
Gu Sanqiu sighed, "I hate to speak ill of my old friend, but I can't help it this time."
"Seriously, trusting a bunch of Treasure Hoarders to play fair? Does anyone with even half a brain think that's a good idea?"
Before the Treasure Hoarders could react, Gu Sanqiu's figure disappeared from their sight. By the time they processed what was happening, darkness had already overtaken their vision.
Even slower than their awareness was the sharp pain in their bodies. The agony in their throats and the final red glow in their eyes made one thing clear.
I... I'm dead?
"Don't worry, everyone. My blade is quick. It's kidney-removal fast, no need for ice."
Gu Sanqiu wiped off his blade. The iron he'd been working on earlier now glowed with a sinister red, having drunk its fill of blood.
"Heh, idiots trying to scam me?"
With a swift kick, Gu Sanqiu sent one of their heads flying, then began searching their bodies.
"Ah-ha, there it is."
His eyebrow lifted as he found a hard lump in one of the Treasure Hoarders' thighs.
"I knew you wouldn't trust each other, but I didn't expect you to sew the thing into your body."
With a claw-like hand, Gu Sanqiu ripped a chunk out of the man's leg, pulling out a golden stone with red markings.
"Job's done."
He snapped his fingers, and the sound of wings flapping approached from a distance. A flock of birds, colorful and varied, descended in neat formation upon the corpses.
"Leave no piece of meat, and waste not a single drop of blood."
---
If you spot any mistakes let me know so I can fix them.
Read up to Chapter 30! [P@treon.com/WiseTL]