As the shouts echoed in the night, the leader of the Millelith berated his squad. However, when he noticed the location of the disturbance, his expression stiffened.
"Wait… is that… the Gu Clan?"
"Yes, sir. It seems someone tried to break into the Gu household, but we... didn't dare go in."
The rules of Liyue Harbor—or more accurately, the unspoken codes—were things the Millelith knew well, and the one about "never entering the Gu Clan after dark" was etched in their minds. After all, out of all the strange taboos, the Gu Clan's "haunted house" rumor was probably the most popular.
But that popularity came at a cost—a good number of curious fools had already lost their lives attempting to snoop around, and the well-disciplined soldiers knew better than to let their curiosity get the better of them.
The bloodcurdling screams coming from inside, accompanied by the grotesque sound of tearing flesh, only served to reaffirm the wisdom of the rule: "Don't go into the Gu Clan's house at night" was likely a lifesaver.
"Captain, what should we do now?"
"Split off a group to reassure the nearby residents. Just tell them someone tried to break into the Gu Clan—they'll understand what that means."
"And this might have been staged by someone deliberately," he added.
Back inside the Gu Clan's courtyard, Shadowhawk was busy preening its feathers beside the pond. Gu Sanqiu rubbed his nose in exasperation. The reason Shadowhawk could digest corpses was likely due to some tinkering during its training for covert missions, to adapt to varied environments.
But when it came to sheer capacity, it was just a regular spirit bird.
And this was Liyue Harbor—calling a flock of birds like last time to deal with the mess wasn't really an option. Never mind if a few got shot down by some night owl for sport—getting them into the city unnoticed was a challenge in itself.
"Well, I could always scare those idiots again with another little stunt."
Gu Sanqiu snapped his fingers, and his Geo Vision activated, causing the earth beneath his feet to ripple like gentle waves. The ground shifted, and the scattered bodies of his attackers were quickly drawn into a single pile.
"Down you go."
With a flick of his fishing rod, Gu Sanqiu cast the heap of corpses into the black void. He gently jiggled the rod, as if baiting a fish.
Last time, he hadn't inserted the rod right away, leading to the giant-legged chicken ambushing him. He wouldn't make the same mistake again.
"Oh, something's biting."
Gu Sanqiu's eyes lit up as he saw a purple glow emerging from the black hole. His heart leapt with excitement.
Finally, a purple draw! This wasn't a guarantee like some game mechanic, either—his gold finger had no concept of "pity." It was pure luck.
He'd long suspected that his fishing rod worked like a claw machine—completely random, making good catches even rarer, and often leaving him staring at blue skies and clouds in frustration.
"Come to think of it, is there anyone in Teyvat with absurd luck? I should find someone like that and make them my assistant to leech some of that good fortune."
As the pull on the line lessened, Gu Sanqiu reeled in with a hard tug. Out of the black hole came a large, glowing purple brick, which fell to the ground with a heavy thud.
"A brick? Really?"
Gu Sanqiu was visibly disappointed. If it had been another living creature like last time, he could've let it loose to cause some chaos in Feiyun Slope, turning the Gu Clan's mansion from a mere "haunted house" to a "cursed land that seals a thousand demons."
That would've surely made some people think twice before messing with him. Alas, his gold finger wasn't in the mood to cooperate.
Item: Jiao Dragon Azure Brick
Source: Jiao Dragon City of the South Sea
Notes: Though discarded as a leftover brick during construction, this brick was once stepped on by a goddess-level dragon, making it a prized collectible among young Jiao Dragons.
Gu Sanqiu couldn't help but wonder if the person writing these notes was still alive, considering the things they'd written.
"So, it's just… a brick?"
Gu Sanqiu gave it a light kick. At the very least, it seemed like high-quality material, something a master smith could probably turn into an exceptional weapon. But as useful as it seemed, Gu Sanqiu had no interest in collecting bricks, no matter who had stepped on them.
For now, it had no practical use. Unless he could find and modify a Ruin Guard, making it a miniature Gundam and crafting a weapon from this brick, it was just another odd item.
"Speaking of, don't the Fatui have a factory that might be able to build something like that?"
Knock, knock, knock!
The sound of knocking brought Gu Sanqiu back to the present. He glanced at Shadowhawk, which was busy amusing itself, then at the closed doors of Fengxiang Hall, making sure all was in order before opening the front gate.
Seeing Gu Sanqiu, particularly with blood still staining his robes, the Millelith soldiers instinctively took a step back. They were all battle-hardened, but the eerie reputation of the Gu Clan's estate made them extra cautious.
"Master Gu, we heard some commotion from inside. Do you require our assistance?"
"No need. If I'm standing here talking to you, then there's nothing that requires your help."
Gu Sanqiu waved dismissively. A few droplets of blood flew from his sleeve, landing on the soldiers' armor, but they didn't dare say a word.
They had seen the Gu Clan's courtyard. There was blood everywhere—but not a single corpse in sight. The screams had been loud enough for even the hard of hearing to pick up on, yet now… nothing. Not a trace of the bodies.
Could it be that the reason for the "no entry after dark" rule was because the estate was home to some man-eating demon that only the Gu family could control?
At that thought, the soldiers unconsciously took a few steps further back, fearful of accidentally crossing into the cursed territory.
"This isn't your problem. When you're calming down the residents, make sure to remind them of something," Gu Sanqiu's voice grew cold. "When night falls, the Fengxiang Gate opens. Gods and ghosts alike become guests. Mortals must stay away. This isn't just some rule made up by the Gu family."
"This rule was created long ago by the people of Liyue to protect the populace. If anyone wants to test their fate, they're welcome. But should it result in unforeseen consequences, their entire clan won't even be able to atone by committing suicide at Yujing Terrace."
"Thousands of ships return to harbor, and merchants from all over flock here. But these days, Liyue's people…"
Gu Sanqiu trailed off with a sigh, letting the door swing shut.
The soldiers breathed a collective sigh of relief. Though his tone had been sharp, Gu Sanqiu hadn't taken out his frustration on them, and his words had given them clear instructions.
"Send a team to Yuehai Pavilion. This is beyond what we, the Millelith, can handle."
---
If you spot any mistakes let me know so I can fix them.
Read up to Chapter 40! [P@treon.com/WiseTL]