"Sigh, tell me again—why did we decide to use such over-the-top destructive moves?"
Tartaglia leaned on his shovel, watching as Gu Sanqiu, who had barely said a word, was focused on gathering the soil around them.
Thankfully, Gu had his Earth-element Vision. Restoring the terrain was no problem for him. If they'd had to dig up and haul in soil from other places, it would've taken ages.
And that would've caused another issue—if they brought in soil from elsewhere, Keqing might just use that as an excuse, claiming they were damaging the environment somewhere else, too. Then they'd be stuck in an endless cycle of fixing things.
So, to avoid that nightmare scenario, using the Vision to gather elemental particles from the area was much more convenient.
"Well, as much fun as we had back then, that's how much you're suffering now."
Gu shot a glance at Tartaglia. "You're lucky. If it weren't for my friend cutting you some slack, you'd still be sipping wine in Northland Bank, while I'd be sitting in a cold cell."
"Heh heh, well, being a foreign envoy does have its perks."
"Perks my ass. The day foreign envoys—and foreigners in general—stop having special privileges will be a good day."
Gu Sanqiu flicked his wrist, and several saplings fell perfectly into the holes Tartaglia had dug.
"After all, you wouldn't want someone causing trouble in Snezhnaya, but you can't do anything about it because of so-called international relations, right?"
"You've got a point."
Tartaglia guided streams of water into the soil, glancing thoughtfully at Gu.
"So, you've actually studied this stuff? Personally, I'd just have someone take them out. Ideally, someone who's already a notorious criminal."
"Plenty of those in the Abyss, I'm sure. Don't tell me you don't have any connections there."
"I don't need to go to such trouble."
Gu smirked. "If I wanted someone taken care of quietly, I could just dump their body near Nantianmen. The Whopperflowers and Geovishaps would handle the evidence for me."
"Tch, feels like you're hinting at something here."
"You're overthinking it. There's no benefit in me killing you, so why bother?"
Gu shrugged. "Speaking of which, didn't you say the Fatui would take over after today's work? Or are you planning for the two of us to keep at this forever?"
"They're on their way."
Tartaglia motioned with his chin toward a group of Fatui Skirmishers approaching. "Aren't the Fengxiang Clan people treated well in Liyue? Why not call in some help?"
"Because if I did, it wouldn't just be this small patch of land we're fixing."
Gu chuckled. "Before you know it, we'd be responsible for cleaning up the entire mountain range—without so much as harming a single flower or blade of grass. You up for that?"
"In that case, I'll pass. I don't plan on sticking around here longer than necessary."
Tartaglia handed his tools to the approaching Skirmishers. "By the way, care to tell me about that tree?"
"The Pyro Regisvine, huh? Information on that doesn't come cheap. What are you offering in return?"
"Come on, I just gave you a whole vat of pure water. Don't friends owe each other favors?"
"You said it yourself—you gave it to me. Are you expecting payment now? Sounds more like a business transaction than a gift."
Gu thought for a moment. "But fine, since the water was helpful, I'll tell you. It's not exactly a secret in Liyue."
"Every year, around this time, people gather in that area. Their goal, of course, is the Pyro Regisvine. It's become a small event in its own right."
"After all, these days, most of them live secluded in the mountains. The Regisvine is probably the only thing that can lure them out, even for a short while."
Tartaglia's eyes lit up. "You mean, people like you—people who can fight?"
Gu was silent for a moment, then glanced at Tartaglia. "I'd advise you not to provoke those old folks in the wild. I wouldn't want you getting torn apart in some random place."
"Impossible. You've seen my strength. Even if they're stronger, I can always escape."
"I'm not worried about them being stronger. I'm worried about you getting ganged up on by a bunch of old men who don't fight fair and ending up dead in some unknown corner."
Gu stretched lazily. "Wanna tag along? We probably won't get into a fight, but it'll be good for you to expand your network in Liyue. Might make your job easier."
"You trust me that much? Letting a foreigner into these kinds of things… shouldn't you be more cautious?"
Tartaglia's gaze sharpened, a hint of suspicion in his voice. "Or are you planning something?"
"You're overthinking again. Liyue's big enough. One more foreigner doesn't change much."
Gu shrugged. "Haven't you noticed? The Qixing aren't all that concerned with your little schemes. At most, they send warnings and keep an eye on you. Have they ever done anything extreme?"
"And don't think it's because you're an envoy. If they really wanted to take you down, even if you were the envoy of Celestia, they'd still get the job done."
Tartaglia pondered that for a moment. "Wait, I see it now—you're just bored, aren't you? Looking for an excuse to get out and stretch your legs?"
"Obviously. And you're my excuse."
Gu didn't even bother hiding it. "So, how about it? Care to experience the wonders of Liyue's culture firsthand?"
"Heh, I was thinking the same."
Tartaglia clapped Gu on the shoulder. "I have a feeling you and I are going to get along just fine. We both love stirring up trouble."
Gu's lips curled into a strange smile.
"Yes, we'll definitely get along."
After all, you, who constantly draw conflict, and I, who thrive on it, are bound to get along.
After all, the Fengxiang Clan thrives on conflict itself!
Along the way, the two of them didn't sit still for long—sparring, debating, each testing the other. But they held back, just in case someone was following.
It wasn't exactly "following," but rather keeping an eye on them for any "overly aggressive behavior."
Neither wanted to end up on mountain restoration duty again.
"Hey, hey, we've been strolling around so much, what if we get there and there's nothing left for us but scraps?"
Gu sipped on a fruit juice made from Sunsettias and apples, watching Tartaglia meticulously organize a bundle of arrows in various shapes and sizes.
"You're probably the first person to call fighting monsters a 'leisure stroll.'"