Late Night – Jueyun Karst
Once the domain of the Lord of Dust, the Guili Plains are still filled with remnants of the Archon War era. Among the ruins lies a hidden research outpost where Oviro and his team work on replicating the Sigil of Permission.
North of Liyue Harbor, perched on a cliffside ruin, lies the research camp.
Since her last encounter with Luo Qing, Yelan couldn't shake the humiliating memory of that day in the attic of the Northland Bank. Singing that shameful song while Luo Qing unfastened her shoes and bound her toes was burned into her mind.
The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. If it wasn't for Ningguang's orders to investigate the Fatui's replication of the Sigil of Permission, she would have gone to Luo Qing herself to reclaim her pride—maybe even capture evidence of him threatening Liyue, just to drag him back to the Ministry of Civil Affairs.
After several days of surveillance, she had narrowed down the area where the Fatui were working on the Sigil of Permission.
Fatui encampments were notoriously well-hidden, with vigilant guards patrolling at all times. Anyone approaching the camp would be detected in an instant.
To avoid detection, Yelan chose to infiltrate under the cover of night and pinpoint the camp's exact location.
Using the snow-colored fragments she had taken from the Jade Chamber, Yelan approached the camp's perimeter. In the distance, she spotted fully armed Fatui soldiers stationed around the ruins.
She had to admit, the Fatui were indeed the most battle-hardened force in all of Teyvat. If a full squad showed up, even Yelan preferred not to engage them directly.
After observing the patrol patterns of the squad for a while, Yelan was about to slip inside when she noticed someone whistling casually as they approached the camp.
"It's him..."
Seeing Luo Qing's figure, a storm of complex emotions surged in Yelan's heart.
To put it simply, she wanted to beat him up.
Tie him up and whip him mercilessly.
Since Luo Qing was here, Yelan decided to bide her time, waiting until he entered the camp so she could follow him unnoticed.
This time, she vowed, he won't catch me.
Meanwhile...
After leaving Ganyu's house, Luo Qing made his way to the research outpost. As the acting leader of the Fatui's operations in Liyue, he felt it necessary to check in on his subordinates.
He hadn't even reached the entrance when the sentries spotted him.
Though Luo Qing had Liyue blood, the Fatui didn't care about bloodlines—an officer was still an officer, regardless of origin.
"Good evening, Lord Luo Qing. Master Oviro and the others are waiting inside," said two vanguard officers who approached to greet him respectfully.
"Alright, keep watch. Lately, Liyue's spies have been more active—don't let anyone get close," Luo Qing ordered.
"Yes, sir!"
Luo Qing scanned his surroundings, feeling a vague discomfort—like someone was watching him.
After warning the guards, he entered the research camp.
Inside, piles of ancient artifacts lay scattered around. The Fatui's mission wasn't just to replicate the Sigil of Permission; each camp was tasked with gathering ancient adeptal relics to draw out adeptal energy.
The extracted energy would then be used to simulate the power of the true Sigil of Permission.
"Lord Luo Qing, welcome," greeted the researchers, who immediately stopped their work to gather around him.
"Will you be done before the Rite of Descension?" Luo Qing cut straight to the point, picking up an unfinished replica of the Sigil of Permission.
"With Lord Childe's assistance, it should be enough to temporarily break the Geo Archon's seal," Oviro responded with confidence.
"Good. As long as it's ready before Lord Childe arrives," Luo Qing said casually. If they could complete it, then one of his missions in Liyue would be accomplished.
All he needed to do was maintain the status quo until La Signora acquired Mondstadt's Anemo Archon's Gnosis and brought it to Liyue.
Given that Luo Qing's predecessor was from the House of the Hearth, La Signora was one of the few Harbingers he was most familiar with—apart from Arlecchino. Despite being ruthless to her enemies, La Signora had a sharp tongue and a tender heart for her allies.
Luo Qing's previous incarnation had met her once while on a mission with Arlecchino. He wondered if she would recognize him when they met again.
Meanwhile, Yelan had begun her own infiltration.
With a subtle movement of her fingers, water element coiled around her hand, forming delicate blue threads—the Lifeline. She wove the threads carefully, avoiding the sight of the sentries as she sped towards the camp.
The two vanguard officers on duty were talking about what they'd have for dinner after their shift when they noticed blue lines materializing in front of them. Before they could react, Yelan tugged sharply on her Lifeline, and the two men fell unconscious.
Sneering, Yelan slipped past them and pressed herself against the wall, silently sneaking into the camp.
The ruins weren't vast, and after just a few steps, she spotted Luo Qing inspecting the work, surrounded by his three subordinates.
"So, this is the place..." she muttered, recognizing the talismans on the research table. They were Sigil of Permissions.
"Is he the one behind this?" she wondered, choosing to observe a bit longer.
Meanwhile...
"Achoo!"
"Lord Luo Qing, are you alright?" one of his subordinates asked.
"I'm fine. Just a bit of an itch," Luo Qing said, rubbing his nose. He accepted the tissue that Natalia handed him but couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching him.
Activating his system, he accessed the inventory menu.
[Use Painful Tear Card? Target Options: Oviro, Natalia, Igor, Sergei, Jesse... Yelan...]
"Hmm?!"
Luo Qing's eyebrows shot up as he saw Yelan's name on the target list.
It's fate, he thought, a bit amused. He always managed to detect her whenever she was nearby.
"Lord Luo Qing?" Natalia's voice broke his train of thought.
"It's nothing," Luo Qing replied, shaking his head slightly. He was debating whether or not to expose Yelan's hiding spot.
If he did, by Fatui standards, she'd be treated as a covert operative.
For those who know, they know...
But his position within the Fatui was tenuous. Though the Fatui agents here answered to him, they ultimately served another faction. If he handled things poorly, they might report back to the upper ranks.
For now, Luo Qing decided it wasn't time to reveal his true loyalties. There were still secrets to uncover.
He hesitated before shouting suddenly toward the entrance, "Who's there?!"
Realizing she had been discovered, Yelan didn't waste a second. With a flick of her wrist, she channeled her elemental power and darted out of the camp.
"An intruder! Quickly, pursue her! Don't let her escape..." Oviro started to bark orders, but Luo Qing raised his hand to stop him.
"I'll handle the intruder myself. This camp isn't safe anymore—pack everything up and find a new location," he ordered.
"Understood," Oviro hesitated, then agreed. The Sigil of Permission replication was their priority, after all.
Luo Qing shot a look at Natalia and the others, then sprinted out of the camp, following Yelan's escape route.