It was hard to say whether it was just in a god's nature to be temperamental or if Osial was extra irritable after being suppressed beneath the ocean for millennia.
Whatever the reason, all Luo Qing had to do was taunt him a bit to wring out a solid ten points of frustration.
And with Osial immobilized, pinned under the weight of a Geo spear beneath the sea, no matter how many "friendly greetings" Luo Qing offered, there was absolutely nothing Osial could do in retaliation. Truly, a perfect RBQ... ahem, I mean, a frustration generator!
So, every so often, Luo Qing would make a trip to Guyun Stone Forest to siphon off a little more frustration value from Osial.
Under the cover of night, Luo Qing boarded a small skiff moored at the port and set sail for Guyun.
Incidentally, the boat actually belonged to Teresa, the Electro Cicin Mage stationed at Guyun Stone Forest. But since she worked year-round without leave, the boat was barely used and she had no problem lending it to Luo Qing.
In exchange, Luo Qing would always bring her some treats whenever he visited.
The little boat's oars cut gently through the night-darkened waves, trailing a pale, silvery wake behind them.
After some time, Luo Qing arrived at Guyun.
Meanwhile...
Teresa had moved her tiny camp closer to the edge of Guyun that faced Liyue Harbor, ensuring she'd be able to spot any boats approaching from afar. She'd had to clear out a whole Hilichurl camp to claim the spot—completely wiping them out.
That night, like every other, Teresa had finished documenting the day's observations and was sitting by the shore, staring out toward Liyue. She rested her chin in her hands, a faint smile on her lips.
Not long after, she saw a thin white line stretching out over the water—a small skiff riding the waves and heading her way.
Teresa leapt up excitedly and waved toward the boat.
A short while later, the skiff docked. Luo Qing emerged from the cramped boat, carrying a large paper-wrapped package.
"Lord Luo Qing, you're finally here! I missed you so much!" Teresa rushed over, grabbing the package from his hands and tearing open a corner. The delicious aroma inside wafted out immediately.
"Come on, you just missed the food, didn't you?" Luo Qing teased, eyeing her playful expression.
"Hehe, same difference~"
Teresa settled back in her camp, still hugging the paper bundle, and opened a smaller packet within—a steaming portion of Mora Meat.
The tiny skiff had a terrible ride quality, and after the rough trip over, Luo Qing decided to rest for a bit before "greeting" Osial. He sat beside Teresa, waiting for her to finish eating.
"Haven't had dinner, huh?" he asked.
"Well, I just had a feeling you'd show up tonight, so I saved room!" Teresa answered with a cheeky grin.
"Sure, let's pretend it's not because you stuffed your face as soon as the supplies arrived and had to ration the rest," Luo Qing replied with a smirk.
"Ugh... um..."
Teresa blushed in embarrassment, her cheeks puffed out as she chewed on her mouthful of Mora Meat. After a moment, she changed the subject. "None of that matters! Lord Luo Qing, I'll be leaving this awful place soon!"
Teresa's excitement bubbled over as she glanced in the direction of Liyue Harbor.
She'd initially come to Liyue thinking she'd get to work in the bustling port city. Instead, she'd been banished to this godforsaken corner of the world all by herself. The days had worn her down to the brink of despair.
"They're transferring you back?" Luo Qing asked.
"Yes! Lord Tartaglia said he's gathering all the forward squads stationed around Liyue Harbor for a big operation. I was selected!" Teresa nearly bounced with excitement.
"A big operation?" Luo Qing raised an eyebrow.
"Huh? Lord Luo Qing, aren't you also a Harbinger? Didn't Lord Tartaglia tell you about it?" Teresa asked, confused.
"Oh, we handle different tasks, so our information doesn't overlap," Luo Qing waved off her question, not mentioning that he was technically under Tartaglia's command. A guy's gotta have some pride, after all.
"Hehe, well, Lord Luo Qing, when I'm back in Liyue Harbor, I'll treat you to dinner! I already did my research—Liuli Pavilion, Xinyue Kiosk, you name it!"
"Sure, we'll see," Luo Qing replied with a noncommittal shrug, though his thoughts churned over the significance of this "big operation."
Ever since Tartaglia arrived, Luo Qing's role had become somewhat awkward. Aside from Tartaglia and the Lady, he outranked every other Fatui in Liyue.
Yet, both Tartaglia and the Lady had their own agendas, leaving Luo Qing as a sort of go-between, caught in the middle. The Lady had vanished after their last meeting with Zhongli, supposedly heading to Inazuma, while Tartaglia clearly intended to secure the Geo Archon's Gnosis on his own without collaborating.
In essence, Luo Qing had been sidelined.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have had the luxury of spending so much time fishing with Zhongli.
A collective Fatui operation...
There seemed to be only one possible context for that...
Luo Qing glanced at Teresa, who was furiously devouring her Mora Meat, and slipped into thought.
"Hm... looks like I need to start building up my own faction..."
"Lord Luo Qing, what did you say?" Teresa asked, mouth full.
"Nothing. Eat up; it's time to get moving," Luo Qing replied.
"Oh... alright."
Just like before, Luo Qing dove alone into the depths of the sea, leaving Teresa on the shore to keep watch.
Using a teleportation array, he descended to the underwater prison and soon came face-to-face with the familiar sight of Osial.
With the Seal of Forbidden Knowledge no longer assisting him, Osial didn't even have the strength to respond. He could only glare helplessly as Luo Qing approached.
"Hey, Osial, it's been a while," Luo Qing greeted cheerfully, holding a powerful spray can, his smile wide and insincere.
"I remember saying last time we'd be working on a new masterpiece, right?"
Osial's only response was a furious fluttering of his eyes, the only way he could express his frustration.
[+10 Frustration from Osial]
"Oh, that's right... today we're painting the 'Chicken Plays Ball' piece, aren't we?"
Osial remained silent, but his angry glares spoke volumes.
With a graceful leap, Luo Qing landed on Osial's massive body and shook the spray can. He got to work immediately.
By now, Osial's once-pristine scales were a patchwork of graffiti, each scrawl a testament to Luo Qing's artistic "talents"—including the infamous "I Was Here" and a huge, pitiful character meaning "Defeat."
Each new stroke earned another ten points of frustration in Luo Qing's mental tally.
How else could he rack up frustration points this easily?
Osial was truly his golden goose!
Soon enough, the "Chicken Plays Ball" scene was complete. Luo Qing hopped back to face Osial's primary head, giving it a friendly pat. "Alright, all done! Now, time for today's lesson."
Luo Qing pulled out a well-worn notebook, flipping through the pages with a mock-serious expression.
"Last time, we covered the ten rules of Elementary Student Conduct. Today, we'll move on to the twenty-one rules for Middle School Behavior!"
"..."
[+10+10+10 Frustration from Osial...]
Osial's many eyes blinked furiously, a desperate plea flashing in the morse-like pattern:
"Li Feiyun—when I'm free, I will crush you to dust! Not even your ashes will remain!"
---
T/N: Please don't crush him, I plan for him to be my money maker! ৻( •̀ ᗜ •́ ৻) plz subsscribe to the pattyon. :D
If there are any mistakes let me know!
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