Genshin Impact's Incense Burner Of Liyue [162]

“Hmph, nothing too pressing, though I noticed some strange characters lurking around your place while you were away.”

“Oh, you mean that?”

Gu Sanqiu sliced up a stalk of milk bamboo and set it before the Medicine Furnace Elder.

“It’s nothing new. Whether I’m here or not, those types will always be sneaking around my family home.”

Overhead, a bird with a wingspan nearly a meter and a half swooped down. After eyeing the bamboo stalks the Elder was nibbling, it strutted over and nudged Gu Sanqiu.

Feed me too, please.

“There’s enough for you too—don’t worry. But are you sure eagles can even eat this kind of stuff?”

“Also, you’ve been looking well-fed lately. Seems like you’ve had a growth spurt. Second round of growth, maybe?”

Gu Sanqiu sliced another piece of bamboo and turned to the Elder. “But from what you said earlier, have you been watching over my place while I was away?”

“Kid, just because your vocabulary’s limited doesn’t mean you need to talk. ‘Watching over your place’...”

The Elder raised a claw, unimpressed.

“I take that back.”

“So, from what you’re saying, you’ve known someone’s been spying on you?”

“Of course. Just a bunch of fools hoping to get their hands on my family’s secrets and wealth.”

The Elder mused thoughtfully. “So rather than flush them out, you’re saying it’s better to let them stay in what they think is the ‘shadows’ to keep an eye on them?”

“That’s the idea, but that policy might be changing soon.”

Gu Sanqiu’s tone grew nonchalant. “No point wasting time on them. When the time is right, I’ll deal with that trash myself.”

“Confident, aren’t you, kid?”

The Medicine Furnace Elder stood, giving himself a shake that dislodged a small pill from his fur. He tossed it to Gu Sanqiu.

“Take this. If you feel any discomfort from the power you absorbed, swallow it. I’ll sense if anything’s wrong and come to assist.”

Gu Sanqiu examined the pill in his hand.

“Uh, Senior, was this refined from the fleas in your fur?”

Smack!

The next thing Gu Sanqiu knew, he was plastered against the wall, while the Elder leaped out of the courtyard with a parting glance.

“Take care of yourself, kid. The Gu family line is important to us, and to those you care about, too.”

“Heh. See you, Senior.”

Dusting himself off, Gu Sanqiu waved as the Elder disappeared, then turned to stroke the head of the giant eagle beside him.

“Thank you and your team for all the hard work. Give me a moment, and I’ll settle your reward.”

Rummaging through a crate, he produced a large box of medicinal pellets. “These are for you and the others.”

The eagle shook its head, squawking twice, but Gu Sanqiu lightly swatted him.

“One, it’s the middle of the night—keep it down. Two, even if you didn’t ask for payment, as a leader, you need to offer visible benefits to your team. Got it?”

The eagle fluffed its feathers, lifting its head in pride, only to shrink back at Gu Sanqiu’s knowing look before nodding obediently.

“Good, you catch on quickly. Off you go. And be careful; these were a pain to make. If they get scattered, I won’t be able to make more anytime soon.”

Once the eagle took to the sky, Gu Sanqiu brushed the dirt from the ditch his impact had carved and prepared to head back to bed.

Morning sunlight bathed Liyue as the adults went to work, children played in the streets, and their playful energy morphed into “sick baby” expressions at the sight of the school gates.

Yawning, Gu Sanqiu ambled out of his room, one arm in his shirt and an apple from the tree in his mouth.

“Hm, just as noted—a medicinal taste with a hint of sweetness. The apple flavor’s practically a side note, like an accent to the bitterness.”

He tossed the apple core to the ground. “Summary: not suited for a vibrant, youthful guy like me.”

High EQ: ‘Vibrant, youthful guy.’

Low EQ: ‘Single, kidneys barely broken in.’

Soaking in the morning sun, casually observing the fools lurking outside his gate, and having a chat and breakfast with Master Mao at Wanmin Restaurant—such a return to routine was immensely satisfying to Gu Sanqiu.

However, this idyllic morning was swiftly disrupted by the arrival of several Millelith guards.

“You there. Are you telling me you still don’t know that the first thing to do after a mission is to report in?”

With a firm slap on the table, Keqing fixed him with a steely glare. “You went somewhere that far away and handled something this important, yet the first thing you did upon returning was to slack off?”

“It’s not really slacking. Technically, I handled my official duties before I slept. That trip was just a friendly favor.”

Gu Sanqiu pouted. “Besides, reporting in right away? Isn’t that what Uncle Feng Yan’s for? I don’t need to repeat everything, do I?”

Keqing pinched the bridge of her nose. “The issue is that only you were involved in the critical parts of this journey. Do you think we can write a report that just says, ‘An ancient god from a past age appeared in the Domain’?”

“Not impossible, is it?”

“No, it’s absolutely impossible!”

She hurled an ink bottle at his face, right where the word “Slacker” was practically written.

“Huh, Jade Chamber uses such standard ink? Or is this just the regular Moonlit Pavilion brand?”

“Don’t try to change the subject!”

“Fine, fine. I’ll go slow so you can write it down yourself, considering this isn’t the kind of thing we want a random scribe to record.”

Gu Sanqiu tossed the ink bottle back to her. “In the Domain, we encountered Dekarabian. Technically, he wasn’t in his complete form—his own words.”

Ignoring the self-flattery and verbal quirks, Keqing compiled his account into a neat report and handed it back to him.

“Look it over. If it’s all good, I’ll circulate it.”

Gu Sanqiu blinked, then chuckled. “So, you called me in today to discreetly help edit out anything sensitive?”

“Heh, don’t get it wrong. I didn’t go to your house myself; I had the Millelith bring you here. The others likely know already. I’m just acting by the book, getting someone to fulfill their duties promptly.”

“Sure, sure. Whatever you say. Once this is handled, there shouldn’t be much going on for a while. That’ll be a nice break.”

He gave Keqing a curious look. “By the way, did you pull back the secret squad stationed around my house as soon as I returned?”

“Isn’t that to be expected? Unlike you, they don’t have the luxury of loafing around town. They’re elite operatives we’ve trained, and each one has a packed schedule.”

“Maybe keep those pointed remarks for when I’m not aware of them?”

“No way. Otherwise, where’s the fun in mocking you?”