Chapter 49: Sending a Letter

Xin Yu slowly walked back into the city from the outskirts. Along the way, he had also dealt with several monsters referred to by the locals as Hilichurls. Although these Hilichurls looked like primitive tribesmen, these creatures seemed fundamentally unrelated to humans. Xin Yu personally witnessed the corpses of these Hilichurls turn to dust and merge into the earth. Afterwards, he obtained some fragments from the remaining embers. These fragments all contained some power and looked like broken masks, similar to what those Hilichurls originally wore on their faces. The people here probably use these power-infused fragments to craft or refine something, right? Anyway, the Adventurers' Guild over there has a long-standing purchase order for materials dropped by slain monsters. Hmm, feels like a game. Xin Yu arrived at the Adventurers' Guild reception desk near the Mondstadt city gate, disposed of the materials he held, and received a small bag of Mora. He planned to grab something simple to eat for dinner tonight. As for lunch today, he had solved it by eating wild fruits found on the roadside. "Hello there!" Venti popped up from somewhere again. Seeing the bottle of apple wine in his hand, it looked like he had just come from the tavern. "Want to grab a bite together? Consider it thanks for yesterday." "Sure! I just spent all my money on drinks. I thought I was going to go hungry tonight!" Xin Yu and Venti sat down. Venti declared that as Teyvat's best bard, he absolutely had to demonstrate his artistic skills to Xin Yu. Xin Yu listened to Venti's melodious lyre and the story he sang with his clear voice. Honestly, it sounded good, but if you really asked Xin Yu to articulate why, he wouldn't know what to say. Most people in the world, when listening to music, ultimately just hear the sound. They don't really understand what makes the music good, nor do they grasp whether it's moving or not. They simply like the rhythm of the music, the feeling it evokes. "What do you think of Mondstadt?" After finishing his song, Venti smiled and looked at Xin Yu. "A very relaxed city. It feels like every resident here lives their own comfortable life. Most people have happy smiles on their faces." "Is that so? It seems your impression of this city is quite good. After all, some travelers from other nations always say Mondstadt is a very lax place, too free, and think the people of Mondstadt are very lazy." "I don't know the specifics. As you know, I spend most of my time out in the wild." "Then how about going to Liyue for a look? It's a nation completely different from Mondstadt." "...Is there something you need my help with?" "Haha! I do indeed have something I need your help with. Originally, I should have asked Aether for this favor yesterday, but I drank too much and forgot about it. So, I can only trouble you. Aether and the others have already set off for Liyue." "Alright. For me, this counts as tourism anyway." Xin Yu accepted a letter from Venti, who also gifted him the bottle of apple wine he was carrying. Venti explained that both items were to be delivered to an old friend of his in Liyue. As for how to contact him, Venti didn't say, only mentioning that when Xin Yu arrived at Liyue Harbor, the first person to approach him with the most outstanding temperament would be his old friend. Xin Yu glanced at the letter and wine in his hand, then at Venti's smile opposite him. He nodded, indicating he accepted the commission. "As for the reward for this commission, just mention it to my old friend when you meet him. He'll pay you. Ehe!" ... The next day, Xin Yu originally intended to see if anyone in Mondstadt was heading towards Liyue so they could travel together. However, after asking around, he learned that Mondstadt had just endured a Dragon Terror incident. Most people were busy dealing with the aftermath, and no one would be traveling to Liyue anytime soon. In the end, Xin Yu could only embark on the journey alone. Of course, he wouldn't walk the entire way. While enjoying the scenery on foot was nice, even scenery gets boring after seeing too much of it. He found some stone and timber nearby and, just like before, hand-crafted a motorcycle. Xin Yu put on a reflective helmet, mounted the motorcycle, and set off towards Liyue at a leisurely pace of 60 kilometers per hour. Compared to those wind gliders soaring through the sky, 60 kph on the ground probably wasn't very fast. It was a long way from Mondstadt to Liyue Harbor. Traveling normally by horse at full speed might take an entire day. However, Xin Yu reached Liyue much faster. Not because he drove particularly quickly, but because horses have to circumvent deep water and high mountains. He, however, directly maneuvered the motorcycle up cliffs and walls, traveling in an almost straight line, arriving just outside Liyue Harbor near dusk. Xin Yu dismounted the motorcycle. After walking a few steps forward, the helmet he wore dissolved into fluttering leaves that drifted away, and the motorcycle he had ridden reverted to scattered wood and stone on the ground. As soon as Xin Yu entered Liyue Harbor, he felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity. He looked at the architecture, the clothing people wore as they walked, and the various tones used in conversation, and felt strangely acquainted with it all. It seemed like the place he originally lived had a similar feel to this. However, he quickly pushed that feeling aside. It was just some resemblance, after all. "Young friend, you seem somewhat troubled?" A steady male voice sounded beside his ear. Xin Yu turned towards the source of the sound and saw a man with handsome features walking towards him. The man's appearance and stature were both top-class. His gait displayed elegance and composure, coupled with an undeniable, extraordinary aura. This person clearly had a significant background. Moreover, like Venti, he possessed immense energy. Xin Yu recalled Venti's commission and retrieved the envelope and the bottle of apple wine from the small backpack he carried. "Hello. Excuse me, sir, do you know Venti?" "Venti..." The man fell silent for a moment, then said, "He is an old friend of mine." "Then there's no mistake. He asked me to deliver a letter and a bottle of wine to you. He said that the first person with the most outstanding temperament to approach me after I arrived in Liyue would be his old friend, and I should give these to him." After accepting the letter and wine, the man didn't immediately check the contents of the letter. Instead, he silently observed Xin Yu for a moment before retracting his gaze. "Thank you for your trouble, young friend. There is a tea stall over there. If you don't mind, allow me to treat you to a cup of tea to alleviate the fatigue of your journey." "Thank you." The man watched Xin Yu curiously observing his surroundings. Would Celestia truly allow such an existence to enter this world? From the man's perspective, Xin Yu was not a concrete human form, but rather a constantly rotating, twisting black void. Within that dark void seemed to reside a dark purple, emotionless eye, watching anyone who dared to peer into the abyss. And if this true nature hidden beneath the surface were gazed upon by someone whose willpower was insufficient to resist that Nihility, that person would likely lose all color, lose everything they possessed in an instant, and become part of that abyss.