Journey [1]

Put in a bit of a lore. Go ahead and give it a read, I have compressed and removed any unnecessary parts from it.

***

Liyue is one of the seven nations of Teyvat. It is the nation that worships Rex Lapis, the Geo Archon and God of Contracts. Also known as the nation of contracts, Liyue is marked by its emphasis on 'contracts,' which is the Geo Archon's ideal. 

There are 6 regions in total in the whole of Liyue, namely Bishui Plains, Lisha, Minlin, Qiongji Estuary, Sea of Clouds, and the Chasm. There are also many different sub-regions located in these regions. 

Many people in Liyue tend to live in small villages, such as Mingyun, Qingce and Qiaoying Village, though people are also known to reside in larger areas, such as Liyue Harbor. The villages are mainly occupied by the young and old, as many able-bodied people tend to go to the city for employment. 

The history of Liyue is rather old. Much of it is not known, but from what is gathered, its origins and foundations were established around the time God of Geo Morax himself descended. 

When Morax first descended, much of western Liyue was submerged underwater, and its people were at the mercy of sea monsters such as Baqiu. He lowered the tides, raised Mt. Tianheng, and subdued the sea monsters. After peace settled upon the land, people began mining from the mountains he raised and used the stones they mined to create settlements. 

Later on, Liyue became the home of an ancient civilization known as the Guili Assembly, which was established and ruled together by the God of Dust Guizhong and the Morax during the Archon War. It was supported by other gods, such as the God of the Stove, Marchosius, and by the adepti. The civilization flourished, and people took up agriculture and farming as their livelihood, as farming towns appeared all throughout the area. 

As more time passed, around 3700 years ago, during a particular battle of the Archon War, Guizhong was slain, the Guili Assembly was destroyed, and its people were scattered. 

Following the battle came a great flood that devastated the area, due to which Morax led his adepti and his people south of Mt. Tianheng, where he established Liyue Harbor, which has remained standing to this day. There, the adepti signed a contract with him to protect Liyue. 

Following the end of the Archon War roughly 2,000 years ago, the Liyue Qixing was formed to govern all of Liyue. With the savage fighting between gods concluded, commerce and artisanship flourished, and the seven merchants and business leaders who prospered above all others joined to form the Qixing. 

Some adepti stayed in Liyue Harbor to assist the Liyue Qixing in managing the nation's affairs. However, in present times, they have long been excluded from Liyue's politics, except for Ganyu, who serves as a general secretary. 

However, since their immense strength was no longer needed to fight the gods that opposed Morax after the Archon War, most adepti have gone into seclusion in Jueyun Karst, cut off from the rest of the world and watching over Liyue from afar. 

Nowadays, things have stabilized greatly in Liyue, with a sense of balance between all the great powers. The Adepti continue to cast their gazes on the nation from their abodes, whereas the Qixing implements the policies laid out by the Rex Lapis and manage the day-to-day governance of the region of Liyue. 

Since its establishment thousands of years ago, to this very day, Liyue and its lands have stood the test of time, immovable as stone, just as it was thousands of years before under the gaze of its lord, Geo Archon Morax (Rex Lapis). 

*** 

I moved my hand to turn another page, but another topic came up. Guess that was the end. 

'Still, that was something else. I didn't know that Liyue held such an extensive and rich history of over three thousand years.' I took in the scene as I gazed at the horizon where a red sun was gently setting, casting a tranquil vibe all around. 

Casually, I folded my left leg inside the carriage, letting my right leg dangle outside it. I swayed a bit as the carriage rolled over the uneven ground. Putting in a bit of effort, I grabbed a nearby wooden bar and leaned on it for support. 

'I wonder how long until we get there. Maybe I should ask him.' 

Seated at the back of the carriage with its open rear side, I turned my head towards the front where a young man was sitting, pondering something deeply as he steered the horse with focused control. 

"Mr Qing, can you tell me how long it would take to reach Guili Plains?" 

Coming out of his deep focus, he replied, "Hmm...Oh yes, well, it depends on whether we encounter any obstacles in our way and how good the path ahead is for carriages. But usually, it takes around a day and a half to get there. Of course, time can vary by as much as 6 hours, so we can't really be sure about that." 

'I see. A day and a half with an additional variable time of 6 hours. It's only been a few hours since we started the journey. Seems like it's going to take a while, probably around a day or more.' 

"Mr. Qing, if you don't mind me asking, where would we camp for the night?" 

"Oh, that! There is a small pond nearby I recently discovered a few weeks ago while travelling, and I found out it's a relatively good spot to spend the night. There are also very few monsters and bandits in that region, so I think we'll camp there." 

"So, how much time would it take to get there?" 

Holding up his chin in his hand, he pondered for a moment and replied, "Probably a couple more hours at most at the pace we're going. Of course, that is accounting for any troubles we might encounter on the way." 

"I see. Thank you." 

With that, I quickly withdrew to my spot in the back and continued making further plans on how I should go about doing my weekly commissions. I also had to make separate time for myself to practice my ability. 

I got my bag, which I had purchased earlier on the streets, along with some necessary supplies, and took out a map and a set of quill and ink from it. 

I opened it up and spread it out over the entire back of the carriage before holding the quill in my hands. 

'Alright, the farthest location among my four commissions is near Guili Plains. So first this.' With that, I marked the precise location where I was supposed to finish my quest. 

'Other locations of the commissions are Cuijue Slope, Luhua Pool, and Qingxu Pool.' Subsequently, I marked the other three locations before joining all of them through a line. 

I returned the quill to the ink and looked at the modified map. 'Alright, that's the initial plan for now. First, I would travel to Guili Plains, then from there to Cuijue Slope, then further south towards Luhua Pool, and lastly towards Qingxu Pool before going back to Liyue Harbor.' 

Resting my chin on my right hand as a support, I contemplated. 

'Now, I would've to take a more accurate approach to bypass any mountains and valleys that may come in the way. My initial estimation is that I would complete all these quests in around 4-5 days.' 

I sighed, looking up into the sky, 'It seems like some rough days of surviving in the wilderness are ahead of me. I can only hope that I don't encounter any problems on my very first journey.' 

Shaking my head, I started improvising on the rough details of the plan. This continued in silence for some more time before I became tired quickly. 

I let out a loud yawn as I positioned myself comfortably within the small space I was in. 

Seeing my yawn and my tired expression, Qing spoke up and offered a suggestion, "Mr. Aerin, if you're feeling sleepy, then maybe you should rest for a while. After all, you would also have to get up to guard all night. It'd be best if you take a nap early on. I'll let you up when we reach the pond." 

'Oh yeah, there was that too. Although I'm not really in a contract, whenever adventurers are travelling with merchants in a contract, they also have to guard their goods at night as treasure hoarders might come to loot them when they're asleep. I've also heard these cases are increasing on a day-by-day basis.' 

I gently rubbed my sleepy eyes as I thought, 'Well, today was a hectic day. Maybe he's right. I think I should get some sleep.' 

"Alright, Mr. Qing. I'll do as you say." I started packing up all of my stuff in my drawstring bag before putting it carefully in a corner. 

I started shifting his goods carefully in a more organized manner to make some small, cozy space that would perfectly fit me. 

After doing it, I quickly got up and laid my head down on the surface of the carriage before I went to sleep. 

*** 

"Hey, Aerin, get up, we're here." 

Suddenly, I heard a voice coming into my ears. With an insistent voice, Qing roused me from my slumber. Blinking away the remnants of sleep, I sat up and took a moment to reorient myself. 

Stretching my limbs, I acknowledged Qing with a nod. "Thanks for waking me, Qing. We've reached the destination, I presume?" 

Qing nodded a warm smile on his face. "Indeed, we're at the spot I mentioned earlier. It's a peaceful place, perfect for a night's rest." 

With a nod, I climbed down from the carriage, feeling the cool air of a full moon night. 

The carriage had come to a stop near a tranquil pond, reflecting the moon on its surface. The soft croaking of frogs and the distant rustling of leaves added to the background noise. 

Near the carriage, a small fire burned with crackling flames. A food pot hung above it, suspended by a makeshift tripod. The aroma of a simple yet hearty meal wafted through the air as we both sat there. 

Qing, with a weathered smile, handed me a portion of the meal, and we both savoured the taste of it before our conversation took off. We talked about a lot of things over a wide range of topics, from festivals to everyday experiences. 

The sounds of spoons clinking against the pot and the occasional exchange of words blended seamlessly with the silence of the night. By the time our conversation ended, it was already too late into the night. 

*RUSTLE* 

As we both finished the meal, suddenly, I heard the sound of something. 

"Hey, Qing, did you hear that?" I whispered to him. 

"What? I didn't hear anything." He looked at me confusingly. 

I gestured for him to stay quiet, and we both listened intently. The *RUSTLE* came again, slightly closer this time. 

Alerted, we immediately rose from our sitting positions near the fire, and in silent agreement, our eyes scanned the darkness for any signs of movement. 

Just then, I noticed a slight movement at the periphery of my vision. A flicker of uncertainty passed between Qing and me, and it was evident that we both had caught sight of the same subtle disturbance. 

I faced Qing, placing a finger over my lips to convey the need for silence before going off to where the sound came from. I cautiously advanced, ready for any unexpected turn of events. 

Every step I took was deliberate, with the soft crunch of leaves beneath our feet being the only sound breaking the nighttime hush. As I approached the source of the persistent sound, my senses on high alert, I swiftly and decisively threw aside the bushes to reveal the unexpected. 

And the surprise that met my eyes surpassed any expectation. 

"Hu Tao?!"

***

2.1k words...

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