Chapter 11

"Buzz buzz..."

The first rays of morning sunlight fell on Bai Luo's face, waking him from his slumber.

Opening his eyes, he saw a few Electro Cicins hovering around him, driving away the Hilichurls that were trying to gather nearby.

After quickly dealing with the troublesome Hilichurls, Bai Luo glanced inside the tent.

Since Kseniya had gotten drunk, Bai Luo had taken it upon himself to keep watch for the night.

In truth, he just felt awkward sleeping next to her.

Even though Kseniya didn't seem to mind, Bai Luo was, at heart, a proper Liyue native.

Taking advantage of someone in a vulnerable state was something he couldn't bring himself to do.

However, he did take the opportunity to mark Kseniya. With this mark, he could visit her anytime to catch up.

The "mosquitoes" that had been so annoying in the game now seemed rather endearing.

Stretching, Bai Luo looked around but didn't see Kseniya anywhere.

All he found was a note she had left by the pot and a hand-drawn map.

As a member of the Fatui vanguard, she had her own missions to attend to.

After leaving some food for Bai Luo, she had gone off to "work."

Looking at the elegant yet wild handwriting, Bai Luo smiled and pulled out a few jars of jam from his pocket.

He had brought these from Snezhnaya.

After spending so much time there, he hadn't developed a taste for Fire-Water, but he had grown fond of jam.

Now, he liked to carry some with him wherever he went.

These... would be his gift to her.

...

After carefully studying the somewhat abstract map, Bai Luo realized something.

Last night, while chasing the "little thief," he had left Ritou entirely. Then, Kseniya had led him through the mountains and forests, bringing him near Mt. Yougou.

No wonder the mountain nearby had looked so familiar.

Luckily, he hadn't been tempted to climb it. Otherwise, he might have encountered that centuries-old fox, and Bai Luo wasn't sure he could handle her.

After getting his bearings, Bai Luo headed back toward Ritou.

He wasn't in a hurry.

As long as he made it back before nightfall, he'd be fine.

Since he was in Inazuma, it wouldn't hurt to take in the sights before the Raiden Shogun decided to obliterate him.

As he passed by a fox statue, he didn't forget to greet a shrine maiden wearing a fox mask.

Just as he was about to leave Konda Village and head back to Ritou, a noise behind him made Bai Luo quietly vanish from sight.

Shadow Stride: After 1 second, enter a stealth state and increase movement speed by 8%. Using normal attacks or skills will break stealth, and the next attack is guaranteed to be a critical hit.

This was one of the key reasons he had become the instructor for the Pyro Agents.

Once he entered Shadow Stride, even the Harbingers couldn't detect his presence.

When the Tsaritsa accidentally learned of this ability, she personally visited the Pyro Agents' training camp.

Afterward, Pulcinella, who had accompanied the Tsaritsa, told Bai Luo that after witnessing his Shadow Stride, the Tsaritsa had left with a single remark.

"Interesting."

Not long after the Tsaritsa's visit, Bai Luo was promoted to the Twelfth Harbinger.

Bai Luo suspected that even the Seven Archons might not be able to see through his Shadow Stride.

Before long, a group of Nobushi appeared in Bai Luo's line of sight.

Their target likely wasn't Bai Luo. Even though he had vanished from the path, they continued to run in a specific direction with grim expressions.

These so-called Nobushi were a thorn in the side of even the Fatui.

They had lost all dignity as samurai and would even collaborate with Treasure Hoarders for profit.

Now that they had gathered in a group, Bai Luo was intrigued.

Taking advantage of Shadow Stride, Bai Luo quietly followed the Nobushi to the border between Narukami Island and Ritou.

Since Shadow Stride didn't last forever, Bai Luo kept his distance to avoid detection. It wasn't that he couldn't handle the Nobushi—he just didn't want to alert them.

Before long, he heard the sounds of fighting and shouting up ahead.

Bai Luo's Shadow Stride had worn off. He was about to reapply his stealth to investigate when he noticed a strange sound at his feet.

Looking down, he saw a pure white cat crouching beside him, hiding in the same spot.

Its sapphire-blue eyes were fixed on Bai Luo.

The cat seemed wary of Bai Luo's sudden appearance.

"Could it be them?"

Looking at the somewhat familiar cat, Bai Luo's mind flashed to two figures.

Under the cat's slightly panicked gaze, Bai Luo vanished once more, taking the little one with him as he headed toward the commotion.

Before he even reached the scene, Bai Luo could feel the refreshing breeze.

Accompanying the wind were flashes of dazzling Electro light.

No matter how strong the Nobushi were, they couldn't compare to two Vision-wielding ronin.

By the time Bai Luo arrived, the one-sided battle was already over.

The fallen Nobushi were a testament to the fact that these two seemingly peaceful youths were far more dangerous than they appeared.

The taller youth sheathed his sword. He had a blade of grass clenched between his teeth, seemingly unaffected by the fight.

From the Electro glow on his blade, it was clear he was an Electro Vision holder.

When he saw the white cat running toward him, he instinctively reached out, expecting it to climb onto his shoulder as usual.

To his surprise, the cat leaped into his arms instead, burrowing into his clothes.

This strange behavior put him on edge again.

"Friend, since you're here, why not come out and chat?"

The youth appeared relaxed as he held the cat, but in reality, he was ready to draw his sword at any moment.

Even when facing evil spirits, his cat had never reacted like this.

Whoever was hiding in the shadows was far more formidable than he had imagined.

"Huh?"

The other youth, who had already sheathed his sword, immediately tensed up upon hearing his companion's words.

But after scanning the area, he found nothing unusual.

As an Anemo Vision holder, he was highly sensitive to his surroundings.

But the drifting wind told him there was no one nearby.

"Are you sure you're not—"

Before he could finish, a dark figure appeared not far in front of them, wearing a strange mask.

The figure's appearance was eerie. One moment, the spot had been empty, and the next, he was there.

There had been no sound, no elemental reaction—it defied everything they knew about elemental skills.

If he had wanted to ambush them...

At that thought, both youths broke out in a cold sweat.

They realized there was no way they could have avoided his assassination or sneak attack.

"Care to chat?"