16: Wangshu Inn

Guili Plains—once a prosperous place—now lay in ruins, shattered by the Archon War. What remained was nothing but a graveyard for gods. The people of Liyue had long since been forced to migrate and eventually resettled in Liyue Harbor.

A lone girl in a black leather outfit and hooded cloak walked silently across the broken earth of Guili Plains. Her long silver hair was messily tucked beneath her hood, except for two thin braids at her temples that fell over her chest. Crimson eyes gleamed with killing intent. Her pants had a cutout design, and a tool pouch bulged from her right thigh, a red Vision embedded in it. Two silver daggers hung at her waist.

If Zhongli were here, he would instantly recognize those blades—No Grief · Violent Sky—the weapons he had gifted to Saphir. And indeed, that was who she was: Saphir, now en route to Mondstadt after leaving Liyue.

Gone was the black nun's habit—so too was her gentle, approachable air. In its place came a sharp, deadly aura. Her face was now hidden behind a black mask covering her upper features.

Saphir had chosen to travel on foot to Mondstadt. It was a long journey, nearly a week in, and today she had finally arrived at Dihua Marsh.

"Yaya-ka!" The warmth of Dihua Marsh was… enthusiastic, to say the least. A group of hilichurls appeared before her, seemingly targeting a lone, defenseless traveler.

Three Charging Hilichurls. Two Fire Axe Mitachurls. Three Hilichurl Archers—Cryo, Pyro, and Electro. A full elemental set.

"Low intelligence really is a problem," Saphir sighed, watching them charge. A strange domain formed around her, engulfing the Charging Hilichurls and the Mitachurls.

Assassination Domain: Attacks summon shadow clones to strike surrounding enemies. Clone damage scales with skill stats.

In a blink, Saphir vanished.

Shadowstep: Enter stealth. Stealth breaks upon attacking.

A second later, she reappeared behind one Charging Hilichurl. Her daggers were already reversed in her grip. "Die," she said flatly—and No Grief · Violent Sky crossed the creature's throat. Blood sprayed.

Simultaneously, several shadows appeared behind the other enemies in the domain. Same move. Same outcome. Even the two Fire Axe Mitachurls were killed instantly, their throats slit before they could even cry out.

The Hilichurl Archers who had hung back panicked and turned to flee. But Saphir, now changed in form and aura, showed no mercy. With a glance toward the escaping archers, she became a streak of light.

Arclight Slash: Dash forward at high speed, dealing damage.

She caught up to them in an instant. Same movement. Same result. Three more Hilichurls met their end in a flash of silver.

With the fight over, Saphir returned the daggers to her waist, adjusted her hood, and continued walking.

"You don't look like someone from Liyue. An outsider?" The voice that came from beside her was low, but unmistakably youthful.

Saphir showed no reaction—she had expected it. "Something like that. Or maybe I just keep to myself, and you've never seen me before?"

The speaker snorted. "I've guarded Liyue for over a thousand years. If someone like you had been around, I'd know. State your purpose."

"Just passing through," she replied. "Those Hilichurls had a scent I didn't like, so I got rid of them."

She wasn't lying. The creatures had been tainted with a black, foul aura—residue from a corrupted god. The voice was familiar, too. It belonged to Xiao, the wandering Adeptus who often lingered near Dihua Marsh.

Xiao had also come because he'd sensed the demonic remnants. He hadn't expected to witness Saphir's display—ruthless, precise, swift, and uncanny. That was his evaluation.

When he noticed that her path led toward Wangshu Inn, he decided to probe. If she was a threat to Liyue, he would intervene.

"I'm staying at Wangshu Inn tonight. If it's convenient, perhaps we could meet in person?" Saphir invited him directly.

Xiao hesitated. The demonic remnants clinging to him were dangerous—just being near mortals could harm them. But Saphir had shown no fear during her earlier battle. Her Vision embedded on her leg proved she was no ordinary person. After a pause, he answered:

"Understood. At midnight, I will appear."

With that, Xiao vanished. Saphir walked on. She had actually hoped to encounter him—that route had been chosen with this possibility in mind. Lucky her.

"One room, please. Preferably a high floor. I like the view," she said upon arriving at Wangshu Inn.

Behind the front desk stood Verr Goldet. As she recorded the booking, she made small talk: "May I ask how I should address you?"

"Me? Just call me Sharp." Saphir casually gave a pseudonym. She knew well enough—Wangshu Inn was more than it seemed. It was actually an intelligence hub under the Qixing. Especially Verr Goldet. She was likely Ningguang's agent. If she wanted to play a separate persona from the real Saphir, she had to be careful not to blow her cover here.

"Miss Sharp, you do look somewhat like a local," Verr Goldet said, fishing gently.

Saphir's features did resemble the late Guizhong. Though the upper half of her face was hidden, her facial structure still bore traits of someone from Liyue.

Saphir smiled and shook her head. "Honestly, I don't really know. My master picked me up when I was a child. I've never met my birth parents. She didn't know my background either. But it doesn't matter. A wanderer doesn't care much about birthplaces."

Verr Goldet paused, then smiled politely. "Alright then, I'll show you to your room."

"No need to trouble yourself. The front desk can't be left unattended."

"It's fine. My husband can cover for me. I need to head to the rooftop anyway—it works out." She was already walking ahead.

Saphir nodded and followed without resistance.

"Say, Miss Sharp, did you come from Liyue Harbor?"

"Yeah. I wasn't planning to pass through this region, but my ship ran into strange weather near Guyun Stone Forest and wrecked. I had no choice but to rest in Liyue and then walk to Mondstadt."

Not a single blink—completely fabricated.

But she had prepared. Her subordinates had sunk a small boat near Guyun two days before she left Liyue, making it all perfectly check out.

"That sounds dangerous. The weather near Guyun has been unstable for a while. You'll need to be extra careful in that area."

Saphir nodded with a grateful smile. "Yeah, I was lucky. Could've ended up dead otherwise."

"Alright, we're here." Verr Goldet stopped before a room and opened the door. "If you need anything, just let our staff know. We'll do our best."

"Oh right—boss, do you happen to have a guest here wearing green?" Saphir asked casually.

Verr Goldet's heart skipped a beat. The image that popped into her mind was, of course, Xiao. But she kept her smile as she asked, "Why do you ask? We're obligated to keep guest information private."

"It's nothing serious. Just, on the way here, I was ambushed by monsters. I thought I was done for, but this green-clad boy showed up and saved me. I owe him, you know? He told me he stays here, so I came to repay him."

She shrugged. Completely convincing.

Verr Goldet didn't doubt it. No one would dare impersonate Xiao, especially not in his inn—after all, the real one could hear them from the rooftop right now.

"So how does Miss Sharp plan to repay him?"

Saphir tilted her head in mock contemplation. "Could you prepare a dinner on the rooftop for two? Something generous. A full meal doesn't match the debt, but it's better than nothing, right?" She handed over a heavy Mora pouch.

Verr Goldet hesitated, but seeing that Xiao made no sign of objection, she accepted the Mora and went downstairs to make arrangements.

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