「 After the three simply introduced themselves, Tingyun once again expressed her gratitude for their righteous deeds.
However, she was also curious as to why Stelle and the others had come to the sealed Star-Raft Sea.
As she spoke, the smile on her face gradually faded, and her tone changed,
"If there's no reasonable explanation, these Cloud Knight big brothers beside us might have no choice but to escort you."
The situation seemed a little off, and March 7th immediately grew nervous.
Fortunately, Uncle Yang was calm and unhurried as he said,
"We called for port connection, but initially received no response. Suddenly, someone opened the Jade Gate for us. After entering the Xianzhou Luofu, we saw no one, so we had to search our way here."
Although it was unclear who opened the Jade Gate, upon learning that the group belonged to the Astral Express, a hint of melancholy appeared on the girl's face.
"Alas… Honored Guests, you've come at an inconvenient time. The Xianzhou Luofu has had an accident and is not suitable for guests. Whether you're here for sightseeing, medical treatment, or business, I'm afraid nothing can be done."
"For safety reasons, you should head to the central hub of the Star-Raft Sea as soon as possible for refuge.
I will bring you to meet Madam Yukong, who presides over the Sky-Faring Commission, and let her decide." 」
「 .....」
~ Shingeki No Kyojin World ~
"This fox girl… is not simple."
In the Survey Corps office, Erwin, having finished a day's work, had put down his documents and was watching the sky screen with Levi.
Due to orders from above, Hange was also present this time, responsible for recording important content from the light screen.
"What? You see something wrong with her?"
Levi looked at him strangely.
"Nothing else really… It's just that this girl has deep thoughts and is very good at speaking."
Erwin raised his head, his gaze unconsciously drifting towards the center,
"This is a habit cultivated from dealing with important figures year-round, it's not easy."
"In her eyes, the Astral Express is an unknown force, and their true intentions cannot be discerned in a few words. If the other party truly means well, yet she dispatches Cloud Knights to detain them… setting aside whether it loses the etiquette of hospitality, at the very least, it leaves a terrible first impression."
"…So, she said those subsequent words."
"The so-called… 'leading the group to refuge' is actually another way of saying 'detention,' right?"
After Erwin's explanation, Levi gradually understood his meaning,
"It allows the Cloud Knights to keep an eye on the three skilled individuals, and also lets the Astral Express Crew feel the gentle attitude of the Xianzhou Luofu."
"To be able to consider everything so thoroughly in such a short time… neither offending people nor making others do tasks – it reminds me of a few high-ranking figures in the Military Police, tsk."
Thinking of those guys in the capital, a hint of displeasure appeared in Levi's eyes.
Erwin did not speak, merely looked at Hange, who had been silent and scribbling in her notebook since the beginning of the meeting.
"Hange, what are you recording?"
Hearing this, Levi also shifted his gaze to the bespectacled, somewhat androgynous individual beside him. He leaned his chair back a bit, barely able to make out the contents of Hange's notebook.
The pen in her hand moved quickly, sketching a simple portrait of Tingyun… Especially the tail and ears, which were deliberately drawn from several different angles.
"Hey, what are you—"
Hange snapped her notebook shut with a "thwack," pointing her pen at the girl on the light screen, her eyes filled with unprecedented fervor and thirst for knowledge.
"Aren't you curious? Don't you want to see?"
"Do you see her ears? She's clearly not much different from a human, but she has two ears on her head!"
Hange reached out and pinched her own ears, the light in her eyes almost overflowing,
"The part blocked by her hair, are there human ears… don't you want to know?!"
"And her tail, it's very fluffy… does it extend from the tailbone? Or from some other part? Ah… I really want to experiment on her, I really want to know…"
"…"
Erwin did not speak; he seemed long accustomed to Hange's ways, calmly retracting his gaze.
Levi rubbed his forehead, grumbling, "Tsk," impatiently,
"Hey, can't you put all your thoughts on the Titans? What's the use of studying the tail of a woman from another world? Are you planning to help Titans grow tails?"
—
「 "I know a little about the Xianzhou Luofu's accident, Miss Tingyun. Our purpose for this trip is precisely to help the Xianzhou Luofu seal the Stellaron." Welt keenly sensed Tingyun's intention and further explained.
"Hehe, when you all bravely lent a hand, this humble one knew that the Honored Guests were great benefactors!"
Tingyun changed the subject, continuing to use her "non-stick pot" rhetoric,
"Unfortunately… Tingyun is also powerless! After all, you are outsiders, and without authorization from Madam Yukong, the Helmswoman, who would dare act on their own initiative."
"Don't be afraid, Madam Yukong is kind and gentle, come with me!"
At this point, following Tingyun was the only option.
Along the way, everyone witnessed Tingyun's flawless speech and her ability to subtly assign tasks.
After eliminating a few Mara-struck soldiers and passing through a narrow plank road, the group finally arrived at the Star-Raft Sea's port.
Hearing Welt mention the Stellaron, Tingyun also stated that as an "Amicassador," she had visited many planets ravaged by Stellarons. As she spoke of the tragic state, Tingyun's beautiful eyes couldn't help but dim. 」
「 .....」
~ Genshin Impact World ~
"It seems Tingyun's identity is more akin to a national commercial representative, quite similar to my own."
Ningguang smiled slightly; no wonder she felt a strange sense of familiarity when watching Tingyun speak.
The Liyue Qixing are responsible for Liyue's commercial operations, and as the "Tianquan," she is not only a major merchant in Liyue but also the leader of numerous trade guilds.
Tingyun's watertight rhetoric sounded incredibly familiar to Ningguang.
However, there were still differences. Ningguang herself was the highest authority in Liyue and a formulator of countless commercial policies. When dealing with people, her confidence was undoubtedly greater.
"If Tingyun could come to Liyue, that would be wonderful. Liyue Harbor is in dire need of such talent,"
Ningguang sighed regretfully.
The little secretary beside her overheard this and immediately felt a touch of sourness,
"Madam Ningguang, are you regretting that Miss Tingyun cannot be used by you?"
"Heh heh, you heard that too."
Ningguang looked at the fox-girl on the light screen, observing her cunning little expression, and the smile on her face changed again. She waved her hand,
"Never mind, this girl has a keen mind, she's a born merchant, so how could she be content to be used by me?"
"If she were to come to Liyue, I'm afraid those merchants would be secretly groaning again."
—