Chapter Text
It had just about reached noon when you finally arrived in the port city of Liyue.
The journey from Mondstadt had taken roughly two days on foot and had been filled with excitement. You weren’t an adventurer by any means, but you still knew enough to handle yourself in combat. The weight of your polearm strapped to your back was a constant reassurance of safety out in Teyvat’s wild landscape. Now as you approached the looming gate to the city, you let out a sigh of relief as your journey had finally reached its end.
You deeply inhaled the salty air; Liyue was nothing short of magnificent.
As you were about to pass beneath the city entrance, the two Millelith guards posted on either side turned their attention to you. One of them stepped in your path.
“Greetings, Traveller. On behalf of the Liyue Qixing, welcome to Liyue. What is the purpose of your visit?” His face was kind, but you noticed how his eyes remained hard and alert. You stole a glance at the other one who had remained at his post. His face bore no similarities to the warmth his partner was giving you, and he was intently eyeing up your polearm.
Turning your attention back to the guard who had addressed you, you smiled and replied, “Hello. I’ve come from Mondstadt hoping to see the violinist Diana play. I, unfortunately, couldn’t see her last performance, so I’m hoping to see this one instead. I think she’s playing on the Yujing Terrace?”
The guard nodded his head in acknowledgement. “Diana, eh? You’re not the first one who's arrived to see her. My daughter’s been waiting to see her ever since her first performance in Fontaine about... seven months ago, I think?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
He hummed in thought, “In that case, I hope you enjoy her show. We hope your stay in Liyue is an enjoyable one, Miss.”
He steps back and returns to his post at the gate. You give a smile to them both and finally enter the city.
The first thing you needed to do was find a room for the week. Food came second. With this being your first time in the city, you were completely lost at where to go and what to do. However, this made your experience all the more exciting and unpredictable. It was like a breath of fresh air from the life you were used to back home.
You ventured further into the city and continued to take in all the sights and smells. Merchants on the port were shouting advertisements of their wares. Children ran through the streets playing games of tag and weaving in between the crowds much to the annoyance of the adults. Groups of women laughed as they exchanged the latest gossip and recent fashion trends. Everywhere you looked breathed with life. It was significantly different to the more calmer streets within the City of Freedom you were used to.
Amid your indulgence, your nose caught a particularly mouth-watering smell which elicited a rather loud growl from your stomach. Perhaps it was best to eat something before continuing your search lest you collapse from exhaustion.
Following where you presumed the smell to be coming from, you ended up in front of a small restaurant. Inside, you noticed an older man and a younger woman in a bright, yellow dress cooking food. Additionally, what appeared like a small bear was chomping down on an abnormally large chilli pepper. Upon eating the last bite, it turned to the kitchen stove and after a moment began spewing fire from his mouth.
“Guoba! Not too much, you’ll burn the kitchen down!”
To your surprise, the young woman wasn’t fazed one bit by the number of flames coming from the bear’s mouth. Eventually, the flames stopped, and the bear looked up at her and beamed as though it had done nothing wrong. It would have been adorable, but you were still trying to process the fact that a bear had just vomited fire.
Huffing, she dropped some meat into the pot before turning to see you watching with an open mouth. She perked up immediately and approached the counter.
“Hi, I’m Xiangling. Welcome to Wanmin Restaurant!” Behind Xiangling, the bear looked at you once before flopping over on its back and falling asleep. Okay then.
“Sorry, but did that bear just breathe fire?”
She laughed; it was a pretty sound. “Yeah, he did. That’s just Guoba. You’re not the first to be surprised by him, and you’re probably not going to be the last. He helps me and my dad in the kitchen and tends to the stove sometimes.”
Her dad left whatever it was he was doing and pulled Xiangling into a brief hug, one which she gladly returned. “That’s right. Without Guoba we’d probably have trouble getting food out as fast as we do.” He turned his attention to you. “I’m Chef Mao, and I own this place. Speaking of food, what can we get you, Traveller?” He motioned towards the seats at the window.
Wiping away the surprised look on your face, you smiled at their hospitality and took a seat at the counter.
“Uh, what would you recommend? This is my first time in Liyue so I’d appreciate some advice.”
“Well, we have -” Xiangling sniffed the air once and gasped. “Oh no, the fish!” She darted back to the stove where you presumed lay the overcooked meat she’d forgotten about.
Chef Mao let out a hearty laugh. “You’ll have to excuse my daughter. As for recommendations, our Jueyun Chilli Chicken and Black-Back Perch Stew are quite popular with both the locals and visitors. Our Crystal Shrimp is quite good too, but it all depends on what you want in terms of temperature and spice.”
You pondered for a moment.
“I think I’d like something warm with a medium to low level of spice. I’ve heard that Liyue’s dishes are really spicy compared to Mondstadt’s and I’m not sure if I’m ready to have my face blown off just yet.”
“The stew it is then!” Chef Mao laughed once more; you loved how cheerful he was. “I’ll have it brought to you as soon as it’s done. Would you like a drink? We have a selection of teas or just plain water.”
“Just water would be great for now thanks.” You sighed, content. The hours you had spent on foot to get here were beginning to finally catch up on you. After this, you were definitely going straight for a room and a nice bath.
“Coming right up!”
The stew was without a doubt one of the best things you’d ever had in your life. The fish fillets were perfectly tender and juicy and came apart in your mouth with the slightest push from your tongue. The stew was comforting and soothed the aches in your body for the time being, and as promised was just the right spice that your tastebuds could handle. The bowl was completely empty, and not a drop remained.
During your meal, you had asked Xiangling and her dad if there were any places with rooms nearby you could rent for the week. They pointed you in the direction of a tavern called the Third-Round Knockout. You thanked the both of them for the meal, grabbed your things and set off.
It was approaching late afternoon by the time you entered the tavern. At the desk sat a middle-aged woman with a kind, round face. She looked up from the book she was reading as you approached her desk and smiled in greeting. You returned it.
“Good evening, dear. How can Auntie Ju help you.”
“Good evening. Do you have any rooms available for the week? Preferably one with a bath and a mountain of pillows.” You said, half-joking.
Auntie Ju chuckled and turned away to pull out a heavily bound book from the shelf behind her. Flicking through the pages until she found what she was looking for, she let out a sigh of relief.
“Indeed, we do. For seven days we charge five hundred mora, is that alright?”
“Perfect, thank you.” You handed over the amount for the room.
“Included in that price is breakfast, lunch and an evening meal. Your room is on the second floor to the back.” She handed you your key. “I’ll send some of the girls to bring up your bathwater. Would you like help taking up your bags?”
“No, thank you. I’ll manage just fine.” You took the key and began climbing the stairs to your room.
Making your way through the halls of the tavern, you finally realised how tired you were. Your muscles ached something fierce with having to carry your luggage and weapon for half the day. Perhaps you would have a short nap before going out and experiencing Liyue’s nightlife before finally calling it a night. Depends on how you felt really.
Eventually, you reached your room. You dragged yourself over to the bed and flopped onto the mattress after discarding your bags unceremoniously onto the floor. A warm breeze flowed in from the window, soothing your skin. You closed your eyes for a moment, just taking in the atmosphere.
The anxiety of having to perform to Liyue tomorrow night was already eating away at you, and you’d barely practised since leaving Mondstadt. It would probably be your biggest performance yet, and the massive crowds that would likely show up did nothing to soothe your nerves. Tomorrow you needed to hike into the mountains and find somewhere free of people and monsters to freely play and ensure you were properly ready for the evening. It needed to be perfect. You needed to be perfect.
Getting up from where you lay, you retrieved the box that held your mask. It was silver, with two miniature dragons on either side facing inward. Flowers and leaves decorated the edges and made it appear as though the mask was spreading further down your face to conceal and protect more from your audience. Small glass beads were scattered around each eye hole and a larger one that resembled a full moon was set directly in the centre of where your forehead would be. You didn’t like how elaborate it was at first, but after constant persuasion from your fellow musician friend Venti, you had eventually decided to keep it.
It was also partly because you just wanted him to shut up, but you’d never say that to his face. He was the one who’d supported you this far after all.
Putting the mask carefully back into its box and hiding it in the bottom of the chest provided, you stretched and began to put away your things. Clothes went into the chest, toiletries went next to the bath and so on. You had just finished putting away your polearm when there came a knock at the door.
You opened the door to come face to face with three girls carrying large buckets of water. The fourth girl carried a basket of what looked like smelling salts and rose petals for the bath.
“Evening, Miss. If you would allow us, we would like to set up your bath.”
You stepped aside, gesturing to them inside, “Yes, thank you.”
The three girls made their way to the bath and poured each bucket of water in. The fourth girl placed down the basket and waited for the other three to leave. When the bath was filled, the three girls bowed to you and exited the room.
The fourth girl knelt by the bath. You noticed then the pyro vision hanging from her belt.
“How hot would you like your bath, Miss?” She asked.
You pondered for a moment.
“Not scalding, but not warm either. Just in the middle if that makes any sense?”
The girl beamed up at you, “It does, don’t worry. There is a robe hung up behind that screen and a towel on the shelf next to it. Please go and change while I prepare your bath.”
When you emerged from behind the screen not long after, the girl was spreading the rose petals in the water and the bath was now steaming. When she noticed you finally emerge, she bowed.
“I hope it is to your liking. Enjoy your night, Miss.” She left the room, closing the door behind her.
You discarded the robe and sunk into the water.
You bathed until the water finally cooled off against your skin. It was now late evening, and you had planned to go down into the dining area for the meal you were promised earlier.
Auntie Ju was still behind the desk by the time you had changed into a new, clean outfit and gone downstairs.
“Good evening, dear. I do hope you’ve settled in nicely?”
“I have, thank you. When you next see the girls, could you give them these for me? I forgot to tip them after they drew my bath.” You handed Auntie Ju a heavy pouch full of mora.
“Oh, goodness!” She exclaimed, noticing the weight as she held it in her hands, “This is too much. We couldn’t possibly-”
“Please,” you interrupted with a warm smile, “I insist.”
Auntie Ju was lost for words, but she quickly composed herself and put the money under the counter. “You are too kind, dear. Are you wanting your evening meal?”
“I do.”
“Then follow me.”
You were led outside onto the patio area. From here you had a great view of Liyue Harbour. The evening light from the setting sun combined with the salty sea air was almost dreamlike. The earlier chaos of the earlier crowds had dimmed to a more manageable noise, and you found yourself in a peaceful state.
A few people were seated already with plates of food or cups of tea in front of them, and they were all either talking idly with one another or transfixed on the storyteller who stood on the podium. You had heard about these, though you had never watched one of them till now. His voice was soothing and provided the tavern with a comfortable atmosphere for patrons to kick back after a long, productive day.
You were seated on one of the outermost tables, which you were inwardly glad for. You preferred not to have people’s eyes on your back and to just remain out of their sight. It was more comforting that way.
Auntie Ju listed off some dishes she thought you might like, and you asked for the Tonkotsu Ramen. She leaves and you begin to listen in on the story being told. A waitress comes by and pours you a green tea.
About half an hour passes, and you’re absolutely mesmerised by what the storyteller (who you’ve come to know is called Iron Tongue Tian) is saying about the current Tianquan’s legendary business endeavours when you feel the presence of someone by your side.
“Pardon me, but is this seat taken?”
Turning to your left, you are met with the tall figure of a man, and a very handsome one at that. He was adorned in a fashionable coat that almost reached his feet, and you couldn’t help but marvel at how intricately detailed it was. His long, ebony hair is pulled back into a ponytail and tipped slightly auburn at the ends. His whole appearance strongly communicated wealth and therefore a certain authority, and it intimidated you somewhat.
“Excuse me, Miss? Are you alright?”
In less than a second, you snapped out of your haze and refocused on his face. Archons, you were embarrassed.
“N-no, it’s not.” you stammered, “Sorry, I must have spaced out for a second there.”
The man took his seat to your side and softly laughed, it was deep and soothing, like honey.
“It is alright. Where have you travelled from if I may ask? Your clothes are not of the Liyue fashion.”
“From Mondstadt.”
“Ah, it has been a while since I last visited. Is this your first time in Liyue?”
Iron Tongue Tian had moved on to another story, but you had stopped listening at this point.
“It is. I really love it here so far. Everyone’s so nice and welcoming and the food is gorgeous. Are you a local too?”
A waitress brought over your food, and you began to dig in. The aroma was mouth-watering, and an initial taste of the soup made you glad to discover it was something your tastebuds could handle. A second waitress brought over some more tea which she then placed in front of your new acquaintance. He gently blew on it before lifting it to his lips and sipping on the liquid.
“Yes, I have lived here all of my life. Liyue is truly a magnificent city.” He turns back towards you, “May I inquire as to what brings you here? You are quite a ways away from home, after all.”
How should you go about this? It was difficult to maintain anonymity and not be suspicious at the same time.
“There’s a violinist playing here in the coming days. Perhaps you’ve heard of her? She goes by Diana.”
He pondered for a moment; brows pulled together in concentration. His gloved hand began to absentmindedly play with the rim of his teacup. He circled it once, twice, then stopped.
“I’m afraid the name does not ring a bell. Does she play well?”
“Yeah, I’d say so. The posters say she’s playing at Yujing Terrace on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday at midnight.” You finish your food and set the bowl aside.
“Then I will likely attend.” He finishes the last of his tea. His eyes close in contentment and he hums as he savours the taste.
The both of you sit in comfortable silence while listening to more of the stories from Iron Tongue Tian. A new waitress brings out a pot of tea which the both of you share as the evening drags onward and you begin to feel more and more exhausted as the minutes go by.
Eventually, he stands from the table and places a pouch of mora beside his empty cup.
“Please make sure this money reaches the waitress who served us earlier. I thank you for the company, Miss...?”
“Valerie. But I prefer to go by Val. And yourself?”
He smiles and bows his head. From where you are sat, looking up at him, the sunset behind him had painted a flaming halo around his head. He glowed down at you like an ethereal being, like he wasn’t truly from this world.
“My name is Zhongli of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlour. I bid you good evening, and I truly hope you enjoy the concert and your stay in Liyue.” With one last bow, he departs the table. You watch his back as he walks away, growing smaller and smaller until his form eventually disappears around a corner.
Iron Tongue Tian was in the process of rounding off another one of his stories, and you had noticed that the patio was almost empty save for yourself and two others. It was probably a good time to call it a night after the long day you had just had.
Tomorrow you would hike into the mountains and try to find a safe, isolated place to practice before your show. Everything, as usual, had to be perfect. You would put on a show for these people that they wouldn’t forget for a long while.
After all, Diana did have a reputation to uphold.