After a long voyage, the Crux would hold a three-day celebration upon reaching land. This was an old tradition of the Crux Fleet; after all, no one knew if they would die at sea one day, even with Beidou at the helm.
Enjoying themselves in the moment was also part of their daily routine.
"Still not used to life at the sea?" Beidou asked, walking up to Kazuha, who was sitting by the ship, gazing at the myriad lights of Liyue Harbor, and draped a coat over him.
Liyue Harbor at night had a bit of a sea breeze; sitting there like that, he might get sick.
"I was just thinking of a few things." Kazuha pulled his coat tighter, his eyes blurring as he looked at Liyue Harbor. He had once been from a famous clan in Inazuma, playing with his elders near Ritou.
He still remembered a fireworks establishment in Ritou, called the Hiraizumi Estate. There was a courtesan in the Hiraizumi Estate; because whenever she danced gracefully, the sea would be covered with the lights of pleasure boats, just like the legendary great yokai 'Unohana' that appeared on the sea, people called her the 'Courtesan Unohana'.
Though it wasn't a place of great renown, it had driven the development of Ritou, making it the most prosperous port in all of Inazuma, bar none.
With the issuance of the Sakoku Decree, the Hiraizumi Estate had long turned into rotten wood on the sea, and Ritou was shrouded in gloom. Even he had become a wandering samurai traversing the human realm; everything had changed beyond recognition. The most regrettable thing, however, was...
A familiar figure emerged in his mind. Even though they hadn't known each other for long, his friend's hearty smile was still a pain that was hard to erase from his heart. Things had changed, indeed.
"Alright, today I spent fifty thousand Mora specially to invite the chef from Wanmin Restaurant to prepare a grand meal to reward everyone. Get ready, that girl's cooking is truly exceptional, in my opinion, even better than Yue cuisine and Li cuisine." Beidou was quite satisfied with this new subordinate.
Because of his presence, their relationship with Watatsumi Island had become closer. Moreover, this young man himself possessed impressive strength and understood how to read the wind and rain.
Her fleet had also avoided many storms due to Kazuha's warnings, gradually winning over those who had initially been less accepting of the young man. She wondered if Ningguang had handled the instructor's matter during her absence; it was truly worrying.
For the lads on the sea, there were only a few things they liked most: plenty of wine to drink, plenty of meat to eat, and plenty of gals to... well, you know.
So, those with families were specially pardoned to go home and spend time with their loved ones; those who wanted to return could join the banquet the next day.
If they wanted to spend more time with their families, they could return when the ship was ready to set sail again.
As for seafood... spare them, please. Having spent every day at sea, they had long since had their fill of seafood.
After Snezhnaya and Liyue established diplomatic relations, besides bringing the Fatui and friendship, they also brought Snezhnayan specialties, such as the "Fire-Water" which was said to be usable as a disinfectant.
This drink quickly won the favor of these sailors, even reaching parity with Mondstadt's Dandelion Wine at one point.
Amidst the singing and dancing, a chef, accompanied by a small pet, occasionally weaved through the crowd, serving plate after plate of delicious dishes.
Judging by her movements through the crowd, this girl was clearly not simple; at the very least, she had some training. And the Vision she had inadvertently exposed only reinforced this idea in everyone's minds.
"Does the young lady seem to have an issue with me?" Kazuha put down the roasted meat in his hand.
When Xiangling looked at him with wary eyes for the seventh time, he finally couldn't help but ask. He was quite sure he hadn't offended this chef, but her wary gaze made him feel somewhat uncomfortable.
"My apologies, my apologies. It's just that earlier today, a red-robed rogue wearing a mask caused trouble at my restaurant, making me a bit overly paranoid." Her voice still trembled a little as she said this.
The Sunsettia that person left behind, she didn't know what was mixed in it. Guoba almost ended up at the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor after eating it, and it was only thanks to Master Chef Mao that he was revived.
Sunsettias, truly terrifying. Xiangling also knew her behavior was a bit impolite and quickly apologized.
After Kazuha spoke, she confirmed that this Inazuman was likely not the same person who caused trouble at her restaurant.
"Red robe... rogue..." Kazuha's eyes narrowed.
He opened the satchel he carried with him, pulled out a cat-faced mask, and asked, somewhat excitedly, "Did he carry a strange reverse-blade sword and wear this kind of mask?" The mask was one he had asked Gorou to find for him.
Although it differed slightly from the Battousai's, it was still of the same type.
"Yes, that guy's swordsmanship was incredibly fast, like lightning. He knocked down a bunch of Fatui in just a few quick moves," Xiangling recalled carefully and said. Although the rogue's mask was different from the one in Kazuha's hand, the general style was similar.
"It's him! It's him, Battousai!" After Kazuha joined the resistance, he had no further news of Battousai. Later, he sought help from the Sangonomiya Priestess of Watatsumi Island, but still couldn't find him.
He had thought Battousai had been found by the Raiden Shogun in Inazuma City and slain with a single strike, never expecting to meet him in a foreign land.
"Are you sure it's that person?" Unlike the excited Kazuha, Beidou, beside him, was somewhat serious.
She had also heard about Battousai. He was the only human in centuries to have injured an Archon.
Even knowing that Battousai was a righteous individual, he was still, in a sense, a threat, just like the Jade Chamber that Ningguang often talked about, holding a special significance.
"There are many red-robed Inazumans wearing cat-faced masks, especially after the Vision Hunt Decree ended, this attire became popular throughout Inazuma. But there is only one person in the whole world who dares to carry a reverse-blade sword." With the blade facing oneself, there was a greater possibility of injuring oneself, so no one would have the courage to carry such a weapon, let alone wield it with such mastery. Therefore, that person must be Battousai.
"Captain, can you grant me one day... no, can you grant me three days off? I want to find him." Why he was so eager to find him, Kazuha himself wasn't sure.
Perhaps that person carried a shadow of his friend? They were different from him; they dared to draw their blades against the high and mighty deity, intending to cut down the injustices of the world.
His friend failed; his body was buried by the Shogun on Narukami Island, and many people had visited him. Battousai also failed, but he was still alive and proved one thing to the world: that strike might not be unattainable after all.
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