Genshin Impact's Incense Burner Of Liyue.

"Thank you for the meal, Lord Longhai."

Jiliang wiped his mouth with practiced politeness, his movements reflecting just the right amount of etiquette.

"If there's ever anything you need to tell me, please do so without hesitation."

"Is this the price for breakfast?"

"Breakfast was my treat. I never charge after a meal. This is business."

"If it's business, I'd still recommend speaking with my uncle. After all, I'm just a minor figure, and there's information I may not have access to."

"How you handle discussions with your uncle is your concern. I only care about getting the intel I need."

Gu Sanqiu shook his head. "As for why I'm dealing with you, the reason is simple: you're young."

"Does that mean I'm full of potential? Thank you for the compliment, my lord."

"That's part of it."

"The other part is that because you're young, you have your own perspective on things."

"Many people might dismiss such perspectives as naïve or one-sided, but I value them."

"I can't stand meaningless bureaucratic jargon. I'd rather use my sword to cut through it all."

Gu Sanqiu lightly placed a bottle of pills on the table. "These are specialized healing pills passed among samurai. For someone like you, they're an incredible tonic. Half a pill at a time."

"Well? Do you accept this deal?"

"Straightforward and impossible to refuse. My kind of deal."

Without hesitation, Jiliang took the bottle. "I accept. There's some recent intel—the higher-ups seem intent on ramping up enforcement of the Vision Hunt Decree."

"Ramping up? What do you mean?"

"It's understandable if you don't know the details, considering you've lived in the wilderness for so long."

Jiliang explained, "Strictly speaking, the implementation of the Vision Hunt Decree follows a set procedure."

"The retrieval of Visions is selective. For instance, Shogunate soldiers and Inazuman citizens of merit were previously exempt from surrendering their Visions. But going forward, things may change."

Gu Sanqiu frowned. "You're saying that soon they won't care about one's status? Even prominent figures among the Tri-Commission might be treated the same?"

"That's one possibility. Whether this is a case of 'boiling the frog slowly' remains to be seen."

Jiliang hesitated. "If it's true, extending this measure to include high-ranking individuals will require justification—and likely a significant amount of time."

No, not much time at all.

Gu Sanqiu shook his head but silently acknowledged Jiliang's point. For the Vision Hunt Decree to target the upper echelons, there would indeed need to be a justification—a crack to exploit.

In the near future, that crack would be Thoma.

Had the Traveler not intervened and reclaimed the Vision in broad daylight, trampling Inazuman law underfoot and becoming a wanted criminal, it wouldn't have been long before the little turtle traversing the ice would have had to bid farewell to his Vision.

"I just need to confirm—you don't have a Vision, do you?"

"What I practice is onmyodo, an ancient art passed down through generations. It has nothing to do with Visions."

Gu Sanqiu shook his head. "I've defeated numerous Vision bearers, but they were all pitifully weak. Relying on elemental power often leads to neglecting personal training."

Wow, this guy is terrifying.

Jiliang froze. Not only was this samurai capable of slaying monsters, but his prowess in conventional combat seemed even more formidable.

"Well, that's good. But to be blunt, if the Vision Hunt Decree continues, someone like you might actually rise to a high rank within the Shogunate."

"You don't want the Vision Hunt Decree to continue, do you?"

Gu Sanqiu detected the sincerity in Jiliang's thoughts.

"...Forgive me for not explaining why, but yes, that's how I feel."

Jiliang's expression turned bitter. "I can tell you one thing, though. To curry favor with those in power, my family drained its savings in a single day—all to have our name removed from a list."

"We're nowhere near as wealthy as the lords and ladies of the inner city, but once, we were a well-off family. Now? Heh."

Jiliang chuckled bitterly as he pulled open his clothes to reveal a patchwork inner layer.

"I haven't bought new clothes in years. I can't even bring myself to replace old ones."

Gu Sanqiu gave him a pointed look. "You said earlier that the Tenryou Commission pays decently."

"I did."

Gu Sanqiu extinguished the fire in the stove with a gentle press of his hand and turned back to Jiliang.

"Yet you're living in such poverty. That, combined with what you've said, makes it easy to deduce the truth."

"A direct family member of yours must be a Vision bearer. And for some reason, their health has been greatly compromised. Without the nurturing of their Vision's elemental power, their life could be at risk."

"Considering what you've revealed about your physical condition, that person is likely your mother."

"Well? Am I close to the mark?"

Jiliang froze, then slumped to the ground with a thud that echoed through the room.

"Lord Longhai, do you have any alcohol here?"

"Got some from a barter in the wild. But it might be too strong for someone like you. It's homemade by a wandering samurai. The taste isn't great, either."

The bottle was one of Gu Sanqiu's spoils from raiding a bandit camp.

"Doesn't matter. That'll do."

Jiliang shakily opened the pill bottle he'd just received, broke one pill in half, and swallowed it before grabbing the jug and taking a swig.

"Cough! Cough, cough!"

"Ah, the classic 'using alcohol to cope but choking on it' moment. Guessing you've never had a drink before?"

"N-no, never. My uncle never let me attend social events, even though networking could've helped me get a permanent position. He knows my health can't handle it."

The pill's effects began to take hold, and some color returned to Jiliang's pale face.

"You're incredibly sharp, my lord. Not like those other samurai who only know how to yell and wave their weapons around. There's a place in the city called the Sangonomiya Detective Agency. I feel like you'd get along well with its boss."

"Not interested."

"Fair enough."

Jiliang took a small sip. "You guessed right. That person is my mother."

"When I was born, it was a difficult delivery—something the doctors outright called 'impossible' from a medical standpoint. If my mother hadn't wielded a Hydro Vision, I wouldn't have survived."

His voice took on a somber tone. "To save me, my mother overexerted herself, pushing her elemental powers to the limit. She managed to keep me alive, but it came at the cost of her health."

"Without the elemental energy sustaining me, I wouldn't have lived past ten. My mother, despite her weakened state, devoted herself to nurturing me until I could move around without gasping for breath."

"But ever since, she's suffered from chronic illness."

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...he's late [patreon.com/WiseTL]