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Covering her face and running with all her might, Master Keqing moved like a bolt of violet lightning through the streets of Liyue. She didn't stop for breath until she reached her residence, bursting through the doors and sprinting to her room.
She slammed the door shut, locking herself inside a bedroom that was, quite secretly, filled with various handicrafts and collectibles of Rex Lapis. Overwhelmed by a mix of fury and intense embarrassment, she dove onto her bed and buried her head deep under a heavy quilt.
It's a shame, such a horrible shame. At this very moment, she could practically feel the eyes of her family members and the household servants. They were definitely laughing at her behind closed doors. They had to be.
Damn it, just damn it! What kind of absolute bastard would do something like this? If I ever find out who's behind that screen, I'll blow his head off!
Keqing rolled around on her bed in a fit of pique, her legs, clad in their signature black silk, kicking wildly at the air. It was agonizingly hard for her to imagine walking down the main thoroughfare of Liyue Harbor ever again. She could already picture the scenes in her mind. On the surface, people would maintain their usual decorum, bowing respectfully and addressing her as Master Keqing or the Yuheng.
But the moment her back was turned, she knew exactly what they would say. They'd call her Master Niuza Keqing. Her majesty, her carefully maintained professional image, and her reputation for efficiency were all gone, replaced by the image of a frantic chef flying through the air with a meat cleaver. It was uncomfortable, it was sad, and it made her want to disappear from Teyvat entirely.
After a long while of muffled grumbling into her pillow, Keqing's mood stabilized just enough for her to notice the physical object she had brought back from the virtual space. It was the reward for being the star of the video. She had essentially traded her dignity for a physical book.
She sat up, smoothing her hair, and looked at the copy of the Flying Niuza Sword Art. Reading those four words on the cover made her vision go blurry with rage. Her first instinct was to find a torch and set the book on fire immediately.
Patience, Keqing. You must have patience and control your emotions.
She suppressed her anger with a series of deep breaths and gingerly opened the cheat book. As she flipped through the first few pages, the corners of her eyes began to twitch uncontrollably. This is a total trap! This is just to mock me further!
In a sudden burst of temper, she threw the book onto the floor and stepped on it several times with her boots. The Flying Niuza Sword Art was clearly a modified version of the Yunlai Sword Technique that her family had practiced for generations. The entire focus of the manuscript was on the specific angles and speeds required to perfectly slice beef offal.
However, what irritated her the most was the technical quality of the work. After reviewing the diagrams, she realized the modifications actually made the flow of energy more efficient than the original Yunlai style. It was a superior technique, which made it even more insulting.
She stepped on the book a few more times for good measure before sighing and picking it up. Resisting the urge to tear the pages into confetti, she tossed the manual back onto her bed. She realized she had to keep it. She would study it, and once she finally tracked down the person behind the Second Creation live broadcast room, she would shove this entire book down their throat.
So, where exactly was the man responsible for this chaos?
On the second floor of Wanmin Restaurant, at a quiet table tucked away by a window, a handsome young man sat enjoying the view. He wore an elegant blue windbreaker that looked slightly different from the typical fashion of Liyue, and he was currently nursing a small cup of wine while picking at a plate of appetizers.
This was Xu Luo, a soul who had traveled to the continent of Teyvat exactly one month ago. As for his life before his arrival, he considered it entirely unimportant.
His entry into this world had been anything but graceful. He had manifested in the sky above the Sea of Clouds, right near Guyun Stone Forest, and plummeted straight toward a ship. Luckily, or perhaps fatefully, he landed directly on the deck of the Alcor. Specifically, he fell into the arms of Captain Beidou while she was enjoying a drink at the bow. It was a classic princess-style carry, though he was the one being carried.
Beidou, being the magnanimous and bold woman she was, found the situation hilarious. Since the Crux Fleet was heading back to port anyway, she brought Xu Luo along and served as his guarantor. Travelers from other worlds were rare, but they weren't unheard of in a place as diverse as Liyue. With the Captain's word backing him, Xu Luo was able to settle down in the harbor without much trouble.
The Second Creation live broadcast room was his Golden Finger, his unique advantage in this world. By publishing these parody videos, he could harvest emotional value from the viewers across Teyvat. This value could then be used to draw random rewards from a specialized system. When he first arrived, the system had provided him with a novice benefit package before entering a temporary dormant state to synchronize with the world's Ley Lines.
That novice package was the primary power template of Vergil from a certain stylish action game series. It provided him with the necessary tools to survive in a world filled with monsters and gods.
The template included a demonic constitution that allowed for rapid recovery from injuries, basic magical proficiency, the legendary katana Yamato, and the ability to summon Mirage Blades. Of course, he wasn't truly immortal; if his head was severed, he would still die.
In terms of raw power, his current standing was a bit complicated. According to the grading system provided by his interface, Xu Luo was currently ranked at Grade B. His personal status panel was clear:
Name: Xu Luo
Strength: B (Very strong, though still a long way from being able to lift a mountainous beast)
Agility: B+ (Exceptional speed and reflexes)
Constitution: B (Resilient enough to survive heavy hits, supplemented by a regenerative factor)
Spirit: B+ (Capable of sustaining multiple consecutive dimensional slashes)
Abilities: Devil Inheritor, Mirage Blades
Equipment: Yamato
Remaining Draws: 1
The system categorized the power levels of Teyvat in a straightforward manner. Grade D represented common civilians with no combat training. Grade C included most standard Vision holders and people who had pushed their physical limits through intense training.
Grade B represented the elite Vision holders and powerful regional leaders—people like Acting Grand Master Jean, Ningguang, Beidou, and Kujou Sara. Xu Luo was currently at this level. He was far from the top, but he had enough strength to protect himself in most situations.
Beyond that sat Grade A, which consisted of the familiars of the Archons, the Adepti of Liyue, the Yakshas, and the great youkai of Inazuma. Grade S was the realm of the Archons themselves, the Demon Gods whose power could reshape the landscape. Finally, at the pinnacle sat Grade SS, the domain of the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles and the absolute authorities of the world.
Xu Luo knew that the Sustainer or the Heavenly Principles had likely noticed his arrival as an outlander. However, the Second Creation live broadcast room operated on a logic that bypassed the standard laws of the world. As long as he didn't actively expose himself or interfere with the Abyss and the Ley Lines in a destructive way, he should remain relatively safe from divine intervention.
As for why he chose Keqing as the first victim of his videos, it wasn't out of malice. In fact, it was quite the opposite. Back in his old world, he had a great deal of affection for the character. He figured that since the Master of Niuza meme was iconic, it would be the perfect way to kick off his broadcast and generate a massive amount of emotional value right out of the gate.
Every time a video played, Xu Luo earned a chance at a lucky draw. These draws were completely random. He could end up with something as mundane as a roll of toilet paper or something as world-changing as a legendary artifact or a living creature.
Whether he would rise to the heights of luck or remain stuck in the doldrums of misfortune depended entirely on his own RNG. He set down his wine cup, looking out over the harbor, wondering what his next draw would bring.