"Ah…! Are you the 'Shining Knight' of Mondstadt, Eastland?" (Eastland is one of his nicknames btw)
Under the other party's half-smiling eyes, Keqing couldn't help but blush slightly, but she soon asked with confusion: "Then why are you wearing a mask?"
Hearing this, Yilan showed a somewhat helpless expression. He gestured with his eyes to the crowd that was already beginning to gather around them and said,
"Let's find a quiet place to talk first."
Noticing the gazes from all directions, Keqing realized this was indeed not a suitable place for conversation. She nodded, put away the sword in her hand, and followed Yilan to a secluded area.
——What she didn't even realize was that although she was the host here, unknowingly, the initiative of the conversation had fallen into Yilan's hands.
Once they were certain no one was nearby, Yilan explained in a helpless tone:
"After all, Mondstadt and Snezhnaya have signed a non-aggression agreement. It's not easy for us to openly confront the Fatui. Moreover, with the Acting Grand Master leading an expedition abroad, Mondstadt is currently in a vulnerable state. To prevent the Fatui from stirring up trouble in Mondstadt later, I had no choice but to hide my identity by wearing a mask."
[Negative Energy +1]
Yilan: "…"
Well, Yilan admitted that he lied a little.
The real reason he wore the mask was that there were too many uncertainties in this trip to Liyue.
Even with his current Mental Attribute of 25 points, he could not predict how his former friends and loved ones would react upon seeing his face.
Would they still recognize him as a friend?
Would they fail to recognize him at all?
Or would they treat him as an imposter and draw their weapons against him?
There were too many variables. But as long as he wore a mask to hide his appearance, he could keep the initiative in his own hands.
He could test their reactions first and decide what to do next.
After hearing his explanation, Keqing accepted it, but she couldn't help asking: "Do people from Mondstadt really need to be so wary of the Fatui?"
The main reason Liyue sought Mondstadt's assistance this time was because they did not want to rely solely on the power of the adepti.
If both the adepti and the Geo Archon personally took action together, who would dare to oppose them?
Hearing Keqing's words, Yilan could only smile helplessly — a well-fed person truly does not know the hunger of the starving.
In Liyue, they had an Archon who cherished his people like his own children, adepti who protected the nation and its people, and the Liyue Qixing governing with diligence and wisdom.
But what about Mondstadt?
Bards who loafed around and sang for money?
A cursed dragon that once rained disaster upon them?
The Wolf Lord who withdrew into the forest?
A people who treated their Acting Grand Master more like a maid than a leader?
Or the Acting Grand Master herself, who led her knights on an expedition, leaving the city even more fragile?
Mondstadt longed for a reliable guardian but could find none. Meanwhile, Liyue often wished the adepti would interfere less in mortal affairs.
The disparity between them was cruel and obvious.
Yilan only shrugged at Keqing and said, "Who knows what the higher-ups are thinking?"
After hearing this, Keqing tactfully stopped asking. She then took out a photo and said,
"I agree with your reasoning. But I still hope you can take off your mask to let me confirm your identity. After all, we can't just trust anyone who claims to be the 'Shining Knight' from Mondstadt. And there's no one else around."
This was reasonable. Yilan did not refuse and simply took off his mask.
When his face appeared before her eyes, a blush instantly rose on Keqing's fair cheeks.
When she had seen his photo, she had thought he was exceptionally handsome. But seeing him in person——
It wasn't theory, logic, rationality, or reason. Even without realizing it herself, she felt a sudden surge of admiration:
'How can someone look so kind?
He seems like someone truly reliable and trustworthy.'
This was the effect of Yilan's innate skill "Beholding the Face of God."
For people like Jean and Barbara, who frequently interacted with him, the effect was not obvious.
But for someone like Keqing meeting him for the first time, it was a near-instant kill.
"Cough!"
Keqing lightly coughed to cover up her momentary daze, then said,
"Thank you for your cooperation, Mr. Eastland. Now that your identity is confirmed, I'll take you to Liyue Harbor."
"Then I'll be in your care, Miss Keqing. Oh, by the way…" Yilan said as he put the mask back on, "Calling me Eastland is a bit too formal. Just call me Yilan. That's what my friends call me."
"Yilan…"
As she led the way, Keqing murmured thoughtfully,
"I remember hearing that an immortal in Liyue's history had a similar name. I didn't expect your name to be exactly the same."
"There's nothing strange about that," Yilan shrugged and said lightly. "After all, the name 'Yilan' is quite common, right?"
"That's true," Keqing nodded.
There were families with the surname Yi in Liyue, and "Yilan" was not an uncommon name in Mondstadt or Fontaine either.
From a broader view, the name indeed was not rare.
The two of them walked up the long stone steps along the official road, and when they reached the top, their view suddenly opened up.
A majestic fortress carved like a blade from the heavens appeared before their eyes.
It was a "city wall" so grand and massive that ordinary words were insufficient to describe it.
It was a creation that seemed straight out of myth and legend.
Countless towering stone pillars, hundreds of meters tall, stood like a forest reaching the heavens.
Even after enduring thousands of years of wind and rain, their shapes still remained sharp, like drawn swords aimed at the sky.
Yilan opened his eyes wide, completely stunned.
Even though he himself had once constructed this miraculous wall, now standing before it in his human form, all he could feel was his own insignificance.
Seeing his amazed expression, Keqing couldn't help but smile proudly:
"This is the Jianmen Pass that Liyue is so proud of. What do you think? Isn't it spectacular?"
Yilan nodded seriously and said,
"With a fortress like this, it's no wonder Liyue was virtually unscathed during the onslaught of the dark beasts.
The immortal who built this fortress must have been truly extraordinary."
"That immortal was indeed very remarkable," Keqing said with admiration.
However, she soon noticed that Yilan was looking at her with a strange expression, a faint smile playing under his mask.
"What's wrong?" Keqing asked curiously.
"No, nothing."
Yilan turned his head, placed his hands on his waist, and after a moment of thought, he asked with interest:
"This immortal named Yilan and the Geo Archon both protected Liyue in their own ways. In your opinion, what's the difference between them?"
This was a very private question. Keqing could have chosen not to answer.
But under the subconscious influence of "Beholding the Face of God," she instinctively saw Yilan as someone she could trust.
After thinking for a moment, she answered seriously:
"The Geo Archon has accompanied Liyue for thousands of years, guiding us through hardships and prosperity.
To me, and to the people of Liyue, he is like a father."
Although Keqing was the most radical member of the Qixing, seeking independence from divine protection, she had never denied the contributions of the adepti and Morax to Liyue.
"As for the immortal named Yilan…"
Keqing recalled the old legends she had heard.
"He is the hero who would come to save you whenever you called his name."
"Hero…?" Yilan murmured softly.
"Is there something wrong?"
Keqing turned to look at him.
Though she couldn't see his expression behind the mask, she felt a vague, faraway sense of nostalgia from him.
It was as if he were traveling through thousands of years of memories, returning to a distant past.
Yilan gazed up at the towering Jianmen Pass and said softly,
"I just think… If that immortal could live to this day and hear you evaluate him like that, he would definitely be very happy."