socalfunplaces Chapter 1212 Good Citizen Kinich
Chapter 1212 Good Citizen Kinich
After a full day of replenishing the fresh water supply on the "Dark Star", the operation to escape Liyue and head to Nata began that night.
Originally, Beidou planned to take Ningguang to Nata herself, leaving Yelan to stay in Liyue and maintain Ningguang's foundation.
Beidou's impression is still based on the old version, thinking that Ningguang led Liyue based on wealth and industry. If these things were still there, Ningguang would have the capital to rise again.
However, what Beidou didn't know was that Yelan had long seen through Ningguang's source of power. Ningguang's current power came from Shaoyun's deterrent force, and protecting the property was completely useless.
Moreover, Yelan was not at ease with Beidou. Nata was too mysterious a place, and she herself did not have much information about it.
If the armed merchant ship "Death Star" sails over there, and something goes wrong, it could be disastrous.
……
After more than a week of turbulent sea voyage, the Death Star finally arrived at the waters near Nata under the cover of night.
But the weather was not cooperating; a light drizzle began to fall from the sky, hitting the deck and splashing up tiny droplets, making the already dim night even more oppressive.
Looking at the uncooperative night sky, Beidou felt utterly lost about the future... Could this be a sign that Ningguang's future was bleak...?
Wearing a cloak, she irritably wiped the rain off her face and couldn't help but mutter a curse under her breath.
"Damn it, why did it have to rain now of all times! Of all times, why did it have to rain now, right when we're looking for Shao Yun in Donata!"
She didn't know if the rain would delay her landing, nor did she know if Shao Yun was still in Nata.
If even their last hope is dashed, all their hard work and the suffering Ningguang endured will have been in vain.
Just then, Yelan, draped in a cloak, helped Ningguang, who was also wearing a cloak, out of the captain's cabin.
Ningguang was too weak to stand, with most of her weight resting on Yelan. She looked even worse than before she left Liyue.
Ye Lan said in a deep voice to Bei Dou, who was still complaining, "Stop complaining, Bei Dou."
“The medicine Dr. Bai gave us was finished five days ago, and Ningguang’s condition has deteriorated significantly in the past two days. We must find Shaoyun as soon as possible, otherwise…”
Ye Lan didn't say what she was going to say next, but both of them understood what it meant.
Without medication, the toxins remaining in Ningguang's body could rebound at any time, and even if Shaoyun were found then, it would probably be too late to save her.
Beidou took a deep breath, wiped the rain off his face, and turned to shout to the crew, "Quick! Lower the spare boat! Be fast, don't waste time!"
The crew immediately sprang into action, braving the light rain to slowly lower the small boat into the sea.
Yelan carefully helped Ningguang into the small boat, and Beidou then jumped onto the boat as well, picked up the oars, and rowed hard toward the shore of Nata.
The small boat moved slowly forward in the rain, with the waves gently lapping against its hull, making a "splashing" sound.
Ningguang leaned against Yelan's chest, her eyes unfocused as she gazed at the blurry outline of the Nata shore in the distance, occasionally letting out a faint gasp.
……
Nata's coastline lacks the orderly docks of Liyue Harbor; instead, it features only rolling reefs and shallows that appear and disappear in the night.
Furthermore, escorting Ningguang was a clandestine operation that couldn't be made public, and Yelan and Beidou never intended to use any official landing points from the beginning.
During the past week or so at sea, no one can say for sure whether the wanted poster issued by Liyue has been delivered to Nata.
If Nata's authorities accept the arrest warrant...
For safety reasons, Yelan, Beidou, and Ningguang squeezed into a small sampan that could only accommodate three people, and under the cover of the rainy night, they secretly landed in Nata.
The small boat reached the Nata, a region of flowing springs and melting water, in the rainy night.
Ye Lan jumped ashore first, and after confirming that there was no unusual movement around, she turned around and carefully helped Ning Guang off the boat.
Ningguang stumbled as soon as her feet touched the wet, slippery ground, and she almost fell if Yelan hadn't caught her in time.
She leaned weakly against Ye Lan, the brim of her cloak pulled low, revealing only a section of her pale chin.
"I'll go hide the boat. You guys find a place to shelter from the rain and wait here." Beidou said as he pulled the small sampan and quickly walked towards the reef not far away.
There is a natural crevice in the rock, just big enough to fit a boat in; you can't see it unless you look closely.
Rainy nights are already cool, and when the sea breeze blows, the chill seeps into your bones through your collar.
For Yelan and Beidou, this hardship was bearable, but for Ningguang, whose body had not yet recovered, it was undoubtedly adding insult to injury.
After Beidou hid the boat and returned, he wiped the rain off his face and looked around at the unfamiliar surroundings.
"There isn't even a proper road around here, where are we supposed to find Shao Yun? We can't just wander around aimlessly in this rain!"
Upon hearing this, Ye Lan handed Ning Guang to Bei Dou, took out a neatly folded piece of paper from her bosom, and unfolded it to reveal a hand-drawn map.
She raised her hand to shield the map from the rain, preventing the ink from smudging, and muttered to herself:
"Before I set off, I found some information about Nata in the archives of the Liyue Adventurers' Guild, and I drew a simple map based on that."
“We should now be on the edge of the Flowing Springs tribe. This should be a melting water area, which matches the terrain described in the data.”
She pointed to a marked location on the map and continued:
"The delivery address that Ying left at the Nata Adventurers' Guild was the Suspended Wood Tribe. Judging by the direction, the Suspended Wood Tribe should be north of the Flowing Springs."
"If we head north, we should be able to find out the location of Shaoyun Ranch."
"Heading north?" Beidou leaned over and glanced at the map. Apart from a few tribal names and some terrain markings, there was nothing else on it. He couldn't help but complain.
"That's it? Is there a more specific route? There might be a primeval forest to the north. If we go in, we might not even be able to find Shao Yun, let alone get out!"
Ye Lan looked at the crude and blurry map she had drawn, and she was at her wit's end.
Nata is so mysterious to the other six countries that it's normal that they don't have a proper map!
She sighed helplessly, folded the hand-drawn map again, and put it back in her bosom.
"There's no other way now. Let's ask the locals nearby. Hopefully, the inhabitants of the Streamers tribe can speak Teyvat, otherwise even communication will be a problem."
After saying that, the three of them waded into the melting water.
The rain pattered on the leaves, making a soft "rustling" sound, and the occasional calls of unknown birds echoed around, creating a particularly profound atmosphere in this foreign rainy night.
……
Finally, Ye Lan and Bei Dou each supported one of Ning Guang's arms, almost half-carrying and half-supporting her as they led her through the woods.
The soil beneath their feet was soft from the rain, and with each step they sank in halfway. In addition, tree branches would occasionally snag their cloaks, making the journey extremely difficult for the three of them.
Ningguang's head rested limply on Yelan's shoulder, her eyes tightly closed. Only the slight rise and fall of her chest proved that she was still conscious, and the occasional soft gasps seemed to be her last bit of consciousness.
"Hang in there a little longer, Ningguang. We'll find someone to ask for directions soon," Yelan whispered reassuringly to Ningguang.
She was also afraid that if things continued like this, Ningguang's body would give out before she could find Shaoyun.
Beidou was still muttering to himself, "Is there anyone in this godforsaken place? If I can't find anyone soon, I'm really going to shout!"
……
Just then, a green figure suddenly appeared behind the three of them; it was Ginitch.
The main reason Kinich was in the vicinity was that he had heard that some wild finned dragons had recently become somewhat irritable, so he came to check if there would be any incidents of them injuring people.
(Wieland: Why do I feel like you're targeting me?)
Unexpectedly, he saw three unfamiliar women in this gathering place of wild finned dragons? And they were even heading towards the gathering place of wild finned dragons. Wasn't this courting death?
So, out of goodwill, Kinich appeared behind the three of them and called out to them.
"Hey, what are you three doing!"
The sound came so suddenly that Beidou, who was focused on getting there, was startled and his hand holding Ningguang loosened, almost causing Ningguang to fall to the ground.
"Ah! You scared me to death! Who is this?!"
When Beidou realized that the person who came was just a teenager, her heart finally settled down a little. She patted her chest and began to complain, still shaken.
"Hey bro, it's so late at night and it's raining. It's really scary when someone suddenly pops up behind you!"
Kinich's gaze swept over the faces of Beidou, Yelan, and Ningguang.
Then, he pointed to the direction where wild hot springs could be vaguely seen not far away.
"I saw that you were unfamiliar faces and were heading towards the territory of the Finned Dragon. I was worried that something might happen to you, so I stopped you to give you a heads-up."
Upon hearing this, Ye Lan immediately understood that it was just a friendly reminder from the locals, and they had not realized their identities.
She gave Ginnic a polite smile and replied in a friendly manner, "Thanks... By the way, I haven't asked your name yet?"
“My name is Ginitch.” Ginitch crossed his arms, raised his chin slightly, and asked with an interrogative tone, “You don’t look like you’re here for tourism, do you?”
Upon hearing this, Beidou's relaxed expression instantly froze; their biggest fear was being questioned about their identities.
Just as Beidou was wondering how to answer, Yelan suddenly chimed in.
"Young man, our identities are somewhat complicated and need to be kept confidential. Please understand."
Upon hearing that his "identity was complicated" and that "secrecy was required," Kinich's previously mild gaze instantly turned wary.
He took half a step back, his tone turning cold.
"Keep it a secret? In this desolate wilderness on a rainy day, with three unidentified strangers appearing, do you think a simple 'keep it a secret' will convince me?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Ningguang in Yelan's arms suddenly swayed slightly, her head tilting even more violently, clearly about to fall into a coma again.
Upon seeing this, Beidou could no longer hide anything and anxiously pleaded:
"We really mean no harm! We're going to Mr. Shao Yun's ranch. Just lead us to him, and then you'll know who we are!"
"Please do me a favor! Our companion's body is about to give out. If we delay any longer, someone could really die!"