Genshin Impact Simulation: Starting with Melsin's Friend

The caravan, laden with goods, slowly entered through the only entrance to Qingquan Town. Passersby and residents along the way brushed past each other, and no one paid much attention to the passing caravan.

During the Flower Festival, such scenes are commonplace and not worth the residents' precious time to pay attention to.

After all, they needed to receive travelers who came from all over Teyvat, so they naturally had no time to attend to anything else.

However, if experienced investigators observe carefully, they can still discover some unusual things.

For example, the chubby merchant at the head of the group.

His physique fits most people's impression of a wealthy businessman; his plump face makes his eyes appear narrow, and through a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, he seems to be constantly waiting to be sold.

Perhaps to make the disguise more convincing, the merchant was playing with a string of sandalwood beads in his hand, which was probably a product of Liyue.

The surface of the bracelet is polished and shiny, so it is obviously not a new product.

However, even with such details taken into account, the action still seemed somewhat counterproductive.

As Mu Feng "accidentally" brushed past the caravan while carrying the spices he had bought, he had already decided on his target.

The merchant's hands had thick calluses, especially around the base of his thumb, marks left from long periods of combat with weapons.

Given that so many mercenaries had already been hired as guards, these marks seemed even stranger.

Moreover, speaking of mercenaries, although they deliberately used different outfits, including Liyue Escort Agency uniforms and Gilded Brigade attire, their formation was exceptionally well-organized.

Ordinary mercenaries don't have this kind of quality, especially Mu Feng, who doesn't remember Li Yue and Sumeru ever having a cross-border exercise.

Rather, they are more like an army than mercenaries.

This is Mondstadt territory, and the other party is clearly not from the Knights of Favonius, which is quite intriguing.

Mu Feng's gaze fell on the cargo truck covered by a tarpaulin, which was so well covered that the specific appearance of the goods could not be seen.

However, this in itself speaks volumes.

The caravan moved forward slowly, while Mu Feng turned into another alley and followed at a distance in one direction.

The businessman leading the group was very alert. He appeared relaxed, but his eyes were constantly scanning his surroundings.

Soon, the caravan stopped in front of an inn. The mercenaries showed no intention of unloading the goods. Instead, they left out sentries to guard the area, while the rest of the men escorted the merchants into the inn.

The first floor of the inn is a teahouse with a Liyue style. It looks quite old and is filled with travelers from Liyue. The air is filled with a fresh and elegant aroma of tea.

The businessman went straight to a seat by the window and sat down where a cup of tea had already been placed in front of him.

There was someone in the seat opposite, who had obviously come as arranged.

Through the old glass window, which was somewhat blurred by dust, one could vaguely see two people seemingly talking about something.

Mu Feng hesitated for a moment and did not rush into the inn.

Because he wasn't sure whether this meeting was part of a caravan's disguise or a rendezvous within the Fools' Clan.

The goal this time is to follow the clues and investigate further. If we alert the other party too early, it will affect our subsequent actions.

At this point, the best course of action is to remain unchanged in the face of all changes.

Fortunately, Qingquan Town has plenty of vegetation. With the help of a few sunset fruit trees, Mu Feng successfully avoided the sight of the guards and made his way around to the area directly below the window.

The sounds of conversation inside could also be faintly heard.

"...Oh, oh, of course, of course, I was very satisfied with the goods last time, and yes, the same goes for the other side..."

This should be the person opposite the merchant speaking, but so far there doesn't seem to be anything unusual.

However, the voice seemed somewhat familiar, but for a moment, Mu Feng couldn't remember who it belonged to.

"It's alright, it's alright. If goods from Sumeru are easier to obtain, then Liyue's supply is not unusable."

"Also, if I may add something, Mr. Sloan came from Jingfu Port, right? How is it there now?"

This time it was the merchant's voice, accompanied by the soft clinking of sandalwood bracelets and the sound of teacups tapping on the table.

Then, a soft sigh came from behind the wall.

"Sigh...don't even mention it, the ship has dropped anchor, but thankfully the lighthouse is still lit, so at least the return journey is safe."

"At least we didn't encounter any of those legendary ghost ships and end up at sea. It's a stroke of luck amidst misfortune, haha."

One can imagine the bitter smile on the other person's face at this moment, and then, as expected, the merchant's genuine sympathy arrived.

"...That's good, but next time before you leave..."

The conversation that followed was similar, mostly about the delivery of goods and the operation of merchant ships, but one of the voices sounded increasingly familiar to Mu Feng.

It couldn't be the voice of someone he knew, otherwise he wouldn't have failed to recognize it. It must have been someone he'd only met once or twice on the street.

Moreover, although the content of the conversation was fairly ordinary, he always felt that something was amiss.

"...Hehe, then as agreed, the goods will still be delivered on schedule, payment upon delivery, and to the same old account..."

“...Of course. Since Mr. Sloan has other matters to attend to, I will not see you off any further. Please forgive me.”

"Don't mention it. Although the Jade Balance Bone tea here can't compare to the fine tea from Liyue, it's still quite decent. Mr. Wollrich, you're welcome to have a few more cups. I'll put it on the tab."

As they were talking, the sound of a chair being pushed and pulled could be heard, indicating that another person was preparing to get up and leave the inn.

Mu Feng pulled his wandering thoughts back and watched as a person wrapped in a coat hurriedly left the inn, his figure quickly disappearing into the dense crowd of the market.

He didn't rush to follow, since there was no evidence pointing to the other side, and the target here was obviously more important.

After a while, the ceramic teacups and saucers made a light clinking sound again, and the merchant called the shopkeeper to settle the bill.

Soon, the wealthy merchant, surrounded by mercenaries, also left the inn.

The convoy slowly started up again and headed out of Qingquan Town, thus bringing this brief meeting to a close.

...But is that really the case?

P.S.: Happy New Year everyone!