Genshin Impact: Rise of the Desert

Desia knew there was a flaw in what Ivan said, but she didn't know where it was.

Her brain raced, and then she realized that Ivan was right!

She had dealt with Liyue merchants before, and apart from a few who wanted to open branches locally or do long-term business, most of them were just looking to rip people off as much as possible.

Dixia fell silent; she was convinced.

Ivan continued talking incessantly, making everyone blush and their necks turn red, wishing they could immediately fight the Liyue people.

............

Early the next morning, the army, carrying the wounded and supplies, left the island.

Liyue's terrain is mostly unsuitable for cavalry operations, and Liyue's cavalry units are generally used as support units and are not deployed in most situations.

In addition, the need for manpower to transport the wounded and supplies slowed down the pace, allowing them to cover only about thirty miles a day.

However, the cavalry could scout out from twenty miles away from the main army.

A week passed quickly, and the army marched to the vicinity of the ancient tea plantation.

Along the way, the desert expeditionary force passed through dozens of villages. The soldiers rushed in, killed all the merchants and those who dared to resist, looted everything, and left the men, women, and children naked as they headed south.

Furthermore, Ivan claimed that Ningguang would provide them with a settlement allowance once they arrived in Liyue Harbor.

“Ningguang…” Ivan sneered, watching his men sprinkle salt on the cultivated land. “This old woman used to sell fish barefoot when she was a kid. I don’t believe she couldn’t afford a pair of shoes!”

Ivan never underestimated Ningguang and always treated her with great respect.

Every merchant who came to the desert, after going through Ivan's legal means of sleuthing, robbery, coercion, and enticement, Ivan discovered that Ningguang was behind them all.

Cultural infiltration and economic sanctions have made neighboring countries, especially Mondstadt, particularly yearn for Liyue.

Mondstadt was alright; it was a friendly neighbor, and cultural influence was limited to the spiritual aspirations of immortals and adventurers like heroes. But in Sumeru, rumors were spread like wildfire, such as the absurd claim that steamed buns soaked in human blood could cure diseases.

Those who believe may not be fools, but they have no other choice, since most of the wealth and wisdom of Mount Sumeru are concentrated in the hands of less than 30 percent of the population.

Those who believe in the "blood-soaked bun" theory may know it's fake, but they have no other choice but to do it since they're broke. It's better than doing nothing at all.

In Ningguang's backstory, she was an orphan selling fish all by herself when she was young. She would go to Liyue Harbor to sell fish, dressed in tattered clothes and barefoot. It is said that she was thinking about building Jade Pavilion at that time.

Using tattered clothing to create a bleak backdrop, he garnered sympathy and earned money. Ivan hadn't really grasped this in his past life playing Genshin Impact, but in this life, based on this alone, he was certain!

Ningguang was born a politician!

She had many adventures along the way. First, she was chosen by the previous Tianquan Star as his successor. Then, she unintentionally obtained the Eye of the Geo Archon. Finally, she and Keqing from Yuheng Star became the pillars of Liyue!

All of this made Ivan dare not be negligent, and he kept thinking about his plan to deal with her.

Ivan pondered Ningguang's words. The desert people poured salt onto the land of the village, which had been cultivated for countless years, then poured hot water on it to dissolve the salt. Finally, they sprinkled salt on the clothes they had taken from the Liyue people, threw them on the ground, burned them, and then buried them in the soil.

This way, you can obtain a piece of soil that is neither saline-alkali nor arable.

This land is ruined; without external help, it will be impossible to grow crops for at least a hundred years.

This is how the desert people retaliate against their blood feud, resorting to any means necessary. They will not only take everything from you and burn down your house, but also destroy the soil you depend on for survival, making it impossible for crops to grow!

Along the way, Ivan burned down every village he encountered, destroying countless houses and lands.

Sending refugees to Liyue Harbor and claiming that Ningguang is giving them resettlement allowances would further weaken Ningguang and the Liyue leadership, but this plan is too weak and needs to be reconsidered.

Three days later, Ivan crossed the river and traveled north for another four days to reach Qiaoying Village!

Then, he saw someone who could help him carry out his perfect plan!

Zhang Hao!

...............

Zhang Hao and his remaining dozen or so brothers finally managed to escape from the Sumeru Prison by prying open the locks. On the way from Sumeru City to Guili Plain, Zhang Hao was the only fighting force.

Faced with the swill-filled prison food of Sumeru Prison, the rest of the brothers turned into jetpack warriors, running and spitting out diarrhea. In this situation, Zhang Hao took up the mantle.

"You've all been following me, Lao Zhang, since the very beginning. We men of the Liyue Righteous Rock Banner can't abandon our brothers!"

And so, Zhang Hao killed people and beasts along the way, killing thirty disciplinary officers and eighty mercenaries of the thirty-man group with his bare hands, and killing twelve Qiuqiu thugs and countless mushroom beasts with his weapons.

After returning to Liyue, he killed fifteen Thousand Rock soldiers before arriving at Bao'er's Treasure Thief's headquarters. However, when Bao'er saw that Zhang Hao had brought back nothing and lost so many men, she exiled him to Shenyu Valley.

What kind of place is Chenyu Valley?

That's where immortals and the Thousand Rock Army compete for military merits; it's not a breeding ground for evil forces like his at all!

Just then, the desert people invaded, and the immortals all went to look for opportunities. The Thousand Rock Army all went to the front line, which prevented Zhang Hao and the others from being captured.

Zhang Hao and his brothers hid in the woods near the main road. Zhang Hao sighed, "Brothers, it's my fault for being so incompetent. You guys have suffered because of me."

Upon hearing this, the group of treasure hunters all exclaimed, "Big brother, you led us all the way from Sumeru City back to Liyue. This is a debt of gratitude we can never repay in our lifetime!"

"Big Brother is incredibly capable. Who else can kill over a hundred heroes with their bare hands, like killing chicks? I've only ever seen that with you, Boss!"

"Brother Hao, since we came back from Sumeru, my life is yours. I'll do whatever you ask!"

"Me too!"

Looking at his brothers, Zhang Hao held back tears of emotion and whispered, "Listen, they're coming!"

Zhang Hao and his brothers lay on the ground, not daring to look up. They could hear a lot of footsteps, and there were probably many people.

Ervo, the second-in-command, whispered, "Brother, let's rob this place. We haven't caught a single person these past few days. It's one thing for the brothers to go hungry, but your old mother and son, the families of the dead brothers, and the brothers who are seriously injured and unable to move are all waiting for us!"

Zhang Hao looked at the crowd whose eyes were gleaming with greed and whispered, "I'm afraid there are too many of you, and if a fight breaks out, I won't be able to take care of you."

Erwo, his eyes red, said, "Then we don't care! Which of us didn't become a treasure-hunting gang because we were desperate? Our families were so poor that they wished they could use the grime on a chamber pot as salt!"

"That kid Fu Wei comes from a family of thieves for three generations. His grandfather was crippled by Wagner when he stole iron from the Mondstadt blacksmith shop. His father was beaten into a level two disability when he stole a bath towel from a bathhouse. He was hit with a hammer by a group of thirty mercenaries while trying to steal a prison key. Eight fingers on both hands were chopped off at the root, leaving only his two thumbs. Now he has trouble even masturbating!"

"That kid Ren Hao's house is like a desert, there's not a single thing in it that a person would use. He doesn't wash his hair for half a year just to save up some hair oil, and the whole family sits on the kang (heated brick bed) picking out earwax and stir-frying it to eat."

"Brother, let's do it!"

Zhang Hao knew that what Erwo said was slightly different from reality, but he was right.

If we don't make any money soon, we can just go hungry, but what about our families?

Zhang Hao gritted his teeth: "Let's do it, brothers!"

Having said that, the group of treasure hunters rushed out of the woods and onto the main road without even looking back.

"Hey! You thief!"

"This mountain is mine! These trees are mine!"

"Want to pass? Leave some money behind!"

"I am Zhang Hao, the leader of the Liyue Jade Valley Treasure Raiders!"

"I am Erwo, the vice-leader of the Liyue Jade Valley Treasure Hunting Group!"

"We brothers will not harm nameless ghosts with our blades!"

"Send your name!"

“Ivan Rurik, Chanyu of Fuluoyu.”