Chapter 272: Youla's Request

Eh—

Long time no see, it's not that enthusiastic, right—

Effortlessly catching the incoming greatsword in his hand, Luo De turned his head to look at the still-angry Youla.

Speaking of which.

Since parting ways in Mondstadt, they haven't seen each other again.

But upon this long-awaited reunion, what came was a fierce vertical slash.

Youla's action naturally drew the guards' attention.

Not everyone knows Luo De.

At the very least, these few guards don't know him.

But they recognize Youla.

They came running over, shouting and pointing their weapons at Luo De and his companions: 'Captain Youla, is this person an escaped criminal?!'

Someone even rushed forward to grab them, shouting sternly: 'Put your hands behind your backs, put down the captain's weapon—I tell you, this is Hope City, no one can run wild here, or else the Dendro Archon will surely punish you!!'

Of course.

Luo De would never comply; instead, he smiled and asked: 'Not bad, you've only been here a few days and already became captain.'

None of your business.

Youla replied unhappily, then snatched back the sword Luo De was holding, turned to the guards and said: 'Sorry, wrong person—you may return to your duties.'

Mistook someone?

This explanation left the few guards, who had been eager and enthusiastic, stunned in place.

They eyed Luo De suspiciously.

No matter how you look at it.

That strike Youla just made was definitely aimed at knocking him down.

Is this a misunderstanding?

But suspicion is suspicion.

In the Hope City system originally established by Luo De,

orders and prohibitions are the most basic requirement.

Since Youla has called off her attack on Luo De and offered a reasonable explanation, the guards naturally have no reason to keep bothering him.

After glaring and making threatening gestures at Luo De,

Following Youla's orders, the guards returned to their posts and continued their previous patrol duties.

Hmph—

Who are these two?

Youla frowned slightly, looking at the person beside Luo De.

My friend.

Zhongli of Liyue, from Sumeru

Luo De gave a brief introduction.

He hadn't finished speaking.

Then Youla said: 'Sanggemahabai Lao ye, I know her.'

Huh?

Luo De looked left and right: 'You guys know each other.'

Tsk.

Duoli gave Luo De an annoyed look: 'You stupid mushroom, do you think everyone's like you, clueless and still trying to do business? Sanggemahabai Lao ye won't let any possible business opportunity slip by!!'

Having said that,

Duoli, however, did not continue discussing 'business' with Youla as she said, but instead grinned: 'I still have things to do today, Captain Youla; let's chat when you have time.'

Sure.

Youla nodded, then turned her gaze to Zhongli.

She didn't need to say anything.

Luo De then replied: 'Mr. Zhongli is an honored guest of the Dendro Archon, and also a distinguished guest before the Wind God—someone trustworthy.'

Upon hearing the two words 'Wind God,' Youla's mouth twitched; she ultimately swallowed what she had wanted to say and waved at Luo De: 'Come with me.'

Zhongli is someone who loves to hear gossip.

Thus, when Luo De invited him, he not only didn't refuse but actually followed along with keen interest.

All the way, he followed behind Youla.

Originally just wearing a playful expression, Zhongli's gaze gradually turned solemn.

Unlike the structure of A Ru Cun,

in the initial city plan of Hope City, Luo De designed many low-rise buildings and similar community settlement layouts.

Thus, upon entering the city gate,

upon seeing the design of the streetlights and buildings on both sides of the road, Zhongli's eyes lit up; if one looked closely, they could see that the tip of his whip was faintly glowing.

Obviously.

This god, who is accustomed to wandering the mortal world as a mortal, is now using his divine power to carefully observe Hope City's unique structure.

"A mechanism with elemental runes at its core?"

"Can it be used like this?"

Zhongli frowned slightly, muttering to himself.

In the design of Hope City.

It innovatively used the elemental runes deciphered by Feilushan as the foundation, breaking them down into individual rune mechanism components, and through various combinations constructed a vast elemental circulation network beneath Hope City.

Although Hope City's infrastructure is still unfinished and much of the energy released by the elemental network is wasted, merely using it for streetlights has already provided the residents of Hope City with untold convenience.

At the very least.

People no longer have to huddle in pitch‑black darkness where they can't see their own hands as soon as night falls.

And Zhongli's gaze naturally wouldn't be restrained by such a tiny streetlamp.

He merely probed Hope City's underground elemental flow in his own way and immediately listed the uses of several elemental rune formations.

Including but not limited to round‑the‑clock water supply, full‑day adequate electricity, and the fire elemental energy that can be brought into every home to ignite stoves, cook food, and heat water, etc.

Basically, Zhongli thought of everything Luo De wanted to do with elemental energy.

He even gave Luo De some advice on runes, such as applying Geo‑reinforcing rune stone slabs to the exterior of buildings to boost earthquake resistance—simple enough—and adding the brushwork style of immortal talismans to the rune mechanisms to improve the conduction efficiency of elemental runes, etc.

Youla, walking ahead, stopped several times, unable to resist pricking up her ears to listen to Zhongli discussing with Luo De how to use the rune mechanisms.

Frankly speaking.

What Luo De and Zhongli said was a bit too over‑the‑top for her.

Although her early education hadn't been neglected despite her family's decline, in Mondstadt they don't study the rune learning of Xu Mi Cheng, nor the talisman arts of Liyue.

Thus the topics Luo De and Zhongli discussed about expanding, splicing, and extending runes were inevitably too advanced for her.

But even so.

When Zhongli and Luo De were there expressing their hopes for the use of the rune mechanisms, she still couldn't help but feel a sense of longing.

Although she had never seen the kind of device Luo De described that can automatically regulate temperature, the implement that preserves food with frost, or the water and power supply available anytime throughout the day.

but this doesn't stop Youla from fantasizing about those scenes.

While Luo De and Zhongli were chatting heatedly,

the entranced Youla couldn't help but ask, "You say all this—can it really be done?"

"Huh?"

Luo De, whose topic had been interrupted, paused briefly, then gave a light chuckle: "Whether it can be done or not, you can see for yourself, can't you?"

"."

Youla stared blankly.

After a moment.

She then realized what Luo De meant.

Everything Luo De hoped for already has a prototype or a basic foundation in place now.

Not to mention anything else.

This streetlamp, said to be a masterpiece of the Academy's Wonderful Discourse School, lights up automatically as soon as it gets dark.

Some of its principles seem similar to the mechanism Luo De mentioned for automatically regulating indoor temperature. "By the way, I forgot to ask you something."

Luo De's voice pulled Youla out of her daze as he asked, "You're abandoning your post while on duty—aren't you afraid of being punished?"

This is no joke.

Hope City's system differs from that of Xu Mi Cheng and A Ru Cun; it is a completely new set of regulations formulated based on the two.

Later, with the large‑scale influx of the desert tribes, this set of rules and regulations underwent corresponding revisions.

At least as far as Luo De knows.

Just the revised version he left behind already had over a hundred items.

No matter how the system is revised,

the provision that on‑duty personnel must not abandon their posts remains clearly stipulated.

Youla is now clearly deviating from her post while bringing Luo De and Zhongli along; according to the rules, if caught she would at least lose three months' salary and be detained for investigation.

Don't think that because Youla is Luo De's friend,

but if she, a city patrol captain, so openly flouts Hope City's rules, Luo De would certainly not bend the law for her.

"Pfft—"

Seeing Luo De's solemn expression, Youla burst out laughing: "Don't worry, I'm off today; it was Dixiya who said you also came back together, so I came to the city gate to wait for you so I could repay resentment with resentment and vengeance with vengeance."

".?"

Luo De tilted his head: "Dixiya?"

"How?"

Youla gave a playful smile: "You don't know her?"

"Not that."

"I'm just curious how you two got together."

This time it was Luo De who turned blank.

Logically speaking.

Youla's departure from Mondstadt to Xu Mi Cheng and Dixiya's departure for Liyue should have overlapped.

That means they previously had no chance to meet.

But Dixiya has only just come back a few days ago.

At most.

Subtracting the time Luo De spent with Zhongli and Nadixa at a gathering, plus the time it took them to walk from Xu Mi Cheng all the way to Hope City, it's altogether less than ten days, right?

In such a short time,

have they become that close?

You forgot, right?

Dixiya is the commander overseeing all city patrol squads, and I'm currently her subordinate.

Um—

Youla paused: 'I'm still the city patrol captain she personally appointed.'

Oh—

Luo De scratched his head, finally figuring out the whole story.

So that's how the two of them met.

However, Luo De still noticed a strange point: 'You should have been here by now, right? What were you doing before Dixiya came back?'

City patrol guards.

Youla replied directly.

This isn't some dark history; if it needs to be said, just say it.

Guards?

I remember I had Diluc bring a recommendation letter, right?

With that letter, even if you don't go through Dixiya, you could at least get a position matching the rank of captain.

Luo De stroked his chin and guessed: 'You wouldn't have thrown away that recommendation letter, would you?'

As for Diluc.

Luo De still trusted him.

Therefore, he'd rather believe that Youla didn't want an unearned gain and threw the letter away, than believe that Diluc never gave her the letter at all.

As expected.

Youla nodded: 'Yeah, I burned it.'

She waved her hand grandly and said: 'Since I've decided to come here with my family, that shows I've accepted my new identity, so there's no need to cling to my past knight identity—just like before, starting from the bottom is the right path.'

Well said.

Zhongli, who hadn't spoken in a while, interjected.

One can tell.

As for Youla, he still admired her.

While the three were talking,

Youla's destination had arrived.

It was a newly built six-story building.

More precisely,

It was a residential complex made up of seven buildings, capable of housing over two thousand people.

Inside, it also featured standard greenery and recreational facilities.

Unlike those residential areas where only elders and children are usually present during the day, the complex Youla brought Luo De and the others to had many young people loitering in the open spaces, yet the complex's gate was guarded by many elderly people wielding thorny branches and wooden sticks, who wouldn't let even the youths or children go out freely.

However, when Youla brought people in,

they did not stop them.

They merely gave her a cold stare, seeming deeply dissatisfied that Youla had so quickly blended into life in Sumeru.

As for those youths who kept glancing toward the gate,

as soon as they saw Youla return,

several of them immediately rushed forward to complain.

Luo De listened the whole time, frowning, as they recounted how they wanted to go out to the city for a stroll but were turned back by the old men and women.

Nor were there lacking people who secretly whispered to Youla, asking how the situation was being resolved and whether anyone could rein in those old folks who wouldn't let people leave.

Luo De even heard someone mention his name.

There was nothing good to say.

Because the elders of the Laolunsi family arbitrarily tied Luo De to their chariot, insisting that the family's revival depended entirely on his support.

Thus, the youths who didn't want to keep muddling along with the family showed strong hostility toward the masked Luo De.

Fortunately,

Youla didn't reveal Luo De's identity, repeatedly telling them she had found someone willing to help, expecting results in a few days.

After much persuasion,

this managed to convince the resentful clansmen to go back.

Come with me.

Youla, worn out from all the talking, looked a bit tired.

Luo De didn't try to persuade them either; he just gave those Laolunsi elders who oppressed their clansmen in his name a cold glance, committing their faces to memory.

Soon,

Youla then brought Luo De and Zhongli to the rooftop of a building.

After opening the door,

The room wasn't large and was simply furnished: aside from exercise equipment, there was only a simple bed, desk, and cooking utensils—few items, but all neatly arranged.

I usually live here alone.

So I don't bother tidying up.

It's a bit messy, don't mind.

After bringing Luo De and Zhongli in.

Youla went to boil a pot of water, poured them two cups of tea, then got straight to the point and said: "Speak up—you brought all our family members here; you must have a way to deal with those old fogeys, right?"

(End of chapter)