Considering that he was currently standing alongside an Abyss Mage and looked for all the world like a villain, Lin Feng decided to stay hidden for the time being.
Right now, there were very few members of the entire Abyss Order who could take on human form and sneak into the City of Mondstadt. If he were exposed, carrying out future operations would become extremely difficult.
The trade caravan had a decent-sized headcount—roughly ten people in total. Among them, four or five were elderly folk and young children. It looked like a family affair, journeying out to make a living.
Nearby, a Hilichurl Camp sat nestled by the road.
The moment an ordinary Hilichurl spotted the caravan, it let out a sharp howl, instantly rousing the entire camp. Led by a Mitachurl, a total of eight Hilichurls swarmed forward and tightly surrounded the caravan.
"What is the meaning of this? Are they going to attack the caravan?" Lin Feng asked, glancing sideways at the Abyss Mage.
"Yes, Prince. As long as we keep attacking these caravans, trade across the entire Teyvat will grind to a halt. When that happens, the Abyss launching a counteroffensive against the Seven Nations will be child's play."
The Abyss Mage flashed a smug grin, appearing thoroughly pleased with this brilliant strategy.
Seeing the Abyss Mage's expression, Lin Feng had a sudden hunch. He asked, "Don't tell me this idea was yours?"
"Indeed! It is just as one would expect of the Prince—you guessed it right away."
Lin Feng's lips twitched. In his opinion, this plan was utterly useless. Worse still, it would only make the entire continent of Teyvat despise the Abyss Order.
No wonder the Seven Nations maintained an alliance and refrained from fighting among themselves. It was all the Abyss Order's fault! By serving as a common enemy for all, they inadvertently helped keep a relative peace between the nations.
"You really are a Big Wise!" Lin Feng sighed, dripping with sarcastic helplessness.
Completely missing the sarcasm in Lin Feng's voice, the Abyss Mage was overjoyed instead, and hurriedly replied, "It is only what this subordinate should do!"
At that moment, Lin Feng couldn't help but wonder if transitioning from a descendant of Khaenri'ah to a member of the Abyss Order caused a severe drop in IQ. Otherwise, an idea this brain-dead shouldn't even exist. Khaenri'ah had been capable of developing all sorts of advanced dark technologies, and had even managed to strike down several of the Seven Archons during their crusade. Its people couldn't possibly be this dense!
"I've figured out what name to bestow upon you," Lin Feng said, sudden inspiration striking. He took a deep breath and continued, "From now on, your name shall be Big Wise!"
"Thank you for the name, Prince!" Having received a name, Big Wise was clearly ecstatic.
Lin Feng waved a hand and commanded, "Tell those Hilichurls to back off. From now on, no more harassing caravans on the roads. No—not just caravans. I order that the Abyss Order is strictly forbidden from harming civilians ever again."
"???"
Big Wise wore a look of pure confusion, utterly bewildered. Just a moment ago, the Prince had praised his brilliant strategy, yet now he was calling it off? Why?
Seeing that Big Wise made no move to respond, Lin Feng realized he had better spell it out. He went on:
"Our goal in the Abyss Order is to rebuild Khaenri'ah, overthrow the Heavenly Principles, and let the Abyss endure forever. Do you honestly think that attacking the civilians of the Seven Nations helps us overthrow the Heavenly Principles?"
Big Wise thought it over and replied, "Back then, all the Seven Nations took part in the crusade against Khaenri'ah. Aren't these commoners our enemies?"
Lin Feng shook his head. "The ones we want to strike down are the Heavenly Principles and their lacklings, not these ordinary people. If we attack civilians recklessly, it will only ruin Khaenri'ah's reputation. In the future, our Khaenri'ah is going to unify the Seven Nations. Aren't these commoners the subjects of Khaenri'ah, too? Do you consider attacking our own people to be the right thing to do?"
Upon reflection, Big Wise thought that actually made a lot of sense. Wait, did that mean he had been attacking his own teammates this whole time?
By now, Big Wise had completely accepted these commoners as citizens of Khaenri'ah. "I am sorry, Prince! It was my fault for acting blindly before. As always, your vision is far-reaching, and your wisdom is peerless."
Seeing that Big Wise not only understood his point but also inadvertently spoke the absolute truth, Lin Feng wore a satisfied smile. "Well said. Keep that up next time."
Right then, a silver-haired girl clad in maid armor suddenly entered Lin Feng's perception.
Wasn't that Noelle?
Ah, back when Lin Feng used to play Genshin Impact, he had relied on a single Noelle to hack and slash his way all the way from Mondstadt to Inazuma.
Lin Feng looked at the somewhat dopey Abyss Mage beside him, then looked over at the cute, dependable Noelle who could handle literally anything. Suddenly, he felt an urge to swap subordinates with Mondstadt. *I want a cute subordinate like Noelle, too.*
Wait. Why didn't he just trick Noelle into joining the Abyss Order?
"Big Wise, have those Hilichurls cooperate with me. In a moment, the second I step out, the Hilichurls must immediately act terrified of me and run away. Understand?"
Big Wise nodded eagerly. "Leave it to me, Prince. I will not let you down!"
Just to be safe, Lin Feng instructed him twice more. Then, with a sudden burst of movement, he lunged out from the nearby bushes and stepped directly in front of the caravan.
Over by the Hilichurls, the lead Mitachurl was rather confused. Usually, whenever these humans spotted them, they would turn tail and hide. Why was someone actively rushing over to get beaten up? With a Hilichurl's tiny brain, such a complex phenomenon was utterly impossible to process.
At that moment, however, the Mitachurl received a telepathic message from Big Wise nearby.
Understanding the cue, the Hilichurls immediately scattered in all directions, putting on a convincing show of being chased off by Lin Feng.
Meanwhile, Noelle was hurrying along the path toward this area. She had ventured out today to gather some Valberries—her absolute favorite food. Instead, she stumbled upon a scene of a trade caravan surrounded by Hilichurls.
Just as she was rushing forward to intervene, a handsome young man suddenly blocked the path of the monsters. To her utter shock, the Hilichurls actually fled in terror from this boy.
One had to know that a Hilichurl's brain never felt fear based on who stood before them. Even someone with formidable combat prowess like Acting Grand Master Jean might not be able to scare these creatures off so easily.
At that thought, Noelle couldn't help but feel a surge of curiosity toward the young man standing before her. After all, who doesn't like a mysterious hero?
By this time, the members of the caravan had collected their wits and rushed over to thank Lin Feng. Noelle trotted over as well, standing off to the side and curiously sizing up the youth.
"Hello, Noelle."
Lin Feng waved at her, flashing a gentle, warm smile.
Noelle froze, her heart skipping a beat.
*He smiled at me!*
*Wait... how does this person know my name?*