The moment he sensed something wrong, Ye Xi went on high alert.
The Ye Family Compound sat in a quieter corner of Sumeru City — the kind of place that saw little foot traffic on an ordinary day. And by now, word had spread through the city: this was the residence of the renowned Master Ye Xi. No one would dare come here uninvited.
Which meant whoever had just cleared out those Slimes was no adventurer from the Adventurers' Guild.
Their target was him. Specifically.
And anyone capable of slipping past the Corps of Thirty's patrols to reach this place was no ordinary fighter.
[Forced Calm]
Ye Xi's thoughts snapped into clarity at once, the noise and clutter swept away in an instant.
Excess thinking would cost him the time he needed to plan.
Once calm, he activated his next skill.
[Black Flame]
The flames pooled in the hollow of his palm, coiled and waiting. If the attack came, he would hurl them — and burn the intruder to ash.
He could, of course, simply release the Black Flame in all directions at once, flooding the air around him in a sphere of fire. Since Black Flame only consumed living things, the grass and plants nearby would be incinerated — but the house itself would be unharmed.
Safe, yes. But it would also send the attacker running.
And letting them run was the last thing he wanted. He wanted them dead.
Just then, a wave of killing intent — sharp and unmistakable — surged up from directly behind him.
Ye Xi's senses locked onto it instantly. His hand was already moving to throw the Black Flame—
—and then he stopped.
His whole posture loosened. The tension bled out of him.
"Already giving up...?"
Arlecchino's brow furrowed. Confusion flickered through her mind.
She had seen the Black Flame pooling in his palm. She had braced herself to dodge the moment she struck.
But then he just... withdrew it. And she didn't know what to make of that.
She didn't slow down, though.
In the blink of an eye, her fist was already driving toward his back.
At that exact moment, a crack split open in the air itself.
A hand reached through — and seized her iron fist dead in its grip.
A blow that could shatter stone. Stopped cold.
"How dare you raise a hand against my Lord!"
Enjou's brow drew together, and in an instant, his true form surfaced — the visage of an Abyss Lector bleeding through. The level he had been suppressing erupted upward in a surge.
Arlecchino went still.
What was this Abyss Lector?
How had it been walking around in a human's body — and how had it just shifted back?
She had known Ye Xi was connected to Khaenri'ah. But she had never imagined an Abyss Lector would willingly step forward to protect him.
Or call him Master.
Strange.
Deeply strange.
But regardless — Ye Xi wielded the [Time] Authority.
If the ambush had already failed, then so had she.
She had never seen his time-control abilities in action. She had no idea of their true range or limits — and that uncertainty alone was enough to make her unwilling to linger.
She had to get out. Now.
With a sharp wrench, she tore herself free from Enjou's iron grip and threw herself backward, sprinting for the exit.
She expected Enjou to give chase. He didn't. He simply settled back into place behind Ye Xi without a word.
Then — without the slightest warning — a figure appeared directly in her path.
Nabelin turned her head back slowly, her longsword leveling at Arlecchino, and then she exploded forward in a streak of cold light.
At the same moment, a ferocious hurricane tore through the air above — a storm of blades, rushing straight for Arlecchino like a volley of spears.
Arlecchino didn't flinch. She called up her own slicing gale and drove it straight through Nabelin's assault.
Clang—
The invisible wind rang like crossed steel.
In an instant, dozens upon dozens of sharp metallic notes rang out in a rapid, overlapping cascade.
They clashed and broke apart in the same breath.
Arlecchino was entirely unscathed. Nabelin, by contrast, had a thin red line drawn across her cheek — like a thorn-scratch, barely enough to draw blood.
But Nabelin's fury was absolute.
"You dare—!"
"You insignificant pest — you dare mark my face—!"
"Do you want my Lord to see me like this?!"
"You will die for this—!"
Nabelin's expression turned to ice, and her attacks became something ferocious — no longer controlled, just pure, focused rage.
Arlecchino's brow knotted.
She was baffled.
It was such a trivial wound. The kind that would close before you even finished rummaging for a healing potion.
Was that honestly worth all this?
And the reason she gave — not wanting Ye Xi to see her face injured?
She'd thrown all self-preservation out the window over that?
Arlecchino didn't understand it at all.
What she did understand was this: in that single exchange, she and Nabelin had traded over a hundred blows. Only one had slipped past Nabelin's guard — that one strike to the cheek.
Against a normal opponent, that blow would have punched clean through the brainstem. A kill shot, no question.
And yet Nabelin had taken it as though it were nothing. A scratch.
It was incomprehensible.
It was as if nearly all the damage she dealt was simply being absorbed. Nullified.
How was that possible?
While Nabelin and Arlecchino clashed, Ye Xi watched with idle interest — and used [Appraise] to quietly read them both.
Every attack Arlecchino was throwing was Anemo Elemental Power.
And Nabelin's resistance to Anemo attacks had reached a staggering 90%.
In other words: Arlecchino might as well have been giving Nabelin a back massage.
That said, Arlecchino's level was considerably higher — she had already broken through [Level 80]. That was a full ten levels above Nabelin.
So even with the resistance reduction factored in, the eventual outcome was clear: Nabelin would lose.
Not that it mattered — he hadn't included the [Level 77] Enjou standing nearby. Or himself, already past [Level 120].
"Stand down, Nabelin," Ye Xi said.
The moment his voice landed, both fighters stopped.
Nabelin was breathing hard. Arlecchino looked like she hadn't broken a sweat.
Ye Xi applauded lightly, giving a few slow nods. "Impressive fight."
"If you're as sharp as you seem — you already know there's no way out of this for you."
Arlecchino let out a cold scoff. "That assumes your control over the [Time] Authority can reach me from this distance — and that you can use it without limit."
She was at least ten meters away from him. That kind of time control was already absurdly powerful.
Think about it — manipulating time within a ten-meter radius? The implications were terrifying.
She didn't buy that he was that invincible.
And even if he could stop time — for how long? How many times? If the window was short and the uses were limited, she still had a chance.
Ye Xi only smiled. "You're welcome to find out."
She looked at the confidence in his eyes — and knew. There was no escaping this.
A slow exhale. "I'll admit it. I underestimated you."
"I spent the entire day watching this place. The compound looked completely inactive, so I moved in to infiltrate."
"Then I ran into a handful of Slimes — and cleared them without thinking."
"At the time I thought it was odd, monsters turning up inside your home. Now I understand — they were your tripwires, weren't they?"
Ye Xi nodded. "You're clever."
Low-level monsters like Slimes were useless for actual defense. He had placed them there precisely for a scenario like this — an early warning system.
"Who would have thought a few Slimes would be enough to put you on guard."
"Well. No matter."
"I am the Fourth Seat of the Fatui Harbingers — [The Knave]."
"You may call me Arlecchino."
Ye Xi's expression turned faintly amused. "You don't actually think that being one of the Tsaritsa's people means I won't touch you, do you?"
"Not at all."
Arlecchino shook her head, her composure unbroken. "I have extensive intelligence on the Fatui — including their operations in Fontaine."
"You'll be going to Fontaine eventually. So you won't kill me."
"And in exchange, I can offer you information worth having."
Ye Xi was mildly surprised. He hadn't expected her to be this calculating.
He took a proper look at her. This woman really did cut a striking figure — sharp and composed in equal measure. The tailcoat was immaculate, every button on the white shirt polished to a gleam, every movement carrying a natural elegance. If it weren't for the rather distracting silhouette at the front, any outside observer would have taken her for the steward — or the heir — of some great noble house.
Those distinctive cross-shaped pupils, too, were quite something.
He tilted his head with interest. "Then let's hear this valuable information of yours."
"Ha. Don't be naive."
"If I tell you now, what value do I have left?"
Arlecchino folded her arms, her tone flat and even. "You have two choices."
"First: let me go. I disappear, go to ground, and keep looking for an opportunity to kill you."
"Second: let me stay at your side. I'll trade intelligence for intelligence — equivalent value, no more, no less."
She spread her hands with a light smile. "Of course, in the meantime, I'll also be looking for every opportunity to put you down. Weigh that as you see fit."
The moment she finished, Enjou's expression darkened. "Madam, I think you have fundamentally misread your current position. You are the one who should be on her knees, awaiting judgment."
Arlecchino said nothing. She looked at Ye Xi.
She knew who made the final call here.
Ye Xi exhaled quietly.
He hadn't expected her to corner him like this.
The truth was, he genuinely knew very little about Fontaine — when he had been playing Genshin Impact, the version updates hadn't reached Fontaine yet.
Going in blind would put him at a serious disadvantage.
And then, something clicked.
He recalled something Tartaglia had once said about [The Knave].
[If betrayal would yield profit, she would raise her blade against Her Majesty the Empress without a moment's hesitation.]
In other words: Arlecchino's loyalty to the Tsaritsa was conditional. Self-interested. Not absolute.
And that meant he could use that very same [profit] to bring her to his side.
Ye Xi nodded slowly. "It seems you came here and handed yourself over on purpose. Getting close to me was the goal all along."
"Leaving you to operate freely on the outside isn't a sound move. The only way to keep you under control is to keep you where I can see you."
— [Please send flowers!] —
"You predicted I'd think exactly that. Which is why you're standing here."
Arlecchino blinked. A flicker of genuine surprise crossed her face.
She hadn't expected him to see through her that clearly.
He was right.
She knew Ye Xi wielded the [Time] Authority.
Coming here was never simply about probing him.
She wasn't foolish enough to walk into a lion's den without a way out already mapped.
There were real advantages to staying at his side.
First — she could learn more about what Ye Xi truly was, and what secrets he carried.
Second — she could monitor his movements, and wait for an opening to strike.
Killing someone who wielded the [Time] Authority through brute force? Near impossible.
But being close enough to find a crack in the armor? That was the better play.
The most dangerous place was the safest place.
"So now that you've seen through it — what do you choose?"
If she was being honest, the option she dreaded most was him simply letting her walk.
Because every ambush attempt would still have near-zero odds of success — and now there were Abyss Order members acting as his personal guard on top of that.
The upside of that outcome, at least, was that her life would no longer be in immediate danger.
She could always just... walk away from the whole thing.
Ye Xi smiled. "Fine. You can stay."
"What!?"
"Lord Ye Xi — this — this is absolutely not a wise decision!"
"If she stays at your side, she'll have full access to our movements and intelligence — and she could use the people around you as leverage at any moment!"
Enjou was alarmed.
There were so many of Lord Ye Xi's wives in his household — letting [The Knave] in among them was like releasing a wolf into a flock of sheep.
— [0] —
She could grab any one of them as a hostage, and Ye Xi would be completely powerless.
Arlecchino, for her part, let out a quiet breath of relief — and let a wry smile creep onto her face. "He's not wrong. I will use every method available to me to press my attacks."
"So — are you sure this is the choice you want to make?"
"I have no reason to refuse."
Ye Xi's expression was easy, unhurried — and he began walking toward her.
With each step he took, his smile didn't waver. "Naturally, before we proceed — I'll need to make a few small adjustments to you."
"Huh!?"
Arlecchino's expression shifted. She instinctively stepped back half a pace. "What — what are you planning to do?"
"Something entertaining, of course."
"Stay back. I'm warning you."
Arlecchino's eyes narrowed. "If I'm going to remain at your side, the condition is that you don't lay a hand on me. Not for anything."
Ye Xi laughed.
"You walked into this trap of your own free will. What standing do you have to negotiate terms?"
At that, Arlecchino's brow furrowed hard.
He was right.
She could stay at his side — but he was entirely free to do whatever he liked to her short of killing her.
Still — she was the Fourth Seat of the Fatui Harbingers. She carried the power of a demigod. She wasn't about to roll over without a fight.
Nabelin and Enjou tensed at once.
Just as Arlecchino prepared to make her move — she felt something coil around her leg.
She looked down.
A green vine had wrapped itself around her ankle.
"Only noticing now?"
Ye Xi shook his head. "Too late."
Arlecchino's eyes went wide. She moved to break free — but the vine was like a living shackle, coiling upward in an instant, winding around her from ankle to shoulder until she was completely bound.
She strained against it with everything she had. All that tremendous strength, and she barely managed to force open a hairline gap.
Then the vines tightened — and the force of it squeezed the air clean from her lungs.
She stopped struggling immediately. The more she fought, the tighter it pulled.
"Hah..."
"You — what do you want from me!"
She had looked into Ye Xi. She knew — he was a man of extraordinary appetites. Wives everywhere he turned.
Even a Harbinger was still a woman.
And now she was trussed up like this, arms pinned, completely at his mercy — wasn't she exactly where he'd want her?
"Let go of me—!"
She'd walked right into it.
She was the Fourth Seat. She wielded the power of a demigod.
And none of it mattered one bit now that she was wrapped up in vines.
Ye Xi stepped in front of her, expression blank, and pressed his hand gently to her forehead.
"You wanted to stay at my side, didn't you?"
"Then I'll grant you exactly that."
"Turn into a cat, Arlecchino."
"I look forward to your revenge."
He activated the skill — [Transformation].
"Huh!?"
Arlecchino stared at him, completely lost.
Turn into a cat? What did that even mean?
And then — the next instant — a wave of scorching heat erupted through her body.
As the heat surged and crackled through her in rolling waves, she looked down in dawning horror to find her body getting smaller.
Smaller.
And smaller.
Wha — what is happening to me—!
____
________________________________________
If you want more chapters, please consider supporting my page on (P). with 50 advanced chapters available on (P)
👻 Join the crew by searching Leanzin on (P). You know the spot! 😉