After tying the man up and making sure the knots wouldn't slip, Jiang Bai dumped a basin of water over his face, forcibly dragging him out of unconsciousness.
Patrick was stunned. Completely stunned.
One moment he'd been carrying out his commanding officer's orders. The next, he was in a cave, trussed up like a bundle of firewood, with a hostile-looking man staring him down.
He wanted to shout something threatening—did this guy even know the consequences of kidnapping a member of the Fatui?—but his mouth was stuffed with cloth. All that came out was a muffled "mmph."
Seeing him awake, Jiang Bai yanked the cloth free and spoke in the tone of a seasoned interrogator. "Everything you say from this point on will be entered as evidence. Choose your words carefully."
Patrick: ???
The curse he'd been about to spit out died on his tongue. He glanced around. No interrogation chamber. No officials. Just a perfectly ordinary cave.
Evidence? What evidence?
Was this man here to interrogate him? Had their plans been exposed?
But this was only a research assignment. They'd been stationed here for some time, and nothing had happened. They hadn't even done anything overt. Why would Liyue's authorities take notice?
In an instant, a dozen thoughts raced through his head.
Jiang Bai, for his part, had no idea he'd bluffed the man into overthinking. He was simply trying to rattle him and see what fell out. Interrogation wasn't exactly his forte.
When Patrick fell silent, Jiang Bai sat across from him and began idly flipping a small dagger in his hand, watching him with a look that said I already know everything.
"So after failing to meddle with an ancient god last time, you still haven't learned your lesson? Not enough of a beating?"
Patrick forced himself to retort, stubborn as ever. "Under the treaty signed between our nations, our presence here is permitted."
He hadn't participated in the Liyue Harbor incident, but he'd heard plenty about what Childe had done.
Childe had released an ancient god. Liyue had suppressed it. Then Childe himself had fallen into the Qixing's hands.
It was an embarrassing matter for a Harbinger, but the fact that Childe had been captured and ransomed had already spread throughout the Fatui ranks. No one dared mock him openly, but the private gossip had been relentless.
Later, the Qixing had dominated the negotiating table, extracting significant political and economic concessions for Liyue. But that was above the pay grade of common soldiers like him.
The Fatui's stationed forces in Liyue were recognized under the treaty. In return, they were obligated to provide assistance when needed.
One of his friends had even entered The Chasm with his unit during the disturbances there, assisting Liyue in combating the disaster.
On the surface, they were only using Dunyu Ruins as a garrison. Yes, they were conducting research in secret—but that was unofficial. Publicly, there was nothing to fault.
Jiang Bai narrowed his eyes. He didn't know the full contents of Liyue's treaty with Snezhnaya, only that similar agreements existed between Snezhnaya and the other six nations besides Mondstadt—binding them in something like a shared economic framework.
The Fatui loved to dress up their actions, painting themselves as guardians of the continent.
The dagger flashed.
Its edge skimmed past Patrick's ear, slicing away a few strands of hair.
His scalp prickled violently. A fraction closer, and it would have cut skin.
Half of Jiang Bai's face lay in shadow. He hooked a finger beneath the soldier's mask and tilted it up, leaning in as his full pressure descended without restraint.
"Heh. I don't think you're just 'stationed' here."
Patrick's hair stood on end. It felt as if some monstrous presence had locked onto him. His legs trembled uncontrollably.
He was trained. Normally, he wouldn't be afraid—unless he truly couldn't help it.
Facing this man felt like standing before Childe in his Foul Legacy transformation. That suffocating pressure was something he would never forget.
"We've been watching you for a long time," Jiang Bai said coldly. "If you don't want to suffer, start talking."
"Y-You… ask…" Patrick swallowed hard.
He couldn't reveal everything. But offering a few harmless details might buy him time.
"Name."
"Patrick."
"Position."
"Pyroslinger Bracer, Eleventh Company, Fatui forces stationed in Liyue."
"Assignment."
"Patrol."
"How many companies are stationed here? How many men?"
...
Yelan stood high atop a towering rock outside Dunyu Ruins, a cloak draped over her shoulders, her gaze cold as she watched the Fatui below.
When the Fatui stirred up trouble in Liyue Harbor, she had been away on assignment. By the time she rushed back at full speed, the situation had already been settled.
To prevent another such incident, she'd arranged surveillance on every Fatui unit stationed in Liyue.
But Dunyu Ruins was special. The number of Fatui here was significant. So this time, she had come in person.
On the surface, they were merely drilling and maintaining a garrison.
But who knew what they might be doing behind the scenes?
Her gaze drifted lazily across the soldiers—then paused on a Pyroslinger Bracer emerging from behind a rock formation.
Something about him felt… off.
She narrowed her eyes.
...
Jiang Bai, now dressed in Patrick's uniform, strode boldly into Dunyu Ruins.
Interrogation hadn't been his only goal. He'd already assessed the man's build—almost identical to his own.
Fatui soldiers wore standardized uniforms and masks. Swap clothes, and blending in wasn't difficult.
As for Patrick, kind-hearted as he was, Jiang Bai hadn't stripped him completely bare. He'd left him in his undershirt and undergarments.
Hopefully, being tied up and unconscious in the chilly night air wouldn't give him a cold.
Now disguised, Jiang Bai carried a Pyroslinger's firearm and wandered through the ruins as though on routine patrol.
As he walked, he observed quietly, searching for irregularities. At the same time, he discreetly took out the Sifang Compass to determine the adventurer's exact location.
To his surprise, after entering Dunyu Ruins, the needle still pointed downward.
Jiang Bai stared at the submerged ruins below, deep in thought.
That meant the adventurer had ventured into the inner depths—underground, and far deeper than the surface structures.
Just as he was about to put the Sifang Compass away, he suddenly stiffened and turned his head.
A Geochanter Bracer was walking straight toward him.
And judging by the trajectory—
The target was unmistakably him.
---
T/N: YELANNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN i prefer xinqiu over yelan
T/N2: heres ur updates :3 meeting the 4 chaps a week quota :3 do u think itd be better to do it earlier in the week to make u guys wait more for the bonus chapters
bonus chaps
100 stones -> 1 chapter
200 stones -> 2 chapters
300 stones -> 3 chapters
and so on
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