When John arrived at the agreed location, Keqing was already waiting inside the house.
John knocked on the door; Keqing opened it.
"This will be your future residence. Daily necessities are already prepared inside.
If anything else is missing, you can let me know after I get off work," Keqing said.
John hadn't expected this place to be the house Ai had promised to rent him.
He thought she had called him here only to meet and then head to the residence.
After all, this was the Yujing Terrace!
Compared to other locations in Liyue City, this was prime land.
A house this large wasn't something you could just buy with money alone.
And from Ai's words, it seemed she didn't just own this property — even the neighboring one belonged to her.
What level of wealth are we talking about here?
Curiosity about Ai's identity stirred in John.
If she was truly extraordinary, perhaps she could help him out of his current crisis.
After all, he wasn't naive enough to believe that Boss Jia merely wanted him to join an illegal trade.
"Ai, do you have connections in the Qianyan Guard?" John asked.
"What do you mean?" Keqing paused, not understanding.
"While I was back organizing my things, my creditors came looking for me…"
John carefully edited his story, hiding the fact that he had provided the weapons himself, and only said that he was being forced into this illegal transaction.
"I see." Keqing hadn't expected John to run into so many problems in such a short time.
And for Liyue's criminal forces to be so brazen, smuggling weapons — this wasn't something a mere tea house owner could pull off alone.
There had to be bigger powers behind it. Keqing, just starting her post, was already feeling the pressure.
After a moment's thought, she made her decision without hesitation:
"I'll help you."
———
So this is how you help me?
John had assumed Ai's help would involve intercepting the illegal trade on behalf of the Qianyan Guard. But to his shock…
Her help meant personally following him!
Wait, isn't this risky?
Ai may have a Vision, but could she really handle so many people?
There was no time to argue. John gritted his teeth and followed Boss Jia's men.
From the corner of his eye, he noticed a figure keeping a careful distance behind them.
John recognized Ai immediately — that signature purple hair made it obvious.
Her tracking skills were impressive; if he hadn't known she was there, he wouldn't have noticed her at all, assuming she was just another passerby.
When they reached a secluded area, Ai's figure vanished.
John had no time to wonder if she had lost them or was doing something else — the Treasure Hoarders had arrived.
"Boss Jia, where's the merchandise?" The leader of the Treasure Hoarders stepped forward, addressing Jia.
"Right here." Jia signaled to his men, who immediately placed the weapons-laden crates in the center for inspection.
He stepped back, indicating the transaction could begin.
One of the Hoarders carried a box full of Mora and placed it next to the weapons.
They pried open the crate, checked a few weapons, and nodded to their leader.
"So, pleasant cooperation?" The Hoarders' leader smiled, satisfied, and motioned for his men to move the weapons crate back.
"Ha, pleasant cooperation," Jia forced a smile and stepped back.
Then, the unexpected happened. One of Jia's men drew a cleaver and immediately eliminated a Hoarder.
The Hoarders drew their weapons in surprise.
"Jia, what do you think you're doing? Playing a double-cross?" the leader shouted.
"So what?" Jia hid safely in the crowd.
"I always knew this old man had no good intentions. Luckily I was prepared. Ada, act!"
"What?" Jia turned to his most trusted bodyguard, only to see Ada press a curved blade against his neck.
"Betraying me?"
"He's always been mine — how is that betrayal?" the Hoarders' leader laughed.
"Hmph. Then you, Abou, stop hiding," Jia snorted, showing no fear despite his life being threatened.
Standing next to the Hoarders' leader, the second-in-command Abou pressed a dagger to the leader's kidney.
One wrong move and the blade would be fatal.
John, long forgotten in the corner, stared wide-eyed.
These people were devious — this was straight out of a spy thriller.
The standoff froze both sides — neither could advance, but neither would back down.
Jia broke the stalemate first:
"Ada, haven't I treated you well all this time? You can still walk away.
Release me, I'll give you money and let you leave Liyue."
"Ha! Who trusts you, Jia? You speak with empty words.
You know me, Abou, unlike that Jia, I keep my word.
Release me, the second-in-command remains yours.
If you want your own faction, fine — I'll take some men with me." The Hoarders' leader spoke.
"You won't get away." A strange female voice whispered in everyone's ear.
From behind the rocks, the Qianyan Guard emerged.
A striking figure stepped out. John had assumed it would be Ai — but instead, it was a stranger.
The woman had long, shapely legs encased in leather pants, heavy blue smoky eye makeup, and delicate features, lazily toying with a dice formed from her elemental power.
Seeing the situation worsen, Jia shouted, "M-Master! Help! I'm under Su's command, here for enforcement!"
"Stop yelling," Yelan tweaked her ear, clearly annoyed.
Her next words made Jia's heart sink:
"The Su you mentioned? He's already waiting for you in prison."