"I'll receive him formally, in the name of the Liyue Qixing."
"What do you two think?"
Hearing that, Keqing's brows lifted slightly before she nodded. "I agree. We need to confirm what he actually knows."
Ganyu hesitated, then said softly, "His relationship with Mr. Zhongli is… rather close. Perhaps we can also take the opportunity to probe Mr. Zhongli's attitude."
"Mm."
Ningguang narrowed her eyes a touch. "Then arrange it as soon as possible."
And as Ningguang said that—
At this very moment—
Elsewhere.
Outside Liyue Harbor.
Beneath the pitch-black curtain of night, mountain ranges rolled one after another. The cold wind howled through the peaks; ancient trees swayed, branches rattling with a harsh rustle.
On a hidden mountaintop, a lone figure stood in the darkness.
A pair of eyes stared coldly at the brilliantly lit city of Liyue in the distance—deep, shadowed, and ominous.
It was the Fatui Harbinger who had escaped—Childe.
His expression was so ugly it could curdle blood. His fist clenched tight, knuckles whitening. His coat snapped in the wind, and the traces of recent battle still clung to him.
Even the back of his hand showed faint smears of blood.
But he didn't have the leisure to care about any of that.
He only glared at the city far away, teeth grinding, murderous intent boiling up like a tide.
That moment—those images—thrashed through his mind again and again:
"Fatui Harbinger Childe publicly admits to assassinating the Geo Archon!"
The roar of furious Liyue citizens… the Millelith drawing blades… and that damned calm look on Kairo's face.
Childe sucked in a breath. His fingers trembled slightly, disbelief flickering in his gaze.
He… admitted it? In front of everyone?
When it clearly wasn't him.
He had been cautious from the start—he hadn't even begun acting inside Liyue yet!
And yet at that instant, he had distinctly felt his reason slip for a heartbeat, as if bewitched by some invisible force.
The words that spilled out of his mouth weren't something he could control at all.
He forced himself to replay the scene.
Kairo's voice.
Kairo's tone.
Kairo's eyes.
"It was him! It had to be! He did something!"
Childe narrowed his eyes, raging fire burning in his pupils, icy malice carving into his brow.
"Kairo… that bastard is absolutely not normal."
He tightened his fist. Killing intent flashed in his eyes, and a sharp instinctive alarm rose in his chest.
This wasn't coincidence.
Glancing down, he saw his black glove torn and ruined.
The authority he once carried in Liyue was gone.
Now he was alone. His subordinates had been seized by the Qixing, the Northland Bank completely sealed off.
The Fatui's influence in Liyue had been uprooted overnight.
"Damn the Liyue Qixing. Damn it all."
Childe sneered, teeth bared. His gaze turned feral and dangerous.
He'd originally planned to use the Rite of Descension as cover to move within Liyue—gather critical intel for the Tsaritsa, seize the Gnosis, and use the Traveler as the entry point.
Everything had been going smoothly.
Who could've imagined it would end like this?
Now he had become Liyue's most wanted criminal.
Returning to the city was impossible. The Fatui couldn't offer him any help here.
The only thing he could do—
Was rely on himself.
Flip the board.
Childe drew a deep breath. Possibilities stormed through his mind in an instant.
In the end, his gaze settled toward the southeast—toward the mountain range of Jueyun Karst.
The Adepti's secluded realm.
That place was home to the immortals who guarded Liyue—beings the people revered with unquestioning devotion.
Back then, wasn't Liyue built by Morax together with the Adepti?
If—
If he could make the Adepti believe the Qixing were the true culprits…
If he could force the Adepti to step in, to confront and question the Qixing…
Then Liyue's situation would become unbelievably complicated.
And he could use the chaos as cover to act!
At the thought, Childe's lips curled into a sly, chilling smile.
"Liyue Qixing… you want to drive me into a dead end?"
"Then let's see if you can withstand the Adepti's wrath!"
He cast one last cold glance at the dazzling harbor in the distance.
Then he turned without hesitation and shot toward Jueyun Karst.
Under the black night, his silhouette moved like a lone wolf on the hunt, weaving through steep ridges—every step steeped in schemes and calculation.
He was going to see the Adepti.
He was going to twist the situation back in his favor.
He was going to plunge Liyue into true chaos.
"Liyue Qixing… I want to see whether you can stop the gods above."
The night wind howled as Childe vanished into the mountains.
Originally, he'd planned to make the Traveler do all of this.
But he'd never gotten the chance.
Now—
Only he could do it himself.
While Childe gritted his teeth and moved—
Inside Liyue Harbor.
Three Cups at the Port was bright with lantern light, lively and loud. Nearby restaurants buzzed with voices; aromas spilled into the air; tables were packed with delicacies—so many that it made your mouth water at a glance.
At a spot closer to the sea breeze off the harbor—
Kairo, Lumine, and Paimon were leisurely eating pastries, enjoying Liyue's unhurried atmosphere.
From the storyteller's platform, Tian Tiezui's voice rose and fell with that unique cadence, drawing the whole hall's attention—
"Back in the day, when the Fatui first set foot in Liyue, their posture was so low you'd think they were bowing to the floor!"
"When the Northland Bank was first established, it was all respect and humility. Even when they wanted to lend money, they had to beg Liyue merchants to take the loan!"
"But the world knows this well—wolves with greedy hearts don't swallow their pride forever!"
"And sure enough, a few years later, their layout in Liyue began to show. The Northland Bank became overbearing to the extreme!"
"Usury, bankrupting borrowers—countless cases!"
"And now? They even dared plot against the Geo Archon!"
"Truly tragic—truly hateful!"
The moment Tian Tiezui said that, the listeners exploded.
"Ha! Just as expected—those Fatui never had good intentions!"
"Back then they played humble only to squeeze more profit. And now they even dared stain the Geo Archon—unforgivable!"
"Childe, that bastard! Everything in the Northland Bank should be confiscated!"
The crowd grew more and more heated.
The Fatui's infamy had dug deep into Liyue's bones.
And when news spread that the Northland Bank had been sealed, plenty of Liyue merchants were practically ecstatic—
"Hahaha! The Northland Bank got shut down? Does that mean we don't have to pay back what we borrowed?"
"Exactly! Their interest rates soared to the heavens. Now they've even 'killed' the Geo Archon—let those debts count as repayment to Liyue!"
"Hahaha! Heaven's wheel turns—karma comes around!"
Voices overlapped. The entire tea house brimmed with anger and malicious delight.
Kairo sat calmly, sipping tea at his leisure, a faint smile playing at his lips.
Liyue folk were kind—
But when it came to enemies, they were never softhearted.
"Hehe, Kairo!"
The next second, a sly voice popped up right by his ear.
Kairo looked up.
Hu Tao had somehow squeezed through the crowd. She stood by the table with arms crossed, wearing an expression that practically said, "Don't worry, this Director's got you covered."
Lumine and Paimon both blinked.
Then Paimon waved excitedly. "Eh? Hu Tao! What are you doing here?"
Hu Tao grinned, leaning in and lowering her voice mysteriously. "Of course I'm here to remind you."
Her eyes darted with mischief, and after a light cough, her tone turned serious.
"Liyue's on high alert lately. They're investigating all outsiders who entered Liyue recently—adventurers and merchants."
"I heard the Qixing have mobilized the Millelith. Even Wangsheng Funeral Parlor got notified."
"You three entered recently, right? Be careful."
Paimon blinked. "Huh? They're even checking merchants and adventurers? Won't everyone in Liyue be scared stiff?"
Hu Tao shrugged, casual as ever. "It's fine. Liyue citizens know this isn't simple, and they understand why the Qixing are doing it. It's just… the pressure's tight lately. If someone comes to question you, don't panic."
Kairo's lips curved slightly. He looked at her with a meaning-filled gaze. "And if we really do get investigated?"
Hu Tao puffed her chest out proudly—pure 'I've got you' energy.
"Easy. Leave it to this Director!"
"If anything comes up, just come to Wangsheng!"
"I, Hu Tao, can vouch for you!"
Paimon's eyes lit up. "Wow! Hu Tao, you're such a good person!"
Lumine smiled and nodded. "Thank you."
Kairo raised his teacup, smiling lazily. "Then thank you for your kindness, Director Hu."
But Hu Tao suddenly went hehehe, wagging one finger.
Then she flipped the script.
"Howeverrrr~"
"If I'm helping you… shouldn't there be a little compensation?"
Kairo raised a brow. "What do you want?"
Hu Tao's eyes gleamed, righteous and shameless at the same time. "Simple!"
"Treat this Director to a big meal!"
Paimon slapped the table immediately, thrilled. "Great idea! We're hungry too—order another table!"
Kairo sighed, helplessly amused, and set down his cup. "Fine. Tonight I'll treat Director Hu."
Hu Tao's smile instantly turned satisfied. Hands on hips, chin up—triumphant.
"Hehe, now that's more like it!"
As they joked around, Three Cups at the Port stayed lively.
Outside, the streets still boiled with talk of the Geo Archon's "death," Fatui conspiracies, and the Northland Bank lockdown.
Even though Three Cups at the Port was a storyteller's tea stall—
It still had plenty of food: roast duck, braised chicken, all of it.
Hu Tao propped her cheeks in both hands, blissfully staring at the piled dishes.
Chewing on a bite of spiced drunken duck, she looked at Kairo with that familiar foxlike grin.
"Hehe, Kairo, you've got taste. This Director likes friends who don't hold back when treating."
Paimon's eyes sparkled as she stared at the food, mouth stuffed full of grilled fish, speaking through the bites. "Yeah yeah! Kairo's the best—when it's time to eat, he never hesitates!"
Lumine lifted her teacup, took a light sip, and smiled—quietly pleased.
But right as they were enjoying themselves, a commotion broke out near the entrance.
A plainly dressed middle-aged man hurried in, face anxious, scanning the room like he was looking for someone.
"…Mr. Zhongli isn't here?"
After circling with his eyes, his face fell.
But the next second he blurted out—
"Is there an expert here?! Someone who can give me advice?!"
The listeners perked up immediately, turning their heads.
"What happened?"
"Sounds like someone's got a real problem."
"Liyue's full of troubles—what is it this time?"
The man looked around desperately. When his gaze landed on Hu Tao and the others, he grit his teeth, stomped once, and walked straight over.
He cupped his hands toward Hu Tao. "Miss, from your clothing… are you from Wangsheng Funeral Parlor?"
Hu Tao blinked and nodded. "That's right. Hu Tao, 77th Director of Wangsheng. What's up?"
The man's expression twisted with indecision. After hesitating, he lowered his voice and spoke heavily.
"To tell you the truth… my family has an ancient bell passed down from our ancestors."
"It's said to have been left behind by an Adeptus. Recently someone offered a high price to buy it, but the elders can't decide."
"It's been sitting there for centuries. If we sell it, we're afraid of offending the Adeptus. If we don't… our family really needs the money."
Hu Tao's interest sparked instantly. "Oh? An Adeptus relic?"
"But whether to sell or not—asking us won't help much, will it?"
"Shouldn't your family just decide on its own?"
"Ah… the problem is," the man forced a bitter smile. "Everyone's got a different opinion. Some say the Adeptus wouldn't care about mortal trinkets—selling is fine. Others say if an Adeptus gets angry, we're doomed. So I wanted to find an expert to advise us."
Originally, the expert he wanted was Zhongli.
Zhongli the consultant knew these things.
But Zhongli wasn't here.
He saw the Director of Wangsheng and figured—even if she was young, she should be able to make a call.
After all, Zhongli was Wangsheng's consultant. Surely the Director would understand too.
Around them, the customers whispered among themselves.
"That's hard to say… selling something an Adeptus left behind feels… improper."
"But maybe that Adeptus stopped caring long ago? It's been so many years—who even knows if it's worth anything now?"
"Liyue values feng shui and tradition. Selling an Adeptus relic… you'd want to be careful."
Hu Tao pinched her chin thoughtfully. "Hmm. How about this—go to Jueyun Karst and ask the Adepti?"
"Just take the bell with you."
The man's mouth twitched. "That's the problem… a lot of people who go seeking the Adepti never come back."
"And I heard some who disturb the Adepti get sealed into stone. I—I don't dare."
Hu Tao spread her hands. "Then there's nothing this Director can do."
The man's face turned even more miserable. His eyes darted between everyone, full of hesitation and struggle.
Right then—
Kairo, who hadn't spoken yet, set down his chopsticks, wiped the corner of his mouth calmly, and said flatly:
"Sell it."
The man froze mid-sigh.
Hu Tao blinked.
Even Paimon stared at Kairo in shock. "Huh? Kairo, why are you suddenly so sure?"
Kairo didn't answer immediately.
He slowly closed his eyes. His brow trembled faintly, as if something within him began to circulate.
In an instant, an invisible power surged into his consciousness.
The world seemed to be shrouded in a pale violet halo.
The rules of heaven and earth warped—
And in his vision, a hazy scene emerged:
An ancient estate.
In its courtyard, a broken old bell sat in silence.
A faint trace of golden light flickered, like a whisper of past glory.
But beneath that bell—
A thread of black aura, nearly imperceptible, slowly seeped outward.
It coiled around the bell like a heavy shackle.
That kind of aura made Kairo think of…
remnants of a fallen god.
That bell had long since lost its adeptal grace.
And after so many years, it had even begun to gather faint ill fortune.
If it stayed in that house, it would instead damage the home's feng shui—
Making people prone to serious illness.
Visit my patreon for more chapters
Advance 60+ Chapters Available
patreon.com/ZeusOp