On Yujing Terrace, a sea of people gathered as the Millelith began carefully inspecting each visitor attending the Rite of Descension.
Lumine and Paimon exchanged a few hurried words, seemingly realizing the gravity of the situation, and decided to sneak away through the crowd—an action that did not escape Luo Qing's notice as he observed from his perch.
Luo Qing couldn't help but wonder why Lumine felt the need to flee so stealthily. Every year, many foreigners came to watch the Rite, and while the Millelith weren't the most competent guards, they were hardly indiscriminate. Lumine's actions would only draw suspicion.
Unsurprisingly, the Millelith noticed Lumine's attempt to slip away.
"That's the Traveler?" came a lively, enthusiastic voice from behind Luo Qing. Turning, he found Childe standing there, having arrived unnoticed.
"Indeed, Lord Tartaglia. She has close ties with the Anemo Archon in Mondstadt and has come to Liyue to seek out the Geo Archon. Befriending her might just lead you to Morax's whereabouts," Luo Qing replied nonchalantly, taking a sip of his bubble tea.
He'd known Childe was hiding nearby, even eavesdropping on his conversation with Yelan. But there was little of value in their chat, so Luo Qing hadn't bothered to intervene.
"Let's hope your information is accurate," Childe said, cracking his knuckles before leaping from his hiding spot. In an impressive display of agility, he landed right in front of the Millelith, intercepting their pursuit of Lumine with a well-placed flying kick to one guard's face.
"Run!" he called to Lumine, who didn't need to be told twice. She darted away, while Childe's sudden attack put him face-to-face with Yelan, who arrived a moment later.
"Well, what do you think? Who's going to win?" Luo Qing asked with amusement, turning to Natalia and the others.
"Uh... Lord Tartaglia, I suppose?" Natalia ventured hesitantly. Childe was notorious as Snezhnaya's number one berserker, a reputation well-known among Fatui recruits.
"Why aren't they fighting yet...?" Luo Qing muttered in disappointment, watching the tense standoff between Childe and Yelan below.
He'd come all the way here for the show, after all. It would be such a letdown if nothing exciting happened.
The standoff didn't last long—Yelan was the first to move, attempting to bypass Childe to go after Lumine. But Childe reacted instantly, summoning a Hydro bow and firing a quick arrow to block her path.
Forced to engage, Yelan retaliated with her own water-based attacks, leading to an intense battle between two Hydro archers. As Natalia had predicted, Childe's raw strength gave him the edge, and before long, he found an opportunity to break away and escape.
Having fulfilled his objective of aiding Lumine's retreat, Childe saw no need to press for a conclusive victory.
"Well, that's that. Let's head back," Luo Qing said with a nod, standing up. He'd seen what he needed to, and there was no reason to stick around. He planned to visit Zhongli at the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor later, perhaps to fish and discuss how best to play Childe.
After bypassing the Millelith guards surrounding Yujing Terrace, Luo Qing and his group descended the mountain from the opposite side. Just as he was about to grant his subordinates a well-earned break before heading to Wangsheng, a squad of Millelith soldiers appeared, blocking their path.
"You there! Did you see a blonde-haired girl and her floating companion run this way?" the squad leader asked urgently.
Luo Qing looked at the squad leader with a sudden spark of excitement, raising his voice dramatically.
"Officer! You've come to the right person!"
"Where did she go?!" the squad leader asked, his hopes rising.
"Well, funny thing... I didn't see her at all."
"..."
[+1 Frustration from Zhang Deshuai]
The leader's face darkened, and he glanced at Natalia and the others—foreigners with blonde hair and blue eyes. His expression hardened, and he motioned for his men to surround Luo Qing's group.
"I have reason to believe you are connected to the suspect who attacked the Geo Archon. You'll be coming with us to the Ministry of Civil Affairs," he declared seriously.
"Excuse me?" Luo Qing was genuinely taken aback. This guy's really throwing accusations around like it's second nature.
"The suspect had blonde hair, and so do you. If you have any objections, you can bring them up at the Ministry," Zhang Deshuai said coldly.
"Hold on! You Liyue people are going too far! We are employees of Snezhnaya's Northland Bank! Falsely accusing us could lead to a diplomatic incident!" Natalia snapped, her frustration boiling over. Igor and Sergei moved to shield Luo Qing, ready for a confrontation.
"Snezhnayans?! That only makes you more suspicious. I advise you to come quietly," Zhang Deshuai responded, his prejudices flaring. Recent troubles in Liyue had often involved the Fatui, and Zhang Deshuai felt justified in his caution.
"You dare!" Sergei growled, stepping forward to confront the Millelith.
"Stand down, Sergei. Let me handle this," Luo Qing said, placing a calming hand on Sergei's shoulder. He stepped up to Zhang Deshuai, their gazes locking.
"Are you certain you want to drag us to the Ministry?" Luo Qing asked coolly.
"Do you think you have a choice?" Zhang Deshuai retorted.
"Ugh," Luo Qing grimaced in distaste before suddenly shouting over Zhang's shoulder, "Miss Ganyu! We're innocent, I swear!"
Not far away, Ganyu, who was overseeing the effort to calm the crowd, heard someone calling her name. She turned to see a black-haired young man waving desperately at her, his face a picture of exaggerated distress.
Ganyu couldn't ignore a cry for help. After giving a few instructions to her fellow secretaries, she walked over to investigate.
"What's going on here?" she asked gently, glancing at the Millelith soldiers surrounding Luo Qing's group.
Seeing that Ganyu didn't recognize him, Luo Qing figured it wouldn't matter. He grabbed her hand, his face a picture of exaggerated despair as he wailed, tears streaming down his face.
"Miss Ganyu! We're just honest businesspeople, but these officers are accusing us of being connected to the attack on the Geo Archon! We're innocent! We don't have the power to harm the Archon!"
Luo Qing felt like his acting skills had reached a new peak—he was practically Oscar-worthy.
"Is... is that true?" Ganyu asked, frowning at Zhang Deshuai.
Zhang Deshuai's expression twisted. Why didn't I notice Ganyu was nearby? If I'd known, I'd have never risked such a rash arrest.
Ganyu was a respected figure in Liyue, having served since the days Morax himself founded the nation. Though technically a secretary to the Qixing, her status far surpassed even the most senior among them.
The Qixing came and went, but the secretary was eternal.
"Miss Ganyu, they are from Snezhnaya, which is why we found them suspicious..." Zhang Deshuai tried to explain.
"Oh, so all Snezhnayans are criminals, huh? And just a moment ago, you said it was because my subordinates were blonde, just like your suspect. Now you're changing your story?" Luo Qing interrupted, his tone sharp and accusatory.
He rearranged his expression into a perfect imitation of wounded innocence before turning back to Ganyu.
"Miss Ganyu, this man is simply too unreasonable!"
---
T/N: WAIT IS HE NOT BLONDE???????? WAS I FRIGGING TRICKED DID I READ IT WRONG? Why am I translating this at midnightttt
If there are any mistakes let me know!
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