"Wrong, wrong! Stop, stop hitting!"
Despite being two tall and sturdy Fatui members...
Even though at the start of the battle, one pulled out a hammer crackling with purple lightning, while the other's bracers transformed into wind-element barriers.
These two were nicknamed "Thunder Hammer" and "Wind Fist" by Jiang Ning - names that perfectly summarized their combat specialties.
But they were still no match for Shenhe and Jiang Ning.
And to make things simpler, each picked their preferred opponent.
Jiang Ning wielded his spear like tai chi, using minimal force to redirect maximum power, toying with Thunder Hammer.
He thoroughly destroyed his opponent through skill alone.
As for Shenhe... well, "simple and brutal" had always been her trademark.
Although living with Jiang Ning had gradually transformed her into a gentle wife in daily life...
In battle, she was still the same fierce sister.
Oh, you have a shield? Better brace yourself.
Don't worry, I won't use my full strength.
Then, she punched both man and shield straight into the nearby rocks, leaving his fate uncertain.
Jiang Ning held his spear horizontally, then arrogantly said to Thunder Hammer:
"Let me tell you something. There's an old saying in Liyue: 'The wise know when to yield.' I think Liyue has many torture devices that could pry open your mouth... so, want to confess? You'll suffer less physical pain that way."
"Little Brother, you really sound like a bad guy right now..."
Shenhe muttered her criticism.
[Well said! I'm finally starting to like your Senior Sister a bit more,] the System snorted.
Jiang Ning's face darkened: "This is a righteous interrogation, and besides, Senior Sister, any method is justified when dealing with bad guys."
Shenhe nodded: "Oh."
"Hmph, we Fatui serve the noble cause of Her Majesty the Tsaritsa..."
Thunder Hammer began haughtily.
But Jiang Ning immediately slapped him: "Every time we capture you Fatui, it's the same line. Does your Tsaritsa know you keep using her name like this? Try again!"
Thunder Hammer was stunned by the slap, then grew furious: "How dare you treat a Fatui member like this! If you're smart, you'll let me go, or else in a minute I'll..."
"In a minute you'll call someone to deal with me, right? Tired of hearing that too. Try again."
Jiang Ning delivered another slap to Thunder Hammer's head.
This time he used real force, leaving Thunder Hammer seeing stars.
Jiang Ning grumbled to himself.
Why did they all have to be so tall?
How annoying.
After two slaps, Thunder Hammer became more cooperative.
"I really don't know much. The higher-ups just told us to build a laboratory here. We'd only been working for two or three days when you showed up. That's all we know."
"Laboratory... whose subordinates are you?"
Jiang Ning asked.
"Doctor-sama."
Thunder Hammer replied.
Jiang Ning frowned.
The Doctor was infamous. During his time at the Yuehai Pavilion, Jiang Ning had read many files about the Fatui.
The consensus on the Doctor was clear: a madman, a twisted genius, and an extremely dangerous individual.
"Doctor" was just a codename - each Fatui Harbinger had similar titles.
He didn't know much else, except that every Harbinger was incredibly powerful.
What disgusted Jiang Ning most was that the Doctor was involved in child trafficking and human experimentation.
So Jiang Ning had sworn that if he ever encountered the Doctor, regardless of his motives, he would eliminate him first and ask questions later.
"I've told you everything, so you'll let me go now, right?"
Thunder Hammer asked.
Jiang Ning glanced at the frightened Thunder Hammer. Honestly, it made sense why they sent him here for construction - he was clearly just a peripheral figure, brought along as manual labor.
Jiang Ning said: "You may be spared death... Senior Sister, let's tie them up and take them back for the Millelith to handle."
Shenhe nodded, taking out adeptus-enhanced rope and binding both men like zongzi dumplings, gagging them and hanging them from a nearby tree.
But thinking it wasn't secure enough, she knocked them both unconscious with strikes to the back of their heads. The force was so great that Jiang Ning worried his Senior Sister might have killed them.
Live captives were more useful than dead ones, after all.
After quickly disguising the unconscious Fatui members, Jiang Ning and Shenhe needed to complete their original mission.
Walking through the cave.
Both maintained maximum alertness.
The Fatui coming here to build a laboratory for the Doctor meant the Demon God remnants were almost certainly present, and perhaps even more terrifying things?
The cave entrance wasn't very wide, barely allowing two people to walk side by side.
The small laboratory area had been artificially excavated by the two Fatui members.
After passing through the tunnel, the space opened up dramatically.
A cavern-like scene appeared before them.
However, the scene was extremely disturbing.
"Are there... corpses inside every stalactite?"
Jiang Ning felt his hair stand on end as he watched the horrifying scene before him.
The bodies in the stalactites varied in age and appearance, but their faces all wore the same expression - contorted in agony as if screaming in their final moments.
"Truly demonic sorcery."
Shenhe gripped a talisman, narrowing her eyes.
"MORAX..."
A hoarse voice rasped out, like dead branches scraping against the ground. The voice was filled with hatred and malice.
"Brother, watch out!"
Shenhe suddenly pulled Jiang Ning back as they jumped away.
Black mist suddenly rose from where they had been standing, followed by the formation of more corpse-filled stalactites.
"This thing can trap people inside instantly?!"
Jiang Ning's scalp tingled.
This was his first direct encounter with Demon God remnants.
"Wait, are Demon God remnants usually this terrifying?"
Jiang Ning complained while dodging.
After using her adeptal arts combined with elemental power to clear a safe zone, Shenhe explained:
"Not entirely. Most Demon God remnants possess monsters, making them stronger and more savage - those are just residual energies leaking through Rex Lapis's temporary seals."
"But what we're facing now is equivalent to confronting complete Demon God remnants. It seems we came at the right time - the seal placed by Rex Lapis or the adepti has failed. If we'd come any later and it had fully erupted, this whole area would have been in danger."
Jiang Ning took a deep breath, watching the rising black mist as his own elemental energy grew more concentrated.
"Senior Sister, let's do this then. I want to see just how impressive these thousand-year-old Demon God remnants really are!"
Jiang Ning grinned as he and Shenhe struck together.
"Dead things should stay quietly buried underground! Don't come out scaring people!"
Jiang Ning vented all his earlier fear as anger.