Seeing the serious expression on Lumine's face, Shao Yun realized he might have gone a bit overboard with his earlier words. He quickly lightened the mood by playfully pinching her cheeks, teasing her like a child.
"Even so, we're not going to our deaths here. This is just a theft, and the risk is pretty low. You even brought Paimon along. Are you really going to leave me out?"
"Stop messing around..." Lumine took a step back, freeing herself from his grip, and rubbed her cheeks. "Fine, the more the merrier."
Venti and Paimon hadn't heard their conversation, but they noticed the intimate gesture between Shao Yun and Lumine. The two exchanged knowing glances, their expressions filled with mischief.
Back in the bushes, with Shao Yun—a "professional"—now on board, the operation was bound to go much smoother.
"Alright then, do you have a plan? How are we stealing the Skyward Harp?"
As soon as Shao Yun finished speaking, the three of them scratched their heads in unison, indicating they had no plan.
Shao Yun was speechless. So, they'd just been lurking here, either playing hide-and-seek or acting as free security guards!
Paimon's eyes darted around, and a lightbulb seemed to go off in her head. "Since you're here now, Shao Yun, why don't you come up with a plan?"
"Huh?" Shao Yun was taken aback. Why was he being asked to plan everything? He was already helping them steal the harp. This was too much.
"Weren't you, you know, that... uh..." Paimon's eyes flicked toward Venti, hinting that she couldn't say more.
Shao Yun took it as a compliment. After all, he had plenty of experience, from petty theft to bank robberies. He was practically an expert.
"Ah, what's this secret I'm not allowed to know?" Venti asked, his gaze shifting between Shao Yun and Paimon with a knowing smile.
Seeing Venti's reaction, it seemed Lumine and Paimon hadn't spilled the beans about Shao Yun's past. They really knew how to keep a secret.
Back to the matter at hand. The sooner they stole the harp, the sooner they could wrap this up. Coming up with a plan? Piece of cake.
Shao Yun first smoothed out the dirt on the ground with his foot, then picked up a stick.
"Alright, you want my input? Here it is."
"Yes!" The three of them nodded eagerly, waiting for Shao Yun's plan.
After getting a rough idea of the cathedral's layout and confirming the location of the room where the Skyward Harp was stored, Shao Yun began sketching a simple map on the ground.
Using the stick to point at the cathedral's entrance on the map, he turned to Venti. "Venti, you'll keep an eye on the cathedral's main entrance. Make sure the exit is clear and keep watch outside."
"Got it. Leave it to me."
Next, he turned to Lumine. "Lumine, you'll come with me to infiltrate the room where the Skyward Harp is kept. According to Venti's intel, there aren't many guards, so we can sneak past them. If we're spotted, I'll draw their attention, and you take the harp while they're distracted."
"Once we have the harp, if we're not detected, we'll leave together. If we are, we'll split up and meet at a designated spot."
"How about the Angel's Share? Whether we're detected or not, we'll meet there," Venti suggested, naming the tavern he frequented.
"What about Paimon? What does Paimon do?" Paimon waved her hands, feeling left out of the plan.
Shao Yun studied Paimon, trying to figure out what role the emergency food could play.
"You... you'll stick with Lumine and protect her."
It wasn't much of a role, but Shao Yun couldn't think of anything else for Paimon to do.
(TL/N : she could become a distraction bruh)
After summarizing the plan—Venti on lookout, Shao Yun and Lumine stealing the harp, and Paimon on "cute duty"—Paimon shrugged.
"Seems a bit simple and rough," Paimon said, though she felt reassured hearing it from Shao Yun.
Venti fully supported the plan. It was definitely better than his idea of just asking for the harp. Even if Shao Yun hadn't shown up, they probably would've ended up with a similar plan anyway.
"The simpler the plan, the more likely it is to succeed. Overly complicated plans tend to fail because of too many variables," Venti added.
Just as they were about to move out, Shao Yun stopped them.
"Wait, Venti, take this." Shao Yun pulled a long, cylindrical object and a box of matches from his backpack and handed them to Venti.
Venti looked puzzled as he accepted the items. It looked like a flute but had no holes. It was also surprisingly heavy, giving off a dangerous vibe.
"What's this?"
Shao Yun's expression was serious. Many accidents happened during retreats, so they had to be prepared.
"It's dynamite. If something unexpected happens—like too many Knights showing up and trapping us inside—use this to create a loud distraction. It'll draw their attention, and we can escape."
Venti wanted to hand it back. They were just stealing a harp, not robbing a bank! But seeing Shao Yun's stern expression, he reluctantly kept it.
"Alright, I hope we won't need it."
Shao Yun pulled up his mask and adjusted his hat, looking every bit the professional thief. Paimon couldn't help but comment, "Do we really need to be this careful? The guards are probably off duty by now."
"We're stealing the Skyward Harp, one of Mondstadt's most treasured relics. It might not have much monetary value, but it's a symbol of Mondstadt's spirit. Stealing it is no easier than robbing a bank."
"We have to be careful. If a fight breaks out, it'll be a mess."
After triple-checking that everyone was ready, Shao Yun took the lead.
"I'll go first. Let's move!"
Lumine and Paimon followed closely behind, with Venti bringing up the rear.
They carefully pushed open the cathedral doors and peeked inside. The coast was clear.
"No one's here. Let's go." Shao Yun slipped through the door, leaving just enough space for the others to follow.
Venti teased Lumine and Paimon as they entered. "Your travel companion seems quite experienced, huh?"
"Yeah, he's alright," Lumine replied awkwardly, though Paimon was the most embarrassed.
Paimon clutched her tiny hands, regretting her earlier suggestion. "Paimon shouldn't have asked Shao Yun to come up with the plan..."
---
Shao Yun moved silently through the grand hall of the Mondstadt Cathedral, his footsteps echoing faintly on the marble floor. The high vaulted ceiling loomed above, and the extinguished chandeliers were flanked by tapestries bearing the emblem of the Church of Favonius. Moonlight streamed through the stained-glass windows, casting colorful patterns on the floor.
At the end of the hall, Shao Yun pushed open a stone door leading to a narrow staircase that spiraled down to the room where the Skyward Harp was kept.
As they entered the room, they overheard two Knights talking.
"Do you really think someone would try to steal the Skyward Harp? It just looks like an ordinary harp."
"Even if it's fake, our job is to guard it. Stop complaining and stay alert."
Shao Yun peeked around the corner and was shocked to see not two, but eight Knights patrolling the area. Why were there so many?
The Knight's next words explained it all. "Earlier today, some stranger claimed to be Lord Barbatos and tried to borrow the harp. The church ordered extra patrols tonight."
Shao Yun clenched his fist in frustration. "Venti, you idiot! You scared them into tightening security!"
---
Outside, Venti sneezed and rubbed his nose. "Did I catch a cold, or is someone talking about me?"
---
But there was no turning back now. They had to push forward.
Shao Yun turned to Lumine for a final reminder. "If you're spotted, I'll draw their attention, and you grab the harp. If I'm the one who gets caught, hide yourself. Got it?"
Just as Shao Yun was about to move, Lumine grabbed his sleeve and suggested, "What if I go out and pretend to be inspecting the area? I'll distract them while you steal the harp."
(TL/N : Lumine??? What the fork?)
Before Shao Yun could respond, Paimon pointed out the flaw in the plan. "Lumine, showing up out of nowhere would be too suspicious. The Knights might ask too many questions, and we'd risk exposing ourselves."
(TL/N : I already pension from Genshin but is paimon truly smart?)
Shao Yun appreciated Lumine's concern but insisted on sticking to the original plan. "We'll go with the first plan. I can't let you take that risk."
Shao Yun and Lumine moved like shadows, their steps light and silent. Shao Yun kept a sharp eye on their surroundings, noting the Knights' patrol patterns. They skillfully used blind spots and obstacles to avoid detection, slipping past the guards with ease.
As they approached the room where the Skyward Harp was kept, the Knight guarding the door stepped away to patrol another area. This was their chance.
Shao Yun let out a quiet sigh of relief. They were halfway there. All they had to do was grab the harp.
But just as they were about to take it, the Knight suddenly turned back. There was no place to hide in the small room. If the Knight looked inside, they'd be caught.
Shao Yun clenched his fist, ready to knock the Knight out if necessary.
As soon as the Knight came into view, Shao Yun grabbed him by the collar and delivered a swift chop to the neck, knocking him out cold. He carefully laid the unconscious Knight on the ground and turned to Lumine and Paimon.
"Don't just stand there! Grab the harp!"
Shao Yun kept watch outside, confident that with him on guard, nothing would go wrong. But of course, something did.
Just as Lumine reached for the Skyward Harp, a Fatui Cicin Mage appeared out of nowhere and snatched it first.
"Who are you?!" Paimon shouted, alerting everyone in the vicinity.
(TL/N: Alright she dumdum)
Shao Yun spun around, drew his revolver, and activated Dead Eye, aiming for the Cicin Mage's head.
Bang!
[Warning: Cannot kill key plot characters!]
The system's warning flashed, and the bullet that was meant for her head instead struck her thigh.
The Cicin Mage let out a sharp cry of pain. She hadn't expected Shao Yun to have a ranged attack. She had planned to bow dramatically before disappearing, but now she had no time for theatrics. She vanished almost instantly.
"Damn it!"
The system's intervention was justified, but it was still frustrating.
Shao Yun had always been the one robbing others. No one had ever dared to rob him. Today, he'd been outsmarted, and it was a bitter pill to swallow.
With Paimon's shout, the gunshot, and the Cicin Mage's scream, their cover was blown. This was how the story was supposed to go, but Shao Yun had hoped to change the outcome with his help. Instead, the Fatui had still stolen the Skyward Harp and framed them.
As the Knights' footsteps grew louder, there was no time to complain. The damage was done, and they had to get out of there.