Lumine's attitude didn't bother Childe in the slightest.
"Hey, I'm still a Fatui Harbinger, you know. At least show a little respect."
"I'm not a bad person..."
"Well, I guess I am a bad person, but I'm not here to cause trouble for you."
As he spoke, Childe carried none of the haughty arrogance typical of Harbingers like "The Fair Lady."
If anything, he seed kind of... cute.
———————
[I'm not "hey," my na is Tony!]
["I'm not a bad person… probably am though"]
[Gotta admit, he's weirdly charming]
[Mihoyo really knows how to play us]
Guinaifen listened to Childe's words and muttered,
"Does miHoYo just love subverting expectations or what?"
———————
Childe motioned for Lumine to sit down and talk properly.
Seeing that he genuinely ant no harm, Lumine relaxed her combat stance and returned to the sofa in the private room.
Her main reason for being here was to ask about Mu Yang.
Cutting straight to the point, she demanded,
"If we're talking, then first tell —what happened to the person who stopped you earlier?"
Childe didn't give her the full truth.
"Oh, that guy? Not sure. After you left, I ran for it."
"There were a lot of Millelith around, so he probably got away too."
Hearing this, Lumine grew worried.
Reading her expression, Childe asked,
"He's a friend of yours?"
When Lumine nodded, he continued,
"If he's your friend, then you really need to hear what I have to say."
Childe began from the beginning.
Having heard of Lumine's exploits in Mondstadt, he had kept an eye on her during the Rite of Descension.
He knew she hadn't done anything suspicious—soone else was responsible for the attack on Rex Lapis.
That's why he stepped in to help her.
But he hadn't expected their friend to misunderstand.
"Well, the Fatui don't exactly have the best reputation, so it's natural for people to be wary."
"Still, your friend here… he's no ordinary person."
Lumine pressed him for details.
"Have you heard of the 'The Mighty and Illuminated' Adepti?"
"'The Mighty and Illuminated' Adepti?"
Lumine had heard Paimon ntion them before—apparently, Liyue was ho to a group of powerful adepti.
But this was the first ti she'd heard the formal title.
"Head north out of the city. West of Guili Plains, there's a stone forest called Jueyun Karst."
"Liyue's people believe it's where the adepti reside."
Paimon stared at him in confusion.
"What does this have to do with Mu Yang?"
Childe crossed his arms.
"Your friend is an adeptus."
He then showed Lumine the intelligence The Fair Lady had gathered on Mu Yang—proof that he was indeed an adeptus.
Lumine countered,
"Even if Mu Yang really is an adeptus, what does that change about our current situation?"
Childe laid out his analysis.
Given the circumstances, it was clear that neither the Fatui nor Lumine were responsible for Rex Lapis' death.
But the Qixing obviously didn't see it that way.
The Fatui's reputation was already in the gutter, and as a Harbinger, Childe was naturally their pri suspect.
anwhile, Lumine had been spotted fleeing the scene—she was likely already wanted.
The Qixing wouldn't listen to their explanations.
Childe continued,
"The Qixing have dispatched the Millelith to search the crowd for the assassin."
"But could a re mortal really kill the God of War who once swept through armies?"
"Rex Lapis never abandoned his divine power."
His implication was obvious.
Ningguang, the Tianquan of the Qixing, was a master strategist.
Such a clumsy response was beneath her.
Lumine caught his drift.
"So you're saying the Qixing are the real culprits, and they're pinning it on soone else?"
"aning we're just scapegoats to cover up the truth?"
Paimon gasped.
"No way?!"
Childe neither confird nor denied Lumine's assumption.
Instead, he added,
"Liyue was built by the Geo Archon and the adepti."
"The adepti won't stand by and ignore the death of their god."
"And..."
He hesitated.
Paimon urged, "And what?"
Childe: "Do you think the Qixing would let your adeptus friend investigate the scene freely?"
"My suggestion is this—go to Jueyun Karst as soon as possible and seek help from the other adepti."
"Bring them the truth before it gets twisted."
"If you're too late, I'm afraid..."
Lumine trusted in Mu Yang's strength.
But the enemy was hidden, and they were exposed.
If the Qixing used the adepti's trust in Liyue to set a trap…
Even Mu Yang couldn't fight against overwhelming odds alone.
He really could be in danger.
Worried, Lumine stood up, ready to rush to Jueyun Karst imdiately.
Childe stopped her.
"Wait, at least hear out first."
He then handed her a talisman.
Lumine took it. "This is...?"
"Consider it a 'token.'"
Childe explained,
"From the looks of it, you don't know any other adepti besides Mu Yang."
"With this, the adepti won't harm you."
"Plus, they'll actually listen to what you have to say."
Lumine took the token without hesitation.
Not daring to waste another second, she left the Northland Bank and headed straight for Jueyun Karst.
Childe exhaled quietly in relief.
Mu Yang's appearance had indeed thrown a wrench in his plans.
But thankfully, he'd managed to steer things back on track.
Liyue needed to be in chaos—it made things easier for him.
———————
anwhile, Mu Yang had left Yujing Terrace and made his way to Mt. Aocang.
Concealing his presence, he sat atop the mountain, staring blankly at the stone table on the platform.
This was where he, Fujin, and the others had first t Cloud Retainer.
Through her, they'd gotten to know Guizhong and the rest.
After that, this group of friends would often gather here.
Back then, it was so lively.
They'd share food, exchange stories of their travels,
appreciate music, and hold all sorts of fun competitions.
"Go, Lingyuan!"
"Don't treat people like mounts!"
"I'm reporting you! Cloud Retainer cheated with her machines!"
"These chanisms were crafted by my own hands during the competition. How is that cheating?"
"So embarrassing, Cloud Retainer. Using machinery in a casual contest?"
"Guizhong, you're one to talk. How many speed talismans did you hide up your sleeves?"
...
Why were these mories so vivid?
It was as if they were right in front of him...
Mu Yang reached out, trying to grasp the illusions.
But his fingers closed around nothing.
When he snapped back to reality, he realized his eyes were stinging.
Lost in thought, he hadn't even noticed his own tears...
The system gently reminded him,
"Pull yourself together. Lumine's almost here."
Mu Yang snapped his fingers.
A wave of frost washed over his face, clearing his mind.
Sigh… Before the simulations, Mt. Aocang was just that woman's fishing spot to .
As he stood up, he spotted Lumine approaching.
Once she reached the stone table, he leaped down, landing lightly nearby.
"What brings you all the way out here?"
Hearing his voice, Lumine spun around.
"Mu Yang?!"
She dashed toward him, nearly throwing herself into his arms—
But stopped herself at the last second.
They weren't that close yet.
Instead, she grabbed his hands, her voice laced with concern.
"Are you hurt? How did you escape? Did the Qixing give you any trouble?"
———————
Guinaifen couldn't help but tease Lumine's reaction.
"Look how flustered our girl is!"
"That expression—ohoho, soone's down bad."
[You can tell Lumine wanted to hug him]
[Yeah, you can see her holding back last second]
[Holding hands is fine too. Round it up, and we're basically married to Mu Yang already]
[I don't see any rounding down in your math]
[Only rounding up, huh? Going all in!]
[I SHIP IT]
[The official content is killing fanworks—this subtle tension is perfection]
———————
Seeing Lumine's frantic reaction, Mu Yang guessed that Childe had been spreading rumors—
greatly exaggerating the danger he was in.
'This Childe really holds a grudge, huh?'
'All I said was that the Eleventh Harbinger wasn't worth my ti.'
'Was it necessary to make sound so weak?'
'As if the Qixing could catch .'
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