Ye Xi was deeply curious after seeing these new tasks. He wondered what kind of reward he would receive if he obtained the Anemo Archon's Gnosis. If even the Geo Archon's Gnosis granted a reward of 16,000 Primogems, the Anemo Gnosis had to be worth at least that much, right?
And what about the Electro Archon's Gnosis? He planned to head back to Inazuma and try his luck when he had the time!
After stowing the Gnosis into his spatial bag, he directly summoned the people waiting outside.
"Lord Harbinger, what are your orders!" Several Fatui immediately dropped to one knee, awaiting instructions.
Ye Xi had just used the paper and pen from his spatial bag to draft a letter. He pulled it out and handed it to them.
"When Tartaglia returns, give this letter to him! Tell him to follow the instructions written inside, and say that it is a direct order from Her Majesty the Tsaritsa!"
The Fatui members hurriedly took the letter in both hands, responding with deep respect.
Ye Xi continued his commands. "In a few days, I will assassinate Rex Lapis. If you discover chaos breaking out in Liyue and hear rumors that the Archon is dead, act immediately! Mobilize everyone to search for the remains of Rex Lapis! You must find the Gnosis and bring it back to Snezhnaya to present to Her Majesty!"
These words left the Fatui before him in utter shock.
"What? Lord Harbinger is going to assassinate Rex Lapis?!"
"My Lord, Rex Lapis has ruled Liyue for millennia. His strength is extraordinary!"
"Lord Harbinger, such a dangerous task..."
Ye Xi's brow furrowed as he barked, "Silence! This is the mission Her Majesty has entrusted to me, Zero-Four-Seven! Are you suggesting I should defy her orders?"
Hearing this, the Fatui below instantly fell as silent as cicadas in winter.
Ye Xi was laughing his head off internally. He felt like his acting was getting more convincing by the day. He suspected that if he stayed in the Northland Bank for a few more days, he might actually start believing he was a Fatui Harbinger.
"Dismissed!" Ye Xi said no more, turning and walking away.
Watching his retreating back, the Fatui in the Northland Bank looked at each other, their faces filled with pure adoration.
"Being a Harbinger isn't easy!"
"Truly. To think Her Majesty would order him to assassinate the God of Geo! I doubt Her Majesty herself could defeat Morax in a direct confrontation!"
"Isn't this just sending the Harbinger to his death?!"
"He truly is a Harbinger. I hope he succeeds!"
"I'm moved. If Lord Harbinger does not return from this mission, we must build a monument in his honor!"
"No wonder he stayed so close to the Tianquan. It must have been to find an opening to assassinate Rex Lapis when they met!"
"For Snezhnaya!"
"Salute the Harbinger!"
A series of inspired shouts echoed throughout the Northland Bank. Countless Fatui were moved to tears by Ye Xi's words.
Not long after, a young man dressed in grey returned to the bank. Seeing his brothers-in-arms weeping openly, Tartaglia's face was a mass of question marks.
"Eh?"
He scratched his cheek with a confused smile. "Did I walk through the door the wrong way?"
That morning, he had seen the Millelith at Yujing Terrace looking absolutely devastated, and he had been secretly gloating over their misfortune. He hadn't expected to return to his own base in the evening only to find his subordinates in the same state.
"Is today some kind of Teyvat holiday?"
At that moment, a Fatui Agent stepped forward and bowed respectfully. "Lord Childe, this is a letter for you from the other Harbinger. He instructed me to tell you that this is an order from Her Majesty."
"A Harbinger?" Tartaglia murmured. "Could it be La Signora?"
He opened the letter with curiosity, only to find handwriting he didn't recognize at all! Most strangely, there was no official seal or any of the standard formatting Harbingers used to communicate. It was clearly a letter from an outsider.
His gaze turned icy. Who dares to impersonate a Harbinger of the Fatui?
He read the contents carefully, his eyes flickering with a strange light.
"Assassinate Rex Lapis?"
"A fake Sigil of Permission?"
"Unseal Osial, Overlord of the Vortex?"
Tartaglia opened the envelope further, and sure enough, there was a genuine Sigil of Permission inside!
Now he was completely baffled. At first, he thought it was a trap set by the Liyue Qixing to lure out all the Fatui and wipe them out. But this Sigil of Permission was the real deal! If they could mass-produce it, it really might be possible to break Osial's seal!
This was bizarre. If the Liyue Qixing wanted to restrict the Fatui, they could simply use sanctions or forcibly remove the Northland Bank. There was no need for such a convoluted plot.
Once the Overlord of the Vortex was resurrected, Liyue would inevitably need the help of the Adepti and Rex Lapis. However, the Liyue Qixing had clearly leaned toward self-governance in recent years, wanting to move away from relying on the Adepti.
Tartaglia truly couldn't wrap his head around it. If this fake Harbinger was an enemy of the Fatui, there was no reason to do this! Unless... the person wasn't from Liyue. Perhaps they just wanted to see Liyue engulfed in war. If that were the case, the enemy of an enemy was a friend.
Snezhnaya wanted the Geo Gnosis, and this mysterious force wanted to destroy Liyue. Their goals didn't conflict.
There was also the possibility that this person was indeed one of the Harbingers. Although he was the lowest-ranked, he didn't fully understand all of them. A few rarely showed their faces and were known for their eccentricities. In this collective of conspirators, he felt like a drop of oilnever quite mixing with the water.
He shook his head to clear his thoughts. "Inform La Signora immediately. Tell her to return to Liyue at once!"
Despite his personal dislike for her, they had to communicate on matters of this magnitude.
The Fatui soldiers accepted the order and left. Tartaglia looked out the window at the bustling streets, murmuring, "An assassination of the Archon? Well, let's see then. It's been a long time since I've had a truly exhilarating battle!"
Outside the Northland Bank, the lights were brilliant and the scenery was vibrant. The streets were filled with the cries of vendors and a constant flow of people.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the ocean.
Inazuma, Tenshukaku. Inside the space of the Plane of Euthymia.
Yae Miko called out from the outside, "Ei, I've brought you some delicious Tricolor Dango. Let me in."
She had brought many things Ei liked, but the Raiden Ei inside was not only refusing to let her in but was also cursing at her.
"Tenshukaku does not welcome you!"
"You are a traitor to the lightning!"
"The Grand Narukami Shrine has no need for a traitor!"
The cold voice drifted out, every word laced with fury. To Yae Miko, it sounded like someone who was absolutely livid and refused to be consoled!
Hidden within the Plane of Euthymia, Raiden Ei stomped her foot in frustration! The more she thought about it, the angrier she became! When she recalled Yae Miko's sanctimonious expression last night, compared to the blissful look on her face lying next to Ye Xi this morning, Ei felt played!
If Yae Miko hadn't stopped her, Ei would have torn through space to find Ye Xi last night. If she had, the one lying next to him this morning would have been her!
Yae Miko looked dejected upon hearing the response. She sighed sadly and said, "Very well, Ei. It seems you are truly determined to break things off with me. Since the Raiden Shogun no longer needs the Sky Kitsune as her familiar, and the Grand Narukami Shrine no longer needs a Guuji... then..."
Mid-sentence, she suddenly smirked. "In that case, I'll just go back to Xi's side and live a shameless life every day! As for you, just stay in your Plane of Euthymia and slowly get fat! I'm leaving."
She turned to walk away. But in the next second, the light and shadow around her shifted. In an instant, she was pulled into the Plane of Euthymia!
"Yae Miko!!!"
Raiden Ei's fingers were trembling with rage! Especially after hearing Yae Miko say she was going to live a "shameless life" with Ye Xi, she felt like her heart had taken a massive critical hit!
If things went as Yae said, Ei would be nothing more than a pathetic loser! Abandoned by Ye Xi, left to lick her wounds alone in this space while watching Yae Miko and Ye Xi be all lovey-dovey!
How could she let Yae Miko have her way? In her fit of pique, she dragged the fox inside!
Yae Miko turned around calmly, crossing her arms with a light chuckle. "Ei, do you see this? This outfit was specially bought for me by Xi."
To be honest, Yae knew Ei's temperament inside out. She had intentionally provoked her, otherwise, they wouldn't have even met today. Sure enough, with a little trickery, Ei had "invited" her in.
Hearing Yae Miko's smug voice, Raiden Ei immediately drew the blade from her chest!
"Musou no Hitotachi!"
"Now, you shall perish!"
Terrifying flashes of blade shadows shrouded Yae Miko like an inescapable net! Every path of retreat was sealed! Yet, Yae Miko stood her ground without moving an inch. The deadly slashes skillfully missed her, striking only the empty air.
She knew Ei couldn't bring herself to actually hurt her.
Ei stomped her foot again. "Miko, we agreed to wait for Xi to return together! How dare you lie to me!"
Yae Miko pulled the Tricolor Dango from her gift box along with some Lotus Flower Crisp she had bought in Liyue. "Ei, I bought these Tricolor Dango specifically for you!"
"Don't change the subject!" Ei's gaze remained sharp.
Yae Miko acted as if she hadn't seen the glare and held out the other snack. "This Lotus Flower Crisp is something Xi was constantly thinking about bringing back for you. Won't you try it?"
Ei gritted her teeth. She was furious with Yae Miko, but the Lotus Flower Crisp Ye Xi bought for her was innocent! Besides, how could she have the strength to argue with Miko if she was hungry?
Having justified it to herself, Raiden Ei sat down.
Seeing that she was no longer bristling, Yae Miko leaned a bit closer. "Ei, last night was such an exciting night~"
Ei's brow furrowed. "Are you bragging to me? Miko, I will never forgive you!"
Yae Miko's tail wagged behind her, her face full of vulpine cunning. "Actually, I've gained a much deeper understanding of Xi now. For instance, his favorite thing is..."
Hearing this, Ei's face flushed red. She said coldly, "Don't say such things. I don't want to hear it!"
Finished, Ei continued to eat the Lotus Flower Crisp in silence. Usually, Yae Miko was the type who did exactly what she was told not to do. Ei was already mentally prepared to hear the rest.
But to her surprise, Yae Miko actually stopped talking!
This made Ei's heart itch with curiosity, to the point where even the Lotus Flower Crisp lost its flavor! After holding it in for three full minutes, her cheeks were burning crimson!
Finally, unable to restrain herself, she whispered, "What is it that he likes the most?"
Yae Miko covered her mouth, desperately suppressing a laugh. Seeing her best friend blushing so hard just to know the answer made her think Ei was adorable!
She feigned ignorance. "Likes what? I don't understand."
"You!" Ei's face turned even redder as she spoke out of spite.
Yae Miko shifted the topic. "I have something to tell you. Xi has obtained a Serenitea Pot from the Adepti of Liyue. Coincidentally, the Realm Within is connected to the small world beneath the Sacred Sakura. Now, as long as Xi wants to come back, he can do so at any time."
"So, if you want more Lotus Flower Crisp, I can have Xi bring some back for you."
A faint, almost imperceptible flicker of joy passed through Ei's eyes, but she quickly resumed her cold facade.
Yae Miko wagged her tail again, seemingly talking to herself. "Ei, logically speaking, I was the first one Xi brought back. And last time, you were the one who joked about me marrying him. So, it's only fair that I'm the first, right?"
She looked at Ei and noticed that while she didn't speak, her ears twitched.
Seeing her plan working, Yae Miko continued, "Ei, I think you should definitely be the second! Think about it, you were the second person Xi met who could hear his heart! But today, that little girl named Xiangling has been getting very, very close to him! If this keeps up, Xiangling might end up with Xi!"
Ei's gaze snapped to Yae Miko, her eyes filled with a new sense of vigilance. This vigilance was, of course, directed at Xiangling.
Yae Miko laughed behind her hand. "I'm on your side, Ei! I know all of Xi's preferences now! That is your advantage! If you don't use it, you'll definitely regret it!"
Ei's face flushed again. She put down the Lotus Flower Crisp and asked, "Then... what does Xi like?"
"You have to forgive me before I can tell you." Yae Miko's tail swayed, her plan clearly nearing completion.
Ei huffed. "Sly Fox!" She tried to stay firm, but she quickly gave in, saying with a red face, "I forgive you! Now tell me!"
Yae Miko had predicted this compromise. She wrapped her arm around Ei's shoulder and said:
"For this... I'll have to give you a demonstration..."
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