Cough… cough…
Tartaglia's face was pale as paper, his breath shallow. Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth as he spoke weakly,
"The assassination of the Geo Archon—naturally, suspicion will first fall upon us Fatui…"
He gave a bitter chuckle.
"Heh, I'm sure you know already—our reputation isn't exactly stellar. The Liyue Qixing would never let us off easily. So, I came up with a quick plan—drag you into the water with us, divert their attention toward the Abyss Order. If the Fatui keep our heads down for a while, the storm will pass. Once the truth comes to light, we'll be in the clear."
He raised his head slightly, a faint smirk on his lips.
"How's that for an explanation? Satisfied?"
Tartaglia's legs gave out as Gu Chen released him, and he collapsed to the ground.
Clutching his wound, he gasped for air—
this was the closest he had ever come to dying.
"How did you know the Geo Archon would die during the Rite of Descension?" Gu Chen narrowed his eyes. The spear in his hand tilted ever so slightly, its silver tip resting coldly against Tartaglia's throat, drawing a thin crimson line.
"That's… Fatui intel." Tartaglia swallowed hard. "The Geo Archon is one of the oldest gods—someone far beyond our reach. We never intended to kill him. We only heard rumors that he might perish during the Rite, so I made some preparations… but who could've guessed… it actually came true?"
Even Tartaglia himself sounded stunned.
Seeing the sincerity in his eyes, Gu Chen finally withdrew his spear.
His tone remained cool.
"You'd best turn yourself in. Clear our names. The only reason you're still breathing is because now's not the right time for me to make a mess."
"Haha… then I should thank you for your mercy."
Tartaglia forced a strained grin.
"But I'm afraid even if I surrendered, the Qixing wouldn't let me go easily. They'd imprison me for ages, and the Fatui's network in Liyue would be dismantled piece by piece."
"So you're saying… this blame is mine to bear now?"
Gu Chen frowned.
"What do we do then?" Paimon scratched her head, visibly distressed.
"There is a way."
Tartaglia steadied his breath, then took something from his coat.
"I've got a Taboo-Dispelling Talisman. Use it to seek help from the Adepti—they can vouch for your innocence."
A faint divine glow shimmered from the talisman.
Gu Chen examined it—no tricks. He accepted it and turned to Lumine.
"Your thoughts?"
Lumine felt warmth in her chest at his gesture. After a moment's thought, she said softly,
"Our goal is to travel and search for my brother's traces. Since the Geo Archon's line ends here, let's move on."
Gu Chen nodded.
"Where do we find this Adeptus?"
"Jueyun Karst," Tartaglia replied, pulling a folded map from his pocket.
"Got it. As for you… pray you don't bleed out in the wilderness."
Leaving those words behind, Gu Chen took Lumine and Paimon and headed for Jueyun Karst.
[La Signora]:So he's still alive?
[Tartaglia]:Hey, La Signora! Why do you sound disappointed that I survived?!
[La Signora]:Heh. Scaramouche was right—making you a Harbinger really lowers the bar. Weak strength, foolish plans, and a brain that shuts off the moment you see someone worth fighting.
[Scaramouche]:Hmph. A muscle-headed idiot with an ego to match.
[Yae Miko]:Ara~ isn't this our dear Kunikuzushi? (Yae Miko·smirking)
[Raiden Ei]:…
[Lumine]:So we're off to seek the Adepti now? Feels like this was Tartaglia's plan all along…
[Paimon]:Stay alert! Rule number one—never trust Childe!
[Tartaglia]:You're not wrong. That was my plan. But seriously—who told Fatui the Geo Archon would die at the Rite?! (Paimon·shocked)
[La Signora]:No such information ever reached me.
[Kaeya]:Seems like Mr. Gu Chen's presence in that world changed quite a few things. Then again, maybe Fatui just hadn't gotten the memo yet.
[Arataki Itto]:Yo, I wanna know what that armor thing was! It looked awesome! (Venti·sparkly eyes)
[Diluc]:Delusion—Foul Legacy Transformation.
[Tartaglia]:Mr. Diluc knows me well! Yep, that's my Foul Legacy form—cool as hell! (Tartaglia·proud)
[Kaeya]:Shame it got shattered though~ (lol)
[Tartaglia]:Yeah, well, not like that can happen here!
[Gu Chen]:@[Tartaglia]Still want a rematch? (smirk)
[Tartaglia]:If you drop that spear, sure! (excited)
[Gu Chen]:Bare-handed, then. Let's see.
[Hu Tao]:@[Tartaglia]Would you like to book an early appointment with the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor? We offer full service~ (Hu Tao·cute pose)
[Tartaglia]:NO NEED, THANK YOU! (Aether·alert)
[Gu Chen]:(shrugs)
[Cloud Retainer]:Why does Fatui possess a Taboo-Dispelling Talisman? (suspicious)
[Xiao]:Unknown.
[Moon Carver]:…You called me for this? (Paimon·startled)
In the video.
Gu Chen's party didn't rush to find the Adepti at all.
They strolled through mountains, admired waterfalls, and took their sweet time before finally reaching Jueyun Karst, where they met Moon Carver.
"You truly have no ties to the Abyss Order?" Moon Carver asked, eyes sharp.
"If we did, wouldn't coming here be suicide?" Gu Chen answered calmly.
Moon Carver considered, then nodded.
"I understand. Take the Taboo-Dispelling Talisman and deliver my message."
"Understood."
Not long after, Gu Chen arrived at Wangshu Inn.
The Vigilant Yaksha race, Xiao, was notoriously hard to find—solitary by nature.
Once Gu Chen learned where he might appear, he climbed to the rooftop, spear in hand and killing intent sharp.
Sure enough, Xiao emerged silently from the mist.
Gu Chen explained the situation succinctly, then departed for Mt. Hulao to meet Mountain Shaper.
Finally, he made his way to Mt. Aocang, to seek out Cloud Retainer herself.
[Paimon]:Judging by this cave's entrance, maybe we should bring food as an offering!
[Cloud Retainer]:Hahaha! Young one, if you can make a dish that pleases this immortal, I might grant you an audience. (Ganyu·smiling)
"Gu Chen, time to show off your cooking skills!"
Paimon rubbed her hands together eagerly in the video.
"No need," Gu Chen said, shaking his head.
"Once we gather ingredients, I'll make you something better."
Then, without another word, a silver spear materialized in his hand—
and he hurled it straight at the entrance of the cave.
BOOM!
The sheer force shattered the ancient seal at the cave's mouth.
"Who dares disturb this immortal?!" a furious voice boomed from within.
[Cloud Retainer]:?
[Cloud Retainer]:Young man! You're far too violent! Do you have any respect for this immortal?!
[Gu Chen]:My apologies, True Lord. The situation seemed urgent, so I had to take drastic measures."
Gu Chen recalled later that it was just a momentary whim—
He wanted to see if he could speedrun the quest, so he skipped the formalities altogether.
[Cloud Retainer]:Oh, "urgent"? You mean the days you spent sightseeing around Jueyun Karst first? (Nahida·pointing finger)
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