Chapter 192

"Jiang Ning!"

Upon seeing Jiang Ning, Lumine's face lit up with a smile. She jumped down from the Crux Fleet's ship, landing gracefully in front of him after a few steps to dissipate the momentum.

Paimon quickly flew down as well, perching on Jiang Ning's shoulder.

"Hehe, long time no see, Jiang Ning! You better treat us to something delicious later!" Paimon chirped.

Paimon's longing for Jiang Ning wasn't fake.

After all, during this time, following Lumine around, the food and drinks definitely weren't as comfortable as when they were with Jiang Ning.

Although in Inazuma, they had said that all their expenses would be charged to Jiang Ning's account.

But eating behind someone's back and eating in front of them felt different.

Lumine felt a bit embarrassed eating on someone else's tab behind their back.

Jiang Ning crossed his arms and said, "Sure, I'll definitely treat you to something good. You can choose between Xinyue Kiosk or Liuli Pavilion. Of course, Wanmin Restaurant is also an option, but Xiangling isn't around right now, so you won't be able to taste her cooking."

Paimon's eyes sparkled. "Can I have all of them?"

Jiang Ning laughed. "Of course! How about seafood at Liuli Pavilion tonight, something else at Xinyue Kiosk tomorrow noon, and then Wanmin Restaurant tomorrow evening to experience the lively atmosphere?"

"Yay!" Paimon cheered.

Lumine, without a word, took Paimon off Jiang Ning's shoulder and set her aside, then leaned in close to Jiang Ning.

"Hehe, long time no see…"

Bro, long time no see… You smell even more enticing now.

That was Lumine's thought.

Jiang Ning said, "It has been a while… I heard you caught a duck?"

"A duck… Oh, you mean Tartaglia? Pfft… That nickname is so fitting."

Lumine burst out laughing.

She continued, "Yeah, Tartaglia seems to have been defeated by someone and nearly died. His injuries are horrific, and he still hasn't woken up."

Paimon chimed in, "Yeah, yeah, we could only give him some basic treatment before bringing him back… A Fatui Harbinger is quite useful to Liyue, right? We should definitely get a big reward for this!"

Lumine smacked Paimon lightly. "What are you talking about? What reward? Isn't it our duty to help Liyue? Why would we need a reward?"

"Our Liyue?"

Paimon was full of question marks.

Wait, you're the Traveler, not a Liyue native. Why are you saying "our"?

Completely oblivious to Lumine's attempt to flirt with Jiang Ning, Paimon was utterly confused.

Jiang Ning, on the other hand, chuckled inwardly and asked, "So, where's Tartaglia? Let's get him over here, patch him up, and ask him some questions."

Lumine said, "Oh, Tartaglia? He's… Paimon, where is he?"

Paimon replied, "Hai Long and the others are carefully carrying him down. Let's go take a look."

With that, they headed over to where the sailors were gathered.

When they arrived, Beidou saw them coming and shouted, "Everyone, clear out! Let Jiang Ning take a look!"

At her command, the sailors quickly backed away to a safe distance.

Jiang Ning crouched beside Tartaglia, who was lying peacefully on a stretcher, wrapped up like a dumpling. He couldn't help but feel puzzled.

Who could have injured Tartaglia this badly? Tartaglia's strength was on par with some of Liyue's adepti. While he might not match a god's familiar under normal circumstances, he was still a Harbinger with a portion of the Tsaritsa's authority.

At full power, he was probably equivalent to one Dvalin in combat strength?

But since they hadn't actually fought, Jiang Ning couldn't say for sure.

Jiang Ning extended his divine power, carefully sensing Tartaglia's injuries. He couldn't help but suck in a cold breath.

This Fatui Harbinger was really like a cockroach that just wouldn't die. How was he still alive?

He had two fatal wounds, four penetrating injuries, his internal organs were displaced, and his body was covered in countless scars…

Damn, who did this to him? They really went all out.

Jiang Ning was worried that this Harbinger might die. After all, how else could he squeeze benefits out of him in the future?

Plus, this guy had paid Zhongli a lot of Mora before. Such a useful tool and wallet—it would be a shame if he died.

So, Jiang Ning immediately used his Qilin divine power to stabilize Tartaglia's injuries.

Visibly, Tartaglia's complexion improved, and Jiang Ning let out a sigh of relief.

"He won't die for now, but handle him gently to avoid further injuries… Take him to Yuehai Pavilion and call Dr. Baizhu… Actually, no, just take him to Yujing Terrace and find Madame Ping."

Jiang Ning changed his mind at the last moment.

If they took him to Yuehai Pavilion, there was a chance Tartaglia might go berserk when he woke up. While Jiang Ning could easily suppress him, the interior decor and documents in the room would suffer.

But if they took him to Yujing Terrace, it was an open area. He could cause as much chaos as he wanted.

Plus, with Madame Ping around, Jiang Ning wouldn't have to lift a finger.

However, the residual energy in Tartaglia's body…

Jiang Ning frowned. It felt similar to the Abyss, but not quite.

"System, do you know what this is?"

[Huh? You're asking me? I have no idea.]

The system replied.

Jiang Ning sighed. "You really don't know anything, do you…"

[Who says? Didn't I answer your question last time?]

"That was because you had the manual!"

[Well, did I answer it or not?]

"…Whatever, I don't feel like arguing with you. What have you been up to lately? I haven't heard from you."

[Hehe, I've been unpacking some deliveries. The stuff I ordered arrived, and I can start working on crafting a body now! You're going to be so surprised when it's done.]

"Oh, you're getting a body? That's great…"

Because once it had a body, Jiang Ning could really let loose his anger when it embarrassed him.

[Hehe, I might not be online much during this time since I'll be busy. But don't worry, you'll definitely see me before we head to Sumeru.]

"Alright, I'll look forward to it."

Jiang Ning casually replied, then directed the sailors to carry Tartaglia to Yujing Terrace.

When they arrived at Yujing Terrace, Keqing, who had heard the news, rushed over. Seeing Tartaglia lying peacefully on the stretcher, she frowned.

"This Fatui Harbinger is really something. How dare he come back?"

Lumine said, "Well, actually, I brought him here… I couldn't just let him die."

Lumine's opinion of Tartaglia wasn't particularly good or bad. As for Liyue, that was a matter of time. But setting that aside, among the Fatui Harbingers, Tartaglia was…

Well, he was like a fresh college graduate, his eyes still filled with the naive stupidity of someone untouched by society.

If there were no conflicts of interest with Snezhnaya, he might have been a good friend.

Jiang Ning comforted Keqing, "It's alright, Keqing. Tartaglia only did what he did because of the contract between the Tsaritsa and Master Zhongli. In the end, he was just being used by both sides."

Zhongli had been keeping an eye on things the whole time, and the Tsaritsa, fearing that her loyal and highly capable Harbinger might bite off more than he could chew and get himself killed, had also been watching from the shadows.

Only Tartaglia himself thought he had everything under control. Then, when he saw Zhongli and Signora exchanging the Gnosis, he was completely dumbfounded.

"Damn it, the clown was me all along?!"

In any case, Liyue didn't need to be too harsh on Tartaglia. After all, this was a mutually agreed-upon transaction.

But on the surface, they still had to put on a show. For example, now that this Harbinger was in their hands, shouldn't Snezhnaya offer some benefits in exchange for his release?

And what about the debt for saving his life and the medical expenses?

Ningguang was probably already rubbing her hands together in anticipation.

Meanwhile, Madame Ping was drawing talismans nearby, while Yaoyao obediently helped grind medicinal herbs.

These would be used on Tartaglia later.

Jiang Ning looked at Tartaglia and said, "This guy was probably backstabbed by Scaramouche."

Aside from the strange energy in Tartaglia's body, the residual energy in his wounds felt familiar to Jiang Ning.

Wasn't it the same energy from the Electro Archon's Gnosis that he had almost dismantled not long ago?

Damn, these two Fatui Harbingers were really stabbing each other in the back?

Is this how colleagues treat each other? Stabbing me right through the heart?

But this had nothing to do with Jiang Ning.

He was only interested in reaping the benefits.

But Scaramouche was really… something. With his Electro Archon authority and his gradually improving ability to connect with the ley lines, Jiang Ning had noticed that Scaramouche had gone to Sumeru.

His energy was slowly growing stronger…

Wait, he went to Sumeru to get stronger? And it seems like someone there is helping him?

Damn, from Inazuma to Snezhnaya to Sumeru.

Are you the three-faced traitor?

And not just that, but also like Liu Bei, who brought misfortune wherever he went.

Oh no, if that's the case, you're doomed.

You're practically asking for death.

You're doing everyone a favor by dying.

"I… where am I…?"

A weak voice sounded. After Jiang Ning's treatment, Madame Ping's healing, and Dr. Baizhu's medicine, Tartaglia finally woke up.

Most importantly, the energy from Scaramouche that had been wreaking havoc in Tartaglia's body had completely dissipated.

Tartaglia's heart skipped a beat, and his muscles tensed, but the intense pain made him grimace.

"Hey, don't push yourself. I went through a lot of trouble to fish you out of the sea. You're not allowed to die until you've paid off your debt for saving your life."

Lumine said with a hint of annoyance.

Hearing the Traveler's voice, Tartaglia relaxed, his muscles loosening.

Even though he wasn't in Snezhnaya, being in the hands of someone he knew, and with his injuries mostly treated, he was probably safe for now.

"It's you, Traveler. Thank you so much for this."

Tartaglia exhaled and forced a weak smile.

"Where am I?"

"Well, you're in Liyue. And, unfortunately, while treating your injuries, we had to turn you into a girl. There's no more 'Childe' now, only 'Miss.'"

"What?!"

Tartaglia was startled. Since he couldn't move his hands, he could only look down.

Fortunately, he still saw his muscular body, with no feminine features in sight.

He quickly realized who had spoken and let out a sigh of relief. "Jiang Ning, don't scare me like that. You could give someone a heart attack."

"You, a Fatui Harbinger, scared of a little joke? And you have the guts to come back to Liyue?"

"First of all, I didn't come here by choice. Second, wasn't this whole thing already explained? Snezhnaya paid a hefty compensation, so we should be even… No, actually, Liyue came out way ahead."

Tartaglia said.

Jiang Ning shrugged. "Alright, tell me, how did you end up like this?"

The moment Jiang Ning brought it up, Tartaglia's anger flared.

"It's all because of that bastard Scaramouche! The Tsaritsa ordered me to retrieve the Electro Archon's Gnosis, while Scaramouche had a mission in Sumeru."

"But then, just as I was about to leave with the Gnosis, that guy ambushed me from behind."

"That guy, does he even dare to fight me fair and square?"

Even though he knew he might not be a match for Scaramouche, Tartaglia still had to talk tough.

After all, as the "Duck," birds have tough beaks.

Jiang Ning scoffed. "Aren't you supposed to be a warrior? And I heard you didn't like Scaramouche. Why didn't you stay on guard?"

Tartaglia sighed. "I really didn't expect him to betray the Tsaritsa. Plus, he handed me the Electro Archon's Gnosis, so I let my guard down…"

"But you're right. No matter how many excuses I make, it's my fault. I'll be more careful in the future."

"If you're not careful, you might lose your life next time," Jiang Ning rolled his eyes. "Alright, rest up here for now. But Snezhnaya will have to cover the medical bills."

Tartaglia nodded. "Fine, I'll write a letter back. This betrayal needs to be reported to the Tsaritsa. I just don't know where that guy has run off to…"

Jiang Ning didn't mind causing trouble for Scaramouche, so he said, "Scaramouche? I can sense the Electro Archon's Gnosis in Sumeru. Are you going after him?"

"Sumeru? Could it be… The Doctor?!"

Tartaglia's expression turned grim.

Although he knew most of the Harbingers were just using the Tsaritsa, he didn't expect them to be so blatant about it.

As someone loyal to the Tsaritsa, Tartaglia couldn't tolerate this.

But…

Tartaglia then relaxed. "I'll just write a letter back. This is beyond me now. I'm just a heavily injured guy…"

"By the way, can you take me to the Northland Bank… Oh wait, there's no Northland Bank in Liyue anymore…"

Tartaglia sighed, feeling a headache coming on.

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