128: Tartaglia: “Can’t You Tell a Wolf from a Dog?!”

Tartaglia strode forward quickly, channeling his elemental energy into the wounded debt collector's body to stabilize his strength.

The debt collector gasped before hurriedly reporting:

"Lord Harbinger, the four of us followed your orders and climbed down from the peak of Mt. Tianheng to investigate that small courtyard."

"We successfully avoided the Millelith."

"But before we even got within a hundred meters of the courtyard, we stepped on some kind of trap."

"In an instant, the ground split apart as if it were controlled by the Geo Lord himself. Two of our men fell in and were swallowed by the magma below."

"Before we could react, six wolves… no, dogs, rushed out from the courtyard!"

Tartaglia's patience wore thin.

"Can't you tell a wolf from a dog?! Besides, you're elite debt collectors—how could six mere beasts be too much for you?"

The debt collector froze, then smiled bitterly.

"Lord Harbinger, they looked exactly like wolves, but when they howled—it was definitely the bark of dogs!"

"And they were far from ordinary creatures."

"We thought they weren't too strong at first, but..."

"One of those dogs bit off Number Three's arm in a single snap! Our attacks barely did any damage to them."

"Meanwhile, just a single bite from them left us critically wounded!"

"Number Three fought them to buy me time to escape and report back… Before I got away, I saw it—"

The debt collector's expression turned to sheer terror.

"Number Three… he didn't last long against them. In just an instant, they tore him apart…"

"Even his weapon was crushed in their jaws like it was nothing…"

"Lord Harbinger, those creatures are man-eating monsters!"

"I suspect even a Ruin Guard wouldn't stand a chance against them!"

Tartaglia's gaze flickered. He waved his hand, signaling for the injured man to be taken away for treatment.

But his thoughts remained restless.

A pack of creatures strong enough to tear apart trained Fatui agents…

Creatures that clearly followed orders, as if they were mere guard dogs…

Did such things even exist in Teyvat?

Tartaglia had fought across all seven nations, yet he had never heard of wolves or dogs this powerful.

Even more bizarrely, they could withstand elemental attacks.

Sure, the debt collectors weren't the strongest wielders of elemental energy, but still—it was elemental energy!

Even a pack of a hundred ordinary wolves would be wiped out by two skilled debt collectors.

And yet…

Six wolves had nearly wiped out his men?

And what was with that magma trap?

Since when was magma that close to the surface of Mt. Tianheng?

Never once had he heard of Morax manipulating magma itself.

Just what secrets did that courtyard hold?

The Qixing, the Adepti, the Millelith, Zhongli…

Was there a connection between all of this and the recent turmoil surrounding Liyue's mineral resources?

A storm of questions swirled in Tartaglia's mind. And deep within, his battle lust reignited.

Both his Vision and Delusion gleamed brightly.

"Looks like… I'll have to see for myself," he murmured.

Just then, an immense and pure force of Adeptal energy materialized out of thin air.

A slightly aged, feminine voice echoed beside his ear.

"Children playing their little games… There's no need for the adults to step in, don't you think?"

"Fatui Harbinger, Tartaglia."

Tartaglia's pupils contracted. His body tensed instinctively.

A suffocating sense of impending death enveloped him.

It had been a long time since he last felt this way.

The last time was when he told Pierro he wanted to challenge him…

The Adepti of Liyue were watching him.

Lowering his gaze slightly, Tartaglia let his elemental energy flow through his body, keeping his Delusion at the ready, prepared to activate his Foul Legacy transformation at any moment.

But the old voice merely chuckled.

"Haha… No need to be so tense. I'm just here to say hello."

"Age has made me averse to fighting. If possible, I'd rather just chat. What do you think?"

Tartaglia narrowed his eyes slightly.

He understood now—this was undoubtedly one of the oldest Adepti who had followed Morax from the very beginning.

A being who had survived the Archon War… and had hidden away in Liyue Harbor.

Someone who had fought on countless battlefields, faced countless gods.

There was no questioning her strength.

She was undoubtedly one of Liyue's unshakable pillars.

Tartaglia enjoyed a good fight, but he wasn't reckless enough to think he could take on an Adeptus who had lived for thousands of years.

The Cryo Archon could empower the Fatui Harbingers… but Morax could just as easily bless his own Adepti.

Not to mention, this was Liyue Harbor. If he dared to make a move, who knew how many Adepti and powerful warriors would descend upon him?

His thoughts raced, but outwardly, he dropped his combat stance. With a bright, carefree smile, he scratched his head and laughed.

"Since you've personally stepped in to mediate, I won't do anything I shouldn't."

There was a brief silence before the aged voice responded again.

"Haha… You're quite sensible. Though I can see you have your own little schemes, you're at least honest about it—far more so than that other Harbinger."

Tartaglia nodded in agreement.

"Exactly. I don't care for those scheming types who play tricks all day. If there's an issue, let's settle it with a fight."

The Adeptus clearly sensed his desire for battle once more.

"You young ones… In my youth, perhaps I would've entertained a duel. But now, I have no interest in moving these old bones."

"That's a real shame," Tartaglia sighed, shrugging. But he didn't push the matter.

"A long time ago, I met your Cryo Archon alongside Morax," the voice continued.

"She was a lonely but determined god, carrying a burden she never should have borne."

"For her, Morax and we Adepti held goodwill. You Fatui serve her cause, and for that alone, we would not have opposed you."

"But unfortunately… your Fatui are not of one mind. Each of you harbors different ambitions and ulterior motives."

Tartaglia could tell she wasn't lying.

She truly respected the Cryo Archon.

That alone pleased him. He understood his Queen's sorrow, and he was willing to fight for her.

But as she said, the Fatui Harbingers did not all share the same beliefs…

The Jester, the Doctor, the Wanderer…

Their goals were different from the Cryo Archon's.

For now, they were simply allies out of mutual benefit.

And that was precisely why Tartaglia didn't like them.

A thought crossed his mind.

If the Cryo Archon's grand plan could gain the support of Morax and the Adepti…

But before he could voice it, the old woman saw right through him.

"You really are a cunning little snake," she chuckled.

"It's true—we recognize your Archon's noble ideals. But that doesn't mean we'll stand by her side."

"The path she walks is far too dangerous. One misstep, and she will fall into eternal ruin."

"Liyue's 3,700-year legacy must not be severed in our time. Abandon that thought."

Tartaglia sighed softly.

"I see… My apologies, then."

"No need to apologize," the old woman chuckled.

"Perhaps her dream can be realized in another way… but it's still too early for that, and you don't need to keep exploring that place."

"You, child, are full of passion, with a strong heart for battle, yet you also deeply love your family and remain loyal to the Cryo Archon. At your core, you are a good person."

"You are different from the other Harbingers, so I do not wish to make things difficult for you."

"Stop pursuing things you shouldn't know. If you persist in your ignorance, next time, it may not just be me that you face."

"The other Three-Eyed Five-Manifestations Adepti and the Conqueror of Demons are not as easy to talk to… even the Lord of Geo, if provoked time and time again."

"He might personally put an end to your future."

"Do you understand?"

"The Lord of Geo is far from the point where he can no longer wield a weapon. You should know well how he earned the title of the God of War."

"To the Lord of Geo, you Cryo Archon followers are all juniors…"

Tartaglia scratched his head and chuckled.

"Thank you for the warning, Adeptus. I understand."

"However, I still have one question…"

The elder chuckled and replied,

"You want to know who I am?"

Tartaglia nodded firmly.

He was convinced that while he might not be as powerful as a true god, he was still far stronger than most godly subordinates.

At the very least, he could easily crush Mondstadt's Dvalin.

But this voice, without even showing itself, had already given him an overwhelming sense of impending death.

If he didn't figure out which Adeptus this was, he wouldn't be able to sleep soundly.

"Right now, I am nothing more than an ordinary citizen of Liyue… but I doubt that answer will satisfy you."

"If you must ask for my past title…"

"I am the Three-Eyed Five-Manifestations Adeptus—True Lord of the Song-Dust Waves."

The moment the words fell, the immense Adeptal power suddenly dispersed, as if nothing had ever happened.

Yet Tartaglia clenched his fists tightly.

His eyes were burning with excitement.

The Three-Eyed Five-Manifestations Adeptus… True Lord of the Song-Dust Waves.

Even among the gathering of countless Adepti in Liyue, even during the Archon War, this name was legendary.

A name forged through bloodshed.

It was said that the True Lord of the Song-Dust Waves was a master of Adeptal domain arts, with peerless spear skills that even the Lord of Geo greatly admired.

During the Archon War, she was one of the primary warriors.

One of the Lord of Geo's strongest subordinates, an Adeptus who had lived for an exceptionally long time.

It was rumored that the number of godly subordinates who perished by her spear was beyond counting.

She was a friend of the Goddess of Dust, Guizhong, and had eliminated many of Guizhong's enemies, as the gentle goddess was not skilled in battle.

She was one of the rare Adepti who, even during the Archon War, possessed power beyond normal limits.

If blessed by the Lord of Geo, she might not have been any weaker than a mid-tier god.

After so long, it was hard to say what her current strength was.

But Tartaglia knew that if she wanted to kill him, it probably wouldn't take much effort.

Fortunately, this Adeptus no longer seemed interested in battle and was rather reasonable.

If it had been a Yaksha, the Northland Bank might have been smashed to pieces on the spot.

Gazing at the streets of Liyue, Tartaglia sighed deeply.

He had yet to meet Zhongli, and due to too many changes, he had already drawn the attention of an Adeptus.

He had no choice but to learn more about Liyue's legends of gods and Adepti.

The more he learned, the more he felt that Liyue was unfathomable.

The strength of its people might not surpass that of Snezhnaya, but the power of its Adepti…

It was simply absurd.

At least three Three-Eyed Five-Manifestations Adepti lived in Jueyun Karst, while the Conqueror of Demons regularly cleansed the remnants of fallen gods.

In Liyue Harbor, there were half-Adepti beings like Ganyu and Yanfei, along with this True Lord of the Song-Dust Waves.

And these were just the ones whose existence was confirmed.

What about those whose fates were uncertain—those Adepti whose deaths were unclear or those who had gone into hiding?

What about the gods?

The Stove God, Makosha… the Dragon King, Azhdaha…

There were even rumors of the Lord of Geo's own creations—the Jade and Stone Whales…

And that's not even mentioning the Lord of Geo himself—who had lived for over six thousand years and was a true God of War.

He even had a good relationship with Barbatos, one of the original ruling Archons.

Tartaglia let out a long, drawn-out sigh.

"Liyue… oh, Liyue…"

"What an incredibly deep and murky pool of water you are."

"Just how many terrifying beings are you hiding?"

Then, he suddenly grinned, his expression brimming with fighting spirit.

"But that's exactly why Liyue is worth getting fired up for!"

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