Chapter 031: "Come Out, All of You!"

Just as everything was ready, two Fatui agents, freshly awakened, stumbled out of the domain.

One of them grumbled, "Ugh, why do we have to take the night shift?"

"Tell me about it. I was just sleeping, and then they dragged me out here…" The other one leaned against the stone wall nearby, already dozing off.

Shao Yun was utterly baffled by the sight. What kind of ragtag bunch is this? Is this really the infamous Fatui that's been causing trouble all over the continent?

He turned to the group behind him and said, "I'll take the lead. Once I deal with these two, we'll move in."

With that, he strode forward.

The Fatui agents, who had been sitting on the ground, immediately jumped to their feet upon seeing a masked figure approaching. They drew their silver swords and pointed them at him.

"Hey! Who are you?!"

Shao Yun didn't immediately show any signs of aggression. Instead, he greeted them in a friendly tone.

"Hello there. I'm just a friendly passerby. Wanted to check if you're having any trouble."

A masked man claiming to be a "friendly citizen" in the middle of the night, in the middle of nowhere? Not even Noelle, the most naive person in Mondstadt, would buy that.

"You bastard, get lost! This is Fatui territory!"

Hearing the insult, Shao Yun pretended not to hear and asked again, "Excuse me, what did you just call me?"

The Fatui agent sneered, raising his sword to strike. "I said you're a—"

Before he could finish, Shao Yun drew the revolver from his waist. Without even activating his "Deadeye" ability, he cocked the hammer and pulled the trigger.

BANG!

The Fatui agent's body crumpled like a puppet with its strings cut. He twitched a couple of times before lying still, blood seeping from his chest and staining the ground.

Even without using his special skills, Shao Yun's movements were too fast for ordinary people to follow, let alone these lazy guards who didn't even want to stand watch.

The other guard was completely stunned by the sudden turn of events. The loud gunshot left him wide-eyed and frozen in place.

He stared in horror at the gun in Shao Yun's hand, too terrified to even think of running.

Who the hell is this guy? He just kills someone for insulting him?!

Shao Yun immediately turned the gun toward the other Fatui agent, his voice low and menacing. "Don't move."

The threat was enough to shatter the remaining guard's courage. His legs gave out, and he fell to his knees, trembling uncontrollably. Fear and despair filled his eyes.

He knew that any sudden movement would mean his end.

Shao Yun coldly watched him, the gun still trained on his target. He stepped forward, grabbed the man by the neck, and lifted him off the ground.

"Where's the Holy Lyre?" he demanded.

"Gah…" The Fatui agent choked, his face turning purple within seconds.

Realizing he wouldn't get any answers like this, Shao Yun dropped him to the ground and pressed the revolver against his temple.

"You saw what happened to your friend. I won't ask again. Where's the Holy Lyre?"

The barrel of the gun dug into the man's skin, as if ready to send him to meet his companion at any moment.

"I-it's inside! There are two lines of defense in the camp! That's all I know, I swear!"

The Fatui agent pointed frantically toward the domain entrance, spilling everything he knew.

Shao Yun holstered his revolver and then delivered a powerful punch to the man's face, knocking him out cold.

He then waved to the others hiding in the bushes.

"Let's move."

As they passed the entrance, the group took in the sight of the two Fatui agents—one dead, the other unconscious. While Lumine and Paimon seemed a bit uneasy, the other three showed no reaction.

Inside the domain, the Fatui had set up their camp by pitching a few tents in the deeper areas. They had repurposed some of the larger spaces into dormitories, prison cells, and storage rooms.

The first line of defense was a mechanical bridge, though it wasn't something the Fatui had built themselves—it was part of the original domain. The lava below, which didn't seem to flow, had already started to cool and turn black.

The bridge itself was a simple mechanism that occasionally flipped and spewed fire, but due to years of disrepair, it was now just a regular bridge. It posed no real threat, only serving to block attacks from Hilichurls or elemental creatures.

The group crossed the bridge with ease and continued along the path, climbing a staircase to reach the second line of defense.

This so-called "defense" consisted of a single Fatui guard acting as a sentry.

Shao Yun signaled for the others to stay back and approached the guard confidently.

The guard, seeing a masked man suddenly appear before him, was so frightened that he could barely speak.

"W-who are you?!"

Shao Yun glanced down at the rusty sword trembling in the guard's hand. The man looked like a sheep facing a wolf, shaking with every step Shao Yun took.

"D-don't come any closer, or I'll cut you down!" The guard raised his sword, but his movements were so slow that Shao Yun simply kicked him away.

"Ow!"

The guard fell to the ground, raising his hands as if to ward off any further attacks.

"Your friend's already dead. If you want to live, tell me where the Holy Lyre is!"

Hearing that he might survive, the guard began babbling everything that came to mind, from his birthdate to his childhood crush.

"There are thirty of us in the camp—four women and twenty-six men. I'm twenty years old, from Snezhnaya. When I was a kid, I had a crush on my neighbor's wife—"

(TL/N: ahhh.. good time)

Shao Yun's hand shot out, striking the man's cheek with a resounding slap.

"I asked you where the Holy Lyre is! If you spew one more word of nonsense, I'll show you what true suffering feels like!"

The guard clutched his swollen face, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. He quickly regained his senses and stammered out the information.

"The Holy Lyre is on the second floor of the main hall! It's locked, and I don't know which vanguard has the key! That's all I know, please don't kill me!"

With the information secured, Shao Yun signaled the others to move forward.

To the guard, it looked like the masked man had summoned a group of equally menacing figures, all heading toward the main hall. They moved with the same deadly aura as the Fatui's own Debt Collectors.

Shao Yun could have killed the guard without losing any honor, but since the man had cooperated, he decided to let him live.

However, as Shao Yun turned to catch up with the others, the guard, perhaps driven by some misplaced bravado, stood up and shouted at his retreating back.

"You think you're so tough?! We have a Harbinger stationed in Mondstadt! The Fair Lady will hunt you down and make you regret this! You'll pay for this!"

With that, he turned to run.

You had your chance, and you blew it.Shao Yun sighed, turned around, and fired a shot into the guard's leg. He walked back, crouched down, and smacked the man's face with the revolver.

"I let you go, and this is how you repay me? Do you Fatui just love showing off, even when it's suicidal?"

He dragged the guard like a sack of potatoes. "You've annoyed me. You're coming with us to find that key."

When they reached the main hall, Shao Yun found Lumine and the others gathered, discussing how to quietly search each room.

"Why bother with all that? Stay behind me and watch this."

He tossed the hostage to the ground, stepped on his head, and fired a shot into the ceiling. Taking a deep breath, he bellowed at the top of his lungs.

"COME OUT, ALL OF YOU! YOU GOOD-FOR-NOTHING SCUM! IF YOU'RE AWAKE, WAKE UP THE SLEEPERS AND GET YOUR ASSES OVER HERE!"

His voice thundered through the hall, echoing endlessly. It was so loud that Lumine and the others had to cover their ears. The sound was only slightly less deafening than Dvalin's roar.

The Fatui agents, startled awake, slowly emerged from their rooms, their eyes fixed on Shao Yun.

"Get to the hall and kneel with your hands on your heads!"

Just then, a Debt Collector leaped down from the second floor, brandishing his circular blade.

"Intruders! You're dead!"

Without another word, he lunged at Shao Yun.

The other Fatui, now realizing they were under attack, began to rally, ready to fight.

BANG!

The Debt Collector suddenly felt a tremendous force hit him. Shao Yun stood with his gun raised, smoke curling from the barrel. No one had seen him fire, but the Debt Collector's chest now had a gaping hole, blood pouring out.

Shao Yun observed the Debt Collector, impressed. Not bad for an elite. He lasted a couple of seconds after taking a bullet.

The Debt Collector looked down at his chest, his vision blurring as his life drained away. He collapsed to the ground, motionless.

The other Fatui agents, witnessing this, lost all will to fight. If even a Debt Collector—one of the strongest in the vanguard—couldn't stand a chance, what hope did they have? They quickly surrendered, kneeling in the center of the hall with their hands on their heads.