Chapter 032: Who Wants to Be a Savior?

With all the Fatui agents gathered in the hall, kneeling with their hands on their heads, Shao Yun seized the moment to solidify his dominance.

"One reckless fool has already lost his life. Who's next?"

No one dared to respond. The room was as silent as a flock of sheep.

Shao Yun licked his lips in satisfaction, waving his gun at the cowering crowd. "I don't mind adding a few more bodies to the count. Anyone else want to play the hero?"

When no one answered, Shao Yun took center stage, declaring his purpose. "We're here for something that doesn't belong to you. You stole it, and now it's brought disaster upon you!"

He stomped hard on the Fatui agent beneath his foot, eliciting a pained scream. The sound sent shivers through the rest of the group.

"Your cowardly comrade here told me where it's kept, but we need the key. Who has it? Hand it over!"

The Fatui agents exchanged uneasy glances. Some looked terrified, others angry, and a few whispered among themselves, trying to figure out who had the key. But one thing was clear—none of them dared to meet Shao Yun's piercing gaze.

The noise grew unbearable, and Shao Yun fired a shot into the air. "Silence! Hand over the key now, or I'll kill you all and search your corpses for it!"

He drew a second revolver, aiming both guns at the crowd. "Where's the key?!"

From the center of the group, a Fatui agent stood up. His face was pale, his eyes filled with despair and fear. The oppressive atmosphere in the hall was suffocating, like a mountain pressing down on his chest.

This agent, likely a "Windblade Vanguard" without his gear, couldn't take it anymore. The shame of thirty people being cowed by one man was too much. He knew that if he didn't act, they'd all be slaughtered like helpless prey.

Gritting his teeth, he took a deep breath and decided to fight back. "I'll take you on!" he shouted, charging at Shao Yun with desperate resolve.

Shao Yun simply watched him coldly, as if observing a doomed animal. The clumsy attack amused him.

This time, Shao Yun's Vision glowed.

BANG!

A bullet infused with violent Pyro energy struck the man's head, exploding in a burst of blood and gore. The headless body collapsed, blood spraying like a fountain.

The sight terrified the remaining Fatui agents, who covered their mouths to stifle their screams.

"Seems not all of you are sheep. Some are just foolish goats," Shao Yun remarked, his tone mocking. To the Fatui, his words sounded like a death sentence.

"But a fool is still a fool, even a brave one. Who else wants to be a hero? Who wants to be a savior?" Shao Yun's patience was wearing thin. "I'm not someone you can trifle with. Cooperate, and you live. Resist, and you die!"

His Vision glowed red, and the two revolvers in his hands seemed like hungry wolves ready to tear into the flock of sheep.

"The key's here!" one Fatui agent finally broke, shouting as he held up the key. He scrambled out of the crowd, tears and snot streaming down his face, and knelt before Shao Yun, offering the key with trembling hands.

"I can't take it anymore! Please, don't kill us!"

The tension snapped. The agents' emotions overflowed, and low sobs and whimpers filled the hall. The four female agents—whether they were Electro or Cryo Cicin Mages—began crying uncontrollably, even biting their fingers to write what they thought would be their final letters.

Shao Yun picked up the key with his revolver and handed it to Lumine, signaling for her, Diluc, Venti, and Jean to retrieve the Holy Lyre.

"Are you sure you can handle them alone?" Lumine asked, incredulous. Even with a few dead, there were still over twenty agents. If they decided to attack together, it could be trouble.

"Sheep can't fight wolves. Go get the Holy Lyre. And be careful—there might be traps on the second floor," Shao Yun advised.

Once the group headed upstairs, Shao Yun kept watch over the prisoners, occasionally glancing back to ensure no reinforcements were coming.

A few minutes later, Lumine returned, holding the Holy Lyre aloft. "We've got it."

With their objective achieved, there was no reason to stay. As the group gathered behind him, Shao Yun turned to them and asked, "What should we do with these guys?"

Hearing their fate being discussed, the Fatui agents' hearts leapt into their throats. They lifted their heads, their masked faces undoubtedly filled with pleading expressions.

Jean, as the Acting Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius, knew her words carried weight. Killing them, while justified, could provoke the Fatui and bring trouble to Mondstadt. But letting them go would also be a risk. She chose to remain silent.

Venti, standing to the side, simply smiled faintly, avoiding the topic altogether.

Diluc, who had once roamed Teyvat avenging his father, had killed many Fatui in his time. These agents were nothing compared to what he'd faced before. "My suggestion is to kill them all and leave no witnesses," he said coldly.

Hearing this, the four Cicin Mages fainted on the spot, collapsing like lifeless dolls.

Paimon, looking at the weeping Fatui agents, felt a pang of sympathy. If this had been during a fight, she wouldn't have hesitated to drive them off or even kill them. But now, with no immediate threat, her heart wavered.

"Even though they're Fatui, they were once ordinary people too. They have families and friends. Do we really have to kill them all?" Paimon's voice was tinged with unease.

(TL/N: WTF? Its sound like fatui is a former human and a fucking monster.. fatui just soldiers.. am i right?)

Shao Yun understood her meaning. "So, Paimon, you're saying we should let them go?"

Paimon's expression grew conflicted. Her usual curiosity and energy were replaced by uncertainty. She opened her mouth as if to speak, but the thought of the Fatui potentially ambushing them later made her hesitate. Finally, she sighed, turned away, and covered her ears with her hands, her eyes closed and brows furrowed.

Lumine gently patted Paimon's head and sighed. "Shao Yun, it's your call. Whatever you decide, I'll support you, just like you've supported me."

With three abstentions, one vote for execution, and one for mercy, the fate of the Fatui agents rested solely in Shao Yun's hands.

Just as he was weighing his options, the system chimed in.

[Host detected in a decision-making scenario. Analyzing…]

[Option 1: Spare the Fatui agents. Reward: Increased Honor Points.]

[Option 2: Kill the Fatui agents. Reward: No change in Honor Points. Loot: 10,201 Mora.]

Since killing them wouldn't yield anything valuable, Shao Yun decided to spare them, both to please Paimon and to gain some Honor Points.

"You're lucky. I'm not a bloodthirsty man," Shao Yun said, holstering his revolvers.

The surviving Fatui agents were stunned. They had expected certain death, but now there was a chance to live. The tension in the room dissipated, and they collapsed to the ground in relief.

As Shao Yun turned to leave, he noticed the agent who had threatened him earlier, still lying at his feet.

"Almost forgot about you," Shao Yun said, picking him up.

The agent, thinking he was about to die, broke down. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

Shao Yun glared into his eyes. "You shouldn't have threatened me."

"Please, spare me!"

Instead of killing him, Shao Yun simply took all the Mora from his pockets and shoved him to the ground.

"Consider this your life's price," Shao Yun said, pocketing the Mora. "We were never here. Count to a hundred, then do whatever you want."

With that, he walked away, leaving the Fatui agents to their fate.