Chapter 047: Can We Blow Up the Bridge?

Shao Yun stood atop the city walls, deep in thought for a moment, then turned to face Noelle, who was standing beside him. He issued a command.

"Noelle! Go back to the Knights of Favonius headquarters and inform all the Knights about what Amber said! Then bring Kaeya and Lisa here! Hurry!"

Noelle, hearing this, hesitated for a moment. She glanced at Amber, who was still weak, her concern evident.

Amber wasn't in great condition. Would it be okay to leave her...?

Shao Yun noticed her hesitation and barked, "Go! Amber will be fine!"

Noelle was startled by Shao Yun's shout, snapping her out of her indecision. She knew now wasn't the time for hesitation or worry. She took a deep breath and turned to run down the city walls.

Shao Yun then began carefully observing the situation outside the city, his gaze fixed on the quiet yet uneasy land beyond.

He muttered to himself, as if trying to boost his own morale or analyze the situation.

"There's still time. This is much better than the Knights of the Apocalypse or the O'Driscolls attacking Shady Belle. At least we're not completely surrounded. There must be a way."

Shao Yun took a deep breath, his mind racing through various possible strategies. He needed to come up with a plan that would protect Mondstadt while minimizing losses.

With the current number of Knights, filling the city walls would be a challenge, let alone maintaining internal security. If the Fatui didn't take advantage of this chaos, it would be a miracle.

Shao Yun nervously licked his lips, his gaze eventually settling on the bridge.

This bridge was Mondstadt's only land connection to the outside world and the only path the hilichurl army could take to attack the city. If... if they could blow up the bridge, the hilichurls wouldn't be able to reach Mondstadt.

The idea took root in Shao Yun's mind and quickly grew.

Mondstadt was built on an island in Cider Lake. Unless the hilichurls suddenly learned to swim or grew wings, the bridge was their only way in.

The thought struck him like a lightning bolt, and he slammed his fist against the city wall.

"I've got it!" he exclaimed, his voice filled with confidence.

Amber, standing nearby, looked at Shao Yun's excited expression with curiosity.

Though still weak, she managed to stand and slowly walked over.

"What's the plan?" she asked weakly, her voice tinged with anticipation.

Shao Yun turned to her, his expression softening as he saw her frail state. "Feeling better?" he asked gently.

Amber nodded, forcing a small smile. "At least I can walk now. Your potion is strong, but it could be less bitter," she said, her voice faint but with a hint of playfulness.

Shao Yun chuckled. "Alright, I'll try to improve it next time." The brief exchange with Amber lightened his mood a little.

After a moment of silence, Amber tapped Shao Yun's arm with the back of her hand. "Hey, you still haven't told me what your plan is."

Shao Yun licked his dry lips and shook his head slightly, not ready to reveal it yet.

"Amber, the idea is too crazy. I need to wait until Lisa and Kaeya get here before I explain it to everyone."

With that, Shao Yun pulled out his telescope again, scanning the horizon for any signs of movement.

He hadn't expected that Jean's personal request would end up requiring the Knights' involvement—not to deal with the Fatui, but with the hilichurls.

In the end, hilichurls and the Fatui weren't so different—both were groups of not-so-bright individuals.

...

Mondstadt, the city of freedom, was once again swept up in a storm of tension and unease.

News of the hilichurls' impending attack spread quickly. The once-bustling streets were now empty, replaced by groups of armored Knights maintaining order.

Shao Yun stood on the city walls, one hand gripping a gleaming golden revolver, the other polishing it with gun oil.

His movements were rough, as if venting his frustration and irritation. He muttered to himself.

"Damn system, did you see this coming? I was wondering why Noelle's gratitude event would be a major task. What's the point of being so cryptic? Now I'm completely unprepared, with just two revolvers. Are you happy now?"

His voice was low and filled with resentment, directed at the system.

But the system remained silent, with only the sound of the wind whistling over the walls. All that was missing was the chirping of crickets.

Shao Yun grew even angrier. He inspected the polished revolver and holstered it.

He pulled up the system screen and muttered, "You useless piece of junk, you interfere when you shouldn't and go silent when I need you! Sunset's less than half an hour away. If you don't say something, I'll find a way to shut you down for good!"

Perhaps threatened by Shao Yun, the system finally responded.

[You have been granted a Carbine Repeater and a Pump-Action Shotgun.]

After the system's prompt, the two weapons—a carbine repeater and a pump-action shotgun—appeared on Shao Yun's back.

Shao Yun's expression was complicated as he examined the weapons. The shotgun was decent, but the carbine repeater only held one more bullet than his revolver. How stingy!

But then he thought, with proper use, even a double-barreled shotgun could be a game-changer!

On the horizon, a few blurry figures began to appear, slowly moving toward Mondstadt.

Seeing that the sun was halfway below the horizon, there was no doubt—it was the hilichurls.

...

By the time the sun was three-quarters below the horizon, Noelle had returned with Kaeya and Lisa.

At this point, nearly a hundred ordinary hilichurls had gathered in the distance, and their numbers were still growing.

Seeing this, even Lisa, who usually wore a lazy expression, looked tense, her brows furrowed.

"I thought Noelle was joking, but this is real."

Beside her, Kaeya, the Cavalry Captain who always had a sly smile, wasn't smiling anymore.

"Why does trouble always show up when the Acting Grand Master is away?"

The two stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Shao Yun. Lisa, observing the hilichurls' gathering speed, rubbed her chin and muttered, "This unrest feels unusual. It's as if something is stirring the winds."

Kaeya, hearing Lisa's words, didn't respond. Instead, he turned his gaze to Shao Yun, who was observing the outside with a telescope.

"Seems Mr. Shao Yun is quite concerned about Mondstadt's safety."

"Is everyone here?" Shao Yun didn't engage with Kaeya's comment. He put away the telescope and looked at the group seriously.

"Does everyone know what Amber said?"

Kaeya's face was filled with resignation as he nodded slowly. "Yes, a lot of hilichurls are heading toward Mondstadt."

Amber's eyes swept over the familiar faces, confirming everyone was present. She turned to Shao Yun, her tone urgent.

"Shao Yun, what's the plan you mentioned earlier?"

Shao Yun pointed to Mondstadt's only land connection—the sturdy stone bridge. His finger lingered for a moment before he calmly said, "Blow up the bridge!"

The words stunned everyone. Their eyes filled with fear at the audacity of the plan.

"Blow up the bridge?" Amber repeated, her voice uncertain. "Are you sure? It's our only land route to the outside."

Shao Yun nodded, explaining, "I know it sounds crazy, but we don't have time to hesitate. We have to destroy the bridge. These hilichurls are gathering faster than locusts! While we've been talking, their numbers have already grown to over three hundred!"

Everyone looked out, and sure enough, the hilichurls' numbers had doubled and were still growing.

Now, it wasn't just ordinary hilichurls with sticks or crossbows. There were also hilichurl berserkers wielding axes and shields, and the rarer hilichurl shamans who could wield elemental powers!

At this point, blowing up the bridge seemed like a solid plan. After all, Mondstadt still had its port, so they wouldn't be completely cut off.

The idea sounded good, but Lisa quickly poured cold water on it.

"Shao Yun, your plan sounds great, but that bridge isn't so easy to destroy," Lisa said, her gaze turning to the stone bridge. She explained, "That bridge was reinforced by the Knights of Favonius' Chief Alchemist, Albedo. Its durability far exceeds what you'd expect."

Shao Yun was stunned. For the first time, he found himself hating alchemy!

Though unexpected, he quickly regained his composure.

Alchemical reinforcement wasn't absolute. With enough firepower, it could still be done.

The thought reminded him of the runaway sun—Klee.

This was the perfect time to bring her out of solitary confinement and let her go all out!

"Let Klee do it! Get Klee out of solitary confinement and let her blow it up!"

At this moment, Shao Yun was like the Jade Emperor during Sun Wukong's rampage in heaven, ordering Lisa to fetch Klee, the Buddha of Explosions!

Lisa's eyes reflected Shao Yun's hopeful gaze as she rubbed her temples in frustration.

"Acting Grand Master Jean was worried about Klee being unsupervised, so she had Albedo take her to Dragonspine," Lisa said, her voice tinged with helplessness as she looked toward the distant mountain.

"Getting Klee to blow up the bridge is impossible. We'll have to come up with another plan."

As her words fell, the surroundings seemed to fall into a brief silence. The air was thick with an indescribable tension.

Shao Yun was at a loss for words. He kicked the sturdy city wall in frustration, as if trying to vent all his dissatisfaction and anger. The wall let out a dull thud, sending a shiver through everyone's hearts.

"Fortune never comes in pairs, and trouble never comes alone!"