Chapter 95: Night Raid on the Golden House

"Traveler, go to Wangshu Inn and inform the Vigilant Yaksha of the situation. I will head to Liyue Harbor first to deal with the Qixing!" Cloud Retainer's Adepti energy surged as she transformed back into her crane form. With a powerful flap of her wings, her narrow eyes burned with anger.

"Wait! Deal with Liyue Harbor? Aren't the adepti supposed to protect Liyue?" Paimon was stunned. This wasn't what they had expected. Shouldn't the adepti focus on catching the culprit who assassinated Rex Lapis?

"Hmph, we adepti do have a contract with Rex Lapis to protect Liyue, but that doesn't mean we won't eliminate those who threaten Liyue's stability."

"If the Qixing had nothing to hide, why haven't they informed us of such a monumental event as Rex Lapis's death?"

Hearing this, Paimon quickly leaned in and whispered to Lumine, "What do we do? This woman seems serious. If we let her go like this, Liyue Harbor might be in danger."

"Let me think," Lumine rubbed her temples. Honestly, she wasn't great at coming up with plans. "Got it." After some hard thinking, Lumine had a flash of inspiration—a way to redirect the trouble.

"Cloud Retainer, actually, there's been a misunderstanding. The Qixing have been busy preparing the Rite of Parting and hunting down the culprit, which is why they haven't had time to send word. In fact, we were sent by Ningguang, the Tianquan, to inform you," Lumine explained with utmost sincerity, making it hard not to believe her.

"Is that so? Hmph, that still doesn't explain much," Cloud Retainer's anger subsided slightly, but her tone remained firm.

"Actually, we've uncovered some clues about the assassination. All the evidence points to the Fatui from Snezhnaya," Lumine said confidently, without batting an eye. After all, there weren't many good people among the Fatui. Let the adepti deal with them and avoid internal conflict in Liyue.

As for Childe's commission and the funds he provided... well, as long as she ignored her conscience, it wouldn't hurt.

"The Fatui? Those lackeys of the Tsaritsa? Hmph! Do they think Liyue has no one to stand up to them? Shenhe, you stay here. I'm heading to Liyue Harbor."

"Master, are you sure..." Shenhe hesitated.

"Don't worry about my safety. With such a major event, the Divine Lord won't stay hidden. No matter who's behind this, they'll regret ever setting foot here!"

...…

On the way to Wangshu Inn...

"So, we've become full-time errand runners now?" Paimon complained weakly. Thinking about it, in Mondstadt, they ran errands for the lazy Anemo Archon, and now in Liyue, they haven't had a moment's rest.

In Liyue Harbor, there were commissions from Ningguang, Childe, and Keqing. Now, in Jueyun Karst, there were tasks from Cloud Retainer and Mountain Shaper. It's just...

"Sigh, I hope this is the last adeptus," Lumine sighed, feeling utterly exhausted. Some people are just destined to be overworked.

'Cloud Retainer mentioned the Divine Lord earlier. Maybe I can use this opportunity to meet him. With Rex Lapis gone, he might be the only one in Liyue who knows the secrets of Celestia.'

——————

That night

The bright moon was obscured by dark clouds, and darkness enveloped the land. Under the cover of night, the beautiful city of Liyue Harbor seemed unusually peaceful.

At the edge of Liyue Harbor stood a grand structure, glowing faintly in the night like a spark in the wilderness.

From a distance, it didn't look much different from traditional Liyue architecture, except for the ancient aura it exuded.

Where was this place? Every resident of Liyue Harbor knew—this was the Golden House, the core hub of Teyvat's currency.

However, today, this often-overlooked place welcomed an uninvited guest.

Tap, tap, tap...

A squad of Millelith soldiers marched past, their steps perfectly synchronized, disciplined and well-trained—clearly elite Millelith troops.

"So the Millelith's main force is here. The rumors about the Exuvia being stored here must be true," Tartaglia, hiding in a in a corner behind the Golden House, peeked out, his sharp eyes observing the passing Millelith soldiers, trying to discern their patrol patterns.

Tartaglia was dressed in black, his face covered with a black cloth, his well-maintained Rust bow slung across his back, and his familiar twin blades at his waist.

Like a seasoned hunter waiting for his prey, Tartaglia remained perfectly still, patiently biding his time.

Finally, after an hour of observation and waiting, Tartaglia seized the moment during the Millelith's shift change. With a flash, he slipped into the Golden House like a ghost.

The Millelith guard on duty paused, looking puzzled as he asked his colleague, "Did something just pass by us?"

"Something?" The colleague glanced around. "There's nothing here. You must be tired from standing guard all day."

"Maybe," the guard shook his head, but something still felt off.

"Don't overthink it. Go home. I just saw your neighbor, Old Wang, heading to your house. Who knows what he's up to at this hour."

"What?! I #@:%!#x@..."

...…

"The Golden House truly lives up to its name."

Having bypassed the guards, Tartaglia now stood inside the Golden House. Gazing at the magnificent hall and the ocean of Mora piled high, even someone as worldly as him couldn't help but be awestruck.

He casually picked up a handful of Mora, savoring the scent of freshly minted currency. Tartaglia couldn't help but click his tongue.

If only all this Mora were his. Then he wouldn't have to worry about funding Zhongli's expenses.

"Time to get to work," Tartaglia tossed the Mora back onto the pile and turned his gaze toward the heart of the Golden House.

There, standing silently, was the object of his search.

The Exuvia's body coiled in an S-shape, its dragon form majestic and untouchable. Even in death, the massive dragon's head exuded authority, its sharp claws gleaming with a chilling light, a faint reminder of Rex Lapis's once-peerless majesty.

"The Gnosis..." Tartaglia approached the dragon's body, his Delusion glowing as dark Electro energy crackled around his hand.

Whoosh—

Suddenly, Tartaglia sidestepped, and an arrow whizzed past his ear, cutting off a few strands of hair. The sound of the arrow's flight reached him a moment later.