Chapter 96: Childe vs. Yelan

"Ningguang was right. Look, a little mouse has snuck in," a seductive female voice rang out, followed by the sound of high heels clicking against the floor.

Tartaglia narrowed his eyes, looking in the direction the arrow had come from.

The footsteps stopped, and a short-haired woman with a queenly aura appeared before him. She gave him a faint smile and fired another arrow, this time aimed directly at his face.

"Hmph!" Tartaglia rolled to the side, dodging the arrow, and quickly drew his bow, Hydro energy, condensing at the arrowhead.

Whoosh— The Hydro-infused arrow shot toward the woman's chest.

"Hehe, a Hydro Vision," the woman waved her hand, and several thin threads intercepted the arrow, forcing it to fall to the ground, powerless.

Tartaglia made a gesture, and the woman responded, her aura growing sharper. The initial exchange had been a test. Now, the real battle began.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh... Tartaglia and the woman stood far apart, both wielding bows, and began exchanging arrows. Arrows flew through the air, sparks flying as they struck the ground, walls, and pillars, leaving deep marks.

At the start, the two seemed evenly matched, but this was only an illusion. After all, the bow was Tartaglia's least least good at weapon, while for the woman, the bow was like an old friend, an extension of herself.

Soon, Tartaglia's offense was suppressed, and he found himself at a disadvantage.

Whoosh!

The woman's eyes gleamed as her Hydro Vision flickered. A rune-like mark appeared on her arrow, glowing faintly at the tip.

Tartaglia, busy dodging, didn't notice the subtle change and treated it like any other arrow.

However, the moment the arrow struck the ground, a burst of violent Hydro energy erupted. Tartaglia, unable to dodge in time, was thrown back by the shockwave, rolling several times before regaining his footing.

He looked at the woman with fiery eyes, his gaze intense, and couldn't help but compliment her, "Miss, impressive!"

"Hehe, thank you," the woman smiled sweetly, but her bow movements didn't slow, remaining fluid and precise.

"In that case, I'll show you a bit of my true strength. After all, the bow is my weakest weapon!" Tartaglia put away his Rust bow and drew his twin blades, charging toward the woman at high speed.

Naturally, she wouldn't let him get close. She fired a volley of Hydro arrows, all aimed at his path, trying to halt his advance.

"Hahaha, miss, don't underestimate me!"

Tartaglia's laughter was lighthearted as he pushed off the ground, increasing his speed. Like a phantom, he reached the arrow's landing point before the arrows did.

Slash, cut, hack, sweep—the blades, wrapped in elemental energy, traced beautiful blue arcs in the air, slicing the incoming arrows into pieces.

"Threads—interweave!"

Seeing that she couldn't stop Tartaglia's advance, the woman abandoned her defensive stance and went on the offensive. She crossed her hands, and countless threads spilled from her fingertips, spreading out like a net to ensnare Tartaglia.

In the woman's attack, Tartaglia sensed genuine danger. His Electro Delusion flared, its dark light overpowering the blue glow of his Vision.

"Hah!"

Tartaglia's body shook as the violent Electro energy repelled the threads, stirring up dust and obscuring the woman's vision.

"Form up! Arrest the intruder!"

The commotion inside the Golden House couldn't go unnoticed. Soon, a group of Millelith soldiers burst in, surrounding Tartaglia.

"Tch!" Knowing he couldn't complete his mission today, Tartaglia clicked his tongue and transformed into a bolt of lightning, breaking through the Millelith formation and escaping.

"Hahaha, miss, until next time!"

Tartaglia's laughter echoed through the Golden House. The woman frowned but didn't pursue him.

"Don't chase him," the woman stopped the Millelith soldiers.

"Lady Yelan..." the leading soldier started to protest, but Yelan cut him off. "That man is incredibly skilled. He's beyond your capabilities. With Liyue in turmoil, we can't afford unnecessary casualties."

"Yes, Lady Yelan!"

...…

"You're here," Ningguang smiled as the woman approached, lighting her pipe and speaking calmly.

"Mm," the woman, Yelan, responded simply.

"Do you have any leads on the intruder at the Golden House?"

"Hehe!" Yelan chuckled. "The intruder was none other than the 11th Fatui Harbinger, Tartaglia, also known as Childe."

"Are you sure?" Ningguang's brows furrowed slightly as she tapped her nail guard against the table. She had suspected as much. After all, who else but the Fatui would dare such a thing?

"Hmph, I don't know what that guy was thinking, wearing only a black cloth over his face. Does he think we're blind?" Yelan shook her head, unable to understand the logic. Between his unique outfit and the Electro Delusion at his waist, it was impossible not to recognize him as a Fatui agent.

"I see," Ningguang nodded with a faint smile.

"Withdraw half the guards from the Golden House and send them to reinforce other areas of Liyue Harbor."

"Agreed," Yelan didn't object. After this failed invasion, the Fatui would likely assume the Qixing would increase security at the Golden House. By reducing the guards, they could redirect resources to areas in need.

"By the way, the person you asked me to investigate has returned to Liyue Harbor. Would you like to meet him?" Yelan, about to leave, suddenly remembered something and turned back to Ningguang.

"Oh? Finally some progress?" Ningguang raised an eyebrow.

"Mm, that man named Yun Fan returned to Liyue Harbor a few days ago. He's currently staying at the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor."

"Good. I'll find a time to visit him personally."