“Ah…”
Jia Changjiang rubbed his throat, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he spoke. “I feel… so thirsty. It’s hard to suppress this urge to fight someone…”
His gaze sharpened as he turned to Lumine. “Lumine, let’s hurry to Jueyun Karst. The Adepti must be powerful, right?”
“If I challenge them… surely that will quench this thirst, right?”
“Jax, calm down.” Lumine grabbed him by the collar, shaking him lightly. “We’re going there to clear our names, not to pick a fight with the Adepti!”
“How about this…”
Without hesitation, Lumine sold out their recent acquaintance. “Why don’t you go fight that Childe guy first to work off some steam? Then we can go to Jueyun Karst together.”
Paimon quickly intervened. “Hey! That’s not the right solution either!”
“Gulp…”
Jia Changjiang swallowed hard and shook his head. “Don’t worry, I can control myself. When I challenge someone, I always get their consent first!”
“Really?” Lumine eyed him suspiciously. “You’re not going to suddenly draw your weapon and charge at the Adepti as soon as we meet them, are you?”
“Do I look as impulsive as you?” Jia Changjiang pushed her face away with a laugh. “Let’s get going already. That said… I am curious about their strength.”
“Tch…”
As they continued their discussion, a shout echoed from nearby.
“There they are! The two assassins and their strange little spirit companion!”
“The Millelith have caught up!” Paimon exclaimed, flitting about in panic. “We’ve got to get moving!”
“Right!”
Lumine nodded, and the group began their descent from Tianheng Mountain, heading north toward Jueyun Karst, the home of the Adepti.
As they fled, snippets of conversation drifted through the air.
“Hey, did you hear them mention a ‘strange little spirit’? Where is it? I didn’t see one.”
“Huh… Paimon, it’s probably better if you don’t know.”
“Why not? What if it leads us to some amazing treasure chests?”
“Any chest it leads us to will probably just have Sweet Madame in it, at best…”
—
After hours of trekking, Jia Changjiang and Lumine finally reached Jueyun Karst just before nightfall, with the persistent Millelith still hot on their trail.
“Ugh! Why are they so relentless?” Lumine grumbled. “We’re innocent! Wouldn’t their efforts be better spent finding the real culprit?”
“Quit complaining,” Jia Changjiang said, climbing the mountain steadily. “We ran after causing a scene that big. Besides, you’re the one who’s so suspicious of the Geo Archon.”
He glanced over his shoulder. “It’s like Barbatos suddenly getting assassinated, and you just standing there holding a bloody knife. Mondstadt would chase you to the ends of Teyvat, too.”
“It’s just so unfair!” Lumine muttered. “I came to Liyue to investigate the Archon and find my brother. Now I’m being hunted because the Archon died?!”
“Focus on climbing. It’s getting dark. Do you really want to scale this mountain at night?” Jia Changjiang vaulted onto a higher ledge and extended a hand to Lumine. “Come on, let’s meet the Adepti. Maybe they’ll even offer us shelter.”
“Yes, yes! Traveler, let’s hurry up the mountain!” Paimon urged, fluttering beside Lumine. “Paimon’s exhausted from flying. Let’s find a spot to rest!”
“You’re flying, Paimon. How could you possibly be tired?” Lumine retorted, grabbing Jia Changjiang’s hand to hoist herself up.
“Lack of sympathy! Flying is hard work too!” Paimon stomped in the air indignantly.
Finally, as the sky darkened completely, they reached the summit, where the legendary Adepti were said to reside.
Before they could even catch their breath, a massive, majestic deer emerged at the peak. Its graceful yet imposing figure stood bathed in moonlight, its piercing gaze fixed on the group.
“Why do you trespass upon Jueyun Karst?”
The stag’s voice rumbled like thunder, reverberating through the mountain.
Lumine, still catching her breath, blinked up at the enormous creature. Without thinking, she muttered, “That’s a huge deer… Bet it’d make a lot of—mmph!”
Paimon slapped her hand over Lumine’s mouth before she could finish. If she said any more, Paimon feared the Adeptus would strike them down on the spot.
Unfortunately, while Paimon silenced Lumine, she couldn’t stop Jia Changjiang.
“Are you an Adeptus?” Jia Changjiang asked, his voice brimming with excitement. “I’m Jia Changjiang, the Weapon Master. Can I challenge you?!”
His eyes gleamed. “You must be incredibly strong, right?!”
“Mr. Jax?!?!” Paimon nearly fainted from shock.
The stag—Moon Carver—stared at Jia Changjiang, momentarily stunned before anger flared in his voice. “Insolence! Is this the reason you disturb the tranquility of Jueyun Karst?”
“My apologies. I don’t mean to offend,” Jia Changjiang said sincerely, though his tone was tinged with eagerness. “It’s just that I feel it would be a shame to miss the opportunity to spar with one of the legendary beings who helped build Liyue with their strength.”
“Stop talking! Please!” Paimon pleaded, her voice frantic. She dove into Lumine’s bag and produced the talisman given to them by Childe.
“We come bearing this token!” she cried. “We’re here to report what happened during the Rite of Descension!”
Moon Carver’s glowing eyes narrowed as he examined the talisman. His tone softened slightly. “The Sigil of Permission… To think such a relic remains in mortal hands.”
“I am Moon Carver, one of the Three-Eyed Five Manifestations Adepti. Speak. What transpired during the Rite of Descension that brings you here with this token?”
Lumine hesitated for a moment before responding bluntly, “Oh, the Geo Archon was assassinated during the ceremony today.”
Her casual tone left Moon Carver momentarily speechless.
Paimon quickly intervened, explaining the events of the day in detail to avoid further misunderstandings.
“Outrageous!”
Moon Carver’s voice boomed as his hoof stomped down, cracking the stone beneath him. “The audacity of the Qixing…”
—
This is a fan translation of 武器大师在原神绝不死于徒手 by 徐人双 All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!
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