As Jia Changjiang and Lumine walked past the cavern, what greeted them was an unexpected sight: a cool and aloof crane immortal.
Initially, Lumine felt a tinge of disappointment upon realizing the owner of that beautiful female voice was just a crane.
Yet, strangely enough, she also found the crane before her to be oddly elegant and refined.
Have I been deprived of my daily dose of cute girls for too long? Lumine wondered to herself. Once all of this is over, I’ll need to replenish that energy properly!
“You’ve got some skill, managing to deal with the ruin guards I personally modified,” said Cloud Retainer, her tone calm as her piercing gaze swept over them.
“Did you create this cavern and those mechanisms yourself?” Lumine asked, her face full of curiosity.
The ruin guards were indeed far stronger than their usual counterparts.
“Of course,” Cloud Retainer said, lifting her proud crane neck. “My skill in mechanism crafting is such that even Morax and Guizhong themselves would sing praises.”
“Incredible! Did you decide to live here in seclusion just to study mechanisms?” Paimon chimed in eagerly.
“I simply find social interaction tiresome and came here seeking tranquility,” Cloud Retainer replied. “Though peace has been short-lived, it seems. Now you come, bringing with you that accursed—ugh, never mind. State your purpose swiftly and do not disturb my rest further.”
“If this were a trivial matter, we wouldn’t have come seeking you,” Jia Changjiang said firmly.
Then, he, Lumine, and Paimon recounted everything that had happened at the Rite of Parting to Cloud Retainer in detail.
“An assassination attempt on Morax?! Such audacity!” Cloud Retainer’s voice thundered with fury. “Outrageous! This must be investigated… No, this cannot wait!”
She paced in agitation, her feathers ruffling. “Perhaps it is best that I suppress Liyue Harbor myself and wait for the adepti to assemble…”
“Suppress?!”
Paimon was horrified. “Wait a minute! What do you mean by ‘suppress’? Are you planning to destroy Liyue Harbor?”
“I merely intend to use thunderous methods to prevent further unrest,” Cloud Retainer explained sharply. “For 3,700 years, we have guarded Liyue under Morax’s decree. Now, extraordinary circumstances call for extraordinary measures!”
“Hold on!”
Lumine suddenly stepped forward, her expression resolute.
She thought of the countless civilians in Liyue Harbor. “We offered tribute as per the contract. We came here to ask for your protection over Liyue, not to see it harmed.”
She looked straight into Cloud Retainer’s eyes. “Suppressing Liyue will only cause countless injuries, won’t it?”
“Contract…” Cloud Retainer’s anger simmered but did not dissipate. At the mention of the contract, however, a trace of restraint emerged in her tone. “You appeal to me with the word ‘contract.’ I cannot ignore such a plea.”
She paused, gazing at the object they carried. “And you bear the… Sigil of Permission. Forged by Morax himself in days long past, it holds but a fraction of its original adeptal power, now serving only as a relic of trust.”
As Cloud Retainer spoke, Jia Changjiang, who had been silent, finally interjected. “That sigil wasn’t something we brought of our own accord. Someone gave it to us.”
“Oh?”
Cloud Retainer’s eyes narrowed as she focused on Jia Changjiang. “What do you mean by this?”
Jia Changjiang continued calmly, “We came seeking the adepti to clear our names of suspicion in Morax’s assassination. That doesn’t mean we should play into someone else’s plans.”
Paimon and Lumine both turned to Jia Changjiang, recalling the same determined expression he’d worn back in Mondstadt’s cathedral.
He added, “We’re just a pretext. The real question is: what do the people who gave us this sigil want you to do once they’ve made their move?”
His words caused Cloud Retainer’s fury to subside slightly.
“If you were to suppress Liyue Harbor,” Jia Changjiang continued, “you’d inevitably clash with the Qixing. That would only make Liyue descend further into chaos.”
“Why do you speak such words?” Cloud Retainer asked, her sharp gaze fixed on him. “These words gain you nothing.”
“I just want to flip the chessboard,” Jia Changjiang replied, licking his dry lips. “That way, the chaos on the board won’t spill over and harm innocent lives.”
“It’s much more satisfying to drag the schemers off the board and fight them directly!”
A grin crept onto his face. “I think that way, both they and I will have a lot more fun!”
“How about this: why don’t I join you in suppressing Liyue Harbor?”
Jia Changjiang leaned forward, speaking enthusiastically to Cloud Retainer. “I’ve been curious about the Qixing’s hidden strengths and foundation anyway!”
“Don’t worry; I’m strong enough! I defeated Mondstadt’s East Wind protector, Dvalin, and even passed the trial of the North Wind Wolf King. What do you say? With me around, suppressing Liyue should be a breeze!”
Jia Changjiang’s bold claims left Cloud Retainer momentarily speechless.
Especially because she could sense he was telling the truth.
“…Very well,” Cloud Retainer finally relented. “Since you invoke the contract, I shall convene with the other adepti before making a decision.”
She glanced at Jia Changjiang and Lumine before turning away. “Leave at once.”
With a sweep of her wings, a gust of wind sent the trio tumbling out of the cavern.
Outside, Paimon clung to Lumine’s shoulder, her face pale. “I thought my heart was going to jump out of my chest! Mr. Jax, you’re way too reckless!”
“We came here to seek the adepti’s protection for Liyue. What if you angered her so much she actually decided to suppress the city?”
“Exactly!” Lumine agreed, still shaken. “I know so many people in Liyue!”
“But isn’t everything fine now?” Jia Changjiang chuckled, rubbing his face as if it ached from smiling too much.
“This is hardly ‘fine!’ The adeptus is definitely still mad!” Paimon stomped her tiny feet.
“The adepti have lived for millennia. They’re more shrewd than you think. They’ll have their plans.” Jia Changjiang’s tone turned serious as he looked at Lumine. “Which is why… we need our plans too.”
“We?” Lumine blinked in surprise.
“Yes, we,” Jia Changjiang said, holding out his hand to her. “Don’t you still want to meet the Geo Archon?”
“So…” He smiled. “You decide what we do next. And then…”
“We’ll stir up a storm that will shake the heavens and expose the hidden tides beneath the calm!”
—
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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