“But you’ve been going on and on about how amazing astrology is,” Paimon argued with a puffed-up chest. “If Paimon could learn astrology, we’d be able to earn tons of Mora together!”
“Just that statement alone proves you’ll never learn astrology,” Mona replied with a resigned sigh.
“If you’re tired, let’s take a break,” Jia Changjiang suggested. “We’re already within Mondstadt’s borders, and there’s not much distance left.
“There are a few rest spots nearby, too. If it gets too exhausting, we could hire a carriage to Mondstadt.”
“Hire a carriage? No, thanks.” Mona shook her head. “We’ve come this far; there’s no need to waste Mora now.”
“Fair enough,” Lumine said with a nod. “Honestly, I feel like I could run all the way to Mondstadt at this point.”
As the group took a short break, a few men dressed as merchants approached them, exuding an air of friendliness.
“Greetings, travelers! Taking a rest on your way to Mondstadt?” the leader of the group asked warmly. “We’re merchants ourselves, just finished some business in Liyue and heading back to Mondstadt. You all seem a bit tired—our carriage will arrive shortly. Would you like to ride with us?”
“Huh? Will it cost anything?” Lumine asked, tilting her head.
“No, no, not at all!” the man said with a smile. “We’re heading in the same direction, after all.”
“No need. Move along.” Mona’s tone turned cold as she eyed the “merchants” suspiciously.
“Oh? Is there some sort of issue, miss?” the leader asked, his tone feigning concern.
Mona was about to expose their true nature—bandits disguised as merchants, preying on travelers who looked like easy targets. Once their victims boarded, they’d be taken to remote locations and robbed clean.
But “easy targets”…
Mona glanced at Jia Changjiang and Lumine.
Lumine had stowed her weapon, now dressed in a pristine white dress that made her look harmless and innocent. Jia Changjiang, wearing loose-fitting clothes, looked every bit the gentle, smiling traveler, with the diminutive Paimon perched on his shoulders like a child.
They looked like prime targets.
“Not at all,” Jia Changjiang stepped forward, speaking amicably. “We are a bit tired, and if it’s not too much trouble, we’d appreciate a ride.”
“Of course, no trouble at all!” the leader of the merchants beamed.
To him, this group—completely unarmed and dressed in expensive-looking clothes—looked like lambs for the slaughter.
“Jia Changjiang, don’t tell me you believe them—” Mona began, but he interrupted her.
“I know. Generous merchants like this are a rare breed these days.” Jia Changjiang shot her a knowing glance before turning to Lumine.
“Right, Lumine?”
“Totally!” Lumine replied, grabbing Mona’s hand. “Don’t worry, Mona. These people are definitely going to take good care of us.”
Confused, Mona hesitated. But after quickly divining the fate of the “merchants,” her expression softened into one of pity.
“Well then, we’re grateful for your help,” Jia Changjiang said cheerfully. “We’re heading to Mondstadt to meet someone, and it’s been a tiring journey.”
The “merchants” maintained their charade, chatting amiably with Jia Changjiang while inwardly calculating how much profit this haul would bring.
—
Before long, a wagon disguised as a merchant’s cart arrived, and the group boarded.
As the wagon trundled along, Jia Changjiang kept the driver occupied with casual conversation. Meanwhile, the cart began veering off the main road, heading deeper into the wilderness.
The bandits silently readied themselves, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
But as the leader reached under the cart’s seat to retrieve a concealed weapon, the tip of a spear suddenly pierced through the wooden floor, stopping mere inches from his hand.
“Sir, what are you doing?” Jia Changjiang asked with a pleasant smile, the black-tasseled spear still vibrating in the wood.
Before the leader could stammer out a response, the sound of scuffling erupted from inside the cart.
When the wagon’s covering was thrown back, Lumine was standing triumphantly, holding one of the bandits by the collar as she delivered a flurry of punches.
“Take that!” Lumine shouted, with Paimon cheering her on from the sidelines. Mona, meanwhile, watched the scene unfold with a resigned expression.
“Y-you’re Millelith?!” the leader stammered, his face pale as he stared at Jia Changjiang’s spear.
“This is Mondstadt territory! The Millelith have no jurisdiction here!”
Jia Changjiang’s smile widened. “What a coincidence. My companion and I happen to have ties to the Knights of Favonius.”
“In fact,” he continued, his voice laced with mock cheer, “we’re honorary members of the Knights. And I’m happy to inform you that you’re under arrest.”
“Lumine, tie them up. We’ll hand them over to Captain Jean later for a nice bounty!” Jia Changjiang called back.
“On it!” Lumine replied, tying up the subdued bandits. “Mona, give me a hand. Yep, just like that—tighten it here!”
A short while later, the wagon was back on course, now bound for Mondstadt with its cargo of bound and gagged bandits. Jia Changjiang sat comfortably at the front, reins in hand, humming a tune as he drove.
“You could’ve exposed them right away,” Mona said, her voice tinged with exasperation. “Why go through all this trouble?”
“Now we’ve got a carriage, and we’re earning Mora too,” Jia Changjiang replied with a grin. “The Knights pay 10,000 Mora per bandit.
“And isn’t the ride much more relaxing now?”
“…I’ll admit, traveling by wagon is a lot easier,” Mona murmured reluctantly.
Still, she had hoped to demonstrate her skills as an astrologist by exposing the bandits herself. But it was clear—when it came to pure combat, she couldn’t compare to these two.
As the wagon rolled through Mondstadt’s scenic countryside, Mona found herself gazing at the horizon, anticipation bubbling in her chest.
Soon, she would fulfill her master’s fifty-year-old promise.
What kind of profound knowledge awaits me?
The thought filled her with excitement. This is going to be incredible…
—
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!
Reader discussion
0 Comments
Be the first reader to share a thought about this chapter.