“Money, attractive people—whether men or women—and all the desires that stem from wealth. Is that what you’re getting at?”
Childe settled next to Gu Sanqiu. “These things aren’t exactly rare in Snezhnaya either. But if the Three Secrets Society is so determined to get rid of you, there must be something more to it.”
“Well, they think that if they kill me, they’ll get everything they want.”
Gu Sanqiu yawned and sat up. “Like secrets to longevity, cultivation techniques, detailed maps of precious resources scattered across Liyue… things like that.”
“Does your family really possess all that?”
“Longevity? No, we don’t. If we had a way to live forever, the Gu family wouldn’t have landed on my shoulders.”
Gu Sanqiu’s lips curled into a smile. “But the Three Secrets Society doesn’t believe that. They think our family’s luck is too poor to handle the wealth accumulated over centuries, so they’re constantly trying to stir up trouble.”
“As for the other stuff… there’s plenty of it, but it’s not meant to be made public. If those things were tampered with, the environment in many places would worsen further.”
Childe nodded. “In that case, refusing to cooperate with the Three Secrets Society was definitely the right call.”
Confidence can border on arrogance, but for a large organization, if there’s too much arrogance, it’s worth questioning whether that group is full of useless people and bloated structure.
In other words, a bunch of idiots dragging the whole organization down.
“But you’re surprisingly open with me,” Childe said, raising an eyebrow.
“You don’t care about those things. At most, you’ll just report what I said to your superiors.”
Gu Sanqiu casually summoned a small flame, flicking it between his fingers. “And even if the Snezhnayans want to come after me, it’ll clash with the Three Secrets Society’s interests. That way, I can drag those fools out and beat them down. Why not?”
“As expected, you’re a smart guy. From the way you’re talking, it sounds like you know the Three Secrets Society pretty well. Have you dealt with them before?”
“No. But others certainly have.”
Gu Sanqiu chuckled. “Their ultimate goal, no matter what means they use, is to increase their influence and financial power.”
“And the more they expand externally, the harder it becomes to hide their true strength.”
“If someone’s working tirelessly to boost your economy, why stop them?”
His eyes suddenly turned icy. “Hiding in the shadows suits them, but a bunch of rats thinking they can overturn the sky? Not a chance.”
Even if they managed to kill one Fragrant Lord, Liyue Harbor itself would be thrown into chaos. Those rats wouldn’t find any safe place to hide.
“It seems you have great confidence in others. But I don’t understand where that confidence comes from.”
“Well, it’s kind of like how you always have someone covering your logistics while you’re fighting on the front lines.”
“Alright, I sort of get it.”
Childe gave Gu Sanqiu a sideways glance. “So, are you interested in teaming up with me? We could fake your death, then take down the Three Secrets Society together.”
“You’re overthinking it. If they approached you, they must’ve sent outer members. They’re cautious enough to suspect you’d betray them.”
“…Liyueans are always so troublesome.”
“Look who’s talking. Anyone who plays the political game is like that.”
Gu Sanqiu shrugged. “If we want to draw out the Three Secrets Society, it has to be me.”
“But the cost is too high, so I haven’t attempted it before.”
“I won’t hide it. Taking down the Three Secrets Society would make things a lot easier for the Northland Bank.”
Childe tapped his chin thoughtfully. “Before they approached me, I assumed it was your official channels hindering some of our operations. But now, it seems it might’ve been those Three Secrets Society folks making moves.”
“What’s your next move?”
The two walked out of the restaurant together, with Gu Sanqiu eyeing Childe with mild exasperation after he slapped down a silver bill to cover the meal.
“Don’t say I didn’t warn you. There are plenty of strange places in Liyue. Even with my status as the Fragrant Lord, I wouldn’t wander around recklessly.”
“You’ve already been to the Domain of the Wayward Path, so I’ve got no objections there. The resident is generally forgiving, so you probably didn’t use anything too drastic.”
“But you should avoid Nantianmen. The Treasure Hoarders might be easy pickings, but there are other things that are far more dangerous.”
“Are you talking about the Ruin Drakes?”
“Oh, more like Ruin Serpent territory.”
Gu Sanqiu rolled his eyes. “But you’re not far off. Be careful not to wake a Geo Drake while you’re there. It might not kill you, but your subordinates won’t stand a chance.”
Fatuus missions were never solo endeavors for Childe. If he wiped out two squads back-to-back, there was no way Snezhnaya would be able to send a replacement team any time soon.
Actually, his biggest concern about Nantianmen wasn’t some juvenile Geo Drake or other small fry. He was worried Childe might accidentally stumble upon the big one and wake it up. That would be a disaster.
The Ancient Geo Drake—once it shook mountains alongside a certain Yaksha. If it were awakened, he’d have to call in Zhongli, bringing half his family’s treasures just to reseal it properly.
If it were just remnants of old gods or minor evil spirits, Gu Sanqiu could seal them in his sleep. But if it came to something like an Ancient Geo Drake, and he couldn’t find Zhongli, he’d have to beg for help at Jueyun Karst or Wangshu Inn.
“Yeah, those crystal-shelled creatures with self-generating shields are a real pain.”
Childe looked over at Gu Sanqiu. “Why are you being so kind, giving me all this advice?”
“Wouldn’t you prefer all the Snezhnayans to die in the wilderness?”
“What if I said I had my eye on those Electro Cicins in your crew? Would you believe me?”
“I don’t.”
“Good, neither do I.”
“Times have changed, my friend.”
Gu Sanqiu rolled his eyes again. “In the past, I wouldn’t have minded if all the Snezhnayans died off. But now that the Three Secrets Society is making moves, it means they’re losing their stability.”
“To be fair, the Northland Bank’s presence is like an apex predator invading their territory.”
“The Three Secrets Society will target your people, that’s a guarantee. And they won’t play fair.”
Gu Sanqiu chuckled, hands tucked in his pockets. “We’re allies, aren’t we? Consider it a friendly heads-up.”
“Even if there’s no official alliance, when it comes to the Three Secrets Society, we can definitely form a pact of mutual defense.”
“Maybe after we deal with them, we’ll create a new society of our own. You’ll be the Grand Chairman, and I’ll be the Vice Chairman.”
“Why am I the Grand Chairman?”
“Isn’t it obvious? The big boss deals with all the complicated stuff, while I, the eternal number two, get to take it easy.”
“…That sounds just like you. Got a name in mind? ‘Winter Moon Society’?”
“No, let’s call it ‘Ten Golds Society.’”
“Huh?”
“The full name—‘Ten Pulls, All Gold Society.’”
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