Jia Changjiang gripped his massive axe, slowly advancing toward the church’s entrance.
At the same time, Venti and Lumine had already dashed out of the church.
Today… the area in front of the church was eerily quiet. It was as if some mysterious force had driven the crowd away—there wasn’t a single soul in sight.
The moment Venti stepped out of the church, two Fatui Debt Collectors emerged from the shadows on the ground. Their blades gleamed as they lunged straight for him.
“Venti?!”
Lumine, who had been playfully chasing after Venti, gasped at the sudden attack.
A one-handed sword materialized in Lumine’s grasp, and with a sweep, wind blades slashed through the air, sending the two Debt Collectors flying.
Lumine planted herself in front of Venti, eyes locked on the two assailants as she prepared to strike again. But before she could act, the sound of high-heeled footsteps echoed from behind.
“Lumine, watch out!”
Paimon’s warning cry rang out, but it was too late—a sharp snap of fingers pierced the air. A frigid gust swept through the scene with eerie precision.
Paimon was instantly encased in a block of ice, her small form frozen solid. Fragments of ice within the wind sliced across Lumine’s skin, leaving shallow wounds that stung.
Venti, using his Anemo abilities, managed to dispel most of the icy gust. However, his legs were still frozen to the ground, immobilizing him.
Before Lumine could fully free herself from the chilling wind, the two Debt Collectors seized her arms on either side, forcing her to the ground.
“Let me go!”
Lumine struggled fiercely, but her arms were held at awkward angles, preventing her from using her strength. One of the Debt Collectors pressed down on the back of her knees, making it impossible for her to stand.
A woman approached with an air of composed elegance. Behind her floated an unusual artifact, and two Electro Cicin Mages trailed in her wake.
“So, it seems I’ve finally caught this little hamster…”
The woman—La Signora—walked gracefully toward Venti. She tilted his chin upward with a hand, forcing him to meet her gaze.
“Chewing on wooden beams, gnawing on grain sacks… You’ve been quite the pest for Mondstadt, haven’t you?”
Though Venti’s jaw was held firmly, his expression remained defiant. “You’re talking about mice, not hamsters.”
“Hah…”
La Signora’s hand lashed out in a backhanded slap, striking Venti across the face. “This isn’t the time for your insolent tongue, bard.”
The winds surrounding Venti stirred in an attempt to free his frozen legs, but the ice thawed far too slowly.
“A god who has relinquished dominion… Is this truly all the power you have left?” La Signora sneered.
“Humph…” Despite his predicament, Venti’s tone carried mocking undertones. “And the power you flaunt—does it not come borrowed from your master?”
“Enough!”
La Signora didn’t bother to argue. With a sudden motion, she thrust her hand toward Venti’s midsection, piercing his abdomen.
“Ugh…”
Venti let out a pained groan and crumpled to the ground, as if struck by a heavy blow.
“Venti?!”
Seeing Venti injured, Lumine’s panic surged. She almost managed to break free from the Debt Collectors restraining her, but an Electro Cicin Mage teleported beside her, discharging an electric shock that paralyzed her body.
When La Signora withdrew her hand, she was holding a crystalline, translucent chess piece—a vivid aquamarine Queen.
“So, this is… the Gnosis?” She held the shimmering piece up to the light, a smirk curling her lips. “It pales in comparison to my collection of grandiose chessboards…”
“Perhaps that’s because your taste… is atrocious,” Venti retorted weakly, his voice strained and laced with sarcasm.
Annoyed, La Signora raised her leg to kick him aside—but before she could strike—
“Why don’t you go back and play with your rotten chessboards, lady!”
A thunderous voice shattered the tense atmosphere.
A massive axe whirled through the air, severing the arm of one of the Debt Collectors holding Lumine. Blood splattered onto Lumine and the remaining Debt Collector, though the injured man gritted his teeth, suppressing a scream.
Seizing the opportunity, Lumine broke free from their grasp.
In the next moment, a figure streaked across the church’s steps, moving at breakneck speed. A sharp smack resounded as an open palm landed squarely on La Signora’s cheek.
Her grip loosened, and the Gnosis slipped from her hand. When she turned, seething with fury, she saw Jia Changjiang holding both the Gnosis and a dazed Venti in his arms.
“How did that slap feel?” Jia Changjiang’s gaze was sharp as he sneered at La Signora. “Don’t worry, I still owe you a punch on top of that.”
Venti’s face, faintly flushed from the earlier slap, stirred faint memories in Jia Changjiang.
This woman… wasn’t she infamous for being able to “show people their health bars”?
“Jia Changjiang…”
La Signora’s teeth clenched in rage as she glared at him.
This man—time and again—had sabotaged the Fatui’s plans.
And now, when she’d just acquired the Anemo Archon’s Gnosis, he had the audacity to snatch it from her?!
“Jia Changjiang!”
Lumine’s joy at his arrival was evident, but the tense standoff with the remaining Fatui prevented her from rushing to his side.
“Jax? Why are you here…?”
Venti, clearly startled, stared at Jia Changjiang in disbelief.
After all, he had already dispersed the crowd earlier. Why hadn’t it worked on Jia Changjiang?
“Venti,” Jia Changjiang lowered his voice as he addressed the bard in his arms, “next time you try to use something like ‘repairing the Holy Lyre der Himmel’ as an excuse to plant suggestions in people’s minds… make it less obvious.”
Venti’s eyes widened slightly at the remark, while Jia Changjiang simply smiled.
“After all, I’m just a very special, ordinary mortal—an otherworlder, like Lumine.”
Gently, he set Venti down, still clutching the Gnosis.
Meanwhile, the system’s incessant notifications bombarded Jia Changjiang’s mind.
It wasn’t hard to deduce the truth. Despite standing at Mondstadt Cathedral’s entrance, the peculiar absence of people outside hinted at the extraordinary measures at play.
Fortunately, he still had some Mermaid Tears left.
As he held the wind-laden Gnosis, the system’s barrage of alerts intensified:
[Special Item Acquired! Contains immense energy and world authority!]
[System permissions are rising!]
[Please decide how to handle the special item!]
[Claim, Destroy, or Discard!]
[Your choice will determine your path!]
The system’s nagging made Jia Changjiang scowl slightly, though it also forced him to reevaluate the chess piece in his hand.
“So much commotion… This Gnosis must be something extraordinary,” he murmured under his breath. “It seems… big changes are on the horizon.”
—
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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