"Keqing, have you lost your mind? And… what are these people?" Ningguang tensed as black-clad ninjas appeared around her, because they were already walking straight toward her.
She opened her mouth to say something, only to have both arms forced behind her back and tied up before she could react.
Ningguang froze.
What was happening?
Why could Keqing summon ninjas?
She had no chance to fight back at all. If they really carried her into Zhongli's room, then wouldn't she be finished?
Ningguang trusted Zhongli's character, but if she was thrown onto someone else's bed, the consequences were something she did not even dare imagine.
For the first time, Ningguang panicked.
She struggled hard and tried to use her Vision, but quickly realized her elemental power had been blocked by a mass of black energy.
The scenery around her kept shifting. Then she suddenly heard a girl's voice.
"Huh? Aren't those… ninjas?"
"Something's wrong. They look like they've captured someone."
"Boss, let's follow them!"
"Got it!"
The voices faded after a moment. Then came a loud bang.
A second later, Ningguang heard the sound of a door being smashed open.
Footsteps and voices came from outside.
"Consultant, what just happened? Who were those people? How did they barge in?"
"Why did they go into your room?"
"Director, I have no idea either."
The voices cut off. Soon after, more noise rose outside.
Ningguang heard the girl from earlier say, "This is the place! They kidnapped someone!"
"Shinobu, get behind me!"
Bang!
A string of crashes rang out. The next moment, three female voices shouted at once.
"Have you two lost your minds?"
"Why are you running into our Wangsheng Funeral Parlor instead of going home this late at night?"
"You still have the nerve to talk? You kidnapped someone! Today I'm bringing justice down on you!"
"Wait, this is Zhongli-sensei. Um… what exactly happened just now?" Shinobu asked.
Zhongli said, "We will know once we go inside."
When everyone entered, they saw Ningguang tied tightly to a pillar.
"Consultant, what… what is this? Why did you tie Ningguang up and bring her here?" Hu Tao was stunned.
"I… I do not know either. It was clearly those people just now who captured Ningguang," Zhongli said.
He untied her and said, "Ningguang, are you hurt?"
"Let's talk outside first," Shinobu said.
Ningguang went outside and took a drink of water. When she looked up, Hu Tao and Zhongli were standing beside her.
The Millelith soon arrived one after another. Ningguang knew they must have seen her being taken away and rushed over because of it.
"I'm fine. Wait outside for now," Ningguang said.
"Yes, Ningguang-sama!" several of them answered at once.
After drinking some tea, Ningguang heard Hu Tao ask, "Ningguang-sama, what happened just now?"
Just thinking about it made Ningguang furious. "It was Keqing. Those people tied me up and brought me here!"
"Keqing? Those ninjas just now…?" Shinobu asked.
"You know what those ninjas are?" Ningguang asked.
Shinobu said, "I studied ninjutsu in Inazuma. That is exactly how ninjas dress."
"But when I saw them just now, I did not see anyone actually come out."
"They probably appeared in the form of shadows."
"Shadow ninjas?" Ningguang murmured. "Yes, that is exactly it. They stepped out of the darkness out of nowhere."
"And all of them obeyed Keqing's orders."
"Hiss… Keqing is that powerful?" Hu Tao sucked in a breath.
Itto quietly asked, "Shinobu, are those shadow ninjas really that strong?"
His voice drew everyone's attention. Shinobu was just about to explain when she looked up and saw Hu Tao, Zhongli, and Ningguang all staring at her.
She said, "They are very strong. To become a shadow warrior, one has to pay a tremendous price."
"They are like shadows. They appear when you need them and vanish when you do not."
"In my experience, people like that are extremely rare. Even in Inazuma, there are fewer than ten."
"Hiss, that strong?!" Itto froze on the spot.
Hu Tao scratched the rim of her Hat. "They really were impressive. They came and went without leaving a trace."
"I saw them enter, and then they vanished. They really were like shadows."
"That is why I was worried something had happened to Ningguang-sama. Shadow ninjas like that are too dangerous."
"By rights, Liyue Harbor should not have any shadow warriors. Even if it did, they should not be taking orders from someone else. But now…"
Itto scratched his head. "Then what was going on with those shadow ninjas just now? How did so many suddenly appear?"
"I do not know. Shadow ninjas are too rare, and they normally would not obey another person's orders."
"But Ningguang-sama said they obey Keqing. That part… I truly do not understand," Shinobu said, shaking her head.
"Consultant, what do you think?" Hu Tao asked, poking Zhongli.
Zhongli glanced at her. "I do not know much about this either, but I feel it is related to Ryou."
"Keqing was worried that we would make a move on Ryou, so she guarded him extremely tightly."
"She forced Zhongli out because she wanted to protect her husband!"
"I prepared so much strong wine today, and in the end I got nothing. Keqing really makes me furious."
As soon as Ningguang finished speaking, she realized something was wrong. Shinobu, Zhongli, and Hu Tao were all looking at her strangely, as if they had guessed something.
Then Ningguang heard Itto say, "Wait, if that's what happened, doesn't that mean—mmph! Shinobu, what are you doing?"
"Boss, shut up!" Shinobu snapped.
"Oh." Itto nodded.
Hu Tao looked at him and asked, "You two are so strange. Which one of you is actually the boss? Why does a boss listen to her?"
"I… I'm the boss of the Arataki Gang either way. This is the Arataki Gang's deputy, Kuki Shinobu," Itto said.
Shinobu saw Ningguang leave Wangsheng Funeral Parlor and said nothing more. But when she tried to leave as well, Hu Tao grabbed her arm.
"You kicked down my door and think you can just walk away? Pay up!"
"Uh, well…" Itto rubbed his head.
"We'll pay. Two hundred Mora," Shinobu said.
"Shinobu, Itto!" a voice called from outside.
Shinobu recognized Yanfei's voice and knew she had arrived.
"Mm? What exactly happened here?" Yanfei glanced at Hu Tao, then asked, "And what happened to Shinobu and the others?"
"They broke my door, so they have to pay!" Hu Tao was more insistent than usual.
Shinobu quickly explained the situation to Yanfei.
"Oh, so Keqing kidnapped Ningguang, and Ningguang was brought to Wangsheng Funeral Parlor?"
Yanfei rubbed her chin in thought for a moment, then said, "Director Hu, I will have someone deliver the Mora tomorrow."
"Shinobu, Itto, let's go back."
"Oh, right." Itto nodded.
They soon left.
Hu Tao looked outside and said, "Consultant, what even was all that?"
"A whole crowd came running into my home in the middle of the night. I don't mind the noise, but what if they disturbed the guests inside?"
Zhongli felt goosebumps rise all over his body. He glanced at Hu Tao but said nothing.
"Consultant, Yanfei and Ryou do not get along. From her tone just now, it sounds like she wants to go after him."
"Do you think I should warn Ryou?" Hu Tao asked.
"No need to worry. Ryou is already drunk tonight. What could this have to do with him?" Zhongli said, sipping his tea as he shook his head.
"That's true." Hu Tao nodded.
…
Meanwhile, at Ryou's house.
The atmosphere in the living room had gone deathly quiet. The steam had already vanished from the tea, and all four jars of Adeptus Drunk had been emptied.
The night wind blowing in through the room felt almost eerie. Lumine, Paimon, Mona, Shenhe, and the others exchanged blank looks.
None of them had recovered yet. A moment ago, Ningguang had been confidently preparing to stir up trouble. In the next, she had been seized and carried away.
"K-Keqing, are you sure this is okay?, What if something happens after Ningguang gets sent over there?" Paimon's voice was trembling.
"Then that means they're fated. Perfect. Let them be together. That saves me the trouble of worrying," Keqing said coldly.
Paimon swallowed and did not dare speak.
Mona took out an astrolabe. "I already checked. Ningguang and Zhongli won't end up together."
"I just tried reading Zhongli's fate, and I… h-hey!"
Before Mona could react, the world before her eyes twisted into chaos.
She saw herself sealed inside stone. Then she realized she could no longer see anything, and she could not speak.
She panicked.
"What happened?" Lumine jumped in fright.
A living person had suddenly turned into that state just because she divined Zhongli?
"T-Tabibito, what do we do? Will Mona be all right like that?" Paimon hid behind Lumine, badly shaken.
"Ganyu-nee…" Keqing wanted to ask Ganyu for help, but when she looked over, she saw Ganyu standing there with her hands lowered, acting as if nothing around her had anything to do with her.
Keqing sighed.
Then joy surged through her.
Because Ganyu was finally about to get drunk.
Right now, Keqing was still perfectly sober, and her husband was drunk too.
Which meant no one could stop her tonight.
Tonight, she would make sure her husband won Ganyu over!
[End of chapter]
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