Ye Xi wasn't sure what was happening, but he knew one thing: the Fatui were never to be trusted.
This was likely a trick of theirs to make him lower his guard. He was no fool; it would be better to simply take these low-level thugs out right here and now.
However, just as he was about to make his move, an ethereal voice echoed in his mind.
[Hidden Mission Triggered]
[Objective: Impersonate a Fatui Harbinger (Follow the Harbinger's path until they have nowhere left to go).]
[Reward: 5-Star Midnight Coat. Grants immunity to Elemental DMG.]
Well, then...
Ye Xi was momentarily speechless.
Playing the part of a Fatui Harbinger was incredibly dangerous. There were only twelve of them, all serving directly under The Tsaritsa. If a thirteenth one suddenly appeared, how could he possibly avoid detection?
It was practically a death wish. If his cover was blown, he would have to face the absolute wrath of The Tsaritsa. At his current level, he couldn't even beat a regular Harbinger, let alone their god.
It was a massive risk.
But as he looked at the description of that 5-star Midnight Coat, his heart skipped a beat. It was a 5-star prize, a rarity even in the gacha pool! If he agreed, he would get it immediately. If he tried to pull for a piece of 5-star equipment like that normally, there was no telling how many wishes it would take. After all, the pool was overflowing with 5-star trash.
While Ye Xi hesitated, the Fatui Debt Collector spoke up again. "Lord Harbinger! The Northland Bank is under immense pressure right now, but [Childe] doesn't care about any of that. He does nothing but withdraw money every single day!"
"If this continues, our bank will go bankrupt!"
"Lord [La Signora] has gone to Mondstadt, so only you can help us now!"
Hearing this, Ye Xi's eyes lit up.
If I gain their trust, wouldn't I be able to get intel on the Fatui? And then there's [La Signora]...
Playing the role of a Harbinger started to seem like a pretty good deal.
Ye Xi decided to lean into it. Putting on an air of feigned helplessness, he asked, "Fine. How did you recognize me?"
He wasn't afraid of a few grunts. If he ran into another Harbinger later, he'd deal with it then. Worst case scenario, he'd just bolt. He could run back to Inazuma; with Ei there, who would dare touch him? Unless The Tsaritsa herself showed up, he was safe!
As soon as he finished speaking, the voice returned.
[Impersonate a Fatui Harbinger: Complete.]
[Reward Obtained: 5-Star Midnight Coat (Immunity to Elemental DMG).]
Ye Xi hadn't expected the reward to arrive so quickly. Conveniently, the coat had been placed directly into his Inventory.
At the sound of Ye Xi's question, the Fatui members scrambled to explain everything.
"My Lord, you must be joking!"
"You surely realized we were following you, which is why you intentionally revealed two different types of Elemental Power, right?"
"It happened like this... we followed you from..."
"...And then we saw you display two different elements!"
"My Lord, in this world, the only people who can possess two elemental powers are those born with a Vision who also wield a Delusionpeople like you and the other eleven Harbingers!"
As Ye Xi listened, he felt a lingering sense of dread. He hadn't realized the Fatui were monitoring the Liyue Qixing so openly in broad daylight. They had likely been watching him from the moment he stepped onto the Jade Chamber.
No wonder Ningguang wanted him as a personal bodyguard; the Millelith were clearly failing at their jobs. It was a lucky break that things had turned out this way, otherwise, who knows what might have gone wrong?
Still, this worked in his favor. The Fatui believed that anyone using two elements had to be a Harbinger. He just needed to craft a fake Delusion. If Barbatos could use a glass ball to fake a Vision, he could certainly use one to fake a Delusion.
So, what should he say now?
He cleared his throat and gave a disappointed sigh. "What a bunch of meddlesome fools."
He had originally planned to come up with an excuse for why a Harbinger was hanging around here, but then he realizedhe was a Harbinger! Why would he need to explain anything to them? Were they even worthy of an explanation?
Sure enough, at the sound of Ye Xi's sigh, the Fatui grunts pressed their heads lower against the ground, not daring to look up. Their conviction that Ye Xi was a Harbinger only grew stronger. After all, the Harbingers were known for being incredibly arrogant.
Ye Xi accessed his Inventory and took out the Midnight Coat, which instantly equipped itself onto him. Though it was a 5-star item, it was actually quite low-keyessentially just a long black overcoat. However, it was a massive upgrade over his previous outfit. Before, he looked like a generic NPC; now, he actually looked like a proper character.
"You may lift your heads."
"Yes, My Lord!"
The Fatui looked up and were stunned to see that Ye Xi had suddenly changed clothes. From an unremarkable youth, he had transformed into someone who truly looked the part of a Harbinger. More importantly, he hadn't been carrying that coat a second ago!
He had summoned it out of thin air. Only a Lord Harbinger could possess such power, they thought, their trust in him deepening further.
"I have heard your request," Ye Xi said coolly. "I will mention the matter of the Northland Bank to Ningguang."
The group was ecstatic. "Thank you, Lord Harbinger!"
"My Lord, might we ask for your codename? We have heard that the Harbingers are masters of disguise, and our humble eyes failed to recognize you!"
Ye Xi was slightly taken aback, but he immediately responded with a cold snort. "You think yourselves worthy of knowing? Begone!"
"If anything urgent arises, leave a mark at the Qixing Estate. I will find you."
The Fatui grunts were silenced by fear and quickly retreated with their heads bowed. Ye Xi didn't let out a sigh of relief until they had completely vanished from sight.
What a strange turn of events. He now had informants within the Fatui; progress was moving faster than expected. In the future, he could ask them about the whereabouts of Childe and La Signora to keep track of their plans. Know the enemy and know yourself, and you will never be defeated.
By the time he finished his musings and looked up, the sky was already ablaze with sunset clouds. He made his way through the cave and followed the path back toward Liyue Harbor.
As he passed the two giant stone statues and reached the wooden bridge, he saw a blue-haired girl standing at the end of it, looking his way. She wore a white, short qipao adorned with gold patterns. Beneath it was a form-fitting, black backless bodysuit. Black silk tights hugged her slender legs, making her look elegant and graceful.
What caught his attention most, however, were the two black-and-red horns atop her head. She stood quietly in the sunset like a delicate porcelain doll. She looked serene and well-behaved, the kind of person one couldn't help but want to tease.
[Ganyu? What is she doing here?]
Ye Xi was surprised. At that moment, Ganyu, who had heard Ye Xi's inner voice, was also slightly startled. Although Ningguang had warned her about this phenomenon, hearing it for herself was still a marvelous experience. It was like some form of Adeptal Arts.
Could it be that Ningguang's guess was right? Was the young man before her actually an Adeptus?
"I've finally found you, Ye Xi."
"I am Ganyu, secretary of the Yuehai Pavilion. I have come to meet you."
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