"Cough cough..."
Tartaglia, pale as a sheet, coughed repeatedly, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
He said weakly, "If the Geo Archon is assassinated, the Fatui will undoubtedly be the first suspects..."
"Heh, you must know the Fatui's reputation isn't great... The Qixing will target us for sure, so I temporarily dragged you into it to shift their attention to the Abyss Order. Once the Fatui lay low for a while, we won't face too much exclusion. When the truth comes out, our suspicions will naturally be cleared."
"Are you satisfied with this explanation?"
Released by Gu Chen, Tartaglia slumped to the ground, clutching his waist wound and gasping for breath. This was the closest he'd ever come to death!
"How did you know the Geo Archon would fall at the Rite of Descension, and conveniently have this outfit ready?"
Gu Chen's eyes narrowed, the tip of his silver-white spear pressing against Tartaglia's neck, drawing a thin line of blood that put Tartaglia on high alert.
He answered immediately, "That's internal Fatui intel. The Geo Archon is the most ancient god; the Fatui don't have the power to assassinate him. We just heard rumors that he might fall at the Rite of Descension, so we made some preparations. Who would've thought... it actually happened!"
Even Tartaglia found it unbelievable.
Seeing no deception in his expression, Gu Chen withdrew his spear, his face cold. "You'd better turn yourself in now and clear our names. Being framed for no reason—I'm only sparing you because the situation isn't right."
"Haha, then thanks for showing mercy."
Tartaglia forced a smile, then continued, "Sorry about this, but even if I surrender now, they'll lock me up for ages while investigating the truth, and by the way, target all the Fatui operations in Liyue."
"So, I still can't shake this frame-up?"
Gu Chen frowned.
"What do we do then?" Paimon scratched her head in frustration.
"There's one way!"
Tartaglia staunched his wounds as he spoke. "I have a Talisman Free of Taboos here. You can use it to seek help from the adepti and clear your names!"
With that, Tartaglia produced a talisman, faint divinity emanating from it.
Gu Chen glanced at it, confirmed no threat, and took it. He then turned to Lumine. "What do you think, Lumine?"
Lumine felt a warmth in her heart at Gu Chen asking her opinion. After a moment's thought, she said, "Our goal here is to travel and find clues about your brother. Since the Geo Archon lead is dead, let's just travel."
Gu Chen nodded slightly, his gaze shifting back to Tartaglia. "Where are the adepti?"
"Jueyun Karst!" Tartaglia replied, pulling a map from his pocket and handing it to Gu Chen.
"Got it. As for you, pray you don't die out here in the wilds."
With the map in hand and those parting words, Gu Chen led Lumine and Paimon toward Jueyun Karst.
[Signora]: Still alive?
[Tartaglia]: Signora! Why do I feel like you're disappointed I survived?!
[Signora]: Heh, Scaramouche was right. Having someone like you as a Harbinger really drags down the overall standard... Weak strength, stupid schemes, and jumping straight to fighting anyone you meet!
[Scaramouche]: Heh, a simple-minded brute with barely any brains or brawn.
[Yae Miko]: Oh my, if it isn't the country crasher? (Yae Miko · sly grin)
[Raiden Ei]: ...
[Lumine]: So, we're off to seek the adepti? I feel like Tartaglia's scheme was just to send us after them!
[Paimon]: Stay vigilant against Tartaglia—starting with me!
[Tartaglia]: Spot on, that's exactly what I was thinking. But who the hell told the Fatui the Geo Archon would fall at the Rite of Descension?! (Paimon · shocked)
[Signora]: Haven't heard a thing about it.
[Kaeya]: Looks like Gu Chen's presence in the previous life caused quite a few changes. Though it could just be the Fatui haven't gotten the message yet.
[Arataki Itto]: I'm curious—what was that last thing Tartaglia used? That battle armor was so cool! (Venti · starry-eyed)
[Diluc]: Delusion: Demon King Armament.
[Tartaglia]: Mr. Diluc, you know your stuff! That's right, Delusion: Demon King Armament! Felt super cool too! (Tartaglia · smug)
[Kaeya]: Too bad it got smashed~ (silly)
[Tartaglia]: But not in the real world!
[Gu Chen]: @[Tartaglia] Wanna spar again? (silly)
[Tartaglia]: Without that spear, I'd definitely give it a shot! (excited)
[Gu Chen]: Empty-handed? Come try.
[Hu Tao]: @[Tartaglia] Need services from Wangsheng Funeral Parlor? We'll serve you whole-heartedly~ (Hu Tao · cute)
[Tartaglia]: No thanks! (Aether · alert)
[Gu Chen]: (shrug)
[Cloud Retainer]: Why is the Talisman Free of Taboos in Fatui hands? (puzzled)
[Demon Conqueror Great Sage]: Unknown.
[Moon Carver]: Already coming to me? (Paimon · shocked)
In the video.
Gu Chen and the others weren't in any rush to find the adepti.
They spent plenty of time sightseeing along the way before arriving at Jueyun Karst and locating Moon Carver.
"You truly have no ties to the Abyss Order?" Moon Carver stared at the trio.
"If we did, wouldn't that be walking into a trap?" Gu Chen shook his head.
Moon Carver pondered for a moment before nodding. "I've already judged the matter in my heart. Take this Talisman Free of Taboos and deliver a message for me!"
"Understood."
Gu Chen agreed.
Soon after, they reached Wangshu Inn.
The Demon Conqueror Great Sage was elusive, a lone wanderer.
After learning this, Gu Chen gripped his spear, aura of killing intent radiating from him as he ascended to the rooftop.
He easily met the Demon Conqueror Great Sage and succinctly explained the situation.
Next, he headed to Mt. Hulao in Jueyun Karst to find Mountain Shaper.
Finally, he went to Mt. Aozang in search of Cloud Retainer.
[Paimon]: Judging by the scene at this cave entrance, food could be offered to Cloud Retainer!
[Cloud Retainer]: Haha, young one, prepare a dish to this One's satisfaction, and this One shall grant you an audience. (Ganyu smile · perfect)
"Gu Chen, time to show off your cooking skills!"
Paimon in the video rubbed her hands in anticipation.
"No need for the hassle. I'll make you something even better with the right ingredients later."
Gu Chen didn't agree, shaking his head instead. His silver-white spear materialized in his hand, and he hurled it straight at the cave entrance.
Boom!
The immense force, combined with the spear's extraordinary weight, shattered the seal at the entrance on impact.
"Who dares disturb this One?!" An enraged voice boomed from within the cave.
[Cloud Retainer]: ?
[Cloud Retainer]: Young one, you're far too violent! Do you have any respect for this One at all?!
[Gu Chen]: Sorry, True Lord. It was an emergency—had to resort to this.
Gu Chen recalled that he'd suddenly decided to speedrun the quest, skipping this part entirely?
[Cloud Retainer]: An "emergency" that involved sightseeing in Jueyun Karst for days? (Nahida · pointing)