The night was silent, but inside the Northland Bank, the lights were still brightly lit.
"Tea, lodging, entertainment... How could this add up to so much?"
Looking at the bill, Tartaglia fell into a state of self-doubt.
He went over the sources of the bill again.
Mondstadt, Stone Gate, Wangshu Inn...
Hiss, it all seemed to match up, especially the expenses at Stone Gate, which looked like they were footing the bill for an army of a million.
Did you treat the entire Millelith to a feast?
The amount wasn't something Tartaglia couldn't cover, but why had Bai Luo used his name to indulge in such extravagance?
As a fellow Harbinger, Bai Luo should have had the authority to access these funds himself.
Rubbing his temples, Tartaglia suddenly felt he had one more reason to fight, and it made him even more eager for tomorrow.
According to the Ninth Company's message, they would arrive by tomorrow afternoon at the latest. By then, Bai Luo wouldn't be able to run away.
As for the bill, there was no need for explanations. Everything would be settled with fists.
Besides... for now, Liyue was his territory. On his own turf, how could he let Bai Luo escape again?
If he really did run away...
Tartaglia's eyes swept the room and finally landed on the Rust hanging on the wall.
Tartaglia was proficient in all weapons, and he could easily handle any of them. However, the bow was his least skilled weapon.
So, he had his subordinates find this Rust for him, and he would occasionally practice with it in his room.
"If Bai Luo manages to run away again this time, I'll only use a bow until we settle our score!"
The glaciers are cold, the snowfields are harsh, and the lying tongue will freeze and rot!
Tartaglia always kept his word.
But poor Tartaglia didn't know that when Bai Luo decided not to act human, he truly wasn't human.
So, for the rest of his life, Tartaglia would never be able to put down the bow...
The next day.
The weather always seems to turn sour when people are in high spirits.
From the early hours of the morning, a light drizzle began to fall.
In the misty rain, Liyue Harbor looked like a celestial palace hidden within the clouds, breathtakingly beautiful and unparalleled.
The docks were unaffected by the rain and fog, still bustling with activity. From above, the various oil-paper umbrellas looked like enchanting flowers, made even more beautiful by the rain.
Tartaglia and a group of Fatui had been standing at the entrance to Liyue since early morning, waiting for someone.
Their black oil-paper umbrellas made them look intimidating, and the nearby Millelith could do nothing but try to maintain order and shoo away curious onlookers.
After what felt like an eternity, a group of people appeared at the end of the road.
In the rain, their expressions were solemn, and the leading Electro Cicin Mage occasionally sniffled, clearly emotional.
Tartaglia: "???"
What's going on? Were they attacked? But I don't see anyone missing.
As the Anemo Slime carrying Bai Luo floated into view, Tartaglia finally understood what was happening.
Bai Luo lay in soft bedding, his face extremely pale, his lips devoid of color, and his entire body weak to the point of exhaustion.
"What... happened?"
Tartaglia turned to Katarina and asked in a low voice.
"On the way, the Instructor met an acquaintance. It seems they had a spar, and when he returned, he was like this."
Katarina was filled with regret. If only they had followed him, maybe they could have saved the Instructor.
Tartaglia's expression grew even more complicated.
You have another duck outside!
T/N: The phrase "你在外面有别的鸭子了!" (You have another duck outside!) is a humorous or playful way of accusing someone of having "someone else" outside the relationship. The phrase can be understood as: "You're seeing someone else!" "You've got another 'duck' outside!" "You're cheating on me with another duck!"
Hearing that Bai Luo had willingly sparred with someone else while avoiding him, Tartaglia felt a wave of bitterness that was almost palpable.
But considering Bai Luo's usual cautious nature, he couldn't help but wonder if Bai Luo was faking this near-death state to avoid fighting him.
"How bad are the injuries? Let me take a look."
Tartaglia climbed onto the Slime carriage, causing the already exhausted Anemo Slime to flap its tiny wings even faster.
With Katarina's help, Tartaglia removed Bai Luo's coat, revealing the wound on his abdomen.
"Who... did this?"
Looking at Bai Luo's injury, Tartaglia felt a chill run down his spine.
Judging by the size of the wound, it was likely caused by a katana. The attacker had been ruthless, each strike going deep, almost to the hilt.
The third strike was even more brutal. After stabbing in, the attacker had twisted the blade, trying to shred Bai Luo's internal organs.
Now Tartaglia understood why Bai Luo was so weak. In this condition... it was a miracle he was still alive.
Fight? Fight what?
Tartaglia suspected that even a loud quack from him might be enough to finish Bai Luo off.
"According to the Instructor, the person's name is Zhongli."
Katarina answered honestly.
In truth, she didn't know who Zhongli was, but based on Bai Luo's description, the person must have been incredibly strong. If Bai Luo hadn't sacrificed himself, the entire Ninth Company might not have made it back.
"Zhongli?"
Hearing the name, Tartaglia's face showed a thoughtful expression.
The name wasn't unfamiliar to him. In Liyue Harbor, this person was quite famous. Aside from occasionally spouting nonsense when talking about the Geo Archon, he was known for his vast knowledge.
He was said to be a consultant at the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, a highly professional individual who could speak in detail about anything related to funeral rites.
Even the ancient Rite of Parting, which few in Liyue remembered, was something he could describe in meticulous detail.
This was one of the reasons he was highly regarded at the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
Tartaglia had also tried to approach him covertly, but the man exuded an air of weariness that didn't match his age, behaving like an elderly man on the brink of death. His daily routine consisted of bird-watching, opera, and listening to storytellers at the Third-Round Knockout.
Most of the time, he was in a state of disappearance. Despite the Fatui's extensive network of informants in Liyue, they couldn't track him down.
If his intelligence was correct, the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor consultant named Zhongli had indeed been frequenting the Stone Gate area recently and could very well have crossed paths with Bai Luo.
It was hard for Tartaglia to imagine that such a person could have beaten Bai Luo to this state and been so merciless. Truly, appearances can be deceiving.
It seemed he would need to get closer to this man in the future.
"Let's take him to Bubu Pharmacy first."
After covering Bai Luo with the bedding again, Tartaglia said in a low voice.
He knew very well that with the current resources the Fatui had in Liyue, they couldn't fully heal Bai Luo and might even delay his treatment.
So, sending him to Bubu Pharmacy was the best option.
"Lord Tartaglia, are you still planning to go to The Chasm?"
The person holding the umbrella for Tartaglia asked softly.
"No, I think I'll visit the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor first."
Looking at Liyue in the misty rain, Tartaglia put on his mask. Whether Zhongli was responsible for Bai Luo's injuries or not, he needed to investigate.
Little did he know... this was a path of no return.