Genshin Impact's Incense Burner Of Liyue [543]

Tartaglia was feeling rather pleased with his own brilliant decision-making—meanwhile, on Gu Sanqiu’s end, he was actively searching for the Harbinger’s whereabouts.

But he couldn’t find him.

“What do you mean you can’t find him?!”

Gu Sanqiu stared at his dear friend, eyes wide with disbelief. “Didn’t I tell you to keep a close watch on the Fatui before I left? You’re saying there isn’t even a single clue?”

Xingqiu sighed helplessly. “Not a single trace. Ever since he got his hands on the Sigil Of Permission from that domain, he completely vanished. We spread people out everywhere—even had Kazuha and Raimei personally track leads—but we came up with nothing.”

“The only useful clue led to a dead end. Tartaglia withdrew a sizable sum from his Ten Gold Association account. Since the amount was rather large, I kept an eye on it.”

“And?”

Xingqiu shrugged. “Nothing. As per your agreement, that money was part of his rightful share of the profits. All I could do was log the transaction.”

“He dumped it into the Northland Bank, shuffled it around a few times, and that was that. No way for us to trace it further. It was a standard financial transaction within a legitimate bank. As a private organization, we don’t have the authority to pry.”

“…Since when do we care about authority?”

Gu Sanqiu shot him a disappointed look. “We’re not some random private organization—we’re a gray organization, a gang. You do realize that, right? Can’t you just quietly nab a few of their personnel and interrogate them?”

Xingqiu side-eyed him. “And when this blows up, who’s getting their legs broken—me or you? Pick one.”

“Well, obviously you’re getting your legs broken.”

Gu Sanqiu leaned back in his chair. “Because my dear sister can’t break mine.”

“Get lost, you lunatic.”

Xingqiu scoffed. “Besides, that kind of move is tricky. The Fatui are a diplomatic entity—security around their personnel is insanely strict. Taking action against them isn’t easy.”

“Then what about legal channels? Just go to Keqing. If we can’t play dirty, can’t we at least play it clean?”

Gu Sanqiu frowned. “Find some excuse—say Northland Bank violated financial regulations. That should be enough to investigate where that money went.”

“I know Tartaglia. He wouldn’t randomly withdraw such a huge sum. If we can trace even a single mora from that transaction, we can unravel the whole thing.”

Xingqiu said nothing, simply staring at Gu Sanqiu. The two of them locked eyes for about half a minute in a silent battle of wills.

“You really think that’s possible?”

“…You really think it isn’t?”

“…Fine, I don’t either.”

With that, the two reached an understanding. Asking Keqing to pull something like this? They’d be lucky if they weren’t “voluntarily invited” to Liyue’s Economic Monitoring Bureau for a friendly chat with the authorities.

Gu Sanqiu thought for a moment, then his eyes lit up.

“What if we donate a portion of the Ten Gold Association’s income to Keqing? Say it’s for Liyue Qixing’s poverty relief fund or aid for widows and orphans?”

Xingqiu rubbed his temples. “Are you trying to get us thrown into jail?”

“…Damn, you’re right. Keqing wouldn’t buy into that.”

Gu Sanqiu clicked his tongue in disappointment. That cat-eared old friend of his was reasonable in many ways, but when it came to work, she was completely inflexible.

Maybe that’s how a hidden Geo Archon fangirl expresses herself?

Bribing her?

Yeah, no. That would definitely land them behind bars.

“What a hassle… Anyway, congrats on becoming sect leader. Word of the ‘Three Rings of the Golden Bell’ has already spread everywhere.”

Xingqiu smirked. “I bet you’ll have to crash at Jade Chamber again. Your front door’s probably buried under a mountain of invitations and gifts by now.”

“It’s nothing. Compared to the Sigil Of Permission, this is just a minor issue.”

Gu Sanqiu waved dismissively. “I’m leaving the Fatui situation in your hands for now. The Ten Gold Association is a key asset for us, and I trust you to handle it.”

“Just remember—don’t bother with minor squabbles in government circles. Focus on our own affairs. Our only priority is tracking down Tartaglia.”

Normally, this was the kind of task he’d hand over to Lord Azhdaha—tracking people was something the old dragon was quite good at.

But Gu Sanqiu could already picture Azhdaha’s reaction.

"You’re really asking me to deal with something this trivial?"

"Get lost!"

And then he’d get smacked straight back into Liyue Harbor, probably landing headfirst in some decorative pond in front of an audience.

For the sake of his dignity, he decided against it.

...

Leaving the Ten Gold Association, Gu Sanqiu strolled down the streets of Liyue, chewing on a bamboo skewer, mentally reviewing if there was anything he had overlooked.

The cultivation sects had been successfully unified—just strip off their robes, slap on some armor, and they were ready for war.

The reconstruction of the Guizhong Ballista was nearly complete. Maybe because he had absorbed all the karmic retribution himself, the researchers in the secret vault hadn’t suffered any setbacks. In fact, their inspiration had surged, pushing progress ahead significantly.

Everything was in place—except for the final catalyst.

Now, it was just a matter of waiting for the eastern wind.

Wonder if that wind will blow in from Mondstadt… and whether it’ll bring a certain golden-haired traveler and their floating snack with it.

“Tch, damn it, Childe, why are you so hard to find?”

Gu Sanqiu rubbed his chin, dangerous ideas already brewing in his mind.

If he played it right, robbing Northland Bank wouldn’t be too hard to pull off.

Even if Tartaglia figured out it was him, without solid proof, what could he do?

Would he really go crying to the Qixing, insisting “I swear, it was Gu Sanqiu! He did it!”

This kind of baseless accusation? You’re taking the fall, Childe. Even the Geo Archon himself won’t be able to save you. I guarantee it.

…But that kind of move might spook him too much.

If Tartaglia became too cautious and decided to stay holed up indefinitely—or worse, turned to the Qixing for help—then what?

Tartaglia was impulsive when it came to fighting, sure, but he was no fool when it came to his real job. He wouldn’t take the bait so easily.

“Tch. Annoying.”

Gu Sanqiu clicked his tongue. Liyue was huge, and finding someone who wanted to stay hidden was proving nearly impossible.

Still, the Sigil Of Permission wasn’t something that could be cracked so easily. It was deeply rooted in Liyue’s history and culture. No outsider could decode it overnight.

“The real question is… when is Goldilocks getting here?”

After all the nonsense he had dealt with, he wasn’t about to leave Liyue again anytime soon.

The last thing he wanted was to take a trip, only to return and find another disaster waiting for him.

Wandering into Northland Bank, Gu Sanqiu made himself at home in a VIP room, sipping on the high-grade tea served by Fatui attendants.

“So, your Harbinger hasn’t been around lately?”

“Um… Lord Childe did leave a message for you, Sir Sanqiu.”

The Fatui agent straightened up, his tone suddenly as solemn as a palace eunuch delivering an imperial decree.

“‘Don’t even think about it. I’m not meeting you. Sit here for an eternity if you want—I still won’t show up. If you want to destroy Northland Bank, go ahead, but just know that the blame is all on you.’”

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This is a fan translation of 原神之璃月奉香人 by 淡白蛋清. 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!