36 They're nothing but lunatics!

"Boss, are you sure that this place is safe?" Asked a person wearing a towel to cover the bottom half of his face.

"Yeah, I already talked to a guy I know here. He said that we can take this spot." Another person that is also hiding his face responded.

They were treasure hoarders. Well, to be more precise, they are bandits that are part of an organization known as "Treasure Hoarders".

This organization originated in Fontaine and has expanded greatly all over Teyvat. They can be seen almost anywhere as long as there's treasure or someone to rob.

But recently...

"Ha..." Another person sitting not far away deeply sighed. "It doesn't matter. At least we still have a place to continue our operations."

"You're right." Another person that is carrying a shovel nodded. "It was a long journey from Mondstadt to Liyue... But at least the treasure hoarders here understand us."

"Yeah." All four of them simultaneously nodded.

"If it wasn't for that lunatic..." One person clicked his tongue as his face became bitter. "We wouldn't have even come here."

"You're right on that one." The person carrying a shovel slightly shivered. "Ever since that lunatic appeared, we can't even be sure if we're safe in the wilderness."

"What are you guys talking about?" Another person who was cooking something asked. "Which lunatic?"

The men that talked earlier looked at each other before their leader spoke. "You're from Liyue, so it might not have reached your ears yet... but..."

"But what?" The person stood up. Clearly, he was interested as to why the treasure hoarders from Mondstadt fled to Liyue.

"It started about a year ago." Their leader spoke with a pained expression. "This lunatic that wears a hood appeared out of nowhere and started attacking various camps all around Mondstadt."

"The worse part is that he'll make you choose between two things." The leader held up two fingers. "Either you give him all the money you have or he'll tie you up and hang you outside of Mondstadt's walls naked."

"It's just one person though?" The Liyue treasure hoarder scoffed. "Couldn't all of you at least have ganged up on that lunatic?"

All four looked at each other with complicated expressions for a brief moment before sighing.

The leader spoke as he rubbed his glabella as he sighed. "I was just getting to that part."

"Not long after that lunatic appeared... other lunatics wearing hoods started appearing." He shivered at the thought as if he himself experienced the things he was talking about. "Those madmen would strike in the dead of night and surprise various camps."

"Unlike the original lunatic, the new guys are different." The leader sat down. "They won't ask for money, but for information. But of course, the second option remains the same."

"They seem to sound like some kind of an organization..." The Liyue treasure hoarder grasped his chin.

"One of the guys that were attacked actually confirmed that." The leader spoke as he remembered something. "When his camp was attacked, he faked playing dead and listened to them and managed to hear the name of their organization."

"And it is...?" The Liyue Treasure harder looked at the leader in the eyes. He was very interested in the story.

"The Brotherhood." The leader said with a clear voice.

"The brotherhood, huh?" The Liyue Treasure Hoarder grasped his chin as he tried to remember something. After a while, he shook his head. "No... I don't think I've ever heard of it. Must be something new."

The leader nodded as he crossed his arms. "Even though it's new, their danger is still there."

"Do you know what happened to the guy that heard their name?" He said as if warning the person. "Shortly after he told the name of their organization to some people, he disappeared and was never discovered since."

"Days later, his clothes were found near a cliff but there was no body or any trace of blood anywhere." He said with a clear hint of warning.

"Sounds like a new dangerous group appeared, huh?" The Liyue Treasure Hoarder said as he contemplated the situation. "Still, how come this information never reached us before...?"

"I have the same que—" Before the leader gets to speak, a member of their group suddenly shouted.

"Leader! Someone's arriving!" Softly yelled a member as he looked from above.

The leader stood up and responded to the surveyor. "What does the person look like?"

"Hold on..." The treasure hoarder said before looking at his telescope. He then started describing the person. "It looks like a man... as for his clothes... It looks hella expensive!"

"Heh, must be a rich person coming to pay respects to the adepti." The Liyue Treasure Hoarder said.

It was quite common for merchants to pay respects to the adepti in Liyue in hopes of obtaining luck in their business. As such, a merchant coming to Jueyun Karst for blessings was very common.

What was not common, however, was seeing a merchant alone. Yet this thought never crossed the treasure hoarder's mind due to their greed.

"Alright, let's hide and ambush this poor fella." Smirked the leader as he started moving.

Soon, the other cleaned their camp and hid their items well, and silently waited for their prey.

Tap*

Tap*

After a few minutes of waiting in silence, the sound of footsteps started echoing near them.

The treasure hoarders— who were hidden in plain sight— looked at each other ha simultaneously nodded.

In less than a second—

"Hold it right there!" All of them jumped out of their hiding spot with smoke as they surrounded the unfortunate prey. "Hand over all of your goods!"

The treasure hoarders looked at the man's clothes and noticed that it was weaved using the finest silk and of the highest quality, as seen how silky and professionally made it was.

They couldn't help but emit greed in their eyes.

The unfortunate victim stood silently as he turned his head to all of them. However, because of his conspicuous blindfold, it made the treasure hoarders wonder how the person was able to accurately look at them.

"Hey you," The leader spoke. "If you give us that outfit of yours right now, we'll let you off with a few beatings."

"Wait," The Liyue Treasure Hoarder silently whispered next to him. "This guy seems rich... if we kidnap him, perhaps we can make a fortune!"

"Huh, you're right..." The leader smirked as he lifted his hammer and pointed it at the blindfolded man.

He then spoke with a good voice. "Actually, I changed my mind. You're coming with us."

The blindfolded man remained silent for quite a while— however, that soon changed.

"HAHAHAHAHAHA!" A joyous and boisterous laugh was made by the man.

The treasure hoarders were slightly dumbfounded and looked at each other for a brief moment before shouting at the laughing man. "Hey! What's funny?!"

"Haha..." Soon, the blindfolded man stopped laughing and huffed with a smile. "To think someone as I would actually encounter robbers in broad daylight."

"What's this crazy guy talking about?" Questioned a treasure hoarder holding a Molotov. "Is he not right in the head?"

"This bastard's not right in the head..." Said a treasure hoarder holding a cryo molotov.

Tss—*

Although it wasn't visible to others and the blindfolded man hid it well, a burn just appeared on his back that stung him.

"Hey," The blindfolded man tuck his hands behind him and spoke to the leader. "I have a question."

'Huh?' However, the treasure hoarder group's leader suddenly felt something odd. 'Why did this vibe suddenly change...?'

Suddenly, his eyes widened. The blindfolded man leisurely walked towards him in a carefree manner, however, it seems like the treasure hoarder had seen it before.

"Hey, what do you think are you doing?!" A treasure hoarder holding a crossbow said as he threatened the blindfolded man. However, the man was unfazed and continued walking in a leisurely manner.

'N-No way...' A cold sweat ran down his neck as he subconsciously gulped. 'A-Although they're different...'

A memory soon resurfaced in the leader's mind.

That night, when the previous camp he was in was attacked by the hooded lunatics, he clearly remembered one person back then that cemented their presence in his mind.

That person wore a red hood and walked towards him... exactly how the blindfolded man is walking towards him right now.

"N-No... it-it can't be..." His voice shivered as his eyes completely widened.

"What's wrong?!" The Liyue Treasure Hoarder also felt something wrong and asked the leader, but he received no response.

"Hey, I have a question..." The blindfolded man stood in front of the leader and asked with nothing but a joyous expression on his face. "Either you offer all of your money to this emperor right now... or be hung naked. You choose."

It was the same! That girl with the red hood back then and the man with a blindfold in front of him right now are the same!

'IT'S A LUNATIC!'

[+20 FP]

Grin*