Chapter 77: The Emperor's Assassination Attempt

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Quickly, people pointed their fingers at Paimon flying overhead and shouted:

"I saw it just now, she attacked the Stonefather with a beam of light!"

"Me too, that strange flying creature did it!"

Instantly, the Millelith turned towards Paimon, tightening their grip on their halberds as they aimed them directly at her.

"It wasn't me, this is just a camera!" Hearing the accusations and feeling intimidated by the aggressive stance of the Millelith, Paimon waved her hands frantically, starting to panic.

"Capture her!" A Millelith captain barked the order, and a squad swiftly surrounded Paimon.

"Traveler, let's run!" Paimon hastily flew next to Lumine, grabbing her shoulder strap in an attempt to flee together.

Lumine was taken aback; Seriously, Paimon? You can just fly away - who could catch you?! And now you're trying to involve me, hoping I'll take the blame, huh?

"She has accomplices, seize them all! Don't let them escape!" The Millelith squad leader promptly yelled out orders.

Upon hearing this, Lumine immediately drew her Dull Blade and sprinted towards a nearby alleyway devoid of Millelith soldiers. Paimon followed closely behind, seemingly guiding Lumine from above.

***

"Pant... pant... Finally escaped, almost exhausted me!" Paimon let out a sigh of relief, instantly relaxing.

Lumine placed her hands on her hips and looked at Paimon, slightly irritated. "You were flying the whole time; how could you be tired?!"

Her expression conveyed her discontentment; she wouldn't have needed to run at all if not for this situation, nearly getting caught in the process!

"Hehe, even my phantom limbs get tired!" Paimon quickly responded with a grin.

"Alright, what do we do now?" Lumine glanced at Paimon, realizing they were likely wanted throughout the city by now!

"Grrumble..." Paimon's stomach protested with hunger, causing her to look awkwardly at Lumine and suggest sheepishly:

"Traveler, why don't we grab something to eat first? Running so much is exhausting! Plus, we'll need energy to come up with a plan, hehe..."

"You're still thinking about food?" Lumine stared at Paimon, astonished, then pointed wordlessly towards a nearby trash bin, suggesting:

"Why don't you check there? Maybe someone left some leftovers. Going out to eat now would surely get us caught."

"Traveler!" Paimon crossed her arms, feigning anger as she voiced her dissatisfaction loudly.

"Hurry up, someone's coming!" A voice shouted, followed by the sound of hurried footsteps.

"Oh no, Paimon!" Lumine glared at her companion and began searching for an escape route.

Suddenly, a hand reached out, pulling Lumine into a nearby corner.

"Traveler!" Paimon quickly followed, looking quite anxious.

"Shh, keep quiet!" Childe raised a finger with a smile, addressing them both softly.

After the Millelith had passed, Lumine immediately questioned him curiously, "Who are you? Why did you save us?"

"Haha, I am Childe, the Eleventh Harbinger of the Fatui. You can also call me Tartaglia!" He introduced himself with a slight grin.

"Hey, who do you think you are? Demanding to be called 'Childe' right off the bat. We're not your servants!" Paimon placed her hands on her hips, glaring at Childe with dissatisfaction.

"You've misunderstood; 'Childe' is simply my alias, not a claim of superiority!" Childe chuckled, explaining with a wry smile.

"Wait, aren't you one of those despicable Fatui members who threatened Captain Jean? Are you part of La Signora's group too? Did you steal the Tone-Deaf Bard's Gnosis?"

Suddenly recalling something, Paimon glared at Childe with fury before flying behind Lumine.

Lumine also drew her Dull Blade, eyeing Childe warily.

Childe chuckled awkwardly and shook his head. "You must have met my unreliable colleague earlier; I'm not like her!"

"Alright, spill it—what do you want?" Lumine scrutinized Childe closely as she asked.

"I did save you both, after all! And right now, I genuinely wish to help you escape this predicament!" Childe looked innocently at them, emphasizing his intentions.

"Hmph, unsolicited kindness always hides ulterior motives!" Paimon eyed Childe skeptically, unconvinced.

"Assisting you benefits me too—it's a win-win situation!" Childe smiled reassuringly while addressing their doubts.

Lumine's expression remained skeptical, leaving Childe feeling quite helpless.

"I assume you have a purpose for coming to Liyue. With a bounty on your heads, accomplishing anything might be impossible. Take this token, seek out the Adepti who protect Liyue, and perhaps there's still a chance!" As he spoke, Childe produced a yellow talisman and handed it to Lumine, explaining, "This will aid you in meeting the Adepti, and they may provide information about your brother's whereabouts!"

News of a blonde-haired Traveler seeking information about her brother had already spread throughout the Fatui.

Lumine hesitated briefly before accepting the talisman and looked at Childe sternly, saying, "You better not deceive me!"

"Rest assured, although the Fatui's methods may be unconventional, we honor our commitments in this land of contracts!" Childe explained with a smile.

"Hmph, who knows if you were the one behind Stonefather's assassination!" Paimon huffed indignantly; that assassin was truly thoughtless, leaving her without food!

"Gurgle..." Paimon's stomach let out a loud rumble, causing her to scratch her head sheepishly.

Childe smiled gently and offered, "You two must be hungry. Allow me to treat you to a meal!"

At the mention of food, Paimon's eyes instantly brightened. Her hostility towards Childe diminished rapidly, while her fondness for him soared!

However, Lumine, unlike Paimon's simple-mindedness, questioned Childe, "With us being wanted fugitives now, where could we possibly go for a meal?"

"Ha ha, don't worry about that. The Fatui can certainly handle such minor issues!" Childe reassured them warmly, leading the duo to Yanshang Teahouse.

***

After finishing their meal, Paimon's face was smudged with grease; she had never indulged in such delicious food before.

Saying goodbye to Childe, Lumine and Paimon embarked on their journey to Jueyun Karst in search of immortals.

***

However, Lin Feng faced some challenges. With Rex Lapis's assassination, as a newcomer to the city, he became subject to multiple investigations by the Millelith.

Fortunately, the Feiyun Commerce Guild held considerable influence, preventing Lin Feng from being detained. Nonetheless, he decided it was best to lay low for a while.

Taking advantage of this time, he set out to establish signal base stations across Liyue territory. This would enable him to call Eula, expand his mobile phone market, and...

Lin Feng left Liyue, heading first to Guili Plains where he found a suitable spot to begin constructing a base station.

During this process, Hilichurls appeared, but Lin Feng was well-prepared. He swiftly dispatched them with a few Sunsettias!

Coincidentally, Lumine approached stealthily, recognizing the familiar location immediately and hurried over to greet him.

"Hey... Hey, is that you, Lin Feng?" Paimon joyfully flew up, grinning at Lin Feng.