Chapter 59. Second only to the Gnosis?
Facing Black Aila's evaluation, the corners of Ningguang's lips curved slightly upward. She looked as though she wished to laugh, yet in the end, she restrained herself.
Because Black Aila was completely correct.
The Lady was precisely that kind of person.
When facing those who followed rules and procedures, she would appear especially forceful, always pressing forward step by step, refusing to yield even half an inch. Yet when facing someone truly capable of overturning the table entirely, she would instead become far more restrained.
Of course, this was not particularly strange.
To a certain extent, everyone behaved this way.
Even Futsu Mitama, when standing before the Raiden Shogun, would occasionally choose to retreat when necessary rather than continue provoking her endlessly.
The difference was simply that the Lady's behavior was far more obvious.
"It's just…"
Ningguang looked toward Black Aila, her tone calm and gentle.
"For the Lady to willingly abandon part of her own interests and leave the Jade Chamber so quickly… the matter she is currently pursuing is likely no small matter."
"So you should still remain cautious. If someone like her is given an opportunity, she will strike like a venomous serpent."
Ningguang trusted her own judgment of people.
The Lady was not someone who would quietly swallow her losses after suffering defeat. On the contrary, the more losses she suffered openly, the more likely she was to secretly search for another opportunity afterward.
In terms of direct confrontation, Black Aila naturally did not need to fear her.
But an open spear was easy to evade, while a hidden arrow was difficult to guard against.
Although Ningguang and Black Aila were not particularly familiar with one another, the information Yelan had gathered was already enough for Ningguang to roughly understand her personality.
And in Ningguang's eyes, Black Aila was someone worth befriending.
"Mm."
Futsu Mitama nodded slightly.
Naturally, he understood very well how troublesome the Lady could be.
Aside from the time she was nearly killed because of the intelligence regarding the Anemo Archon, most of the time it merely appeared as though he had suppressed her completely on the surface.
In reality, after suffering losses, the Lady would always immediately avoid direct confrontation with him, only to secretly create trouble elsewhere afterward.
She was genuinely difficult to deal with.
Compared to her, Scaramouche was much simpler.
If he wanted to fight, then he fought directly. He never bothered with excessive schemes or indirect methods.
Even though he was ultimately beaten down by Futsu Mitama several times, at the very least, he always chose to confront him head-on.
Unlike the Lady, who constantly preferred acting from the shadows.
Truthfully, Futsu Mitama had long wanted to quietly eliminate her altogether.
Unfortunately, the Lady was clearly aware of this as well.
Every time she appeared, it was either within a city governed by an Archon or amidst heavily populated areas. She almost never exposed herself alone in the wilderness.
It was as though she knew perfectly well that Futsu Mitama wanted her dead, so she deliberately avoided ever placing herself in a vulnerable position.
"I will kill her."
Black Aila's response was far more direct. Her crimson eyes carried an icy chill as she spoke indifferently.
"Someone like her does not deserve to continue living in this world."
Aila's expression remained calm.
She quietly nodded as well, clearly agreeing with Black Aila's statement.
Because the Lady possessed far too many ways to bring disaster upon herself.
If given the opportunity, Aila would likewise choose to eliminate her personally.
As long as a suitable chance appeared, the Lady was someone who absolutely had to die.
"Mm~"
Ningguang merely smiled softly, neither agreeing nor objecting, as though she had heard nothing at all.
After all, no matter how fragile the current relationship had become, Liyue and Snezhnaya were still allies on the surface.
Even if everyone understood that this alliance already existed mostly in name only, appearances still needed to be maintained.
Otherwise, outsiders would only conclude that Liyue could not be trusted.
"Compared to that… we meet again, Traveler."
Ningguang shifted her gaze toward Lumine, a faint smile appearing upon her face.
Naturally, she had already heard about everything that had occurred within The Chasm. To be honest, even Ningguang had never imagined that the muddy passages which had plagued Liyue for years would one day be resolved by a single individual.
One must understand that even the Geo Archon and the Adeptus had once considered the matter exceptionally troublesome.
It was not that they lacked methods to suppress the black mud.
Rather, the price required simply did not match the results.
Even if one muddy passage was painstakingly purified, another would inevitably emerge elsewhere afterward.
Because of that, the final conclusion reached by the Adeptus had always been sealing rather than complete eradication.
And for the past thousand years, Liyue had indeed maintained stability through this method.
Even occasional outbreaks were swiftly suppressed.
Yet two years ago, the black mud erupted on a massive scale throughout The Chasm, accompanied by deadly black mist spreading continuously through the depths.
That was why Liyue ultimately chose to seal The Chasm completely.
Who could have expected that after two years, the one who would truly resolve the muddy passages would be a mysterious Traveler from another world?
Even now, Ningguang still found the matter astonishing.
Of course, during A Bite of Liyue, she had already realized that Lumine was far from ordinary.
After all, how could an ordinary traveler receive a personal invitation from that individual to participate in such an event?
Moreover, during that period, Lumine and Futsu Mitama had displayed a relationship close enough to freely joke and converse together.
Still, Ningguang truly had not expected Lumine to eventually bring her such an enormous surprise.
"Mm." Lumine nodded slightly. "We meet again."
"Hi! Long time no see!"
Paimon waved her hands enthusiastically, her face overflowing with excitement.
At this moment, however, her thoughts were practically filled entirely with mora.
One hundred million mora.
Two hundred million mora.
And perhaps even the opportunity to receive guidance from Ningguang herself regarding business opportunities.
If all of that became reality, then perhaps she and the Traveler could continuously make more mora, multiplying their fortune step by step until they became one of the wealthiest people in all of Teyvat.
Originally, Paimon's dream had been even greater.
She had wanted to become the richest being in the entirety of Teyvat.
But after hearing Azhdaha's explanation in the Chat Group, she had immediately given up on that idea.
Because according to Azhdaha, the richest existence in all of Teyvat was not some merchant or noble.
It was Morax himself.
After all, Mora was literally created by him. Even the currency's name originated from his divine name.
Faced with that logic, nobody in the Chat Group could refute it.
So Paimon eventually lowered her standards slightly.
Becoming one of the richest people in Teyvat was already more than enough.
As for surpassing Morax?
Better not even dream about it.
"Regarding the matter of The Chasm, on behalf of all Liyue, I thank you."
Ningguang formally expressed her gratitude toward Lumine. Had it not been for Lumine's actions, The Chasm would likely still remain sealed to this very day.
Her contribution was undeniably enormous.
"It's nothing."
Lumine shook her head lightly.
"Although I did contribute, the purified water Albedo gave me also played an extremely important role."
With those words, Lumine directly mentioned the purified water developed by Albedo.
Before this, she had already discussed the matter privately within the Chat Group because she did not wish to monopolize all the credit herself.
Without the purified water Albedo provided, she would never have been able to purify so many muddy passages alone.
Although Albedo himself had not cared much about whether his contribution was mentioned, Lumine still believed it was necessary to say it clearly.
"Albedo?"
Yelan blinked slightly.
Naturally, she knew this name.
Ningguang's eyes also narrowed faintly as surprise flashed through them. However, after remembering that Lumine came from Mondstadt, she quickly found the matter understandable.
After all, Albedo was widely recognized as Mondstadt's foremost alchemist.
Even many alchemists within Liyue held him in extremely high regard.
Some had even openly declared that Albedo's mastery of alchemy had already reached a realm comparable to that of the Adeptus.
And within Liyue, being described as "comparable to the Adeptus" was already the highest praise a mortal could receive.
"So that's how it is."
Ningguang truly had not expected that Albedo had also played a role in resolving the crisis within The Chasm.
Still, after thinking about it carefully, it made perfect sense.
Lumine may indeed possess unique purification abilities, but without Albedo's purified water assisting her, clearing so many muddy passages would have been nearly impossible.
"But even so, your reward will not be small."
Ningguang smiled gently toward Lumine.
"According to our current estimates, the compensation should amount to roughly one to two hundred million mora. And that is merely the foundational reward. If you have any additional requests, you may raise them as well."
"Furthermore, in my capacity as one of the Liyue Qixing, I would also like to formally propose a cooperation with you. As for Mr. Albedo, we will contact the Knights of Favonius directly and initiate official collaborations with Mondstadt."
Ningguang's attitude toward Lumine and Albedo was naturally different.
Lumine was an independent traveler, so rewards could be granted directly and freely.
Albedo, however, was both Mondstadt's chief alchemist and a captain within the Knights of Favonius.
Any benefits involving him would inevitably need to pass through formal diplomatic channels first. At the very least, discussions with Acting Grand Master Jean would be unavoidable.
Of course, for someone of Albedo's level, even Mondstadt itself likely could not offer him many things he truly lacked.
Lumine herself did not appear particularly excited after hearing Ningguang's proposed compensation.
Because she understood clearly that if Ningguang was willing to offer this much, then she undoubtedly hoped to request something in return as well.
Otherwise, she would never have specifically stated that additional requests could also be discussed.
Paimon, however, was already completely dazzled by mora.
One hundred million mora.
Two hundred million mora.
And they could even make requests?!
At this moment, Paimon's mind had become entirely filled with thoughts of money.
Still, such a reaction was perfectly normal.
When facing Ningguang, if someone was not captivated by her beauty, then they were inevitably captivated by her wealth.
"Thank you."
Lumine directly accepted Ningguang's gratitude and proposal. After all, Keqing had already spoken with her about these matters beforehand.
So none of this came as a surprise.
After thinking for a moment, Lumine answered earnestly.
"As for the cooperation, I accept. But for now… I don't have any specific requests."
Beside her, Paimon was already nearly exploding from anxiety.
Such a rare opportunity, yet the Traveler was simply letting it pass by?!
Watching Paimon's expression, Futsu Mitama could only feel somewhat helpless.
Inside the Chat Group, he calmly reminded her:
"Why are you so anxious? One or two hundred million mora is already enough for you to eat happily for a very long time. Compared to that, owing a favor from the Liyue Qixing is something even several hundred million mora cannot buy."
Those words instantly calmed Paimon down.
Right. Futsu Mitama was absolutely correct.
Compared to a temporary amount of mora, a favor from the Liyue Qixing possessed far greater long-term value.
At this moment, Paimon finally realized that her perspective had indeed been somewhat shallow.
Upon hearing Lumine's response, Ningguang's smile became even gentler.
"In that case… allow me to explain the contents of our cooperation."
On the other side, Tartaglia and La Signora, who had left the Jade Chamber and returned to the Northland Bank, were currently engaged in a heated argument.
"What did you say?!"
La Signora's eyes widened as she spoke in disbelief, "You mean Futsu Mitama went out once and brought both of them back?! And they didn't argue or fight?! How is that possible?!!!"
Seeing La Signora's shocked expression, Tartaglia replied helplessly, "Yes, they didn't fight or argue. What's wrong? Is that really so strange?"
Tartaglia himself did not understand much about the situation between Aila and Black Aila. All of his attention had always been focused on obtaining the Geo Archon's Gnosis.
That was his mission.
As for other matters, whether it was Black Aila or anything else, none of it had much to do with him unless someone carrying a Gnosis suddenly appeared before him. Otherwise, Tartaglia would never deliberately divert his attention toward such matters.
Her Majesty the Tsaritsa's will was supreme. In Tartaglia's eyes, the mission always came first, while everything else could temporarily be pushed aside.
So, from his perspective, although Aila and Black Aila had looked as though they were about to fight, didn't they both value Futsu Mitama?
Since there was someone they both cared about, then perhaps it was normal that they did not end up fighting.
"Impossible… absolutely impossible… this makes no sense at all…"
La Signora ignored Tartaglia entirely and continued muttering to herself.
Because if she had not personally seen Aila and Black Aila standing together with her own eyes, she would have already mocked Tartaglia and asked him whether he had gone insane.
The most hostile people in the world could still temporarily form alliances for利益 and refrain from killing each other.
But Aila and Black Aila were completely different.
The moment the two met, they should have inevitably fought to the death. No one should have been able to stop it. No one should have been capable of interfering.
Yet now, Black Aila and Aila were actually getting along with each other.
And Black Aila herself even seemed to have grown stronger.
"What exactly is so unreasonable about this?"
Tartaglia was beginning to grow interested as well. He looked at La Signora and asked, "Why do you seem this shocked?"
La Signora sneered upon hearing those words.
"I can't explain this situation to you right now. However, you can understand it this way: this phenomenon is even more unbelievable than a miracle."
"Her Majesty the Tsaritsa once personally stated that Black Aila's strength should have absolutely no possibility of improving further."
"With only half of her soul remaining, the fact that she managed to reach the level of a Harbinger was already enough to make people admire her talent."
"But she had a limit. Because she possessed only half a soul, her potential was also split in half. That was why her strength had stagnated completely over the past one or two years."
"But just now—"
La Signora's gaze darkened slightly.
"I could clearly feel that her strength had improved. Has that monster… broken through her own limit?"
A strange glint flickered within La Signora's eyes.
It was killing intent.
She was not afraid of powerful people like Futsu Mitama.
Because people like him would always, for one reason or another, refrain from killing her or her subordinates.
But Black Aila was different.
She had no faction.
Nominally speaking, she was already a traitor to Snezhnaya, even if she was currently following Futsu Mitama. And if one day her strength truly reached the Demon God Realm—
Then the Fatui's nightmare would begin.
An enemy at the Harbinger level was not particularly frightening.
But if an existence comparable to the top-ranked Harbingers began treating the Fatui as enemies—
Then the situation would become extremely dangerous.
If Black Aila's strength had remained stagnant, then after her initial shock, La Signora would merely have thought that Futsu Mitama possessed some special method capable of preventing the fusion battle.
But now, Black Aila had clearly become stronger.
And that was an extremely bad sign.
Because it meant her strength could continue to grow.
It meant she might truly be capable of reaching the Archon Realm with a mortal body.
Just like Futsu Mitama.
And that possibility was far from impossible.
According to Il Dottore, Aila herself originally possessed qualifications comparable to a Demon God.
Whether it was combat talent or other aspects, her aptitude had always been absurdly monstrous.
La Signora acknowledged this point herself. She had once carried out missions together with Black Aila.
At that time, the other party had still been an emotionless combat machine. To be honest, as a teammate, Black Aila had been exceptionally reliable.
She was a sharp blade. Any enemy that obstructed Snezhnaya's plans would die beneath her hands.
Back then, La Signora had held Black Aila in extremely high regard. Even Black Aila's promotion to a Harbinger candidate had involved part of La Signora's recommendation.
But now—
Once that blade began turning itself against the Fatui—
The situation became terrifying.
La Signora would never allow such a thing to happen. Because for the sake of that plan, she was willing to sacrifice even her own life.
Any unstable factor capable of threatening that plan had to be eliminated.
But she herself lacked the ability to resolve Black Aila.
Therefore—
"I need to go to Sumeru and find Il Dottore and Scaramouche."
La Signora no longer intended to continue wasting words with Tartaglia. She spoke calmly, "You remain in Liyue and gather every piece of information you can about that individual."
"She is extremely dangerous. Dangerous enough that the value of her intelligence is second only to a Gnosis."
Tartaglia frowned slightly. Although he still did not fully understand the situation, he no longer continued questioning her recklessly.
Instead, he asked in a somewhat serious tone, "Is it really that serious?"
"Hah…"
La Signora merely let out a cold laugh as she turned and left.
She did not explain further.
Her attitude alone already answered the question.
It really was that serious.
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