Adrian judged the timing was right, then turned to Keqing and said, "Master Keqing, you stay here and watch. I'm heading back to Liyue Harbor to call for reinforcements."
"No need." Keqing's expression turned cold. She flicked her wrist, and her Vision shimmered with violet light as Lion's Roar(Sword) materialized in her hand.
"Just a few petty crooks—no need to trouble the Millelith."
With that, she shot forward like a streak of lightning, charging straight toward the Fatui camp.
Adrian, meanwhile, stayed exactly where he was.
At his current mid-Stage Qi Refining level, he was basically a weakling—barely equal to a Debt Collector at most.
Rushing into danger would only earn him a tragic obituary.
On the other side, once Fatui noticed Keqing's aggressive approach, more than a dozen soldiers assembled within a single minute, surrounding her with military precision.
The fight began instantly—and Keqing was pushed into a brutal struggle.
These Fatui soldiers were far stronger than she had expected.
Not only were they highly trained and perfectly coordinated, but every single one of them could skillfully wield elemental power.
"Blade of lightning—cut through the chaos!" Keqing shouted. Thunder burst from her body, and she vanished into a storm of dazzling sword shadows.
Those lightning-quick blades slashed toward the Fatui like a storm of thunderbolts, each strike carrying immense power.
But—
The damage was minimal.
The Fatui only suffered superficial wounds. Instead of retreating, they grew even more ferocious, launching wave after wave of relentless, coordinated attacks.
Keqing was instantly overwhelmed. Even with Lion's Roar spinning in her hands, she was becoming dangerously overrun, her lovely face tight with strain.
Seeing the situation deteriorate, Adrian knew hesitation would get Keqing killed.
He dashed toward the battlefield and shouted, "Lady Keqing, I'm here! Millelith reinforcements are almost here!"
Borrowed courage—still courage.
He pulled out a talisman, poured all his spiritual power into it, and hurled it skyward.
The talisman ignited—unleashing a roaring fire dragon that tore across the battlefield and lunged toward the Fatui soldiers.
The Fatui captain's eyes sharpened.
"All units—retreat at once!"
On command, the entire unit pivoted and withdrew with flawless discipline.
Wang, seeing the fight turn disastrous, pulled out a sinister-looking talisman of his own.
He bit down, forcing the last scraps of his life force into it.
A burst of acrid smoke filled the air—
And he vanished.
Moments later, the entire camp was empty except for Adrian and the breathless Keqing.
The talisman drifted back down. Adrian caught it—only to notice cracks running through it.
One or two more uses, and it would shatter completely.
He tucked it away carefully.
"Master Keqing, we need to leave. Once they realize there were never any reinforcements, they'll be back to kill us."
Keqing let out a long breath, her emotions stabilizing, and sighed, "It's my fault. I let the Fatui and Wang escape."
Adrian had no time for guilt.
"We can talk later. Move!"
He sprinted off, and Keqing quickly followed.
After half an hour of full-speed running, they confirmed no pursuers were nearby. Adrian finally slowed.
Keqing caught up, anxious.
"Do you have any way to catch Wang and the Fatui?"
Adrian nodded calmly.
"If you want Wang, just station people near Copper Sparrow Temple. He'll return there for sure."
"And the Fatui?"
"That, you need Ningguang for. She has a special intelligence officer—someone who can track them down."
Keqing frowned.
"A special officer? I've worked in Liyue this long, and I've never even heard of such a person."
Adrian smirked.
"If you had heard of them, the Tianquan seat would belong to you instead."
"…Then how do you know?"
Adrian raised a finger toward the sky, voice slow and meaningful:
"Because I have someone above me."
Keqing froze—then realization dawned.
Copper Sparrow's Judgment
Adrian didn't head back to Liyue Harbor.
Instead, he went straight to Copper Sparrow Temple.
Inside the ruined shrine, he bowed respectfully toward the old statue.
"Copper Sparrow, I seek guidance."
A sigh echoed.
A middle-aged scholar stepped from the shadows like a fading mirage.
"You have come to ask about Wang, haven't you?"
"Yes. He colluded with the Fatui, deceived Liyue's people, and destroyed countless families."
Copper Sparrow's expression dimmed.
"Wang was not born evil. He merely lost his way… If possible, I hope you can let him repent."
Adrian's tone turned icy.
"If you truly believe that, let me tell you a story."
He recounted the tragedy of Li Daping—
How he was swindled into despair, how he hanged himself in hopelessness, how his elderly mother wept herself blind and sat alone with his body in a collapsing house.
By the end, Copper Sparrow and Keqing both felt their chests tighten painfully.
Keqing's eyes burned with rage.
"With such crimes, even death is too merciful for him!"
Copper Sparrow clenched his jaw.
"Such evil cannot be forgiven."
Adrian waved dismissively.
"There's no need to be angry. He won't live much longer.
Today he overdrew his life force again to activate a talisman.
All he did was accelerate his own death."
Advance Chapters available on P@treon
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