At this moment, Qiu Nian had already arrived at the outskirts of Liyue Harbor.
He sat on the grass, gazing at the distant harbor.
Around him were lush green trees, quiet patches of grass, and rugged rocks scattered across the landscape.
Butterflies danced among the flowers, occasionally chased by others of their kind, while various elemental slimes wandered past from time to time.
As he admired the scenery of Liyue Harbor in the distance, the familiar Liyue Harbor melody seemed to play in his mind.
Before he realized it, night had fallen.
In the grass, glowing Crystalflies occasionally fluttered about, their golden light mixing with the soft flicker of fireflies.
Under the pale moonlight, Liyue Harbor shone brightly with lanterns.
Compared to the bustling daytime scene, the harbor now possessed a quiet beauty and serenity.
At that moment, Qiu Nian slightly turned his head and revealed a faint smile.
Five Fatui Pyro Debt Collectors, hidden within the darkness, were silently approaching him with sharp blades in hand.
When they came within less than a meter of him—
The five Debt Collectors activated the Pyro power from their Delusions.
Then they transformed into black shadows and leapt simultaneously.
Their blades slashed downward toward Qiu Nian!
Sparks and flames scattered everywhere.
The five Debt Collectors lifted their heads in confusion.
Their attack had completely missed.
The blades had struck the ground instead.
They quickly looked around.
And finally saw Qiu Nian standing a short distance away.
He was simply staring at them expressionlessly.
Seeing Qiu Nian standing there unharmed, the five men felt a chill run down their spines.
Cold sweat appeared on their foreheads.
What terrifying speed…
Even Lord Tartaglia didn't possess speed like that.
And according to the intelligence reports, this man didn't even have a Vision.
They themselves didn't have Visions either—but they possessed Delusions.
Yet even with the enhancement of their Delusions, they hadn't been able to see how Qiu Nian moved.
How could someone without a Vision possibly be this strong?
But before they could think any further—
Qiu Nian began walking toward them.
Almost the instant he moved, the five Debt Collectors hurriedly took combat stances, staring at him nervously.
One step.
Two steps.
Three steps.
As that calm-faced man slowly approached, the psychological pressure on the five of them increased with every step.
"Damn it! Stop playing tricks!"
Finally, one of the Debt Collectors shouted and suddenly leapt forward.
His body turned into a blur of shadow.
Pyro energy surged around his blade as he rushed toward Qiu Nian.
Then—
He felt a sharp pain in his neck.
His vision began to blur.
His body went limp and collapsed to the ground.
Through his fading vision, he vaguely saw his other four teammates collapse at the same moment.
"…Sigh."
"Young people really are lucky."
"I haven't even made a move yet, and you've already fallen asleep."
Qiu Nian looked at the five unconscious men on the ground and shook his head with mild emotion.
"Such enviable sleeping quality…"
He turned around, placed both hands behind his head, and walked away while speaking casually.
The next morning.
Lumine and Paimon arrived early at the Northland Bank.
Qiu Nian arrived slightly later.
The moment he stepped inside, he heard Lumine and Paimon speaking with the receptionist behind the counter—Ekaterina.
"It seems your friend has arrived."
Ekaterina smiled as she looked toward Qiu Nian walking in behind them.
The livestream chat immediately reacted.
[Qiu Nian looks completely fine]
[I thought he wouldn't show up today]
[So what actually happened last night?]
[Thank goodness—my husband Childe is fine and my husband Qiu Nian is fine too!]
Seeing the barrage of comments, Xuehua quickly clicked forward, curious about what would happen next.
"I thought I'd never see you again."
"Did Childe do anything to you?"
Lumine asked with wide eyes.
"Childe?"
"What could Childe possibly do to me?"
Qiu Nian thought for a moment and then replied with a confused expression.
"Looks like we worried for nothing."
"Let's go find Childe now."
"He said he has already found the person who can break the stalemate."
"Once we find him at Liuli Pavilion, everything will become clear."
Paimon said with relief.
"Liuli Pavilion?"
"Well, that works."
"I might even get a free breakfast."
Qiu Nian chuckled lightly.
The three of them left the bank and headed toward Liuli Pavilion.
When they arrived, Tartaglia was already waiting.
"…Hmm."
Seeing Qiu Nian approaching with Lumine and Paimon, Tartaglia frowned slightly.
Earlier that morning, the five Debt Collectors had reported what happened.
According to them, their sneak attack had failed.
Then Qiu Nian somehow disappeared and reappeared elsewhere.
After that, he slowly walked toward them.
One Debt Collector attacked him—
And after that…
They remembered nothing.
It was as if all five of them had lost consciousness at the same instant.
To defeat five Debt Collectors enhanced with Delusions in such a short moment—
Even Tartaglia wasn't sure he could do it.
Still, he had rewarded the one who initiated the attack.
Even in such a terrifying situation, the man had shown courage in attacking a powerful enemy.
That bravery deserved recognition.
After all, Tartaglia's original intention had never been to kill Qiu Nian.
He only wanted to capture him for questioning.
And Qiu Nian hadn't killed the Debt Collectors either—he had merely knocked them unconscious.
But now it seemed his instincts had been correct.
This Mr. Qiu Nian was certainly no ordinary person.
So what exactly was his true identity?
Someone this powerful could not possibly be an unknown nobody in Liyue.
And why was he following the Traveler?
Did he have some hidden objective?
Could he be the "that one" the adepti mentioned?
The undercurrents seemed to be growing even more turbulent.
"How exciting…"
"Defeating five Delusion-enhanced Debt Collectors in a single moment…"
"I'd love to fight him myself."
Tartaglia clenched his fist, excitement burning in his eyes.
Then he slowly relaxed his hand.
For now, it would be better to observe.
If Qiu Nian brought up the incident himself in anger, Tartaglia might learn something.
But if Qiu Nian pretended nothing had happened—
Then Tartaglia would do the same.
As for fighting him…
There would be plenty of opportunities in the future.
Thinking this, Tartaglia revealed a faint smile.