Check out my new translation!
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After returning to their residence in Sumeru City, Shao Yun dared not waste even a second. He first locked the front door securely, then grabbed Lumine and Paimon by the hand and dashed toward the second-floor attic.
Once inside, Shao Yun quickly shut the door behind them and locked it tight once more.
Lumine obediently sat down by the single bed in the attic. Her gaze never left Shao Yun for a moment—she watched his every move with full attention.
As Shao Yun turned the lock on the attic door, a soft click reached Lumine's ears.
At that sound, her heart gave a violent tremor, and an inexplicable sense of nervousness surged up within her.
Instinctively, Lumine crossed her arms tightly over her chest. Her mind began to uncontrollably flash through a string of embarrassingly indecent images.
Gradually, a faint blush crept over her pale cheeks.
Though a sliver of resistance and unease lingered in her heart, it wasn't like this was their first time... right?
Still, if they really were going to do that kind of thing, she should at least take a proper bath first. After all, it had been over a week since her last one, and the smell on her body… cheese yogurt?
Besides, Paimon was still here! Surely, he didn't expect that little one to watch the entire process, did he? Just the thought made Lumine's face burn even hotter.
In that awkward silence, she could feel her heartbeat quickening rapidly.
However, when she saw Shao Yun pacing back and forth instead of lunging at her as she had feared, she froze.
Her taut nerves loosened slightly, and she muttered under her breath, 'So he didn't mean to do that kind of thing after all…'
She exhaled deeply, then mustered her courage to ask, "What exactly is going on? Why all the secrecy?"
At that moment, Shao Yun continued pacing in the cramped attic, muttering incoherently to himself.
"That thing called the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles already told me—the Seven Archons, those cunning serpents…"
Lumine could only stare in confusion, completely lost.
She quickly stood up, reached for his arm, and guided him to sit on the narrow bed. "Shao Yun, calm down first. Tell me clearly what happened."
Shao Yun gripped his knees tightly, his expression deadly serious. "There's no time to calm down! I have to think of a way fast."
"Burn the Irminsul to ashes—or plunge the whole of Teyvat into eternal ruin! Those wretched bastards…"
Hearing such terrifying words spill from his mouth, Lumine's heart clenched.
She placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, trying to soothe his agitation. "Alright, alright, calm down a little. What terrible thing happened?"
But Shao Yun's emotions only grew more turbulent.
"Those hypocrites treat you as a filter jar for purifying the Abyss! Tell me, should we kill the Seven Archons or not!?"
Lumine's eyes widened in shock.
The news was so unbelievable that for a moment she doubted her own hearing.
It took her a long while to recover from her astonishment before she managed to ask, "Shao Yun… are you telling the truth?"
Shao Yun inhaled deeply several times before slowly explaining.
"Remember what happened in Mondstadt? You purified the dragon's blood—or was it its tears—tainted by the Abyss?"
Lumine nodded, recalling the event, though she still couldn't see the connection.
"I remember, but… can you explain more clearly?"
Shao Yun then told her what had transpired in the sky.
"The Sustainer of Heavenly Principles said she took notice of you—or your brother, or both of you—because of your power to purify the Abyss. That's why, five hundred years ago, when you tried to escape from Teyvat, she stopped you. She and the Seven Archons set up an elaborate scheme. They've all been playing you."
"They made you grow attached to Teyvat, made you willingly fight for it. For that goal, they plotted for five hundred years! Damn, I've got to hand it to them—their patience is terrifying."
Lumine felt a chill crawl down her spine. She blinked, murmuring, "You mean… the Seven Archons and the Sustainer were all using me?"
Shao Yun nodded gravely. "Pretty much. At least, that's what it looks like. The moment I fell from Celestia, Venti contacted me through the wind."
"And when I confronted him, he hesitated—and even had Dvalin bring me to him to 'talk things out.' He definitely knows something."
Lumine swallowed hard, her voice trembling slightly. "Do you think Venti really knows about all this?" Her fists clenched tightly, unease flashing in her golden eyes.
Shao Yun pressed his lips together, shaking his head. "I can't guarantee it. But from what we know, these people are definitely scheming behind our backs."
Knowing it was still speculation eased Lumine's nerves a little, but her anxiety didn't vanish entirely.
"Then… what should we do now? Should we head for Fontaine immediately?"
Shao Yun stroked his chin, pondering for a moment before replying, "We need to talk to your brother. He might have an idea."
Lumine nodded quickly in agreement.
After all, her brother had likely awakened in Teyvat five hundred years earlier than she did—maybe…
But then, another problem surfaced.
"But how do we find him? We can't just argue again like last time, right?"
Shao Yun thought, unless your brother sent Enjou to secretly monitor us, there's no way he'd know even if we pretended to 'break up.'
He didn't voice that thought, however, and instead said, "Let's not rush. Give me a few days to rest and recover. You've had it rough in prison lately too."
Lumine nodded softly, then asked gently, "By the way, how's your illness? Are you fully recovered?"
Shao Yun smiled, thumping his chest confidently. "Completely healed! No need to worry."
Hearing that, Lumine finally let out a long sigh of relief.
Then, as if remembering something, she pulled out a familiar black gambler's hat and handed it to him with a smile. "Here, your hat. You really kept your word—you came back safe."
Shao Yun took the black hat, set it on his head, adjusted the brim, and thanked her sincerely.
"Oh, thank you!"
Then, grinning mischievously, he reached out and gently flicked Lumine's cute nose. "Haha, my stomach isn't made of iron, you know—it can't digest rocks."
…
Meanwhile, in the Sanctuary of Surasthana.
Nahida still stood quietly in place. Her small frame trembled slightly, crystalline tears streaming down her pale cheeks with faint sobs.
"Mm…"
Suddenly, a man's voice broke the silence.
"Even a god can shed tears like a mortal?"
Nahida's head snapped up instantly, the tears halting mid-fall.
Her emerald eyes gleamed with alertness as she glared at the unexpected intruder—the Doctor, a Fatui Harbinger.
Clenching her fists, she demanded sharply, "You? What are you doing here?"
Without hesitation, the Doctor extended his right hand coldly. "Isn't it obvious? I've come for the Gnosis."
The sorrow that clouded Nahida's face vanished in an instant, replaced by steely resolve. "You want Raiden Shogun's Gnosis—or mine? Or perhaps… both?"
The Doctor replied coolly, "The third option."
Nahida's reddened eyes locked onto him. "Are you planning to steal them—or do you want to make a deal?"
The Doctor smirked, his tone dripping with disdain. "Considering your strained relationship with those three foreign travelers, I could easily choose the first."
He flexed his wrist joints, producing a crisp crack, clearly ready to use force.
But Nahida didn't back down.
She swiftly produced her own Dendro Gnosis and the newly acquired Electro Gnosis, displaying them in her palms. "Hmph! Don't underestimate me. Push me too far, and—"
"I'll destroy both Gnoses to summon the attention of the Sustainer herself! When that happens, all of your Tsaritsa's plans will crumble to dust!"
The Doctor froze for a moment, muttering under his breath, "Summon… the Sustainer? Do you really think you can?"
Nahida's gaze sharpened. "Shao Yun tore open the heavens and awakened the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles. Destroying the gifts of the heavens to do the same—it's not impossible."
Beneath his bird-beaked mask, the Doctor's face twitched slightly—clearly unsettled.
But he quickly composed himself, recognizing what kind of opponent he faced.
"As a scholar, I must respect any possibility. That's a principle I've always upheld—and one that every true experimenter should share."
"I admit, I can't ignore the possibility you describe."
He took a deep breath. "Very well, let's talk about this deal. What are your terms?"
But then he added coldly, "Oh, and before you speak—if your first condition is for me to kill that man with a tall hat…"
"Then I'd rather risk you summoning the Sustainer and destroying the Gnoses—I'll simply take them by force."
Nahida thought to herself, so he's not easy to fool after all.
"Relax. I'm not like Yae Miko, prone to impractical schemes."
"My first condition is simple: destroy your segments. Completely."
The Doctor paused in mild surprise, then muttered, "How do you… Ah, I see. My other segment must have leaked the information."
He shrugged. "My segments are precious, but fine—I agree."
Nahida continued calmly, "Second—you must take full responsibility for the chaos you caused in Sumeru. Compensate every loss. And the Fatui must withdraw from Sumeru within a week, as you did in Mondstadt, Liyue, and Inazuma. None of you are to set foot in Sumeru ever again."
The Doctor's face twitched again, visibly torn.
Not that he cared about the Fatui's dignity, but losing access to Sumeru would ruin the Northland Bank's business. Without the Fatui's debt-collectors, the rich would cut his research funds…
After some internal struggle, he finally gritted his teeth. "Fine. If you give me two more weeks to arrange things, I'll accept."
Nahida pondered briefly, then nodded her approval.
"Third—"
"Wait!" the Doctor interrupted. "Three conditions? For two Gnoses? Isn't that excessive?"
Nahida narrowed her eyes and made as if to pull the Gnoses back.
"This deal is on my terms. You have no right to object."
Despite his reluctance, the Doctor finally conceded. "Fine. Continue."
Satisfied, Nahida went on and calmly stated her final condition.
…
After hearing everything, the Doctor fell silent for a while before nodding.
"Harsh terms indeed. But since we've come this far, I'll accept."
Seeing his compliance, Nahida allowed a faint smile to touch her lips.
…
Once the exchange was done, Nahida released her grip, and the two glowing Gnoses drifted gently toward the Doctor like floating feathers.
He caught them steadily and tucked them into his coat.
Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he asked, "Oh, and my test subject—what's his current state?"
Nahida's expression grew complex at the mention of the Balladeer.
After a moment's pause, she said in an eerily calm tone, "Your experiment… has already been burned to ashes by Shao Yun. Even his head was severed."
"If you're thinking of resurrecting him, don't bother. It's impossible."
The Doctor listened silently, face unreadable, as though it were nothing more than another failed experiment.
"Very well. My god-making experiment failed. I understand. Then, please—enjoy your victory while it lasts."
After he departed, Nahida sank down onto the cold floor in a duck-like posture, tore away her composed mask, and began to cry again.