Chapter 204.
Tartaglia's expression was quite odd. He couldn't make heads or tails of what his subordinates were saying, but as a Fatui Harbinger, his mental fortitude was incredibly strong.
Even so, hearing this news made him freeze.
If I actually had that kind of power, would I really need to act so stealthily?!
"Yes... isn't that right?"
Tartaglia's direct subordinates exchanged confused glances.
Why did Lord Tartaglia look so puzzled? He did kill Morax, right? Why was he the one looking bewildered???
"Sigh — — " Tartaglia dragged a hand down his face, forcing himself to calm down. "Listen to me closely. I did not kill Morax. The plan hasn't even started yet. First, hand over those Sigils of Permission. Then, immediately deploy the intelligence network."
His mind was racing, trying to process the chaos.
"I don't care if it takes all night—no! Within three hours, I want to know absolutely everything about Morax's death in Liyue Harbor!"
"?!?!"
"Yes, Lord Harbinger!!!"
"This... could it be that The Knave assassinated Morax?!"
His subordinates immediately broke into frantic whispers, but their physical response was flawless. Lord Tartaglia had given an order, and they obeyed instantly. They handed over the forged Sigils of Permission and immediately began rushing back toward Liyue Harbor.
Right now, they were essentially walking into a massive trap, as the Millelith were aggressively locking down the city and watching the Fatui like hawks. But gathering intelligence required boots on the ground, so they had no choice but to prioritize returning to the city to relay Tartaglia's orders to the sleeper agents.
"You." Tartaglia pointed at a lingering Electro Cicin Mage. "Tell me exactly what happened in Liyue Harbor. How did Rex Lapis die?"
"Me?" The Cicin Mage blinked in surprise before nodding eagerly. "Yes, Lord Tartaglia! I will relay all the details."
She quickly recounted everything they had heard. In truth, she wasn't entirely sure of the exact mechanics, as she had been stationed outside the harbor before the incident. The frantic messages from their embedded operatives had simply conveyed one thing:
During the Rite of Descension, Rex Lapis died. Lord Tartaglia's master plan succeeded! Prepare the retreat!
Tartaglia had previously revealed a small, vague portion of his plan to his inner circle. He had told them they were going to do something massive during the Rite. To prevent any accidents, all Fatui in Liyue were put on high alert, ready for battle, and a full evacuation plan for non-combat personnel was drawn up.
At first, his subordinates had no idea what the grand plan actually was. But when the news broke that Rex Lapis had been killed during the Rite — they instantly connected the dots. That was why they needed to be ready for war and evacuation!
It all made terrifying sense!
"..."
After hearing the full explanation, Tartaglia's expression was utterly unreadable. He didn't even know what to say.
But suddenly, the puzzle pieces clicked.
This was why Keqing had abruptly withdrawn her strike team.
"Lord Tartaglia... is this part of the plan?"
The Cicin Mage asked cautiously, finally realizing that their Harbinger had absolutely nothing to do with the assassination. She and the others had wildly overthought things.
"I don't know. I'm going to go ask The Knave if she's behind this."
Tartaglia replied, unwilling to speak too definitively. He needed to find Arlecchino.
The Cicin Mage looked at him eagerly, silently asking:
What about me? Do I come with you, or return to the harbor?
"Go back to the harbor."
Tartaglia ordered. He wasn't going to drag a Cicin Mage along; she would just slow him down. Stuffing the massive stack of Sigils of Permission into his coat, he sprinted off to rendezvous with Arlecchino.
His plan had been utterly derailed. First, he needed to know if she had pulled the trigger on the Geo Archon.
Given Arlecchino's pragmatic nature and overall combat power, Tartaglia highly doubted it. She had explicitly promised him she wouldn't interfere with his operations in Liyue. In fact, if he asked her to interfere, she would probably look at him with profound reluctance. It was highly unlikely she did it.
But if not her, then who?!
Regardless of the culprit, he had to speak with Arlecchino and then immediately rush back to Liyue Harbor to confront the Qixing. The Fatui were absolutely not taking the blame for this! He hadn't even done anything yet, and Rex Lapis was dead! What kind of nightmare was this?!
Tartaglia sprinted through the wilderness and soon spotted Arlecchino. She was standing calmly near the coast, still flanked by the late Signora's former attendants—the twin Electro Cicin Mages.
"You're here." Arlecchino noted smoothly, showing no surprise. She smiled faintly. "I must say, I didn't expect your plan to go quite so smoothly. Successfully eliminating Rex Lapis in broad daylight is quite the achievement."
The twin Cicin Mages beside her looked at Tartaglia with absolute reverence. To eliminate the War God was an unimaginable feat.
"Are you making fun of me too?" Tartaglia sighed, exasperated. "You know perfectly well I don't have the strength to eliminate Rex Lapis. Was this you? Did you do this?"
Arlecchino shook her head, her tone perfectly calm.
"Give me ten times the courage, and I still wouldn't dare fight Rex Lapis. Let alone me—if you combined every single Harbinger, we still wouldn't dare attempt a direct assassination on Morax at this critical juncture."
She paused, her eyes narrowing.
"The Rite of Descension wasn't just attended by Rex Lapis. Futsu Mitama and a host of Liyue's elite powerhouses were standing right there. Although many Adeptus weren't present, if a battle broke out—"
She didn't need to finish the sentence. Everyone knew a direct confrontation wouldn't be a simple one-on-one duel. The Fatui held absolutely no advantage. Even if she and Tartaglia were confident enough to hold off the Liyue Adeptus, did anyone seriously believe Futsu Mitama and Rex Lapis would just stand by and watch?
Tartaglia's original plan had actually been brilliant: summon two ancient Demon Gods previously sealed by Morax to draw away Liyue's high-level combat forces, ambush the distracted Rex Lapis, rip out the Gnosis, and flee the nation without a second's hesitation.
It was a great plan. Unfortunately, the person who had secretly designed it for him was Rex Lapis himself.
"Then who was it?"
Tartaglia frowned deeply, feeling like the situation in Liyue was spiraling out of comprehension. Besides Snezhnaya, who else had a grudge against Morax? And more importantly, who possessed the terrifying power required to kill him silently?
"I don't know. But for us, this development is both good and terribly inconvenient."
Arlecchino said calmly.
"Our suspicion hasn't been completely cleared yet—but at least for now, the Qixing won't waste their resources investigating us. They will prioritize hunting the actual murderer."
She paused deliberately, locking eyes with Tartaglia, dropping a heavy hint.
Tartaglia wasn't a fool. His eyes narrowed sharply.
"Rex Lapis's Gnosis——that is our only objective."
He straightened up, his mind rapidly recalculating.
"In that case, all current plans can be paused. Finding Rex Lapis's body is the absolute highest priority."
His objective was incredibly clear. He only wanted the Geo Gnosis; nothing else mattered. If he secured it, the rest of his destructive contingency plans could be entirely scrapped. The probability of stealing the Gnosis silently from a corpse was small, but the payout was worth the risk.
If Liyue and Snezhnaya went to all-out war, even with Rex Lapis dead, Liyue still had the Adeptus, the Millelith, the Exorcists, and countless hidden powerhouses. If Morax hadn't been so overwhelmingly strong, Tartaglia would never have resorted to unleashing ancient gods. He genuinely didn't want to burn his bridges with Liyue. For Snezhnaya, starting a war here offered far more disadvantages than benefits. But the Tsaritsa had entrusted him with a mission, and he would see it through.
Now, he had an opportunity. Morax was inexplicably dead, meaning the Gnosis was likely still inside his corpse.
The new plan was simple: locate the body, stealthily extract the Gnosis, and vanish. Whatever happened to Liyue afterward wouldn't matter. It would be best if Liyue never discovered his involvement, but even if they did, the diplomatic fallout would simply be hostile—not an apocalyptic point of no return.
Tartaglia knew perfectly well that releasing Osial and Orochi would plunge the harbor into unimaginable crisis. That was an act of total war. Stealing from a corpse was much cleaner.
"Yes." Arlecchino smiled warmly. "Do you need my help? If so, I would be happy to assist you."
She was entirely sincere. She knew perfectly well that the script was proceeding exactly as the Geo Archon desired. But Ningguang was dangerously competent, and Arlecchino suspected the Tianquan might accidentally derail Zhongli's grand retirement plan, so she proactively offered her services.
Tartaglia looked at her, smiled, and waved it off indifferently.
"Naturally, there's no need. I've already figured out the next phase of the plan."
He grinned confidently.
"Although this situation caught me off guard, I just remembered an ancient Liyue tradition that Mr. Zhongli inadvertently mentioned to me a while back."
Tartaglia felt an overwhelming surge of gratitude toward the funeral consultant. Mr. Zhongli was practically his lucky star! Now Tartaglia finally understood why Regrator and Dottore got along so well—dealing with genuinely brilliant people made everything easier.
But unlike his fellow Harbingers, who loved to speak in infuriating, cryptic riddles with smug "all according to plan" smiles, Mr. Zhongli was wonderfully straightforward.
He patiently explained history and lore without playing mind games. If infighting wasn't strictly prohibited, Tartaglia would have beaten Dottore and Regrator long ago just for being annoying.
"Hmm?" Arlecchino raised a delicate eyebrow, feigning surprise. "An ancient Liyue tradition? This Mr. Zhongli truly knows everything. I am quite curious—what is this tradition? Is it convenient to reveal?"
She played the 'eager student' perfectly, aiming to gather more information to ensure she wouldn't accidentally expose the charade later. She was genuinely curious how a casual conversation with Zhongli had handed Tartaglia a brand-new master plan in less than five minutes.
The two Cicin Mages also leaned in, deeply curious about what their 'single-minded' Harbinger—as the late Signora had so lovingly described him—had cooked up.
Tartaglia was slightly surprised by Arlecchino's inquisitive demeanor. He figured her pragmatic personality wouldn't care about cultural trivia.
She should have just said, 'What do I do? Stop wasting time and tell me.'
But he didn't dwell on it.
"You all know about the Rite of Descension, right?" he asked casually.
Arlecchino and the Mages nodded. Obviously.
"The festival that stands in direct opposition to the Rite of Descension is called the Rite of Parting." Tartaglia explained, a proud smile spreading across his face. "As the name suggests, 'Parting' means sending the souls of deceased Adeptus back to the high heavens. Simply put, it's a divine funeral. And this specific funeral is traditionally handled exclusively by the successive Directors of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor."
He puffed his chest out slightly.
"And as it just so happens—I am very good friends with the famous Consultant of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, Mr. Zhongli."
Tartaglia couldn't help but admire his own networking skills.
He had befriended Zhongli months ago, never expecting that this casual connection would allow him to hijack a divine funeral. Funeral or no funeral, he didn't care. He was only interested in the Geo Gnosis inside the corpse. He would extract the prize, and Liyue would get a beautiful send-off for their god. A perfect win-win!
He mentally praised Zhongli for knowing such obscure trivia.
The information had come up when Tartaglia was asking about ancient sealed gods, casually comparing them to modern festivals like the Lantern Rite. He had asked if there were any older traditions, and Zhongli had smoothly explained the Rite of Parting—a ritual so rare it hadn't been held in Liyue for thousands of years.
With Rex Lapis dead, the plan was obvious: use the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's exclusive authority to locate Morax's body and swipe the Gnosis. If it worked, there would be no need to release the Overlord of the Vortex.
"Amazing. Simply amazing."
"As expected of Lord Tartaglia."
The twin Cicin Mages nodded repeatedly, thoroughly impressed. To formulate such a flawless contingency plan in minutes—and to have preemptively secured the necessary political connections—proved that Lord Tartaglia was a strategic genius!
Tartaglia sighed internally, marveling at his own luck.
It was time to invite Mr. Zhongli out for a very expensive meal!
Arlecchino kept her face perfectly neutral, but internally, she was screaming with laughter.
Honestly, anyone who knew Zhongli's true identity would probably burst a blood vessel hearing Tartaglia explain this. What Tartaglia thought was a brilliant, opportunistic master plan he had conjured on a whim—was actually a meticulously dug trap that he was eagerly Swan-diving into.
Arlecchino was deeply, morbidly curious to see the look on Tartaglia's face the moment he finally learned the truth.
"Alright, although the plan is solid, the political situation in Liyue is highly volatile right now."
Tartaglia said, his tone turning serious.
"Because of my Fatui affiliation, Zhongli might get blocked from taking this job. Liyue is heavily suspicious of us. It's better if I negotiate this from a position of generosity."
He stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"The Northland Bank will step forward and offer to fully fund the Rite of Parting. We'll frame it as a gesture of goodwill to maintain diplomatic friendship during a time of crisis. This way, the Qixing can focus their resources on investigating the assassination and managing the city's panic, while Wangsheng handles the body."
His mind worked quickly, finding the perfect angle to bribe his way into the funeral proceedings.
The harder he thought about how to 'generously' fund Zhongli's own fake funeral, the more Arlecchino wanted to laugh. She was a professionally trained assassin, but this was pushing her absolute limits.
"Very well. You go execute your plan."
Arlecchino said smoothly, managing to keep her voice entirely steady.
"I will remain here a bit longer before returning to the harbor. The Liyue Adeptus monitoring me have already left. We must return at different times to avoid looking suspicious."
Tartaglia agreed. Walking back into the locked-down city side-by-side right now would be suicidal. Besides, he needed to actually go collect some debts first, just to maintain his cover story to Keqing.
With a sharp nod, Tartaglia sprinted off into the wilderness to collect his Mora before heading back to bribe a funeral parlor.
Arlecchino watched him go, a terrifyingly amused smile finally breaking across her face. She turned to her two subordinates.
"You heard everything."
The twin Electro Cicin Mages dropped to one knee, bowing their heads reverently.
"Yes, Lady Arlecchino. We heard everything clearly. What are your orders?"
They were ready to work. Having served under Signora, they possessed a ruthless, unquestioning initiative. If told to execute a plan, they would throw themselves into a sea of fire without hesitation. It was precisely why Arlecchino had poached them after Signora's death—once they returned to Fontaine, they would be incredibly useful tools.
"To ensure the smooth progress of Master Tartaglia's grand plan—" Arlecchino ordered, her tone shifting to absolute authority. "From today onward, you will remain outside Liyue Harbor and await my orders."
Simply put, she was benching them. They were not to enter the city and risk ruining the theater.
"Yes, My Lady!"
They echoed in unison. They didn't question it. They assumed Lady Arlecchino was playing a massive, 4D chess game to assist Tartaglia's Gnosis heist.
While the Fatui schemed, the Chat Group was spiraling into chaos.
[Paimon]: Oh my, oh my!!!!! Did you see it!!!!! Morax!!!!! Is he dead?!
[Kamisato Ayaka]: I saw it. This is absolutely shocking. I never expected something like this to happen.
[Bosacius]: Lord—
[Azhdaha]: Morax!!!!! How did you die!!! Futsu Mitama! See if you can pull his soul into the Chat Group!
[Guizhong]: How is this possible? Why would something like this happen?
[Keqing]: I am returning to Liyue Harbor immediately to investigate. @Azhdaha @Guizhong @Bosacius, Adeptus, please calm down. Although it happened suddenly, the more critical the situation, the calmer we must be.
[Paimon]: Keqing is right, but it's hard! This is Morax! The most powerful Geo Archon! How could he just die like this? Wasn't Futsu Mitama supposed to pull him into the group today?!
[Futsu Mitama]: There is no life aura left. Morax is already dead. There's no way to pull him into the Chat Group.
[Eula]: How could this be—An Archon just dies so easily?
[Lumine]: Perhaps in a place we don't know, Morax fought a great battle with some unknown enemy.
[Albedo]: Hmm. That is highly possible.
[Kuki Shinobu]: What should we do next? Yujing Terrace is completely sealed off.
[Sangonomiya Kokomi]: We can only wait. There is something deeply wrong with the Snezhnayan Delegation. I can feel it; their emotions seem somewhat joyful.
[Cyno]: Yes. I noticed it immediately. After seeing Rex Lapis die, they looked as if their grand plan had succeeded.
[Yae Miko]: Although Snezhnaya is suspicious, it doesn't mean they killed him. Under such watchful eyes, even if the Tsaritsa descended with all the Harbingers, it would be impossible to kill Rex Lapis so silently. As a Retainer, I am very aware of an Archon's power.
[Yae Miko]: @Raiden Makoto @Raiden Ei @Maha Rukkhadevata @Venti @Nahida. What do you all think?
[Raiden Ei]: I cannot see through it. Perhaps Morax encountered a terrifying enemy.
[Raiden Makoto]: I have a guess, but it involves a 'taboo' that I cannot explain.
[Maha Rukkhadevata]: I was not present, so it's hard to say.
[Nahida]: How could such a tragedy happen—
[Venti]: Old man!!! How could you just leave!!! What am I going to do without you!!! Now, among the Seven, only you and I are from the first generation—Oh, wait. The resurrected Baal and Maha Rukkhadevata are here too. Never mind~ I won't cry then.
[Raiden Makoto]: ...
[Maha Rukkhadevata]: ...
[Futsu Mitama]: Does that count as offending two Archons in one sentence?
[Venti]: However! Old man Morax might have been involved in a certain taboo, forcing him to face death. About this matter... I'd like to ask Mr. Zhongli of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. Do you know anything about this?
[Zhongli]: ...
[Aila]: I feel a bit strange.
[Keqing]: What's strange?
[Aila]: It just feels too sudden. Like being caught completely off guard.
[Yae Miko]: That is quite normal. Sometimes, things just happen instantly. When Makoto died, it was also incredibly sudden.
[Nahida]: When Maha Rukkhadevata passed away, it was the same.
[Keqing]: No matter what, we must quickly manage the scene! Although the Lord has passed away, as a Qixing, I must bear this responsibility. Furthermore, if any unexpected situations arise, I may have to trouble everyone for help.
[Cyno]: No problem. I will coordinate with Alhaitham and Faruzan.
[Yae Miko]: Inazuma will fully assist.
[Eula]: Mondstadt is ready. Acting Grand Master Jean is already preparing to assist the Millelith.
[Klee]: Kaeya brother stopped Acting Grand Master Jean! He said we can't intervene right now!
[Albedo]: That is correct. We have to wait for Futsu Mitama and Ningguang to secure the immortal body. After the Qixing Meeting, we can officially offer assistance.
[Keqing]: I am proposing the Qixing Meeting now.
[Azhdaha]: Morax would surely be very pleased to see you like this.
[Guizhong]: Yes. Although it happened suddenly, I will fully dedicate myself to perfecting the Azhdaha Mech to compensate for the combat power vacuum left by his absence.
[Azhdaha]: With Morax gone, it's my turn to step up. If any unexpected situations arise, come directly to me.
[Bosacius]: Has the Lord truly passed? Alas. Keqing, there's no need to trouble Guizhong and Azhdaha. If you need anything, find Alatus. He will provide the greatest assistance within his scope of duty.
[Keqing]: Yes, I understand.
[Azhdaha]: @Futsu Mitama, please close the group live stream. Everyone needs some time to process.
[Futsu Mitama]: Okay, no problem.
[Azhdaha]: Guizhong, come to the Dragon-Queller Tree immediately. I have something I want to ask you.
[Guizhong]: Alright, wait for me. I'll be right there.
—
Futsu Mitama closed the livestream, sighing inwardly.
He's truly a sly old fox.
Azhdaha and Bosacius had easily seen through the charade. They had both survived the Archon War; they knew exactly what happened when a god actually died. Even Guizhong's localized 'death' had massively devastated Liyue's ecology at the time. A true death of Morax would have leveled the entire harbor.
Azhdaha's final messages were pure acting. He clearly knew Morax was faking it, which was exactly why he urgently summoned Guizhong to the Dragon-Queller Tree—he wanted to interrogate her and figure out what the hell Morax was actually up to.
"Alas—"
A heavy, exhausted sigh broke Futsu Mitama's thoughts. Beside him, Ningguang was using her Geo elemental power to levitate the massive Rex Lapis, her face pale and filled with profound worry as they headed toward the southern outskirts of the harbor.
"Since things have come to this, you shouldn't overthink."
Futsu Mitama said gently, stepping closer to comfort her.
"You must calm down quickly and focus on Liyue's future. With Rex Lapis gone, the Adeptus and humanity must jointly govern the nation. As the Tianquan, you cannot afford to drown in lamentation."
He was pushing her to compartmentalize, just like Keqing.
The Yuheng was undoubtedly devastated, but she had ruthlessly suppressed her emotions, rallied her troops, and immediately began coordinating disaster relief in the chat group.
But Keqing couldn't manage Liyue Harbor alone. Ningguang was the head of the Qixing. If she suffered an emotional collapse now, the government would shatter.
Futsu Mitama understood her exhaustion. For two straight months, Ningguang had worked day and night preparing for this festival. Just as she was about to finally breathe a sigh of relief, her god dropped dead at her feet. It was a miracle she hadn't simply fainted on the terrace.
"Mm. I know." Ningguang nodded tightly, her voice strained. "It's just—I still cannot understand why such a powerful Archon would pass away so suddenly. Where will Liyue go from here? I always knew an Archon's lifespan wasn't truly infinite—but I at least hoped he would outlive me."
Ningguang had always suspected that Rex Lapis was preparing the 'Era of Humans and Adeptus' because he knew he couldn't protect Liyue forever. But the day had come entirely too soon, catching her completely off guard.
Futsu Mitama gripped Seven Thunders of Retribution tightly and looked at her seriously.
"Calamity never waits for people to be prepared before it strikes. You know this better than anyone, Ningguang. I know that even while you grieve, your brilliant mind is already calculating the next ten steps. You will fulfill your duty, because you are the Tianquan."
His tone softened.
"But right now, on this walk—you can relax. With me here, it's okay to let your mind go blank for a bit."
He wanted her to rest, even just for twenty minutes. From the preparation of the Rite of Descension until now, her mental state had been stretched to the absolute breaking point.
With him guarding her, nothing could go wrong.
If Tartaglia showed up, one look at the glowing Electro blade would turn the Harbinger into Snezhnaya's best toy salesman.
If Arlecchino passed by, she would pretend she saw nothing and keep walking. Liyue Harbor seemed to be in an apocalyptic crisis, but in reality, it was perfectly safe.
Hearing his gentle voice, the deep confusion and sorrow in Ningguang's eyes slowly began to recede.
"Yes... I suppose I can relax for a moment."
Ningguang smiled faintly. Whether it was his comforting words or her own ironclad fortitude, she managed to pull herself out of the spiral of despair.
They walked in comfortable silence, the massive dragon corpse floating silently behind them. Futsu Mitama caught a faint whiff of a delicate Liyue balm radiating from her—likely a custom blend created by Ying'er. But more importantly, he could sense Ningguang's mental state slowly repairing itself in the quiet.
He mentally gave the Dendro Archon's Inheritance a thumbs-up. It lacked raw destructive power, but its passive, restorative psychological effects were vastly superior to the Geo and Electro legacies.
After walking for nearly half an hour, a massive, ornate structure loomed in the distance.
"The Adeptus body will be temporarily stored in the Golden House." Ningguang said, her authoritative tone returning. "It is heavily guarded. Outside of Liyue Harbor proper, this is the most secure location in the nation."
Futsu Mitama nodded. He knew the Golden House perfectly well.
It was Tartaglia's weekly boss arena—and the only functioning mint in all of Teyvat. Every single Mora in circulation was forged right here.
The exterior was heavily patrolled by elite Millelith, the interior was shielded by ancient barriers, and Adeptus often kept a watchful eye on it when they had nothing better to do. Hiding the corpse here was the safest play.
"Let's go in."
Futsu Mitama said.
As they approached, the stationed Millelith stared at the massive dragon corpse in absolute, disbelieving horror.
They hadn't received the news from the terrace yet.
After Ningguang quickly and solemnly explained the situation, the guards were overcome with grief, dropping to one knee to send off their god in silent reverence.
Ningguang's eyes hardened, and the Tianquan fully returned.
"Hear my orders! From this moment onward, the Golden House is placed under absolute lockdown! No one is permitted to leave! The presence of Rex Lapis's body here is the highest top secret. If a single word leaks—there will be severe consequences!"