Inside the Jade Chamber, a reception room had been prepared long ago.
Ningguang sat waiting.
Before long, the guest she expected today finally arrived.
"I have heard much of your great name, Miss Ningguang. Even in the depths of the mountains, the reputation of the Tianquan reached my ears."
Su Ming pushed the door open as he spoke, moving with a steady pace until he took a seat directly across from her.
"I wonder what important business the great Tianquan has with a commoner like me?"
Ningguang stared at the young man who had just entered, momentary stunned.
Though she had seen his likeness in photographs many times, the aura he radiated in person was striking enough to give even her pause.
However, Ningguang was a woman of vast experience. She quickly recovered, offering a slight smile. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Su Ming. I invited you here today with no specific agenda in mind. I simply wished to chat."
Su Ming chuckled. "Chat? The illustrious Tianquan invites me to the Jade Chamber for a chat? Is that all?"
He leaned back slightly. "I'd sooner believe that Miss Ningguang found me too handsome and wanted to develop a deeper relationship with me."
Despite Su Ming's somewhat impolite teasing, Ningguang maintained her graceful smile. "How do you know that isn't exactly what I was thinking?"
"Heh." Su Ming gave a faint, knowing smile. "There's no need to play coy. Our time is precious. We shouldn't waste it on empty pleasantries and testing the waters."
Ningguang's expression turned a bit more serious. "Mr. Su is indeed a remarkable man. Very well, I shall get straight to the point."
"Yesterday, at Mt. Tianheng, did you have a conflict with that Fatui Harbinger?"
Su Ming smiled. "I did."
"Why?"
"Just a trade. We each got what we needed."
Su Ming's answer caught Ningguang off guard.
"A trade?"
"Is Miss Ningguang trying to pry into the details of the transaction?" Su Ming looked at her, his smile never wavering.
The moment those words left his mouth, the atmosphere in the reception room turned several degrees colder.
Ningguang returned his smile. "That is not my intention. I have no interest in prying into the private business of others."
Su Ming didn't dwell on the topic. Instead, he shifted the conversation. "Speaking of trades... I happen to have a piece of intelligence. I wonder if the Tianquan is interested in buying?"
"Oh?" Ningguang's curiosity was piqued. "What kind of intelligence?"
"Intelligence regarding the Fatui," Su Ming said. "I heard it from a friend. I think you'll find it quite interesting."
Ningguang straightened her posture, becoming fully attentive. "Please, tell me more. As for the compensation, I will pay according to the importance of the information."
"Dealing with the Tianquan is always a pleasure!"
Su Ming laughed. "This intelligence is simple, yet it is a question that you, the Liyue Qixing, have consistently overlooked."
"And it's not just the Qixing... the Knights of Favonius in Mondstadt have likewise ignored this crucial issue."
"And that is: what is the Fatui's ultimate goal for being active across the seven nations?"
"Is it wealth? The power of the Northland Bank is already immense; I don't think I need to elaborate on that."
"Is it military power? The eleven Harbingers alone are enough for them to run rampant across Teyvat."
"So, what is it they truly want?"
Ningguang's expression grew grave.
Indeed, what was the Fatui's true objective?
Why spread their eyes and ears across all seven nations and stir up local unrest? For what purpose?
An organization a massive organization acting in the name of a god must represent the will of that god. They must be plotting something.
Yet, from the perspective of mortals, the Fatui's actions in the seven nations looked more like... simple troublemaking?
She realized she had been ignoring such a glaring inconsistency for far too long.
A jolt of shock went through her, and the calm, indifferent look in her eyes vanished instantly as she stared at Su Ming.
"Ha, if this were a storybook, I'd probably put on an act of being some mysterious master and make you guess the answer."
"Then I'd slowly guide you to the truth."
"But I'm not that bored, and I have things of my own to attend to, so I won't play games."
Su Ming stood up from his seat and looked Ningguang in the eye. "The goal of the Fatui or rather, the goal of The Tsaritsa is to seize the Gnoses."
Boom!
Ningguang felt as if a bolt of lightning had struck her heart.
She stood up abruptly. "What did you say?!"
"The Gnosis. That is the Fatui's objective," Su Ming said with a smile. "I believe you are aware that I have a good relationship with that Traveler from Mondstadt."
"This is the answer I got from her, and she got it directly from the mouth of the Anemo Archon, Barbatos, as well as from the Fatui's actions in Mondstadt."
"The Anemo Archon's Gnosis has already been taken. Whether it was a pre-arranged deal between the Anemo and Cryo Archons, or born of the Anemo Archon's guilt toward the Harbinger stationed in Mondstadt, it is now an established fact."
"And now, with Rex Lapis having passed away, the Fatui are likely about to make their move."
Su Ming began walking toward the door. "Even if they had ten times the courage, the Fatui wouldn't dare act while the Geo Archon Morax was alive."
"Even if The Tsaritsa herself came in person, she wouldn't have had it easy."
"But dealing with the corpse of a dead god is a different matter entirely."
"So, you should think very carefully about where the Exuvia is currently hidden. Perhaps it's time to move it."
"To be honest, the Golden House is really not a good place."
"If you run into any trouble, you can always chat with my two Senior Martial Uncles. I don't think they would refuse to help you with this."
"That is all I have to say. Take care of yourself, Miss Ningguang."
"By the way, today's talk was quite pleasant. I look forward to our next meeting."
Thud.
Su Ming closed the door behind him.
Ningguang was left alone in the room, silently processing the earth-shattering information she had just received.
🚨 Note: Consider supporting this story on Patreon.com/Flokixy to access 400+ advance chapters and 2 new chapters daily! (Full story bundles also available without a subscription).