A few days later, the weather was bright and clear.
With a long, echoing blast of its horn, a passenger ship from Snezhnaya slowly pulled up to the dock and anchored at the port of Mondstadt.
Inside the stuffy cabin, Lynette lay weakly across the edge of a table, barely having the strength to raise her eyes.
Ye Xun squatted down, his eyes falling on her pale profile.
“Can you walk on your own?” he asked softly.
“I…
I can walk!” She gave a stubborn reply and tried to push herself up against the table.
But her arms gave out with no strength at all, and after a wobble, she collapsed back down.
Ye Xun sighed, his voice helpless.
“Forget it.
I’ll carry you on my back.
I am your uncle, after all.” Before his words faded, he stepped forward, squatted in front of her, and gently draped her arms over his shoulders.
With a slight pull, he lifted her securely onto his back.
Lynette tried her best to struggle, but her body was completely limp.
In the end, she gave up resisting and buried her face behind his shoulder, the tips of her ears flushing faint red.
Ye Xun carried her out of the cabin.
A cool breeze blew against them, refreshing to the core.
Before them stood an ancient city resembling a European medieval castle, surrounded by tall, sturdy stone walls.
In the center of the city rose a magnificent statue of the Anemo Archon.
After walking a short distance from the port, Lynette’s condition noticeably improved as her seasickness began to fade.
Sensation gradually returned to her body.
Where his hands supported her thighs, a subtle tingle sent faint sparks through her skin.
The scent on him hovered at the tip of her nose.
It wasn’t the foul stench of sweat she had imagined, but a crisp, clean, faint fragrance.
It smelled like a pine forest after rain blended with soap—surprisingly pleasant.
As they approached the city gates, foot traffic grew heavier.
Lynette’s cheeks burned slightly as she lowered her voice.
“Put me down.” “Sure.” Without a second thought, Ye Xun let go immediately.
But her legs were still weak.
The moment her feet touched the ground, she stumbled and nearly fell.
She glared at him in frustration, only to see that the guy was already walking ahead on his own.
“Curse you!” She gritted her teeth and gave chase with difficulty.
Guarding the entrance to Mondstadt were two pot-bellied Knights of Favonius.
One leaned against the city wall dozing off, while the other lay flat on the ground, snoring loudly.
Passersby seemed well used to the sight and paid it no mind at all.
In the Winter Capital, however, such slackness would never be tolerated.
If any Fatui dared to slack off like this, the experimental clinic would gain a fresh specimen the next day, putting him to sleep forever.
After walking a while, Ye Xun and Lynette arrived in front of a plain house and knocked gently on the door.
A moment later, the door opened.
The person who answered was an ordinary-looking young woman whose eyes bore clear vigilance.
“Excuse me, who are you?” The corners of Ye Xun’s lips curled into a gentle smile.
“I am Ye Xun, the special envoy of Lady ‘The Fair Lady.’ The girl beside me is my assistant.” “Do you have proof?” the woman pressed cautiously.
Unhurriedly, Ye Xun pulled a seal from his robes.
Engraved upon it was a burning butterfly.
The woman’s pupils shrank, and she bowed immediately.
“Officer Ye Xun!
Corporal Lyudmila of the Mondstadt Fatui branch, reporting for duty!” Ye Xun gave a slight nod.
“Summon all personnel here for a meeting.” “Yes, sir!” Lyudmila answered respectfully and promptly went off to deliver the order.
Ye Xun stepped inside, reclined on the couch in the living room, and closed his eyes to rest.
Lynette hesitated briefly before sitting down a short distance away from him, closing her eyes as well.
This bumpy sea voyage had been far too exhausting for someone prone to seasickness.
Before she knew it, she drifted into sleep.
Time trickled by, and Fatui members entered the house one after another.
Some conversed in hushed tones, while others stood in silence.
Roughly an hour later, Ye Xun opened his eyes and scanned the room, his brows knitting slightly.
Fewer than ten people had turned up.
Yet the Mondstadt branch had nearly fifty members in total.
Even if some were out on official duty, there shouldn’t be fewer than thirty present.
He turned his gaze to Lyudmila standing before him and asked calmly, “Are the rest who failed to show up all on official duties?” Lyudmila’s expression froze slightly.
She hesitated a moment before giving a vague reply.
“I think…
so!” “In that case, let’s wait here for them to return,” Ye Xun said, then closed his eyes once more to rest.
Everyone in the room exchanged glances, their expressions mixed.
After a while, the door opened and several Fatui walked in.
They were staff members of the Mondstadt branch of the Northland Bank, carrying themselves with sharp efficiency and shrewdness.
Upon entering, they tacitly gathered in a corner, forming their own faction—silent and distant.
Ye Xun merely opened his eyes to cast a glance at them, his voice indifferent.
“Keep waiting.” A short moment later, the door was suddenly slammed open!
A burly middle-aged man strode in, followed by over a dozen fully armed Fatui members.
His face was grim, his steps steady, and his demeanor imposing.
“I am the head of the Mondstadt branch, Major Maxim.” He walked straight up to Ye Xun and spoke in a low, firm tone.
“Unless it’s urgent, please do not summon us at whim.
We are very busy.” Ye Xun slowly rose from the couch and said indifferently, “I’m curious—what gives you the confidence to speak to a special envoy like this?” Maxim sneered.
“Heh, you think you’re the only special envoy?” As he spoke, he carefully drew a seal from his coat, carved with a raven-beak mask.
Ye Xun’s gaze landed on the seal.
A flicker of cold murderous intent quietly crossed his eyes, though his tone remained calm: “Maxim, I’m afraid you don’t realize that I am no ordinary special envoy.” “What’s so non-ordinary about you?” Maxim asked, frowning.
Ye Xun retrieved Pulcinella’s seal from his robes and held it out in his palm.
“I am also the personal avatar of Mayor Pulcinella.” Maxim’s eyes widened slightly in sheer disbelief.
The room erupted into an uproar.
In an instant, the people behind Maxim scrambled backward, terrified of being linked to him, leaving only a few diehard loyalists standing frozen in place.
Although Harbinger Dottore ranked second among the Harbingers, in terms of real authority, he was far inferior to the Fifth Harbinger, Pulcinella.
What was more, Ye Xun also had the support of the Eighth Harbinger, Rosalyne.
“Now…
do you still have that confidence?” Ye Xun asked with a half-smile.
Maxim’s face turned pale and dark by turns, a vein on his temple throbbing slightly.
A moment later, he gritted his teeth and forced out, “I am the head of the Mondstadt branch!
Of course I have it!” Ye Xun nodded noncommittally.
“Very well.
Then please leave with your people.” Maxim glared deeply at him, said nothing, and turned on his heel to stride away.
Apart from those few diehards, the rest who had arrived with him remained behind.
Before Maxim even crossed the threshold, Ye Xun turned to Lyudmila and asked, “Corporal Lyudmila, how much is your monthly salary currently?” “Fifty thousand Mora,” Lyudmila replied softly.
Without the slightest hesitation, Ye Xun declared with a sweep of his hand, “Starting this month, it’s one hundred thousand Mora a month!” Before his voice had even settled, cheers burst through the room.
At the doorway, Maxim’s steps faltered, his back noticeably stiffening for a moment.
It seemed he had provoked someone who was not to be trifled with.
But things had reached this point, and there was no turning back for him now.