Shajin's consciousness stirred, and in an instant, it detached from the Serenitea Pot as if pulled by some invisible force.
In the blink of an eye, his figure reappeared in the real world, his face beaming with satisfaction and joy.
He gave Madame Ping a big thumbs-up.
"This is really something! Thanks a ton, Madame Ping~"
Madame Ping: "..."
Shajin glanced around, pondering quietly to himself.
Now that everything had been handled, only the final step remained.
He waved toward Lumine and said with a smile,
"Lumine, Paimon, let's head to the Northland Bank one more time. A thrilling performance is about to unfold there—you two can be my audience and witness it all."
"Trust me, you won't be disappointed~"
Lumine nodded in response to the invitation, while Paimon's eyes sparkled with excitement, clearly eager to find out what would happen next.
At that moment, Ganyu lowered her head beside them, nervously rubbing her fingers together.
She asked softly, "Um… Shajin, are you leaving again?"
Shajin stepped forward and gently patted the qilin horns atop her head, soothing her.
"Don't worry. My 'Sinner' status has been lifted. From now on, I'll be able to visit openly—no more sneaking around like before~"
"Huh?!"
Ganyu's eyes widened.
"Sneaking around?"
So Shajin had been coming back all these years?
She suddenly recalled how, every few months, when she accidentally dozed off, a strange batch of perfectly completed documents would appear…
Her gaze grew brighter.
"Shajin, you…"
Shajin smiled and waved his hand lightly.
"Let's save the catching up for later. Right now…"
Shajin retrieved the cloak symbolizing his status as a Harbinger from his Vision and draped it over his shoulders.
The cloak's interwoven black and white colors gave off a mysterious and commanding aura.
Then, he donned the mask that marked his identity as the Gambler, hiding his face and the dreamy, deep gaze in his eyes.
"I've got official business to attend to."
His voice was low, magnetic, and carried a faint, elusive amusement.
He turned, his eyes settling on the Traveler and Paimon.
"Let's go, Lumine, Paimon."
"To witness a show that's…"
He paused, the corners of his lips curving up slightly.
"…unforgettable for a lifetime~"
...
Inside the Northland Bank.
Lumine and Paimon had barely stepped inside when they froze, eyes wide in disbelief at the sight of Zhongli.
Paimon gasped and blurted out,
"Zhongli?! Weren't you arrested by the Ministry of Civil Affairs?!"
Zhongli: "..."
Lumine rubbed her chin thoughtfully as she studied him.
Tartaglia spotted the trio and walked straight over to Shajin, looking disgruntled.
"Hey! Adventurine, you told me to get the Gnosis from the 'Exuvia'. Where is it?! You said you wouldn't trick me!"
Shajin pressed a palm downward, motioning for calm.
"Relax, Ajax."
He patted Lumine's head playfully.
"I said you'd meet a worthy opponent in the Golden House. I never promised you'd actually find the Gnosis, did I~?"
Only now did Tartaglia notice Lumine beside him.
After all, it hadn't been long since they last fought.
Scratching his head, Tartaglia chuckled.
"Yo, Lumine. This is the first time we've seen each other since the whole incident."
"How should I put it… the vibe is kinda… awkward?"
Paimon crossed her arms and stomped in midair. "Hmph! You've got some nerve. We thought it was just a sparring match—who knew you'd come at us that hard?!"
Tartaglia laughed awkwardly. "Haha… Sure, the final fallout was unfortunate, but our cooperation before that wasn't half-bad, right?"
"It's just a matter of different stances. I don't take it personally—of course, you're free to hold a grudge if you want…"
He collapsed onto a new sofa like a heap of lazy slush.
Staring lazily at the ceiling, he mumbled,
"But the Gambler, La Signora, and Mr. Zhongli over there—they really played me for a fool~"
"Man… I've been had so badly…"
On the other side, La Signora stood with arms crossed, her expression cold and commanding.
She strode forward and yanked Shajin over.
"Enough chit-chat, Childe. If you want to talk, wait until we've finished the job."
Her tone was icy and forceful—enough to send a chill down anyone's spine.
"Adventurine…"
Rosalyne motioned with her eyes for Shajin to move ahead.
He muttered under his breath.
"This woman really knows how to boss people around…"
But still, he obediently walked over.
When he saw Rosalyne standing behind him, signaling discreetly, Shajin nearly burst out laughing.
Just a while ago in Mondstadt, she was all high-and-mighty facing the Anemo Archon;
Now that she was dealing with the Geo Archon, she suddenly remembered him?
Shajin cleared his throat, suppressing the urge to laugh, and made his voice sound as serious as possible.
"As agreed… I'm here to take your Gnosis, Morax~"
"Eh?!"
Paimon clutched her head in both hands, seemingly unable to process the information.
"Wait, wait, wait!"
She pointed at Zhongli.
"Shajin, are you saying Zhongli is Liyue's Geo Archon—Morax?!"
"Zhongli is the Rex Lapis?!"
Shajin gave no direct response.
"The contract is fulfilled. As you desired, I grant you what was promised."
In Zhongli's hand floated a yellowish-brown chess piece—the Geo Gnosis.
La Signora clicked her tongue in dissatisfaction and muttered behind Shajin,
"Hmph, such a condescending tone…"
At that moment, Zhongli extended his hand and gave a gentle push.
The softly glowing Gnosis floated toward Shajin.
He didn't even look at it, casually tossing it over to Rosalyne.
Without hesitation, she caught it and immediately stored it in her spatial device.
Their movements were smooth and synchronized—as if this coordination was already second nature.
Lumine gave them a glance, then quickly averted her gaze.
Her eyes narrowed slightly as she stared intently at Zhongli, filled with suspicion and scrutiny.
"Morax, don't you think you owe us a proper explanation?"
Her voice was steady and full of confidence, without the slightest trace of fear.
No joke—with Shajin backing her up, she had no reason to be afraid!
I'm super brave, okay.
_
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