Genshin Impact, I'm Slime

Chapter 682 Bloody Light

The moon hides and the stars fade.

In the shadowy depths of an abandoned attic in the General Affairs Department, Wu Pei clung to the cold wall, almost blending into the mottled paint.

He wasn't completely asleep, but rather in a semi-conscious state, unconsciously trying to tense and relax the muscles in his shoulder blades.

This was a disguise technique that Ye Lan had shown him a few days ago, which was almost contrary to common sense. By precisely controlling his muscles, he could make his body appear smaller, making it easier to hide in nooks and crannies, and also conceal his large muscles.

Since the last time in front of Yujingtai, when the traveler and Paimon saw through her disguise, Yelan has passed on this skill to Wu Pei without reservation.

Wu Pei learned the true skills he hadn't learned in his family, but he mastered them thoroughly from Ye Lan.

He didn't know how to repay this kindness.

Wu Pei still remembers when Ye Lan demonstrated in the training field, her figure seemed to thin out of thin air, leaving him dumbfounded.

At this moment, Wu Pei exerted all his strength, the muscles near his shoulder blades twitching slightly, trying to capture that mysterious feeling, but he could not quite grasp it.

The fatigue from days of monotonous surveillance washed over him like a tidal wave, and his eyelids finally drooped heavily, his head gradually nodding off.

But soon, a gust of wind carrying the chill of deep winter suddenly rushed into the attic, making Wu Pei shiver. He groggily raised his head, his tense shoulder muscles relaxing slightly.

"hiss…"

Wu Pei gasped, the chill dispelling most of his lingering drowsiness.

Once he regained consciousness, Wu Pei's gaze habitually drifted towards the quiet courtyard where Herria's room was located in the distance.

This was his routine observation point as a spy.

However, upon that glance, Wu Pei's brows immediately furrowed.

The abandoned attic where he was located was a carefully chosen vantage point with an excellent view, allowing him to monitor the main entrance of the target room and the fixed sentry posts on both sides without any obstruction.

The scene near the side room was clearly unusual at this moment.

At the main gate, the key position that should have been guarded by Captain Hongyu was deserted.

Looking left and right, there were no guards at the fixed sentry posts on both sides. On the bluestone ground, only the cold moonlight cast the shadows of the buildings.

Wu Pei's fingers tapped lightly on the windowsill unconsciously as he quickly searched for relevant information in his mind.

Wu Pei was well aware that Hong Yu had a long history of leaving his post without permission.

It was common for them to arrive late, leave early, or even make excuses to sneak off to the market, and Wu Pei would sometimes turn a blind eye to it.

However, the fact that the entire duty team, including Hongyu and three others, disappeared from all their designated posts at the same time tonight clearly goes beyond Hongyu's personal negligence and seriously violates basic duty roster rules.

It's one thing if Hongyu is the only one slacking off, but is the entire Qianyan Army squad neglecting their duties?

An ominous premonition rose in Wu Pei's heart.

He sprang up silently like a cheetah whose tail had been singed by flames, his heart pounding wildly in his chest.

All his practice of imitating Lord Yelan's disguise was thrown to the back of his mind. Wu Pei instinctively lowered his body, compressing it to its limit, and merged into the denser shadows, sliding rapidly towards the courtyard like a tiny ghost.

This time it's a real stealth operation.

The martial arts skills that had been practiced diligently without success were successfully used in this urgent situation.

But Wu Pei, who was anxious at the moment, did not realize that he had unintentionally used the martial arts taught by Ye Lan.

When he arrived at the side room, the courtyard was eerily empty.

Without Hongyu, and without the other four Thousand Rock Army soldiers on duty, only withered leaves swirling in the night wind on the bluestone ground.

The door to the side room was ajar, and inside was darkness that swallowed all light, and utter silence.

Wu Pei's heart sank into an ice cave. He quickly moved to the door, listened for a moment, and after confirming that there was nothing unusual, he suddenly pushed the door open and entered.

The solidified candle wax piled up on the candlesticks, the room was a mess, the tables and chairs were overturned, and the dressing table was empty, with only slight traces of searching left.

The most important person in the room, the Salt Goddess Heuria, has disappeared, along with the five Thousand Rock Army warriors who were guarding her; they have all vanished without a trace.

Fear and a suffocating sense of dereliction of duty instantly gripped Wu Pei's throat. "Oh no! The sky is falling!!"

Alarm bells rang in Wu Pei's mind. Without the slightest hesitation, he turned around and rushed out of the courtyard at top speed, heading towards a nearby high point with a wide view.

He quickly pulled out a jet-black metal tube from a concealed leather pouch at his waist, engraved with the special insignia of Ye Lan's secret agents.

Without the slightest pause, Wu Pei bit off the safety pin at the end of the tube with his teeth, and with a mighty swing of his arm, shot the signal tube straight into the sky.

"Whoosh... Bang!!"

A blinding crimson flame, accompanied by a shrill scream, shot up into the sky above Liyue Harbor and exploded at its highest point!

The fireworks burst forth with a crimson light that illuminated the entire General Affairs Department complex, accompanied by a chilling, piercing roar, like the furious howl of a dying beast.

Meanwhile, the southern docks of Liyue were brightly lit.

The massive hull of the Death Star was slowly approaching the dock, and the sailors were shouting as they threw thick mooring lines toward the shore pillars.

On the bow deck, Ningguang and Beidou were conversing quietly about the end of the voyage. Zhongli stood with his hands behind his back, his eyes calmly gazing at the familiar harbor.

Famas leaned lazily against the gunwale, while the traveler and Paimon curiously peered at the approaching dock.

In the deepest shadows beneath the pier, a light blue figure, almost completely blending into the environment, silently monitors the entire berthing process, ensuring the absolute safety of Ningguang's ship as it returns to port.

That was Ye Lan, who had been on duty at the dock.

The ominous red light and the shrill fireworks rising above the General Affairs Department quickly attracted everyone's attention.

"Ok?"

Beidou looked up at the sound, its wine-red single eye first flashing with displeasure at being interrupted, then being attracted by the dazzling red light.

She raised an eyebrow, showing no sign of nervousness, but instead grinned with a smile reminiscent of the sea breeze, nudging the traveler beside her with her elbow:
"Ha! Did you see that? Ningguang's quick! I just got back and she's already lifted the ban on fireworks at the South Wharf? Such a big welcome back for our triumphant return? That's really something!"

Paimon was immediately drawn to the dazzling lights and shadows, clapping his little hands and spinning around in the air:
Wow! What huge fireworks! So red and bright! Traveler, look!

The girl watched as the crimson hue slowly spread across the night sky, carrying a mournful aftertaste, and her brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.

These fireworks... the colors and sounds seem a bit too shrill; they don't quite feel like a celebratory atmosphere.

But seeing Beidou and Paimon's confident expressions, and remembering the rumors circulating that fireworks restrictions in Liyue Harbor would be relaxed before Lantern Festival, they realized that the situation was indeed complicated.

The traveler temporarily suppressed his doubts and nodded: "Hmm...it is quite big."

Only condensed light.

Her usual composure froze instantly, like a lake swept by a cold wind, the moment the signal broke out.

Tianquanxing's eyes suddenly narrowed into dangerous slits as he stared intently at the source of the red light.

That was Heulia's place of confinement.

The fireworks were not a celebration, but a top-level emergency signal from her secret agents.

Zhongli's fingers, which were behind his back, curled almost imperceptibly. His deep golden eyes were fixed on that dazzling scarlet color, as if ancient rock layers were silently cracking and coalescing deep within his calm eyes.

Although he didn't know the format or meaning of the signal, he knew that Ningguang would never do anything like lighting beacon fires to amuse the feudal lords.

Famas remained leaning against the ship's railing, his nonchalant smile unchanged, only thoughtfully licking his teeth.
"Wow... setting off such a big firework in the middle of the night, what if it disturbs the neighbors?"

The boy glanced with interest at Hokuto and the traveler, who were completely unaware of the incident and were still enjoying the fireworks.

Deep within the shadows of the pier, Ye Lan's emerald eyes narrowed abruptly the instant the signal was triggered, and even her perfectly concealed posture showed a very subtle wavering.

That direction... leads to Heuria's place of confinement.

Wu Pei issued the highest level of emergency signal!
A cold glint, mixed with shock and anger at having her plans disrupted, flashed across Ye Lan's eyes.

Ningguang had just returned to port when such a huge blunder occurred behind her.

Ye Lan suppressed the urge to rush there immediately, her gaze instantly locking onto Ning Guang's figure on the deck. After confirming that Zhong Li, Famas, and the others were still on the ship, she hurried towards the General Affairs Department without hesitation.

(End of this chapter)