Lu Bu, the Thunder General, is my adoptive father in Genshin Impact.

He asked earnestly, "What are the characteristics of members of the War Maniacs?"

Kujo said, "The members have bright red skull tattoos on their bodies."

Xiao Yi was stunned for a few seconds, then a smile spread across his face.

……

At four in the morning, the bustling activity on the outlying island's flower street gradually subsided, and darkness and silence began to envelop this once-thriving area.

Deep in a secluded alley, a dark-skinned, overweight man named Tadokoro Koji moved slowly, leaning against the wall.

His noticeably thinner belly showed how effective the Splatoon was; the fat man struggled to move while swearing and cursing Miyamoto Tsubasa, who had caused him this.

whoosh—whoosh—whoosh—

A strange commotion arose behind him, like a broken bellows operating at full power, or like a person with their throat cut out struggling to breathe, or the muffled breathing of a lung patient.

If the sound were of unknown origin, the audacious Tadokoro would not have been so terrified. It was precisely because he knew the source of the sound that he was so frightened that his legs went weak and he knelt down on the ground.

Tadokoro dared not turn around to look at the source of the sound behind him, his whole body trembling as if he were being shaken.

The heavy breathing continued in a loop, but nothing else happened. Tadokoro dared not make any rash moves, and continued to kneel, holding onto the wall, his red skull tattoo on his back soaked with cold sweat.

The muffled voice, as if submerged underwater, slowly and emotionlessly questioned Koji Tadokoro.

"Tonight, most of the members went to steal explosives, the rest assassinated nobles to draw attention, but you alone indulged in revelry in the bright lights, only to be defeated and left in a sorry state. What is the point of your existence?"

Tadokoro felt that his fate, his life, and everything about him had been ruthlessly seen through by the source of the voice, including the idea of ​​reaping the benefits without lifting a finger.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't dare to charge the Shogunate's warehouse head-on, so I ran away!" He apologized as if in agony. He would rather drink ten more bottles of Splatoon than face that guy. "But losing to someone else is not my fault. My opponent was Miyamoto Tsubasa, the famous Miyamoto Tsubasa!"

The low breathing paused briefly, then echoed through the alley again.

"Miyamoto Tsubasa? That's really interesting. One Miyamoto Tsubasa died, and another one comes along..."

Tadokoro didn't ponder the meaning of those words. He neither had the energy to ponder them nor dared to ponder them recklessly. All he could do was kneel on the ground, trembling.

At the same time, the muffled breathing stopped and did not reappear this time.

Perhaps he left, or perhaps he went to find Miyamoto Tsubasa; Tadokoro didn't care. All he knew was that he had been given a second chance at life.

Koji Tadokoro's trembling legs prevented him from standing up. He knelt in the cold alley for a long time until the warm morning light shone on the earth.

Chapter 16 The Enticement Plan

For the next three days, Xiao Yi and Jiu Tiao stayed in the military camp, discussing a plan to retrieve the bomb based on the known intelligence they had.

On the first day, Xiao Yi came up with a feasible plan. Although Jiu Tiao was unwilling, she had no choice but to compromise in order to resolve the bomb crisis.

Therefore, Xiao Yi helped Kujo Sara conduct a two-day special training to ensure that she could successfully complete the mission on the day the plan was implemented.

……

On the sixth night, in the flower market on the outlying island, near the izakaya (Japanese pub).

On an inconspicuous low wooden box by the roadside sat a black-haired woman wearing a light pink kimono, with a gentle and calm demeanor.

Her smooth, dark hair was tied into a long side ponytail, which naturally draped over her right chest. The braid accentuated her gentleness, but also gave off a sense of incongruity.

A woman like this, a true Japanese woman, should stay at home, be a wife and mother, not appear in the red-light district.

If a samurai serving as the magistrate of the shogunate were to pass by, they would never recognize that this woman was actually their superior, Kujo Sara, the shogun of the shogunate.

A jet-black wig, a beautiful kimono paired with light makeup, and the results of Xiao Yi's training over the past few days... have completely transformed the female soldier, who was originally a serious and rigid figure, from someone with a murderous aura.

At this moment, a man wearing a demon mask came to her side and sat down on the wooden box as well.

The man's mask has obvious gaps on its surface, which appear to be traces of glue used to repair the crack.

On this flower-lined street, there are many people dressed in strange costumes, and even those wearing ghost masks will not attract the attention of passersby.

"You were wearing this mask the day you slashed me," Kujo whispered.

“After all, I need to observe the target's movements from the surroundings, and he recognizes my face, so I have no choice but to do it this way,” Xiao Yi replied in a low voice, then teased, “This mask belongs to Miyamoto Jiro. You cut it in two with one stroke that day. Are you going to compensate me?”

"Speaking of Miyamoto Jiro, he's still imprisoned on Umijima Island, right?" Kujo suddenly changed the subject. "Are the rumors about you and Sango Miyako Kokoro true?"

Xiao Yi was utterly helpless: How come even you've heard this rumor? Do I look like that kind of person?

Xiao Yi would never fall in love with anyone. As a selfless person, he would like every beautiful girl he met.

In Inatsume's words, it's like: I love everyone!

But he immediately realized the danger. If Kujo continued to ponder, wouldn't his identity as a high-ranking agent be exposed?

"Fake news, all fake news! I've never even met Coral Palace Xin Hai, so how could I have a rumor with her?" Xiao Yi quickly changed the subject, "Let's talk about something else, discussing rumors is pointless."

"And what's with your God's Eye attribute? Is it wind or water?" Kujo asked.

Xiao Yi felt that chatting with Jiu Tiao was like being interrogated, with every sentence being something he didn't want to say, yet he had to say something to get through it.

"My Eye of God is quite special; it changes according to the seasons and has all seven attributes," Xiao Yi lied.

Actually, it's not based on the solar terms, but on the spirit of the times; being someone's subordinate determines their status.

Kujo looked towards the tavern entrance not far away and began to discuss serious matters: "The suspect's name is Tadokoro Koji, right? Will he really come to the tavern for fun in such a tense environment, just as you predicted?"

Xiao Yi said confidently, "I have a good eye for people. This kind of street urchin is impatient and lacks composure. He doesn't have the virtue of 'patience' and will never learn from his mistakes. He'll never amount to anything. As long as he's not dead or restricted in his movements, he'll come back to this Wonderful House to play sooner or later."

"Besides, you're already famous, I don't believe Tadokoro Koji won't come."

Three days after the special training ended, Xiao Yi brought Jiu Tiao to the tavern that night and told her to sit alone in the hall and drink quietly, and not to pay attention to anyone who tried to talk to her.

Since then, I have done it every day.

Over time, this legend gradually emerged on the outlying island.

Every evening at the same time, a melancholy-faced beauty would come to the tavern alone and drink to her heart's content; no one knew her past or her identity.

Some say she was a young noblewoman whose husband had passed away, and she drowned her sorrows in alcohol.

Some say she was a famous gambler who traveled the continent of Teyvat, but lost everything in Inazuma and could only numb herself with alcohol, indulging in her past glory.

Some even say she is a demon in disguise, and anyone who dares to follow her will vanish into thin air.

The first two rumors were actually deliberately spread by Xiao Yi, which perfectly corresponded to the disgusting nature of the fat, dark-skinned Tian Suo, who loved married women and was addicted to gambling.

The final rumor was that someone with ulterior motives secretly followed her when she left the tavern, but she and Xiao Yi beat them up and threw them into the Tianling magistrate's prison.

In short, the key to the plan is to lure Koji Tadokoro out, capture him, and interrogate him for information about the bomb.

Tadokoro possesses the Eye of God, so he is definitely not a low-level member of the organization. He must know the location of the bomb or the War Maniac's lair.

Kujo had been frequenting the tavern for three consecutive days, and now it was the fourth night. Her patience was starting to waver, but Xiao Yi remained confident.

The one who understands lecherous people best is none other than the lecherous critic himself.

Xiao Yi was certain that Tian Suo would fall for the trap.

Suddenly, their eyes sharpened as they spotted a large, heavily disguised man sneaking into the tavern not far away.

Xiao Yi curled the corners of his mouth into a smile.

"Go, Sara!"

Nine complaints.

"Are you summoning some kind of beast?"

……

After entering the tavern, Koji Tadokoro pulled off the clothes covering his face and went to a familiar corner of the hall.

There used to be a familiar old table there, but now everything has changed; it has been replaced with a brand new wooden wine table.

Tadokoro sat down and arrogantly shouted to the surrounding drinkers, "Who wants to play a game with me!"

The nearby customers didn't want to gamble, but they were also afraid to leave.

The reason they didn't want to gamble was simple: Tadokoro cheated, and they didn't dare to point it out to his face. The reason they didn't dare to leave was even simpler: it would make Tadokoro feel like he was being looked down upon.

Every time Tadokoro comes to the izakaya, a few unlucky guys are forcibly dragged into a gambling game and then have to give money to the fat black guy.

Moreover, Tadokoro didn't seem to be in a good mood today, and the drinkers were trembling and dared not make a sound.

As for the reason for his bad mood, it was very simple: he heard that there was a beautiful woman at the tavern recently, and he finally rushed over only to find that she was not there, which made him resentful.

"If you don't mind, I'll play a few rounds with you." A gentle voice came from beside the table.

Koji Tadokoro scrutinized the owner of the voice, almost drooling.

Fair skin, smooth black hair, slender figure, and a perfect physique...

He immediately had the woman sit down.

Koji Tadokoro quickly won all of the woman's chips by cheating, but instead of ending the game, he lent her a lot of chips to continue playing.

Before long, the woman not only lost all her chips, but also owed the landlord dozens of chips.

"How are you going to pay me back for what you owe me?" the fat man chuckled thickly. "Hehehehehehehe..."

The woman replied calmly, "Go to a deserted alley nearby, I have a way to return it to you."

As soon as she finished speaking, she strode towards the door.

The fat man, with a nauseating grin on his face, hurriedly followed behind, like a wild boar spotting food in a trap.

Chapter 17 Arataki’s fight that disrupts the situation

Xiao Yi and Kujo Sara's plan was simple.

First, lure the fat man out of a crowded and conspicuous place to avoid alerting the other war madmen. Once the fat man and Jiu Tiao enter a secluded alley, Xiao Yi, who is hiding on the roof, splashes water on him, and Jiu Tiao immediately releases lightning.

The elemental reaction triggered by water and lightning was enough to turn the alleyway into a shower of sparks and lightning, instantly subduing the violent Koji Tadokoro.

At this point, the plan was half successful. Jiu Tiao had brought the fat man to a secluded alley, and Xiao Yi had found the perfect spot to wait. All that was needed was to splash water and the job would be done.

That is, assuming that guy doesn't show up.

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha……"

A burst of extremely cheerful and sunny laughter suddenly rang out from the alley entrance, so loud it shook the entire flower street, enough to convey the "social butterfly syndrome" of the person who laughed, as well as their extremely energetic voice.

Koji Tadokoro, the prey, and Xiao Yi and Kujo, the hunters, were both stunned.