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

The Fools' underground base.

Countless large cultivation chambers stood along the wall, lined up neatly in a row. Floating inside each cultivation chamber were women with long, azure hair, and some were still-developing budding flowers.

A man stood before the incubation chamber, his tousled light blue hair disheveled, his face covered by a mask that held two-thirds of his features, and dressed in a suit-like garment.

"This is terrible. The plan to assassinate the real Yura Lawrence failed, and the Knights of Favonius discovered the truth. All these imposters are useless now." The man muttered to himself in frustration. "The most urgent thing now is to capture that Liyue person who is favored by his adopted son. We will definitely be able to find the secrets of his adopted son and even the God of Thunder from his body."

Just then, a burly man covered in mechanical devices and tubing ran to the Doctor's side and reported respectfully but urgently, "Doctor, things have gone beyond our plans. Coral Palace Heartsea has actually come to Mondstadt."

The doctor was taken aback.

"Has she been in contact with Narutoko?" he asked.

“Not yet, she’s currently near the Deer Hunter’s Restaurant, but…” the burly man hesitated for a moment before adding, “she’s made contact with our target.”

"It's fine if she contacts Xiao Yi, but we absolutely must prevent her from meeting Naruko." The professor waved his hand dismissively. "As long as we stop her from meeting Naruko, our plan won't be considered a failure."

He planned to create an information gap, letting his adopted son hear rumors of a rebellion on Umijima Island, then brush past the High Priestess in Mondstadt and return to Inazuma.

Ultimately, the purpose of the Fools was not to frame Xin Hai, but to transfer their adopted son away and take the opportunity to capture Xiao Yi. Therefore, it didn't matter what happened to Xin Hai in Coral Palace.

"What should we do?" the subordinate asked.

After a moment's thought, the doctor came up with two direct yet effective plans and said, "Plan A: Attack the shrine maiden on Umijima Island. As long as the Coral Palace Heart Sea no longer exists, she will be unable to meet with Narukami's adopted son, and the truth will remain unrevealed."

The burly man hesitated and said, "But Coral Palace Heart Sea has already made contact with Xiao Yi, and Xiao Yi lives opposite Ming Shenzi's room. What if they communicate with each other?"

The doctor continued, "Therefore, Plan A must be used in conjunction with Plan B."

The burly man was somewhat puzzled, unsure of what Plan B meant, and waited for the doctor to explain.

"Plan B: send someone to attack Narukamiko, who is visiting the church, and then 'inadvertently' tell him about the rebellion at the Coral Palace on Umijima Island." The doctor confidently explained his plan. "In this way, Narukamiko, who is attacked, will be under the special protection of the Knights of Favonius, and the opportunity for her to meet with Shinkai and Xiao Yi will no longer exist. The rumors of rebellion will also make her feel uneasy."

As the doctor predicted, Narutoko would set off to return to Inazuma before tonight to check on things. Out of diplomatic courtesy, the Knights of Favonius would also send guards to see him off. During this time, the security in Mondstadt would drop to its lowest point, making it possible to capture the target, Xiao Yi.

"Without delay, immediately send people to execute Plan A and Plan B," the doctor said.

However, the burly man still hesitated.

The doctor said with a hint of anger, "What happened? Because of your hesitation, Xin Hai met with Ming Shenzi, and the plan failed. You go and defeat Ming Shenzi yourself and capture Xiao Yi."

“I’m very sorry, Doctor, I’m not questioning your plan, nor am I being lazy,” the burly man said helplessly. “Our combat personnel have almost all fallen, and now we only have intelligence personnel left, not many reliable warriors.”

The dozens of capable fighters were all brought down by Yura's Lightfall Sword. Those who needed emergency treatment were still being treated at the West Wind Church, while those with minor injuries were being interrogated in the Knights' prison—the last mission to capture the target had almost wiped out all of their combat units.

"If we don't have enough manpower, you fill in!" the doctor said angrily, slamming his fist on the culture tank in front of him. Then he suddenly realized, "Wait, we have plenty of combat units. Let's send these guys as a suicide squad, which will save us the trouble of mass destruction!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the doctor resolutely pressed the start button for the culture chamber. The liquid inside the glass jar was quickly drained, and all the jars were opened. Whether they were successful products like Yora or failed products that didn't resemble Yora, they all fell out of them.

"Go, complete your first and last mission." The Doctor spread his hands and said in a frenzied tone, "Attack Narukami's adopted son, tell him about the Coral Palace's rebellion, and also, destroy the Coral Palace Heart Sea in Mondstadt!"

……

In front of the Deer Hunter Restaurant, Xiao Yi finished telling everything he knew, and Xin Hai's face fell.

"I never expected you to do something so unwise, especially just to avoid the Knights of Favonius." The High Priestess of Seago Island was somewhat speechless. "However, in conclusion, it just so happens that we have inadvertently gained the opportunity to completely eradicate the Fools."

“When you come to Mondstadt, you should be free to move around. If the Knights arrange your itinerary, telling you where to go first and where to go next, what freedom is there to speak of?” Xiao Yi first explained the reason for having Sara impersonate him, and then talked about the Fatui. “As for what you call ‘a lucky accident,’ that’s just Naruto’s good fortune. I’m incredibly lucky!”

While Xiao Yi and Xin Hai were talking, Gan Yu, who had already listened to Xiao Yi explain the intelligence in bed last night, was still fiddling with the ledger that Xiao Yi had gotten from the hotel staff on the table next to her, calculating the accounts constructed from the various numbers on it.

"Something's getting increasingly wrong..." Gan Yu muttered to herself, "This is going too far..."

In addition, Wendy is giving a lesson to the remaining Coral Palace soldiers, excluding Goro, about Mondstadt's long history and cultural customs.

Wulang sat faithfully beside Xinhai, listening to Xiao Yi's incredible stories.

“I understand completely now. So, Lord Narukami, what do you plan to do now?” Xin Hai said seriously. “I think the best course of action is to leave Mondstadt alone, greet General Kujo, and return to Liyue together.”

Because most of the Knights of Favonius were taken on expeditions by the Grand Master, this is the most chaotic area for the Fatui. If you leave here and return to Liyue, with the strength of the Thousand Rock Army and the security of Liyue, you don't need to worry about the Fatui at all.

It's like if you find there are too many mosquitoes in your room, instead of going through the trouble of exterminating them all night, which is time-consuming, laborious, and lowers your own standards, you might as well ignore them and go to another room with mosquito coils lit. That way, you won't be bothered by mosquitoes anymore and can enjoy a peaceful sleep.

"You mean, as long as I return to Liyue, whatever trouble the Doctor causes in Mondstadt will have nothing to do with me?" Xiao Yi understood Xin Hai's thoughts, but said in a dismissive tone, "Protecting yourself is a good strategy, Miss Xin Hai, and your analysis of the situation is also very thorough... but I reject your proposal!"

Xin Hai paused for a few seconds, then asked in confusion, "Why? You can get rid of all your troubles as long as you leave Mondstadt. Is there something in Mondstadt that you care about?"

"Excuse my wild speculation..." The high priestess of Haiqi Island suddenly narrowed her eyes and questioned, "You haven't developed feelings for Miss Yura Lawrence, have you?"

While Gan Yu was still doing the accounts, her eyes started to dart towards Xiao Yi, preparing to do the accounts with her husband as well.

"Hey, Miss Coral Palace, you can't slander people like that!" Xiao Yi hurriedly corrected. "The reason is simple: Master Xiao is a great philanthropist and can't bear to see Mondstadt suffer."

Although Xin Hai tilted her head slightly, looking disbelieving, Xiao Yi didn't need to persuade the great witch; he only needed to persuade his wife.

He glanced at Gan Yu discreetly.

At this moment, the Qilin girl looked back at the ledger, a smile seemingly on her lips, as if she were proud of her husband's righteousness.

Xiao Yi breathed a sigh of relief and asked Xin Hai for his opinion.

"When Narukami's adopted son runs into trouble, Haiji Island will certainly do its utmost to help. Besides, this matter also involves the reputation of our Coral Palace." Xin Hai said resolutely, "Although we can only provide a few people, they are all elites among elites. As long as you give the order, the soldiers of the Coral Palace will be at your disposal."

After all, when the corpse of the deity of Haiqi Island was possessed by evil spirits, it was Xiao Yi who stepped in to prevent the disaster. For this reason, Xin Hai has a very high level of trust in him. Besides, he can also do a favor by having a few people do the work. Why not?

"Now that you, Miss Xinhai, are the strategist and know all the information, please tell me what to do next?" Xiao Yi asked.

Xin Hai immediately replied, "As the art of war says, speed is of the essence in war—I think we should gather more intelligence now, find the location of the Fools' Enforcers' base, launch a surprise attack on them, capture the Doctor, and rescue all the Deceitful Flowers."

Xiao Yi fell into deep thought.

It's not difficult to implement, after all, the Fangtian Huaji (a type of halberd) is devastating.

The problem lies in how to find the location of the base.

It seems we'll have to rely on the Knights' interrogation; otherwise, the clues are still too faint.

Suddenly, Xiao Yi stood up from his chair, his whole body radiating electricity.

Wendy, who had been chatting with the Coral Palace soldiers, also stopped smiling, stood up and began to look around. Even the Mind Sea, who was still immersed in thought, sensed that something was wrong.

Surrounding the Deer Hunter's Restaurant, they were surrounded by countless Yula—deceptive flowers that looked like Yula. This group of Yula did not dress up as carefully as before for the purpose of disguise.

They wore thin clothing similar to surgical gowns, and the greatswords they carried were not deliberately decorated to look sleek, but rather simple star-silver greatswords with a blank shape. Some of the "Yura" had even simpler appearances and some of the characteristics of the Deceptive Flower.

"All I see in front of me is Yura," Xiao Yi complained.

The murderous atmosphere was broken by the voice of the Qilin girl.

"So that's how it is..." Gan Yu suddenly put down his pen and said excitedly, "Everyone, I might know where the Fools' secret base is!"

Xiao Yi couldn't hold back any longer. How did you suddenly have an epiphany in such a tense atmosphere?!

Chapter 180 Bombarding the Cathedral

Ten minutes ago, at Mondstadt Cathedral.

A sacred atmosphere permeated the magnificent building, where nuns prayed devoutly, and many ordinary citizens came to seek the protection of Barbatos, the god of wind.

Of course, this ancient building, which bears witness to the religious development of Mondstadt, is full of valuable treasures that have been passed down from ancient times. The most amazing of them all is the harp that the wind god himself played, called the Sky Harp.

Normally, this treasure is kept in the deepest part of the church and heavily guarded by the Knights of Favonius. Only on major holidays, with the consent of the Knights, the church, and the people, can the Sky Harp be revealed to the world.

However, for a distinguished guest of Narukami's caliber, there was no need to wait for a specific occasion. The leader of the guild personally led Sara, who was pretending to be her adopted son, and Yanfei, who was pretending to be her wife, to the important place where the Sky Harp was stored. This place was also one of the most heavily guarded areas in the entire Mondstadt.

The guild leader carefully examined the antique called "Sky" in front of him. Since it was borrowed and subsequently damaged during the last Dragon Disaster, this expensive item had been placed here. It currently appeared to be in relatively good condition, but he did not know its actual condition.

After all, when the Wind God was repairing it, he didn't make it clear whether he used illusion magic or genuine magic. If Narukami's adopted son was admiring it halfway through when this magnificent antique suddenly turned into scrap metal, Mondstadt would lose face big time.

Saro, standing next to her, was also a little uneasy. As a soldier, she was not good at antique appraisal at all. If it were a ceramic statue of a general in front of her, Saro could probably talk about it from noon until evening, but musical instruments were a bit too difficult for her.

If there are any oversights in the analysis, then not only will one lose face, but also the face of the adopted son one is playing, which is equivalent to losing face for Inari's wife and the general.

She glanced at Yanfei beside her; perhaps a legal expert from a trading nation, or a mysterious half-immortal girl, she could understand the exquisite nature of Mondstadt's ancient musical instruments.

As expected, just as the leader of the harp and Sara were feeling uneasy, Yanfei spoke up and commented, "This Sky Harp was played by the Wind God himself; it is a treasure of Mondstadt..."

Qin and Shaluo watched her nervously.

Yanfei continued, "If you accidentally break it, how many years would you be sentenced to according to Mondstadt's laws?"

The expert's occupational hazard kicked in.

Just as the harp leader was speechless, a knight's warning shout suddenly came from outside the area where the Sky Harp was stored, followed by the commotion of clashing swords.

Without hesitation, Qin drew her sword and told Shaluo Yanfei to stay put and not go anywhere else. She left a few knights to guard them and rushed outside herself.

Upon arriving at the cathedral's main hall, the leader of the ensemble witnessed an incredibly chaotic scene: numerous Yura, numerous Phantom Flowers, numerous Phantom Flowers with Yura's characteristics, and numerous Yura with Phantom Flower characteristics, all charging in orderly formation towards the location where Narukami was.

The Knights of Favonius used church tables and chairs to build makeshift barriers, both to fend off the attacks of the Swindlers and to help innocent civilians evacuate through the side door. Clearly, the sheer number of Swindlers and their relentless attacks were overwhelming the Knights.

Soon, the two Yura broke through the defense formed by the tables and chairs.

Qin manipulated the wind element to gather at the tip of the sword, forming a small whirlwind that attracted two pseudo-Yura.

"Scatter!" With a forceful push, the two Deceitful Flowers, Yura, flew outside, knocking over many of their kind.

The reason why she didn't kill them immediately but instead repelled them was because the leader felt compassion. This was her first time fighting a fake Yola, and she didn't want to swing her sword at the head of a humanoid enemy, especially since the other party had the appearance of a companion she had spent every day with.

However, compared to No. 47, these mass-produced items are more like untested, hastily manufactured inferior products. In terms of both combat ability and combat experience, they are far inferior to Yura. It might be more appropriate to call them beasts with Yura's appearance.

Even so, their sheer numbers make them difficult to handle, as if they are about to overwhelm the defending knights. Even if tables and chairs are dismantled to build temporary defensive structures, thereby reducing the path of the Deceptive Flower's charge and achieving a whack-a-mole effect by beating them one by one, it is still difficult to completely stop them.

"The zither!"

The sound from the side startled the leader. She hurriedly turned around and tried to subdue Yura behind her, but she quickly realized what was happening and stopped the sword in mid-air.

At the same time, Yura was also frightened and raised a genuine pine cone to maintain a blocking posture.

She quickly explained, "I'm number 47, don't confuse me with them."

Qin turned around and picked up the two fake Yura that had broken through the defense again, throwing them back outside the defense like balls.

The leader of the harem hurriedly asked, "What exactly is going on? Do you have any clues? What exactly do the Fools want to do?"

Yura47 did not answer. She suddenly swung the greatsword at Qin, but the greatsword did not strike Qin. She used the sword as a blunt weapon and hit the fake Yura who had entered Qin's blind spot, knocking her back like a baseball.

“I have absolutely no idea!” Number 47 replied. “There are only two possibilities: either the flowers have gone mad or the guy who made them has gone insane.”

As the church descended into chaos and the crowds fled, a few hundred meters away, the real Yura was chatting with Ayaka as they walked towards the cathedral.

"What?! Mr. Xiao's true identity is Narukami's adopted son?!" Yura exclaimed in surprise. "And you're not his niece, but the eldest daughter of Inazuma?!"

"Please don't make a sound, and don't let the Knights know about this, please." Ayaka Kamisato said with some difficulty, "I just think it's better to tell you about this, because you and your adopted son are the biggest victims of this incident."

"So I've been fooled by him for so long! What a show he put on, calling me a chosen one of the gods! I'll remember this!" Yura said, slightly displeased, before calming down. "Well, knowing too much isn't necessarily a bad thing. His actions were also a way of protecting me. I promise you, I won't go around talking about it until Xiao Yi reveals his identity himself."