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

Once Xin Hai leaves, Goro will also leave behind guards, and the soldiers from Coral Palace will also choose to stay in a safe place, thus reducing the number of people significantly.

……

With the joint efforts of Commander Qin and Xin Hai, the attack plan was roughly completed. The Knights were ready to take over the base of the Fools before they could react.

Xiao Yi, Gan Yu, Ling Hua, Yura, Wendy, Captain Jean, and Yura47 walked at the front of the group, serving as the main force for the frontal breakthrough. Compared to ordinary knights without the Eye of God, their combat power was more efficient.

Besides, instead of going to the library to take refuge as instructed, Sara and Yanfei came to the site of the attack on the Fatui base. Sara said she wanted to see the quality of Mondstadt soldiers through this significant "military exercise".

In fact, she planned to keep a close eye on Xiao Yi at all times to prevent him from causing any more trouble.

Qin had no choice but to agree, but she demanded that Sara stay on the outskirts and not approach the hotel or even enter the base.

Thus, dozens of knights quickly surrounded the inn, but trouble arose when they were about to launch a full-scale attack.

The innkeeper was an old gentleman with a white beard but a fairly upright figure. He blocked the entrance to his inn, preventing the knights from entering.

"You have neither evidence nor a search warrant issued by the Knights, yet you dare to raid my inn?!" the innkeeper said seriously. "For both moral and legal reasons, I cannot allow you to enter, not even the kind-hearted Commander Jean. You must have a written document issued by the Knights!"

The boss's stubborn personality and inflexible thinking gave Qin a lot of headaches.

Based on the current situation, the existence of the Fools underground is Xiao Yi's conjecture. Although Coral Palace Xin Hai vouched for him, the Knights still have no conclusive evidence.

Although the search warrant could be issued and signed by the leader of the Qin Guild, another ten minutes or so had passed, increasing the chances of the Fools escaping.

Furthermore, even with threats and inducements from Narukami's perspective, the innkeeper insisted, "My inn will certainly provide the best service to Narukami's adopted son, as he is a distinguished guest, but that is only for his accommodation. If you want to trespass on this land, even the Thunder God himself can't help you!"

The troupe leader was giving earnest advice from the front, while Xiao Yi and his group stood dumbfounded behind.

Xiao Yi said helplessly, "In other countries, they would have rushed in and acted first, then reported to the authorities."

“Hey, this is Mondstadt.” Wendy replied with a smile.

"The wind can get in, the rain can get in, but the wind god can't get in, right?" Xiao Yi complained.

He sighed and rubbed his forehead in exasperation. Suddenly, he strode toward the two people talking and patted Qin on the shoulder from behind: "Commander, what are you doing, Commander? Leave this to me."

Just as Qin was struggling with her doubts, the owner said with displeasure and disdain, "Then who are you? Do you think you can convince me? Let me tell you, before I bought this land and became the owner of this hotel, I was a renowned lawyer in Mondstadt. No matter what, you can't find any reason to trespass on my property, and I can reject anything you say..."

“I can’t convince you, but I know someone who can,” Xiao Yi said carefully.

"Ha, what nonsense," the boss said dismissively.

Xiao Yi immediately turned around and shouted, "Madam Naruhiko, please teach him a lesson—"

Gan Yu was stunned for a moment, and just as she was about to step forward, the fiery red figure swept past her and stopped as if braking next to Xiao Yi.

It was Yan Fei, with a talisman on her chest and a thick book in her hand, which seemed to be the inn's ledger.

"What, you think you can intimidate me with your wife?" The boss continued to look Xiao Yi up and down with disdain. "I've already said, even if Thor himself came..."

“No, no, no, of course I would never use my power to oppress the people. Don’t you like the law? I’ll ask you to have a chat with Madam about the law.” Xiao Yi replied calmly. “By the way, I’m reminding you that you’re in big trouble, old man.”

Yan Fei opened the ledger and handed it to the boss, asking, "Does this look familiar?"

The shop owner hesitated for a moment before saying, "Of course, madam, these are our shop's ledgers."

Yan Fei said methodically, "When I was bored, I borrowed the tax records from the Knights as leisure reading. The librarian was very generous and lent them to me. Based on a careful comparison with your accounts just now, I discovered that the hotel has been evading a large amount of taxes in recent months!"

The boss stared at the ledger, frozen in place like a statue. He finally realized the resources the Fools had been stealing. Some members had even gone so far as to infiltrate the hotel staff and profit from them. Moreover, they never paid taxes and proudly recorded these activities in the ledger...

Yanfei continued methodically, "According to Article 57 of the Mondstadt Tax Collection and Administration Law, the Knights of Favonius have the right to temporarily seize the property of anyone who evades taxes up to a certain amount, including real estate such as houses—everyone can go in now!"

The last sentence was addressed to the knights. Led by Captain Jean, the group rushed into the enormous inn, leaving the innkeeper kneeling on the ground, clutching his ledger.

“Although you didn’t do it, I still want to say a few words…” Xiao Yi shrugged. “See, my prediction was right, you’re in big trouble.”

He then entered the hotel.

The knights quickly took control of the staff, and after a relentless search, they finally discovered a secret passage leading deeper into the basement, behind a dozen barrels of dandelion wine piled up in the corner.

However, before they could take more than a few steps forward, the passage was blocked by a thick iron gate.

Commander Qin, with practiced ease, ordered, "Technical staff, open the door quickly."

Before the technicians could even take out their tools, Xiao Yi's voice echoed through the corridor.

"Doctor, come out here!"

Xiao Yi's lightning-fast kick smashed through the ten-centimeter-thick door, sending the object flying several meters off the wall.

Apart from Yura, who knew the truth, all the knights were dumbfounded, and Captain Jean rubbed her eyes in shock.

At the same time, Xiao Yi was still shouting in electronic music.

"Doctor, come out here! You're capable of fabricating Yura, but not of coming out here?!"

Chapter 182 A God Descends to Earth: Boss Xiao

Amidst a cacophony of curses accompanied by electronic music, the journey traverses a labyrinth of passages, passing through narrow gaps like ventilation shafts, until finally arriving at the Doctor's safe house.

"Doctor, you coward hiding deep in the cave, like a mouse! Don't be so arrogant just because you have the protection of the Winter Queen. If you have the guts, show yourself! I guarantee that if you go in with your purple halberd, you'll come out with your red halberd—I'll stab you in the heart! If you go in with your purple halberd, you'll come out with your yellow knife—I'll stab your intestines! If you go in with your purple halberd, you'll come out with your green halberd—I'll stab your hat!"

Ordinary shouts and insults would not have shaken the emotions of the group of scientists, but Xiao Yi's amplified shouts also carried lightning elements. Although they were not very harmful to the human body, the precision instruments in the room could not withstand them.

As the professor watched his various mechanical inventions buzzing and whirring, the sound was a hundred times more grating to him than sharp fingernails scratching a blackboard. Finally, he couldn't help but slam the document containing Narukami's information onto the ground.

The burly man next to him, wearing a thick trench coat, advised, "Doctor, we'd better slip away first. There's a saying in Liyue, 'Where there's life, there's hope!' Besides, it seems that Narukami's adopted son is still watching the show from above the inn. If a fight breaks out, we won't be able to escape unscathed."

The Fatui's underground base wasn't just through the tavern. Mondstadt's sewer system was extensive, and no matter which way they went, as long as they didn't run into the Knights of Favonius, they had countless escape routes.

However, the doctor disagrees.

He stomped hard on the documents on the ground, touched the mask on his face, and said, "No, we still have one last chance. If we leave rashly, we won't be able to take 'that thing' with us. It's the culmination of my months of hard work in this underground base."

The burly man knew exactly what the doctor was talking about. Compared to capturing those favored by the gods for experiments and investigating the power of Narukami's adopted son, this mechanical device was more stable, which was also the reason why this executive initially developed this underground base.

If we leave rashly, all the efforts of the researchers of the Winter Kingdom and all the members of the Fool Clan over the past few days will be in vain.

Just then, the Doctor crushed the document into scrap paper and said firmly, "We haven't lost yet, we haven't lost... Narukami's adopted son might not help the Knights of Favonius. Given the acting captain's rigid personality, he won't let Narukami's adopted son participate in the battle. As long as that guy doesn't join the battle, we can completely engage in an offensive and defensive war with the knights underground!"

"The odds are 40/60, no, 70/30. We are familiar with the terrain here and have a huge advantage in fighting on home soil. We don't have to worry about losing to those guys at all! As long as we hold off the Knights, we can take the opportunity to activate 'that thing' and use it to attract their attention."

"Doctor, you're going to activate 'that thing' now?!" the burly man said, slightly surprised. "I thought I would only be forced to use it after I completely broke with Mondstadt. Before, it only served as a kind of deterrent."

"We're on the verge of a complete breakdown right now. This is the only way we can survive." The Doctor picked up the file he had stomped on again. "While that thing is wreaking havoc in Mondstadt, we should seize Xiao Yi in the chaos and then leave Mondstadt."

The burly man never expected that the doctor still cared about the chosen one, perhaps believing that this was the only way to make up for the loss of the base.

However, judging from the words that guy "broadcast," he seems to have even learned how to use Narukami's adopted son's halberd, which would be quite troublesome for the capture operation.

Aside from Xiao Yi, whom he was so concerned about, the doctor turned his attention to Yura: "According to the intelligence from the church that came through the spies, for some reason, Yura Lawrence is also able to control lightning and defeated a horde of swindlers by shooting Mora. If we have the chance, we should capture her too!"

Simply put, the doctor not only didn't consider escaping to cut his losses, but also wanted to make another profit.

As a loyal subordinate, even if the burly man was extremely unwilling, he could only follow his superior's orders and begin to act, arranging for combat personnel to intercept the Knights and ordering technicians to activate the Doctor's precious treasure.

……

On Xiao Yi's side, a dozen or so advance team members strode forward along the wide passage.

He had just finished cursing, and even the water dripping from the ceiling was imbued with a faint element of lightning. Of course, Xiao Yi's voice had been specially processed by lightning energy, making it penetrating and far-reaching, but not loud. The eardrums of the knights behind him were still relatively healthy.

As for the "prop" that amplified his voice, it was the Evil Eye, made of lightning elements, that floated in front of his face, amplifying Xiao Yi's words like a microphone.

Gan Yu leaned closer to Xiao Yi and honestly reminded him, "Speaking of which, your halberd seems to be made of pure lightning element, without any coloring effect. No matter where you take it from Dr. Zha's body, it will always turn purple when you pull it out, right?"

Xiao Yi replied, "Don't worry about that. I'm just going to stab him and that's it."

Their conversation was also broadcast through the Thunder Eye loudspeaker, reaching every passageway, as if it were a provocation and declaration of war against the Fools.

Qin, walking behind, reminded him, "Mr. Xiao, don't walk so far ahead. If we encounter a surprise attack from the Fools' scouts, you might not be able to react in time. Of course, I'm not underestimating your abilities, but just to be on the safe side..."

"You're overthinking it, Commander Qin. No matter what happens, I won't fall so easily." Xiao Yi waved his hand dismissively and added, "On the contrary, walking ahead can help you detect the Doctor's traps. Why not?"

Knowing the truth, Yura patted Qin on the shoulder, indicating that she could rest assured to listen to Xiao Yi's advice. Although Qin didn't understand the situation, she still chose to believe Yura.

The road ahead for everyone is naturally not smooth sailing.

As the brains of the Fools, the mad scientist, the Doctor set up many traps in the base to prevent intrusion. However, all of these devices, which relied on elemental power, were discovered by Xiao Yi using his reconnaissance ability and destroyed with his all-pervasive lightning, ultimately turning them into scrap metal.

After walking a few steps, Xiao Yi suddenly stopped, and the knights following behind him also stopped.

Immediately afterward, Xiao Yi snapped his fingers, and the ceiling crackled and shone as if it were leaking electricity. After the light faded, the hidden door in the ceiling opened automatically because the screws had been broken, and a huge iron fist fell out of the door, making a sound no less than thunder when it collided with the ground.

Xiao Yi explained, "The iron fist hidden at the top of the passage is probably triggered by a pedal; it will smash directly onto someone's head if they walk by."

However, Xiao Yi had already discovered it and released lightning element to disable it.

To verify his claim, he deliberately took two steps forward and stepped on the ground around the iron fist. Sure enough, the stone floor dented, proving that a foothold was hidden.

After walking a few more steps, the group encountered a fork in the road and had no choice but to stop and discuss how to allocate manpower between the two sides.

Just as the troupe leader was still racking her brains, Xiao Yi calmly said, "Isn't this quite simple? In my opinion, we just need to split into two groups like this: I'll take one route by myself, and everyone else will take the other route. That'll do the trick."

Apart from Yura, the dozen or so members of the Knights were stunned. They believed that Xiao Yi had definitely gained the favor of the God of Naruto and had begun to become somewhat arrogant and conceited.

Qin replied decisively, "Absolutely not. Either the people going to the two routes should be evenly distributed, or everyone should take the same route. Mr. Xiao, don't forget that the Doctor's target is you now. If anything unexpected happens, it will play right into the hands of the Fools."

Qin believes that regardless of whether Xiao Yi is an immortal or an ordinary person from Liyue Harbor, she cannot let him fight alone and voluntarily step into danger.

The leader's caring nature, while heartwarming, also limited Xiao Yi's room to maneuver. He quickly pondered how to persuade the other party.

“Distributing them according to combat strength is the ideal method, otherwise…” Xiao Yi finally compromised and said, “Let my wife and Miss Yura come with me, so that I won’t have to worry about encountering any accidents, right?”

The reason for bringing Gan Yu along was that Xiao Yi and Gan Yu had a good understanding and could cooperate effectively in this environment. In addition, when he unleashed his full power, Gan Yu knew how to avoid being affected, which was much more convenient than bringing a large group of people.

As for bringing Yura along, it was because Xiao Yi felt that the news that the real Yura could generate electricity should have already reached the Doctor's ears. Logically speaking, besides himself, the Doctor should be the one he most wanted to capture right now. Therefore, Xiao Yi decided to bring Yura to his side to protect her.

Moreover, Yura is currently surging with her own energy, and she has a clear understanding of the situation when the lightning element erupts, ensuring that she won't accidentally harm her, but that might not be the case for others.

Although Yura didn't know what Xiao Yi meant, she knew that he was Narutoko, and there must be something behind his actions as an adopted son, so she immediately nodded in agreement.

Seeing this, Qin had no choice but to comply with Xiao Yi's idea. She had witnessed Yura's new ability at the church before, and cooperating with Xiao Yi should not lead to any mistakes, or at least the margin for error had increased considerably.

As for our side, with the Wind God, who always has a smug look on his face, there shouldn't be too much to worry about.

"Then let's go left..." Just as Qin was about to lead the team forward, she was interrupted by Xiao Yi's actions.

He took out a Mora from his pocket and tossed it into the air. The coin spun and fell freely in mid-air before being slapped onto the back of Xiao Yi's hand.

“To be honest, I’m a very superstitious person… or rather, I’m very particular about rituals,” Xiao Yi said cheerfully. “So, let fate decide which team goes which way. If the coin is heads, I’ll go through the left passage; if it’s tails, you go through the left.”

He slowly moved his hand away, unmistakably facing forward.

Xiao Yi smiled, withdrew Mora, and led the composed Gan Yu and the puzzled Yura towards the left passage, while Qin led the knights and the Wind God into the right passage.