Chapter 37: The Weapon Master Shall Never Die Bare-Handed in Genshin Impact [37]
[White Iron Pickaxe (3-Star): Crafted using a workbench, this pickaxe has impressive durability.]
The materials Jia Changjiang slapped onto the workbench transformed instantly, emitting a dazzling glow as they became a white iron pickaxe.
With a satisfied grin, Jia Changjiang raised the iron pickaxe and struck the exposed rock layer on the ground.
A few solid swings later, the rocky surface was broken down into a cube-shaped stone block, which tumbled to the ground at Jia Changjiang's feet.
"It worked!"
He picked up the stone block, clearly pleased with the results.
"Let's move out!"
---
Under the cover of night, several masked figures gathered at the rear of Mondstadt Cathedral.
"Do I really have to go?" Venti asked, holding a pickaxe uncertainly. "Wouldn't it be better if I stayed outside to keep watch?"
"Aren't you the one who wants to save Dvalin?" Jia Changjiang retorted, already hammering at the cathedral's wall. "This isn't the time to hesitate. The sooner we dig through, the sooner we can get the Holy Lyre der Himmel."
He added reassuringly, "Relax. Even if things go sideways, I've got your back."
Jia Changjiang and Lumine got to work, digging into the wall with surprising determination.
Despite his reluctance, Venti eventually joined them. Not because he was convinced, but because Lumine's choice of digging spot was concerning—she was chipping away at one of the cathedral's load-bearing walls.
If he didn't step in, there was a very real chance the entire cathedral might collapse.
"Hey… Bard, you seem awfully familiar with the cathedral, huh?" Paimon floated behind Lumine, voicing her curiosity.
After guiding Jia Changjiang in the right direction underground, Venti replied casually, "Why shouldn't a bard know these things? I am the best bard, after all."
"Quit the chatter. The guards are right above us," Jia Changjiang interrupted, pausing to listen intently to the footsteps overhead. "If they catch us down here, there's no explaining what we're doing underground."
"You're surprisingly reliable, Mr. Jax!" Paimon whispered, lowering her voice.
When the footsteps finally faded, Jia Changjiang grabbed his pickaxe and carefully dislodged a stone overhead, creating an opening.
"Come on up. We're in."
He reached down, helping Lumine and Venti climb out of the hole before discreetly covering the entrance.
"Now that we're inside, let's get one thing straight," Jia Changjiang said, addressing Lumine and Venti with a stern expression. "This is a stealth mission. Absolute secrecy is key. Nobody should even know we were here."
"If we're caught, it'll cause a ton of trouble. So be extra careful—"
Before he could finish his sentence, a knight of Favonius suddenly emerged from a corner, locking eyes with the trio in awkward silence.
"...…"
Jia Changjiang moved like lightning, knocking the knight unconscious before they could call for reinforcements.
Turning back to Lumine and Venti, his expression was a mix of irritation and mild embarrassment.
"Ahem… As long as we're not discovered, anything goes."
He dragged the unconscious knight into a shadowy corner and hid the body.
Ten minutes later…
At the base of the cathedral's walls, a pile of unconscious guards had accumulated—at least a dozen of them.
Every one of them had nearly spotted Jia Changjiang's group and had been swiftly knocked out by either Jia Changjiang or Lumine.
Even Venti couldn't bear to watch anymore.
As they continued their search, Lumine raised a valid question. "At this point, how is this any different from outright robbery?"
"There's a difference," Jia Changjiang replied, though his voice carried a tinge of self-doubt. "We haven't been caught…"
What started as a stealth mission had somehow turned into an all-out infiltration spree, thanks to Jia Changjiang and Lumine.
Venti crouched in a corner, silently offering a prayer for the unconscious knights.
He hoped they'd recover smoothly… and maybe even get a promotion for their troubles.
Fortunately, Jia Changjiang's group soon located the Holy Lyre der Himmel.
"Traveler, Mr. Jax! Lumine! Look over there!" Paimon exclaimed, pointing toward a display pedestal.
Following her gaze, Venti's eyes lit up. "That's it! That's the Holy Lyre! Let's grab it!"
The fabled lyre hovered above the pedestal, faint ripples of energy emanating from its surface.
Lumine stepped forward, ready to retrieve it—
But before she could, a flash of lightning streaked across the room.
A figure in a voluminous cloak appeared beside the lyre, her eyes concealed by a wide hood. She grabbed the lyre, a smirk curling at her lips.
It was a Fatui Electro Cicin Mage.
Jia Changjiang had thought they were early enough to prevent the Fatui from stealing the Holy Lyre. Yet here she was, right on time to ruin everything.
The Electro Cicin Mage raised a finger to her lips in a mocking "shush" gesture. Then, with a flick of her hand, she dropped a few Mora coins onto the floor.
The clinking of the coins echoed loudly in the room.
"Who goes there?!"
The sound had drawn the attention of nearby guards. Before anyone could react, the mage vanished into thin air.
Now, Jia Changjiang, Lumine, and Venti were the only ones left in the room with the Holy Lyre's display stand—clearly broken into.
"Damn it! We've been set up!" Jia Changjiang cursed as the realization hit him.
The Fatui mage had likely been waiting for someone to try to retrieve the Holy Lyre, ready to frame them and disrupt their efforts to help Dvalin.
It was a calculated move to take the lyre while using the Knights of Favonius to stall anyone who sought to save the dragon.
"Let's go! The guards are coming!" Venti urged. "I've set up a wind current outside—hurry!"
Grabbing Jia Changjiang's arm, he tried to pull him toward the exit.
"No, you two go first!"
Jia Changjiang unsheathed a battle axe. "My wind glider broke earlier, so your wind current's useless for me."
"I'll manage on my own. As long as you two are safe, I'll be fine."
Before the guards could burst in, Jia Changjiang slammed his axe into the ground and roared, "Put down the Holy Lyre!!"
"Mr. Jax! Why are you shouting at the ground?!" Paimon exclaimed, utterly baffled.
Lumine yanked Paimon's collar and bolted with Venti in tow.
As they fled, Venti chuckled under his breath.
"Using tricks like that, huh, Jax?"
"Can't underestimate a warrior like him…"
When the guards finally arrived, they found the room in shambles and Jia Changjiang leaning against a wall, sporting a faint shoulder wound.
"You're too late!" he barked, glaring at the knights. "The Holy Lyre has already been taken! Where's Master Jean? I need to report this immediately!"
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