In the North Country Bank, Young Master Tartaglia looked down at the Frost Servants with dissatisfaction. "Pathetic! He was captured alive by Yuhengxing."
"Please forgive me, my lord," one of the Frost Servants stammered. "Liyue's Yuhengxing is far stronger than we anticipated. I sensed the power of fire during our battle. She has mastered two elements."
Tartaglia's brows furrowed at the report. He had suspected as much but had dismissed it as impossible. After all, who else could control two elements apart from them? But now, with the Frost Servant's confirmation, it seemed Yuhengxing of Liyue had indeed mastered two elements.
"Yuhengxing is more formidable than I thought," Tartaglia mused. "But she can't possess the Evil Eye. It seems I'll need to test her further."
Tartaglia had already recognized Keqing's strength. He knew her martial arts were excellent, perhaps on par with his own. Without the power of the Evil Eye, it would be difficult to defeat her.
The Frost Servant hesitated, unsure of what to say.
Yusupov, standing by Tartaglia's side, quickly interjected, "My lord, if you act this way, Liyue will have a reason to take action against us. This could cause significant trouble."
"I know," Tartaglia replied, stroking his chin. "But if I challenge Yuhengxing in the name of sparring, Liyue can't refuse me, can they? After all, this concerns their reputation."
Yusupov paused, thinking it over. "I understand. You plan to enter Liyue under the guise of an envoy from the Kingdom of Winter. It will be difficult to hide your arrival."
Tartaglia nodded. "Precisely. Arrange everything. In a few days, I'll arrive in Liyue. I'll make sure they can't ignore me."
Yusupov nodded and left to make the necessary arrangements.
---
The next morning, Smith had just gotten up and finished washing up when Keqing rushed into his room. "Smith, the Kingdom of Winter has sent a letter. Tartaglia will come to Liyue as an envoy in a few days. This gives me little room to blame them. Moreover, he intends to challenge me directly."
"Tartaglia?" Smith frowned. "It seems they're targeting you specifically."
Keqing's expression turned grim. "Yes, I've fought with the Frost Servants and Tartaglia before. And... I did use the fire element in that battle. So now they know about my two God's Eyes."
Smith raised an eyebrow. "The fire element?"
Keqing nodded. "I've recently been developing the fire element. During the battle with them, I used it. So it's no wonder Tartaglia and his people are coming for my two God's Eyes."
Smith thoughtfully observed Keqing's God's Eye. "After all, no one on the Teyvat continent has ever mastered two God's Eyes, right?"
Keqing's eyes narrowed. "That's exactly it. They're targeting my two elements. No one else on Teyvat can do what I can."
Smith continued, "The guild has been considerate. At first, I thought you'd need to disguise yourself with two God's Eyes, but the guild mall has already merged the Eye of Vulcan with the Eye of Thunder. Unless someone from the guild sees you, no one should know how special your God's Eyes really are."
Keqing nodded, but then Smith's expression turned more serious. "However, the Fatui also possess something called the Evil Eye. Tartaglia has one. It's an incredibly dangerous power. When used, it greatly enhances his strength."
Keqing frowned. "The Evil Eye? I've never seen it, but if Tartaglia didn't use it during our battle... then he wasn't using his full strength?"
Smith nodded, his voice low. "Exactly. The Evil Eye is tied to the resentment of the Demon God. While it can be very harmful to the user's body and even threaten their life, it also grants an enormous power boost. If you face him again, it will be far more difficult."
Keqing clenched her fists, frustration clear on her face. "The resentment of a Demon God... I didn't realize the Fatui were so desperate. They're willing to use such a dangerous power."
Keqing paused, her mind racing. She then turned to Smith with a thought. "Smith, do you think I should get another Eye of God? Maybe if I have three, I'll be able to defeat him."
Smith shook his head slightly. "Three God's Eyes would indeed give you a boost, but it's better not to exchange for one just yet. You're still developing the Fire Element God's Eye. If you add another one now, you'll likely be spreading yourself too thin. Your strength is still in a period of rapid growth."
Keqing didn't look convinced. "But I don't feel like I'm improving fast enough."
Smith smiled slightly. "Your progress is indeed noticeable, but remember, more God's Eyes come with greater costs. You need to improve gradually to avoid overburdening your body."
Keqing's eyes glinted with determination. "I can't afford to lose to Tartaglia. He represents the Kingdom of Winter, and I represent Liyue. I'm one of the Seven Stars of Liyue, and he's an executive of the Fatui. I can't back down."
After a moment of silence, Keqing sighed, a rueful smile on her face. "It seems this battle is inevitable. I can't refuse it. Since you've mastered the martial arts of the Rock King, I would like to ask for your guidance."
Smith's eyes twinkled with amusement. "Of course, but my requirements are very strict!"
Keqing raised an eyebrow, but after a moment, she nodded. "I understand. I'll follow your lead."
---
Meanwhile, at the headquarters of the Knights of Favonius, Jean handed a letter to Lisa. "Lisa, take a look at this."
Lisa took the letter and read through it, her eyes narrowing. "I had some suspicions before, but I didn't find any references to Tevarin in the library. It was difficult to explain. But the information from Liyue seems accurate. After all, there are immortals in Liyue, so it makes sense they would recognize Tevarin."
Jean remained silent for a moment before speaking, her voice tinged with regret. "Lisa, do you think we're foolish? We couldn't even recognize the followers of the former Guardian of the Four Winds, Barbatos. If Lord Barbatos knew, he would likely be even more disappointed in us."
Lisa met Jean's gaze, a hint of sadness in her eyes. "Jean, we all have our limitations. But we need to learn from this. There's much more to Teyvat than we can understand right now."
---
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