Captured instead

"Mr. Uchiha, if you don't have a coherent answer that explains where you came from, I'm afraid you're in for a little suffering."

Yelan still wore the same smile that never reached her eyes, which irritated Yucheng considerably. Although she had been one of his favorite mature female characters in the game, that was because he and she had been on the same side. If someone was unfortunate enough to become her enemy, Yelan would absolutely be a nightmare they could never shake.

"Ms. Yelan, I'd like to ask you a question." Yucheng dropped his meek, deferential manner and asked seriously.

"Oh? I'm the one asking the questions right now. Have you not quite grasped your current situation?"

"Everyone says Liyue is the nation that places the greatest importance on contracts and laws. Since you've come personally, I assume you've already investigated me. Then let me ask you: during my time in Liyue, which of its laws have I broken?"

"...According to my investigation, although you've done many unusual things during your time in Liyue, if we're talking strictly about breaking its laws, you really haven't."

"One of the most important principles behind the laws established by Rex Lapis and the Tianquan, Ningguang, is [What the Law Does Not Forbid Is Permitted]. Since my actions haven't violated Liyue's laws, your interrogation of me isn't within legal bounds."

"But the fact that your origins are a mystery is indisputable."

"I've already explained that I come from Inazuma. What else do you want to know? Yes, I didn't obtain an entry permit before coming to Liyue. You can forcibly repatriate me, but Inazuma has now enacted the Sakoku Decree. Can you send me back there?"

"I suspect your true purpose in coming to Liyue isn't innocent, and that you may pose a threat to Liyue's security."

"Hmph! What a joke. Never mind that suspicion isn't evidence. The Liyue Qixing all know that Snezhnaya's Northland Bank and the Fatui have ill intentions in coming to Liyue, but what can you do about them? All you can do is stand by and watch. What you're doing now is nothing but bullying the weak and fearing the strong."

Yucheng's words struck Yelan right where it hurt, making even the false smile disappear from her face. As a Liyue intelligence officer, she naturally knew about the series of schemes Snezhnaya had carried out in Liyue, but before they inflicted any actual damage on Liyue, she simply didn't dare act against them.

For instance, through business loans, the Northland Bank had become a shareholder in large numbers of Liyue's small and medium-sized businesses, then used those businesses to buy up Liyue's supplies on a massive scale, intending to manipulate prices and then fleece the masses.

Liyue's higher-ups were all well aware of such things, but they couldn't use force to restrict them, because their actions were economic measures within the rules. If they wanted to impose sanctions, they could likewise only use economic measures.

All intelligence operatives like Yelan could do was keep a close watch on them and act immediately at the slightest sign of trouble. If they could catch them red-handed with conclusive evidence, Snezhnaya would instead be at a disadvantage.

Of course, to lure out the biggest fish in the end, they sometimes stood by and watched the minor players' illegal activities. Those were also the very reasons the Fatui's reputation in Liyue wasn't particularly good.

While Yelan was still considering how to respond to Yucheng's answer, a puff of white smoke suddenly rose from Yucheng, who was tightly bound by the Lifeline Thread, and he turned straight into a rock.

Yelan was immediately startled by this development. Just as she was about to react, she felt a tremendous force come from behind her, forcibly pinning her to the ground.

Yucheng followed through by straddling Yelan's back, using his body weight to press her upper body hard against the ground. With one hand, he held both her hands behind her back, while the other quickly removed the bracelet called the Mysterious Wristlet from her right wrist and the Hydro Vision on her thigh band, tossing them aside.

"Just as I thought, Yelan, your physical constitution really is nothing special. That hereditary condition in your family seems pretty serious. It's been five hundred years, and it still has side effects like these."

Hearing Yucheng so easily reveal her physical weakness, Yelan was utterly shocked. She didn't understand how he had escaped her Lifeline Thread.

Yelan desperately tried to break free, but just as Yucheng had said, her physical constitution was flawed. Although her speed was astonishing, her strength was somewhat lacking. After a brief attempt, she simply stopped wasting her energy. Preserving her stamina and looking for another opportunity was the wise course of action.

"Uchiha Yucheng, you dare attack a Liyue intelligence officer? That's a serious crime!"

"I'm just returning the favor. So you're allowed to do whatever you please, but I can't do a thing? Yelan, I had a great deal of respect for you before. Unfortunately, you seem to have taken me for a pushover you could handle however you liked. Just because the tiger hasn't bared its fangs, you think it's a sickly cat?"

Because the situation had been so critical earlier, Yucheng hadn't paid attention to anything else. Only now that he had stabilized things did he realize how suggestive his current position with Yelan was. With such a fair, smooth, beautiful back, it would be a shame not to give her a cupping treatment.

"You really are no ordinary person. Who exactly are you?"

"Talking to you is no fun at all. I already told you that whenever I've answered your questions, I've told the truth. But you don't believe any of it, so what the hell is the point of talking to you?"

Without realizing it, Yucheng activated his Sharingan and looked into the eyes of the restrained Yelan. When Yelan saw those scarlet eyes, so different from an ordinary person's, she had an ominous premonition. Sure enough, the next moment, her vision blurred and her head spun, and before long she stopped responding.

Seeing that Yelan had lost consciousness, Yucheng got off her and picked up the Vision and bracelet he had just tossed aside. Then he looked at Yelan, who lay to one side under his Genjutsu, and couldn't help feeling a headache coming on.

After considering it for a moment, Yucheng hoisted her onto his shoulder. His right hand instinctively gave Yelan's perky backside a hard smack. A crisp sound rang out, and Yucheng stared at his right hand in surprise, as though still savoring that astonishing bounce and feel.

Yucheng glanced back at the Jade Chamber suspended high in the sky, his scarlet Sharingan seeming as though they would swallow the entire Jade Chamber whole. Then, carrying Yelan over his shoulder, he leisurely returned to his cave abode.

Ningguang, who was working in the Jade Chamber, suddenly seemed to sense something. She set down her pen, stood up, and slowly walked to the window. Looking down over the city she governed on another's behalf, she suddenly felt an ominous premonition.

Honestly, Yelan. Why was it taking her so long to invite someone to the Jade Chamber? Had she gone off somewhere to gamble a few rounds again?