Note: There's More Than One Child in This Chapter

"Qingxu Pool... this should be it."

Xingsu led Teucer step by step up a small hill, looking down.

On the open ground below the slope, Tartaglia stood in front of several members of the Treasure Hoarders, confronting them.

"You... should know why I'm here, right?" Tartaglia began, his tone deliberately conveying the oppressive aura characteristic of Harbinger.

However, it is clear that Tartaglia's perceived authority had no deterrent effect whatsoever.

The leader of the Treasure Hoarders crossed his arms and sneered as he looked him up and down, "Oh, quite the big talker, making us guess. If you want to join, I'll be frank: a Childe like you will never be welcome."

"Heh, quite the imagination..." A sharp glint flashed in Tartaglia's eyes, her back straightened slightly, and she assumed a fighting stance. "Snezhnaya the name of Her Majesty the Tsaritsa, I forgive you country bumpkins for your lack of knowledge. Now, heed my name—"

"Elder brother--"

Upon catching sight of his beloved brother, Teucer immediately shouted and dashed down the slope.

Tartaglia's words suddenly caught in his throat.

Caught off guard by her younger brother rushing towards her, she quickly corrected herself. "My title is... um... the best toy salesman in Snezhnaya!"

"Um?!!"

Xingsu Su had already raised his hand, ready to snap his fingers to make Teucer forget the conversation that shouldn't be known. Upon hearing this, his hand froze in mid-air and silently fell back down.

Things seem to be developing in an unexpected direction, but...

Wow, that's awesome!

Who could resist watching an Fatui' Harbinger seriously pretend to be a toy salesman?

Xingsu pressed her lips tightly together, desperately suppressing her smile; the corners of her mouth almost rose higher than Chlothar's height-increasing insoles.

Teucer ran up to Tartaglia, looking up at him with eyes full of admiration. "Wow, brother is so handsome!"

"Forehead..."

"..."

An awkward, deathly silence instantly fell over the scene...

"Pfft... Hahahaha!"

Clearly, the Treasure Hoarders had completely disregarded Tartaglia and Teucer's feelings.

"What's a toy salesman doing here with our Treasure Hoarders? Are he going to sell the unearthed treasures as toys? Hahaha..."

"Selling toys is one thing, but why are you bringing along a kid? If we take you in, we might as well stop calling ourselves the Treasure Hoarders and start calling ourselves the Liyue Stealers, hahaha..."

Thus, all beings rejoiced.

Tartaglia's eyes twitched, but with Teucer nearby, he couldn't actually fight them.

"Therefore, the toy produced in the Snezhnaya three months ago costs a total of 600,000 Mora, payable in full upfront."

The leader of the Treasure Hoarders scoffed, "What toy can sell for 600,000 Mora? You should use that money to get your head checked first."

Seeing that things were getting a bit awkward, Xingsu quickly stepped in to smooth things over. "Oh dear, don't be so absolute. Delaying the final payment isn't a good thing; owing too much can lead to imprisonment. How about you do me a favor and settle that 600,000?"

The Treasure Hoarders members glanced at him sideways and said sarcastically, "You? And who are you? The best babysitter in Snezhnaya?"

"Me?" Xingsu smiled. "I am the strongest Pirate King of our time!"

"Hmm?" Tartaglia glanced at Xingsu with surprise.

Dude, what the hell are you doing?

"Wow! Xingsu is so handsome too!" Teucer's eyes lit up as he clapped and cheered excitedly.

Xingsu is quite shrewd; he got really into it himself but insisted it was just a game to amuse children.

"The Pirate King? Hahaha, a pirate? He'd better be good enough to be considered part of the Crux Fleet first..."

The man hadn't finished his taunt.

Xingsu bent down and casually picked up a pebble from the ground. He looked up at the sky, flicked his wrist, and the pebble shot out. The eagle circling high in the sky instantly turned into a cloud of blood mist, then into two pieces of bird meat that crashed heavily to the ground.

The laughter of the entire Treasure Hoarders abruptly stopped.

"Even if... no matter how strong the Crux Fleet is, it's still far inferior to you, Pirate King!" The leader of the Treasure Hoarders's throat bobbed, and his words took a sharp turn.

The henchman from the Treasure Hoarders muttered under his breath, "What do we do, boss? This guy doesn't seem friendly..."

"The Pirate King... Could he really be here to rob us?"

"Don't talk nonsense. Our meager possessions are hardly worthy of being robbed by such important figures..."

The other person frowned and thought, "Wait a minute, think about it calmly. Why would a robber announce such a specific amount as 600,000? Could this 600,000 be the money we borrowed before?"

"That makes sense! They're probably here to collect a debt!"

"Why beat around the bush and bring up One Piece and toy salesmen when you're trying to collect a debt?"

"You don't understand. This is slang in this trade. You can't openly say you're here to collect a debt."

"That makes sense!"

"The second son is truly knowledgeable!"

In a short time, the Treasure Hoarders had successfully convinced themselves.

The leader cleared his throat, steeled himself, and stepped forward to negotiate, bowing to Tartaglia: "This... the best toy salesman, your toy is practically a rare find! We'll pay the balance immediately!"

He then turned to Xingsu, adopting an extremely humble posture. "Uh... Lord Pirate King! I was unaware of your illustrious reputation before; I was blind and offended you greatly!"

Xingsu waved his hand casually, appearing magnanimous. "Alright, I'll forgive you this time."

"Thank you, sir! You are mighty, sir!"

The leader of the Treasure Hoarders handed a heavy bag of Mora to Tartaglia. The group didn't dare linger, picked up their belongings from the ground, and hurriedly fled the wasteland of Qingxu Pool.

Only the three of them remained.

Teucer's eyes sparkled as he clapped his hands excitedly and cheered, "Wow! Brother is so awesome! Brother Xingsu is amazing too!"

Xingsu raised his chin slightly, feigning nonchalance. "Not at all, just basic stuff~"

Tartaglia weighed the heavy money pouch in his hand, his gaze falling on Xingsu, a fighting glint in his eyes. "Yo, friend, not bad! At that distance, even I wouldn't be able to guarantee a hit with a bow. Of course, the bow is my least favorite weapon, but if we were to really spar, I would definitely not lose to you!"

... How long has it been and they're already calling each other brothers? And why is this guy always thinking about fighting me?

He sighed helplessly and waved his hand to interrupt the other party's fighting spirit, "Alright, alright, hurry up and take Teucer back. I have a bunch of important things to take care of when I get back to Liyue Harbor."

Tartaglia looked slightly disappointed, but didn't press the matter further, still reminding him, "Alright, alright, but don't forget, you must spar with me another day!"