This Is Bad, He Ran Into a Real Masochist

Do you usually... go this far?

"Huh? Of course not, my partner and I respect each other."

I can't exactly say I have the desire but not the courage; if I actually told Arlecchino, I might be the one ending up tied up...

Xingsu thought about the image of Arlecchino tying herself up, and cold sweat broke out on her back. She quickly shook her head to banish the thought from her mind.

"Ahem, and I only happened to glance at the binding techniques in a book and memorized them. It was purely to learn how to tie someone up securely, absolutely no other intentions whatsoever!"

Ying crossed her arms and glanced at him sideways, her Kamisato filled with naked suspicion, her face showing utter disbelief.

"Oh? You just glimpsed it while reading?" Ying raised an eyebrow, her tone slightly teasing. "The content of that book is quite unique."

"Of course! It's a book about wilderness survival! When you're in danger or trapped, knowing how to use restraints can be very useful for immobilizing the injured! Everyone who sees a book about wilderness survival will keep it to take a look, right?"

Paimon looked completely bewildered, glancing between Xingsu and Ying, vaguely sensing that the two were talking about something she couldn't understand at all. She tried hard to figure it out, but after thinking for a long time, she was still clueless.

"Um... isn't it tied pretty securely? What's wrong? It feels like you guys are talking about things I don't understand..."

"Children shouldn't listen to this!" Ying and Xingsu said in unison.

"Uh... okay." Paimon gave up thinking and raised his hand to rub his throbbing head.

My head hurts so much, it feels so swollen... Where am I...?

Yelan's consciousness slowly awoke from the chaos.

His vision was completely blocked by a thick blindfold, and he was surrounded by an impenetrable darkness. His muscles ached and throbbed all over, and his limbs were tightly bound by ropes, rendering him unable to move.

"Buzz--"

A sharp ringing in my ears kept echoing in my mind.

"Mmm~ Mmm~"

His mouth was gagged with a strip of cloth, so he could only make muffled whimpering sounds and couldn't speak at all.

Intermittent conversations drifted from afar, faintly reaching my ears.

"Hmm? That woman is awake?" Xingsu noticed the commotion and walked up to Yelan.

"I can pull the gag out of your mouth, but you have to answer whatever I ask you truthfully. Nod if you agree."

Yelan twitched her neck slightly and slowly nodded.

Xingsu reached out and pulled the gag from her lips.

The moment the cloth strip left, Yelan gasped for breath, her breathing heavy and rapid.

The firelight illuminated her cheeks, giving them an unusual flush, making her look somewhat abnormal. The blindfold concealed her eyes, obscuring her expression, yet Xingsu inexplicably had a strange feeling—her state seemed to contain an undisguised excitement, even a hint of faint pleasure.

Xingsu: "???"

No, is that right?

Something's not right. Something's nine out of ten things is wrong.

Xingsu's prepared questions were now stuck in his throat, and he couldn't utter a single word.

He had a feeling that he had inadvertently discovered something extraordinary...

Ying, who was standing nearby, also noticed the strange atmosphere. She frowned and stepped forward to look at Yelan, who was tied up.

"Hey, are you alright?" Ying asked with a hint of worry.

"Ha, I'm outmatched, I accept my defeat." My intelligence is far too limited, my understanding of you is far from sufficient, so I'm not surprised at all that this operation has ended up like this. Kill me or torture me, it's all up to you."

Deep down, she wasn't really afraid of anything happening to her. If Xingsu truly harbored malicious intentions, given his methods, her subordinates left in Liyue would probably have already met their demise.

From the initial stalking and spying to the unexpected collision with that foul-smelling, strange little ball, and now being firmly bound to the ground, every trap Xingsu laid, every whimsical and bizarre gadget, completely exceeded her expectations.

This encounter was full of surprises, and I was completely caught in my opponent's rhythm.

This is clearly an old man teasing a child.

"..." Xingsu silently sized up Yelan, quickly calculating in his mind how to deal with the person in front of him.

The primary objective was naturally to extract information from Ningguang and find out her next plans. That Tianquan was a man of deep thoughts and would most likely not allow him to easily take the remaining children of the Ninth Company away from the Chasm.

What's more, this person in front of me seems to be a very important figure in Liyue's intelligence network. If I let her go back, I can use this matter to negotiate with Ningguang and squeeze her for a hefty sum. My little savings... no, the savings I'm keeping for Arlecchino's future wife will be replenished, hehe.

Before Xingsu could speak, Yelan, who was blindfolded, spoke first, her tone carrying a hint of teasing mockery.

"What? You tied me up like this before, and now you're hesitating? Shouldn't you be tearing my clothes off, ravaging my body, and then abandoning me?"

Now that she knew the other party wouldn't really hurt her, Yelan decided to relax and use a strategy of retreat to advance, taking control of the conversation through verbal probing.

Hearing this, Xingsu panicked instantly, his face turning red. "I didn't! I didn't! I'm a married man! I'll only ever be faithful to one person in my life!"

"Hehe." Yelan chuckled softly.

Before anyone could react, a deep blue light surged from her fingertips, and fine, sharp threads of Hydro suddenly burst forth. With a few swishes, the thick rope binding her snapped inch by inch, scattering across the rocky ground.

With the restraints removed, Yelan slowly moved her limbs, her fingertips gently tracing the red marks and bruises left by the ropes on her skin. She closed her eyes, quietly feeling the waves of soreness and stinging in her flesh, as if savoring the sensation she had just experienced.

Xingsu flicked his wrist, drawing his longsword. The cold, metallic gleam flashed briefly in the dim firelight of the mine tunnel. His entire body tensed, ready to face the enemy again at any moment.

Yelan simply raised one hand slowly, gesturing for him to stop.

"Alright, no need for violence. Let's talk this over. Ningguang can tacitly allow you to take the survivors of the Ninth Company. But your real objective here is to find someone, right?"

"I know all the intricate passageways, underground rivers, and hidden paths of the Chasm. I can help you find people."

The long sword hovered in the air, Xingsu's brows furrowed slightly, his gaze fixed intently on Yelan.

"What are the conditions? I don't believe you would engage in a deal that yields no profit."

"It's very simple. After the Ninth Company withdraws from the Chasm, all Fatui are prohibited from continuing operations within Liyue territory, and all Fatui operating in the Liyue wilderness must be withdrawn."

"Is that all?" Xingsu remained wary.

"That's all." Yelan nodded. "What Tianquan wants is stability in Liyue, not necessarily to wipe them out completely. Those people were used as pawns by the higher-ups, Ningguang knows that continuing to make things difficult for them is pointless."

Xingsu pondered for a moment, then slowly sheathed his longsword, but his gaze remained unwavering. "I can. But what if you secretly set a trap..."

"Then continue by capturing me." Yelan continued calmly, a mischievous smile flashing in her eyes. "Just like before, bound hand and foot, I won't resist, and you can do whatever you want with me..."

"Stop! Go down and find that child first!" Xingsu hurriedly interrupted her, her ears inexplicably turning slightly red. She quickly turned around and took a step, deliberately avoiding Yelan's gaze.

Seeing this, Ying sighed softly and shook her head helplessly. Paimon tilted his head to the side, still not understanding the hidden meaning in the conversation between the two, but quickly followed.