Before Lumine could call out, a breeze brushed past her, and the figure appeared in front of her with a speed she couldn't track.
"This is a place of seclusion for the adepti. If you have no urgent business, please descend the mountain and do not disturb the peace."
Su Ming stood before Lumine and Paimon. He was secretly surprised. He had only rushed over to shoo away some mortals, but it turned out to be Lumine. He knew he'd have to deal with the protagonist eventually, but this sudden meeting was unexpected.
"It looks like the old man finally decided to retire. He must have already faked his death," Su Ming thought.
Seeing Lumine, Paimon, and the Sigil of Permission she was reaching for, he could guess the timeline. These two were currently wanted by the Qixing and were using the sigil to prove their innocence to the adepti.
Lumine quickly presented the Sigil of Permission. "Adepti! We have urgent news!"
Without waiting for a response, she blurted out the story of Rex Lapis's assassination during the Rite of Descension and how she had been framed as the killer. She finished by explaining that she was there on behalf of Moon Carver to gather the adepti for a meeting.
She finished in a single breath, clearly exhausted. Su Ming chuckled. Lumine was even cuter in person.
"Take your time, traveler. There is no need to rush. Besides, I am not the adeptus you seek."
"Huh!?"
Lumine's eyes widened. After a brief moment of internal panic, she realized her mistake. Her face turned bright red with embarrassment. She looked up at Su Ming and, for a fleeting second, a single thought crossed her mind.
He's so handsome...
She stared at him, dazed.
"Is something wrong?" Su Ming asked.
To break the awkward silence, he continued, "You must be the Honorary Knight who resolved the dragon crisis in Mondstadt. I've heard of your exploits. Seeing you today, you truly are remarkable."
Paimon gasped. "Whoa! You know who we are!?"
"Haha, just because I cultivate in the mountains doesn't mean I'm ignorant of the world."
"A crisis like the one involving Dvalin is bound to draw attention. When I heard the savior wasn't from Mondstadt, I grew curious. I just had to ask around at the Adventurers' Guild to learn your identities."
Su Ming lied through his teeth. He hadn't left the mountain once. But as a transmigrator, he knew exactly who they were. He just needed a natural way to "know" them so he could use them to mess with the plot later.
Paimon preened, flying in circles around Lumine. "Hey, Lumine! We're famous!"
Su Ming thought to himself, This kid is too easy to fool.
Lumine snapped out of it, her blush deepening. "Sir... if you aren't the adeptus, then where can we find them? We truly have urgent news!"
"My Master is inside her dwelling. Master should know about something this big happening in Liyue Harbor. Follow me; I will take you to her."
Su Ming turned serious and led Lumine and Paimon through the entrance seal. They hadn't walked far into the domain when a familiar, haughty voice rang out.
"Su Ming! Why are you disturbing me instead of cultivating? Did I not tell you I was researching a new invention? And you brought outsiders!?"
A white crane flew toward them, sounding quite annoyed. Ignoring Lumine and Paimon, she swung a wing at Su Ming's head.
Su Ming, now physically enhanced, easily dodged his Master's "feathered strike" with a side-step and quickly spoke up for the guests.
"Master, things have changed in Liyue Harbor! Rex Lapis was assassinated during the Rite of Descension. These two were framed by the Qixing and came here with a Sigil of Permission."
"Moon Carver and Mountain Shaper already know. Moon Carver sent them to invite you to a meeting."
Cloud Retainer literally bristled. Her feathers stood on end.
"What! Such a thing has happened!?"
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