Genshin Impact: The Sharpshooter of Teyvat

Chapter 1240 Northern Continent Intelligence Network

In short, we've had our coffee and rested our feet, so now it's time to think about accommodation.

Considering that there was really no place for Diluc to stay at home, Shao Yun had no choice but to personally take Diluc to the House of Sloth in the Flame Arena to rest.

Given their fairly good relationship, they now share a common ground due to their "disappointment with Mondstadt".

Shao Yun decided to go all the way and not only accompanied Diluc to the House of Sloth, but also paid for the room and even the meals for the next two days, so that Diluc wouldn't have to deal with these trivial matters when he first arrived in Nata.

Shao Yun took the stone key from the boss, led Diluc to the room door, opened the door and handed him the key, then stepped aside to make room for him and showed him the room's interior with a smile.

"This is it. What do you think of the environment? It's decorated in the Nata style, and the bed is big enough. I should be able to sleep comfortably at night."

Diluc entered the room, glanced at the furnishings, nodded in satisfaction, and turned to thank Shao Yun.

"Very good, even more comfortable than I imagined. Mr. Shao Yun, thank you for your hospitality, you've gone to a lot of trouble."

Seeing that Diluc was satisfied and even thanked him, Shao Yun felt a little smug. He waved his hand and said, "Haha, it's nothing. We have a pretty good relationship, so this little thing is nothing."

Without further delaying Diluc's rest, Shao Yun said goodbye, "You should rest now. If you need anything, you can come to the ranch to find me tomorrow. I'm leaving now."

"Okay, be careful on the road." Diluc saw Shao Yun to the door, watched his figure disappear at the end of the corridor, and then slowly closed the door.

The room fell silent instantly.

Diluc walked to the bedside and sat down. After a few seconds of silence, he slowly raised his hand and carefully took out a letter from the inside pocket of his clothes.

"Monitor Shao Yun and report his movements? Heh... Even if you knew his movements, what use would it be? He dared to kill the Wind God, do you think he'd be afraid of you or me?"

……

Time: A few days before Diluc arrived in Nata.

Location: Nordkale, Nasha Town, Secret Archives (Northern Continent Intelligence Network)

After leaving Fontaine, Diluc took a boat directly to Nordkale to find a woman who had once helped him.

Nefer, the owner of the Secret House, is a Sumeru woman with short, emerald-green hair, emerald-green eyes, and the appearance of a femme fatale, but with a kind heart.

She has a very capable employee named "Yakoda," the most capable staff member of the Secrets House, and a young treasure hunter active in Nordekale.

Nefertari was waiting for her capable employee to return from the investigation, but instead of him, Diluc showed up first.

Seeing her important informant and intelligence collaborator in Mondstadt arrive, Nefert was extremely curious and received him in the secret archives' internal office.

Nefert sat in her office chair, legs crossed, looking at Diluc who had come from afar with great interest, and asked, "Mr. Night Owl, how come you had the time to come all the way from Mondstadt to Nordkalley in person?"

Diluc looked melancholy and said in a bad mood, "I came to tell you... I may not be able to continue providing intelligence to the Northern Continent Intelligence Network in the Mondstadt region in the future."

When she heard Diluc say that he would "no longer provide information about Mondstadt," Nefert's heart skipped a beat; she didn't want to lose this valuable informant.

Diluc's intelligence is not only timely and accurate, but it also always reaches the deepest secrets of Mondstadt. He is the "eyes" of the intelligence network in the Mondstadt region. Once lost, it would take an unknown amount of time and effort to find an informant of the same caliber.

Moreover, it's something that can only be encountered by chance!

"You want to 'resign'? Although we are just intelligence partners, and I have no right to force you to stay, can I ask why?"

Diluc raised his hands, covering his nose and mouth, clearly very sensitive.

"It is related to the Fools."

"The Fools?" These three words made Nefertari quickly sort through the information related to the Mondstadt Fools in her mind.

"I remember, didn't that adventurer named 'Tacitus Kilgo' help you Mondstadt wipe out that pack of wolves from the North (the Fatui) a long time ago?"

Diluc noticed that Nefertari's information about the Fatui was still based on events from over three years ago. He then remembered that his communication with the Northland intelligence network had been temporarily suspended since the Mondstadt snow disaster.

It's perfectly normal that Nefertari doesn't understand the current situation in Mondstadt.

“A lot has happened in Mondstadt recently, and I haven’t had time to keep you informed. It’s normal that you’re not aware of the current situation,” Diluc muttered calmly.

Nefer wasn't saying she was completely blind to the current state of Mondstadt, but rather that she was unaware of the specifics of Mondstadt's situation. She said, "I learned some information about Mondstadt from another intelligence trader in Mondstadt (Ville)."

"I've only heard that Mondstadt was hit by a once-in-a-millennium snowstorm, which froze many people to death. Even your Dawn Winery's vineyards were destroyed. Later, the Fools 'kindly' provided some winter supplies..."

"Just because of this snow and the Fatui's slight gesture of goodwill, you're unwilling to stay in Mondstadt? This isn't like you."

Upon hearing this, Diluc shook his head again, his eyes becoming more somber: "No... that wasn't the root cause, it was just the last straw that broke the camel's back. What truly made me decide to leave was what happened in Mondstadt in the last six months."

As he spoke, he stopped hiding anything and told Nefertari about all the changes that had taken place in Mondstadt over the past six months.

From the plight of Mondstadt's people after the snow disaster, to the gradual infiltration of the Fools under the guise of "aid," and then to the cooperation between the leader of the guild and the Daughter of the Tortore, every event was explained in a clear and organized manner.

As for whether it was an intelligence transaction, that depends on Nefertari and Diluc's mood... except that the former considered it an intelligence transaction.

When Diluc mentioned the death of the Anemo Archon, Neferpitou's emerald green eyes showed a rare, slight tremor.

The Wind God is dead? This information is truly significant!

Whether the Wind God is dead or not remains a mystery to Mondstadt officials, who have yet to reveal the reason. Nefertari has only a vague understanding of the situation, and Diluc has truly given himself a huge gift this time!

“Wind God… Although there is no conclusive evidence that he is dead yet, and Mondstadt has not released any related news, I believe your information is accurate.”

After all, Diluc has deep roots in Mondstadt, and his sources are far more reliable than those of an intelligence trader like Violet. What he personally confirms is unlikely to be wrong.

Diluc's expression was ambiguous upon hearing this.

"The matter is complicated. Fengshen... sigh, he kidnapped the Honor Knight and her two daughters. This has truly exceeded everyone's expectations."

“Shao Yun killed the Wind God… If it were me…”

Just as Diluc mentioned the name "Shao Yun", Nefer suddenly raised her hand to interrupt him.

"Wait a minute, Shao Yun? Who is he? I've never heard of that name before?"

Upon hearing this, Diluc frowned.

Shao Yun's name is quite well-known, right? As the owner of the Secret Archives and in charge of the Northern Continent's intelligence network, how could you be completely unaware of this name?

"Don't you know? He's quite famous. At least in Mondstadt, almost everyone knows about him killing the Wind God."

Nefer shook her head slightly, tapped her fingertips lightly on the table, and said frankly:

"This is the first time I've heard of it. The name sounds like it belongs to someone from Liyue, but as you know, my intelligence network in Liyue is practically nonexistent."

"The Liyue Seven Stars control information too tightly, especially when Ningguang, the Tianquan Star, was in office. My people simply couldn't get in."

"As for Mondstadt, all I know about recently is the snow disaster and the Fatui's aid; I don't know anything else."

She paused, leaning forward slightly like a snake flicking its tongue, and asked, "Introduce yourself? Just who is this person who could kill the Wind God?"

Diluc looked at her expectant eyes. Well, to be honest, he didn't know much about Shao Yun either.

So he recounted how Shao Yun killed the Wind God, and what happened in Mondstadt during that time.

Nefer found it quite amusing to hear that the mighty wind god "Barbatos" had died at the hands of an "unknown nobody."

"You mean, this 'nobody' named Shao Yun killed the Wind God, and then, your father's killer, the second seat of the Fools, Dottore, formed a partnership with Jyn Gunnhildr, the acting Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius?"

She paused for a moment, then summarized precisely: "And you? Faced with the cooperation of your father's killer and someone you trusted, you couldn't kill them, and you couldn't tolerate it either. In the end, having no other choice, you chose to leave Mondstadt?"

“Yes, that’s right,” Diluc briefly acknowledged.

……

After listening to Diluc's story, Nefer leaned back in her office chair, her fingertips lightly tapping the desktop.

She had to admit that the intelligence Diluc brought was far more complex than she had imagined.

"This is really troublesome. There are too many people and things involved. It seems I need some time to sort out the details."

After a brief moment of thought, Nefertari suddenly refocused her attention on "Shao Yun," the key figure Diluc had mentioned.

Anyone capable of killing the Wind God is someone who deserves serious attention, no matter what.

She leaned forward slightly, her gaze sharpening, and asked, "By the way, where is this guy named Shao Yun now?"

"Since he can change the situation in Mondstadt, he might influence other regions in the future. I need to find a way to mark his location."

As the architect of the Northern Continent's intelligence network, Nefer has always paid special attention to these kinds of "key variables." Knowing Shao Yun's whereabouts is equivalent to having an important "risk warning."

Upon hearing this question, Diluc, recalling the scattered information he had recently gathered, guessed uncertainly:

"It seems to be in Nata. At least I haven't seen any trace of that blonde traveler 'Luminous' or Paimon in Liyue, Inazuma, Sumeru, or Fontaine."

"Then Shao Yun's family will probably have no choice but to live in Nata..."

After listening, Nefer nodded thoughtfully.

"Nata... It seems I need to contact the intelligence outpost that was rebuilt in Nata. The Abyss War six months ago was too brutal, and it seems all my informants are dead."

"I wonder if the newly recruited informant will be able to find this blond traveler and Shao Yun's exact location."