Genshin Impact: My villain system is a little different.

"Why are you so late? I heard your secretary couldn't even find you?" Ningguang asked without looking up as they arrived at the Jade Chamber.

Ningguang was seated at her desk, a pile of letters in front of her, her expression serious.

But Keqing? Her steps were unsteady, and she seemed… a bit awkward?

Keqing said, "I was busy with something…"

Ningguang looked up curiously and noticed the lingering blush on Keqing's face and the relaxed aura she exuded.

As if understanding something, Ningguang gave Keqing a meaningful look and said, "It seems our Yuheng Star couldn't wait either… Let me guess? Did it start in the office?"

Then, turning to Jiang Ning, who was standing beside Keqing, Ningguang added, "You're really something, aren't you? Don't you know how thin-skinned our Keqing is?"

"Hey, hey, I'm still here. Are you just going to start talking like I'm not even here?" A slightly exasperated voice chimed in.

The voice was low and slightly husky, but it carried a seductive tone.

Jiang Ning had already noticed the person standing by Ningguang's bookshelf.

Although she was well-hidden, even her presence was almost imperceptible, Jiang Ning had sensed her.

Keqing, however, was startled. "Yelan? When did you get here?"

The woman named Yelan replied, "I've been here reporting to Ningguang. I just didn't speak up when you arrived."

"You must be the next Geo Archon, right? Pleasure to meet you. I'm Yelan, the owner of the Yanshang Teahouse."

As Yelan observed Jiang Ning, Jiang Ning was also observing her.

Yelan thought the young Geo Archon was good-looking, but she couldn't gauge his strength. He seemed almost… ordinary.

However, as a seasoned intelligence officer, her instincts told her there was something unusual about Jiang Ning.

Jiang Ning, on the other hand, was struck by Yelan's beauty.

She had the figure of a classic mature woman, with curves in all the right places, and every movement exuded charm and allure.

Yet, despite her striking appearance, if it weren't for Jiang Ning's keen senses, he might have overlooked her entirely.

She was a master of infiltration.

She wore a backless top in shades of blue, her fair shoulders covered by an expensive-looking fur coat. Her tight leather pants accentuated her perfect figure.

Her short, practical haircut and heavy makeup, which seemed slightly out of place, gave her a vibe reminiscent of old Shanghai.

She was like a poisonous rose…

Jiang Ning muttered to himself.

Keqing, as if remembering something, stammered, "Y-you, forget what you just heard!"

Yelan chuckled. "Sorry, Lady Yuheng, but my memory is quite good. I can't just forget things at will."

Ningguang interjected, "Alright, Keqing, Yelan isn't one to gossip… Let's get to the point. Yelan, what did you find?"

Yelan shrugged. "Fine, let's get to it… Honestly, I was still investigating in The Chasm when I was suddenly called back…"

"Get to the point…" Ningguang tapped the table with her fingertips.

Yelan said, "Alright, I'll keep it brief. This Zhi Yi guy is definitely suspicious. Although he's a disciple of the Tianquan Star and his background is clean, it all seems… too deliberate."

"His reputation only started spreading shortly before the Tianquan Star election."

"Moreover, there's the shadow of the Northland Bank and Snezhnaya behind him."

"Although Zhi Yi is careful, I managed to uncover that his ties to the Northland Bank are too close. Digging deeper, it leads to our old friends."

Ningguang said softly, "The Fatui Harbinger, Regrator."

Yelan nodded. "Yes, exactly. It's likely that he's the one pulling the strings behind this election."

"Also, based on what the Tianquan Star has been eating, there's a slow-acting poison in his food. I confirmed this with Dr. Baizhu. It's definitely poison."

"From the start, I suspected something was off. The Tianquan Star, despite his age, has always been in good health. How could he suddenly fall ill? Worst-case scenario, I think he's been poisoned."

At this point, it was obvious who the poisoner was.

Keqing slammed the table in anger. "How dare he? The Tianquan Star treated him like his own son!"

Yelan scoffed. "Is it really that hard to guess? Power corrupts. Especially someone like Zhi Yi, who's been stuck at the bottom, convinced of his own talent but held back by his lack of connections."

Ningguang sighed. "He's gone down the wrong path… But it also shows the limits of his character."

As someone who had risen from nothing to become the Tianquan Star, Ningguang was the most qualified to judge Zhi Yi.

Jiang Ning asked, "So, what's your plan? How are you going to deal with him?"

Yelan said, "We can use Zhi Yi to lure out everyone involved. This time, we'll make Regrator pay."

Ningguang added, "Even if it's just a small victory, we'll take it."

"It seems our Liyue Bank has made the Northland Bank quite anxious," Keqing said with a smile.

Mondstadt, Liyue, and Inazuma no longer had Northland Bank branches. Instead, the Liyue Bank was now the standard.

In Fontaine and Sumeru, the Liyue Bank was steadily gaining ground.

Especially in Sumeru, the student loan program was very popular.

Unlike the Northland Bank, which demanded your future and life as collateral, the Liyue Bank charged reasonable interest rates and allowed for installment payments.

As a result, the Northland Bank was struggling.

However, what was strange was that the Sumeru Akademiya seemed to subtly support the Northland Bank.

This immediately raised red flags for the perceptive Ningguang and her team. It seemed there were many within the Akademiya who had ties to the Fatui, even close collaborations.

But it didn't matter. At least in nations friendly to Liyue, the Northland Bank was being squeezed out or outright expelled. In nations with neutral relations, the Liyue Bank was enough.

At the very least, the Northland Bank wouldn't have an easy time.

Keqing and the others began discussing strategies, but Jiang Ning found it all a bit boring.

He was fine with setting the direction, but when it came to the details, Jiang Ning knew he wasn't cut out for intricate schemes… Wait, no, this was his wife. How could he call it a scheme?

It was more like strategizing from a thousand miles away.

Moreover, from Zhongli, Jiang Ning had learned about the "love-hate" relationship between Regrator and the Geo Archon.

Regrator was originally a merchant from Liyue, even having the chance to become the Tianquan Star.

Unfortunately, he took the wrong path. Liyue was about ensuring the people's well-being, where hard work was rewarded—a reflection of the contract.

But Regrator? He wanted to turn Liyue into a place ruled by capital, filled with blood and tears.

Just look at the Northland Bank today, and you'll see how right Zhongli was to reject Regrator's bid to become the Tianquan Star.

Adding to that, Regrator never received a Geo Vision, so his once fervent admiration for Morax had twisted into resentment.

At his core, he was just a twisted Geo Archon fanboy. "You didn't choose me, so I'll prove your choice was wrong."

That was essentially the situation.

But really… it was quite bizarre. Aside from those expelled from Liyue Harbor, the place was filled with either Geo Archon fanatics or twisted fanatics, with the exception of one little hater named Zhongli.

While his wives were busy discussing plans, Jiang Ning, not interested in listening, simply said, "Remember to come home for dinner," and left the Jade Chamber.

Arriving at the docks, he noticed a sailor with a cane running surprisingly fast.

"What the… What's going on here?"

Jiang Ning also saw a group of women chasing the sailor, armed with sticks and stools.

This left Jiang Ning even more stunned.

There were women from Inazuma, Sumeru, Fontaine, and Liyue—it seemed like all seven nations were represented.

"Is this some kind of public assault?"

Jiang Ning called over a Millelith soldier and asked curiously.

The soldier, clearly excited to be speaking with Jiang Ning, replied, "It's like this, Lord Jiang Ning. That sailor's name is Chao Xi. The higher-ups have instructed us to ignore him if he's being chased, unless someone gets killed."

"Mainly because this guy…"

Before the soldier could finish, Jiang Ning waved his hand. "Ah, so this is Chao Xi… I remember now. My senior told me about him. He's a playboy who seduces women but never commits. He's tricked many young girls, and he's done it across all seven nations."

"Then he got one of his legs broken and was supposed to be resting at home… How is he out again?"

The soldier relaxed. "You see, sir, he didn't stay quiet for long. He started causing trouble again, using his cane as an excuse, saying he got injured while bravely fighting sea monsters to protect his crew."

"Some new girls, who hadn't heard of him, fell for his lies, and then… well, this happened."

"To make matters worse, one of the girls he almost tricked had a mother who's a senior official at Yuehai Pavilion. After finding out, she gave the order… to let the women vent their anger."

Jiang Ning nodded. "I see… Well, it's good that he's being chased like this. It shows he's still got some charm, right? Anyway, you can go back to your duties."

"Yes, Lord Jiang Ning!"

The soldier left, and Jiang Ning sat on the steps, watching Chao Xi get beaten up. He couldn't help but think that, in a way, this guy was kind of impressive…

Seeing Chao Xi knocked out cold and the women dispersing, still cursing, Jiang Ning decided there was no more entertainment to be had and prepared to leave.

But as he was leaving, he noticed a familiar ship in the distance.

The Crux Fleet was back today?

Jiang Ning was surprised. He decided to wait. They must have returned from Inazuma, so he could ask how things were going there.

......

As the Crux Fleet docked, Beidou and the others disembarked and immediately spotted Jiang Ning waiting for them.

Beidou laughed heartily. "Hey, Jiang Ning! Long time no see. How've you been?"

Jiang Ning replied, "Not bad, Beidou. How was the trip to Inazuma?"

Beidou said, "It went well. After all, Inazuma and Liyue are practically family now… Though Inazuma's population is still a bit low."

Jiang Ning said, "That's to be expected. We've cleaned out most of the corruption… By the way, what about the 'pay-for-pardon' scheme?"

Beidou smirked. "It's been eye-opening. Those Inazuman nobles are loaded! I'm telling you, Jiang Ning, after they paid up, the national treasury is looking pretty healthy."

"And the grain stores? Some of them were so full that the grain was rotting, even attracting rats, but they wouldn't give it to the people."

Jiang Ning said, "Well, as long as Inazuma's treasury is full for now…"

"You're really planning to let them off the hook?" Beidou still felt it wasn't enough.

Jiang Ning sneered. "Of course not. Inazuma can't afford to lose too many people right now, and we still need some of them to help out. But once Inazuma stabilizes, we'll find some excuse to strip them of their titles, maybe even throw them in prison."

Beidou gave Jiang Ning a thumbs-up. "That's more like it."

Jiang Ning was also pleased. It seemed Raiden Ei was following their instructions, and Yae Miko wasn't slacking off either…

"By the way, the Traveler came back with us this time, and they brought someone along…"

Beidou's expression turned odd.

Jiang Ning asked casually, "Who did they bring?"

Beidou pursed her lips. "Well, it's someone you know. The Fatui Harbinger, Childe… Tartaglia."

"Who?!" Jiang Ning was stunned, looking up sharply.

Wasn't this guy supposed to have fled? According to their contract, Tartaglia was supposed to release the Osial to test Liyue.

But the compensation from Snezhnaya had already been delivered.

So, while Tartaglia wasn't officially welcome in Liyue, he wasn't exactly wanted either.

He was even allowed to leave.

And now… he's back? Turning himself in?

Beidou scratched her head. "Yeah, I'm not sure what happened. On our way back, we found him floating on a piece of broken wood, covered in blood…"

"The Traveler thought it'd be best not to let him die, so we brought him back. He's still unconscious."

"Bring him with me, then," Jiang Ning said.

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