NCCnovel Chapter 163 The Specialized Fields of Wine Merchants
Chapter 163 The Specialized Fields of Wine Merchants
Wendy chuckled and said, "I've already inquired about it."
"The Cathedral of the West Winds doesn't close at night, and there's usually no one here in the early hours of the morning. The guards are probably resting, so if you time it right, it's almost impossible to miss!"
Seeing Kong and Paimon nodding and listening intently to Wendy's charade, Xu Ning couldn't help but exclaim, "Wow, you two are really something—one dares to say it, and the other two dare to believe it!"
"Sora, are you really planning to just stroll over and pick up the instrument after midnight?"
Kong smiled sheepishly, "I think Wendy's explanation is quite simple."
Standing beside Xu Ning, the woman in green sneered, "Two little fools!"
Paimon said angrily, "Hey, that's a very rude way to address someone."
Xu Ning waved his hand and said, "Stop arguing. Anyway, it's still early. I'll take you to a secluded place to discuss the details of tonight's operation!"
Xu Ning chose "The Gift of Angels".
"It's my favorite place to be!"
Wendy stepped through the door with a smile and waved to Charles behind the counter with practiced ease, saying, "Find us a quiet place to talk, and a glass of dandelion liqueur while you're at it."
Diluc, who had his back to the crowd at the counter, turned around, his gaze sweeping over Venti and Sora's faces, and said calmly, "Bard, I think I've said it many times, we don't offer credit here, and besides, you're not old enough to drink, are you?"
Wendy laughed and said, "You don't need to worry about my age. When I was drinking, you were still wearing... cough cough. Well, even if you can't drink alcohol, a glass of apple cider will do!"
"Let's go to the second floor. Business has been slow lately due to the dragon disaster. The second floor is the quietest place."
Diluc personally led the group upstairs, and they all sat down around the table.
Xu Ning placed the Dust Concealment Gourd in place, and Qingyi busily brought out several cold dish platters from it, including both meat and vegetables, and even had time to stir-fry a hot dish.
After the woman in green wiped her hands and sat down, Xu Ning placed a clean porcelain bowl in front of each of the stunned crowd and poured sweet wine into them.
"I have things to do tonight, so I'll just have some sweet wine. After I'm done, I'll let you taste the strongest and most delicious nectar!"
Charles, who was carrying a tray of wine, was stunned when he saw the table full of food and drinks.
"What...what's going on?"
Xu Ning turned around and said, "Liyue's snacks to go with drinks. It's no fun just drinking like this."
Charles suddenly realized and turned to Diluc, saying urgently, "Boss, I knew our tavern was missing something! It turns out we're missing these dishes and drinks!"
"With these, our business can even surpass our revenue before the Dragon Disaster!"
Diluc waved his hand. "With these, we've strayed from the original purpose of appreciating fine wine. Alright, put the wine down and go back to the counter. We need to talk to you about something."
Charles dared not say anything more, and placed a glass of Sunset Valley in front of Diluc, and three glasses of apple wine in front of Qingyi, Paimon, and Kong in turn.
That bard couldn't possibly have a single Mora out of his pocket, and besides, the shopkeeper had already warned him not to sell him any wine.
As for Xu Ning, that kid never leaves his wine gourd, and his whole body is permeated with the aroma of wine, so there's no need to worry about him.
After Charles left, Diluc ignored the protesting bards and asked Xu Ning, "Tell me about what you just mentioned!"
Xu Ning laughed and said, "We're planning to steal a violin from the West Wind Cathedral."
Diluc said "Oh," and then asked, "Is it that sacred artifact of the Wind God enshrined in the basement? What's it for?"
Xu Ning pointed at Wendy and said, "Our bard can use this sacred artifact to awaken the nature of the wind dragon and prevent it from harming Mondstadt."
Diluc gave Wendy a long look as she moved the blue apple wine in front of him, and after a long while, he seemed to have figured something out before he spoke.
"Are you confident you can get past those guards?"
Kong asked in surprise, "There are guards inside?"
Diluc glanced at Kong and said, "If I'm not mistaken, you should be Kong, the Honorary Knight announced by the Knights of Favonius today."
"Although Mondstadt is a free city-state, it is not so free that you can put the relics of the Anemo Archon on the street without anyone guarding them."
Kong scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly, then glared at Wendy, who showed no remorse whatsoever.
Xu Ning had never intended to rely on that lazy bum. He turned to Diluc and said, "I have prepared two sets of black night clothes, including a mask. I plan to stay here with you. I hope you can stay a little longer to give us some cover."
Diluc scoffed, "Judging from your attire, are you trying to pin the theft on the Treasure Thieves? But why should I risk the tavern for you?"
Xu Ning smiled, raised his gourd of wine, and toasted Diluc, saying, "Consider it... a tribute to Mondstadt!"
In fact, Diluc is more reliable than Xu Ning imagined.
Diluc not only agreed to the tavern's plan to provide cover, but also prepared several smoke bombs commonly used by the Treasure Raiders and a Treasure Raven Seal for Xu Ning and Kong through special channels (Xu Ning guessed it was through Kaeya).
"These are used to cover the retreat if discovered. This raven seal can be dropped in any inconspicuous corner to confirm the framed identity."
Looking at the table full of professional equipment, Kong felt his worldview was about to shatter.
Why are the wine merchants in Mondstadt and Liyue so professional in these areas?
Around midnight, Xu Ning and Kong, dressed in their best, ran towards the cathedral under the cover of darkness.
Paimon really wanted to go, saying he didn't want to be separated from Kong, but Xu Ning strongly dissuaded him.
Holding up a balloon like you to steal something is like putting an empty name on your head, isn't it?
Kong followed Xu Ning's footsteps, almost always hugging the corners of the walls as he made his way into the church.
They opened the secret passage beneath the altar in the main hall and slipped down into the church's basement.
Fortunately, the basement was not very bright. Although there were many knights patrolling, Xu Ning and Kong still managed to avoid all the guards' notice by observing from all sides with four pairs of eyes.
Xu Ning even saw several ornately decorated treasure chests, but he resisted the urge to risk opening them.
However, when they reached the offering room and saw the Sky Harp on the platform, a sudden change occurred.
A flash of purple lightning appeared, and a masked girl dressed in purple suddenly appeared beside the platform, taking up the Sky Harp without hesitation.
The Lightning Sorcerer of the Fools.
When Xu Ning saw her appear, he already knew that tonight's operation had failed.
Neither I nor Kong possess her teleportation ability. I'm afraid she's been watching this place all along, just waiting for scapegoats like us to appear before she'll take the Wind God's Treasure without leaving a trace.
Kong was both shocked and furious, and he shouted coldly, "Put it down!"
The lightning mage turned around, revealing a glimpse of the girl's delicate chin. She placed a finger on her cherry lips and gently shushed her, then bowed respectfully. Lightning flashed again before disappearing.
Where she disappeared, she left behind a tiny firefly.
Then, without warning, the little thing exploded with a thunderous sound.