GBP Chapter 129 Tracking the Night Owl
Chapter 129 Tracking the Night Owl
The shoes weren't taken off, and the blankets weren't shaken out.
Xu Ning lay on the soft down comforter, quietly drinking his wine and listening to the sounds outside.
The night owl is a bird of prey that is accustomed to watching and observing in the dark, and it only strikes at the most opportune moment.
The best time is when the night is deep and quiet.
The faint sound of tiles hitting each other came from the roof, like a cat gracefully leaping over the ridge.
"The second half of the feast has begun."
Xu Ning was staying in a guest room on the second floor. He silently opened the window, grabbed the window frame, and flipped himself up onto the roof.
A black figure spread its wings of wind and flew towards the riverbank southwest of Dawn Winery.
Xu Ning deliberately waited for the person in front to fly further away before jumping off the edge of the roof, spreading his wings of wind, and slowly gliding away in pursuit of the figure in front.
The roof ridge was not high enough for the two people riding on the wings of wind to glide to the riverbank.
The dark figure ahead flew to the location of a large tree, retracted its wind wings, and landed lightly on a thick branch, gazing down.
Xu Ning wasn't going to be foolish enough to fly right up to him, so she retracted her Wind Wings and landed shortly after passing the vineyard.
After walking a few steps diagonally southwest, Xu Ning found an excellent angle to observe the people on both sides.
The person on the tree branch was, without a doubt, the owner of the Dawn Winery, Mr. Diluc, who had just returned home after nearly four years of wandering.
Although he had changed out of the formal attire he wore at the banquet into the "Crimson Night" combat outfit, his hair was tied up high, and he was wearing a night owl mask.
But, well, no buts.
After all, from hair color to clothes to mask, Xu Ning felt that Master Lu's outfit was almost useless in concealing his identity because he was too familiar with it.
What Diluc was observing were two people standing between two huge rocks.
Although the two were also wearing masks, Xu Ning could clearly recognize them from their uniform clothing.
The Fire Debt Settler is an elite agent under the command of the Fools.
"Shoot", "Shoot".
Two sharp whooshing sounds rang out almost simultaneously as two spinning darts followed bizarre paths, hurtling toward the head of the Fire Debtor.
Xu Ning watched from the side and nodded.
"Although I don't know what Diluc was like when he was in the Knights of Favonius, his sneak attack just now shows that he didn't follow any chivalrous virtues."
"If one still adheres to the knight's set of pointless rules in battle, it would seem too pedantic."
As highly trained special agents, the two debt collectors relied on assassination and sneak attacks as their most common combat methods.
Almost the instant the sound of the hidden weapon cutting through the air rang out, the two turned around at the same time and raised the alien hunting knife in their hands.
As the hunter spun his sword, both of them simultaneously deflected the incoming darts.
"That's a familiar attack pattern. It seems we don't need to exchange any more information about you. Killing you and bringing you back will complete the mission."
One of the debt collectors grinned as he looked at Diluc, who had attacked him. Diluc was a very high target on the Fatui's kill list.
Although his true identity is unknown, it is said that this guy has been opposing the Fatui ever since he appeared, and has killed countless elite members of the Fatui.
Diluc leaped down from the tree branch, his cool voice carrying an air of arrogance.
"Kill me? With just you guys? You might as well call the guy behind you over as well, it'll save me the trouble."
The two debt collectors exchanged a glance, both seeing confusion in each other's eyes.
One of the two men held a hunting knife at Diluc, while the other adopted a defensive posture and surveyed the surroundings.
Upon seeing the expressions on the two men's faces, Diluc immediately realized that an unexpected person had appeared, and his brows furrowed.
Xu Ning came out with a somewhat regretful expression. "Oh dear, I was just thinking of lying in ambush for a while longer to catch them off guard, but I didn't expect you to expose me."
When Diluc saw that it was Xu Ning, a flash of surprise crossed his eyes, but he did not deliberately greet him or reveal his identity.
Xu Ning smiled, expressing his understanding of Diluc's caution.
Turning to the two debt collectors, he asked, "If I remember correctly, your profession is debt collection, right? Why do you seem to be involved in murder and robbery?"
The one who had spoken earlier sneered, "Our responsibilities as debt collectors go beyond just money. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. Whoever harms the interests of the Fools, we will make them pay tenfold."
“This person is an enemy of our Fools. I advise you not to get involved, or I won’t hesitate to take care of you.”
Xu Ning sneered and slowly walked towards the riverbank, where he and Diluc sandwiched the two of them, one to the east and one to the west.
"Looks like a guy who won't listen to advice. Judging from your clothes, you're from Liyue. State your name and let me hear if you're qualified to be exchanged for military merits."
Xu Ning chuckled, "Don't waste your breath trying to find out information. I've had a grudge against you Fools for a long time! If you manage to return alive this time, you'll naturally know who I am; if you're destined to die here today, then all is well."
"You asked for it."
The one who spoke said to his teammate, "You go and hold off that night owl for now. I'll take care of this kid and then come help you."
The man nodded silently, then with a flick of his wrists, the hunter's sacrificial knives he held burst into flames. As he murmured an incantation, the two knives circled around him, and the air distorted under the heat of the flames, causing the man to completely disappear from sight.
"Invisibility, what a skill that is both enviable and annoying."
Xu Ning sighed, stood there drinking his wine, and adopted a haughty attitude of completely ignoring the enemy.
Unlike his companions, the debt collector who was facing him did not remain cautious and hidden, but instead rushed forward, intending to finish the job quickly.
Before he could even reach Xu Ning, the burning hunting knife in his left hand suddenly flew out of his grasp, drawing a line of fire in the air, its target Xu Ning's neck.
Xu Ning dodged to the side.
The debt collector grinned maliciously, his right hand sweeping across with a hunting knife, while his left hand spun back, aiming for Xu Ning's nape.
In a short time, he managed to launch a pincer attack using only his two hunting knives.
Xu Ning crouched down and retreated rapidly, seemingly in a sorry state, before his feet had already stepped into the river.
The debt collector sneered, "That's it? Go to hell!"
He reached out with his left hand and caught the hunting knife, then suddenly thrust forward, the blade slicing right in front of Xu Ning.