Zhongli sat quietly, sipping his tea. He had weapons and other valuable items, but Smith seemed determined not to owe him any favors. Zhongli observed Smith's intention to potentially blackmail the Ice Queen. It was an intriguing thought, and although Zhongli didn't stop him, he knew that if Smith needed help, he wouldn't hesitate to offer it.
Given the current state of affairs in Liyue, the Ice Queen's presence or any of the Fatui executives wouldn't pose much of a threat unless they came in full force. However, if that were to happen, Liyue and the Kingdom of Winter would likely be thrown into open conflict. Should war truly break out between the two sides, the Kingdom of Winter would have no need to attack Sky Island.
As Smith had put it, the Kingdom of Winter might even face its destruction—perhaps even be completely wiped out. If war escalated to that extent, Zhongli himself would not hesitate to stand against the Ice Queen. With Liyue's current strength, it was possible that the Kingdom of Winter could be brought to its knees. The combined power of Smith, Nashida, and the immortals of Liyue would be a formidable force. Even if Zhongli were to bring in another powerful ally like Miss Qiu, it would be a terrifying thought.
Zhongli ultimately decided to part with the Heart of God. It held no further value for him, and keeping it could only lead to disaster. However, if the Ice Queen wanted the Heart of God, she would have to offer something of value in return.
"Hahaha, weapons on the market?" Tartaglia laughed. "Those weapons are really not suitable for us. Although I'll admit that top-tier weapons can sometimes make warriors complacent, in the long run, they might cause us to become lazy. But ordinary weapons can't handle our strength. We constantly need to replace them and keep up with maintenance. It's such a hassle."
Tartaglia reminisced about his early days when his weapons were subpar. In those times, they often broke during battle, unable to withstand his immense strength. It wasn't until he received weapons from the Ice Queen that he stopped facing such issues.
"Then, I'm fine," Smith said. A spear made of water elements suddenly appeared in his hand. The sight made Tartaglia's eyes widen in surprise. He recognized the technique instantly! However, what startled him even more was the density of the water element in Smith's spear—it was far greater than his own.
This discovery didn't scare Tartaglia; in fact, it made his blood boil with excitement. He gazed at Smith with intense interest, eager to challenge him.
"Hey, there are no weapons suitable for me right now," Smith said with a frown.
In recent days, Smith had been studying the Book of Seals. He had made significant progress, but the results were not exactly what he had hoped for. While the book did contain various water-based jutsu, it didn't provide the step-by-step instructions that the Wood Release techniques had. It only recorded the basic usage of jutsu, leaving Smith to figure out the finer details on his own.
This made Smith feel that the points he had spent on the Wood Release were wasted. After all, the Book of Seals also contained information on Wood Release. Had he studied it from the book, he might not have achieved the results he had in just a few months.
Thankfully, Smith was able to use some of the techniques from the water-based jutsu and combine them with his force-generation methods. Creating a water dragon hundreds of meters long was now within his capabilities, and that no longer seemed particularly difficult.
"The weapons on the market are indeed not practical," Tartaglia acknowledged. "But if you put in some effort, you should be able to find good weapons. I don't know what weapons you use, Consultant Smith, but I can help you find one. I'm happy to use my Fatui connections to assist you."
Smith looked at Tartaglia, pondering for a moment. "A long spear," he said without hesitation.
Tartaglia grinned. "If that's what you need, I'll use the power of the Fatui to help you find a suitable weapon. But when it arrives, I hope you'll agree to fight me."
Smith raised an eyebrow. "Are you serious?" His expression was subtle, but inside, he was thinking, I'm about to take advantage of this guy...
Thinking back to Tartaglia's actions in the original plot, Smith's conscience didn't hurt at all. After all, Tartaglia wasn't exactly a good person. He's my enemy. That's all that matters, Smith thought, smiling slightly.
Tartaglia, after all, had released Osel for the sake of the Kingdom of Winter. As far as Liyue was concerned, he was a criminal, and he didn't deserve any redemption. Tartaglia wasn't someone who needed to be "whitewashed."
"I'm serious," Tartaglia insisted, looking at Smith with admiration. "You're stronger than most people I've ever met. If I didn't know you weren't from Fontaine, I might even suspect that you're the God of Water. Fighting with someone like you would be a valuable training experience for me."
Smith blinked, surprised by the statement. The God of Water? He almost chuckled at the thought. If anything, he was more like the God of Water than that Funina person.
"Well, don't worry. I'm not happy to be friends with someone like you, Consultant Smith," Tartaglia continued, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "But I still hope our friendship will last forever."
Smith raised his teacup in a mock toast. "Then, I wish our friendship will last forever."
Tartaglia quickly raised his own cup and clinked it with Smith's, before downing the hot tea. Although it wasn't the high-strength alcoholic beverage from the Kingdom of Winter, he didn't seem to mind. However, Smith couldn't help but blink in surprise. Hot tea? Isn't he worried about the heat?
This seemingly reckless act of Tartaglia, along with his willingness to befriend Smith, made the meal a success for both host and guest.
After the meal, the three of them parted ways at the entrance to Xinyuexuan. Tartaglia and Zhongli left together, while Smith walked toward a nearby alley where someone was waiting.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Ye Lan!" Smith called out as he approached.
Ye Lan, who had been leaning against the wall, nodded slightly. She then glanced at Smith with a curious expression.
When Ningguang first approached her about leading a special organization, Ye Lan had initially wanted to refuse. After all, wasn't she already doing something similar? The organization would simply make her an official staff member, which had both pros and cons for Ye Lan.
But Ningguang had said something that made Ye Lan reconsider. The organization was formed at the request of the Rock King, and Ye Lan had always been favored by the Rock King. This revelation had swayed her, and now she found herself reluctantly involved.