Genshin Impact: Supreme Justice of Teyvat

Chapter 35: The Eye Thieves!

Li Cheng, wearing a fox mask, froze momentarily, thinking:

Could it be that this senior isn’t aware of the treasure?

No, impossible! He has to know about it!

The ancient aura emanating from the locust shadow behind him suggested that this man was likely one of those immortal old monsters. The vastness of their experience and wisdom made their intentions nearly impossible to decipher.

But why would he ask me to explain it again? Could it be…

Countless thoughts swirled through Li Cheng’s mind, and in an instant, he realised the reason behind the other party’s question. This mysterious figure probably misunderstood his mention of the treasure as referring to a different item!

Considering the strength of such an individual, they must have already considered the treasure as good as theirs. If he was now offering to provide information about it, the senior likely assumed it pertained to another treasure altogether. Alternatively, this might be a test of honesty—one falsehood could mean his doom.

That was close! I almost messed up big time!

Li Cheng silently praised his own quick thinking. The possibility that Lu Yu might genuinely not know about the treasure was immediately dismissed. After all, such a formidable figure wouldn’t casually roam a city as ordinary as Hangzhou—they were more likely to appear in a major city or even the void itself.

What he couldn’t fathom was that Lu Yu wasn’t some enigmatic expert but rather an awakened half-being with raw power but no training!

Lu Yu, on the other hand, simply watched Li Cheng’s contemplation with a calm expression. Since he didn’t understand anything, saying less seemed like the safest course of action.

Once his thoughts were sorted, Li Cheng began, “This matter began a month ago when a group of Eye Thieves ambushed a small caravan transporting goods…”

“Eye Thieves!”

Xu Xiaoqing exclaimed in shock, her face contorted with disgust before she apologised, “Sorry for interrupting you!”

“No worries,” Li Cheng replied, smiling. “It seems you’re familiar with the Eye Thieves.”

Xu Xiaoqing nodded, her expression full of revulsion. “I’ve read about them. Eye Thieves were originally ruthless criminals who fled into the wilderness to evade the law. However, as they weren’t awakened beings, they lacked survival skills.

“Their leader, a cultist of an evil god, led them in a sinister ritual of blood sacrifice to an unknown deity, transforming them into grotesque creatures with heads covered in eyes. Each eye held an aura of intimidation, capable of unnerving humans and most other life forms—abilities comparable to some awakening techniques.

“Because of their monstrous forms, wild creatures generally avoided attacking them, allowing them to survive in the wilderness.”

Her tone grew indignant as she continued, “While this ritual granted them longevity, it also cursed them with the need to feed exclusively on fresh human eyeballs. Consuming regular food causes severe nausea, and prolonged abstinence leads to the decay of their eye-covered heads and the gradual collapse of their bodies.

“Conversely, the more human eyes they devour, the stronger they become. Their psychic intimidation ability can be deadly to awakened beings. Combined with their human intelligence and cunning tactics, they’ve long been humanity’s enemy.

“Unfortunately, this evil ritual has leaked. Many criminals or desperate individuals seeking immortality choose to become Eye Thieves, turning into enemies of humanity. They roam the wilderness, preying on caravans and, at times, launching large-scale attacks on human settlements, committing heinous atrocities.”

Nice explanation. Now I finally understand what Eye Thieves are.

Lu Yu mentally gave Xu Xiaoqing a thumbs-up. The more he observed her, the more he appreciated her, despite her talkative and quirky nature. Her encyclopaedic knowledge deserved full marks for this informative session.

Learning about the Eye Thieves expanded Lu Yu’s understanding. Previously, he only knew the wilderness was dangerous without grasping the specific threats. Now he realised that human malice could be as perilous as monstrous dangers.

Nearby, Ma Yang, the night market vendor, sighed, “Those Eye Thieves are truly despicable! Several of my caravans were attacked by them. All the merchants’ eyes were taken, ruining their lives!”

While most people had only heard of the Eye Thieves, Ma Yang had faced them directly. To him, they were nothing short of maniacs. If not for their psychic intimidation and focus on wilderness ambushes, he would have annihilated them long ago.

Li Cheng nodded and resumed, “However, this time, among the goods they seized was a highly unusual treasure!”

“What treasure?” Xu Xiaoqing asked curiously.

Li Cheng’s expression darkened as he replied gravely, “A dragon egg!”