Genshin Impact: Awakening in the Darkness

Chapter 135 Omens Before the Storm

The next morning——

"Ugh... I'm so sleepy..." Paimon yawned, his eyes still showing dark circles. He looked like he had stayed up all night, swaying unsteadily in the air, looking extremely tired.

Empty: "Were you thinking about this and that again last night?"

"I'm not... thinking about how to apologize to Shen He... After all, my preconceived notions seem to have offended Shen He..."

"What's wrong with me?"

"Wow!" Paimon was startled by Shen He's voice, only to realize that the person in question had appeared behind her at some point.

"That... Shen He..."

Sora was a little surprised, but Shinhaku's face remained calm and expressionless, making it impossible to know what she was thinking.

"...You must have heard about my situation from Master. Judging from your surprise, you must be taken aback." Shen He made his judgment based on their reactions and guessed the gist of the matter.

Paimon: "Huh? How did Shen He know?"

Shen He: "I wanted to wait for you to come back before I went to sleep, but I didn't hear your voices. I was worried that something had happened to you, so I went outside to look for you, and that's when I saw Master."

"Plus, your attitude just now was a bit strange, so I guessed that Master had told you about me. After all, Master is... very good at chatting."

"Um... Anyway, I'm sorry, Shen He. I used to think of you as an immortal." Paimon still mustered up the courage to apologize to Shen He. She was indeed in the wrong.

"It's alright, I don't mind. It's my fault for not explaining things clearly to you before. Because based on past experience, explaining is futile. However, you mistakenly thought I was an immortal, but you didn't keep your distance from me. Instead, you treated me as a friend... I am grateful for that."

Shen He bowed to them solemnly, which made Pai Meng and Kong hurriedly bow to Shen He as well.

"Hmm? You guys..." Shen He's eyes showed doubt again.

The book didn't teach her how to handle this situation, so should she bow again?

Just as she was about to bow again, Paimon quickly stopped her, saying, "Friends don't need to be so formal. If you suddenly bow like that, we'll have to return the bow. So we bowed to you as well, to thank Shen He for his help." If she bowed any further… uh…

Paimon's thoughts got a little distorted...

With his hands on his hips, he looked at Paimon with disdain: "I never expected Paimon to say something like that. He's really grown up."

"Hey! What do you mean I've finally grown up?"

"Friend...? I like that title." Shen He felt a warmth in his heart, as if the emptiness he felt was gradually being filled. Although he had felt that way when he was taught and cared for by his masters in Jueyun, it felt... a little different.

Paimon: "Hmm! After resting for so long, let's continue searching for the remaining two materials. After all, the Mingxia Floating Life Stone is so hard to find, I doubt many people can get it... If our competitors give up early, we won't be in such a rush."

"Why don't we go to the construction site and ask Baiwen about his current situation? After all, it's a competition, and there will definitely be strong opponents. We can't let our guard down."

Sora's suggestion was not without merit, and Shinhak also expressed his approval.

Unbeknownst to them, Liu Yun was still standing atop a nearby mountain, watching them depart. She wanted to see if the traveler's attitude would change after learning Shen He's true identity.

"How is it? After guarding here all night, are you satisfied with the result?" Xuan Yue appeared silently beside Liu Yun.

Liu Yun: "Yes, this traveler is indeed of good character. He's someone you can entrust with important matters. With him as a starting point, Shen He should be able to integrate into the mortal world more effectively in the future."

"Then you can rest assured a lot. However, how did you talk to the 'Seven Stars' back then? If Morax hadn't set me up and suddenly signed a 'contract,' I really wouldn't know the current situation in Liyue."

Speaking of this, Xuan Yue is still angry. Last night, he just couldn't understand why he could suppress the attack single-handedly, minimizing casualties. While he understands Morax's desire for Li Yue to grow up quickly, he's still somewhat worried…

"These were actually all pre-arranged by the Emperor. Nowadays, almost all the immortals live in seclusion in the mountains, and Liyue has entered an era of 'rule by man.' The appearance of the Demon God caught Liyue off guard, but it also served as a good warning."

"And now, the Seven Stars have already sensed the unrest in the deep sea through other means. According to the Emperor's 'contract,' we are Liyue's last line of defense."

“…The last line of defense, huh?” Xuan Yue looked down at the craftsmen working below and the gradually rising Qunyu Pavilion.

He had initially thought this magnificent structure would at most serve to advance the defensive line. Little did he know that the final blow from its height would be comparable to a single rock spear strike from Morax.

"Heh, I'd forgotten. Back then, I was the one who most firmly believed they could rival the Demon God..." Xuan Yue shook her head with a self-deprecating laugh. Looking back on the path she had walked, her mindset was now completely different...

——"Palace of Rebirth"————

"Guest! Why did you buy a tripod?"

"Hmm? What is it, Master?" Hearing Hu Tao's call, Zhong Li put on gloves and went downstairs. He saw Hu Tao examining the cauldron placed by the door.

Early in the morning, as soon as Hu Tao opened the door, she saw four strong men carrying a cauldron toward the Hall of Rebirth. She was still wondering who would buy a cauldron to put in their home when the leader asked her where she would put it.

Now she knew without even asking that it was definitely some old thing her guest had bought somewhere...

“Guest, if you keep buying these, our ‘Wangsheng Hall’ will go broke!” (Habits are a terrible thing…) Hu Tao was staring longingly at the cauldron. It was so old, it must be expensive.

"My esteemed guest, you have no use for this cauldron. Why don't you return it to them?" (Every penny saved is a penny earned...)

Zhongli: "Hmm... I'm afraid that won't work. Auction items cannot be returned to the Chamber of Commerce unless there are special circumstances."

"Clap clap clap... Auction item!" Hu Tao immediately moved a foot away from the cauldron and pulled Zhong Li aside to quietly ask, "How many Mora does this one cost?"

“25…” Zhongli said a number, and Hu Tao patted her chest to comfort herself: “That’s alright, 25 Mora, we can still afford it.”

"...This cauldron costs 25 billion Mora."

“!!!”Σ(?д?|||)??

Hu Tao's expression instantly cracked: "25 billion! Zhong Li, did your company make a mistake?! Our Wang Sheng Tang can't possibly repay that much Mora!"

“That…Master…”

"Tell me... what else did you buy..." Hu Tao was already utterly despondent. Just this one cauldron alone would require her to buy countless coffins.

Zhongli: "Uh, Master, there's no need to be so pessimistic. This cauldron was a gift from Jin Xuan, so the 'Hall of Rebirth' doesn't need to pay for it. Including some of my ancient ritual objects, there's no bill."

"Really?!" Hu Tao instantly regained her energy: "Jin Xuan is really a nice guy, hmm... it's a pity I haven't met his brother. But since he's helped the Rebirth Hall so much, wouldn't it be impolite not to treat him to a meal?"

"What does the sect leader mean?"

"Isn't it just in time for the Lantern Festival? Friends and family can gather together, isn't that perfect? ​​I'm planning to host a dinner at New Moon Pavilion, so I'll ask you, Guest Elder, to deliver a sealed message... Hmm, why not have Jin Xuan bring his brother along too? The Lantern Festival is all about having lots of people and being lively."

Hu Tao's suggestion left Zhong Li momentarily speechless.

"Then it's decided! Oh dear, it's getting late, I need to hand out as many leaflets as possible before the Thousand Rock Army starts patrolling..." Hu Tao immediately picked up the leaflets and materials that had been prepared on the steps and ran off into the distance. Zhong Li could still hear her muttering as she ran, "Hurry up, hurry up, I heard that another hidden customer has come over there, I should be able to sell them out... hehe."

"Master, the weather hasn't been very good lately, you should come back soon..." Zhongli hurriedly instructed her before she ran off.

"knew--!"

Seeing her ever-energetic figure, Zhong Li was also infected by her, and a faint smile appeared on her lips.

"Sigh... I didn't expect that before this problem was solved, another difficult one had arisen. My old friend, how will you deal with this one?"

At that moment, Xuan Yue, who was sitting in the Feiyun Chamber of Commerce discussing purchase prices with the president, suddenly sneezed several times.

"Sir... are you feeling unwell?" the Chamber of Commerce president asked with concern.

"It's nothing, I probably just caught a slight chill from the sudden drop in temperature. Go on..." (Strange, I have a chill down my spine, like someone's been talking to me? Is this a lingering effect?)

Seeing that Xuan Yue was indeed alright, the guild leader continued the previous topic...