Genshin Impact: The Sharpshooter of Teyvat

She turned and began walking toward Zhongli, with Paimon following curiously behind, peeking around as she went. When the two of them stood before him, Zhongli greeted them warmly.

"Greetings, Lumine, and Paimon."

"Hello, Mr. Zhongli," Lumine replied politely. "Have you been here the whole time?"

Zhongli nodded gently. "Indeed. This Rite of Parting has stirred many thoughts in me."

"Oh? What kind of thoughts?" Paimon asked curiously.

Zhongli paused in thought before slowly replying, "This ceremony brought back many memories..."

His gaze grew distant, as though lost in the fragments of ages past.

"Memories?" Lumine asked, intrigued. "Mr. Zhongli, would you be willing to share them with us?"

Zhongli was silent for a while, seeming to weigh his words. Then he spoke slowly, "These memories are closely tied to the history of Liyue. You see, the Adepti have accompanied Liyue through countless years. But now, the times have changed. The Adepti are leaving, and mortals are beginning to take their fate into their own hands."

Lumine and Paimon both fell into contemplative silence. They realized that what Zhongli had witnessed far exceeded anything they could imagine.

"You must have seen so much, Mr. Zhongli," Lumine said with heartfelt reverence.

Zhongli smiled gently and nodded. "Yes, I have witnessed Liyue's rise and fall, and seen many Adepti depart. But no matter what happens, Liyue keeps moving forward, and its people continue to grow."

"Thank you for sharing this with us, Mr. Zhongli," Lumine said gratefully.

"No need to thank me," Zhongli responded warmly. "I only hope you'll come to understand this land better."

"Right, Mr. Zhongli—Shao Yun said you'd tell me about my brother, so…" Lumine hesitated, her eyes full of hope as she looked at the dignified man before her.

Zhongli nodded slightly, acknowledging her feelings, then replied gently, "Of course."

…

Shao Yun looked out toward Lumine, Paimon, and Zhongli as they spoke.

There was a glint of admiration in his eyes—he felt comforted by Zhongli's composed and wise demeanor.

He nodded slightly, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips as he murmured to himself:

'Old man's way more reliable than that drunkard…'

As he basked in the moment, light footsteps approached from behind, carrying a faint, delicate fragrance.

Turning around, he saw Ningguang approaching with graceful poise, her elegant air drawing glances even from afar.

She stopped before him and offered a slight nod. "Mr. Shao Yun, may I have a word with you?"

Shao Yun raised an eyebrow in curiosity, then nodded to signal she could go ahead.

Ningguang got straight to the point. "I heard from Keqing—you took over fifty billion Mora from the Northland Bank?"

Shao Yun didn't dodge the question. He nodded, owning up to it openly.

"That's right. What, you want a share?"

Ningguang didn't have that kind of audacity. She blinked, clearly thinking about something, then spoke with slight hesitation.

"No… But my intel says the Northland Bank originally held six hundred billion Mora. Seems the Fatui managed to move out close to a few hundred billion during the chaos."

Shao Yun froze, eyes wide in disbelief. He hadn't expected the Fatui to sneak away with a few whole hundred billion!

That's my money. MY money!

Shao Yun slapped his thigh in fury, his face turning dark as he roared, "Damn it! I lost a several hundred billion!"

His voice rang with raw frustration and indignation.

The once-calm atmosphere instantly stiffened.

Ningguang, Keqing, and Ganyu exchanged stunned glances, all left speechless by his outburst.

They couldn't help but marvel internally—he robbed fifty billion and still wasn't satisfied? Shao Yun's appetite was enormous!

Still fuming, Shao Yun exclaimed, "Tell me—how many treasure hoarders do I have to rob to earn that several hundred billion back?!"

Ningguang was the first to recover from the shock. She shook her head gently, replying hesitantly, "I... don't really know…"

Her voice carried a note of unease—clearly thrown off by Shao Yun's suggestion. Get rich by robbing treasure hoarders? That's a new one.

But Shao Yun wasn't about to let it go. Suddenly, his eyes lit up with an idea.

"Got it! How about we go bandit-hunting?"

Keqing blinked in surprise, her eyes wide. She asked cautiously, "Bandit-hunting? You mean… wiping out the treasure hoarders in Liyue?"

Shao Yun nodded, determination flashing in his eyes.

"Exactly. I've even got the slogan ready!"

He cleared his throat and adopted a dramatic tone, quoting from a well-known advisor:

"The treasure hoarders must be eradicated—at all times, without exception! Citizens of Liyue, imagine this: you're out with your wife and kids, eating hotpot, singing songs, and suddenly—bam!—a group of treasure hoarders ambushes you!"

"So, I say, the days without treasure hoarders are the only good days!"

The three women were too stunned to speak.

He might actually be the only person in the world capable of pulling this off…

Though Shao Yun's speech sounded wild and exaggerated, when they thought about it, he wasn't entirely wrong.

The treasure hoarders had been a long-standing threat to Liyue's safety.

With Shao Yun's rallying energy, the three women began seriously considering the feasibility of a bandit-clearing operation.

While Ningguang, Keqing, and Ganyu were engrossed in their discussion, Shao Yun suddenly interjected.

"By the way, Miss Ningguang—Keqing mentioned a lot of Liyue citizens had deposits in the Northland Bank. Should I 'give it all back'? I mean, I'm a very kind person. I'd hate to see people go broke just because I got greedy."

As soon as he finished, Ningguang felt a chill race up her spine.

She turned to look at Shao Yun's face—outwardly sincere, but shrewd and calculating beneath the surface—and a wave of unease welled up in her chest.

She quickly waved her hands and said firmly, "Shao Yun, we'll demand that money back from the Snezhnayan banks. We'll claim the Fatui moved it all. Don't worry about the details—I've got their ledgers. They won't be able to deny anything."

Though her words seemed calming, the meaning was clear: We're not touching that fifty billion you took. Spend it however you like!

Shao Yun's expression eased into a pleased smile. He nodded. "Miss Ningguang, you truly are wise. You know exactly how to handle these things."

Ningguang returned a faint smile, though her thoughts were quite different. "If I weren't smart, I'd already be six feet under thanks to you."

Since there'd be no pursuit of the stolen funds, Shao Yun moved on to finalize the reward arrangement with Ningguang.

"Miss Ningguang, regarding the payment—please fulfill the earlier agreement. Transfer it to the Adventurers' Guild under the name 'Lumine,' if that's alright."

Ningguang nodded with no hesitation. "Of course. I'll have someone process the payment right away."

Then she shifted the topic, her gaze drifting to Shao Yun. "And what are your plans moving forward?"

Shao Yun gestured toward Zhongli and the now-engrossed conversation with Lumine and Paimon, smiling.

"Me? Naturally, I go wherever Lumine goes. Her decision is my decision."

Ningguang's eyes briefly lit up with admiration. Then she offered him a proposal.

"Shao Yun, I think Liyue is a fine place. With your skills—and hers—you two could do very well here."

She elaborated further.

"With your fifty billion Mora, you could buy a grand mansion on Yujing Terrace. The rest could go into business ventures. I'd wager that in under three years, you could double your fortune. Maybe even reach a trillion."

Turning a bandit into a businessman—that was no small feat.

Shao Yun saw through her intention: She's not asking for the money back, but she wants me to invest it in Liyue's future.

As for the trillion Mora goal—was that a sincere hope or just bait? He couldn't tell.

But he knew this much: if he lost that fifty billion to someone's scheme, he'd absolutely go steal a trillion in revenge.

"Miss Ningguang, I appreciate your suggestion. But I'll stick with Lumine. As for wealth—I believe with enough 'effort', I'll 'earn' more eventually."

He smiled politely but shook his head, firm in his stance.

Seeing his resolve, Ningguang didn't push further. She simply smiled warmly. "Very well, it's just a suggestion. Liyue's gates will always be open to you. If you need help, come to Yuehai Pavilion—or find Keqing or Ganyu."

Shao Yun nodded gratefully. "Thank you, Miss Ningguang. And don't forget—there's still that 25% discount we discussed. Also, I'd like to see the Fatui officially declared an illegal organization."

Ningguang smiled faintly, assuring him, "Don't worry. I've made a note of everything. It'll be handled."