Genshin Impact: The Sharpshooter of Teyvat

Night had fallen, and Shao Yun returned to the Yunlai Inn, weary but content from the day's events.

As he pushed open the door, a warm atmosphere washed over him. The soft lighting illuminated every corner of the room.

Paimon was in the bathroom—doing who knows what.

Shao Yun scanned the room and noticed that Lumine had already returned. She was seated casually at the Eight Immortals table, a teapot in hand. Green tea leaves unfurled in the steaming water, releasing a delicate fragrance.

Hearing the door, Lumine turned her head and smiled.

She gently set the teapot down and stood up to greet him.

Seeing Lumine safe and sound, a warmth surged through Shao Yun's chest.

"Lumine, I'm back. How was your adventure today?"

Lumine nodded, her eyes gleaming with satisfaction.

"We found quite a lot. Paimon and I went to Jueyun Karst. The scenery was beautiful, and we picked up all sorts of rare finds."

Curious, Shao Yun started ticking off guesses with his fingers.

"Let me guess. You and Paimon collected tons of mint, sweet flowers, that sort of thing?"

Lumine burst into laughter at his words and quickly waved her hand.

"Hey! We were adventuring, not gathering herbs! Don't project your plant-picking obsession onto us!"

Shao Yun scratched his head with a sheepish grin.

Just then, Lumine's expression lit up with excitement.

"But we did find a bunch of treasure chests! They were full of rare items and gear—definitely a big win this time!"

Hearing her describe it, Shao Yun felt genuinely happy for them. But thinking about his own idle month made him feign a pitiful expression.

"Well, it sounds like you and Paimon have had a great month. But me? I've been stuck in Liyue Harbor, bored out of my mind—even more idle than Zhongli!"

Lumine caught on to his meaning immediately. Her bright eyes sparkled, and a mischievous smile played on her lips.

"Heehee. Paimon and I still haven't explored Qingxu Pool and Tianqiu Valley. Once we're done with those, we'll lift your lockdown, okay?"

Shao Yun sighed, clearly playing the part of the aggrieved.

He scratched his head again.

"Lumine, any chance I could leave Liyue Harbor tomorrow?"

A flicker of curiosity passed through her gaze. She tilted her head.

"Where are you going?"

Shao Yun smiled and pulled out a delicate wooden box from his backpack. Inside was a beautifully crafted peachwood sword.

He handed it to her and explained.

"Ran into Hu Tao today—Zhongli's boss. She invited me to help her catch a ghost tomorrow. So I want to head out for that. I mean, just look at this craftsmanship—can I go stretch my legs?"

Lumine's face immediately filled with disbelief.

"Wait… what? Catching ghosts? You're sure you know how to do that?"

Shao Yun blinked, caught off guard by her reaction. He gave a nervous laugh and rubbed his neck.

"Ahaha, yeah. Catching ghosts. Hu Tao heard from Xiao that I can keep spirits in check. So, she asked me for help. You wouldn't believe it—both Hu Tao and Xiao got the short end of the stick from that ghost."

Lumine weighed the sword in her hand, her brow furrowed with concern.

She looked up and asked, "But Liyue's dealing with big problems right now. Hasn't Zhongli done anything?"

Shao Yun grew thoughtful, rubbing his chin.

"Well… Zhongli's not a god anymore, remember? And as far as I know, Hu Tao might not even know his true identity."

Lumine nodded slowly. That did make sense.

She paused, then handed back the sword with a firm nod.

"Alright, fine. You can leave Liyue Harbor. But be careful."

Seeing her relent, Shao Yun made another suggestion.

"How about this, Lumine—why don't we go together tomorrow? Let's see what a ghost actually looks like."

The room fell still, like a pebble dropped into a tranquil lake.

Lumine's eyes widened in sheer horror, her entire body freezing.

She shook her head violently—so fast it looked like a spinning top.

"No way! I'm scared!"

Shao Yun leaned forward, eyes narrowing in mock disbelief.

"Seriously? You're scared of ghosts?"

Realizing she might have overreacted, Lumine quickly composed herself.

"I'm not scared… I'm scared Paimon might get scared. And then I'll be scared by her screaming."

Shao Yun didn't buy it.

He grinned mischievously.

"Well, sounds like a perfect time to train her courage. Can't have her screaming every time danger shows up."

A chill ran through Lumine. This could traumatize Paimon!

She searched her mind for a clever rebuttal.

With a deep breath, she steadied herself.

"You said yourself you'd protect us from danger. That includes keeping Paimon from getting scared—not scaring her on purpose."

Shao Yun blinked, stunned by how neatly she'd flipped his words on him.

He let out a helpless sigh.

"Fine, fine. You got me there."

Lumine finally relaxed, stretching out her arms.

"Well then, anything else? If not, I'll go check if Paimon's got the bathwater ready. I'm exhausted."

Shao Yun gave a small smile and raised two fingers—then thought better of it and retracted one.

"Well… two things. But you can count them as one."

Lumine arched an eyebrow, intrigued.

"What now? Don't tell me you've gotten into more trouble."

Shao Yun shook his head. His eyes softened.

"I made a friend today."

"Huh?" Lumine stared at him, incredulous.

She looked him up and down.

"You… made a friend? Who would dare be your friend?"

Shao Yun chuckled awkwardly.

"Don't look at me like that. I'm serious. He's eight years old. Hu Tao introduced us. I've been bored lately… so, y'know, I hung out with a kid."

Lumine's expression eased.

"Oh, I see. But just a reminder—don't corrupt the kid."

Shao Yun smirked.

"Come on. I didn't corrupt him. I helped him. He asked me to retrieve his mother's keepsake. So I went to her old workplace—a place called the Pearl Galley. Didn't take a Mora. Just did a good deed."

Lumine frowned, her voice low and skeptical.

"I should be grateful you didn't make things worse…"

Shao Yun heard her mutter.

He rubbed his head and said, "Make things worse? Nah. I cleaned house. Do you know what kind of place the Pearl Galley is? Even demons would flinch! So… I cleaned it up. Took care of every last monster there."

Then, he recounted everything Luoxia had told him.

Lumine pressed her palm to her forehead, a complex look in her eyes.

"Shao Yun… I'm not even surprised anymore. But why do you always tell me these things?"

Shao Yun paused, then met her gaze sincerely.

"I just wanted to find something to talk about… maybe build some connection between us. You believe that?"

Lumine looked into his eyes and felt a soft stir in her heart.

She nodded.

"I believe you. You have your reasons. Your principles. As long as you don't kill the innocent, that's what matters. And I know I've been distant this past month… Once I finish those last two places, I'll spend proper time with you. Deal?"

Before Shao Yun could respond, the bathroom door creaked open.

Paimon peeked her head out, her face glowing with happiness.

"Lumine, the bathwater's ready! Let's take a bath!"

Lumine turned and replied, "Coming!"

Then she looked back at Shao Yun, cheeks tinged pink, and teased,

"Oh, and Shao Yun—no peeking, okay? Or else… you'll seriously regret it!"

Shao Yun burst out laughing.

"Hey, you make me sound like some creepy pervert. I'm a gentleman, remember?"

Lumine rolled her eyes and patted his stomach playfully.

"Alright, alright, Mr. Gentleman, I'll take your word for it. But if I ever find my brother—he'll be the one to punish you!"

With that, she turned and headed into the bathroom, Paimon skipping behind her.

Shao Yun watched them go, then chuckled softly to himself.

"That girl's got quite the spirit."

To avoid any awkwardness, he decided to rest on the lounge chair.

He lay back, closed his eyes, and let the sound of splashing water soothe him.

Still, a mischievous thought slipped into his mind. He muttered,

"When I meet your brother, I'm gonna stare at you on purpose. Let's see if you'll actually let him cut me down."

He chuckled again, already picturing the scene.

…

"Did he just say he'd stare at my sister?!"

"I believe so, Your Highness."

"Open a portal. I'm going to kill him!"

"Your Highness, please calm down!"

"Let go! Open the portal! Only one of us is walking away alive today!"

…

The next morning, sunlight pierced through the clouds and bathed Liyue Harbor in gentle warmth.

Lumine and Paimon, restless as ever, had already set off on a new adventure.

Meanwhile, Shao Yun headed toward the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, sticking to the plan.

When he arrived, the entrance was bustling—completely unlike the usual tranquility.

Hu Tao was dashing back and forth, clearly in a race against time.

She barked instructions at the ever-steady Zhongli.

"Zhongli! Go find a makeup artist. Anyone with experience. And stock up on Mist Flowers. The more the better. If we don't handle these corpses fast, they're gonna start stinking!"

Zhongli nodded calmly.

"Yes, Director." He turned and disappeared around the corner.

Shao Yun arrived just then and saw Hu Tao pressing a hand to her forehead, visibly worn out.

"You look awful. What happened to you?"

Hu Tao waved her hand, trying to brush off the fatigue.

She sighed.

"Don't even ask. I was sleeping like a log when the Millelith showed up with a mountain of bodies. We've been working nonstop. And there are still heaps of remains that haven't been properly prepared."

Her voice was laced with weary frustration—clearly, she hadn't expected this many dead.

Shao Yun coughed awkwardly, trying to lighten the mood.

"Haha… Funny, isn't it? I don't show up, and you get no business. The moment I arrive, you're thriving."

Hu Tao yawned, half-joking, half-exasperated.

"Please. Business is nice, but this is too much."

Shao Yun raised an eyebrow.

"How many bodies are we talking?"

Hu Tao paused, then began counting on her fingers.

"Oh, where do I even start… The morgue's full, and we had to convert the staff dorms. The makeup artists can't keep up with the number of gruesome corpses."

Shao Yun winced, chuckling nervously.

"Yikes… That's rough."