Check out my new translation!
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With the matter of the fungus partners settled, Shao Yun took a glance around. There was no sign of that Eremite woman named "Haniyyah."
He frowned slightly, a shadow of unease flickering across his face. Turning to Lumine and Paimon, he asked,
"By the way, Lumine, Paimon—when you two were out here looking for fungi earlier, you only ran into Layla, right?"
Paimon blinked her big eyes in confusion. She tilted her head, thought for a moment, then nodded. "Uh-huh! We only met Layla, that's all."
Shao Yun smiled faintly, then pressed, "And… you didn't happen to meet anyone named Haniyyah, did you?"
The moment that name left his lips, both Lumine and Paimon froze.
They exchanged puzzled looks—clearly, neither had the faintest clue who that was.
Paimon scratched her head and turned toward Layla. "Who even is that? Layla, is this Haniyyah your friend?"
Layla shook her head as well. "No, never heard of that name before. I thought she might be one of your friends."
Hearing their responses, Shao Yun's face grew darker.
If Lumine, Paimon, and Layla hadn't seen Haniyyah… then something was definitely wrong.
A bad feeling welled up inside him.
"…Oh, damn it."
Paimon stared up at him, eyes full of confusion. "Shao Yun, what's with that face all of a sudden?"
He inhaled deeply, forcing his expression back into something calm.
"Haha, it's nothing," he said with an awkward smile. "Just remembered something trivial, that's all."
He waved a hand lightly. "Anyway, I've got some free time now—I can hang around with you guys for a bit."
But even as he said it, his tone didn't sound entirely natural.
"Like I told you before, I can't fully take part in this tournament. Still, it won't hurt to spend a little time together."
Paimon tilted her head, sighing helplessly. "Alright, alright. Once we finish registering our four fungi, let's head out to Port Ormos and do some proper training!"
…
And so, Shao Yun accompanied Lumine, Paimon, and Layla through the registration process without issue.
Then, the group headed for a wide, open area outside Port Ormos to begin training their new fungus partners.
Shao Yun, meanwhile, quietly slipped over to a large tree stump and sat down.
Feigning casual indifference, he watched the three girls as they trained, waiting until they were completely absorbed in their tasks.
Then, in a low voice, he whispered inwardly, "System, are you there? I need you."
A translucent panel appeared before him.
[What is it?]
Shao Yun spoke quietly, careful not to draw the others' attention.
"If possible, I need you to check on Haniyyah's situation."
After several seconds of silence, two lines appeared on the screen.
[Current Status of (Haniyyah): Deceased.]
[Cause of Death: Trapped and burned to death in a forest fire.]
Shao Yun slowly raised a hand and removed the black gambler's hat from his head, bowing it slightly in silent mourning.
"Oh, my god…"
The system's emotionless voice returned.
[Do you wish to know anything else?]
Shao Yun's heart sank. The situation was far worse than he'd imagined—but a small part of him still hoped for better news.
"There was a rather unlucky scholar… I think her name was 'Alrani.' What about her?"
A few seconds later, the same result appeared.
[Current Status of (Alrani): Deceased.]
[Cause of Death: Struck by a falling, burning tree while attempting to rescue the thesis she had written to regain her self-confidence.]
Shao Yun stared at the glowing text for a long moment. His hands clenched into fists.
He didn't even know what he was feeling anymore—only that he suddenly slammed a fist against his thigh.
"Oh… damn it! Of all times to care about your thesis, why then?!"
The system prompted again.
[Anything else you wish to know?]
Still unwilling to accept it, Shao Yun gritted his teeth. "What about the Gourmet Supremos? You know—the four of them: Xudong, Pavarneh, Julie, and Kamei Munehisa. What happened to them?"
After a pause, the system calmly responded.
[Current Status of (Xudong, Pavarneh, Julie, Kamei Munehisa): Deceased.]
[Cause of death: ...]
Shao Yun didn't even need to read further. The word "deceased" was enough.
"Stop," he muttered hoarsely. "I've heard enough."
[Understood.]
Shao Yun buried his face in his hands, muttering curses under his breath.
"Damn it… damn it all…"
The system watched silently, as though letting him vent.
[If there's nothing else, I'll—]
"Why don't you judge me?!" Shao Yun suddenly snapped, looking up at the screen. His voice trembled with anger. "Why don't you ask if I feel guilty for all those innocent people dying because of me?!"
The system seemed taken aback—then, in a rare moment of irony, it replied:
[Do you really think that's necessary? When did you turn into some moralizing fairy?]
In other words—I know you too well. You're just venting.
Shao Yun blinked, then let out a hollow laugh.
"Ha… screw you, old man."
He adjusted his posture, hands on his knees, and asked the final, critical question.
"One last thing—what's my current Reputation Value?"
The system ran its calculations swiftly. Moments later, the data appeared.
[Mondstadt: Highest Reputation (+10)]
[Liyue: High Reputation (+8)]
[Inazuma: Narukami Island – Neutral (0); Watatsumi Island – Highest (+10)]
[Sumeru: Low Reputation (-3)]
[Tip: A higher Reputation Value increases the respect of strangers toward you. A lower value causes physiological fear instead. Both effects scale with intensity.]
Shao Yun stared at the numbers, especially the one tied to Sumeru, and let out a quiet, humorless laugh.
"No wonder everyone in Sumeru looks at me like they've seen a ghost. So this is why…"
He asked again, "If my Reputation value in a region ever hits rock bottom—will that affect Lumine and Paimon too?"
After a pause, the system replied slowly.
[Better not let it fall that far. I can't guarantee what those two girls might do.]
[Stick to your own creed: kill who must be killed, save who must be saved, feed who must be fed.]
[You've already seen what happens to those who break their oaths.]
It was referring to Dutch van der Linde. Shao Yun understood perfectly.
He exhaled sharply through his nose and murmured, "Thanks for the warning."
Just before the system closed, it added one more message.
[By the way, one more thing—that demon has disappeared for now.]
Shao Yun showed no interest whatsoever.
"Probably gorged himself and went to sleep somewhere," he muttered dryly.
[Your metaphor is… vivid] the system replied.
Shao Yun just chuckled tiredly, shaking his head before turning his gaze toward the distance—where Lumine, Paimon, and Layla were still training their fungi with full focus.
Watching the peaceful scene, he murmured, "Well… at least for now, things can be quiet again."
…
Two days later, in the early morning, Port Ormos's old lighthouse was bathed in soft, golden sunlight.
The gentle rays danced on the rippling sea, waves lapping rhythmically against the harbor walls.
The boats swayed idly with the tide.
With Kaveh's business finally resolved, Shao Yun now had plenty of time to spend with Lumine and Paimon.
He couldn't join the tournament itself, but cheering from the sidelines was just fine.
Lumine's training had been going well—despite not having Haniyyah's guidance, her natural talent was obvious. Shao Yun had known that ever since he'd first taught her how to handle a spear.
That tranquil morning, while Lumine and Paimon were still asleep at the Wikala Pavilion, Shao Yun sat alone on a bench beneath the lighthouse.
He listened to the waves, felt the cool breeze brush against his face—and took out his notebook.
He began to write.
…
"I always thought I could kill without remorse—that I could be indifferent to the life or death of anyone except Lumine and Paimon."
"But when I learned that Haniyyah, Alrani, and the Gourmet Supremos died in the sulfur firestorm… I felt something like guilt."
"By all logic, I shouldn't. I never even met them. Their deaths shouldn't matter to me."
"And yet, I feel like I've lost dear friends. Who am I, really? Maybe only God—or His enemy—can answer that once I'm dead."
…
When he finished writing, Shao Yun gazed out over the shining sea and muttered, "Two tasks left: talk to my brother-in-law… and return to Inazuma to see Yae Miko."
Both tasks were troublesome.
The first—Ayato—was always easier when he needed something. The reverse? Not so much. Hopefully luck would be on Shao Yun's side in the desert.
As for Yae Miko—the real challenge was the long trip.
And as for what Scaramouche had said, about her conspiring with the Fatui to have him killed—well, that didn't matter.
It would all depend on her sincerity.
If she showed enough… she'd live.
If not… then Lumine might soon have herself a lovely pink fox hat.