Genshin Impact, I'm Slime

Chapter 526 Easier said than done

Perhaps it was Ningguang's nature as a superior that kicked in. After several rounds of verbal probing, the Traveler and Paimon finally walked out of the Rock Palace in cold sweat.

  Mr. Zhongli’s vest was almost lost!

The sun was shining brightly outside the temple. Although there were still people kneeling in front of the Immortal Ancestor's transformation to keep vigil for the Emperor in the square, most of the people returned to their daily lives after the worship.

Ying looked at the people coming and going not far away, feeling somewhat complicated.

Zhongli, Zhongli, I wonder if the Emperor had thought of this day when he named himself?

The traveler followed Paimon to the southwest corner of the square to look for Famas and Venti. When passing by the Emperor's immortal body, he unexpectedly discovered that in addition to the people of Liyue, there were many warriors wearing strange armor and Prajna masks in front of the dragon body. They held unknown red bouquets in their hands and knelt on the cushions to offer flowers.

"Those are the ronin warriors who came to Liyue to seek refuge from Inazuma. The bouquets they hold are called blood lilies, also known as "red stamens" in Liyue poetry. They were once extinct in the Inazuma Islands... It is said that on a bloody battlefield, these flowers will bloom especially beautifully."

The woman's slow voice came from behind the traveler. The girl turned her head and happened to meet Ye Lan's emerald eyes.

"Miss Ye Lan, you are here to attend the ceremony. Are you feeling better now?"

Without waiting for the traveler to say hello, Paimon, who saw who was coming, approached the guest with surprise. The precious snow-white cloak behind her swayed with her movements, making her look like an elegant and noble noble of Mondstadt, lazy and elegant, coming to attend a banquet with singing and dancing.

"Thanks to both of you for your concern, I am almost well now."

Ye Lan smiled and nodded, her eyes following Paimon's flight trajectory.

But the traveler seemed to be suddenly curious, and after blinking, he asked Ye Lan about the news of these Inazuma warriors: "Miss Ye Lan, why would the Inazuma warriors present flowers to the emperor?"

"...The situation in Inazuma is not like that in Liyue. It is not a good place for the holder of the Eye of God. It is difficult to explain the details in a few words."

Ye Lan was playing with the dice in her hand and choosing her words, but the traveler keenly noticed that there was a dark blue bracelet on the other person's wrist. The bracelets on both hands were of the same style, and they were obviously a pair.

"If you are interested in the situation in Inazuma, I can have my men send you a report later."

A bewitching smile appeared on Ye Lan's lips, and she then turned the topic to the Inazuma warrior before the Immortal Ancestor's transformation.

"Liyue shouldn't interfere in Inazuma's internal affairs, but Ningguang has a close personal relationship with Captain Beidou, and Southern Cross is one of the few fleets with a pass to leave the island, so Liyue has accepted many Inazuma people who came here to seek refuge."

"Perhaps those who have wandered far from their hometowns also know how to repay their gratitude, and therefore they guard the emperor's spirit with the etiquette of a warrior."

After she finished speaking, Ye Lan was silent for a long time. Perhaps she was infected by the sad atmosphere in front of Yiyan Palace. Miss Ye Lan, who never showed her true feelings, pursed her lips and looked towards the Liyue South Pier in the distance.

"It is said that the blood dendrobium plant is watered with blood. The bloodier the battlefield, the more magnificent and gorgeous the blood dendrobium blooms. The Inazuma people believe that the souls of those who died in battle will walk along the tortuous road paved by the blood dendrobium flowers to the afterlife and return to the eternal cycle of elements."

"I know you are a traveler who never stops. I hope you will not forget us, your old friends, during your journey... As long as you always remember me and bury me in your memory, even if I unfortunately pass away, I will have a place to stay."

"Eh? Miss Ye Lan?"

The Traveler and Paimon looked up in confusion, not understanding why Ye Lan would suddenly say such a thing.

"Haha, maybe what happened recently has made me a little tired?" Ye Lan raised her hand and pushed the short blue hair behind her ears, revealing her slender white neck, and the blue earrings reflected the light.

"You probably have someone to meet, right? I won't waste your time... I'll send someone to deliver information about Inazuma to the hotel where you're staying later."

Ye Lan put her head close to the traveler's ear and whispered softly, her breath as sweet as orchid. Then she turned and left without any reluctance.

"Well, then... Goodbye, Miss Ye Lan!"

The traveler was still savoring the gentle words that Ye Lan whispered in his ears, while the heartless little Paimon had already hurriedly waved goodbye in the direction the other person was leaving.

After this brief interlude, the Traveler and Paimon continued to walk towards the agreed corner of the square, while Ye Lan, who should have already gone far away, completed her disguise in a very short time and leaned quietly against the shady corner of the Yiyan Palace.

When the blond traveler and the accompanying mascot walked away, two figures almost simultaneously approached Ye Lan from the darkness, then quickly stopped and saluted the hidden guest: "Sir, do we still need to continue monitoring the traveler?"

"Not for now, they are probably going to see 'that gentleman'... Wenyuan, prepare a report on the current situation of Inazuma and send it to Baiju Inn later; Shanghua, I asked you to investigate Zhiyi's matter, how is it going?"

Ye Lan frowned slightly and waited for Shang Hua's report with a cold expression, without any trace of the sadness and weakness she had shown in front of the traveler just now.

Disguise runs through Ye Lan's work and life. She moves among all kinds of people in various identities, easily extracting information while drinking and chatting. She casually discards the fake identity she made up when she turns around and changes to someone else, and then puts on a new identity to continue chatting and laughing with others.

These things are commonplace for Ye Lan. "One person with a thousand faces" may be the most vivid summary of her. Even her invisible superior, Ningguang, the leader of the Seven Stars, finds it difficult to tell whether Ye Lan's words and deeds are a temporary disguise or an unintentional revelation of her true feelings. After all, the other party seems to be covered with a thick curtain, making her look mysterious, dangerous and charming.

"That student named Zhiyi is indeed problematic. He used to live in poverty and spent all his income on studying, traveling, and paying off debts. But recently, he has been frequently helping neighbors and vendors in the market, and often buys snacks and toys for the children in Huyan..."

"The tax returns of the General Services Department show that his apparent income has not increased or decreased in recent years, so the source of this additional money is very suspicious."

Shang Hua briefly told Ye Lan about the doubts he found during the investigation, and Ye Lan frowned, already having some guesses in his mind.

She had also seen Zhiyi selling fish at the dock from afar during the operation. Although Zhiyi seemed gentle and harmless at that time, Ye Lan's intuition told her that this student was not as simple as he seemed. When she figured out where this illusion came from, Ye Lan, who was familiar with various camouflage techniques, immediately became alert.

Through the occasional disgust in Zhiyi's eyes when he was selling fish, the abnormal trembling of his arms when he handed candies to children, and his cautiousness and tact when discussing politics, Ye Lan concluded that the other person's nature was by no means like that, but that he was always suppressing his emotions and pretending to be gentle to carefully create his persona.

This is not surprising, as most adults live their lives wearing masks, but there are still only a few who deliberately create a good reputation like Zhiyi... As for why he does this, it is not difficult to guess.

"The next Tianshu Star selection is about to begin, and the General Affairs Department is urging Uncle Tian to return to Liyue Harbor as soon as possible to take charge of the situation."

After listening to Shang Hua's report, Ye Lan nodded to show that she understood, and then began to assign tasks: "Shang Hua, you go to Qingce Manor..."

Halfway through her words, Ye Lan thought of Uncle Tian's thin and weak appearance in the photo, shook her head and took back the task, "Forget it, I'll go there myself. In addition, temporarily stop monitoring the travelers, and let the spies in Wangsheng Hall keep silent. I'll make arrangements after I come back from Qingce Manor."

"understand!"

Shang Hua and Wen Yuan responded in low voices and left in different directions, blending silently into the merchants and peddlers who were watching the ceremony in Yiyan Palace. Ye Lan waited until the two figures disappeared completely before gently turning the mysterious wrist bracelet in her hand and escaping into the illusion that was like water and fog.