Genshin Impact: I Am a Slime

Let's set aside for now the plans Ningguang and Yelan made at the Moon Sea Pavilion.

Inside Liyue Harbor.

Since returning from the upheaval at Qingxupu, the traveler felt as if he had been whipped by some invisible force, and plunged headlong into the Adventurers' Guild.

The girl accepted all the requests on the task board, regardless of their distance, difficulty, or whether they were for finding lost items or people.

The long-forgotten ruins in the wilderness were forcibly opened, the complex mechanisms were solved one by one, and the buried treasure chests were brought to light again.

Even when encountering formidable monsters along the way, travelers would rather seek help from Granny Ping, Chongyun, or even the guest elder of the Hall of Rebirth than touch that name hidden deep in their hearts, as if that figure would completely disappear if they did not call out Famas.

Paimon floated beside the girl, his initial excitement replaced by worry.

The little mascot watched as their Mora bags swelled at an astonishing rate, to the point that even she, the "Number One Gourmet of Teyvat," felt she couldn't finish them all; this state was clearly not normal.

"Hey, traveler, I said..."

Paimon tugged at the traveler's sleeve again, his voice unusually serious.

"Shall we take a break? Look at Wanmintang over there, we haven't even tried Xiangling's new dishes yet! If we keep going like this, we'll have more Mora, but your arms and legs will be worn out!"

Paimon tried to lighten his tone, but the worry in his eyes was impossible to hide.

The traveler simply shook his head, the movement somewhat mechanical, his gaze still fixed on the distance.

In between completing her commissions, the place the girl frequented most was the port of Lonely Cloud Pavilion.

The massive hull of the Death Star lay there, like a silent behemoth.

"Big Sister Hokuto, when will the Southern Cross fleet set sail for Inazuma?"

This has almost become the opening line for travelers every time they board a ship.

Beidou crossed his arms, his bronze skin gleaming in the sunlight. His tone was as forthright as ever, yet it also carried a subtle hint of evasion:

"Haha, what's the rush? Good wine needs no bush!"

"The fleet can only set sail when the cargo holds are full and the wind direction is right! It'll be here soon!"

The first mate, a senior colonel, standing nearby, kept nodding in agreement.
"Yes, yes, there are still a few more shipments on the way. Let's wait a little longer."

Receiving similar replies time and time again, the traveler could only suppress his eagerness even deeper in his heart and turn to more commissions and preparations.

The book stalls, teahouses, and even foreign merchants resting at the docks in Liyue Harbor all became sources of information for her, and a vague puzzle about Inazuma slowly took shape in her mind.

The most crucial piece of this puzzle comes from the Inatsume people who left their homes.

Travelers noticed that most of the Inazuma faces gathered in Liyue had similar expressions.

A sense of dread lurked deep in their eyes. When talking about their hometown, they always hesitated, as if the name itself carried an ominous curse. As soon as the word "Inazuma" was mentioned, they would immediately fall silent, their eyes darting away, and they would hastily change the subject, as if afraid of disturbing some lurking calamity.

This makes it exceptionally difficult for travelers to obtain core intelligence.

Fortunately, a turning point came at the South Wharf, thanks to a young woman named Zhu Zi, named Inazuma.

Just as the traveler tried to ask again, Zhu Zi did not immediately avoid him like the others. She was dressed in faded ronin clothing, and her eyes held a calmness that came from weathering many storms.

Perhaps it was the similar persistence in the traveler's eyes that touched her, and Zhu Zi finally relented. In a secluded corner far from the crowd, accompanied by the whisper of the waves, this silent girl slowly told the traveler the story that was happening in her homeland, which was shrouded in thunder and isolation.

At that time, the traveler and Paimon sat on an old wooden crate far away from the stevedores. Opposite them was the girl named Inazuma, who gazed at the horizon where the sea met the sky, her eyes somewhat vacant.

"When I ran away from Inazuma, all I could rely on was a small raft that I had built myself."

"Ahead was a storm that blotted out the sky, and behind were the footsteps of pursuers."

Zhu Zi's voice was very soft, carried somewhat by the sea breeze. She paused for a long time, as if she had returned to that desolate sea.

"After I came out, I drifted at sea for who knows how many days. I ran out of food and fresh water. Finally, everything went black and I knew nothing more. At that time, I thought it was all over..."

"But I never expected that it wouldn't end... or rather, it was just the beginning." Zhu Zi's lips curled into a bitter smile, a smile that reflected the bittersweet feeling of surviving a catastrophe.

"Was Miss Zhu rescued by the people of Liyue?"

The traveler pressed for more information.

"Ah."

Zhu Zi nodded, his gaze fixed on the ships moored in the harbor.

"It was a near-death experience; surviving was probably the gods' last act of mercy... Of course, I'm referring to the Geo Archon of Liyue, not our cruel and autocratic General..."

The girl's tone held little relief, only exhaustion.

"This is too dangerous!" Paimon stamped his little foot on the traveler's shoulder in a panic, his voice rising several decibels. "Even so, Miss Zhuzi, are you still going to leave Inazuma?"

Paimon was clearly incredulous. What kind of terrible living conditions and policies would force his own people to leave their homes and travel to other countries?

Upon hearing the little mascot's words, Zhu Zi turned her head, and a clear ripple finally appeared in her calm eyes—a deep-seated repression.

"Because it was too oppressive there, even the air felt tense, making it hard to breathe. Even people like Inatsume had to go through layers of checks by the 'Kanjo Magistrate' to come and go, like being locked in a cage. My personality couldn't handle that kind of lifestyle."

"A surveying and procuratorial officer?" Paimon tilted his head, looking puzzled. "What's that?"

"The organization that manages all affairs in Inazuma is called the Three Commissioners. If I had to say, it's a bit like the Seven Stars and Eight Gates of Liyue."

Zhu Zi began to explain, attempting to draw an analogy with things from Liyue.

"One of the duties of the Kansei Enforcement Team is to strictly examine everyone who wants to enter or leave Inazuma, just like a sieve. All outsiders are uniformly confined to the outlying islands for inspection, just like cargo waiting to be processed."

Zhu Zi frowned slightly, her tone carrying a businesslike detachment, clearly indicating that the memory was not pleasant.

"And then there's the recent Eye Hunt Order, carried out by the Heavenly Commander. They're like an extension of the General's will—cold and devoid of any superfluous emotion."

The girl instinctively hugged her arms, as if trying to dispel some kind of chill. After a brief silence, she whispered, "It's not good to talk badly about my hometown... but if you stay in a place like that for too long, your heart will slowly die, and you'll feel like there's no hope in living."

"So if you don't have a compelling reason to go, you should give up the idea of ​​going to Inazuma."

Zhu Zi sighed and looked in the direction of Inazuma, even though there was only a vast sea there.

"The thunderstorms off the coast of Inazuma are like an ever-falling iron curtain that never stops. Even if you manage to get through, you still have to avoid the shogunate samurai who blockade the sea."

"Even if you manage to overcome all of this and reach the outlying island that specifically caters to foreigners, without a travel permit or proof of identity, they will still ruthlessly drive you away..."

Zhu Zi shook his head, his tone weak, his fingers tracing the edge of the wooden box as if outlining an invisible obstacle.

"That's clearly a deliberate attempt to keep people away from Inazuma!"

Paimon concluded angrily, but the traveler gleaned the key information:
"An outlying island? What kind of place is that?"

"A port in name only, supposedly to ensure the flow of goods and information within the island, but in reality, ordinary people can't get permission to set foot there at all."

Zhu Zi twitched the corners of her mouth, her smile devoid of warmth, but seeing the unwavering determination in the travelers' eyes, she hesitated for a moment before slowly speaking: "But if you really insist on going no matter what, perhaps there is another way."

"Could it be a raft?" Paimon immediately shook his head, his little face scrunched up. "No, no! It's too dangerous! And I'll definitely get seasick so badly I'll throw up even the sweet flower-stuffed chicken!"

"of course not."

Zhu Zi was amused by Paimon's reaction and relaxed slightly, but quickly became serious again.

“I mean, you can ask the famous Southern Cross fleet in Liyue. They have been sailing the seas for many years and are used to the storms. And I remember that in Inazuma, the Southern Cross was the only fleet that was allowed to enter the islands for trade.”

The sea breeze seemed to grow stronger at that moment, ruffling the stray hairs on Zhu Zi's forehead and also stirring the hair on the traveler's forehead.

In the distance, the massive silhouette of the Death Star loomed faintly in the twilight. (End of Chapter)