Genshin Impact: The Sharpshooter of Teyvat

Shao Yun left the room, intending to return to the throne room to reunite with everyone.

But just as he took two steps, a chilling gust of wind suddenly swept in from behind, instantly enveloping his body and making him shiver.

At the same time, a strange, unsettling feeling of being watched emerged.

It was a cold, emotionless gaze, an invisible pair of eyes watching his every move.

Shao Yun's body froze instantly, alarm bells ringing in his mind.

This feeling was all too familiar to him, so familiar that it was etched into his very bones—a sense of dread and chilling unease he had once tried to avoid, yet could never shake off…

Shao Yun stopped and turned around.

Sure enough, the figure that he remembered so vividly was standing quietly not far behind him.

He still wore that top hat and a well-tailored black suit, his posture was upright, yet he exuded a deathly coldness.

However, this time, he didn't face Shao Yun directly as usual, but instead turned his back to him.

The man in the tall hat, his back to Shao Yun, slowly raised his hand and stroked the reliefs on the walls on both sides of the corridor. He casually observed the layout of the entire corridor while remarking:

"What a beautiful world, such a beautiful world, it would be a pity if it disappeared."

At this moment, Shao Yun's attention was not on what he was saying at all; all his attention was focused on the man in the tall hat.

How much time has passed? Almost two years, right?

Over the past two years, he had long forgotten about this strange guy, and even thought that he would never meet him again.

Unexpectedly, at such a crucial moment, in the corridor of Sky Island, this nightmarish figure reappeared.

"Damn it... how come you're here again... I thought you'd never show your face again."

The sight of the man in the tall hat made him inexplicably uneasy; the man's appearance was bound to bring bad things.

Upon hearing this, the man in the tall hat stopped observing the corridor, put his hands behind his back, and slowly turned around.

As if meeting an old friend, the devil casually asked, "How have you been these past two years? It seems you've had a fairly peaceful time."

"A successful career and a harmonious family?"

Looking at his nonchalant demeanor, Shao Yun had no interest in exchanging pleasantries with him.

He cut to the chase, demanding, "Don't give me that crap! I know you too well; you never come out of the house without a reason! Enough talk, just tell me, what are you up to this time?! Are you planning some kind of trick again?"

The man in the top hat seemed not to have heard his question. His gaze slowly swept across the corridor, his eyes languid, like a tourist visiting the area, as he leisurely explained:

"I'm just here to enjoy the scenery... After all, I may never see such a beautiful scene again."

Shao Yun didn't understand what was so interesting about the corridors of Tianli Residence.

But then Shao Yun recalled what Fanes had told him: that he had made a deal with the devil in front of him and thought that the devil had come for this reason.

Suppressing his apprehension, Shao Yun said impatiently, "I don't care what you're up to, I'm taking my family and running away."

"It looks like you won your bet with Fanes, but that's none of my business. I'm leaving now, so I won't keep you company any longer!"

After saying that, Shao Yun didn't look at the man in the tall hat again. He turned around and was about to leave, wanting only to return to the throne room as soon as possible, to his family, and to get away from this nightmarish existence.

But before he could take two steps, the man in the tall hat spoke calmly from behind, his words carrying a subtle seduction as he spoke about a topic that instantly caught Shao Yun's attention.

"In order to maximize your interests, I feel it is necessary to remind you of some things that are crucial to you and your family."

Shao Yun's steps suddenly stopped, his vigilance intensified, yet he couldn't help but feel a surge of curiosity.

This devil never does anything futile; since he dares to say such things, he probably does know something.

So he turned back again, looked the devil up and down, and asked coldly, "So, what exactly do you want to say? Stop beating around the bush and just say it!"

The man in the tall hat slightly raised his chin, precisely addressing the issue that Shao Yun was most concerned about and worried about at that moment.

Where do you think you can take seven other people?

These words, like a needle, precisely pierced Shao Yun's soft spot.

His expression instantly turned tense, and his palms became slightly sweaty, but his stubbornness made him still resist the other party.

"That's none of your business! I have my own ways. I'm about to make my escape now. If you're bored, go enjoy the scenery here and go cause trouble for others. Don't bother me!"

Faced with Shao Yun's resistance and attempts to drive him away, the man in the tall hat gently shook his head and explained:

“You’ve misunderstood me. I’ve never hurt anyone, nor have I ever intended to harm anyone. All I’ve done is fulfill people’s desires, nothing more. So you don’t need to be so wary and resistant towards me.”

Shao Yun didn't feel she needed this devil's help at the moment, so she firmly refused again, saying:

"I don't need any reminders or help from you right now. If you're really just here to see the scenery, then do as you please and don't block my way."

Logically speaking, since he had said that, the devil should have left.

However, the man in the tall hat suddenly changed the subject and said something that precisely hit Shao Yun's deepest concerns and anxieties.

“You can keep running away, moving around with your family, hiding from everything. But remember, when fate really catches up with you, you will be helpless.”

Shao Yun's heart clenched suddenly, and his whole body stiffened.

Just as Shao Yun was in a daze, the devil who had raised this fatal question offered a seemingly perfect solution.

"But you are lucky, I can give you a lifetime of happiness, or two generations."

Coming to his senses, Shao Yun listened to the two choices the devil offered and asked in confusion:

"Can you explain to me why I need to make a deal with you? I can support my family on my own and don't need your charity."

The man in the tall hat did not answer immediately, but instead uttered a reply that sent chills down Shao Yun's spine.

"There's no reason why, it's just a matter of exchanging benefits. I can tell you clearly that your child will die along the way before you reach the next safe place."

He paused, his gaze falling on Shao Yun's instantly stiffened figure, and continued calmly recounting that despairing future, each word clear and without a trace of emotion:

"In addition, because of Skykirk, you will be misunderstood as the 'Universal Cataclysm' by other races in the universe."

"More importantly, your wife's constitution, this special condition, will eventually become your downfall, attracting countless covetous eyes and pursuers."

At this point, the man in the tall hat added a touch of cold sarcasm to his tone, yet it was undeniably genuine.

"You should know that survival is always the hardest thing."

"People will do anything to survive, to fight for even the smallest resources for survival—betrayal, killing, plunder are commonplace... How long do you think you can hold out?"

Shao Yun stood rooted to the spot, his blood seemingly frozen in that instant.

"Are you cursing my child? Cursing my family?!"

Faced with Shao Yun's fury, the man in the tall hat simply shook his head and explained, "This is not a curse. I am merely stating a fact that is about to happen, a future that you cannot escape."

"You can choose not to believe it and continue to run away with your family. After all, the universe is so big that you can keep running and temporarily avoid all dangers."

Then, he changed the subject and said in a very authoritative tone, "But you must remember, you will eventually live the life of a fugitive, constantly on the run, with no peace."

"Your family will be forced to wander with you, and will never have a peaceful life again."

"Your children will grow up in a state of constant struggle, unable to receive a normal education, unable to have a happy childhood, and unable to even live a normal life."

"You will keep running until you can't run anymore..."

At this moment, Shao Yun did not believe what the devil was saying, but deep down, her heart was slightly shaken.

Perhaps it wasn't that he didn't believe, but rather that he simply didn't want to admit it, didn't want to accept that hopeless future, and didn't want to admit that he might really not be able to protect all his family members.

He took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in his heart, and resolutely resisted:

"I think you're lying! You're deliberately fabricating these terrible futures to lure me into making a deal with you. I won't fall for it!"

Faced with Shao Yun's questioning, the man in the tall hat remained calm and almost indifferent, replying, "I never lie. Every word I say is a fact that is about to happen. Whether you believe it or not, it will come as scheduled."

After saying that, he slowly raised the brim of his hat and began to explain in detail the two choices he had given Shao Yun.

"I can give you happiness for a lifetime; you will be like a shepherd protecting your flock, but you will also spend your whole life with your family guarding against the wolves that surround you. If you have eternal life, you will protect your lambs forever."

"When you die, your family will not find refuge. Like lost lambs..."

"Or, two generations; you can exchange the deaths of four people for the survival of four people, a fair trade. The four survivors and their descendants will be protected."

"No matter what happens in the future, just one sentence will be enough to relieve illness, get rid of poverty, avoid all disasters, and reap a lifetime of happiness and peace for generations to come."

After explaining, the man in the tall hat said no more, leaving the choice entirely to him.

"Now, make your choice. There's not much time for you to hesitate."

Shao Yun stood there, his whole body trembling slightly uncontrollably. He swallowed hard, his throat dry and sore.

He kept telling himself not to believe the devil's words, but the danger the devil spoke of was strikingly similar to what Skylar had previously worried about.

The wavering in his heart grew stronger and stronger, almost threatening to consume him.

He couldn't accept the accident that happened to his family, and he couldn't accept the death of any one person in exchange for the survival of others.

After a brief struggle, a resolute glint flashed in Shao Yun's eyes. His tone was firm, carrying an air of certain death, as he bargained with the man in the tall hat:

"I won't let my daughter, or my family, die! I'll die, I'll use my life to save all my family members, is that enough?"

Looking at Shao Yun's spirit of willingly sacrificing himself for his family, the man in the tall hat slowly nodded, his tone unusually carrying a hint of praise:

"That's quite impressive, but a deal is a deal, and it's always about fairness. Your life isn't worth trading for the lives of seven people. This deal is off."

After saying that, the man in the tall hat slowly turned around, his back to Shao Yun, his hands behind his back, and strolled leisurely through the empty corridor, leaving with a chilling sense of dread.

As it walked, it left behind a meaningful sentence, its voice echoing in the corridor.

"What should you do? I'll be watching."

Shao Yun stood there, stunned, not having had time to process his words or argue again, and only blinked subconsciously.

In that instant, the man in the top hat disappeared completely at the end of the corridor, leaving no trace, as if he had never been there at all.

……

system:

The final choice: It gives you two options, one for a lifetime of happiness, and the other for two generations.

You can choose to continue running, searching for small moments of happiness amidst the chaos of life... but... nothing lasts forever.

Alternatively, you can sacrifice four people, and the four who survive will receive His blessing.

[Currently, the family members bound by fate are: Ying, Paimon, Kong, Yuanshang, Ningguang, Shenhe, and your daughter Xi.]

[Note: Only family members with whom you have a destiny-bound relationship can be sacrificed; this includes yourself...]

So, what is your choice?

……