Genshin Impact, I'm Slime

Before the young poet could even protest, the tightly closed carved wooden door of the Rebirth Hall was suddenly and urgently pushed open with a bang.

Accompanied by the crisp, melodious sound of wind chimes, a figure dressed in the iconic black uniform of the Hall of Rebirth with the spider lily pattern swam in like a fish swimming against the current.

The person who arrived was the ferrywoman who was supposed to be guiding customers at the entrance of the hall.

At this moment, the ferrywoman's face was flushed, and a few strands of her black hair were damp with sweat, sticking to her smooth forehead and neck. Her almond-shaped eyes sparkled with the pure excitement brought by the bustling city, which was in stark contrast to the solemn and tranquil hall.

She was carefully clutching a stack of brand-new, colorful paper vouchers, which were the "Sky Lantern Trading Vouchers" that had stirred up the entire Liyue Harbor. The bright sky lantern patterns on the paper were particularly eye-catching under the light in the hall.

"Mr. Zhongli! Mr. Zhongli! Look!"

Miss Ferryman rushed straight to Zhongli, her cheerful voice as clear as pearls falling on a jade plate, completely ignoring the slightly tense atmosphere in the hall.

She proudly held up the several brand-new transaction vouchers, their edges still faintly smelling of ink and new paper, to Zhongli's eyes, almost touching the guest minister's straight nose. The intricate gold-stamped emblem of Feiyun Bank on the vouchers reflected a faint light.

"Ta-da! Just got it! I queued for ages to finally snag it! It was right there at the Feiyun Money Exchange headquarters! So many people were practically fighting to buy it!"

The ferrywoman was still immersed in surging excitement and burning anticipation. Her cheeks were flushed with a rosy blush from running and excitement. She showed Zhongli the transaction voucher in her hand incessantly, as if the thin piece of paper was truly the key to the door of wealth.

"Cough cough..."

Zhongli's deliberate, light cough, which carried a hint of reminder, was like a few pebbles thrown into a rushing stream, finally slowing down the ferrywoman's selfless sermon.

"what?"

The woman suddenly stopped, turned her head following the sound and the several firm gazes she suddenly felt, and then realized with a start that several familiar figures were standing next to Mr. Zhongli.

"Oh?"

The ferrywoman's eyes widened slightly in surprise. She spoke rapidly, rattling off a string of names she recognized almost without pausing, while her gaze swept quickly over the group: "The traveler is here too? And Mr. Famas and Mr. Wendy?"

When her gaze fell upon the distinctive executor's attire, her astonishment deepened: "There are... there are executors from the Fatui?!"

After reading through this brief, almost ceremonial list of names, the slight restraint that arose upon discovering the presence of outsiders was instantly overwhelmed by the allure of the treasure in my hands.

The ferryman's attention was drawn back to the paper tickets in her hand, completely ignoring how the people she had called out might react.

She quickly greeted everyone with "Good evening," then forcefully shoved the stack of gold-embossed coupons towards Zhong Li again. Her excitement and eagerness to share her successful purchase had not diminished in the slightest; on the contrary, it burned even hotter and more intensely, like a flame fueled by fresh firewood.

The traveler subconsciously nodded in response to the rapid greeting, but his gaze was now fixed on the ferrywoman who seemed like a completely different person.

In her past memories, the young woman responsible for escorting clients was like a shadow shrouded in mist, always standing silently with her eyes lowered, surrounded by a mysterious and aloof aura.

That was the unique, profound atmosphere of the ritual attendants at the Rebirth Hall.

But now, the person before me, radiant and glowing with energy, speaking rapidly and with astonishing enthusiasm… overlaps with the image of the quiet, taciturn, mysterious guide in my memory who seemed to be able to communicate between the living and the dead. Instead of merging, they collide to create a stark and almost absurd contrast.

The stark contrast left Traveler Ying speechless for a moment, staring blankly at the ritual attendant of the Rebirth Hall who had shed her mysterious veil and transformed into a frenzied ticket-buying enthusiast on the street.

Is this really the same Miss Yi Guan she knows?

After a long speech, the ferrywoman finally caught her breath, then winked playfully at Zhong Li, leaned closer, and whispered, "Sir, weren't you worried about this voucher being stuck with you and not being able to exchange it for money?" Before Zhong Li could speak, the ferrywoman waved her hand, her voice suddenly rising, seemingly intentionally making sure Famas and the traveler could hear:
"Don't worry, Mr. Zhongli, this time it's all settled!"

"I've already inquired about it. This time, the issuance of coupons is spearheaded by Feiyun Money Shop, with Baoyuan, Heyu, and Huitong... all the top money shops in the city joining forces to guarantee it! With this kind of lineup, how could they worry about not finding buyers or not being able to redeem the coupons? It's definitely going to be a huge profit!"

The ferrywoman waved the few fluttering tickets as if they were a windfall, her face showing complete trust in the Liyue Money Exchange Alliance. She was completely unaware that Zhongli's deep golden eyes reflected not worry, but a deeper compassion.

That gaze pierced through the frenzied bubbles, glimpsing the end of the storm.

"Oh, right!"

The ferrywoman suddenly raised her chin, her voice carrying a hint of impassioned declaration. She rushed to Zhongli in three strides, her back ramrod straight, and spoke with resounding force: "Mr. Zhongli, where is Hall Master Hu? I have something important to announce!"

"There's a saying in Liyue that goes, 'Life isn't just about what's in front of you... cough cough, there's also poetry and distant places...' Anyway, I've decided..."

"I've resigned from Wangshengtang!"

Miss Ferryman originally wanted to say that she was living a miserable life, but when she thought of Zhongli's care for them, the servants, over the years, she changed her mind and swallowed the word "misery."

"Who?! Who wants to resign?"

Hu Tao's voice drifted down from the second floor. She had just finished seeing Tok off and was leaning on the railing, peering out. But before she could finish speaking, the ferrywoman had already pulled one out of the pile of lantern tickets and stuffed it into Zhong Li's hand, her movements so fast they almost created a gust of wind.

"I have been grateful for your care over the years, and I will always remember this kindness."

She lowered her voice mysteriously, but couldn't hide her smugness: "Don't underestimate this Lantern Festival ticket. I bought it for 200,000, and now it's being sold for 1.4 million Mora on the black market."

As he spoke, the ferryman patted the bulging pouch at his waist, his eyes shining as if they contained the entire starry sky.

"With all the savings I've accumulated over the years, I'm now a true multi-millionaire!"

The ferryman got more and more excited as she spoke, her slender fingers tracing arcs in the air: "Stock up on fifty more... no, a hundred more..."

The ferrywoman suddenly stopped, as if she had thought of a brilliant idea, and excitedly spun around in a circle.

"If we resell it later, we might even be able to buy the Hall of Rebirth!"

Walnut's footsteps came from the stairs, but the ferryman, absorbed in his own world, was completely unaware.

She suddenly darted out the door, muttering, "I have to hurry to the bank to get the money," and disappeared into the alley in the blink of an eye, leaving only a few fallen leaves swirling in the wind.

The hall suddenly became so quiet that you could hear the sound of falling leaves.

Zhongli lowered his eyes and examined the lantern ticket in his hand, gently stroking the paper with his fingertips, and hummed thoughtfully.

Walnut blinked her plum blossom-like eyes and tilted her head to look at the Traveler and Paimon: "Did she just... say she wanted to buy the Hall of Rebirth?"

Paimon stamped his foot anxiously in mid-air: "That's not the point! One million four hundred thousand Mora for a single Lantern Ticket? That's outrageous!"

The traveler silently rubbed his forehead, watching the direction the ferryman had gone, feeling that the financial storm in Liyue Harbor was about to begin with this small Lantern Ticket. (End of Chapter)