Genshin Impact, I'm Slime

The traveler looked in the direction Paimon pointed.

Beside the stone railing surrounding the Yiyan Hall, a figure stood quietly.

She was a woman entering middle age, and the years had left indelible marks on her. Her once upright figure now appeared quite thin, and she even had a slight stoop due to the passage of time.

She stood with her back to the plaza, facing the bustling seascape of Liyue Harbor. The sea breeze, carrying a salty scent, gently ruffled her half-up hair and the elegant, pristine white tea dress she wore.

The dress has an extremely simple design, and the fabric is clearly ordinary cotton and linen. It has been starched and looks a bit worn, yet it exudes a gentle softness that comes from a natural, unpretentious style.

The skirt swayed gently in the wind, revealing a pair of simple strappy straw sandals underneath. The straps were loosely tied around her slender ankles, as if she were closely connected to the land.

Her shoulder-length hair was a peculiar gray-white, not a pure sign of decay, but rather like moonlight covered with a thin layer of frost and salt. It was loosely tied behind her head, and a few strands of hair were blown by the wind across her slightly thin but still softly contoured face.

Her figure leaned against the cold stone railing, exuding a calmness and a faint weariness after experiencing vicissitudes. Her plain white dress and straw sandals seemed to blend into the simple background of Yiyan Hall, like a plant growing quietly.

Just as the traveler's gaze focused on her, an indescribable sense of familiarity instantly seized her.

This feeling doesn't originate from appearance, but from a more distant and essential aura, like touching the core of an ancient and warm jade.

"Um...that auntie..."

Paimon tilted his head, blinked in confusion, and looked at the other person's simple clothes.

"It feels like we've seen her somewhere before? There's a... gentle, comforting aura about her? Like a blanket that's been aired out in the sun."

Paimon still used the way emergency food is described.

The woman's attention was drawn to the soaring seagulls. She turned slightly, her movements carrying a touch of mundane awkwardness, yet still possessing a refined elegance.

When her face was fully revealed in the afternoon sun, the traveler and Paimon held their breath at the same time.

The fine lines at the corners of a woman's eyes resemble the natural crackling patterns on antique porcelain. Her skin has lost its youthful luster and appears slightly loose, but this cannot conceal the breathtakingly gentle beauty that has been cultivated over time.

There was no sharpness in her brows, only a peace and profound gentleness that came from experiencing countless trials. The color of her eyes was like the salt flats of a shallow sea that had been sedimented for thousands of years, clear and inclusive, filled with the stories of time and unspoken compassion.

The slightly pursed lips outlined a hint of resilience, but also revealed an unspeakable weariness.

Even though the divine light has dimmed and the authority has vanished, the tranquility and gentleness that comes from the depths of the soul and belongs to the ancient being are like pearls at the bottom of the water, becoming even more warm and moving.

This simple white dress and straw sandals did not diminish her elegance; on the contrary, they added to her natural and pure beauty, a beauty that had been cleansed of superficiality.

Heureia, the Salt Demon!
The Traveler and Paimon had witnessed the tragic fall of the Salt Mother in the underground space of the Salt of the Earth, due to her excessive kindness, and in the Golden House, they also saw the Salt Mother's helplessness in having to compromise because of her lack of power.

More importantly, the Traveler and Paimon had just learned from Ningguang a few days ago about the death of Ninglan, the former head of the Ginhara-tei.

How could Heuria, who was under Ningguang's close surveillance and house arrest, suddenly appear in front of the Yiyan Palace square?
"Heureia... um!"

Paimon's clear call had barely begun when a pair of large, calloused hands suddenly covered his mouth from behind, forcing him to swallow the rest of his name. The little guy cried out in fright and kicked his little legs in vain in the air.

"Don't yell!" A deliberately low, husky voice rang out from behind Paimon's head, carrying an undeniable warning.

At the same time, the traveler keenly sensed another damp aura rapidly approaching from behind. His instincts, honed by years of adventure, instantly kicked in, and his hand was already gripping the hilt of the bladeless sword. The rock elemental energy gathered around him rippled violently.

Just as the elemental power was about to be unleashed, a calm yet slightly familiar female voice rang out, extinguishing the girl's tense fighting spirit like a bucket of ice water:
"Calm down, traveler, it's me."

Yingmei turned around abruptly, and the attacker behind Paimon released his grip almost simultaneously.

He was an exceptionally burly man with dark skin, dressed in a coarse cloth short jacket like a farmer, but his clothes couldn't hide the clearly defined, granite-like muscles beneath. He was none other than Wu Pei, Ye Lan's capable right-hand man.

The one who spoke up to stop her was an old woman being carefully supported by Wu Pei. She was wrapped in faded, simple cloth clothes, and her face was covered by a headscarf that concealed most of her face. She was hunched over and walked with difficulty. However, the hand on Wu Pei's arm had distinct knuckles and a steady strength that was completely different from her withered appearance.

The traveler and the still-shaken Paimon exchanged a glance. The clear, cold female voice was distinctly familiar, but the image of the old woman before them was completely different from the one in their memory.

"You scared me to death..."

Paimon rubbed his numb lips, his little brows furrowed, and glared angrily at the two people in front of him.

"That voice... Hey, it's you! What do you want?!"

"Shh!"

The traveler silenced Paimon's complaints with a glance, his eyes sweeping over the details of their disguises.

When the old woman lowered her head, a section of her smooth, firm neck skin was visible through the edge of her headscarf. The gesture of supporting Wu Pei's arm was not one of dependence, but rather a wary posture of being ready to exert force at any moment.

Even more hard to ignore is the sharp, icy glint that occasionally flashes beneath those lowered eyelids.

A name is about to emerge.

"Night Orchid?"

The traveler lowered his voice and asked with a hint of tentative certainty.

The old woman paused almost imperceptibly, a hint of approval flashing in her cloudy eyes, and her withered lips curving upwards in a barely perceptible arc.

She didn't respond, but casually raised her hand and lightly brushed her cheek, the movement as light as brushing away a spider web.

In an instant, his hunched back straightened like a pine tree, and the deep wrinkles that covered him seemed to be washed away by invisible water, quickly dissolving and fading. A young, spirited, and handsome face, with a touch of lazy smile in his eyes, was revealed.

It is Yelan, the controller of Liyue's underground intelligence network.

"Quick reaction."

Ye Lan regained her clear, slightly magnetic voice, a faint smile playing on her lips, and nodded approvingly at the traveler.

"His observation skills are quite good; even amidst the incense smoke of the Yiyan Hall, he can see right through my facade of being a filial son and virtuous grandson... Not bad, worth noting." (End of Chapter)