Genshin Impact, I'm Slime

Famas stood silently, his crimson eyes holding an unfathomable light in the night, gazing quietly at the traveler and Paimon. The two women's gazes naturally turned to him, silently conveying their questions.

The young demon god spread his hands with a slightly helpless expression, his movements carrying his usual lazy and casual demeanor.

"Whatever you say." The voice was flat and indifferent, as if agreeing to nothing more than go to the next mountain to see the scenery. "Since you've made your decision, I'll go with you."

With their goal set, the three of them lingered.

The traveler grabbed Paimon, who was still sulking, and pulled him forward, while Famas followed behind at a leisurely pace, as if taking a stroll in a garden.

They left behind the bustling atmosphere outside Wanmintang and walked briskly through the still brightly lit streets of Feiyunpo.

The lanterns of the shops on both sides illuminated the street as bright as day. The shouts of vendors, the sound of string and wind instruments and storytelling from the teahouses, and the cheerful conversations of passersby rose and fell. The jubilant atmosphere on the eve of the Lantern Festival was still surging here.

However, this prosperity and hustle and bustle was abruptly cut off by an invisible barrier when it arrived at the magnificent and elegant mansion of the Feiyun Chamber of Commerce.

The vermilion gate was tightly shut, like a boundary marker separating two worlds.

Two guards, dressed in the gray-blue uniforms of the Feiyun Chamber of Commerce, stood solemnly at the gate. The lanterns hanging under the eaves emitted a warm yellow glow, but cast cold, hard shadows on their angular faces, adding to their unassailable majesty.

"Please inform Young Master Xingqiu that the Traveler and Paimon have urgent news to tell him."

The traveler stepped forward, his voice clear and steady, and displayed the Adventurers' Guild insignia to prove his identity.

As the three stepped onto the stairs, the two guards locked their eyes on them.

As their gazes quickly swept over the insignia and the three men, the older guard clasped his hands in a salute, his tone maintaining a polite facade, but his refusal was as firm as a rock:

"So it's the Traveler and Miss Paimon. You two are renowned, please forgive my rudeness. However, it is late at night, and the rules of our household are strict. Unless it is an urgent matter, we cannot receive guests. Besides..."

He paused slightly, his gaze sweeping across the inky black night. Another guard spoke up at the opportune moment, his voice even lower, tinged with a barely perceptible caution:

"Young Master Xingqiu was recently ordered by the Master to stay at home and reflect on his mistakes. It is really inconvenient for him to receive guests at this time. We hope you can understand. Please come early tomorrow."

"Xingqiu is really under house arrest?!" Paimon exclaimed anxiously, stamping his little foot in mid-air. "We have a very urgent matter! It's about Pan... um!"

Before Paimon could finish her sentence, the Traveler swiftly covered her mouth, silencing her with the dangerous name.

"Paimon, don't be impulsive."

The traveler whispered, then nodded to the guard.

"Understood. Thank you both for letting us know. We will visit again another day."

Looking at the tightly closed gate and the motionless guards, the traveler knew that there was no point in arguing.

She released her hand from Paimon's, and the little guy immediately started waving his little fists silently in the direction of the door, looking furious.

“It seems that Xingqiu’s path is blocked.” The traveler turned to Famas and Paimon, frowning slightly. “We can only try our luck at Yiyan Palace again to see if we can meet Miss Ningguang.”

The Feiyun Merchant Guild route is now blocked. The traveler knows that the guild still has connections with the Fools, and taking rash action could only lead to trouble.

In comparison, travelers are more familiar with Yiyan Palace, where Ningguang resides, and the Seven Stars are more trusted by the young woman than the Flying Cloud Merchant Guild.

Without further hesitation, the three turned and left the cold, tightly closed vermilion gates of the Feiyun Chamber of Commerce. Their figures quickly merged into the still bustling crowd on Feiyun Slope, where the light and shadows were blurred by various lanterns. They strode towards the Yiyan Palace, which was even more solemn and majestic under the clear starlight and moonlight.

The atmosphere at Yujingtai is completely different from that at Feiyunpo.

This is a sacred site dedicated to the Rock King Emperor. The hustle and bustle of the marketplace is gone, replaced by a sense of solemnity and tranquility. The air is thick with the scent of incense mingled with night dew. The patrolling Thousand Rock Army guards march in perfect unison, their armor reflecting a cold, hard gleam in the moonlight. Their vigilant gazes sweep across the surroundings like searchlights, the level of security far surpassing that of the Flying Cloud Merchant Guild.

Sure enough, not long after the three of them stepped onto the smooth stone steps of Yujingtai, a patrol of Qianyan soldiers spotted them as keenly as hawks.

The squad leader gripped his gun and strode forward. Only when he saw the Traveler and Paimon's faces did his tense expression relax slightly, but his vigilance did not completely dissipate.

"Miss Traveler? And Paimon?"

The squad leader recognized them and asked in a tone that was both surprised and businesslike.

"It is late at night, and the Jade Capital Terrace is not accepting offerings at this time. I wonder if you two... and this one..."

His sharp gaze swept over the silent Famas to the side.

"Why are the three of you here?"

"We have something extremely urgent and must see Miss Ningguang immediately!"

The traveler stepped forward, his tone resolute, his eyes filled with an undeniable urgency.

The Thousand Rock Army squad leader looked clearly troubled, his brows furrowed: "This... Lady Ningguang is extremely busy, I'm afraid..."

"This matter is very important!" the traveler emphasized again, his voice not loud, but carrying a heavy weight. "Please inform them that it is related to the lantern tickets."

The squad leader's gaze lingered for a moment on the traveler's anxious yet determined face, then looked at Paimon beside her, who also looked anxious, and the boy with a deep aura.

His grip on the sword hilt tightened and loosened, and finally, as if he had made up his mind, he took a deep breath:

"Understood. Please follow me. I will take you to the Yiyan Palace, but whether you can see Lord Ningguang depends on the results of the report."

The squad leader signaled his men to continue patrolling, while he personally led three men through layers of guards toward the brightly lit Yiyan Palace, which stood in the night.

Having successfully arrived at the magnificent gates of Yiyan Palace, the team leader instructed the three travelers to wait outside.
"Please wait here for a moment, I will go inside and inform Lord Ningguang immediately."

He showed his token, verified his identity, then turned and pushed open a crack in the palace door, his figure quickly disappearing into the bright yet majestic light and shadow inside the hall.

Time passes minute by minute.

Outside the palace, all was quiet, except for the faint tinkling of the wind chimes on the eaves in the night breeze, and the occasional clanging of armor from the patrolling troops in the distance.

The waiting time felt exceptionally long.

Paimon drifted restlessly, while Famas stared intently at the entrance to the Rock-Eyed Palace, as if he could see directly into the palace through the doors.

But the traveler's doubts grew stronger.

Normally, because of her status as a hero who saved Liyue, the soldiers of the Thousand Rock Army always treat her with great respect, and Ningguang always arranges to meet her quickly.

But today's delay... is very unusual.

The traveler keenly sensed that the atmosphere in front of the palace was somewhat strange. The soldiers guarding the gate seemed to be standing solemnly, but their eyes flickered subtly, as if they were deliberately avoiding eye contact with them.

This unusual silence and delay felt like an invisible boulder, making it hard to breathe.

Even Famas was growing somewhat impatient, his fingers unconsciously tapping lightly on the cold stone railing in front of the hall, producing a rhythmic, soft sound. (End of Chapter)