Genshin Impact, I'm Slime

The slight coolness of the teacup lingered on Zhiyi's fingertips, but an even more ancient and cautionary tale was churning in his mind.

Those terrifying Liyue demons are most adept at bewitching mortal hearts.

They often use power as bait to lure mortals into making contracts with them, promising to help them reach the pinnacle.

When the contractor finally stands at the pinnacle of power, thinking he has achieved his goal, the demon will appear, with a cruel smile, and take everything he possesses—wealth, status, even his life and soul—as the sweetest offering, ruthlessly seizing it for his own pleasure.

But so what?

This thought emerged clearly and coldly in Zhiyi's mind.

fear?

Maybe a little bit.

But more than anything, it's a desperate gamble made when cornered.

Zhiyi was all too aware of his situation. A poor student with no connections, relying solely on his so-called wisdom and ability, wanted to seize power on Tian Shu Star. It was simply a pipe dream.

How could Zhiyi, a rootless duckweed, possibly control the towering waves of Liyue Harbor?

The glorious path of righteousness had long been closed to him. This perilous path before him, where he danced with demons, though its end might lead to an abyss, was one of the few ropes he could grasp to reach the pinnacle of power.

Even if his collaborator is a soul-devouring demon, he will still use that soul as a bargaining chip to gamble on a possibility of changing his fate.

Meanwhile, Famas, sitting opposite him, was completely unaware of the turbulent speculation and determination in Zhiyi's heart.

Hearing Zhiyi's blunt question, he seemed to find it somewhat absurd, even amusing.

He shrugged slightly and let out a very faint chuckle. His eyes, which seemed to be leaping with flames, looked at Zhiyi with undisguised teasing.

"Do you think I'm a celestial being from Liyue?"

Faced with this almost mocking question, Zhiyi's deliberately maintained calm expression remained unchanged; he simply lowered his eyelids slightly to avoid direct eye contact.

However, his silent posture, his taut jawline, and the silent questioning look in his eyes when he raised them again all clearly conveyed one message:
"What else?"

Famas clearly had no intention of explaining further; his nonchalant attitude said it all.

Zhiyi understood that the other party had no intention of revealing their identity to him. A sense of powerlessness and frustration swept through his heart, but was quickly overwhelmed by a deeper undercurrent.

Over the millennia, countless demons and monsters have been suppressed, driven away, and slain by the Geo Archon.
Some of them were infamous, some were unknown, and some have long since turned to dust in the wind.

The name Famas never appeared in those bloody legends.

Is he a cunning spirit who has recently taken human form in the deep mountains, or a remnant of an ancient demon who was frightened away by the Emperor's divine might and has been lying dormant for thousands of years, or some other more mysterious being?
Zhiyi had no way of knowing, and he simply swallowed his doubts silently.

Just as no one can discern the origin of every stone in the mountains, how could he possibly identify the true form of the demon before him?
The important thing is that he has already stepped onto this dangerous rope, and whether it leads to an abyss or clouds, only by going down to the other side can he know.

"alright."

Famas lazily propped his cheek on his elbow, his fingertips tapping the table casually, making a series of irregular soft sounds.

A faint smile played on his lips, as if he found Zhiyi's misunderstanding quite amusing, and was too lazy to correct it.

"If you think so, then so be it."

In Famas's eyes, being mistaken for a Liyue hermit was perhaps far less troublesome than revealing his true identity. The boy paused briefly, a mischievous glint in his fiery eyes, before spouting off:
“Hmm, let me think…” Famas drawled, as if recalling a long-forgotten title, “My Daoist name is ‘Ten-Strike Nine-Gold True Lord,’ and as for my cave dwelling… it’s located in the ‘Great Villa.’”

The boy spoke as casually as if he were talking about the nice weather today.

Upon hearing this obviously fabricated nonsense, Zhiyi didn't even blink.

His face remained calm and composed, but a hint of understanding and a deeper wariness flashed in the depths of his eyes.

Of the demons and monsters in Liyue that cannot be seen in the light, how many would be foolish enough to reveal their identities? They are like venomous snakes in the shadows, and once exposed to the sight of the immortals, yakshas, ​​or guardian deities, they are in danger of being shattered to pieces in an instant.

Think of those great demons and gods who were personally suppressed by Lord Yan and turned into dust in history; they serve as a warning.

Famas's situation is perhaps even more precarious than that of this scheming little man.

FAMAS's eagerness to support him and place him on the throne of Tian Shu, the star that controls the lives of the people of Liyue, makes their motives easy to guess, even obvious.

They simply wanted to use Zhiyi, this puppet, to clear their name, or to find a stable backer to deal with the constant threat posed by his demonic identity.

This is a dangerous deal built on mutual needs.

A brief silence filled the space between them. Zhiyi was unaware that his thoughts had already run wild, heading in a direction completely opposite to the truth.

The young man composed himself, looked up at FAMAS again, and spoke in a calm tone that carried an undeniable negotiating air:
"In that case, 'Ten-Strong True Monarch'."

Zhiyi deliberately emphasized this absurd title, his tone carrying a subtle hint of sarcasm.

"Please tell me in detail what you can bring me?" The young man leaned forward slightly. "Since you already know that I want to sit on the throne of Tian Shu Star, you must also know that my plan itself... is complete and well-prepared, with each step closely linked and difficult to find any flaws."

Zhiyi paused, then downed the cold tea in his cup in one gulp, as if he were drinking not tea, but some kind of resolve. He then set down the empty cup with a soft click, his gaze fixed on Famas, issuing a probing question that was almost an invitation to leave:

"If you do not have the ability to add to my glory or provide timely assistance, then it would be better to wait until I have truly secured my position as the ruler of Tian Shu Star before discussing cooperation."

Zhiyi's implication couldn't be clearer.

The demon before them, who was spouting empty words, did not yet have enough leverage.

Even without the help of the mysterious FAMAS, Zhiyi was still confident that with his meticulous planning and flawless execution, he could gradually climb to the position of Tian Shu Star.

But when Famas heard his declaration, which was clearly a test and an expression of arrogance, he merely twitched the corner of his mouth.

It wasn't a smile of approval or agreement, but rather an undisguised mockery, as if it had seen through the other person's extremely naive fantasy.

FAMAS's deep laughter was exceptionally clear in the quiet room, carrying an undisguised penetrating power that pierced through Zhiyi's confident facade.

"Heh, you've been following Tian Shu Xing around for so long, do you really think that old man is a fool you can manipulate?"

Famas leaned forward slightly, an invisible pressure suddenly spreading out, his words seemingly peeling away Zhiyi's carefully constructed facade:
"Or do you think the persona you temporarily created at the docks, the coworkers you deliberately befriended, and the seemingly genuine friendships and assistance you offered can withstand an investigation by professionals from the Liyue Special Agents Agency?"

Fama paused, letting the chill from the first two questions fully penetrate, before posing the final question that precisely targeted the most likely Achilles' heel of the Zhiyi Plan:
"Or... do you naively believe that those extra Mora on your books, far exceeding the income of a poor student, will disappear silently like drops of water into the ocean, right under the noses of those penny-pinching tax officials in the General Affairs Department?"

Every question FAMAS raised precisely hit those points in the Zhiyi Project that he thought were perfectly concealed, but were actually extremely vulnerable.

A barely suppressed stiffness finally appeared on the young man's usually calm expression. (End of Chapter)