Genshin Impact, I'm Slime

"what?!"

The traveler almost blurted it out, his eyes widening in shock as he stared at Huixin in disbelief.

"Miss Keqing...did she really say that? To do it alone? Without troubling us?"

This sudden expulsion order completely caught the traveler off guard. She and Keqing were clearly fighting side by side and discussing countermeasures last night. How could things have changed overnight?
Huixin nodded firmly, her voice soft, but the message she conveyed was weighty:
"Yes, these are the words of Lady Keqing herself. She also said... thank you for your previous help."

The traveler froze on the spot, speechless for a moment.

She subconsciously turned her head to look at Paimon beside her.

Paimon was completely bewildered. His mouth was slightly open, and his eyes were wide open. He looked at Wisdom and then at the Traveler, completely unable to understand what had happened.

"But...why? Didn't we agree to investigate together last night? How could Miss Keqing do this? It's so unfair!"

The two looked at each other, their eyes filled with the same confusion and disappointment at being kicked out.

The solemn analysis of the three people last night and Keqing's earnest entrustment seemed to have all vanished like smoke.

Meanwhile, Famas, who had been silently observing, raised an eyebrow slightly, a thoughtful glint flashing in his deep red eyes.

His gaze swept thoughtfully over Huixin's slightly tense face, then turned to the traveler's expression, which was filled with shock and bewilderment.

The boy didn't immediately press for details, but it seemed he had already guessed some of the hidden story. His gaze fell on Huixin's troubled face, and he spoke calmly, his voice not loud, but clearly penetrating the breeze flowing through the corridor.

“Miss Huixin, is Keqing's decision to conduct the investigation alone because of me... and therefore it's inconvenient for the Traveler and Paimon to participate?”

FAMAS's tone remained habitually languid, but his question went straight to the heart of the matter.

Huixin was clearly stunned, obviously not expecting Famas to so bluntly point out the possible hidden truth.

In fact, Famas was right; Keqing decided to exclude the Traveler and Paimon for this very reason.

After all, no one can guarantee FAMAS's stance.

For Liyue, Famas and the Traveler are ultimately outsiders.

Upon hearing this, Huixin opened her mouth, her eyes filled with confusion and helplessness:

"This... I really don't know. Lady Keqing only told me to pass on the message to a few people, but she didn't explain the reason..."

The young woman explained somewhat hastily, her proper demeanor as a secretary seemed to falter under Famas's persistent questioning.

As the atmosphere grew increasingly awkward, Huixin was at a loss for how to respond.

"Ta Tata..."

A series of hurried and flustered footsteps came from below the steps connecting the main building of Yuehai Pavilion, breaking the tranquility of the corridor.

The person who came was Bu Yun, who was originally responsible for guiding visitors to Qunyu Pavilion.

But at this moment, he was completely devoid of his usual composure and calmness. He rushed up the steps almost in two strides, with fine beads of sweat on his forehead and an anxious expression on his face that he could not hide, like dark clouds pressing down on him.

He rushed into the corridor, his eyes scanning the surroundings anxiously. When he saw the Traveler, Paimon, and Famas beside Huixin, he stopped abruptly, a look of obvious surprise and astonishment crossing his face.

He forced back the gasp that almost escaped his lips, took a few quick breaths, and forced out an extremely strained, even stiff, polite smile, hastily clasping his hands in a fist salute towards the three of them.

“Traveler…Traveler, Paimon, and…and Mr. Famas, good morning.” Bu Yun’s voice was noticeably broken due to panting and tension, but the urgent news he brought clearly outweighed all formalities.

Bu Yun didn't even wait for the three to respond. He rushed to Hui Xin and almost dragged her behind a pillar in the corridor. He leaned close to Hui Xin's ear and whispered a few words in a fast and urgent voice.

The next second, Huixin's expression changed drastically.

As if struck by an invisible thunderbolt, her eyes, which had been filled with difficulty and confusion, suddenly widened, and her pupils contracted sharply due to disbelief and shock.

Huixin's face drained of all color in an instant. Her small lips trembled slightly, as if she wanted to say something, but she couldn't utter a single word. Her body swayed, and her steps became unsteady, as if she were about to collapse at any moment.

"Miss Huixin!"

Bu Yun let out a soft cry and quickly grabbed Hui Xin's arm.

His anxiety intensified, even taking on a hint of sternness. He gripped her arm tightly, lowering his voice to utter a few words of reassurance or command, clearly trying to force Huixin to remain calm.

Huixin was supported by Bu Yun's strong arm and barely managed to stand, but her distraught expression could not be calmed down immediately.

She abruptly raised her head, her eyes vacant and filled with immense panic, glancing over the traveler and Paimon, before finally lingering for a fleeting moment on Famas's calm, expressionless face.

Bu Yun dared not delay any longer.

He practically half-supported, half-dragged the distraught Huixin, and quickly nodded in the direction of the three travelers, his voice urgent: "I'm so sorry, we have urgent business to attend to, we must take our leave now!"

Before he finished speaking, Bu Yun didn't even glance at the travelers again. He grabbed the absent-minded and unsteady Hui Xin and rushed quickly toward the more heavily guarded core area deep inside the Moon Sea Pavilion.

The two figures, looking flustered and disheveled, quickly disappeared around the corner of the corridor, leaving only a series of hurried footsteps fading into the distance.

The whole process was as fast as lightning, from the moment Bu Yun appeared to the moment the two disappeared, it only took a dozen seconds.

The traveler and Paimon stared in disbelief in the direction the two had disappeared, their faces filled with confusion and bewilderment.

"Huh?"

Paimon's little head couldn't wrap its head around it at all, and it let out a short, single syllable that indicated its confusion.

The traveler also frowned, his doubts growing.

It was already strange that Ke Qing was investigating on her own, leaving them behind. Now, even Hui Xin and Bu Yun seemed to have encountered a terrible disaster, so flustered and disoriented... What exactly happened?

Famas narrowed his eyes slightly, gazing quietly at the end of the corridor. The usual languor on his face gradually faded, replaced by a thoughtful look.

Although Bu Yun's voice was extremely low, Famas, being a demon god, still clearly caught the words he whispered to Huixin:
"The star Tian Shu has been poisoned, and the culprit is suspected to be the Fools."

Famas blinked.

He didn't expect that kid Zhiyi would act so quickly. They only decided to take action against Uncle Tian yesterday, and the result is already in today.

But the unsuspecting traveler and Paimon were both frowning in thought.

They exchanged a puzzled look, but did not rashly follow Huixin and Buyun. After all, they did not have a full understanding of the situation, and it would be inappropriate for them to chase after them on their own.

Moreover, Famas's words had made the traveler's gaze frequently sweep over him, clearly indicating that he had taken him to heart.

Is Keqing wary of them because of her wariness of Famas? (End of Chapter)