Genshin Impact, I'm Slime

No, he hasn't lost everything yet; he still has a chance.

Zhiyi's Adam's apple bobbed almost imperceptibly, and a mixture of surprise and confusion quickly spread across his face.

"Miss Night Orchid? And the Traveler and Paimon? What are you all doing here?"

Ye Lan ignored his pretense, glanced at the surrounding rock walls, and spoke in a calm tone as if she were stating the weather.

“No need to pretend anymore, Zhiyi. On the way here, I checked out the terrain.”

"You have reserved three escape routes here, which are cleverly designed and lead to different abandoned mine tunnels and underground river exits, just in case."

Ye Lan paused slightly, her gaze refocusing on Zhi Yi's face with a hint of insightful pity.

"I'm sorry, but to save you from unnecessary struggles, I've already arranged for people to guard them."

"This farce should come to an end."

As she spoke, she shook the exquisite phonograph in her hand; its metal casing gleamed coldly in the dim light.

“We’ve faithfully recorded every detail of your candid discussion with Mr. Yusupov just now. Would you like to review it?”

Ye Lan's lips curved into a cold, emotionless smile, while Zhi Yi's confusion deepened, even carrying a hint of innocent grievance:

"A farce? Miss Yelan, I don't quite understand what you mean."

"I just happened to discover this foolish diplomat conducting suspicious activities here, and in order to obtain information, I had to play along with him."

"After some maneuvering, we finally found an opportunity to subdue him. If you don't believe me, you can come with me to investigate this matter in depth and see what he is really plotting."

Zhiyi pointed to Yusupov's corpse on the ground, his tone sincere, as if what he had just said was all an act.

"Oh."

Ye Lan let out a very soft, cold snort, her eyes dropping to freezing point. She took a step forward, and an invisible pressure spread out with her.

"Now that things have come to this, do we still want to continue this clumsy performance?"

"It's alright. Just have Mr. Baishu or the general affairs department's doctor test the toxins remaining in Yusupov's body and compare them with the poison found in Uncle Tian's body. If the two match perfectly, that's enough to convict him."

"Or rather, do we need more evidence, Zhiyi?"

Ye Lan stared directly into Zhi Yi's suddenly contracting pupils, and the expression on the other's face finally froze.

That carefully maintained mask, a mixture of confusion and sincerity, shattered and crumbled silently, like glass struck by a heavy hammer.

He opened his mouth as if to say something, but only a single, unintelligible syllable came out of his throat.

"..."

The cave was deathly silent, with only the monotonous sound of water droplets sliding down the rock crevices.

The sound, as it reached my ears, was like a countdown to fate.

But the silence inside the cave was soon broken by a series of dense and orderly footsteps.

The flickering torchlight pierced the shadows, illuminating several familiar faces.

It was Wen Yuan and Shang Hua, Ye Lan's capable subordinates.

Behind them stood two squads of fully armed, solemn-faced Thousand Rock Army soldiers, forming an impenetrable barrier that instantly sealed off all exits of the stone hall. Their cold armor gleamed in the firelight, completely extinguishing any hope Zhiyi might have of breaking out. Wen Yuan and Shang Hua quickly approached Ye Lan and whispered their report:

"Lord Yelan, the passage has been confirmed to be safe, and the outer perimeter is completely under control."

The appearance of the Qianyan Army soldiers was like the last straw that broke the camel's back, completely extinguishing the last glimmer of hope in Zhiyi's eyes that was trying to escape.

He knew very well that any resistance against the traveler who could defeat the demon god and Yelan who possessed the Eye of God would be tantamount to throwing an egg against a rock, not to mention the forest of Thousand Rock Army spears and halberds.

However, just as Ye Lan nodded slightly, preparing to give the final instruction, her gaze inadvertently swept over Wen Yuan and Shang Hua's travel-worn faces. She subtly turned away, lowering her voice to a whisper, ensuring only Wen Yuan and Shang Hua could hear her:
"Were you able to find anyone else while searching the passageways?"

Wen Yuan and Shang Hua exchanged a glance, both seeing confusion in each other's eyes.

Shang Hua shook his head slightly and responded in a low voice:
“We followed your trail all the way here. We have carefully explored all the side paths and secret rooms, but we have not found any trace of anyone else. There is no one else in the entire underground cave except for us and the target.”

Ye Lan's brows furrowed instantly, as if they were tied in an unsolvable knot.

Previously, when they encountered a fork in the road, Famas chose to explore the right path alone. However, the Thousand Rock Army searched the entire underground cavern but could not find him, as if he had vanished into thin air.

But now is not the time to delve into this.

Ye Lan forcibly suppressed her doubts and fixed her gaze on Zhi Yi, whose face was ashen.

"I have nothing more to say, so let's leave it at that."

"take away!"

Upon receiving the order, the Thousand Rock Army soldiers who had arrived at the location immediately stepped forward.

But before Qianyan Army could get close, the momentary defeat on Zhiyi's face receded like a tide, replaced by an almost eerie calm.

He showed no panic, nor did he retreat even a step. His shoulders merely relaxed slightly, as if a heavy burden had been lifted. He looked at Ye Lan, a weary yet remarkably clear smile playing on his lips, and gently shook his head.

"One wrong move and the whole game is lost. I admit I was wrong."

Zhiyi's voice was deep and steady, without the slightest tremor, but rather carried the calmness of someone reviewing a situation.

"So it seems that Yusupov's connection led you here?"

His gaze swept over the cold corpse on the ground, his eyes showing no anger, only a helpless self-reflection on his own negligence.

"I calculated the escape route and the traces, but I overlooked the fact that this self-righteous bait itself was the biggest destabilizing factor."

The next second, Zhiyi's tired eyes suddenly became more focused, like a shrewd businessman who saw a last chance to negotiate, and he locked his gaze directly onto Yelan.

“Miss Yelan, and this traveler, please give me a moment, we can talk.”

Zhiyi's voice regained its former clarity and strength, and even carried a hint of sincerity.

He straightened his back, and the composure he had cultivated as a candidate for the Heavenly Pivot Star returned to him.

"When I met with Miss Keqing and this traveler, I promised them that I would never fail to live up to the position of Tian Shu Star."

"This promise is still valid at this moment, and I can prove it to you in a more practical way."

Hearing Zhiyi's confident words, Yelan crossed her arms, her emerald eyes unfathomable, and calmly looked back at him.

"So?" (End of Chapter)