Genshin Impact: Watch me turn the tables and kill my servants at the start!

The lanterns of the night market lined both sides of the street, their warm light shining through the paper and spreading a soft halo on the stone pavement.

Funina paused in front of the stall, looking at the outlines of the golden snacks bubbling in the oil. Hu Tao had already walked out with light steps, heading forward, turning her head to wave at Funina as she went.

As Fu Ningna looked down at the row of hand-embroidered sachets on the stall, about to pick one up for a closer look, her peripheral vision suddenly caught sight of a small stone bridge in front of her.

A person stood at the bridgehead, her long, silvery-white hair swaying gently in the night breeze. She wore a light blue short jacket, and her figure appeared exceptionally serene in the lantern light.

Shen He didn't squat down in front of the stall to pick things out, nor did he stand in the crowd to look at anything. He just stood there quietly, looking at the water under the bridge, as if he was waiting for someone.

As Funina hesitated whether to go over and greet her, Hu Tao had already walked over and stopped beside the figure: "Sister Shen He? What are you doing here?"

Shen He turned his head and glanced at Hu Tao: "Master told me to go down the mountain to experience the mortal world."

Hu Tao stood next to her and glanced at her again: "So, how was the experience?"

Shen He's gaze fell on the lantern's reflection on the water: "Still getting used to it. My master said I need to meet more different people in order to better understand the lifestyles and behavioral logic of ordinary people, and thus understand the essence of the mortal world."

They walked along the riverbank for a while, and as they rounded the third bend, a streetlamp appeared not far ahead by the roadside. Two figures were crouching under the streetlamp.

Ying was sitting on the stone steps by the roadside, one leg stretched out, the ankle of the other wrapped in gauze. She seemed to be trying to make herself more comfortable, but each attempt to adjust her posture pulled on her injured leg, forcing her to reposition herself.

Paimengfei was standing next to her, holding a paper bag in his hand, inside which were the shapes of several packets of medicinal herbs, as if he had just come out of a pharmacy.

After approaching and seeing their condition, Hu Tao paused and asked, "What happened to you two?"

Ying turned her head, her gaze sweeping over Hu Tao, Fu Ningna, and Shen He in turn, before her voice, tinged with weariness, confirmed, "Don't say anything. I was being chased and beaten by monsters, and I ended up falling off a cliff and breaking my leg."

Funina squatted down and looked down at the fairly neatly wrapped bandage on her ankle: "Just a broken leg? That's pretty bad."

Hu Tao stood beside her, arms crossed, also examining the fairly secure bandage on Ying's ankle, as if assessing the severity of the wound from a professional perspective: "Indeed. I thought I'd have a new client."

After Hu Tao finished speaking, she turned her head to look at Ying's face. "But judging from your condition, it shouldn't have gotten to the point where you need to come here."

Ying leaned back against the edge of the stone steps: "I feel like we'd be better off dead right now. We still have to work for thirty years to pay off our debts. Life feels so hard, and it seems like there's no end in sight."

Paimon hugged the medicine bag to his chest and added, "Besides, her leg is injured, and she can't take on any recent jobs. Her income chain has completely dried up."

Funina stood up, her gaze still fixed on Ying's face: "Who gave you permission to write fanfiction about Faker? And the kind of content that's only for adults."

Hu Tao chimed in, "That's right. And the female lead isn't us, but you, this blond-haired little girl."

Ying's expression stiffened slightly when those words were spoken: "Don't say anymore... I know I was wrong. I was blinded by greed back then, just wanting to make some quick money to pay off my loans. But things developed completely beyond my expectations, and I couldn't take it back."

Ying turned her head to look at Hu Tao, "By the way, is your Wangsheng Hall short of workers lately? I can't go out to do commissioned work these days, so I have to find something to do. Otherwise, my loan will be overdue again next month."

Hu Tao thought for a moment: "It takes a hundred days to recover from a broken bone, and you want to go back to work after only a few days?"

Ying picked up the branch that was temporarily serving as a walking stick from beside her feet and held it in her hand: "Of course it's because I'm physically strong. Otherwise, I would have been crushed by that pile of debt long ago."

Looking at her expression, Hu Tao said, "Alright then. But there will be a surprise waiting for you after you go to the Hall of Rebirth."

After Hu Tao finished speaking, she turned and walked towards the other end of the street. Fu Ningna and Shen He followed behind her. Ying stood up, supporting herself on the tree branch. Pai Mengfei was beside her, occasionally helping her adjust her direction.

The lights of the Hall of Rebirth were on in front of us.

Ying, leaning on her cane, followed at the back of the group. As she crossed the threshold, her gaze first swept over the row of neat account books behind the counter in the front hall, and then landed on Fanes, who was sitting in the chair in the front hall.

Fanes was leaning back in his chair, eyes closed, seemingly resting. His posture was more relaxed than usual, the collar of his coat was not pulled up tightly, and he exuded a sense of exhaustion.

Ying paused at the edge of the threshold, and Paimon flew to her side: "Wait, what are you doing here?"

Paimon's gaze lingered on his weary face for a moment, as if using that brief pause to verify the information and confirm the accuracy of his observations.

Ying walked a short distance with her crutches, then stopped a few steps away from him: "You look terrible. It's worse than my leg injury."

Shen He walked over from the side. She stopped in front of Fanes, her gaze lingering on his face for a moment, then she reached out and placed her hand on his wrist, quietly taking his pulse for a while before letting go.

Shen He turned his head to look in the direction of Hu Tao and Fu Ningna, his voice neither loud nor soft: "Depleted of vital energy."

Paimon flew to her side: "What does 'depleted essence' mean?"

Funina leaned against the edge of the counter, holding a cup of tea that had gone mostly cold: "The peach blossoms are plentiful and red."

Ying stood there, leaning on her cane, the bandage on her leg still intact: "...I think I understand. Young people really need to be more restrained."

Fanes remained seated in his chair, leaning back, his voice coming from between his drooping hair, carrying a weariness of finishing something: "Stop making sarcastic remarks. You should focus on healing your leg injury first."

Ying stood there for a while, leaning on her crutches, then slowly moved to a chair next to her and sat down, carefully placing her injured leg on her other knee: "Finished shopping at the night market today?"

Fanes remained leaning back in his chair: "No. I just sat down; I haven't had a chance to go sightseeing yet."

After landing, Paimon placed the medicine bag on the edge of the table and looked around the lobby. "Are you going again tomorrow? Can I come along?"

Walnut sat down on the chair in the front hall, unscrewed the cap of the pen and then put it back on: "The weather should be nice tomorrow, we can go for a walk over to the harbor. The view there is more open than at the night market, and we can see the silhouettes of ships sailing in the distance."

Funina stood beside the counter, reaching out to pick up an empty teacup from the shelf and then putting it back in its place.

Fanes remained leaning back in his chair, eyes closed, as if using that sustained silence to complete a final adjustment.