Lu Bu, the Thunder General, is my adoptive father in Genshin Impact.

Xiao Yi suddenly felt that the system had become smarter, learning to investigate users' ideas and evolve on its own. However, the effects of the new and old achievement rewards were different, which was perplexing.

One type allows for 30 minutes of use, while the other allows for 5 seconds of use, with the 3-minute cooldown calculated separately. The former is more stable, while the latter is more versatile and functional.

He quickly racked his brains, imagining various dangerous situations and the ingenious uses of his abilities, and ultimately decided to choose the diverse approach.

If a companion is seriously injured by an enemy, he can switch to his Mind Sea ability to help heal. This means he can only act as a healer for half an hour, which is extremely disadvantageous in battle. However, after the system update, he can switch to healing mode, heal for 5 seconds, and then switch back to combat mode.

He clicked "OK" and received the upgrade achievement reward.

Ultimately, the more lords there are, the better the upgraded effect becomes, making it a promising feature for the future. Most importantly, it doesn't affect the use of Thor's power.

As a young man with a long-term vision, Xiao Yi naturally wanted to adopt promising ideas. Once he had lords all over the world, he could freely borrow their power and become an all-powerful free spirit. Thinking about it carefully, it was quite exciting.

(Upgrade complete)

Without any special effects, without any sound effects, without even a "awesome" sound, the system function was upgraded just like that.

Thanks to the reading speed he gained from frequently reading novels before his transmigration, coupled with the processing power granted by the divine force, only three seconds had passed from when Xiao Yi noticed the upgrade pop-up window until now.

Now that I've acquired new abilities and the system has been upgraded, of course I should try it out right away!

At the same time, Ying finally realized what was happening and grabbed Paimon, saying, "Little Paimon, don't be fooled by him. I have a feeling he's up to something..."

The World!!

The snow-white leaves falling outside the window, the steam rising from the pot, the flames churning at the bottom of the pot, the boiling hot water bubbles in the pot, and the mysterious and awe-inspiring Gan Yu, Ying persuading Paimon—everything stopped at this moment, except for the shocked Paimon and the composed Xiao Yi.

"W-wh-what's going on?!" Paimon frantically waved his hands up and down.

Xiao Yi didn't answer. Instead, he used his chopsticks to pick up some cauliflower from the pot and stuffed it directly into Ying's motionless mouth.

He held up three fingers and pressed them down one by one as the countdown began.

"3,2,1!"

"Waaah—" Ying wanted to say a lot after the time stop was lifted, but the food in her mouth blocked her words, turning them into strange, indistinct sounds.

"Huh? I suddenly couldn't move!" Gan Yu exclaimed in surprise, then asked Ying with concern, "Traveler, are you alright?"

"Are you just frozen in place?" Xiao Yi asked, puzzled.

"Yes, I was conscious for about half a second, then my mind went blank for a moment until I regained consciousness," Gan Yu honestly answered, describing her experience.

Xiao Yi thought to himself: It seems it's not a complete time stop, after all, it's related to trust value...

(Lord #3, Paimon; Trust Value: 53)

Ying swallowed the cauliflower and glared angrily at Xiao Yi: "Is that your ability? It's time to explain."

They were now partners who had gone through thick and thin together, so it wouldn't be good to keep things from each other. Without hesitation, Xiao Yi told the two of them and Paimon about the system upgrade, and also gave Gan Yu a crash course on some of the basic functions of his system that he hadn't told her before.

“Now it’s your turn.” He said to Gan Yu and Ying, “Don’t be too nervous. It’s very simple. As long as you sincerely accept me as your subordinate, the contract is complete.”

It's very easy for Xiao Yi to acknowledge someone as his lord; he just needs to mentally suggest it to himself. However, it's much more difficult to get others to accept him. Ultimately, not everyone has the broad-mindedness of Xiao Pai Meng.

Gan Yu said with a struggle, "Even if this can bring you power, you are Thor's adopted son, and I really can't treat you as a subordinate. I'm sorry!"

"It's not that easy for me to genuinely trust you." Ying's attitude became even more resolute, her beautiful golden eyes widening. "Besides, you only see us as tools to gain power."

She suddenly remembered what Xiao Yi had told her in the prison cell: if the lord died, he would be able to… Combining this information, Ying's vigilance towards Xiao Yi increased further.

"How could I treat you as tools?" Xiao Yi spread his hands, looking innocent and sincere. "You are all the wings that help me fly."

Chapter 111 The Nights with Ying

Because of the topic of Xiao Yi's abilities, the atmosphere between him and Ying became unpleasant. Gan Yu immediately played the peacemaker and began to change the subject and smooth things over.

With Paimon's nonchalance and lighthearted banter, Ying gave up on arguing about Xiao Yi's concealment of his abilities, and the group continued to discuss their next move.

Night was deepening, but during rest time, someone had to guard the edge of the barrier. Considering that Paimon's actual combat strength was lower than that of the wild boar, she was not chosen as a candidate for night watchman.

The other three people drew lots using the extra carrots from dinner. Whoever drew the shortest carrot would be the first to stand guard, and they would take turns in order.

Ying won the lottery.

The traveler quietly reminded Gan Yu to be careful while sleeping that night, then left the temple while munching on a radish and headed towards the edge of the thick fog.

Gan Yu found many futons from somewhere, spread them out into a simple bed, and invited Xiao Yi and Paimon to squeeze in together.

Xiao Yi did not lie down to rest. He greeted Gan Yu and Paimon, wished them goodnight, and then chased after Ying who had left.

Of the current four temporary members, Ying has the worst relationship with herself. After all, Ying is used to living a life of hardship, so there's no need for her to curry favor with Prince Inazuma for the sake of power.

Moreover, he had concealed his new ability, attempting to extract power from her and Paimon Rain. In addition, the terrifying characteristic of gaining all of his abilities upon his lord's death made it highly suspicious no matter how you looked at it. The traveler's vigilance was not without reason.

After all, her adventurous life must have been filled with many mishaps and injuries—at least once.

Therefore, even if Ying agrees to become the lord, her trust level will not be very high, and the power she gains will have little practical use.

The last time someone was viewed with such suspicion by Ying was when she almost sank D'Artagnan in Lijiang. However, thanks to the silent matchmaking of innocent children, the relationship between the girl and the Fatui Enforcer improved considerably that time.

Unfortunately, Xiao Yi has no younger brother, and now is not the time to take a child to explore the ruins. Therefore, if he wants to win Ying's favor, he must take other measures.

So he decided to seize the opportunity of night patrol to be alone with Ying and try to win her favor.

Unexpectedly, the first girl to approach him after crossing over to Teyvat was "himself".

Upon noticing Xiao Yi catching up, Ying narrowed her eyes, and a blunt, cheap sword suddenly appeared in her hand. However, she showed no intention of fighting, as if she had simply taken out a patrol weapon.

“It’s too tiring for you to patrol alone at night. Let me help you,” Xiao Yi said seriously.

Ying was silent for a moment, then replied, "This is your own choice. If you don't sleep tonight and are unable to keep watch tomorrow, I won't help you."

It seems they've tacitly agreed.

“Thanks to Miss Ying’s blessing, my physique is extraordinary. It’s okay if I don’t sleep all night.” Xiao Yi shrugged and explained, “So there’s no need to worry about my patrol tomorrow. I won’t let any enemy who disturbs you get away.”

The traveler did not answer, but turned and continued walking forward, arriving at the edge of the wondrous trees with silvery-white leaves and thick fog. The number 80 above her head reappeared, the medium being the crimson element of fire.

Xiao Yi, who was following behind, also had 50 displayed above his head, and the medium was purple lightning element.

Their previous discussion concluded that the wider the scope of a spell, the more singular its function.

Therefore, the fog can only display numbers above the heads of people in Liyue and have additional effects related to numbers; other functions such as surveillance should not exist.

The two on watch could safely enter the fog, and being on the edge of the fog and barrier made it easier to observe the surrounding situation and study the meaning of the numbers.

The traveler stood with his sword in hand, seemingly locked in a duel with Xiao Yi, carefully observing his surroundings. Xiao Yi leaned lazily against a tree, and the two stood silently for more than an hour.

“If you stay on edge all night, you won’t be able to take it.” Xiao Yi walked over to Ying and sat cross-legged at her feet on the ground covered with white leaves. “Gan Yu told me that the barrier itself has detection capabilities, and keeping watch is just to deal with it as soon as possible.”

"What are you trying to say?" Ying blinked her beautiful, slightly dry golden eyes, which had been staring for over two hours. "Are you trying to get close to me again?"

Xiao Yi took out a chess game from his clothes. It was a toy he had taken with him before leaving the high-class prison, and he never expected it to come in handy now.

As we all know, games are a great way to increase intimacy between two people. Even strangers can become acquainted after a few games. Of course, it's possible that playing competitive games can lead to frustration and eventually cause a complete breakdown in the friendship.

He sat down beside the traveler girl, unfolded the chessboard and set up the pieces, looked up at her skirt—no, he was mistaken—and looked up again at Ying's face, observing the subtle changes in her expression to see if she was interested in the game.

As it turned out, Ying was very interested, but she couldn't bring herself to do it and continued to stand guard diligently. If Paimon had been there, she might have sat down and played with him. However, little Paimon was still fast asleep and sleeping soundly.

Another hour passed.

Xiao Yi did not ask Thor to accompany him. He understood the current situation and knew that if he wanted to gain the girl's trust, he could not involve a third party.

He sat quietly beside Ying's legs, just like a hawk being trained.

“I never expected to meet someone as carefree as Paimon on my journey.” Ying suddenly took the initiative to talk to Xiao Yi for the first time. “This thick fog is like the sinister smile of a conspirator who has succeeded. Even so, you, who have been framed, can still play games with a carefree attitude.”

"Whether the conspiracy has succeeded remains to be seen. This thick fog might just be the first step in the mastermind's plan," Xiao Yi said frankly. "Whether the mastermind is grinning or not, as long as Liyue Harbor doesn't fall apart, I can play the game without any worries!"

Ying's thoughts were in turmoil.

I've known Ningguang of Tianquan for who knows how long. She's a very kind person, skilled at maintaining order in Liyue through currency, and her laws are fair and just. In her spare time, she also goes to the port to spend time with children from poor families...

Ningguang is someone who rose from the bottom, and she knows how to improve the lives of the lower classes and how to promote the development of people's livelihoods. She is an indispensable ruler of Liyue.

It was precisely because of the disappearance of this good friend, someone who could in a sense be called a comrade-in-arms, that Ying's emotions became somewhat chaotic, to the point that she was more irritable than usual.

She was someone who knew how to control her emotions. She didn't vent her suppressed feelings on Ke Qing, who was seeking help, or on Paimon, who was accompanying her, or on the gentle Gan Yu. Instead, she poured them all out on Xiao Yi, who was a suspect.

Thinking about this, Ying also realized that she had been too one-sided.

The blonde girl sat down next to Xiao Yi. Although she didn't smile, her expression was much gentler than before: "Let's take a short break and play a simple game, just one game."

Xiao Yi and Ying never expected that part of the secret of the numbers above their heads would be revealed through a game.

Chapter 112 The Secret of Numbers

On a dark and windy night, Xiao Yi and Ying happily played games in the deserted darkness.

The board game that Xiao Yi brought out from the high-class prison was very simple. It was a bit like Ludo and also similar to Monopoly. It was a game based on rolling dice to determine the number of moves.

At the beginning, there were no special circumstances. Xiao Yi wanted to use the game of Go to improve his relationship with Ying, and then worship her as his lord to obtain her power. The traveler girl, on the other hand, wanted to get rid of the pressure of Ningguang's disappearance and relax.

They rolled the dice at each other, and after moving their pieces a few steps, Xiao Yi realized something was wrong.

The number rolled was extremely high.

Although he initially approached it with a playful attitude, Xiao Yi noted down the points from the first few rounds.

Self: 3, 4, 4, 3, 5, 2, 6.

Ying: 6,5,4,6,5,3,6.

No matter how you look at it, this result shouldn't happen with a normal throw. After several rounds, smaller scores were almost nonexistent, and most scores were 3 or higher.

In addition, Ying's points were always significantly higher than his, and not only did she throw higher, she always landed on perfect squares, gaining the upper hand.

That's so weird.

Did she cheat?

No, Ying is still honest and kind. Besides, even if she cheated, her score was still strange. It couldn't be that she used some kind of technique to affect her throw.

Xiao Yi suddenly remembered Gan Yu's previous analysis about the dense fog: people with small numbers above their heads would have bad luck.

At first, he thought it was just a baseless guess made by Gan Yu based on limited information, but judging from the current situation, there might actually be a connection.

The Traveler's number was 80, clearly ahead of himself. Moreover, according to Gan Yu's statistics, there was no higher number than 80. His own 50 was second place, while the third place dropped to 17, a gap even larger than that between himself and Ying.

Therefore, I can infer that my own 50 is already a relatively high value, so I have particularly good luck and most of my rolls are above 3 points; Ying's 80 is even more impressive, and the increase it brings is practically visible to the naked eye. I can easily see many 6 points after just a few rolls.

Gan Yu's guess was correct; the numbers above their heads were indeed linked to luck. But why would the mastermind do this? Was that guy also a victim of the gacha game, taking revenge on society by personifying people's luck...?