After a surprisingly safe landing.
Shajin felt a strange pressure building in his head. He couldn't help but rub his temples.
"I say, Hu Tao… where did you fall from?"
He frowned at her.
Hu Tao hopped down from Shajin's arms and dusted herself off—then dusted him off too.
She pointed toward the towering mountains beside Liyue Harbor.
"I was just up there, chasing after Qiqi. But then poof! Lost track of her."
She blinked mischievously as she spoke.
Shajin stroked his chin thoughtfully.
He'd heard of Qiqi before.
Back during the Archon War, Qiqi had tragically slipped and fallen from a cliff, suffering grave injuries. She crawled into a cave, trying to tend to her wounds. But fate played yet another cruel trick.
The aftershocks of the gods' battle caused the entire cave to collapse. Massive boulders came crashing down, burying her fragile body deep underground.
She was on the brink of death—until the goddess of fortune smiled on her.
In that desperate moment, Qiqi miraculously awakened a Vision. The power it granted was just enough to keep her clinging to life.
Barely alive, she was discovered by a passing adeptus.
The adeptus, moved by pity, sealed a strand of precious adepti energy within Qiqi's body, hoping it would save her.
Qiqi survived. But the overwhelming power proved too much. She spiraled into madness.
With no other choice, the adeptus sealed her inside a massive amber crystal to prevent any further harm.
Time passed. Centuries, perhaps millennia.
Eventually, the seal weakened.
Qiqi awoke from her slumber—changed. She had become a zombie.
It was Baizhu from Bubu Pharmacy who discovered her and took her in, giving her a new life.
Though she now possessed immortality, the cost was steep—her memory was severely damaged.
Most of her past was completely lost. She couldn't even remember who she once was. Now, she relied on a small notebook she carried with her at all times, recording daily tasks so she wouldn't forget them.
To Hu Tao, Qiqi's very existence was an affront.
Someone who died should rest in peace. Qiqi, revived from death, trampled on that belief.
Hu Tao firmly believed death was an irreversible, natural order. Everyone should accept their fate.
And Qiqi's existence broke that rule.
Which is why Hu Tao constantly schemed to bury Qiqi—alive.
As for who was right or wrong, Shajin chose not to comment.
...
Hu Tao bounced around on Baqiu's back.
She poked at a spiny ridge here, prodded a twitching fin there—like a hyper-curious child, darting from one part of the whale to another.
"Hehe, I spotted your giant mount from above."
She grinned, visibly excited.
"And I vaguely saw two figures standing on it. Didn't take much guessing to know one of them had to be you!"
She pointed confidently at Shajin.
"So I jumped down without hesitation!"
She laughed, clearly pleased with herself.
Shajin's mouth twitched so much it had gone numb. He let out a helpless sigh.
"You…"
He shook his head, at a complete loss for how to respond to her recklessness.
Then he stomped lightly on Baqiu's back and murmured:
"Baqiu, take us to shore."
With a deep, echoing whale song, the giant creature swam slowly toward Liyue Harbor, drawing gasps of awe from the watching crowd.
Shajin, Rosalyne, and Hu Tao hopped down from Baqiu's back.
With a casual flick, Shajin summoned the Serenitea Pot and stored Baqiu away.
Just then, someone in the crowd shouted,
"Look! It's the Gambling Saint!"
More voices quickly followed.
"It really is!!!"
"Gambling Saint, can you sign something for us?!"
...
In no time at all, thousands of people swarmed around them. The harbor was buzzing with excitement.
Shajin stared wide-eyed at the chaotic scene, stunned.
He muttered to himself, "When did I become some kind of mascot?"
He reached out, grabbing Rosalyne's and Hu Tao's hands. The three of them were instantly wrapped in a shimmering golden glow.
With a polite, formulaic smile, Shajin addressed the crowd:
"Apologies, everyone. I have urgent business to attend to. Please excuse me~"
And with that, the three figures vanished into golden light, leaving the crowd blinking in confusion.
Someone sighed.
"The Gambling Saint truly is a busy man, huh~"
Another scratched his head.
"But… what kind of urgent business would require taking two beautiful girls along?"
"…None of your business!"
...
Inside the Northland Bank.
"Whew…"
Shajin flopped onto one of the Regrator's new sofas, feeling completely relaxed.
"What the heck just happened? I don't remember being this popular in Liyue…" He scratched his head in confusion.
Hu Tao chuckled, covering her mouth like she was in on some secret. She walked over, gave Shajin a teasing pat on the shoulder, and said,
"You don't know, Shajin."
She twirled her finger as she continued.
"You were already pretty well-known in Liyue. Then the late Geo Archon helped clean up your image. Not to mention, you went toe-to-toe with three god-tier beings and saved Liyue single-handedly."
"Any one of those things would be enough to make you famous."
She grinned, her expression playful.
"Now I wouldn't say everyone, but at least half the people in Liyue see you as a hero."
Then she nudged him with her elbow.
"You're basically a celebrity now~"
Shajin stretched out on the sofa, relishing a rare moment of peace.
"I never asked for this kind of fame…"
...
The doors to the Northland Bank opened once more.
"Phew… I'm exhausted. Traveler, we earned a ton of points today! We're so close to redeeming the Snezhnayan-style Wind Glider!"
Lumine rolled her shoulders.
"Yeah, and it was super satisfying too~"
"Eh? Traveler, look—it's Shajin and the others!"
Lumine's eyes lit up.
"Hey! Shajin, did you finish your business?"
Shajin sat up from the couch with a smile.
"Hey there, Lumine~"
_
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