The Weapon Master Shall Never Die Bare-Handed in Genshin Impact [367]

On the night of the Lantern Rite, Xiao walked through the bustling streets of Liyue, his ears filled with the clamor of the crowd.

The liveliness of it all was unfamiliar to someone like him, who had long grown used to solitude.

During the Lantern Rite, the people of Liyue wore bright smiles, their faces illuminated by the soft glow of the festival lights.

They released sky lanterns into the night, carrying their hopes and wishes for the coming year.

The streets were filled with laughter, with people coming and going in an endless tide of celebration.

Tonight, the grand Mingxiao Lantern would finally ascend into the sky, marking the end of the festival.

It was the last night of the Lantern Rite—the most joyous, the most vibrant.

Liyue, a city of merchants, set aside its usual air of commerce for one night, allowing the warmth of lantern light and the scent of festive delicacies to take center stage.

Liyue—the city where a thousand ships gather.

Xiao walked through the streets of Liyue Harbor, observing the revelry around him. A strange, indescribable feeling stirred within him.

Food stalls lined the roads, vendors enthusiastically calling out to customers.

Children clutched tiny sky lanterns, dashing about with boundless energy.

Merchants shouted their wares, their voices rising above the chatter of the crowd. Lanterns hung from every building, and decorations adorned the streets. The people of Liyue, dressed in new clothes, strolled through the festival, holding lanterns they were preparing to release into the sky.

Some gathered with family, while others toiled away even on this festive night.

Each person had their own purpose, their own role to play.

Xiao, however, simply stood there, uncertain of what he should be doing.

Above him, lanterns continued to drift skyward, carried by the breeze.

In this moment, the countless lanterns released by Liyue’s people outshone even the stars.

As Xiao stood there, gazing at the swaying lights, lost in thought, a child suddenly crashed into him while running.

His instincts told him to step aside, to avoid contact.

But just as the child was about to fall, Xiao found himself reaching out, steadying them before they could hit the ground.

When he got a clear look at the child’s face, he froze.

It was him—the boy who had once gifted colorful seashells to the adepti after the battle against the defeated gods.

“Huh?”

Changchang blinked up at Xiao, then his eyes lit up with recognition. “It’s you, big brother! You came to the Lantern Rite too?”

Xiao had not expected that of all people, the child he had caught would be Changchang.

“…Be more careful,” Xiao finally said after a moment, his voice steady. “Don’t go running into others.”

“Mm!”

Realizing that Xiao had truly come to the festival, Changchang beamed with delight. “Big brother, isn’t the Lantern Rite beautiful?”

“…Yeah.”

Xiao let go of Changchang and turned to leave, but he had only taken a few steps when the boy called out to him from behind.

“Big brother! You have to be happy during the Lantern Rite too!”

Xiao quickened his pace.

But then… he slowed down again.

Behind him, he could still hear the children chatting.

“Changchang, do you know that big brother? He looked kinda scary…”

“Yeah, we thought he was gonna get mad…”

“No way!” Changchang’s voice was bright and firm. “That big brother is a hero! He protects Liyue!”

“There are lots of heroes—really, really amazing ones!”

---

Outside Liyue Harbor, in a remote, deserted area, blades of wind howled through the night, cutting down the tainted creatures corrupted by karmic filth.

Standing amidst the fallen monsters, Jia Changjiang flicked the blood from his sword and rested it against his shoulder.

As the [Tai Sui Xingjun], he could sense the presence of corruption.

With the power of Azakana, he had the means to cleanse it.

The karma that should have accumulated from all this slaughter was instead absorbed by his title’s divine authority, preventing it from harming him.

Jia Changjiang did not overthink it.

He simply sought out the tainted creatures and cut them down—

Just as Xiao had always done.

With a sweep of his wind-forged blade, he dispersed the blood-soaked mist, before plunging his steel katana into the chest of a towering Geo-Armored Mitachurl.

At the same time, his second blade—Azakana’s sword—slashed toward its head.

Even with its heart pierced, the hulking creature’s eyes still burned red.

It reached out with a massive hand, grasping toward the masked figure before it—

But the moment its head was severed, it finally ceased moving.

“Come on!”

Jia Changjiang kicked aside the lifeless corpse, withdrawing his blade. A fresh spray of blood splattered across his form, dripping down his mask onto the ground.

And yet, his voice was filled with exhilaration.

“Come, then—monsters! And gods alike!”

Jia Changjiang was not Xiao.

If Xiao’s battle was cold, precise, and wordless slaughter—

Then Jia Changjiang had long since developed his own way of fighting.

“If you insist on spreading your hatred and filth on a night of celebration…”

“Then come fight me instead!”

He swung his blade, slashing the throat of a Hilichurl that had attempted a sneak attack with a wooden club.

“Come—bring all your resentment, all your karmic filth! I’ll take it all on.”

Breathing in the thick scent of blood that seeped through his mask, Jia Changjiang gripped his twin swords tighter.

“Tonight, let’s have some fun.”

“And you’d better make sure I enjoy myself too!”

“After all… I still need to head back to release my lantern.”

---

“Zhongli, why do you look so serious? It’s the Lantern Rite!”

In the lively streets of Liyue, a twin-tailed girl in a plum blossom hat stood on her tiptoes, trying to get a better view of the festival.

“Such a shame… Business always slows down around this time of year.”

Zhongli watched the energetic girl as she pouted, his hands clasped behind his back.

This child… was far too lively.

He had a hard time keeping up with her energy.

Hu Tao, the 77th Director of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.

Technically… his superior.

“Ah! Qiqi!”

Balancing on her toes, Hu Tao suddenly spotted a small figure in the crowd—a little girl with a talisman stuck to her forehead.

Grinning mischievously, she hunched forward and began sneaking toward her target.

“Qiqi~! I’ve got you now~!”

Hu Tao lunged through the gaps in the crowd and scooped the tiny zombie into her arms.

Qiqi, recognizing her captor, immediately began to struggle.

Hu Tao was one of the very few people Qiqi could remember—

And unfortunately for her, she also happened to be Qiqi’s greatest nightmare.

---

This is a fan translation of 武器大师在原神绝不死于徒手 by 徐人双 All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!