The Weapon Master Shall Never Die Bare-Handed in Genshin Impact [420]

Although... Jia Changjiang felt he could cheat a little using his abilities—

Still...

It wasn’t that simple.

After all, when the people of Teyvat evaluate the quality of ore, they don’t base it purely on sharpness, weight, or toughness...

No matter how perfect a rock was for smashing someone’s head in, it wasn’t something he could reasonably judge alongside Zhongli and Kun Jun’s appraisals.

"Hmm..."

Jia Changjiang rubbed the stone thoughtfully, then finally said, "There’s a crystal deposit inside this rock."

"If it were me, I’m confident I could craft an excellent weapon out of it." Jia Changjiang handed the stone back to Kun Jun. "But as it stands... it might be better appreciated as a display piece."

"The surface is smooth, with fine hairline cracks," Zhongli added, studying the stone. "It appears to be a stone embryo from volcanic regions of a foreign land. The shell is thin, with black veins... it does indeed seem to encase a fine crystal deposit."

Kun Jun’s gaze toward them showed a flicker of appreciation.

"There really is something inside?!" Lumine said, a little surprised.

"Indeed," Kun Jun said, a touch of admiration in his voice. "But just pure orange crystal isn’t rare enough to be called exceptional... Some stones conceal water capsules, others hide flecks of golden sand..."

He held the unremarkable-looking stone and continued, "And the crystal hidden beneath this shell... at the very moment of its formation, it encapsulated a pocket of water."

Kun Jun’s voice grew a little distant, almost reverent:

"Water sealed beneath crystal, like three full moons reflected upon the sky... It's exceptionally rare."

"Really? You make it sound like you saw it happen with your own eyes... you're not trying to pull one over on us, right?" Paimon asked suspiciously, glancing at Zhongli.

Between Kun Jun and Zhongli, Paimon clearly still trusted the former Geo Archon more.

Zhongli! Quick, use your endless refined knowledge to verify it!

"Crystals usually form under intense heat, and water and high temperatures do not easily coexist," Zhongli explained calmly. "That’s why water-capsule crystals are so precious. And water from a mountain lake, like the one trapped within this crystal, is even rarer."

He nodded, confirming the stone's value.

"Should I cut it open and check?"

Jia Changjiang flipped his hand, and a small knife appeared with a flash.

"I've never done it before, but I think I can extract the crystal cleanly."

"Please do," Kun Jun nodded, handing him the stone.

Without hesitation, Jia Changjiang set to work. The knife in his hands moved with practiced ease, slicing away the outer stone to reveal the crystal with the water pocket inside, perfectly intact.

"Huh? For real?!" Lumine blinked in surprise.

She hadn’t doubted Zhongli's judgment at all—

Kun Jun being accurate made sense, given that Old Dai had brought him in.

But Jia Changjiang?
How the hell did he pull that off?!

"Sharp eyes," Kun Jun praised sincerely. "How did you two know?"

"I've simply seen enough stones in my lifetime to recognize them," Zhongli said, studying Kun Jun with a slightly unusual expression.

"Fighting a lot helps too," Jia Changjiang added nonchalantly, handing the extracted crystal back. "You get a feel for these things."

"And you..." Jia Changjiang smiled broadly, "you give off a strong aura. Want to spar with me sometime?"

He tossed out the invitation casually, but Kun Jun only shook his head apologetically. "I'm sorry... I’m not good at fighting."

Turning to Old Dai, Kun Jun said, "Old Dai, bring along Mr. Zhongli. With an expert like him... you won’t find many in your lifetime."

"That’s true enough," Old Dai agreed. "This time... I’ll be counting on you to help find my missing men."

And so, Old Dai, along with the group, boarded a cart heading toward the Chasm, speeding off toward the mines.

"Old Dai, how have the tremors around the Chasm been lately?" Jia Changjiang asked as he gazed out the window. "We already dealt with the ancient Rock Drake — the earthquakes should be gone by now, right?"

"The Rock Drake? That was you guys? No wonder you dared take my commission..." Old Dai looked surprised, then shook his head. "No, the earthquakes haven’t stopped. We can’t even locate the epicenter. Now, we can only mine in the outer regions."

"......"

Hearing this, Zhongli rested his hand on his chin, sinking deep into thought.

"So... what exactly happened this time?" Lumine pressed for details.

"Six days ago," Old Dai began, "a few of my men stayed behind to guard the site. But when we returned, all four of them were gone."

He shook his head heavily. "We searched the entire mining area, but found no trace of them. Now... we can only rely on you all."

"Looking for missing people, huh..." Lumine nodded. "You found the right adventurers, then."

"When it comes to tracking people or lost items," she said proudly, thumping her chest, "I’m the best!"

"I’m just... worried," Old Dai sighed. "It’s been six days. If something happened to them... how would I ever explain it to their families?"

Meanwhile, inside the cart, a strange tension had filled the air.

Jia Changjiang kept staring intently at Kun Jun.
Zhongli frowned faintly, as if deep in thought.

Kun Jun... shifted uncomfortably under their combined gazes.

Jia Changjiang was turning over that intense pressure he’d sensed from Kun Jun.

Objectively, Kun Jun didn’t seem strong — not physically, nor in aura, nor elemental power.

And yet...
Some instinct told him — Kun Jun was powerful.

In fact, the pressure Kun Jun gave off... wasn't much weaker than Morax himself.

"Is he... a god?" Jia Changjiang thought grimly, his brows furrowing.

After all, the land of Liyue was littered with sealed gods from ancient times — countless beings personally defeated and suppressed by Zhongli.

Could Kun Jun be one of them?

Lost in their own thoughts, they soon reached the mine’s entrance.

"Let’s split up and investigate," Lumine said brightly.

"Yes... we should take a look too," Jia Changjiang agreed, glancing at Zhongli.

"Indeed," Zhongli nodded. "What about Kun Jun?"

"I’ll... look around a bit as well," Kun Jun said, his face still carrying that hint of dazed confusion.

As they parted ways, Jia Changjiang took the chance to ask quietly,
"Zhongli... what do you make of Kun Jun?"

"...It feels," Zhongli said slowly, shaking his head, "like he’s possessed by something."

"You know him?" Jia Changjiang asked curiously.

"I do. Kun Jun is a descendant of the famed craftsman Kunwu..." Zhongli said, brows furrowed tighter. "But this Kun Jun... is not him."

"Is it a god?"

"Probably not," Zhongli said after a pause. "His aura is... very pure. It doesn't carry the taint of a god."

"And yet..."
Zhongli’s expression grew complicated.
"There’s no denying... he feels strangely familiar."

---

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!