Genshin Impact's Incense Burner Of Liyue [601]

"Wait, wait, wait—before we even get into what’s up with this disciple of yours, isn’t it a bit reckless to just dump her on me like this?"

Gu Sanqiu pressed his fingers hard against his temples. "Seriously, wouldn’t it make way more sense for you to handle this yourself? For you, transforming into a human form shouldn’t even be a problem."

"Since the goal is to integrate into the mortal world, naturally, this adeptus has no intention of interfering. It’s a trial for my disciple. And speaking in mortal terms, having a local guide should make things go a lot smoother."

Forget it, what’s the point of arguing.

Gu Sanqiu rolled his eyes. "Since this is a commission, what exactly am I getting out of it? Let's hear it."

"Mm, isn’t it only natural for adepti to help one another?"

Gu Sanqiu gave Cloud Retainer a sideways glance. "Yeah, no. It’s obviously not natural. Babysitting is a pain, you know. If you wanted me to go chop someone up, sure, I’d do it for free—call it a bit of exercise."

"Mm, young master, as you know, we poor adepti usually live secluded in the mountains and wilds. We hardly have any concept of gold or treasure."

Cloud Retainer looked at him with hopeful eyes. "So, could you maybe... give me a discount, for the sake of us both serving the Lord of Geo?"

Gu Sanqiu sighed. "Fine. How about this—Shenhe joins my 'Ten Gold Club,' and when she gains full control over herself, she works for me for two years. Unpaid. How about it?"

"This... unpaid work... is it legit?"

???

Gu Sanqiu almost jumped in shock. "When you say 'legit,' uh, exactly what kind of 'legit' are we talking about?"

"Oh, ahem, my mistake. I’ve been spending some time among mortals lately, and... seen some things I shouldn't have."

Gu Sanqiu narrowed his eyes. "So you’ve got money to go play around in the mortal world, but not enough to pay my commission fee?!"

"Ahem, this adeptus said nothing."

Like a fugitive fleeing a disaster, Cloud Retainer flapped her wings and shot into the air. "Well then! I’ll leave my precious disciple in your capable hands, young master. I look forward to seeing the day you turn her into someone outstanding!"

"Shenhe should already be waiting at the Reception Bridge in Liyue Harbor. My dear disciple is the kind of person you can pick out of a crowd at a single glance."

Now that she mentioned it, grilled poultry sounds pretty good. Fine, I’ll add the Wanmin Restaurant’s famous Spicy Stir-Fried Jueyun Chicken to dinner tonight.

Gu Sanqiu sighed helplessly. Honestly, he had no desire to take on this commission. Sure, Shenhe was stunning, but good looks weren’t exactly a meal ticket. And showing up like this without warning? It threw him off.

Whatever. I’ll go take a look first before deciding.

Moving lazily, Gu Sanqiu drifted toward the Reception Bridge, then concealed himself among the clouds, quietly observing the girl standing motionless on the bridge.

Cold, quiet, even a little vacant—that was Gu Sanqiu’s first impression of Shenhe.

Cloud Retainer hadn’t exaggerated one bit; her disciple really was highly recognizable.

There she was, standing on the bridge... holding a weapon.

Given her looks, it was practically a miracle she hadn't already been swarmed by troublemakers. The only reason she hadn't, clearly, was the long spear strapped to her back.

If not for her utter stillness, Gu Sanqiu figured the nearby Millelith guards would’ve already come over for a "routine inquiry."

Even I don’t carry a weapon around in a place like this. What’s going on with her?

Gu Sanqiu let out a long sigh and finally materialized beside Shenhe.

If it was just a personal quirk, fine—carrying a weapon wasn’t a crime as long as she didn’t swing it around.

But from a psychological standpoint, openly carrying a weapon in a strange environment pointed to deep unease. If that was the case, it was something to watch out for.

With someone like Shenhe, whose fate was particularly delicate, even a small disturbance could trigger a disaster—and their whole plan to integrate her into the mortal world would collapse before it even started.

So when Gu Sanqiu approached her, he deliberately let faint traces of adeptus energy ripple around him, making sure she understood he wasn’t some random stranger.

"Shenhe, right?"

Shenhe turned her head toward him, her face blank, not a single extraneous emotion showing. She gave a stiff nod.

Great. Another social recluse.

Even the Traveler got over being an awkward loner eventually. You think I can't manage you?

Gu Sanqiu waved his hand casually. "You can put your weapon away. At least here in Liyue Harbor, no one's going to attack you out of nowhere. You don't need to worry about safety."

Because the person most likely to start trouble... is now on your side.

"No, I've already had to fight."

Shenhe’s voice was calm as ever. "A few shameless individuals tried to talk to me without cause. They’ve been taken away by the soldiers. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the chance to break their limbs."

"According to the books, the best way to avoid unnecessary trouble is to break their limbs in public."

?!

Gu Sanqiu barely managed to hide his shock. Reflexively, he waved down a nearby Millelith guard.

"Hey, could one of you explain what just happened over here?"

"Er, Lord Gu, is this young lady a friend of yours?"

The Millelith gave him a quick rundown: a few people had tried to chat up Shenhe, got no response, and ended up getting furious.

But then the guard hesitated mid-story, suddenly clamming up, which made Gu Sanqiu frown.

"They got mad, and then what? Spit it out. You’re worried someone’s gonna report you for speaking out of turn?"

"N-no, Lord Gu, that’s not it."

The guard grimaced. "It’s just... after that guy got mad, the lady here tossed him into the river."

?

Gu Sanqiu sighed. "So basically, when she struck, you all didn’t even have time to react?"

"Exactly."

The guard's expression was particularly complicated now. "We questioned her afterward, but she said she sensed hostility and acted accordingly. Technically speaking, no law was broken."

Thank the Archons for Liyue’s progressive legal standards... or else I’d already be hauling her out of a jail cell.

Gu Sanqiu wiped his face tiredly. "Shenhe, come with me. Your master should’ve already explained the situation to you."

"Yes."

Shenhe followed behind him obediently. "Was my earlier action inappropriate? Master said I could retaliate if disturbed."

"You weren't wrong," Gu Sanqiu said. "Cloud Retainer wasn’t wrong at all. The issue is... your reaction was a bit too intense."

Based on nothing but a slight change in expression and aura, she had tossed the poor guy straight into the river.

Gu Sanqiu honestly hadn’t expected her to be that decisive.

"In the future, if someone bothers you, just go straight to the Millelith and report it. This world’s not like the one you’re used to—there's no need to solve everything with your fists."

Shenhe glanced at him. "Then... when is it appropriate to use force?"

Why does this quiet, ladylike girl sound like a natural-born brawler the moment she opens her mouth?

If you tell me it’s just her destiny and not something Cloud Retainer drilled into her, I’ll be the first to call BS.

"Timing for that... well, that's something you'll have to figure out for yourself," Gu Sanqiu said, rubbing his temples. "If you force yourself to follow someone else's rules, it'll only mess up your life."

He shook his head. "Anyway, let me introduce you to a place first. We’ll talk more once we get there."

---

This is a fan translation of 原神之璃月奉香人 by 淡白蛋清. 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!