Playing Genshin in Genshin! [7]

---

"Dead for ten years…?" Lu Shiyuan recalled the tragic event from so long ago and smiled wryly. "Maybe, but I survived that disaster."

He looked at the shocked Mona and calmly said, "Miss Mona, what happened back then is all in the past. What I care about most right now is the whereabouts of my sister."

"Can you tell me where she is?"

"It's truly... astonishing!" Mona murmured, still in awe. "I didn’t expect to meet someone who would change my fate here. I have a feeling that you will become someone extraordinary in the future."

"Lu Shiyuan, I will remember your name."

As she spoke, the water divination disk she was manipulating revealed a new constellation.

"Give me a map, and I’ll mark your sister’s location."

"Alright." Lu Shiyuan, heart racing with hope, nodded eagerly. He rushed to a nearby shop, bought a detailed map, and handed it to Mona.

She pointed to a spot on the map where a faint, flickering star-like symbol appeared—right at a location in Cuijue Slope. Lu Shiyuan committed the location to memory.

"Your sister is still alive, but she's in grave danger," Mona said, looking up at him with calm eyes. "With your current strength… I’m afraid…"

"Never mind, as an astrologist, I shouldn’t offer personal opinions. You’ll have to decide how to proceed."

"I understand." Lu Shiyuan, somewhat reassured, pulled a pouch of money from his chest and pushed it into Mona's hands, saying, "This is my payment for your services. Your divination has helped me immensely, so please don't refuse."

With that, he hurried off, clutching the map.

Mona stood there, staring blankly at the pouch in her hands. She stomped her foot in frustration, muttering, "When did I ever say I charged for divination?! This guy, he’s insulting me with money!"

But despite her words, her delicate white hands couldn’t resist opening the pouch. As her eyes fell upon the gleaming Mora inside, she couldn’t look away.

Finally, she carefully stowed the pouch and sighed, "Ah, what can I do? Even though this money is an insult, I can’t just throw it away. What if it crushes some poor flowers or plants? That would be a real crime."

After leaving Mona, Lu Shiyuan made his way to the blacksmith shop, spending Mora to purchase ten iron spears that had been gathering dust. Carrying the spears on his back, he rushed off.

Watching the young man’s retreating figure, Old Zhang, the blacksmith, marveled, "I never thought that tight-fisted Lu kid would ever be so generous."

Lu Shiyuan hurried through Liyue Harbor, preparing everything he could before heading back to his home.

But he wasn’t going inside. Instead, he was going to visit Hu Tao and Zhongli at the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.

Both were important people in his sister’s life—Hu Tao, her boss and friend, and Zhongli, her mentor. Given that Lu Qianzhi was in danger, it was only natural for them to help.

Besides, Lu Shiyuan himself had deep ties to the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.

"I can’t save Qianzhi on my own," Lu Shiyuan thought, knowing his limitations. Rushing in recklessly would only put his sister at greater risk. Getting help from others was the safer plan.

It wasn’t cowardice—it was because he feared that if he acted rashly, he might never be able to save his sister.

The situation was urgent, so Lu Shiyuan didn’t bother with formalities. He pushed open the door to the funeral parlor, and the attendants inside rushed over when they heard the commotion. Seeing who it was, they greeted him politely, "Mr. Lu, you seem in quite a hurry, and you're carrying all these spears. Is there something important going on?"

"Is Director Hu or Mr. Zhongli here?" Lu Shiyuan asked directly.

"Director Hu is out handling a funeral, and Mr. Zhongli, being a guest consultant, isn’t often here," one of the attendants replied.

"Neither of them is here?" Lu Shiyuan frowned deeply. "Of all times, it had to be now."

"What’s happened, Mr. Lu?" the head attendant asked, concern evident in his voice.

"My sister, Lu Qianzhi—your honored guest consultant—has encountered danger at Cuijue Slope. Notify Director Hu and Mr. Zhongli immediately," Lu Shiyuan ordered with urgency.

The head attendant’s expression changed, understanding the gravity of the situation. He nodded quickly, "I’ll take care of it right away."

"How long will it take?"

"Director Hu is far away in Qingce Village, and Mr. Zhongli’s whereabouts are unknown. I’ll send a message by carrier pigeon, but I can’t guarantee how quickly they’ll return."

"Can’t guarantee it?" Lu Shiyuan muttered, thinking hard. "But I can’t wait that long. If no one can help me, I’ll have to rely on something else."

"Do you have the Staff of Homa here?" Lu Shiyuan asked.

The Staff of Homa was a relic passed down through generations of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. Beyond its historical and ceremonial significance, it was an extremely powerful weapon.

Whoever wielded the Staff of Homa would experience a significant boost in vitality. The more vitality one had, the stronger their combat abilities became. The staff also had the unique effect of increasing the wielder’s power the more injured they were.

In short, it made its wielder more resilient. Even when gravely wounded in battle, their strength wouldn’t diminish but would instead grow.

"Director Hu didn’t take the Staff of Homa with her this time…" the head attendant began to answer instinctively before stopping himself. "Mr. Lu, why do you ask?"

"I need to borrow the Staff of Homa! I don’t have time to wait, and I have to set out for Cuijue Slope immediately," Lu Shiyuan declared.

"No! The Staff of Homa is a sacred treasure of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, passed down from generation to generation. Only the current director is permitted to wield it. Even if you are the honorary grandson of the former director, we can’t…"

"Alright, alright!" Lu Shiyuan interrupted, clearly frustrated. "I don't care about some fancy staff. I’ll give it back!"

"That’s still not allowed!"

"I don’t have time for this!" Seeing that the attendants were continually blocking his way, Lu Shiyuan’s patience finally ran out.

He prepared to force his way through.

He pulled one of the iron spears from his back and slammed it into the ground. "Desperate times call for desperate measures. I’m sorry for being rude!"

"Lu Shiyuan, you—!" The head attendant’s face turned pale. Though he had anticipated this might happen, he and the other attendants were all non-combatants. They had no way to stop him.

"What should we do?" a younger attendant asked nervously.

The head attendant thought for a moment, glared at Lu Shiyuan, and then, with a sigh, motioned for the others to step aside.

Lu Shiyuan nodded in acknowledgment and headed toward the inner hall.

Once he had left, the head attendant explained to his colleagues, "Even if we could stop him, we shouldn’t."

"Why not?"

"You all know Director Hu’s temperament. If we prevent Lu Shiyuan from taking the Staff of Homa, she might scold us when she returns."

"Besides, the Lu siblings and Director Hu are like family. This is more of a family matter than anything else. We shouldn’t interfere."

While the attendants whispered among themselves, Lu Shiyuan emerged from the hall, carrying a brilliantly glowing staff with a crimson spearhead.

It was the Staff of Homa.