Playing Genshin in Genshin! [9]

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Clang—

Clang clang—

In the dim and silent corridors of the hidden realm, the sound of weapons clashing fiercely would occasionally echo, sparks flying with each strike. But such clashes were brief. As soon as the sounds faded, a deathly scream would ring out, echoing through the air.

Lu Shiyuan advanced steadily and resolutely. Whenever he encountered an enemy, he relied on the spear techniques he had honed for six years and his solid physical abilities to end each battle within a few moves.

As time passed, he stepped over the bodies of fallen foes, pushing further and further into the hidden realm. The corridor gradually widened as he went.

Finally, multiple enemies appeared before him, advancing side by side.

Tightening his grip on the Staff of Homa, Lu Shiyuan glanced at the approaching enemies, cold indifference in his eyes, now filled with killing intent.

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At the deepest part of the hidden realm.

Before the final stretch leading to the goal was a cliff, with a seemingly bottomless abyss below. There should have been a suspension bridge connecting the two sides, but it had been cut, leaving it limply hanging against the far cliff.

Standing at the cliff’s edge were seven or eight people, all staring at a girl seated cross-legged on the other side. This girl was none other than Lu Qianzhi.

At this moment, Lu Qianzhi looked exhausted, as though she hadn’t rested properly in a long time. Her aura was weak.

Whoosh—

An arrow shot through the air, aimed at Lu Qianzhi.

Sensing the danger, she raised her spear and skillfully deflected the arrow.

The arrow spun and fell to the ground, joining the countless other arrows scattered around. Ever since her escape route had been cut off by these traitors nearly 20 hours ago, Lu Qianzhi had been under constant harassment from their long-range attacks. She had to stay alert the entire time, which had drained her strength, leaving her utterly exhausted.

To make matters worse, though the treasure chest was here, the exit wasn’t. With the bridge cut off, even if she tried to fly across, she would be shot down. She was trapped, forced to endure their attacks.

"Lu Qianzhi, are you still refusing to give up?" a young man shouted. "This hidden realm is so secluded, and we’ve got so many people guarding the entrance outside. No one is coming to save you."

"So, I advise you to give up!"

"Wu Su, even if I die, I will never surrender to you or the others," Lu Qianzhi replied coldly. "But I must ask, betraying me for the contents of the treasure chest—don’t you feel any shame?"

"Hmph!" Wu Su sneered. "The chest contains an empty Vision! You already have a Vision, so of course you don’t care. But to us, it’s a chance to get our own. How could we not seize that opportunity?"

An empty Vision is what remains after a Vision holder dies. The gemstone turns gray, but there are stories of someone once reigniting the glow, becoming the new owner of the Vision. This made such relics highly valuable, with immense worth on the market—if one could even find one for sale.

Even if you didn’t sell it, keeping it might one day lead it to light up. Then, you’d instantly become a prestigious Vision wielder.

The allure of the empty Vision was undeniable for ordinary people.

Watching Wu Su shout angrily, Lu Qianzhi shook her head in disappointment.

Seeing her reaction, Wu Su’s face twisted with rage, but soon, as if realizing something, his anger faded, replaced by a sneer. "Oh, I see that look! Do you think you’re above us for pursuing the empty Vision? Don’t act so high and mighty. We know you planned to take it for yourself, to give it to that useless brother of yours."

"So, how are you any different from us?"

Lu Qianzhi wasn’t swayed by his words. Glancing at the empty Vision hanging from her belt, she said calmly, "No, there is a difference between us."

"Since entering this hidden realm, I’ve dealt with every monster, trap, and poison by myself. Based on contribution alone, the most valuable item in the chest—the empty Vision—rightfully belongs to me."

"But you… the moment you saw the empty Vision, you betrayed me. You quietly retreated, cut the bridge, and trapped me here. Your actions and thoughts are despicable and cowardly."

"What right do you have to compare yourself to me?"

Wu Su’s face twitched in anger, her words clearly hitting a nerve. But soon, his expression relaxed, and he laughed coldly. "You have a sharp tongue! But it doesn’t matter. No matter what, we won’t let you go."

"Once you’re dead, we’ll have a second empty Vision. Even selling it could easily net us 50 or 60 million Mora. With that kind of money, we can flee Liyue, no matter if the Millelith come after us."

"And by the way, we’ve already found a buyer."

As he spoke, Wu Su glanced at a man standing nearby, shrouded in a black hood and red mask, exuding a mysterious aura.

However, before Wu Su could finish, one of his underlings came running over in a panic, shouting, "Boss! Trouble! Some guy carrying a dozen spears is here, and the brothers can’t hold him off!"

"What?!" Wu Su froze for a moment before demanding, "Gao Yang, Tong Wu—what about them? Weren’t they supposed to ambush him in the tunnel?"

"They’re dead! They couldn’t last three moves against him!" the panicked lackey stammered, trembling with fear.

"This…" Wu Su’s face went pale, his expression shifting as he glanced at the few remaining companions. His confidence was crumbling.

"Could it be… someone with a Vision found us?" The thought only made Wu Su more frantic.

As Wu Su panicked, his fellow traitors-turned-treasure-hoarders began to grow uneasy as well. After all, someone with a Vision could easily slaughter ordinary people like them. They had experienced that firsthand with Lu Qianzhi—if she were freed, she could defeat them all with one hand.

Lu Qianzhi, observing the disturbance across the cliff, felt a glimmer of hope. "Could it be that someone’s come to rescue me?"

This thought brought her a flicker of joy, though she couldn’t help but worry for the intruder. "Even if they can handle the traitors, that hooded man seems troublesome. If I’m not mistaken, he might be… from the Fatui."

"Do you need help?" the hooded man asked in a chilling voice. "But I’ll warn you, my services don’t come cheap."

"Would you really help us?" Wu Su was overjoyed, his earlier panic vanishing. Laughing, he said, "Don’t worry. As long as you help us take down this intruder, we’ll sell the empty Vision and pay you handsomely."

"Argh—"

Before Wu Su could finish his sentence, a body suddenly flew through the air from the tunnel entrance, crashing down among the group with a heavy thud.

The corpse had a spear lodged in its heart, and the sheer force of the blow had sent it flying. By the time it hit the ground, the person was already dead.

Lu Shiyuan emerged slowly from the tunnel, his body and face stained with blood—some his own, but mostly from others.