Genshin Impact's Incense Burner Of Liyue [274] [30 PS]

"Alright, enough of this fuss."

"No way! State your name! I, Lord Hayashi, must show you the true terror of a great tanuki!"

"It's not one of those curses where knowing someone's name lets you hex them, is it? That kind of trick is outdated."

"Huh? It is? Then what's the proper way now?"

"Well, if the target's a straight man, you transform into a stunning beauty they can't resist.

"At that point, not only will they give you their name, but also their birthdate and every embarrassing secret they've ever kept hidden. If it's a woman, you just reverse the strategy."

"Ohhh, I see… Wait, no! Give me your name this instant! The illustrious name of Lord Hayashi must not be insulted!"

"Alright, alright, I get it. The great tanuki demon Lord Hayashi is a rare and unparalleled yokai—capable of plucking stars, pulling down the moon, breathing heavenly light, and encompassing all things. Satisfied now?"

Hayashi's tone turned bashful. "Heh… heh heh… Well, I'm not that amazing."

"I've decided! From now on, you, human, are my friend!"

"Even though your tone reminds me a bit of the guy who sealed me, you're much more pleasant to listen to!"

Sounds like someone similar to me?

Sealed you? Could it be… Seishinosuke?

Gu Sanqiu paused for a moment, then laughed it off with feigned indifference.

"They say tanuki demons like Lord Hayashi are naturally kind-hearted creatures. Could it be you can even see through my soul?"

"Of course not! I just thought your tone was similar to his."

Hayashi hesitated, then suddenly got angry.

"Wait a second! You're not his descendant, are you? Are you here to inspect the array sealing me?"

"Well, according to my family records, not many people thought highly of Seishinosuke back then. The guy was obsessed with adeptal arts. If someone hadn't arranged for meals to be sent to him, he'd have starved to death ages ago."

That pure-bred bachelor type leaving descendants? Not likely.

"Yes, yes! That's the name! You're definitely my enemy! Come on, let's fight!"

A dull rumble echoed as the dirt covering Hayashi's stone body began to quake. He was clearly mustering all his strength to challenge Gu Sanqiu.

"Calm down, calm down! It's just that one of my ancestors happened to know him."

Gu Sanqiu lit a talisman. The paper burned with a fragrant smoke, its ashes turning into glowing white motes that fell onto plates of food and a glass of juice. Finally, the smoke in various hues flowed into the stone statue before him.

"Oh… ohhh! This scent… it's food! It smells delicious!"

Hayashi's voice faded as he became entirely absorbed in the lingering taste of the smoke.

"Hmm. So using yin food really works, huh?"

The seal on Hayashi's body silenced his physical form while his spirit remained intact. In such a state, consuming yin food—offerings imbued with essence—was the most effective method.

"Human! No—friend!"

"Do you have more of that? I want to eat more!"

"Yes, I do."

Gu Sanqiu continued serving dishes. Judging by Hayashi's appetite, this so-called great tanuki demon was certainly living up to his title—at least in the weight department.

"Delicious! Delicious! This is what 'life' tastes like! It's been so long since I last experienced this!"

Gu Sanqiu glanced up at Hayashi. "You know, from the legends I've heard, it seems like you got yourself sealed because you kept pushing your luck."

This was a classic case of someone biting off more than they could chew.

"Our philosophy is simple: as long as it's both safe and entertaining, feel free to push your limits!" (Scratch that.)

"Tch, I wasn't messing around."

Hayashi's voice turned sulky. "That damned fox wanted to play hide-and-seek with me, but even after I stopped hiding, they never came to find me. Isn't that cheating?"

"From past experience, whenever I caused trouble, that fox would always show up to deal with me, and we'd have a grand showdown between great yokai.

"But that time, the one who came was that Seishinosuke guy, along with some others. Then they sealed me here like this."

"Stupid fox! You promised you'd find me, but instead, you sent that Seishinosuke to seal me. That's just disrespectful!"

"Stupid fox… stupid fox… I miss you! Where have you gone? You promised me we'd play, and aren't foxes supposed to keep their word?"

"Come find me! If you do, I'll even let you win this time, as a gesture of my great generosity!"

Gu Sanqiu poured himself a cup of wine, gently pushing away a curious tanuki trying to sneak a sip. These little creatures wanted to try everything.

Next time I'll bring them some high-proof liquor.

As for the fox Hayashi mentioned, it was unlikely they'd return. That Lady Kitsune had hoped someone would eventually apologize to Hayashi on her behalf, but that person wasn't going to be Gu Sanqiu—not yet, at least.

Hayashi was inherently kind and playful.

But if he learned the truth—that Lady Kitsune had lied to protect him—it might shatter that kindness, driving him to madness.

For now, it was better to keep him in the dark.

"Only eternity comes closest to the heavenly principles."

Gu Sanqiu closed his eyes, his brows furrowed as that thought crept into his mind again.

Since arriving in Inazuma, every sight seemed to reinforce the idea that this phrase was true.

Yet eternal sorrow, eternal tears, and eternal waiting—with no resolution or beauty—were not something he could accept.

At first, he'd thought his mind was being influenced by some external force. But after thorough self-examination, he realized it was the remnants of a story from his past life stirring within him, insisting on the logic of eternity.

Her eternity bore scars of unhealed pain and unrelenting grief.

Her pursuit of eternity was flawed, but the concept itself wasn't entirely wrong.

Right and wrong…

Wrong and right…

Gu Sanqiu pressed his fingers to his temple, suppressing the tempest of conflicting thoughts with a surge of his spiritual will.

"Tch. What a strange place."

"Friend, you seem troubled."

"Everyone has their troubles."

"No, no, no. There's a big difference."

Gu Sanqiu could almost picture a plump tanuki shaking its head in front of him.

"The kind of troubles you're talking about, I see them in people passing through Chinju Forest all the time. As the great Lord Hayashi, I can recognize those easily.

"But your troubles—they're like Seishinosuke's.

"That heavy feeling, as if taking one more step forward will get you sealed away just like me. It's like there's no hope at all."

"No. It's different."

Gu Sanqiu spoke softly, "I have hope. I am hope."

"Hope is beside me. It's also beside you, friend."

He had his sister, the War God's protection, and his circle of allies.

Hayashi had his clan, and even someone who'd gone to great lengths to protect him—a "foe" who lied for his sake.

"Hope may be hard to find, it may be small, but you can seek it—or even become it yourself.

"No matter what lies ahead—death, history's burdens, or harsh truths—I, Gu Sanqiu, will take it all."