Genshin Impact's Incense Burner Of Liyue [275] [40 PS]
"Gu Sanqiu… So your name is Gu Sanqiu?"
Hayashi's voice took on a delighted tone. "Hahaha! Prepare to face the wrath of a great tanuki's fury… ah!"
Suddenly, as if terrified by some unseen force, Hayashi's voice cracked and fell silent. The once-chatty yokai went completely still, as though he had truly turned into an ordinary stone statue.
"Hey? Hayashi? Are you still there?"
Gu Sanqiu knocked on the statue's forehead. "What's with you? Dropping out of a conversation mid-sentence is super rude, you know."
"M-my goodness…"
Hayashi's voice trembled. "What… what are you? Are you even human?"
What?
Gu Sanqiu was baffled. "Of course I'm human. What else would I be, a fairy or something?"
"You're human? You're telling me you're really human?"
Hayashi's voice quivered even more. "Leave! Just leave! I don't want to see you again anytime soon!"
"What the heck? Did you see something scary or something?"
Could it be that his old man had left some kind of failsafe inside him? Something so overwhelming it could even terrify this fearless tanuki?
"No, it's not something bad. It's just… I saw something weird. Just go, alright? Just go!"
"…But leave the food behind before you do!"
Gu Sanqiu relaxed slightly. If Hayashi was still thinking about food, then whatever he saw probably wasn't anything too alarming.
It couldn't have been an image of his old man unleashing a world-shaking attack, right?
…Wait. Gu Sanqiu paused, deep in thought. Given the yokai's extreme reaction, could it really have been something like that?
After Gu Sanqiu left, Hayashi summoned a tiny flame, using it to burn a talisman and prepare himself a meal.
"What a strange friend. I didn't even see much before I got smacked out of it. That guy… he's got some massive secret—even bigger than he realizes himself."
Hayashi sounded puzzled. "Something so strong it shattered my spell in one go… What kind of power is that? It feels even stronger than that pesky fox's."
---
Meanwhile, Gu Sanqiu moved swiftly along the forest path and soon arrived at the entrance to the Grand Narukami Shrine.
Whether or not Hayashi had been truthful didn't concern him. If the tanuki didn't want to talk, there was no use pressing the issue.
The Gu family had its share of secrets—plenty of them, in fact. Gu Sanqiu only knew fragments of the truly hidden ones. Whatever Hayashi saw might very well be connected to those mysteries.
"Huh? A visitor at this hour? Welcome to the Grand Narukami Shrine."
A shrine maiden greeted Gu Sanqiu with evident surprise. Scaling Yashiori Island at this time of day—did he start climbing at dawn?
"Hello, I'm here to draw a fortune slip."
Not that Gu Sanqiu had any real expectations for it. The outcome was likely predetermined.
If someone had orchestrated his arrival here, it was either to eliminate him or to offer him a hint—perhaps the latter, like the "anti-Raiden Shogun training device" someone had crafted for a certain dragon.
"Very well, please follow me."
Gu Sanqiu soon found himself beneath the Sacred Sakura tree, staring at its sprawling roots.
This massive tree, with its awe-inspiring presence, was undoubtedly on par with Mondstadt's towering wind-borne tree. He wondered if helping cleanse its corruption would earn him some kind of reward.
He'd gained an Anemo power seed in Mondstadt—why not dream big and hope for an Electro seed here in Inazuma?
…Yeah, right. As if. He'd be lucky not to get chased out of town, let alone gifted with such a prize.
What a joke.
"Hello, I'd like to draw a fortune slip."
"The fortune slip box is right in front of you. Help yourself."
...
Cold as expected. That tone and attitude wouldn't last a day in the service industry, Ms. Kurofuyu Ringo.
Still, having her own post at the Grand Narukami Shrine meant even high-ranking officials wouldn't dare complain to her face. At most, they'd mutter a few grumbles behind her back.
"Here, I'd like my fortune interpreted."
Gu Sanqiu grabbed a slip at random from the box. With his every move likely under surveillance, he didn't bother with the usual ceremony of shaking the box and earnestly praying.
"This is your first time visiting the Grand Narukami Shrine, isn't it, sir?"
Kurofuyu Ringo narrowed her eyes slightly, sizing him up.
"What, do first-timers get a special promotion? If I don't like the fortune, can I draw another one?"
"Please don't joke. It's just that newcomers to the shrine often complain about my attitude. You, however, seem quite used to it. I'm curious."
Curious?
You can feel that emotion?
Gu Sanqiu didn't buy it. She was probably trying to verify his identity.
As for being "used to it"?
No kidding. Back in the day, he'd draw a fortune slip every morning like clockwork. Even if he didn't care much about the process, by now he'd gotten a solid read on what kind of personality she had.
"Oh, well then, I'm honored."
Gu Sanqiu unfolded the slip.
Great Blessing
"A day of smooth sailing! Whatever you do will go perfectly, and your future will begin to flourish from this moment. Pursue what you believe is right with confidence.
"Today's lucky item: Naku Weed. Its resonance with lightning may help you cut through obstacles and confusion ahead."
Great blessing?
Yeah, right. Not buying it.
Gu Sanqiu suppressed his urge to scoff. Mona's guidance had been a mix of great fortune and grave danger. Believing the shrine's fortune slip was hardly an option.
After all, the shrine had no direct or indirect stake in his fate—they likely just found his unusual destiny intriguing.
The real clue had to be in the fortune's text.
"What's your lucky item, sir?"
The shrine maiden smiled knowingly. "If you'd like, how about purchasing your lucky item here at the shrine? Having it might bring you greater peace of mind."
...
So the lucky item was just another shrine gimmick?
Why did this feel like a tourist trap selling overpriced souvenirs? Probably some fox's idea for generating extra revenue.
"Alright, I'll take a Naku Weed."
Gu Sanqiu handed over his pouch of mora.
"That's too much," the shrine maiden said, taking only the correct amount before cheerfully packaging the Naku Weed for him.
Yes—packaging. The kind that made it look fancy but was ultimately cheap.
What a mild business tactic. If his mind weren't preoccupied with all the scheming around him, he might have thought it perfectly normal for the shrine to sell souvenirs.
Taking the Naku Weed, Gu Sanqiu's elemental and spiritual energies immediately scanned it.
"Ugh, it's just a regular Naku Weed."
He'd half-expected it to be some enchanted item—like those talismans with hidden tricks. Maybe if he faced that "shut-in," the Naku Weed would summon a laughing, pink-haired fox to greet him.
"Just a plain old Naku Weed. What's the point of this?"
---
T/N: Vibes are always a 180 after translating Unreliable