Genshin Impact, Teyvat's own beloved immortal.

The lady glanced up at the road, took the coffee from the waitress, sat up straight, and took a small sip.

"What's wrong? You called me over as soon as I woke up."

Lu Sheng walked up to the lady and plopped down on the sofa opposite her.

The woman's expression revealed a hint of disdain. "Who told you to sit here? You've dirtied my sofa."

"Then I'll go?"

Lu Sheng pretended to get up and leave.

"Sit down! I have something to ask you."

The woman put down her coffee and questioned, "Last night I sent one of my debt collectors to meet with you, but he suddenly died after meeting you. Do you have any leads on this?"

"Dead?!" Lu Sheng's eyes widened in disbelief. "Then... what about the Sky Harp? Could it have been stolen?"

"The Sky Harp is in my possession. Last night, the debt collector returned the Sky Harp and then immediately went out again, never to return. This morning, someone found him dead, just a few dozen meters away from the Goethe Hotel."

"Oh! I thought it was something serious, as long as Qin is still here... Wait! What do you mean? You doubt me?"

The woman snorted coldly, "This man has worked for the Fools for almost ten years without ever making a mistake. Why did he die immediately after seeing you last night? This is highly suspicious."

"That's utter nonsense! I don't even know him. What good would it do me to kill him? Besides, while killing a debt collector wouldn't be a problem for me, it's definitely not that easy. How could I possibly kill him silently in the dead of night?"

Indeed, the lady had already sent someone to examine Zamenhof's body.

The autopsy report showed that Zamenhof was attacked from the front and was seriously injured in the first strike. Zamenhof managed to escape, but eventually died from excessive blood loss.

It is true that Zamenhof did not recognize Riku, and even if Riku attacked him in a face-to-face situation, Zamenhof could not have been seriously injured instantly.

In this way, Lu Sheng can indeed be cleared of suspicion, but a new problem arises: when did such a master appear in Mondstadt?

"Fine, since you doubt me, I quit. If this place doesn't want me, there are plenty of other places that will. Consider the 700,000 Mora as payment for the violin, and from now on we're even. I'm leaving!"

Lu Sheng was furious and turned to leave.

"Stop!" The woman stood up abruptly from the sofa. "Someone died, so of course I have to investigate. Questioning you is just a formality. I've already cleared you of suspicion. Are you satisfied now?"

"The Fools are not a place you can come and go as you please. Once you join, there is no way to leave except by dying. Go back now and continue to monitor the Knights' every move. Once we have the Sky Harp, we will soon begin our operation. If the Knights make any big moves, remember to report to me immediately."

“Zamenhof is dead, and there’s no one to fill his position for now. Once this is over, you will be the next debt settlement officer.”

Lu Sheng waved his hand without turning his head, "I understand."

I didn't expect to clear my name so easily. Looks like my acting skills are pretty good after all.

With his back to the woman, Lu Sheng suppressed a laugh as he left the room.

"Huh? It's you!!"

As soon as I went downstairs, I heard a scream, followed by a series of hurried footsteps approaching rapidly.

Lu Sheng's ears twitched slightly as he leaned back and dodged the sneak attack from behind.

Anastasia's powerful punch missed its mark, causing her to lose her balance and stumble forward, her head slamming against a pillar with a thud.

"Ouch! That hurts! You bastard! I'm going to kill you!"

With tears in her eyes, Anastasia rushed towards Lu Sheng again.

"Looking for a beating again, huh?"

As soon as Lu Sheng raised his hand, Anastasia trembled and covered her head with her hands, shrinking back into herself.

"what happened?"

A woman's voice came from upstairs. Hearing the commotion downstairs, she had no choice but to come out and see what was going on.

"My lady! He! He's the one who stole my Evil Eye! And he tried to defile me! You must get justice for me!"

Upon seeing the lady, Anastasia seemed to have found a powerful backer, and her voice immediately became much louder.

"Outrageous!" the girl said, her voice slightly angry. "As a counselor, what kind of behavior is this? Get back to work!"

“I…I understand…”

Finding that the lady wasn't on her side, Anastasia had no choice but to swallow her anger, glare resentfully at Lu Sheng, and slunk away.

"Be careful when you leave, don't reveal your identity."

The woman tossed a mask to Lu Sheng and turned back into the room.

Lu Sheng put away his mask and left the Goethe Hotel through the back door. He was about to go to the Knights to check on the situation when he suddenly heard a familiar voice as he passed through the market.

"Ugh! Paimon isn't a commodity! You can't sell Paimon!"

Huh? Am I hallucinating? Why is there a Hagimon voice?

I'm not sure, I'll go back and take a look.

Lu Sheng turned around and walked into the market, where he saw a vendor arguing with an unidentified flying object.

"I found you, so I can do whatever I want with you!"

"Ughhhh!! No, no, no, no!"

Paimon stamped his feet in anger.

"You good-for-nothing! Ever since I picked you up, you've been eating all the money I earn from my business every day! If I keep feeding you, I'm going to go bankrupt! I'm selling you today no matter what!"

"Boss, what is this thing? How much does it cost per pound?"

Lu Sheng walked up to the stall and asked.

"Hey! Sir! You've come at the right time! I found this thing not long ago. When I found it, it was scavenging for food in the trash. I felt sorry for it, so I took it home as a pet. I never expected this thing to be such a glutton! It's eaten me out of house and home! If you're interested, 100 Mora to take it home!"

"Aaaaaah! Paimon is only worth 100 Mora?!"

"Paimon, shut up! Don't ruin my plans!"

The vendor cursed loudly, then smiled obsequiously at Lu Sheng, "If you don't like it, 80 Mora will do. This thing is a real glutton, but it's not entirely useless. When you're really bored, you can use it to relieve your boredom!"

"Can I inspect the goods?" Lu Sheng asked.

If I remember correctly, Paimon seems to possess the ability to manipulate time sequences. If I could refine it, I might be able to unlock a new skill tree.

"Hey! What are you doing! Don't touch Paimon!"

Lu Sheng reached out and pinched Paimon's little face.

[Ding! Unknown elemental force detected, conversion initiating...]

Your overall level is too low to convert at this time. Please increase your overall level and try again.

It really can!

But what exactly is the "overall level"? Could it be the "world level"?

Is the system also preventing me from breaking through levels?

If this were to possess the power of time, what kind of skills would it unlock... time slow? Or time stop?

If one could truly possess these skills, wouldn't one be able to defy all others in Teyvat?

"Boss, I'll buy it. 80 Mora, right? Here you go."

"Hehehe! Okay!" The shopkeeper smiled and took the money, then grabbed Paimon by the back of the neck, lifted him up, and handed him to Lu Sheng.

Mondstadt-Liyue Chapter: Chapter 18: You Chase Me

"I have bought you. From now on, I am your master."

"Uh! Paimon is no slave to anyone! Paimon is a free little elf!"

Paimon, hands on his hips, angrily addressed Lu Sheng, then turned and tried to run away.

Lu Sheng didn't chase after him, and turned away on his own.

Paimon hadn't flown far when he heard a faint voice behind him: "Boss lady, two skewers of grilled meat, a serving of sweet flower-stuffed chicken, a serving of Dudu Lotus seafood soup, a serving of white sauce vegetable stew with meat, and a serving of fiery meat sauce noodles. Eat here."

Lu Sheng had barely sat down when he saw Paimon already sitting in the seat opposite him.

"Hey? Didn't you run away? Free Hakimon."

"Hehe... Free Paimon doesn't have anything to eat..."

Paimon awkwardly spun around in place.

Lu Sheng smiled and said, "I gave you the chance to be free, but you didn't leave on your own, so you've accepted me as your master, right?"

"What else can we do? After all, you paid money to buy me."

"Then we need to agree on three rules. First, you must address me as Master from now on. Second, you must do whatever I ask you to do. Third, I will provide you with plenty of food and drink, but you must keep watch for me when I sleep. Fourth... I haven't thought about it yet, we'll talk about it later."

Paimon retorted, dissatisfied, "Isn't it supposed to be a three-point agreement? How come there's a fourth one?!"

Lu Sheng flicked Paimon's little head with his finger, "The first rule of the master-servant code is: do not talk back to your master."

"Hmm...it's Master..."

"Alright, let's eat first. All of this is for you."

Wow! Really! So many delicious dishes! Aww! Aww! Muamuamuamua! Delicious! So delicious!

Seeing Paimon wolf down everything on the table, Lu Sheng was genuinely startled, even though he was mentally prepared.

What kind of family can afford to eat like this?

So that's why the blond guy was still dirt poor despite doing so many missions – who the hell could handle having Kog'Maw by his side?

Luckily, I had 700,000 Mora in savings, otherwise, even feeding this ancestor would be a problem.

"Boss lady, please bring some more dishes so she can have a full meal."

"Hmph! Thank you, Master!"

"You're welcome. It'll be better to fatten them up before eating them."

"Huh? What do you mean, fatten them up before eating them?"

"It's okay, just eat. I told you, you'll have plenty to eat and drink with me, you won't go hungry."

After a hearty meal, Paimon, with his big belly, lay sprawled on the dining table, looking blissfully satisfied.

I haven't eaten this full in ages!