Genshin Impact: I, the Winter Prince, reign supreme.

"You haven't forgotten! Men, hold him down!"

At the shopkeeper's command, several strong guards grabbed his arms and placed him on the table.

Then, the shopkeeper grabbed a fruit knife and cut off the bald man's little finger in one swift motion, causing him to grimace in pain and turn pale.

The manager scolded, "The gambling industry has always operated in a gray area in various countries. If every manager were as unruly as you, we would have been eradicated by governments around the world long ago. Do you know why the boss puts this rule first? Gambling addiction will cause managers to lose their most basic rationality and judgment!"

The bald man pleaded, "Shopkeeper, you're right. I broke the shop's rules. But this opportunity is truly once in a lifetime. Betting on the Liyue Immortal to win is a sure thing. Shopkeeper, I've used 100 million Mora from the shop and staked my entire fortune. I'm sure I'll make a fortune this time. Please believe me!"

"Heh, the moment you mentioned money, all you could think about was profit. Did you almost forget the pain in your finger? You're infuriating! I shouldn't have sent you to Zhidong. Go to the hospital to get your finger set, and then immediately take a boat back to Daozi to await orders."

"Shopkeeper, why won't you give me a chance to prove myself?"

"Do I need to teach you the principle that nine out of ten gamblers lose? You've been running this gambling den with me for many years, have you ever seen anyone consistently win money in a gambling den? No, not a single one!"

The bald man said with a pained expression, "I'm only buying this once, shopkeeper."

A cool breeze blew into the room. The shopkeeper walked to the fireplace, closed his eyes slightly, and sighed, "To tell you the truth, no one can be 100% certain who will win this Go match. Because the opponent challenging the Liyue Immortal is Prince Zhidong. Countless facts have proven that anyone who dares to underestimate Prince Zhidong will suffer a great loss."

The bald man was still unconvinced: "Prince Zhidong will definitely lose this time. Even within Zhidong, not many people believe he can create a miracle. Shopkeeper, do you know? So far, only a very small number of Zhidong people have bet on the prince winning. The vast majority of Zhidong people firmly believe that the immortal will win."

"You're still stubbornly clinging to your delusions, alas. The enormous stakes have robbed you of your ability to think calmly."

The shopkeeper was about to scold him a few more times when he suddenly felt even colder, so he asked the person next to him, "Aren't the doors and windows closed? It's so cold in here!"

One of his subordinates went to check the adjacent room and found that the window was wide open, and cold wind mixed with snowflakes was pouring into the room.

He clearly remembered that he had ventilated the room and closed the window tightly in the morning, so why was it suddenly opened?

He closed the window and found a woman dressed in an elegant cotton coat sitting on the sofa in the lounge.

"Who are you? What are you trying to do by climbing in through the window?"

Her petite body was wrapped in a thick cotton coat. When she heard the question, she took off her hat, revealing a head of beautiful long hair. The most special thing was the six-winged hair ornament on her head, which looked like the wings of an angel.

"Don't be nervous, I'm just an audience member here to hear your stories about the prince."

Chapter 158 The Audience

The long-haired woman was wrapped in a long cotton cloak, and her voice was soft and gentle, exceptionally pleasant to listen to.

The employee at the gambling den seemed to hear the clear, gentle chimes of wind chimes, and even a faint, ethereal song echoed in his mind.

For a moment, he felt as if he were standing by the river, hearing the sound of ice melting and snow thawing.

All these unusual signs indicate that the woman before them is no ordinary person.

He looked at the woman sitting curled up on the sofa again and made a new discovery.

Her skin was so fair that you could see the bluish veins on one side of her neck.

Because the sun rarely shines in the Winter Kingdom, the people generally have fair skin. However, the woman in front of him had skin that was even smoother than ice and snow, radiating a luminous glow.

The strangest thing was that she was blindfolded, and through the gaps in the blindfold's pattern, you could vaguely see her tightly closed eyes.

The other person is blind and mistook the window for the main entrance?

He had hoped for this possibility, but then he realized that a blind man couldn't possibly come to the gambling den alone, and he immediately became alert: "What kind of audience?"

The other person chuckled and explained, "I heard you mention His Highness the Prince earlier, so I came in. I apologize, but I am His Highness's most loyal listener, and I am very interested in any topic related to the Prince."

He hurriedly ran out to inform the shopkeeper and the other employees.

The pale woman's visit was ill-intentioned; she was very likely a spy for the Fools, hiding next door to eavesdrop on the gambling den.

Upon hearing this, the shopkeeper immediately led his men into the room.

"who are you?"

The shopkeeper questioned her while sizing her up.

The pale woman's dark blue cotton coat caught his attention.

The fabric was absolutely top-quality, something only the nobles of the Winter Kingdom could afford. However, what surprised him most was not the fabric, but the snowflake pattern embroidered on the cotton coat, and the well-known symbol of the Fools.

"You are a member of the Fools. What do you want?"

"I'm here to hear your stories about the prince," the pale woman explained leisurely, toying with a snowball in her palm. "By the way, don't worry, I won't report you. His Highness said, 'If the water is too clear, there will be no fish.' If we completely eliminate you, there will be one less place to listen to stories in winter. Hehe, let's leave you some room to survive."

The shopkeeper felt a chill run down his spine.

This person's tone and attitude indicated that he held a high position among the fools. The man immediately became extremely respectful: "Sir, I am the manager of this gambling den. Please forgive my rudeness. Would you like to place a bet?"

The ability to read between the lines is the most basic skill for a gambling den manager. If he didn't even have this basic insight, he wouldn't be in this position today.

The pale woman readily replied, "Your Highness Prince Mai has won."

How many would you like to buy?

"I... don't know how much is appropriate. Do you have any suggestions?"

The shopkeeper was in a difficult position.

He was certain that the other party was a mid-to-high-level member of the Fatui, so financial resources were not an issue.

However, he couldn't guarantee that the prince would win. He recommended betting too much money, and if he lost everything, what if the other party caused trouble for the gambling house?

The recommended bet amount is too small. Even if you win, you won't earn much Mora. Under the strict ban in the Winter Kingdom, such important figures will not easily come to the gambling den. Since they have come, we must let them taste the sweetness so that they will come to patronize our business more often in the future.

"Sir, would one million Mora be acceptable?"

"One hundred million."

The pale woman took out a passbook from the Northern Bank: "There's a hundred million in this account. Place the order."

The shopkeeper was overjoyed: "Alright, please wait a moment, I'll take care of it right away."

After a while, the pale woman received the receipt from the gambling den and asked softly, "You just came from Inazuma. Did you see His Highness in person during his visit to Inazuma?"

“I saw him on the street. His Highness the Prince was discussing matters with General Thunder and Lightning, and he pointed out the dangers of the ‘Eye Hunt Order’ in public. Even now, when I think about it, it still resonates deeply.”

The pale woman asked with great interest, "What did His Highness say?"

"His Highness told the General that the Eye of God is the hope of ordinary people, and that taking it away is tantamount to depriving ordinary people of their hope. Furthermore, His Highness told the General that the power in his hands comes from the people, not from the sword in his hand. After hearing this, the General stood on the roof of the castle tower in deep thought for several days and nights without moving."

"Oh, His Highness also expressed his views on the 'Isolation Law.' He said that a mere island nation with limited natural resources should rely on foreign trade for prosperity. To prohibit trade with foreign countries, to be complacent and refuse development, is utterly foolish. This statement caused a strong reaction in Inazuma's business community. Not long after, the Shogun relaxed the 'Eye Hunting Law' and the 'Isolation Law,' and we merchants all benefited from it."

With the relaxation of the "lockdown order," he came to winter as soon as he said he would, something he would never have dared to imagine before.

When the delegation left Inazuma on the day of the winter mission, he went to the dock to see them off. To his surprise, almost all the merchants in Inazuma were there. He had never seen merchants who usually schemed against each other for profit so united.

A charming smile finally appeared on the pale woman's calm face: "Later, your Inazuma Merchant Guild raised funds to repay His Highness's kindness and planned to build a brand new residence for the local Fools. The initial plan was ten large buildings and two small buildings, enough to accommodate over a thousand people."

The shopkeeper asked in confusion, "Sir, since you already know these things, why do you need me to tell you again?"

"Your Highness's stories are never enough."

The shopkeeper sighed, "I understand now. No wonder you said earlier that you were His Highness's most loyal listener. I truly envy you people of Zhidong for having such a talented and ambitious prince."

"Are there any other stories about His Highness?"

The shopkeeper thought for a moment and continued, "At the welcoming banquet held by the Shaman Magistrate that evening, His Highness humiliated Kujō Takayuki, the head of the Tenryō Magistrate's family. That old fox Kujō Takayuki, relying on the Thunder General's favor, is used to throwing his weight around and has never suffered such a loss in his life. After His Highness left, he fell seriously ill, claiming it was a relapse of an old illness, but we all know he was angered by His Highness. Kujō Takayuki did many things that harmed the interests of the people, and the people of Inazuma, upon hearing this, all applauded."

The pale woman's face suddenly darkened: "Did Your Highness humiliate Kujo Takayuki at the banquet to support Yoshihiko?"

"His Highness has signed the exclusive agency rights for Zhidong black powder to Miss Xiaogong, and also invited Miss Xiaogong to open a branch of a fireworks shop in Zhidong Kingdom. By the way, sir, Miss Xiaogong was on the same passenger ship as me this time."

The pale woman suddenly stood up and asked seriously, "Has that Miss Xiaogong arrived in winter? Where is she?"

Chapter 159 To Winterfell

"After disembarking yesterday, I was hospitalized due to a cold. Xiaogong went with the tour group and I don't know where he went."

"Thank you for your stories."

The pale woman transformed into a flurry of snowflakes and vanished from the room.

A crystal-clear snowflake, as if falling from heaven.

The shopkeeper and his assistant seemed to hear the ethereal and ancient song again.

"Shopkeeper, who were you talking to just now?"

In the reception room, the bald man, clutching his severed little finger, asked forcefully.

"A mysterious woman, wearing a cotton cloak typical of the Fools, seemed to be blind. In any case, I didn't see her open her eyes once. Strange, why did she turn into a snowflake and drift away? Was I just seeing things?"

Upon hearing this, cold sweat broke out on the bald man's forehead. He said in a panic, "She is Lady [Girl], the Executor of the Fools!"

"What did you say? She's an executive officer?"

"Shopkeeper, you and your staff have only been here a short time and are not yet aware of the situation in the Kingdom of Winter. This [young lady] is the most loyal admirer of Prince Winter. Whenever anyone slanders or insults the prince behind his back, she will suddenly appear and give those people a severe punishment, ranging from stripping them of their property to taking their lives. Half a month ago, the merchant guild of Fontaine spread rumors that Prince Winter bullied a wealthy merchant from Fontaine at an auction in Liyue and even sent someone to assassinate the merchant on the way, stealing the Deep Sea Dragon Lizard corpse from him."

"The results of it?"

"As a result, Lady [the young lady] used swift and decisive methods to freeze all the merchants in that room of Fengdan into ice sculptures. Shopkeeper, you didn't say anything bad about His Highness the Prince just now, did you?"

“I have great respect for the Prince, how could I possibly speak ill of him?”

"Thank goodness we didn't, otherwise we would all be doomed."

The shopkeeper instructed, "Go to the hospital quickly, and come back to work once your finger is healed. The situation in Zhidong Kingdom seems rather complicated, and with your experience, we need you here."

After saying that, he realized that his back was soaked with cold sweat.

The person I just spoke to was none other than Columbia, the executor of the Fatui.

Among the eleven executives of the Fatui, she is the most mysterious. The outside world knows very little about her, but her strength is absolutely terrifying. To be ranked third, her ability and strength are by no means mediocre.

However, what puzzled him was that, judging from the reaction of this executive officer just now, she seemed to harbor strong hostility towards Xiaogong.

Xiaogong has provoked such a terrifying figure, and is bound to face a great calamity.

As a fellow merchant from Inazuma, he sympathized with Yoshimiya, but all he could do was hope that she would find her own happiness.

"The weather in winter is awful. It was sunny just a moment ago, and now a blizzard has started."

Listening to the howling wind outside, the shopkeeper sat by the stove, breathing warm air into his hands.

One of the men speculated anxiously, "That young lady is mysterious and unpredictable; the weather seems to change with her mood."

Another guy said, "You know what, it's actually possible. The eleven executives of the Winter Kingdom, it's said that even General Thunder has to take the top three seriously. With the brilliant and talented Empress of Winter and the unparalleled Prince of Winter under their leadership, the rise of the Winter Kingdom is unstoppable!"

Finally, the shopkeeper sternly warned all the staff: "Keep your mouths shut. You must not utter a single word about what happened today! Otherwise, you'll be in deep trouble. Don't blame me for not warning you."