Genshin Impact: One Hundred Confessions? Just a System Task

"Senior sister, what are you doing? There's so much delicious food, why did you only take one bite and then switch to eating grass?"

Shen He looked at Yi Chen and explained.

"The smell of earthly food is strong. One should only taste it briefly to understand its effects. Eating too much of it can easily breed distracting thoughts, disturb one's peaceful state of mind, and is of no help in suppressing evil energy."

Yi Chen: "???"

There is such a saying?!

Looking at Shen He's serious demeanor, as if he were practicing some supreme truth, and then at the mountain of bones and shiny lips in front of him, he felt a headache for the first time.

This senior sister is probably even more skilled than me in this "strange" field!

Watching helplessly as a vibrant and beautiful woman sits in front of a table of delicious food, expressionlessly munching on a bitter and unappetizing dish?

He, Yi Chen, could never do something like that!

This is an insult to food!

This is a blow to his sincerity in treating us to a meal!

So, just a second before Shen He was about to put Qingxin into his mouth, Yi Chen waved her small hand seemingly casually.

A perfectly precise yet playful breeze swept by, like an invisible finger gently hooking something—

The Qingxin sword in Shen He's hand slipped from his grasp instantly, swept away by the wind, tracing a graceful arc before disappearing without a trace.

Shen He's hand was still in the position of holding the food, and a rare look of surprise flashed in her eyes. She looked at the culprit, Yi Chen, with clear doubt in her eyes, as if she did not understand why he did this.

Yi Chen immediately clasped his hands together, putting on a pitiful and utterly sincere expression, and blinked his eyes as he looked at Shen He:

"Senior sister! Good senior sister! Please do this for my own good! Look, you're sitting across from me eating grass, while I'm here feasting. How can I eat in peace? If I'm uneasy, my cultivation will easily go wrong, and I might even suffer a qi deviation!"

He started talking nonsense with a straight face, trying to forcibly connect "eating together" with "going mad".

"So, for the sake of my physical and mental health and the path of cultivation, please make an exception and have a good meal with me, okay? Just this one! I promise I won't disturb your peace of mind!"

His eyes were bright and full of pleading and innocence, making it hard to refuse.

Shen He looked at Yi Chen's exaggerated expression that seemed to say, "If you don't eat, I'll be plagued by inner demons," and then at the table full of dishes that he had carefully ordered and which were still steaming hot. He remained silent for a moment.

Finally, she sighed almost imperceptibly, as if in resignation, and reached for the chopsticks again with her empty hand, murmuring a soft reply:

"……it is good."

Shen He picked up a piece of almond tofu, put it in his mouth, and savored it carefully.

Hmm... the taste does seem to be much better than Qingxin.

After a satisfying meal, and having packed several portions of Wangshu Inn's signature dishes, Yichen and Shenhe rode the wind back to Mount Aozang.

The two went straight to the platform outside the cave dwelling where True Lord Liuyun Jiefeng often resided.

Sure enough, they found True Lord Liuyun Jiefeng engrossed in a thick, open ancient book. He held a pen between one wing and occasionally dipped the other wing in ink to write and draw on the pages, muttering incantations as if he were immersed in some complex deduction. He was so engrossed in that he didn't even notice their return.

Yi Chen, carrying the still-steaming food box, tiptoed over and peeked at the book. He saw that it was filled with all sorts of complex wind element flow diagrams and profound runes, which dazzled him and gave him a headache.

He quickly looked away, raised the food box in his hand, and called out in a clear voice.

"Master! Stop busy! Your lunch is here!"

As Liu Yun Jie Feng Zhenjun was pondering, he was suddenly interrupted by this shout, which startled him so much that his wings trembled and his pen tip drew a crooked ink mark on the page.

She looked at the stained pages with heartache, then looked up in annoyance, about to scold him, when she saw Yichen grinning as he presented her with an exquisite wooden box that exuded an enticing aroma of food.

The aroma was completely different from the dew she usually drank and the fairy fruits she usually ate; it was a rich and vibrant aroma of everyday life that forcefully entered her nostrils, causing her to swallow unconsciously.

Then, looking at Shen He standing next to him, although he was still expressionless, his aura was peaceful, and even... there seemed to be a trace of barely perceptible oil on the corner of his mouth?

The reprimand that Liu Yun Jie Feng Zhenjun was about to utter suddenly caught in her throat, and she looked at the two of them suspiciously.

"Lunch? Where did you get this from? When did Mount Okuzō acquire such a hearth?"

"Hehe, my senior sister and I just had a meal at Wangshu Inn. We thought you must be busy preparing your lessons and haven't had any, so we brought you some back!"

As Yi Chen spoke, he generously opened the food box, revealing neatly arranged dishes such as almond tofu and matsutake mushroom rolls, all steaming hot and emitting an increasingly enticing aroma.

Liu Yun Jie Feng Zhenjun subconsciously put on a stern face, adopting the dignity of a master.

"How can a person who cultivates himself indulge in the desires of the palate? Especially since greasy worldly foods are of no benefit to cultivation..."

However, her gaze involuntarily drifted towards the food box. The aroma wafted over, especially the almond tofu, which looked white and tender, swaying gently, and seemed quite delicious...

Yi Chen seemed not to hear her reprimand, and took out a pair of prepared chopsticks, stuffed them into the ink-free wing of Liu Yun Jie Feng Zhenjun, and urged him enthusiastically.

"Master, please try this! This is the signature dish of Wangshu Inn! It won't taste good when it gets cold! You need to eat well to have the energy to prepare your lessons!"

Holding chopsticks, Liu Yun Jie Feng Zhenjun looked at his little disciple who was smiling sincerely, then at the tempting dishes in the food box, and then glanced at Shen He beside him, who seemed to have no objections and whose aura was even more docile than usual...

She remained stiffly silent for a few seconds.

Finally, as if she had found the perfect step, she cleared her throat.

"...Well, very well. Since it is your kind intention, it would be unreasonable for your teacher not to accept it. It is also good for your teacher to investigate how this mortal food affects your cultivation."

As she spoke, she very naturally picked up a piece of almond tofu and put it in her mouth.

Chapter 43 Fast forward to dual cultivation

After elegantly and swiftly resolving the "mortal fireworks" offered by his disciple, Liu Yun Jie Feng Zhen Jun was in a much better mood, and even found Yi Chen much more pleasing to the eye.

She spread her wings and noticed Yi Chen's hesitant, scratching-his-ear expression, so she spoke first:

"Alright, my good disciple, lunch is to my liking. Now, tell me, is there anything else on your mind?"

Seeing that his master was in a good mood, Yichen immediately stepped forward and recounted in detail how he had encountered Shenhe in the forest, how he had sensed the stubborn evil aura on her that was difficult to dispel, and even his impulse to use "bloodletting therapy" and the process of its eventual failure.

Finally, he looked longingly at the True Lord Liuyun Borrowing the Wind.

"Master, you are so knowledgeable. Do you think... if I use my blood, it can really help Senior Sister dispel that evil energy? I feel like my blood is quite powerful!"

Before he finished speaking, the leisurely demeanor of True Lord Liuyun Jiefeng vanished instantly.

She shouted sharply, and without hesitation, her wings slammed into Yi Chen's forehead with a whoosh!

Yi Chen winced in pain, clutching his head and taking a half-step back.

The tone of the True Lord Liuyun Jiefeng was more serious than ever before.

"The Lonely Star Calamity that Shen He carries is an innate creation of heaven and earth, deeply intertwined with her destiny and soul. The karmic obstacles accumulated by the Great Sage Who Subdues Demons are acquired later in life, and the two are completely different in nature!"

"This evil spirit is like a part of her soul. It forcibly impacts her with the power of a different bloodline. If it is not controlled properly, it will not only fail to resolve the problem, but will also trigger a frenzied counterattack from the evil spirit!"

At that time, the malevolent energy will be completely out of control, and Shen He's own soul will be the first to suffer. At best, he will be severely injured; at worst... the consequences will be unimaginable!

Shen He stood aside, listening silently.

She felt a warmth in her heart at Yichen's desire to help, but she also understood that what her master said was true.

Yi Chen turned pale upon hearing this, realizing how reckless and dangerous his previous thoughts had been, and shrank back in fear.

"Wow, it's that serious..."

Liu Yun Jie Feng Zhenjun's tone became even more solemn, and his wings couldn't help but want to knock on him again, but he finally managed to restrain himself.

"Yi Chen! You must never again speak lightly of the special characteristics of your bloodline to outsiders!"

And you must never even entertain the thought of 'bloodletting'! This is a path to disaster, a grave taboo! Do you understand?!

She simply couldn't imagine how much covetousness and disaster would be attracted if this foolish apprentice told everyone he met, "My blood is incredibly powerful," or if someone with ulterior motives found out!

Yi Chen was startled by his master's unprecedentedly serious attitude and lowered his head dejectedly.

"Oh... I understand, Master. I won't talk nonsense anymore... Then, is there really no way to help Senior Sister?"

He was still somewhat unwilling to accept it.

A brief silence fell over the cave.

Liu Yun Jie Feng Zhenjun looked at Yi Chen, who looked dejected, and then at Shen He, who stood quietly to the side with a tragic fate. It seemed that he was having a fierce internal struggle.

Finally, as if she had made up her mind, she sighed softly, flapped her wings, and took out a scroll that looked extremely ancient, made of neither silk nor cloth, and exuding a faint Taoist charm.

"Conventional methods are indeed insufficient to resolve this situation. However..."

She paused, her gaze sweeping back and forth between Yi Chen and Shen He, finally settling on Yi Chen.

"I do have a secret method here, which may be worth a try."

"This method is not about forcibly removing it, but rather guiding and transforming it. It requires finding someone whose destiny is compatible with Shenhe's, who shares a similar mindset, and whose own vital energy is of pure Yang nature, capable of naturally restraining the malevolent energy without causing a backlash, and then..."

"...Dual cultivation."

As soon as the words "dual cultivation" were uttered by True Lord Liuyun Jiefeng, Yichen blinked blankly.

Suddenly, the contents of an illustrated folk tale that I had accidentally glimpsed in the Mondstadt library flashed into my mind!

With a "boom!", his cheeks, ears, and even the base of his neck turned bright red at a visible speed!

He subconsciously glanced furtively at Senior Sister Shen He beside him—her silver hair was like snow, her skin as white as ice and her bones as smooth as jade, her appearance was stunning, and her temperament was as aloof as a banished immortal…

It seems... uh... if the object is a senior female student... then it's not a loss?

A mix of extreme shyness, bewilderment, and a hint of secret anticipation overwhelmed him, making his blood boil. He clenched his fist, adopted a tragic expression of "a hero cutting off his own arm" and "sacrificing himself for righteousness," and shouted:

"So be it! Master! As long as it can save Senior Sister, even if... even if it means sacrificing my body! I'm willing!"

Shen He, who was standing to the side, was also a little confused. Although she was naive, she still knew a little about some of the most basic human ethics and common sense.

At first, she didn't immediately understand the profound meaning of "dual cultivation," but seeing Yi Chen's face turn bright red and his astonishing statement about "offering his body," combined with the literal meaning of those two words... she immediately understood the general idea.

The moment she realized what was happening, an indescribable warmth surged through her heart.

For her, a senior sister he had only known for less than a day, junior brother Yichen was actually willing to go to such lengths?

To sacrifice...to sacrifice himself?

Shock, emotion, and a strange, unfamiliar thrill intertwined, causing Shen He's fingertips to tremble slightly.

“Junior brother… if you don’t mind that I carry a malevolent aura and am an unlucky person… I…”

She turned her head slightly, revealing a very faint pink tinge at the base of her ears.

"...I have no choice but to repay you with my body."

The atmosphere inside the cave instantly became ambiguous, tragic, and somewhat eerie as "a consensus was reached."

True Lord Liuyunjiefeng: “…………”

Looking at the two lively disciples in front of him, one with a face full of "heroic sacrifice" and the other with a face full of "devotion to the cause," the crane felt a rush of blood to its head and almost fainted!

"You two wicked disciples!! What kind of nonsense are you thinking!!!"

She was so angry that her wings trembled, and she delivered another merciless blow to Yichen's head, making him cry out in pain.

"The dual cultivation I'm talking about isn't the kind of filthy stuff you're thinking of from those mortal stories!"

The True Lord Liuyun Borrowing the Wind was utterly heartbroken, his voice rising eight octaves.

"It refers to a superior method of combined cultivation where magical power merges, souls resonate, and yin and yang harmonize! It requires two people with absolute trust to press their palms together, circulating their energy, and jointly guiding and refining the evil energy! Who asked you... who asked you to offer your bodies?! And even to repay me with your bodies?! You're infuriating me! You're truly infuriating me!!"

She felt that her thousands of years of cultivation and celestial bearing were collapsing at an alarming rate in front of her two disciples.

Yi Chen rubbed his head, which was throbbing from the blow, and looked at Shen He in bewilderment.

So that's how "dual cultivation" works?

Yi Chen's face turned even redder, this time from embarrassment.

Shen He quickly regained her usual aloof demeanor, but the slightly reddened tips of her ears betrayed the turmoil in her heart just now.

Chapter 44 The feeling of home

Looking at his two disciples who had finally calmed down, one covering his head and the other with his eyes downcast, both looking somewhat embarrassed, Liu Yun Jie Feng Zhenjun felt a little better.

She glared at Yi Chen with annoyance, then glanced at Shen He, whose ears were still flushed despite his seemingly calm demeanor. She cleared her throat, resuming her dignified masterly posture, and continued:

"Hmph, now that you understand, listen carefully to your master!"

With a flick of her wings, the ancient scroll floated in the air, emitting a faint, mysterious aura.

"This method is profound and mysterious, and cannot be mastered overnight. Its primary foundation lies in the fact that the two practitioners must reach a state of spiritual connection and unity of mind and body. Only with absolute trust and resonance of mind and spirit can the magical power be guided to flow smoothly and jointly refine that stubborn evil energy without harming Shenhe's fundamental nature."

"Therefore, from this day forward, until you two have initially grasped this method and are able to circulate a small cycle on your own—"