Genshin Impact: Please don’t bully me, fellow stragglers

The shrine located at the top of Mt. Kage is solemn and quiet, with golden bells swaying and mountain cherry blossoms in full bloom.

Nanke changed into a witch costume as the Romans did when she entered the countryside, and stood on the railing of the mountain, overlooking the vast guarding forest below.

"After the Kanreia Beast Tide, the vitality of all the major monster clans was severely damaged. In order to prevent the imbalance between humans and monsters, Master Yazio persuaded most of the monsters to gather in this forest," the shrine maiden who was assigned to accompany her enthusiastically introduced, "We Narukami The Grand Shrine was chosen to be located here just to guard this forest."

"No wonder it's called the Guarded Forest." Nanke realized.

"Is this what the people call you?" The witch was surprised. She saw a strange expression on Nanke's face and said sheepishly, "We usually don't go down the mountain. Except for those who seek help in serious disasters and want to send their daughters to be witches, we usually don't go down the mountain. No outsiders came up."

Narukami Taisha Shrine, so isolated from the world, is a bit different from what Nanke is familiar with.

She thought for a while and asked, "Are there any special conditions required to be a witch?"

"It goes without saying that you are a virgin. You also need to have the qualifications to activate spiritual power before you are qualified to learn the art of purification," the witch said tentatively, "The girl's breath is pure, and she is a rare good seedling. ,whether……"

"Is this what the Son of God means?" Nanke asked.

"No, no, it's my personal..."

"Sorry."

"I'm the one, I'm sorry," the shrine maiden sighed in disappointment, "It's just that now, Master Yasou has been switching between the castle tower and the shrine all year round. There will always be times when he can't do anything, and Master Asase is about to go to the outer island again. To eliminate evil, we really... lack manpower."

After the witch said this, she looked at Nanke expectantly.

Nanke was startled because of a certain name mentioned in her words: "Lord Asase?"

"It is your sister Awang's master, one of the three shadow warriors who trained under the Tengu sect along with Nagamasa, the former lord of the noble Onizaka clan, and Mr. Yuikami Harunosuke," the miko said with a look of reverence. The great miko-sama of Hibiki Asase.”

Hibiki Asase?

Nanke suppressed his surprise.

"Then the Son of God said that Awang wanted to travel far away with her, he meant..."

"Asase-sama's hometown is Qinglai Island, located south of Narukami. There have been frequent thunderstorms there recently, so there must be evil commotion there."

Nanke pursed his lips and looked at the majestic sea of ​​trees swaying in the wind at his feet.

Qinglai Island, Asase Shrine, black cat bed, and out-of-control thunderbirds.

That dangerous area that few people have set foot in even a few years later.

...A Wang is going too?

When the first ray of glow appeared on the horizon, two slender red and white figures appeared on the rugged mountain road of Yingxiang Mountain.

The leading woman has black hair like a waterfall, long and cold slender hair, and carries an exquisite and chilling long bow on her back, just like a cold flower on the high mountain.

The girl at the back was half a head shorter, holding a quiver, with the same cold look on her face.

"Welcome back, Hibiki, Awang." Yae Shenzi led the shrine maidens to greet him at the entrance of Narukami Grand Shrine.

"Mr. Yashige," Asase Hibiki bowed his head and saluted, "We are back."

The little miko behind her also bowed.

Yae Kamiko helped them up, and after a brief greeting, he took the lead and turned around to enter the shrine.

Nanke stood among a group of miko, looking at the girl behind Hibiki Asase, and couldn't believe his eyes for a moment.

That little face is young and cool, and her bright eyes have a calmness that belies her age. She is definitely a reliable miko.

However, Nanke couldn't find any trace of Awang in her.

Both appearance and age...

The girl followed Hibiki Asase and passed by Nanke. She took two steps, then stopped and looked back.

The moment her eyes came into contact with Nanke, the girl's calm expression suddenly changed.

His round eyes widened, his lips opened slightly, and the quiver in his arms suddenly fell to the ground.

Asase Hibiki stopped when he heard the sound, and just when he turned around, Yae Shenzi grabbed his ear and said something. He looked at Nan Ke, nodded, and continued to walk away.

Everyone left, leaving only Nanke and the strange girl at the door.

"Are you..." The girl stepped over the quiver on the ground and grabbed Nanke's shoulders. A glimmer of water flashed in her big eyes, "Are you Nanke?!"

"...Awang?" Nanke looked at her face and asked uncertainly.

"Oh!" The girl hugged her.

There was a heavy cry on her shoulder. Nanke hesitantly raised his hand and patted her back: "Awang, you are different."

"Of course!" Awang wiped his tears on Nanke's shoulder, raised his head and complained loudly, "You are the one, why are you wearing a witch costume and why don't you call me, I almost didn't recognize you..."

The girl's nose was red and she was crying, which vaguely revealed something familiar to Nanke.

It is indeed Awang.

Nanke curled his lips and wiped away her tears: "Why do you still cry so much?"

"I rarely cry, really rarely..." Awang defended, "You haven't come to see me for so many years, I thought you were dead..."

Nanke's fingers stained with tears suddenly froze.

"Nanke?" Awang held her hand.

Nanke looked at Awang's unfamiliar face and asked, "So many years?"

"Three years have passed and I am already thirteen years old." Awang frowned slightly, straightened up and looked around, "Are you the only one here? Didn't Guobeng come with you?"

Awang's expectant gaze fell into Nanke's eyes, like a sudden thorn piercing into the soft flesh.

Three years? !

What took so long?

It was only three days or three months before. Why this time...

"Nan Ke?"

Shoulders were shaken.

"He..." After a long time, Nanke found his voice, "I came alone."

Don't panic, the guarding forest is right at your feet.

Go to Mitsuyo, go to Daoqi, go to the skirmishers.

Don't panic.

-

"Escort?" In the quiet room, Asase Hibiki stopped wiping his long bow.

"Yeah! Send Nanke to the guarding forest. Anyway, we can go down the mountain along the way, okay, Master?" Awang tugged on Asase Hibiki's sleeves expectantly.

Nanke knelt down opposite Asase Hibiki, lowered his head and said, "Please."

Her fingers clenched tightly.

Entering the guarded forest alone, facing the monsters and bandits there, there is no guarantee that something unexpected will happen.

For the first time, she desperately wanted to live.

At least until you see the skirmishers, you must not die again.

There was the sound of clothes rubbing against each other from the front.

"There is no need to be nervous. It is the duty of a miko to punish evil and help the weak. I will naturally agree to your promise." Asase Hibiki slowly walked to Nanke and lifted her shoulders. "But you have to make it clear, what are you doing there?"

Nanke raised his head and met a pair of cold eyes.

"You would make this request because you should be well aware of the dangers in the forest, but as long as we escort you in, if you die in it later, the fault will be on us." Asase Hibiki explained calmly.

"Looking for someone..." Nan Ke paused and changed his words, "No, it's a monster. A tengu, a ghost."

"Is it gone?" Asase Hibiki looked into her eyes and asked.

Nanke pursed his lips, lowered his eyes and shook his head.

Three years is neither long nor short.

She had no confidence that the skirmishers were still there waiting for her.

They had even had a fight before she left.

Worst case scenario... maybe, she would never find him again.

Nanke's throat suddenly sobbed.

She was frightened by her unreasonable reaction and subconsciously covered her mouth.

"Okay," Asase Hibiki sighed softly, "I'll send you there. It just so happens that my mentor's heir lives deep in the forest, so it's both emotional and logical reasons to say goodbye."