Genshin Impact: The Sharpshooter of Teyvat

Shao Yun did not answer, and the place fell into silence.

In the silence, there was only the crackling of the flames and the occasional chirping of insects in the distance.

"That was a false memory..." Shao Yun finally broke the silence, his voice trembling slightly.

He tried to explain to the man in the tall hat, but was interrupted before he could finish his words.

The man in the tall hat gently threw the almost burnt branch in his hand into the fire. The firelight reflected on his face which was hiding a deep meaning.

Smiling, he seemed to have seen through Shao Yun's inner struggle and doubts.

"I know that a mysterious guy gave you a new identity." The man in the top hat had a low and magnetic voice, like an echo coming from an ancient cave.

"But I've heard a saying, 'Zhuang Zhou dreamed of a butterfly'. How do you know if you are Shao Yun, Arthur Morgan, John Marston, or Jack Marston? Or anyone else?"

Shao Yun's body stiffened and his eyes widened, as if the flattering man's words had hit him hard.

He had never told anyone about the system, and although he disliked it, he couldn't say that he was annoyed by it.

But the demon in front of him was perceptive. Could it be that it was stronger than that ball of code?

"How do you know all this?" Shao Yun's voice was full of surprise and confusion.

Suddenly, Shao Yun thought of Zhongli’s words at the funeral ceremony.

"No, you are just a projection. Leave now. I know your secret."

The man in the top hat did not answer directly, but continued to look at the fire. After a while, he slowly spoke.

"You don't really believe what Zhongli said, do you? How can you be sure that it is a mirror or glass?"

Shao Yun's heart sank suddenly. He stood up, pointed at the man in the tall hat, his voice full of anger and determination.

"You want to seduce me, but I won't be fooled. I want to leave this place."

"Don't change the subject." The man in the flattering hat had a low and powerful voice, and every word was like a heavy hammer hitting Shao Yun's heart.

"If you don't believe me, you can ask it now. But I have to tell you that it is just a tool that can make abstract objects concrete. It can't help you at all!"

Shao Yun clenched his fists, beads of sweat oozing out of his forehead.

He took a deep breath and tried to call back in his mind the code that he had wanted to kill countless times.

"System, although I have never really liked you, I beg you now, answer me! Who am I? Tell me the truth and expose the lies of this demon!"

However, the system seemed to have completely disappeared, without any response. Shao Yun felt an unprecedented sense of despair and helplessness.

Seeing this, the man in the top hat smiled and said, "Did you see? It can't help you. Also, do you know why it disturbed you in Mondstadt?"

Shao Yun recalled the days in Mond. Those were really annoying. He had to pretend not to know people he knew, and he felt like a puppet every day.

"why?"

The man in the top hat picked up another branch and poked the fire, and the flames danced on his face.

"Because of that thing, it's saving you. If you act recklessly as soon as you arrive in Mond, you will just be regarded as a lunatic. Do you think the people of Mond will believe you? Dutch van der Linde had to disguise himself when he came to Rhodes. Don't you understand this?"

Shao Yun was silent for a moment, and the tall-hatted man continued, "And you didn't seem to be very familiar with that little girl at the time. If she had left you alone, I guess that little girl would have found an excuse to abandon you. What would you have done then? Would you have rejoined the Van der Linde gang and continued to burn, kill, and rob?"

Shao Yun felt an invisible pressure and realized that he was being pushed step by step into an unknown abyss by this demon.

"Don't always push me against others!" Shao Yun's voice was full of determination and unyielding, "I am me, not a substitute for anyone, nor am I anyone else!"

The man in the top hat smiled slightly, and that smile was full of mystery, and he said something very philosophical.

"When memories that don't belong to you appear in your mind, how can you be sure which one is you and which one is not you? Facing yourself is the only way."

Shao Yun was shocked when he heard this.

But he quickly calmed down and turned to walk towards his horse. He turned his back to the man in the top hat and said coldly: "I don't want to talk to you. I want to leave."

The top hat man's voice sounded again.

"I just have a few questions for you. Answer them to my satisfaction and I can agree to one of your conditions unconditionally."

Shao Yun stopped but did not look back. He took a deep breath and said firmly: "I refuse!"

The tall hat man didn't seem surprised by Shao Yun's answer. He stood up, put his hands behind his back, and said slowly: "I advise you not to leave, otherwise I will go find your girlfriend."

Shao Yun turned around suddenly, his eyes flashing with anger. He pointed at the man in the tall hat and asked in a trembling voice, "You...what do you mean?"

The man in the top hat seemed to have everything under control. He said leisurely, "She is looking for her brother. I can let her see him right away. I think she will agree to this temptation."

Shao Yun's face turned pale instantly. He knew that what the man in the flattering hat said was true. Ying had been looking for her brother who had been lost for many years. This was her wish and also the pain in her heart.

He couldn't imagine what choice she would make if the tall hat man really went to find her. If she really agreed, Shao Yun couldn't imagine what price she would pay!

Shao Yun didn't care about anything else. He pulled out the cowboy revolver from his waist and pointed it at the man in the tall hat!

"Ying, she is a smart girl, she will never believe your sweet words. You are a devil who doesn't even want to say your name, you are not someone who can be trusted. She will not and must not become a pawn in your hands!"

The man in the tall hat slowly approached Shao Yun, and every step he took seemed calm and unhurried, as if everything was under his control.

"Oh? Then why don't we make a bet? Let's bet on whether Ying will become the next Dutch van der Linde."

When Shao Yun heard this, his brows furrowed and a hint of anxiety flashed in his eyes.

So, he put away his revolver and said anxiously: "I will satisfy you, but you must promise me that from now on, your plans, your ambitions, and any of your ideas will no longer be related to Ying and Paimeng. I want you to tell me clearly that you will no longer have any intentions towards them!"

The man in the tall hat stopped and stood in front of Shao Yun. His eyes met Shao Yun's, as if he was examining the other's determination.

After a moment, it nodded and said slowly: "I promise you, we have reached this contract. But if you 'lose', you have to do something for me."

Shao Yun didn't understand the word game and was only thinking about getting rid of this guy as soon as possible!

"Just ask." Shao Yun took a deep breath and tried to make his voice sound calmer.

"Why did you kill that man named Tartaglia or Ajax? He was very nice to you. Although he offended your father, his main purpose was to make you give your all. It was an unintentional mistake. You could have knocked him out instead of killing him." The man in the flattering hat looked Shao Yun up and down and asked the first question.

Shao Yun was silent for a moment, recalling his battle with the Young Master in the Golden House, and then answered the question frankly.

"It was either him or us, and I chose to let him die. Because I killed all the Fatui in Mondstadt, and I couldn't gamble with his conscience at that time."

The tall hat man nodded slightly, as if he was not surprised by Shao Yun's answer, and then asked: "Then why didn't you hit his heart and head? Instead, you hit his left ribs. You should finish what you start."

"Because Paimon begged for mercy, I softened my heart. As for whether he was rescued or died in pain, as long as Ying and Paimon didn't see it, it's enough."

Shao Yun didn't have any regrets at all. If he were asked to fight with the young master again, he would do the same thing!

The man in the tall hat nodded, satisfied with Shao Yun's answer.

He then asked, "You robbed the Northland Bank of 50 billion for money. But you killed nearly a boatload of people for that kid's commission, but you refused the kid's monetary reward. Why?"

Shao Yun smiled bitterly, as if this question made him feel a little helpless.

"I don't make money from everything. I rob those idiots who prey on others because they deserve it. But I won't rob those who are barely making a living. Although the kid paid me, I know he needs money to make a living. I can't let him get into trouble because of my excuse of 'helping others should be rewarded'."

"It seems that you think you are Robin Hood." The man in the top hat said with a hint of sarcasm, and then he began his calculations.

"But for the sake of thirty Moras, you were blinded by profit and sent the murderer of his mother away."

His words were like a heavy hammer, hitting Shao Yun's heart.

This matter has always made Shao Yun feel very uncomfortable. Why did he give suggestions to that kid Jianqiu at that time?

Shao Yun's clenched hands trembled slightly. Trying to calm his inner turmoil, he said in defense: "I don't know, I thought those two people just wanted to elope."

The tall hat man nodded slightly, as if he didn't care about Shao Yun's explanation. He continued, "Do you really think so? Have you ever thought about helping Miss Huanian to avenge her? Why would you give 80 million Mora to a child you only met once?"

Shao Yun was shocked when he heard this. He recalled what Hua Nian had said to him, about the contract with the tall-hatted man, about her request at the cost of her soul. He suddenly raised his head and looked at the tall-hatted man, with a flash of enlightenment in his eyes.

"Wait a minute, I understand. You want to make me feel guilty! Miss Huanian told me about your contract. She offered her soul as payment. You cured her and asked me to help her get revenge. I am out of your plan now. You want to make me feel guilty! Then let me kill those two people, and the contract will be fulfilled. I won't be fooled!"

The man in the flattering hat looked at Shao Yun's smug face, a playful smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, and he took out his trump card!

"You are right. I just want you to fulfill the contract between me and the man called Huanian. You have already 'lost'. You should complete the contract and I will not punish you."

"What did I lose?" Shao Yun was very confused after hearing the inexplicable words of the flatterer: "Explain yourself to me clearly."

"Do you remember the game in Mondstadt?" The man in the tall hat's voice was calm and distant, as if it could travel through the tunnel of time and pull Shao Yun back to what happened in the Whispering Forest that day.

A hint of vigilance flashed in Shao Yun's eyes. He tried to catch something from the tone of the man in the tall hat, but those unfathomable eyes were like a black hole, swallowing up all his attempts.

"You drew a King, came to Liyue, and then accepted the thirty Moras given to you by the two murderers." The words of the man in the tall hat were like a sharp blade, piercing Shao Yun's heart accurately.

"You wanted to use your kindness to interfere with the contract and save Huanian's soul, but you already lost. You sold your kindness a month ago."

Shao Yun had an ominous premonition in his heart. He tried to hide his panic, but his voice trembled involuntarily: "You...what do you mean?"

The man in the tall hat didn't answer, but stretched out his hand and slowly reached into Shao Yun's Eastern Legend backpack.

His movements were gentle and graceful, as if he was playing a silent piece of music.

Shao Yun was like an idiot, just letting it search around.

Then he took out a deflated purse and shook it gently, and the purse made a rustling sound.

"Is this the thirty Mora? How many apples can they buy?" There was a hint of teasing in the man in the tall hat's voice.

Shao Yun's heart suddenly tightened. He didn't expect that he would be so careless and let the man in the flattering hat have the opportunity to touch his purse.

He angrily wanted to take back the purse.

"give me back!"

The man in the tall hat easily avoided his attempt to snatch the money. He carefully checked the purse and then returned it to Shao Yun.

"Okay, I'll give it back to you."

Shao Yun took the purse, but found that the Mora inside was gone, replaced by some Roman silver coins.

He widened his eyes and looked at the man in the top hat in disbelief: "Where is my Mora?"

The man in the top hat put his hands behind his back with a smug smile on his face.

"I feel like Roman silver coins are more suitable for you, Thirteenth!"

Those silver coins, thirty in total, were like thirty cold eyes, staring at Shao Yun, tempting him into the abyss of depravity.

Shao Yun's fingers were trembling, and he stared at the tall-hatted man in front of him fiercely, his eyes full of anger and indomitable will. He threw his hand violently, and the purse fell at the feet of the tall-hatted man, making a dull sound.

"You don't understand what you are saying. I played poker with you and I won. You said it yourself!" Shao Yun's voice echoed in the silent night, firm and resolute.

The man in the top hat lowered his head and picked up the purse that had fallen to the ground.

"Yes, you did win the contest, but I'm still betting with you whether you will be like the thirteenth person and sell out your conscience for thirty dollars."

A smug smile appeared at the corner of its mouth, as if everything was under its control.

Shao Yun knew that he was being tricked, and argued, "You didn't say that!"

"Just because I didn't say it doesn't mean it doesn't exist!"

The tall hat man looked at Shao Yun and said slowly: "You drew K, you became the thirteenth! For these thirty Moras, you sold your conscience, this is an indisputable fact! So go and complete the contents of the contract, and I will not look for your girlfriend. You can continue to live your life."

The flattering man's words were like a sharp blade, cutting into Shao Yun's head again and again. He felt a sharp pain, as if his entire soul was torn apart.

"You started to scheme against me the first time we met. It turns out it's all one thing after another! The final right of interpretation is in your hands!"