Genshin Impact: I'm just a mortal

Shen He suddenly fell silent, feeling a subtle emotion spreading in her heart. She couldn't describe it, only sensing the fluctuation in her chest.

It was like the calm surface of a lake disturbed by a breeze, the once mirror-like water rippling in circles.

Time passed slowly, and it was approaching evening.

The setting sun shone down, and the light in the forest grew dimmer than before.

The ominous energy they had sensed earlier didn't appear again, and this search yielded no results.

Yu Xie glanced at the sky. "It's getting late. Let's meet up with Xian Yun and the Kitsune Saiguu first, and we'll plan our next move from there."

"Mm, okay," Shen He nodded.

Just as the two were about to turn back, a faint noise suddenly came from the side.

The sound was light, like someone's footsteps.

Yu Xie and Shen He exchanged a look and quietly hid behind some grass.

The sound drew closer.

Finally, the person making the noise came into view.

The village chief was walking slowly through the forest, his wrinkled face showing a serious expression.

Seeing this, Yu Xie frowned slightly, and Shen He remained silent.

"Let's follow him and see. Be careful not to be discovered," Yu Xie said.

So, the two of them carefully followed the village chief from a distance.

The village chief seemed cautious, constantly observing his surroundings as he walked.

He wound through the forest, eventually arriving at a mountain cave.

The sky was already dark, and the light inside the cave was very limited. Yu Xie and Shen He couldn't see what was inside.

The village chief entered the cave.

"Yu Xie, what is the village chief hiding?" Shen He whispered. "Could it be…?"

"We'll know once we go in," Yu Xie said as he stepped forward.

The two of them entered the cave.

It was dark inside, and as they moved further in, the space gradually opened up. On the cave walls were man-made candlesticks.

The flickering candlelight illuminated the cave, revealing uneven rock walls and a dark, damp floor.

The village chief had already disappeared from view, but faint sounds from deeper inside the cave indicated he was still there.

Looking at everything in the cave, Shen He suddenly recalled some past memories.

Born with a solitary and destructive fate, her life had been full of misfortune from an early age.

Her mother had passed away when she was very young, and afterwards, her father, as if possessed, sent her to a deep cave as a "sacrifice," hoping to bring her mother back.

If her master hadn't appeared, she might have died in that dark cave, with no one ever knowing.

The atmosphere in this cave today was eerily similar to the one from her childhood.

Unconsciously, Shen He stopped in her tracks.

"Shen He?" Yu Xie asked with concern, "Are you okay?"

Shen He snapped back to reality and gently shook her head. "I'm fine, let's continue. We need to see what the village chief is up to."

"Stay behind me," Yu Xie said, moving ahead to protect her.

The two of them moved cautiously and slowly reached the deepest part of the cave.

The scene inside made them both frown.

At the deepest part of the cave, there were numerous incomprehensible symbols, as if preparing for some sort of sorcerer's ritual. At the far end, under the rock wall, there was an altar.

The altar was empty, and the village chief was kneeling before it, respectfully bowing towards the altar.

"I beg you, let her come back. I'll do anything, anything, just to bring her back..."

The village chief murmured to himself, his voice filled with sorrow yet devotion.

"I've offered sacrifices to you three times... I know that's still not enough, but I'll continue making offerings, as long as it brings her back..."

These words reached Yu Xie and Shen He's ears, and Yu Xie's brow furrowed while Shen He's expression froze.

Bring her back...

The village chief's low words pierced Shen He's heart like sharp knives.

"You were born with this fate. As long as you live, you'll bring danger to those around you. It would be better if you just die, and bring her back..."

The figure from her forgotten past reappeared, and the feeling of despair, long buried, surged back at her.

She remembered that the only thing she had at that time was a small knife her mother had left her.

After the despair, she could only grip the knife and fight the monsters that appeared, until she was completely exhausted.

A surge of anger suddenly welled up from her heart. Shen He's fist clenched unknowingly, her nails almost digging into her flesh.

At that moment, Yu Xie grabbed her hand.

Shen He looked at him in surprise, and Yu Xie was looking at her as well.

His gaze was gentle, a look Shen He had never seen before.

Her fist slowly loosened, and the anger in her heart faded by half.

"Who!" At that moment, the village chief finally noticed the presence of others in the cave. He suddenly stood up, turning around, alert.

Yu Xie and Shen He no longer hid, walking forward confidently.

"It's you..." The village chief's expression grew serious.

"Village chief, those travelers who went missing in the village, and the adventurers who went mad, you were behind all of it, weren't you?" Yu Xie said. "The villagers who were attacked, it was your way of confusing the truth, right?"

"...," The village chief remained silent for a moment. "Since you've already discovered it, there's no need to explain. Yes, it was me."

"You did all of this... to bring 'her' back?"

"Yes." The village chief didn't deny it. "Young man, you're still young. You won't understand, so don't try to stop me. You can't."

"Have you ever thought, does this method really have a chance of bringing 'her' back?"

"Maybe it won't succeed, but what else can I do? I've tried so many methods, and this is my last hope," the village chief said. "You wouldn't understand. A moth that's been in the dark, if it sees the light, it will recklessly fly towards it, even if it's a flame that will burn it to ashes."

"Using someone else's life as a 'sacrifice'... even if it does bring 'her' back, will she be happy?"

"Don't preach to me, child. I know that what I'm doing is a sin. If there's a hell, I'll definitely go there after I die, no doubt. But as long as it brings her back, I'll do anything. I just want... to see her one more time."

"Village chief, the method you're using is a lie. No matter what you do, 'she' can never come back. Stop this."

"I've told you, don't preach to me. You've never tried, so how do you know it's a lie? You don't understand anything."

The village chief's emotions weren't stirred, but his attitude was firm.

Yu Xie let out a slight sigh and looked at Shen He by his side.

What was happening now was undoubtedly bringing back memories of the past for Shen He.

End of chapter

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