Yanshang Teahouse.
It seemed to be nothing more than an unremarkable teahouse in Liyue Harbor, but in reality, it was one of Liyue's most important intelligence hubs.
Under the dim light, a short-haired woman reclined in a wicker chair, her long, fair legs crossed. One slender arm lightly supported her head, while her other hand held a slip of paper, which her languid gaze casually swept over.
After only a brief glance, she discarded the slip and picked up a fresh one from the table to read.
Although the woman was merely reading the slips in silence, an air of languor surrounding her, Chu Yi, the attendant standing quietly nearby, hardly dared to breathe. This was her direct superior, after all: Yelan, the special intelligence officer who answered directly to the Tianquan, Ningguang.
Yelan's work lasted only a little over ten minutes. After reading every slip on the table, she slowly stood and stretched, fully displaying her exquisite S-shaped curves and smooth underarms. In the moonlight shining through the window, she resembled an orchid in full bloom.
"Chu Yi, is this all the intelligence we've had lately? How dull. Hasn't anything interesting happened in Liyue Harbor? If not, I'll go take a look at the Chasm."
"Lady Yelan, this is all we have at present. Liyue Harbor is enjoying peace and prosperity, with nothing troubling it. You should be happy."
"Peace and prosperity? Nothing troubling it? I wouldn't be so sure. Snezhnaya's Northland Bank has already established a firm foothold in Liyue. Lately, a great many incidents have had Northland Bank funding behind them. I hardly think they mean well. Keep a close eye on them."
"Yes! Oh, Lady Yelan, I just remembered something. A while ago, Qiqi, Bubu Pharmacy's herb-gathering girl, carried back a gravely injured boy. After recovering under Doctor Baizhu's care, he's now working as a temporary herb gatherer at Bubu Pharmacy. When he woke up, he said he'd lost his memory and only remembered that his name was Uchiha Yucheng."
"Uchiha Yucheng? What a mouthful. A name like that-could he be from Inazuma? I hear that country is enforcing the Sakoku Decree now, and quite a few people have escaped in little boats. But with those raging waves and terrifying thunderstorms, fewer than one in ten survive.
"We've been seeing more Inazumans in Liyue lately, too. Didn't even Captain Beidou of the Alcor take in a Vision bearer named Kaedehara Kazuha a while ago? What is it, then? Is there something exceptional about this Uchiha Yucheng? Is he a Vision bearer, too?"
"No, but that boy is very agile. Some citizens reportedly saw him jump off a cliff dozens of meters high without suffering a scratch, and he can leap several meters into the air. With abilities like that, along with his unknown origins, I'm concerned he might be an agent from Inazuma."
"As far as I know, Inazuma has a profession called ninja. And the head of the Kamisato Clan, which leads the Yashiro Commission, one of Inazuma's three major powers, commands a ninja unit called the Shuumatsuban. Their duties are quite similar to my work. In that case, let's go see what he's really made of.
"By the way, has anyone looked into where Qiqi found him?"
"Well... I don't know. As you're aware, that herb-gathering girl named Qiqi is a little... difficult to communicate with. I'll investigate right away." With that, Chu Yi hurried out, and silence returned to the room.
Yelan looked up and out the window. Thanks to the Yanshang Teahouse's elevated location, she could see the sea clearly at night. She gazed into its depths, toward Inazuma.
"A boy, Uchiha, Inazuma, memory loss, exceptional agility... I hope your identity will pique my interest."
As the only large pharmacy and clinic in Liyue Harbor, Bubu Pharmacy had physicians on night duty even after dark. Of course, that applied only to the physicians. A trainee herb gatherer like Uchiha Yucheng didn't have to work night shifts. Right now, he was lying in his room in Bubu Pharmacy's rear courtyard.
Obviously, a surname like Uchiha had no place in the world of Genshin Impact-unless he was a transmigrator.
Yucheng had originally been nothing more than a fat shut-in on Blue Star. Then a truck bound for another world had run straight into him and sent him into the world of Naruto, where he became an ordinary member of the Uchiha Clan.
For Yucheng, a Naruto fan, this was a tremendous stroke of luck. With his knowledge of all 720 episodes of Naruto and the advantage of knowing what was to come, surely he could live the high life in the Naruto world? Unless it was already the era of Boruto: Naruto Next Generations. That stuff wasn't even good for kindling. Who watched it?
Unfortunately, the dream was beautiful, but reality was cruel. Yucheng had transmigrated during the brutal Second Shinobi World War. Fresh out of the Ninja Academy, Uchiha Yucheng had been forced onto the battlefield, where the merciless war machine had ground him down until nothing remained.
As Uchiha Yucheng lay dying, his final thought was: This isn't how it goes in those novels!!!
But when he woke again, Yucheng found himself lying in a room with an old-fashioned elegance, with a strong medicinal smell in the air. His first reaction was: Maybe I've been saved. But this place doesn't look quite like Konoha's hospital.
Just as Yucheng was thinking this, a little girl in a purple hat suddenly appeared beside his bed, an intricate talisman affixed to her forehead. She said timidly, "You're awake. I carried you... back here. I'll go... get your medicine."
Her distinctive outfit, build, and manner of speaking left Yucheng a little dazed. Trembling, he asked, "Qi... Qiqi?"
Qiqi, who had been about to fetch his medicine, turned back and asked, "Ah. Do you... know me?"
"Of course I do. You were my first five-star character."
"Qiqi... doesn't understand. But... sorry. I don't remember. I'll write you... down. Next time... I won't forget." With that, Qiqi disappeared through the doorway. Before long, Yucheng heard footsteps completely different from hers.
Yucheng looked toward the door. The first thing he saw was a man and a snake approaching him. One had snake pupils and a human body; the other had human pupils and a snake's body. His scalp instantly prickled. It wasn't his fault. He had, after all, just come from the Naruto world, and the sight naturally reminded him of Orochimaru, one of the Sannin.
"Haha, don't be afraid, my friend. Changsheng isn't anything frightening. He's my companion. Oh, and my name is Baizhu. I own Bubu Pharmacy."
"Thank you for saving me. My name is... my name is Uchiha Yucheng."
"You're welcome. Healing the sick and helping people is simply a physician's duty. Really, you should thank Qiqi. He carried you back from high in the mountains of Chaiqiao Valley. Though I am curious-why were you there?"
"I... I... I don't remember." Yucheng scratched his head, a pained look on his face.
Baizhu stepped forward and performed various basic examinations on Yucheng. Throughout the examination, Yucheng watched the white snake named Changsheng staring fixedly at him, his whole body stiff as stone. The longer he looked, the more the snake seemed like Orochimaru. So terrifying.
"Hmm, your severe injuries may have affected your memory. But everything else seems fine. Get some proper rest for now."
With that, Baizhu left, leaving Yucheng alone in the room again. Lying in the sickbed, Yucheng relaxed, and the corners of his mouth curved into a subtle smile. The world of Genshin Impact feels pretty good, too.
Before you continue