The Divine Damsel of Devastation?

In the end, Yucheng personally piled a heap of food onto Shenhe's plate. Unable to dissuade him, she could only accept it in silence.

It had to be said that Shenhe actually had quite an appetite, though that was understandable. After all, without enough energy to replenish herself, she presumably could not have maintained her extraordinary strength and breathtaking figure.

During the meal, Shenhe suddenly asked, "Is there anything you need me to do?"

"Huh?" Yucheng was somewhat bewildered, not understanding what Shenhe was asking.

"My master once warned me that no one treats you well for no reason. You've treated me to two meals and promised to use your Sharingan to create illusions for me to train in. You've been so good to me. Don't you need me to pay some price in return?"

"Oh, speaking of that, there actually is something I need your help with right now."

"What is it?" Yucheng's straightforward attitude actually put Shenhe somewhat at ease. After all, he really did need something from her. If he truly wanted nothing in return, she would instead have suspected that he had ulterior motives.

"Do you know the Sea of Clouds, Sea of Moonlight Adeptus?"

Shenhe nodded and said, "The Sea of Clouds, Sea of Moonlight Adeptus used to be very close to Mountain Shaper. But as I recall, he should have already passed away."

"That's right. After the Sea of Clouds, Sea of Moonlight Adeptus passed away, his abode fell into disuse as well. I heard there's a Mingxia Floating Life Stone inside his abode. That stone would be very useful to me, but it seems I can't move it with my strength alone, so..."

"So you want me to help you retrieve this Mingxia Floating Life Stone?"

"Exactly. I've already determined that his abode is near Mt. Tianheng. It's just that adeptal abodes usually have some defensive mechanisms, and since it's been abandoned for so long, some demons or evil spirits may have taken root there."

"All right. I agree." Shenhe's answer was crisp, without the slightest hesitation.

"Good. Then we'll go and retrieve that stone first thing tomorrow morning."

After they had eaten and drunk their fill, Yucheng left fifty thousand Mora on the table in advance to pay for the meal. Although Master Mao had previously said it was his treat, Yucheng clearly had no intention of taking that literally. Before leaving, they even went through a round of polite back-and-forth over the bill that was particularly characteristic of Liyue.

In the end, Yucheng handed over no money when saying goodbye to Master Mao, while Master Mao later discovered the Mora Yucheng had left behind when he cleared the table.

This left Shenhe, who knew nothing of social niceties, utterly puzzled. It seemed she still had a long way to go before truly integrating into human society.

After eating his fill, Yucheng decided to find an inn for Shenhe to stay at. Although she said she could simply meditate out in the wilderness for the night, he firmly rejected that idea.

Just as Yucheng was taking Shenhe around in search of an inn, they happened to pass beneath Heyu Teahouse.

Heyu Teahouse certainly counted as one of the places the people of Liyue most enjoyed visiting. It occupied a prime location among the pavilions and towers of central Liyue, and inside stood a stage for storytelling, singing, and performances. Liyue's renowned opera troupe, the Yun-Han Opera Troupe, was based at Heyu Teahouse.

When there were no performances, people could sit up on the elevated terrace and leisurely admire the sea views of Liyue Harbor. When someone was performing, they could sip tea while listening to stories and songs.

Those with money could naturally sit near the front, drinking tea and enjoying snacks. Those without money need not worry either; they only had to arrive early to claim a spot toward the back, where listening while standing was another kind of pleasure. If they thought the performance onstage was good enough, they could offer a suitable tip, somewhat like tipping livestreamers in later times.

In this world without phones or the internet, where entertainment was scarce, people worked desperately during the day to earn money and support their families. At night, the performances at Heyu Teahouse could be considered one of the few forms of recreation available to the people of Liyue.

When Yucheng passed by with Shenhe, every seat at Heyu Teahouse was already taken, and even the space downstairs was packed with people. Even if they could not see the performance, listening was still a form of entertainment.

It was precisely for this reason that, despite the large audience, everyone tacitly kept their voices low. Only when the story reached particularly exciting moments did the audience erupt in enthusiastic cheers.

A storytelling performance was underway onstage, and the storyteller was Liu Su, the tea master renowned throughout Liyue. Yucheng had originally had no interest whatsoever in listening and was about to leave with Shenhe, but just then, the storyteller began a new tale, titled The Divine Damsel of Devastation.

(Note: The Divine Damsel of Devastation here is the storytelling version, not the opera version performed by Yun Jin. I watched Shenhe's story quest again, and Yun Jin said that her father created this story based on folk legends. In other words, the story came first, followed by the opera version that later stunned everyone.)

It was hearing that title that made Yucheng stop downstairs and look up. Seeing this, Shenhe stopped as well and asked in puzzlement, "What is it?"

"Let's listen to some storytelling first. It might be helpful to you?"

"Storytelling?"

Although Shenhe did not understand, she still silently followed Yucheng toward Heyu Teahouse. With so many spectators present, there was no way to squeeze upstairs, so Yucheng and Shenhe simply stood downstairs and listened. Given their hearing, it made little difference anyway.

From the storyteller's lips flowed a heroic legend of monsters and an immortal maiden.

Legend had it that near Mt. Tianheng stood a prosperous village. In that village lived a particularly loving couple. Then one day, a terrifying monster suddenly appeared. While the wife was out gathering herbs, the monster abducted her. Her husband was heartbroken, and before long, he went mad as well.

The monster arrogantly told the villagers, "If you want to stay alive, offer me the village's children!" The monster's power left the villagers terrified of it, and they could only obey its demands.

Just as they were discussing whose child to offer to the monster, a little girl suddenly stepped forward of her own accord. Concealing an exorcist's sword on her person, she feigned terror as she approached the monster's lair, then boldly struck. After a bitter struggle, she finally managed to slay the monster.

Later, because of her exceptional aptitude, she was taken in by the adepti, becoming a tale fondly told. Sadly, immortals and mortals were forever separated, and from then on, she could never return to the mortal world.

(Aaah! I once thought about writing my own storytelling version of The Divine Damsel of Devastation, but unfortunately, my skills weren't up to it. It would be wonderful if some talented reader could fill it in.

The Divine Damsel of Devastation is my favorite Genshin Impact promotional video. I strongly recommend that anyone who hasn't seen it give it a watch, preferably after experiencing the entire storyline.)

As one of Liyue's top storytellers, Liu Su naturally told the tale with vivid detail and dramatic twists and turns, drawing endless cheers from the audience below.

At the end of the story, Liu Su also mentioned that Yun of Liyue's renowned Yun-Han Opera Troupe was currently rehearsing a new opera, The Divine Damsel of Devastation, and welcomed people from all walks of life to come watch it when the time came.

Good grief, they haven't even finished rehearsing this new opera, and they're already laying the groundwork and promoting it? Second Master Fan, the owner of Heyu Teahouse, really is willing to put in the effort for the Yun-Han Opera Troupe based at his teahouse.

After all, whenever Yun Jin sang at Heyu Teahouse even once, hey, the Mora they made in pure profit was enough to let the place stay closed for a whole month!

Naturally, a money tree like that deserved wholehearted care.