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ArabicGenshin Impact: A Guide to the Unofficial History of Teyvat — Chapter 4
Chapter 4: This Is Unofficial History? This Is Too Authentic!
Inside the quiet confines of Sanyu Bookstore, Shopkeeper Sun was waging a brutal war against his own common sense.
On one side of the battlefield stood his deep-rooted, lifelong reverence for Rex Lapis. Printing such a scandalous manuscript felt dangerously close to high treason. What if this brought down divine punishment? Or worse, what if the Liyue Qixing traced the publication back to him? His modest little bookstore would be crushed into dust under the weight of their legal sanctions.
On the other side stood his razor-sharp intuition as a merchant and his insatiable curiosity as a scholar.
The story was simply too vivid. The prose painted a picture so clear, so absurdly rational in its execution, that it tickled his mind like a stray feather. He desperately wanted to know what this fictionalized Master “Jueyun Chili” would do next.
“Master Jueyun Chili didn’t bring any Mora today either…” Sun muttered to himself, his fingers drumming a frantic rhythm against the wooden counter. “This title… it grabs you by the collar!”
He could already picture the reactions of his regular customers. They would mirror his exact experience: initial shock, followed by deep confusion, and finally, that strained, red-faced expression of someone desperately trying to hold back laughter in a public place.
The sales would be astronomical.
Seeking fortune amidst danger?
No, no, the risk was far too steep.
But… what if? What if the Lord of Geo himself actually did not mind such trivial mortal entertainment? Or even… Sun shuddered, cutting off that line of thought before it could invite a lightning strike.
Perhaps the Qixing would deem it harmless fiction? After all, the depiction of Rex Lapis in these pages—aside from the highly embarrassing recurring theme of him never carrying a single coin—exuded an otherworldly, natural grace. The character was majestic, elegant, and dare he say… cute?
The shopkeeper shook his head vigorously, slapping his own cheeks to banish the word from his vocabulary. Calling Rex Lapis cute was a one-way ticket to disrespecting the divine!
He picked up the loose pages and read through the manuscript one more time.
This time, his eyes caught on the signature at the very bottom. ‘Li Xin.’It was a pen name he had never encountered in all his years of selling literature. Beneath the name was a small, hastily scribbled note:’If this piece can earn a few Mora to fill one’s stomach, the anonymous author may continue to reveal secrets…’
There was going to be a sequel.
Shopkeeper Sun steeled his resolve, slamming his palm flat against the desk.
He was going to do it.
At worst, he could obscure the printing source and circulate the first batch exclusively through underground channels, testing the waters with his most trusted, tight-lipped regulars.
He carefully smoothed out the creases in the paper, opened a small drawer beneath the counter, and locked the manuscript inside alongside his most vital account books. He needed to contact a reliable printing workshop immediately and swear them to absolute secrecy.
Payment. Right, the payment! That strange girl had mentioned leaving the funds at the bookstore for now.
Sun pulled out the crude consignment letter she had left behind, which simply stated she would return to collect her earnings in the future. This ‘Li Xin’ was certainly a carefree soul, leaving her work entirely in his hands without a shred of worry that he might pocket the profits.
After a moment of calculation, he retrieved a small leather pouch from his lockbox. He counted out enough Mora to feed an ordinary Liyue family for several days. It was a highly competitive market rate for short stories, perhaps even slightly generous, but the sheer uniqueness of the content warranted the investment.
He set the pouch aside and carefully logged the transaction into his ledger. With the deed done, he slumped back into his chair. His heart hammered against his ribs. The coming days were going to be anything but peaceful.
Looking out the window at the bustling streets of Liyue Harbor, his eyes wandered through the crowds. Without even realizing it, he found himself scanning the passing pedestrians, searching for any elegant, composed gentlemen who looked like they might have forgotten their wallets.
Across the street, Lovia had been crouching in a narrow alleyway for so long that she could no longer feel her legs. She kept her eyes locked on the bookstore entrance, her nerves strung tight.
Seeing that the owner had not rushed out screaming for the authorities, nor were there any spear-wielding Millelith marching down the street to arrest her, she let out a long, shaky breath.
Then, her stomach let out a thunderous growl, dragging her right back to harsh reality.
“So hungry…” She clutched her abdomen, her gaze drifting toward the steaming food stall just a few steps away. The golden, crispy skin of the grilled tiger fish crackled over the open fire, sending an intoxicating aroma drifting through the alley. She swallowed hard, her mouth watering.
“Wait a bit longer, just a bit longer,” she whispered, hugging her knees. “Maybe the owner is having an intense moral crisis right now, or he went to consult a colleague. Based on his face earlier, he definitely wasn’t ignoring it…”
The hours dragged on. The sun finally dipped behind the peaks of Mt. Tianheng, and the warm, golden lanterns of Liyue Harbor began to flicker to life, illuminating the darkening streets.
Inside the bookstore, Shopkeeper Sun finally stood up. He packed away his ledgers and began the routine process of closing up shop. His expression remained incredibly complex, yet there was a firm determination settling into his posture.
Lovia’s heart leaped into her throat.
One by one, the heavy wooden door panels of Sanyu Bookstore were slid into place.
The owner did not look around suspiciously. He did not signal for the guards. Looking exactly like any ordinary merchant finishing a long day of honest work, he locked the front door, tucked his hands into his sleeves, and merged into the evening crowd heading home.
There was no immediate celebration, no sudden shower of Mora, but… there was no disaster either.
This meant she had survived the first hurdle. The manuscript had not been tossed into the street or burned as heresy.
Lovia exhaled a deep, cautious breath, the rigid tension finally melting out of her shoulders.
Even though she was so starved her stomach felt like it was caving in on itself, a tiny, brilliant spark of hope ignited in her chest.
“Now, I just have to wait.” She braced her hands against the rough brick wall and forced herself to stand, wincing as pins and needles shot up her numb legs. Under the cover of the evening shadows and the bustling night market, she quietly slipped away from her hiding spot. She needed to find a safe place to endure the hunger tonight, all while keeping a close watch on Sanyu Bookstore’s future movements.
Whether her ‘Record of Shi Po’s Wanderings’ would actually generate enough Mora to buy a decent meal, or spark the viral entertainment trend she was banking on, remained entirely unknown.
But the first step was complete.
And as she walked through the glowing streets, her fingers twitched with the phantom sensation of holding her quill. Her mind was already racing, plotting out the next ridiculous scenario for Master Jueyun Chili.
A sly smirk crept onto Lovia’s face.
They thought that was unofficial history? That draft was way too authentic! She had deliberately held back, terrified that if she wrote anything too outrageous, the shopkeeper would have chased her out with a broom.
Just wait. What she planned to write next would show Teyvat the true, unhinged meaning of fanfiction.