Another translation brought to you by me of course!
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.....
In a remote village of Liyue, a brutal and merciless raid was underway. For the Treasure Hoarders, it was a celebration. For the villagers, it was a descent into hell.
"Tch, what a dump. There's nothing here."
"Keep searching. Don't leave anyone alive. Kill the old and the women—take the young and the kids as labor."
"Yes, boss!"
"What a worthless shithole!" The man called "boss" kicked over a nearby statue dedicated to a god, shattering it to pieces.
…
"Shajin, don't make a sound."
A disheveled woman clutched a delicate-looking boy in a desperate embrace, hiding inside a wardrobe.
The boy, about fifteen years old, had golden hair—but what truly caught the eye were his irises: violet on the outer rim, fading to blue around the black pupil, giving his gaze an otherworldly depth. Around his neck hung a gem in shades of peacock blue.
He clamped both small hands over his mouth, not daring to make a sound.
"O Mother Goddess… O Lord of Geo… please protect us…"
"Hey? There's another house here. Anyone searched it yet?"
"Don't think so."
Two shadows moved toward their hiding spot. One of them reached for the wardrobe door.
With a sudden burst of strength, the woman shoved the boy behind her and crashed into the man outside, dashing for the door.
"There's another one alive!"
Hearing the noise, the other Treasure Hoarders rushed over.
"Ahhh!!!"
An arrow suddenly pierced the woman's back, sending her crashing to the ground.
The shaft sank deep into her body, blood gushing from the wound.
"Sis!"
The boy collapsed beside her, crying, his tiny hands pressing down on the wound as if that could somehow stop the bleeding.
But she pushed him away.
"Forget me! Run!"
He opened his mouth to protest—but all he saw in her eyes was pleading.
"…I… I understand."
Wiping away his tears, the boy turned and sprinted into the distance.
Blood kept pouring from her wound. Her vision faded to black, but as she watched the boy flee, her eyes were filled with nothing but love.
"Live on…"
"Shajin…"
["May the Mother Goddess thrice close her eyes for you"]
["Keeping your blood eternally pulsing"]
["May your journey forever be peaceful"]
["And your schemes forever concealed"]
…
"Heh, not running anymore, brat? Out of breath already?"
"You're amazing, boss!"
"Of course I am. I'm a Vision wielder—a Genshin. That means I've got a shot at becoming a god someday."
Unfortunately, Shajin hadn't managed to escape.
The leader of this group of Treasure Hoarders was called Fang Tu. He bore an Anemo Vision and wore a shiny golden Mora coin around his neck.
Shajin, on the other hand, was just a frail child. From the moment they caught him, his fate had already been sealed.
"Alright, lock him up with the others. There's a newly discovered Noctilucous Jade mine in the Chasm—we'll ship them off to dig it."
"Yes, boss!"
"Wait. Take that stone from the kid's neck. Let me see it."
The moment someone reached for his gem, Shajin began to struggle violently.
His mystical eyes locked onto the approaching hoarder—this stone was his last hope for survival.
"Well, he's got spirit, I'll give him that."
Fang Tu smirked, amused.
"Whatever. It's just some roadside malachite. Nothing special. Kid's just overreacting."
"You—brand him."
"Yes, sir!"
"AHHH!!!"
A bloodcurdling scream tore from Shajin's throat.
"Number 35. That's your new name now, kid. It's all you are."
Pain shocked his mind back into clarity.
"…How much Mora?"
"What?"
"…How much am I worth in your eyes?"
"Heh, well… you've got a pretty face, I'll give you that."
"Sixty Mora. That's what you're worth to me." Fang Tu casually cracked his knuckles.
"…Then I want to gamble."
Shajin's voice was weak, but steady.
"Half of that—thirty Mora. Give it to me… and I'll return it to you a thousandfold. Do you dare take the bet?"
"Hahaha! You wanna gamble with me? You've got guts, I'll say that!"
Then Fang Tu's tone turned cold.
"But sorry… not happening. You're a slave. Don't forget what you are. You don't even qualify to sit at the table."
"You're just a chip—tossed out by someone else. You either bring back more chips for your master, or…"
"…you never come back at all."
"All in—or nothing at all. Don't disappoint me, little slave."
.....
Btw, 砂金 is the name used in the original fanfic, which is also the name of Adventurine in the official Chinese version. But I'll be using Shajin, the pinyin version of 砂金, since it fits more in Liyue setting.
Also there is still no translation of this yet right? (Overthinking it)