"I see."
Hearing Mona's polite refusal, Ningguang nodded slightly. "No matter. I look forward to your future decisions. Once you've completed your master's task, if you return to Liyue, the offer still stands."
Since Mona had prior obligations, she wouldn't press the issue. The friendship of a Vision-wielding astrologist was valuable enough for now.
"Thank you."
Mona nodded, breathing a sigh of relief. She was grateful the Tianquan knew when to stop. Rejecting Liyue's leader a second time would have been awkward.
"Well then, Director Hu," Ningguang turned her gaze to Hu Tao, smiling sweetly—though her eyes held a warning glint. "I trust you will be very careful when helping my soul leave my body."
"Of course!"
Hu Tao grinned, completely ignoring the warning in Ningguang's golden eyes. "When am I ever careless?"
She gripped her staff tighter. Finally. A chance to bonk the Tianquan.
And not just her—the Yuheng, too.
"Good."
Ningguang sat gracefully in a chair. She knew that once her soul left, her body would go limp, and she had no intention of collapsing onto the floor like a ragdoll.
BONK!
The moment Ningguang settled, Hu Tao swung. Fast. Precise.
The staff connected with the Tianquan's head with a dull thud.
Instantly, Ningguang slumped back into the chair, her eyes closing. Above her, a translucent figure floated free.
"So this is what it feels like…"
Soul-Ningguang took a deep, ethereal breath. "My perception… it's heightened. Incredible."
Even with a Vision, she had never experienced true astral projection before.
"Director Hu, please proceed," Keqing said coolly.
She had already seated herself in the adjacent chair while Ningguang was being… processed.
"Hehe."
Hu Tao giggled. Without hesitation, she raised the Soul Staff and swung at the Yuheng's head.
BONK!
Keqing collapsed onto the table, her soul popping out of her body.
"Yes!"
Hu Tao pumped her fist, beaming.
She had done it. She had officially bonked both the Tianquan and the Yuheng of the Liyue Qixing.
This was a major milestone in her life.
Floating above, Soul-Keqing watched Hu Tao's victorious grin and felt her spiritual eyelid twitch.
I have a feeling letting her hit me was a mistake.
For the next hour, Ningguang and Keqing experimented with their spirit forms, flying around the parlor and even drifting through walls to the street outside.
Eventually, they returned and dove back into their bodies.
Keqing opened her eyes, rubbing her forehead. It throbbed slightly.
She definitely hit me harder than necessary.
"As expected," Ningguang said, standing up and smoothing her dress. She eyed the staff in Hu Tao's hand. "You can perform this feat because of that tool. And that staff came from the jar shop, didn't it?"
It was phrased as a guess, but her tone was certain.
"Hehe, you got me," Hu Tao admitted shamelessly.
There was no point in hiding it. She wasn't exactly known for her own soul magic—everything cool she had lately came from Felix's jars. And keeping secrets from Ningguang was usually a waste of time anyway.
Ningguang smiled brilliantly.
Confirmed. The shop really was miraculous. Even items that manipulate the soul exist there.
She was already counting down the days until her next visit. If not for the ten-jar limit, she would have bought the entire stock.
Beside her, Keqing stared at the staff thoughtfully. She suspected anyone could use it—meaning anyone holding it could knock a soul loose. Dangerous.
"Very well. We've experienced it, so we'll be going now."
Ningguang nodded politely to Mona and led the way out. There was no need to linger.
Keqing followed, but before leaving, she shot one last expressionless look at Hu Tao. Hu Tao just giggled. Keqing's eye twitched again, and she turned to leave.
"I never thought the Qixing would come here just to play ghost," Mona commented, watching them go.
To her, the leaders of a nation should be too busy for such games.
"It's all thanks to Felix," Hu Tao laughed. "If not for his jars, I wouldn't have such fun toys to lure them in."
"True," Mona agreed deeply. She had seen the shop's magic firsthand.
The night quieted down. Hu Tao played with her Charmander, Mona wrote her horoscopes, and eventually, the parlor closed its doors.
At the same time, Felix bid farewell to a grinning Cai Zihao and locked up the shop.
Cai Zihao's luck hadn't been great today—two jars, low value—but he was still happy with his earlier mining profits.
...
The Next Day.
Dawn broke over Liyue, painting the sky in gold.
Felix woke up to a pleasant notification: his daily jar allowance had hit eighty.
Eighty jars a day. Nice.
He opened the door to find Hu Tao already there, grinning and holding breakfast. The scent of plum blossoms clung to her—perfume, or just her natural scent? He couldn't tell.
They ate together. Hu Tao left around noon, bouncing away to find trouble.
Business was slow. Only a few customers came by in the evening, leaving with nothing but sighs.
Felix closed up early.
This pattern continued for two days.
By the third day, business picked up again. Felix smiled as more customers trickled in, though most only bought one or two jars.
...
Meanwhile, in the distant nation of Fontaine.
In the break room of the Fontaine Ship Bureau, a group of engineers were relaxing when a white bird flew in through the window. It landed on the Chief's desk, a small tube tied to its leg.
"Hmm?"
The Chief raised an eyebrow. Who's sending messages by bird?
He opened the tube and unrolled two sheets of paper.
He glanced at the signature and laughed. "I wondered who it was. It's Zhang Xuepeng."
"Huh? Zhang? Didn't that kid run off to have fun?"
"Yeah, he bolted faster than a Mek. Said he wanted to experience the 'prosperity of Liyue.' Wonder how he's doing."
"Probably broke and begging for his job back," another engineer joked. "Why else write a letter?"
"Haha, Chief, what did he say? Is he bragging about Liyue's food?"
The room filled with laughter. Zhang Xuepeng was a colleague, a bit lazy but well-liked. He had famously left a resignation note on his desk and vanished before anyone could stop him.
"Let's see."
The Chief shook his head, amused, and began to read.
As his eyes scanned the lines, the smile on his face froze. Then it twisted into confusion. Then shock.
"What's wrong?"
Noticing the shift, the others quieted down. "Chief? Is it bad news? Did he get arrested?"
"He says…" The Chief looked up, his expression bizarre. "He says Liyue has a steamship. One more luxurious and advanced than anything in Fontaine."
"He's currently rushing back to report in person, but sent this bird ahead because the journey is long."
Silence. Then—
"What? A ship better than ours? In Liyue?"
"Impossible. Liyue still uses wooden junks with sails."
"Yeah, their harbor is big, but their tech is ancient. They don't even have steam engines, let alone a battleship."
"Zhang must be drunk. Or he's pulling a prank."
"Classic Zhang. Gone for months, sends one letter, and it's a joke."
The engineers shook their heads, laughing it off.
Fontaine was the nation of Hydro and machines. Their technology was unrivaled. The idea that Liyue—traditional, rock-loving Liyue—had surpassed them in naval engineering was absurd.
There was simply no comparison.
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