Seeing Childe's expression flicker between confusion and regret, Ekaterina cautiously approached her superior.
"Lord Harbinger," she asked softly, "do you intend to recruit this man into the Fatui?"
"Hm?"
Childe frowned deeply. "Why would you think that?"
"Because you have lent him money repeatedly without even knowing his name," Ekaterina reasoned. "First 100,000 Mora, now another 200,000. You charge no interest, and you haven't even signed a contract."
She continued, "In Liyue, contracts are everything. To lend such sums without a paper trail implies immense trust. I assumed you saw some hidden potential in him—a diamond in the rough—and were using generosity to buy his loyalty."
To Ekaterina, this was the only logical explanation. Her Lord was extravagant, yes, but not foolish. He wouldn't just throw half a million Mora at a random stranger unless there was a strategic angle.
"Hmph!"
Childe snorted coldly. He wanted to refute her, to say it was a mistake. But the facts were damning. He had thrown a fortune at a man whose name he barely remembered.
There was no logical defense.
Inside, Childe was screaming. Why did I agree? Why does my heart soften the moment he opens his mouth?
It was maddening.
Unable to find an answer, Childe grunted in frustration and stormed off, abandoning his curiosity about the Feiyun Guild's crowd.
Ekaterina hurried after him, still puzzled by her master's cryptic recruitment strategy.
Meanwhile, Xingqiu and Chongyun stumbled out of the "Secret Room Escape Horror House."
Xingqiu looked slightly pale, but composed.
Chongyun, however, looked like he had seen the Abyss itself. His face was drained of color, his breathing shallow.
"I... I think we shouldn't open this yet," Chongyun whispered, clutching his chest. "That was... genuinely terrifying."
As an exorcist, Chongyun had spent his life hunting evil spirits. He thought he was immune to fear. But the horrors inside that pocket dimension were visceral. It wasn't just jump scares; it was psychological warfare. The adrenaline rush had nearly triggered his Pure Yang Spirit.
"I agree," Xingqiu nodded solemnly. "The default settings are too extreme. If a normal person went in there, they might actually have a heart attack."
The "Horror House" wasn't just a prop building; it was a high-level illusionary domain. Without adjustments, it was a death trap.
"I need to reconfigure the scenarios," Xingqiu decided. "Tone down the ghosts, maybe add some puzzle elements to break the tension. Today is going to be busy. I have to read my novels andredesign a dungeon."
"Phew."
Chongyun exhaled a long breath of relief. He was glad he didn't have to go back in there immediately.
As they stepped fully into the light, the crowd waiting outside surged forward.
"Young Master Xingqiu!"
"Is it open? Can we see the strange house?"
Xingqiu raised his hands, putting on his best apologetic smile.
"My apologies, everyone! There have been some... technical difficulties," he announced loudly. "The experience inside is currently too intense. For your safety, I cannot open it today. I need to make some adjustments. Please come back tomorrow!"
"To apologize for the wasted trip, the Feiyun Commerce Guild will be distributing discount vouchers to everyone present!"
"What? Too dangerous?"
"Even Young Master Xingqiu says it's dangerous? Now I'm even more curious!"
"Discount vouchers? The Young Master is so generous!"
The crowd buzzed with excitement. A free voucher was always welcome in Liyue, the city of commerce.
Suddenly, someone in the crowd pointed at Chongyun.
"Wait, isn't that Chongyun? Look at his face, he looks terrified!"
"It's true! Even the exorcist is scared!"
"Hey, speaking of Chongyun—did you hear? He's the one who froze the harbor this morning! He split the ocean with one swing!"
"What?!"
The gossip shifted instantly from the Horror House to the frozen harbor. Chongyun blushed, looking down at his feet awkwardly.
"Alright, let's go," Xingqiu whispered, sensing his friend's discomfort. He turned to the guild worker guarding the door. "Do not let anyone in. Understood?"
"Yes, Young Master! I guard it with my life!" the worker promised, nodding furiously. He had no desire to go back inside either.
The Jar Shop.
"Another day, another jar."
Felix (Lin Mo) woke up, tossed his daily sign-in jar onto the shelf, and unlocked the front door.
"Morning, Lin Mo!"
The moment the door swung open, a pair of bright, plum-blossom eyes popped into view.
Hu Tao, the 77th Director of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, grinned at him, her face inches from his.
Felix: "..."
His eyelid twitched. Ever since she discovered his "Gourmet Tablecloth" (which could conjure any food), she had stopped bringing breakfast and started treating his shop like a cafeteria.
"Morning, Director Hu," Felix sighed, putting on a polite smile. "You look radiant as always. Seeing you improves the morning mood immensely."
"Hehe."
Hu Tao giggled, clearly pleased with the compliment.
Felix glanced down at the creature by her leg.
The Little Charmander (now a Charmeleon, though the text says "Little Fire Dragon" which usually refers to Charmander, the context of "recovery" implies it's the same pet). It looked a bit groggy but determined. Its tail flame flickered steadily.
"Recovered already?" Felix asked, surprised. "I thought it would be in a food coma for at least a few days after eating all those Pyro items."
"Thanks to Mona!" Hu Tao chirped. "She used her Hydro Vision to soak him for hours! The water evaporated the excess heat energy. It wasted a lot of the nutritional value, but he woke up fast!"
"Ah, the Astrologist."
Felix nodded. Using Hydro to act as a heat sink for a Pyro overdose... clever.
"Anyway, Shopkeeper!" Hu Tao bounced into the shop, her eyes sparkling. "Today, I want fried chicken! And those spicy roasted wings you made last time!"
She looked at him with puppy-dog eyes, waiting for the magic tablecloth to do its work.
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