She looked at the bag of Mora in her arms—it wasn't bulging, but she had earned it herself—and her thoughts drifted to the time she first received her manuscript fee.
She remembered clearly that when Shopkeeper Sun handed her the small money pouch containing her payment, her heart sank first.
Weighing the feather-light pouch and seeing the mere thousand-plus glittering Mora inside, Lovia's first reaction was despair.
"I'm screwed..." she wailed internally at the time. "I worked so hard writing all that, for just this much? What can this even buy? Judging by Teyvat's prices, I probably can't even afford a decent meal, right? Even a Bird Egg costs hundreds of Mora!"
She carried this "huge sum" to the market with the tragic mindset of "better than nothing," intending to buy the most basic necessities, ready to go bankrupt instantly.
Reality, however, gave her a pleasant surprise.
To her astonishment, she found that the purchasing power of Mora here was exactly the same as the currency she remembered called "RMB"! (Because the author didn't want to deal with currency conversion, they simply borrowed real-world purchasing power, hehe.)
A few dozen Mora could buy enough rice and flour to last a month, and just over a hundred Mora could purchase a large, thick, windproof piece of cloth. The thousand-plus Mora she had initially planned to use for "emergencies" actually supported her through the initial period and even left a small surplus, allowing her to gradually purchase items and improve this temporary home, just like today.
"What the heck..." Lovia picked up a piece of Mora and held it up to the setting sun; the gold coin reflected a warm sheen. "I thought there would be ridiculous inflation like in the game, where a Bird Egg would cost me hundreds? That scared me to death! When I first got the money and saw that thousand-plus Mora, I actually thought Shopkeeper Sun had heartlessly skimmed ninety percent of my fee, and I almost went to argue with him!"
She found it hilarious just thinking about it now.
If the prices were truly based on the "game," the Mora she earned from her writing would probably only be enough to buy a few condiments, right? Forget improving her life; she'd starve on the streets faster.
"It seems Teyvat's economic system is quite robust, after all. A certain Liyue street wanderer is truly... governing effectively," Lovia muttered softly. "Stable currency value is a blessing for the common folk."
However, this also made her understand more deeply why the people of Liyue were so sensitive to rumors that the Lord Emperor no longer directly minted Mora.
The credit and power behind a currency that is stable in value and recognized across the entire continent are immeasurable. If this foundation were shaken, even by mere rumors, it would be enough to cause panic.
Only now did she realize the magnitude of the trouble she had stirred up.
Fortunately, no one had come to arrest her.
This was probably because Teyvat's economic system was still quite robust and would certainly not collapse due to such minor mischief. Moreover, these macroeconomic issues were temporarily above the pay grade of a Little Melusine who had just escaped poverty and was still striving to afford a pot that didn't leak.
"But that's fine too." She sighed and carefully put away the Mora. "If it were really like the game, where killing a few Hilichurls earns you several thousand, wouldn't my hard-earned manuscript fee seem even more pathetic?"
She smiled, turning her gaze once more to the sea surface dyed rosy by the sunset.
"Hmm, realistic Mora is good," she concluded finally, her mood as light as if swept by the sea breeze. "At least it makes me feel like every word I wrote is genuinely worth those 'few coins,' hehe."
Inside the WangSheng Funeral Parlor.
Zhongli was leisurely sipping a newly arrived fragrant tea.
Suddenly, a young Funeral Attendant sister walked in with a small booklet, her expression strange.
"Mr. Zhongli, please take a look at this. It's been spreading like crazy in the harbor recently..." she said.
Zhongli set down his teacup, took the booklet, and his eyes scanned the title—The Name Morax: Does It Conceal Twin Deities and a Life-and-Death Contract!.
He calmly opened it and began to read.
A moment later, a subtle flicker of emotion quickly crossed his deep, golden-amber eyes, and his finger unconsciously tapped the tabletop once.
The Hall Master, Hu Tao, had approached at some point. She peered at the contents, instantly widening her plum-blossom pupils, and burst out laughing: "Wow! Mora and Kexi?"
Zhongli: "..."
He slowly put down the booklet, his expression still calm and unruffled. He simply picked up his teacup, gently blew on the surface, and said faintly, "It is merely street gossip, based on forced interpretations, intended only for a laugh. Hall Master need not take it seriously."
However, the hand holding the teacup seemed steadier than usual. His gaze inadvertently drifted towards the bustling streets of Liyue Harbor outside the window, his eyes profound, lost in thought.
The name "Lovia," in an unexpected manner, quietly entered the field of vision of this retired deity.
"I haven't bought this one yet, I heard it's already sold out! Quick, quick, let me see!"
"Hahahahaha!"
"Zhongli, look! This says the Lord Emperor is currently broke because he's imitating his dead wife! And it's written so convincingly! Hahahaha! Who wrote this? They're brilliant! This Hall Master is almost convinced!"
Zhongli: "..."
Zhongli's brow twitched almost imperceptibly. He set down the teacup, turned his golden-amber eyes toward the excited Hall Master, and spoke in a steady tone, laced with a measured curiosity: "Oh? Based on universal rationality, the Lord Emperor of Geo commands gold and created Mora; all currency in the world originates from his divine power. Even if... he is wandering the mortal realm, he should be unrelated to the phrase 'lack of funds'."
He paused, seemingly considering how to speak. "The book's claim that he 'imitates his deceased lover' and thus does not create Mora is certainly a legendary writing style that evokes deep emotion, but logically speaking, does it not have a slight... hmm, an inconsistent point?"
His words were unhurried, as if he were truly just objectively analyzing a flaw in a literary premise.
"Aiya, aiya, consultant, you only know one side of the story! You're looking too superficially!" Hu Tao immediately perked up, as if she had been waiting for him to ask. With a flick of her wrist, she conjured a slightly wrinkled small booklet from behind her back like a magic trick. The cover was clearly The Travels of Shi Po Chen · Part One.
She proudly shook the booklet, the pages rustling, almost brushing Zhongli's nose.
"Look! Look at this, Record of Shi Po's Wanderings! This is the hottest Lord Emperor... er, Lord Emperor folk tale right now, and it's written clearly inside!" Hu Tao cleared her throat, imitating a storyteller's cadence, opened the page, found the key paragraph, and read out every word:
"...This Young Master Zhongli, with his composed demeanor and generous spending, looked exactly like someone who didn't carry money."
After reading that line, she deliberately paused, winked at Zhongli, and emphasized its authenticity.
She continued: "...Upon hearing this, the young man remained composed, raising his hand to reach into his sleeve—a habitual movement that required no thought for thousands of years. Mora? With a slight shift of his will, it would gather at his fingertips like golden sand. However, this time, his reach came up empty..."
"Look! Look!" Hu Tao closed the book, forcefully slapping the cover, making a loud sound. "It's not that he doesn't want to create it, it's a 'habitual movement,' an 'ingrained custom that cannot be changed overnight'! He was the Lord of Geo for so many years that he got used to Mora appearing with a flick of his will, and he simply doesn't have the mortal concept of 'needing to bring money when going out'!"
The more she spoke, the more perfect her logic seemed. She put her hands on her hips and concluded: "So! According to the authoritative records of Record of Shi Po's Wanderings, the Lord Emperor isn't 'unable' to create Mora, he 'forgot' the need to carry money! Or rather, he simply didn't think it was necessary! And according to this new one—"
She shook the booklet, The Name Morax: Does It Conceal Twin Deities and a Life-and-Death Contract!, again. "—He stopped creating Mora later because he recalled sad memories, was moved by the sight, and thus 'unwilling'!"
"Combining the two, it fits perfectly!" Hu Tao clapped her hands, her plum-blossom pupils sparkling, immensely proud of her deductive skills. "Therefore, it is completely reasonable that Lord Zhongli didn't bring any Mora today! The logic is smooth! A perfect explanation!"
Zhongli: "..."