Shopkeeper Sun held the stack of high-quality manuscript paper, his fingertips slightly warm from excitement. He was almost holding his breath as he read every single word of "The Travels of Shi Po Chen · Part Two."
When he first read the "ten boxes for half price" part, the wrinkles on his face bloomed into a smile, and he nearly couldn't resist slapping the table in admiration!
"Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!" he whispered to himself, unable to contain his excitement. "'Infinitely cumulative, eventually reaching free'... hahaha! This... this is truly..."
"Only Mr. Lovia would dare to speculate in such a manner about the Archon's ultimate understanding of 'contracts' and 'rules.' This isn't being out of touch with worldly affairs; it's being far too familiar with the very essence of 'rules' itself!"
He could almost imagine the shopkeeper's face turning ashen and the stunned expressions of the onlookers.
This sense of humor, tinged with absurdity yet somehow aligning with a certain "divine logic," was the unique charm of Mr. Lovia's work and the reason the "Record of Shi Po's Wanderings" series resonated so widely.
It brought the lofty Archon down to a level that was both endearing and approachable.
Seeing Young Master Shi Po calmly charge the hundred boxes of perfume to the Qixing, Shopkeeper Sun smiled knowingly. This familiar maneuver felt just right!
When it came to the part about distributing the perfume among the adepti, Shopkeeper Sun read with even greater relish, especially the descriptions of their reactions. With just a few words, their personalities leapt off the page.
Cloud Retainer's confusion, Moon Carver's wry smile, Mountain Shaper's research curiosity, Adeptus Xiao's astonishment and loyalty... and Streetward Rambler's teasing, which saw through everything—it all made him feel as if he were witnessing it firsthand, his smile unwavering.
"This Mr. Lovia... could he truly have connections with the adepti? Otherwise, how could he portray the dispositions of these true lords so vividly and convincingly?" Shopkeeper Sun couldn't help but suspect this again, but then he shook his head, thinking he was overanalyzing. It was probably just the author's exceptionally rich and realistic imagination.
However, when he read the final scene, where Young Master Shi Po brought the perfume to the unmarked stele at the foot of the mountain, the smile gradually faded from his face.
He read about Young Master Shi Po's gentle movements and whispered words, saw the description of the setting sun elongating his shadow, the lingering fragrance, the golden pine needles falling like Mora... Shopkeeper Sun fell silent.
His gaze remained fixed on that final scene before the unmarked stele, unable to look away for a long time.
Upon first reading, he had simply found the scene exquisitely beautiful, its emotions restrained yet profound, carrying an indescribable sense of melancholy and tenderness that was deeply moving.
The image of the Archon, a being of such immense power, standing alone before the Nameless tomb, speaking softly as if afraid to disturb the sleeper, possessed a force that struck directly at the heart.
It was a tenderness and concern that had traversed vast stretches of time, long settled into the bones, becoming a habit. The instinct to share new and interesting things, to murmur to an empty stele as if the other had merely gone on a long journey.
"Whenever I see something new, I always want you to see it too..."
Shopkeeper Sun chewed on this sentence repeatedly, feeling the softest part of his heart gently touched.
This Mr. Lovia... his pen is truly... both sharp and profoundly sentimental.
Suddenly, Shopkeeper Sun's attention was captured by the final passage of text.
"Until his figure disappeared at the end of the mountain path. A gust of wind passed, and suddenly, several golden pine needles drifted down from the pine tree beside the stele, lightly covering the perfume boxes, shimmering like Mora."
"So... so that's it, that's it!" His voice trembled, almost a groan. "Mr. Lovia, this... this is no mere casual detail. This is clearly... a callback! The finishing touch!"
His mind raced, frantically connecting the previous chapters with the words before him.
Who lies in eternal rest beneath that unmarked stele?
Before, he might have guessed it was a fallen comrade or old acquaintance of the Archon.
But now, combined with those two "investigative" works, the answer was practically shouting to be heard!
It's Mora!
It's that lover who presided over creation and the value of all things, who ultimately sacrificed herself for Kexi (the later Morax), merging with him!
It's the Archon's wife who was "fated to die"!
And what did the Archon bring there?
Perfume? A mundane memento symbolizing "lingering fragrance"?
No! Absolutely not just that!
In Shopkeeper Sun's now "baptized" understanding, those ten meticulously placed perfume boxes took on a brand new, spine-tingling symbolic meaning.
The Archon distributed a hundred boxes of perfume among the adepti, yet uniquely kept ten to bring before this unmarked stele.
What he brought was not something purchased with "Mora" created by his deceased wife's divine power—for the true Mora had vanished with her passing, becoming a lost echo.
Rather, it was something he, in the name of "Kexi," purchased with the currency belonging to "Morax," to commemorate the true her.
This perfume was bought with "the rock's counterfeit coin," yet that currency still bearing the name Mora had long lost her soul, being nothing more than a lifeless imitation... What a complex, profound, and heart-wrenching tribute this was.
Shopkeeper Sun suddenly understood why this "The Travels of Shi Po Chen · Part Two" felt weightier and more moving than the first installment.
Not only did it continue that endearing "otherworldly" setting and humor, but it also added such a stunning stroke at the end, instantly elevating the story's tone by more than a notch.
This was no longer mere amusing anecdotes; it was more like a window, through which one could glimpse a quiet and tender corner of the deity's long life.
The act of extravagantly buying a hundred boxes of perfume seemed laughable at first glance, but upon deeper reflection, it felt like the heart of a pure child.
The Archon discovering a "rule" and wanting to explore its limits, being poor with finances yet generous in sharing, and that final... sincere sentiment left for a departed soul.
The Archon portrayed by Mr. Lovia seemed unorthodox, yet on a deeper level, he accurately touched upon a certain "humanity" within the "divinity."
This was countless times more brilliant than mere "transgression" or "rumor-mongering"!
Shopkeeper Sun's heart pounded wildly. He keenly realized that this piece might resonate more deeply and have a stronger aftertaste than those two more sensational "investigative" works.
It was funny, yet not merely funny. It seemed irreverent on the surface, but its core was filled with closeness and understanding toward the deity (even if through a peculiar angle).
"Remarkable, truly remarkable..." Shopkeeper Sun put his glasses back on, his gaze upon the manuscript now filled with awe and respect.
His business sense told him that this sequel, especially its ending, once published, would likely spark even more fervent discussion and reflection than the first.
Shopkeeper Sun could almost foresee the spectacle when this booklet went on sale.
How people would laugh and discuss it, yet also feel ripples in their hearts over the perfume before the unmarked stele.
How people would laugh and talk about "the Archon also loves a bargain" and "ten boxes for half price," while delighting in the adepti's reactions.
But ultimately, they would surely be immersed in the tranquility and tenderness of that sunset at the mountain's foot.
And as an ordinary citizen of Liyue, a believer in the Archon, Shopkeeper Sun, while feeling a trace of unease about "speculating on divine will," felt more comfort.
If the deity truly possessed such a human side as described in the text—being unable to balance accounts, buying too many things to give away, and whispering softly before a silent stele at sunset... that seemed like a rather beautiful thing.
Shopkeeper Sun stroked the manuscript of "The Travels of Shi Po Chen · Part Two," his heart filled with mixed emotions, and couldn't help but recall the scene months ago when he first received "The Travels of Shi Po Chen · Part One."
Back then, the Bookshop's business was slow, new storybooks repeatedly stagnated in sales, and he was worrying about what to print for the next issue.
When a young child handed him the manuscript signed "Lovia," his initial read left him feeling it was absurd.
How dare someone be so audacious, portraying the Archon in such a manner!
But he still wanted to give it a try. So, he gritted his teeth and published it with trepidation, even privately preparing several apology letters, fearing it might anger the General Affairs Department or draw reader condemnation.
Yet, who could have imagined? On the day of publication, the Bookshop's threshold was almost worn down, readers eagerly passing it around, heated discussions non-stop. It sold out in a single day, and three reprints still couldn't meet demand.
It was only then that Shopkeeper Sun truly realized that the seemingly absurd portrayal of the Archon by Mr. Lovia was not blasphemy, but a unique form of intimacy, a "humanization of the deity" that made one smile knowingly.
"Quick! Quick!" Shopkeeper Sun suddenly stood up, his vision darkening momentarily from rising too fast. He steadied himself against the table.
He urgently called out to the outer room: "Go fetch the engraving master immediately! Double his pay! We need the fastest speed! We must publish 'The Travels of Shi Po Chen · Part Two' right away!"
Agitated, he paced around the study, rubbing his hands, muttering incessantly: "This time... this time it'll surely be even more popular than the last one. We need to print more, at least... at least three times the last print run! No, five times!"
The Shop Assistant responded and hurried out to make arrangements.
Shopkeeper Sun sat back down in his chair and picked up the stack of manuscript paper again, unable to put it down.
Looking at the familiar handwriting, his curiosity about this "Mr. Lovia" reached its peak.
He couldn't wait to see this book placed in the most prominent spot in the Bookshop, couldn't wait to hear the readers' exclamations, laughter, and that final silence and sigh after finishing it.
Simultaneously, the thought in his heart grew stronger: Just who is this Mr. Lovia? He must find a way to get to know this remarkable person!
It's just a pity that this gentleman always sends someone to deliver the manuscripts, being far too mysterious.