After publishing "The Troubles of the Guardian Yaksha," Lovia stayed home and "behaved herself" for three days.
On one hand, it was because she had plenty of Mora, enough to stay nestled comfortably in her shack for a while and enjoy a luxurious "creative hiatus."
After all, before her transmigration, she was a shut-in; going out as frequently as she did now was something she wouldn't have even dreamed of in the past.
On the other hand, it was a "lying low" mentality that she herself was reluctant to admit.
Although she claimed that "Melusines run fast," the risk of making up stories about the Conqueror of Demons was clearly on a different level compared to writing about Rex Lapis going window shopping.
That was a Yaksha Adeptus who would actually appear before you holding the vortex vanquisher!
Besides, Melusines don't actually run that fast!
"Mm, safety first, safety first," she comforted herself while cracking open a crab shell with a specialized small hammer. "I'll wait for this heat to die down and see the reaction first."
On the afternoon of the fourth day, Lovia geared up again and, with a bit of trepidation and even more curiosity, slipped over to the vicinity of Sanyu Bookstore.
Hiding behind a kite stall, she pricked up her ears, her sapphire-blue eyes nervously scanning the surroundings, specifically looking for any sign of the Millelith.
The expected arrest did not happen.
On the contrary, the entrance to the Bookshop was still crowded with people, and the discussions were even more heated than before. Only this time, the focus had clearly shifted from "Rex Lapis's Late Wife" to "The Conqueror of Demons' Insomnia" and "The Conqueror of Demons' karma."
Of course, the latter was too heavy and was only mentioned briefly. Such matters were not suitable for public discussion.
"...True Lord Look Up, Look Down, See! Hahaha! This author is a genius! How interesting!" a young craftsman laughed, slapping his thigh.
"So the Conqueror of Demons is named Xiao? And he's often at Dihua Marsh? Is this true? Then I must go there sometime to try my luck for an 'immortal encounter'!"
"It sounds outrageous, but if you think about it... it kind of makes sense?" his companion beside him rubbed his chin, trying to stifle a laugh.
"And those frogs in Dihua Marsh! Last time I went night fishing, man, those croaks were so loud I couldn't catch a thing! It's no wonder the Conqueror of Demons can't get any sleep staying there!"
"So, the Conqueror of Demons works so hard, maybe it really is related to poor sleep? Sigh, I suddenly feel so bad for him..."
"What exactly is karma? It's been tormenting the Conqueror of Demons for a thousand years?!"
"Even Mr. Lovia didn't dare write much about that. There might be some secrets involved, so let's not talk about it too much..."
"Look, even the Director of WangSheng Funeral Parlor is out promoting funeral packages!"
"But seriously, this author has a lot of nerve, daring to write about the Conqueror of Demons. Aren't they afraid of..."
"Afraid of what? The book says it's just 'hearsay' and 'folk research'! And look at the writing; though it's teasing, there's no malice. Instead, it makes this Adeptus feel... uh, more approachable?"
"That's true. It's better than those rumors that only depict him as terrifying and unapproachable."
"Anyway, I enjoyed it! I just wonder what the Guardian Yaksha himself would think if he saw it..."
Hearing this, Lovia's heart nearly jumped out of her throat.
W-What reaction? Probably the kind where he'd want to skewer her with a spear!
She instinctively shrank her neck and pulled her hood lower.
But aside from these discussions, she didn't hear any rumors about "investigating the author" or "bringing them to justice."
Liyue Harbor seemed to have completely accepted this "unofficial history" style that teased the Adepti, and they even seemed to enjoy it?
A sense of relief and smugness from having survived a disaster slowly welled up in her heart.
It seemed the people of Liyue were much more accepting and had a better sense of humor than she had imagined!
As expected, her talent as Mr. Lovia was enough to make any "research" seem reasonable and popular!
Her tail couldn't help but wag quietly under her cloak again.
After observing cautiously for a while and confirming there were no Millelith or grim-faced Adepti lying in wait around the Bookshop, her courage gradually grew.
With a movement of her hand, the Mora in her pocket jingled, reminding her of the primary purpose of this "adventure"—collecting her generous manuscript fees.
As usual, she avoided the main entrance of the Bookshop and circled to a nearby alley, her eyes searching for children who often played nearby and were willing to run errands for some pocket money.
Soon, she spotted a young boy who looked clever yet inconspicuous.
"Hi there, little one," Lovia whispered, waving him over.
After the boy ran over curiously, she fished out ten Mora and the withdrawal voucher representing Lovia's identity from her pocket and carefully handed them over. (In case everyone forgot, a reminder: in this story, Mora is equivalent to RMB; ten Mora equals ten yuan.)
"Do Big Sister a favor. Go to Sanyu Bookstore and find Shopkeeper Sun. Use this to get a cloth bag back. This is for your trouble, okay?"
The boy's eyes lit up at the words. He took the Mora and the voucher and nodded vigorously. "No problem! Leave it to me!"
With that, he dashed toward the Bookshop, looking extremely excited.
Lovia breathed a sigh of relief and retreated back into the shadows of the alley to wait patiently.
She had used this method several times, and it always went smoothly. It avoided the risk of exposure, satisfied Shopkeeper Sun's requirement of "withdrawal by token," and even provided income for the local children—truly killing multiple birds with one stone.
Leaning leisurely against the wall, she began to plan what to do after getting her manuscript fee: should she buy some fresh, fragrant sea plants for soup first, or hunt for some newly arrived shiny ores?