Nolan's overwhelming sense of security didn't last long. He quickly calmed himself, reminding himself not to get arrogant or complacent.
Being too flamboyant could be dangerous—if people figured him out, some clever individuals would undoubtedly find a way to deal with him.
As Nolan reflected on his own behavior, Ningguang's two secretaries returned. They had gone to prepare the Primogems, as Ningguang rarely collected such things in private. Her Vision's storage space and Geo elemental space didn't hold much, though she did possess an enormous amount of Mora. If anyone were lucky enough to see it, they might feel like they had stepped into the "Golden House."
"Thank you all for your patience. Here is my personal token of gratitude for each of you," Ningguang said.
She handed three exquisitely crafted small boxes, each containing Mora and Primogems, to Paimon, Nolan, and Shenhe.
Paimon stared at the delicate wooden box in her hands, conflicted. Such a small box—how much Mora could it hold? Even if each coin were worth 10,000 Mora, there would only be a few dozen at most. Surely, Ningguang, the powerful Tianquan of Liyue and its most formidable businesswoman, wouldn't be so stingy. That meant the coins inside must have an even higher denomination!
"Hehe, little one, if you're curious, just open it and take a look," Ningguang smiled, amused by Paimon's expression.
"Uh, no, no, that's okay," Paimon quickly waved her hands.
She knew that in Liyue, it was considered impolite to open a gift in front of the giver.
"As you wish," Ningguang chuckled softly.
Nolan stored away his own box, as well as the one Shenhe had handed him, and then asked Ningguang, "By the way, Lady Ningguang, has there been any progress on the bicycle project we discussed earlier?"
"Yes, of course. I've had the artisans in the Crafts Department make several prototypes based on the blueprints. They'll be ready for testing soon, and if they work well, we can move forward with the business," Ningguang replied. If not for the recent big events, she felt the progress could have been even faster.
"Great, that sounds perfect. If there's nothing else, we'll leave you to your work," Nolan said, smiling and nodding.
Seeing how seriously Ningguang was handling the project made him happy. He was confident that bicycles would have a large market in Liyue and across the continent of Teyvat. But without proper testing, the final outcome was still uncertain. He didn't want to see anyone lose money, so he preferred to proceed cautiously for everyone's benefit.
"Indeed. Until next time, my esteemed 'Distinguished Citizens of Liyue,'" Ningguang said playfully, crossing her hands in front of her chest and flashing a lighthearted smile.
[Ningguang Has Developed Good Feelings Towards You, Obtained 180 Affection Points. Current Affection Level: Lv.5 (20/500)]
"Uh, that title feels a bit..." Nolan muttered, feeling a little awkward. "Honorary Knight" definitely sounded better.
Still, earning Ningguang's affection wasn't bad at all. He didn't expect his new title to have an effect so quickly.
As they left Yuehai Pavilion and walked through the streets of Liyue Harbor, Paimon couldn't wait any longer and opened her beautifully crafted wooden box. Inside, five golden Mora coins rested on soft silk cushions.
And each coin was worth 1 million Mora!
"Whoa, these are the largest denomination of Mora I've ever seen!" Paimon exclaimed, nearly fainting from happiness.
"These large-denomination Mora coins are usually used for high-value transactions or purchasing powerful weapons. If you want to use them for smaller things, Paimon, you'll need to go to the bank and exchange them for smaller coins," Lumine advised.
"No way! I'm going to treasure these. Besides, you handle all the food and drink, don't you?" Paimon declared, full of righteousness, revealing her true intentions to keep getting free meals.
After all, these were special Mora coins, a gift from Lady Ningguang herself—how could she not hold onto them for the memories?
"Well, Paimon is hopeless at this point, just a silly little freeloader," Lumine said, shrugging helplessly.
"Hmph, I'm way better than some flirtatious big radish!" Paimon retorted, crossing her arms and lifting her chin in a strange sense of superiority.
Nolan gave her a speechless glance and turned his attention to the Primogems Ningguang had given him.
Two boxes, each containing 20 pieces—this was probably the most Ningguang could spare.
"Thank you, Shenhe," he said to Shenhe.
With a total of 40 pieces of Primogems, half of which came from her, Nolan felt he owed her his gratitude.
"You don't need to thank me," Shenhe replied calmly, nodding.
As Nolan absorbed the forty Primogems and gained 120,000 Adventure EXP, he suddenly saw two young men walking toward him.
"Xingqiu, Chongyun, have you both returned from your studies?" Nolan asked curiously.
"Ugh, don't mention it. When Adept Cloud Retainer returned, she just tossed me a few martial arts manuals and left me to figure things out on my own," Xingqiu sighed, then smiled. "But with my natural talent, mastering those techniques was easy!"
"Impressive," Nolan remarked, genuinely admiring his confidence.
"And Chongyun, you must have learned some Adeptus arts by now, right?" He looked at Chongyun curiously.
Compared to the others, Chongyun had the real potential for immortal cultivation, thanks to his Pure Yang constitution.
"I... I can now barely control my 'Pure Yang Body,' but it's still not stable. The adeptus told me to return and practice on my own, and only when I can control it perfectly should I go back to her for further teachings," Chongyun admitted, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.
Even though he hadn't learned any adeptus arts yet, being able to control his Pure Yang Body made him very happy.
"I see," Nolan nodded in understanding.
"By the way, during our last trip to Mt. Aozang, we found some treasure chests and earned a bit of Mora. I've already had it transported back by the merchant guild. Here's your share," Xingqiu said, handing Nolan, Lumine, and even Paimon each a 100,000 Mora coin.
"Haha, thanks!" Nolan accepted the Mora without hesitation.
Now, his total amount of Mora had reached 2.15 million.
It would have been more if not for all the living expenses, food, and drink over the past few days.
"Oh, and do you all have time tonight?
"After the 'Rite of Parting' ended, to honor the memory of the Geo Archon, Liyue's famous opera troupe, Yun-Han Opera Troupe, will perform a piece called 'The Divine Damsel of Devastation.'
"Master Yun from the troupe has already agreed to perform tonight at Heyu Teahouse, and there's no entrance fee.
"Are you interested in going? It's said that coming to Liyue without hearing Master Yun's opera is like not coming at all!"
Xingqiu had heard this from a merchant and came specifically to invite his friends to the performance. He also wanted to distribute the Mora they had earned during their adventures.
"Huh, is that true?" Paimon's starry eyes twinkled with curiosity.
Master Yun was so famous? The idea that missing the performance meant one hadn't truly visited Liyue sparked Paimon's interest.
"Sounds like we can't miss it, then," Nolan nodded thoughtfully.
He remembered Master Yun from the game—she was none other than Yun Jin, a beautiful and charming girl. He wondered if this could be his chance to meet her in person.
"Shenhe, have you ever listened to Liyue opera?" Lumine asked. While walking through Liyue's streets, she had overheard people talking about it but had never attended a performance herself.
She was curious to see how it compared to the plays from other worlds.
"No," Shenhe said simply, crossing her arms as she thought about it. Most of her life had been spent in the mountains, far from any opera performances.
"Well then, let's go together," Lumine said, nodding in agreement.
By evening, the moon hung high in the sky, like a jade plate in the starless night.
Heyu Teahouse was located on one of Liyue's busiest streets, near Xinyue Kiosk and Liuli Pavilion. But both of Liyue's most famous restaurants were oddly quiet tonight, with fewer customers than usual.
The reason? Everyone was heading to Heyu Teahouse to hear Master Yun's opera in honor of the Geo Archon—and for free, no less.
After all, dining could wait. Listening to Master Yun's opera was the true priority. Some even joked that they'd feel full just from listening, skipping dinner altogether.
"Whoa, look at all these people! It's packed! How are we supposed to get in?" Paimon exclaimed in shock when they arrived at the teahouse, staring at the crowd of people—young and old—surrounding the place.
She hadn't expected Master Yun to have such immense appeal.
"Should we draw weapons and chase them away?" Shenhe asked, her long white hair tied back and flowing down her waist, brushing against her legs clad in a tight black bodysuit as the wind playfully tugged at it.
Paimon was about to nod and agree with her plan when she suddenly realized what Shenhe had said. Her eyes widened in alarm.
"Wait! No! We can't do something that extreme! We'd get arrested by the Millelith!" Paimon protested.
Lumine sighed, rubbing her forehead in frustration. During their time in Mondstadt, Lumine had already noticed that Shenhe's issues weren't just about lacking common sense—her whole mindset seemed a bit different from the norm.
Who knew what Cloud Retainer had been teaching her?
"Uh, no need for that," Xingqiu interjected, wiping away cold sweat. "I happen to know Master Yun. I asked her earlier to reserve a spot near the front for us. We just need to sneak in quietly without attracting attention."
Chongyun looked equally horrified, never imagining his aunt could be so terrifying!
"Let's hurry. If we wait too long, we won't even have a chance to sneak in," Nolan said, understanding Shenhe's "direct" nature. Having spent time with her, he was used to it by now, but he knew this was something that would take time to change.
"Right, let's go," Xingqiu coughed lightly and nodded.
"Excuse me, I couldn't help overhearing your conversation. Could I perhaps 'sneak' in with you as well?" A calm voice suddenly came from their right.
It was the guest consultant from Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, a man whose presence radiated tranquility no matter the situation.
—End of Chapter—
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