Turning around, Lucas was stunned to see a black-haired woman standing before them. Just one glance left him momentarily speechless.
Her beauty was impossible to describe adequately with mere words. She epitomized the concept of "beauty beyond imagination."
"Hey, hey, you're staring too much!" Hu Tao playfully kicked Lucas's leg. "Do you always gawk at girls like that?"
"Apologies! That was rude of me," Lucas quickly snapped out of his daze, his face turning red. "Hello, I'm Lucas."
"Lucas, Lucas… A good name," Zhongli said calmly. "I am Zhongli, a consultant for the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor."
"You're… a woman?" Lucas blurted out before he could stop himself.
"Is that…" Zhongli's expression remained indifferent. "...hard to tell?"
Good grief, the Geo Lord has become the Geo Lady!
Lucas never imagined that Zhongli, who was male in the simulator, would take on a female form in this world.
"Hard to tell? Really?" Hu Tao jabbed a finger into Zhongli's chest. "Check it out. This is the real deal—ow!"
Zhongli calmly tapped Hu Tao on the forehead, and the little rascal winced in pain. Her forehead, already sporting one red mark from earlier, now had a second, making her look both cute and a bit comical.
"I have a question!" Another woman with short blue-black hair and a heavy cloak raised her hand, spinning dice nimbly in her fingers. "As long as we earn the money ourselves, it's fair game, right?"
"In theory, yes," Ningguang replied with a nod. "But the referee assigned to you will determine if your methods comply with the rules."
"Got it," the woman said, her dice clinking as they spun. "In that case, I'll go all in today and win big."
"All in?" Lucas asked, puzzled. "Is she planning to make money through gambling?"
"That's right. She's a gambling expert," Hu Tao said with a furrowed brow. "Looks like a lot of unlucky folks are going to lose big today."
"Once everyone meets with their assigned referees, you may begin the competition," Ningguang announced. "By 9 PM tonight, please return here with your earnings, which will serve as proof of your results."
"Well, let's get started," Zhongli said, grabbing Hu Tao by the back of her collar. She turned to Lucas and added, "Mr. Lucas, I wish you the best of luck."
"Thank you…"
As Zhongli walked away, Lucas found himself still reeling from the shock. It seemed he'd need some time to process this revelation.
But then again, for beings like the Archons, gender might simply be a trivial detail. Perhaps Zhongli had chosen a female form for this journey through the mortal world.
"Hey, don't keep staring. That one's not your referee," a voice suddenly spoke as a hand patted Lucas's shoulder.
Turning, Lucas saw a petite girl with pink hair and an adorable appearance. She scrutinized him from head to toe and sighed in apparent disappointment. "Ugh, so clueless. Why do I have to waste my precious time babysitting someone like you?"
"It's me," Lucas said, nodding. "You're Yanfei, right? I've heard great things about you."
"Yep, I'm Yanfei—Liyue's top legal expert, bar none!" Yanfei said proudly, puffing out her chest. "It's almost 9 AM now. You have six hours until the deadline. Have you thought of a way to make money yet?"
Lucas scratched his head, realizing he hadn't given it much thought. Mora wasn't an issue for him—he owned businesses in both Mondstadt and Liyue and even had a black card from Dawn Winery. Getting millions of Mora would be easy—but it wouldn't comply with the rules.
"Do you know any quick ways to make money?" Lucas asked hopefully.
"Quick ways to make money?" Yanfei smirked. "Oh, I know plenty."
"Really?" Lucas asked, excited. "Could you teach me?"
"They're all in the Liyue Legal Code," Yanfei said with a shrug. "Robbery, theft, extortion, blackmail… Interested? Or are you too scared to break the law?"
"Too scared?" Lucas rolled his eyes. "I've done worse."
Yanfei's sharp senses immediately caught the odd tone in his voice. "What did you just say?"
"I-I mean," Lucas quickly corrected himself, "do you know any legal methods?"
"That depends on your skills," Yanfei said, proudly patting her chest. "As a legal consultant, my hourly rate is 180,000 Mora. In six hours, I could easily earn over a million Mora."
Extraordinary talent? In other words, a special skill?
Lucas did indeed possess a certain "talent," but using it to make money would likely fall outside the bounds of legality.
"If it weren't for the fact that I owe Ningguang a favor, I wouldn't even be here acting as a referee," Yanfei said as she stretched, a hint of complaint in her tone. "I haven't even had breakfast yet. Let's head over to Wanmin Restaurant first. Considering the circumstances, I'll treat you to a meal."
"That's it!"
Suddenly, Lucas's eyes lit up as if struck by inspiration. He clapped his hands together. "Why didn't I think of this earlier? This is perfect!"
"Huh?" Yanfei hadn't processed his sudden excitement when Lucas grabbed her wrist. "Come on! We can't waste any more time!"
"W-wait a second!" Yanfei stammered, caught off guard as Lucas pulled her along with surprising strength.
Although Yanfei's physical capabilities far surpassed those of ordinary humans due to her half-adeptus heritage, she found herself unable to break free from Lucas' grip. He was dragging her with such determination that she had no choice but to follow.
Watching Lucas dash off into the distance, Shenhe furrowed her brows slightly.
For her, if the contest involved combat, she was confident she could crush most of the competitors with ease. But when it came to earning money, she was utterly clueless.
"You… hello there!" A girl with twin braids approached Shenhe, greeting her with a polite nod. "Miss Shenhe, I'm your referee. Just call me Bai Xiao."
Bai Xiao was one of Ningguang's three personal secretaries. With so many contestants in the selection process, all three had been roped in as referees. Naturally, their work ethic and competency were beyond reproach.
Shenhe responded to the greeting with a cold glance, causing Bai Xiao to shiver involuntarily.
This woman may have looked stunning, but her presence was nothing short of terrifying.
Of course, Shenhe wasn't doing this on purpose. Her years of living in isolation in the mountains had left her unaccustomed to interacting with others.
"Hmm." Shenhe nodded curtly in acknowledgment, her tone icy as she asked, "Do you know how to make money?"
"Eh?" Bai Xiao blinked in confusion. "I-I'm sorry, but as a referee, my role is limited to observing and evaluating. I can't intervene or assist contestants directly. Otherwise—"
"Enough with the chatter," Shenhe interrupted impatiently. "You either know or you don't. Why so much nonsense?"
"I…" Bai Xiao felt a wave of helplessness but decided to proceed cautiously, knowing Shenhe's reputation as Cloud Retainer's disciple. "Simply put, making money involves finding ways to transfer Mora from someone else's pocket into yours."
"So that's all it takes?" Shenhe nodded thoughtfully, extending her hand toward Bai Xiao. "Give me all the Mora you have."
Bai Xiao, not suspecting anything, handed over the money she had on her. "This… this is all I brought with me today."
"Great." Shenhe pocketed the Mora with satisfaction. "I've earned your money. Now let's move on to earn someone else's."
"W-wait!" Bai Xiao stopped her in alarm, her voice tinged with exasperation. "That's not earning money—it's robbing people! This is against the rules, not to mention illegal. Don't you realize that?"
"Tsk." Shenhe clicked her tongue in frustration. "So troublesome."
"Ha! What an interesting woman!"
A hearty laugh rang out as Beidou approached Shenhe. "You look like you've got some serious skills. How about teaming up with me to make some money?"
"I only know one way to make money," Shenhe replied, clenching her fist. "But it seems that way breaks the rules."
"Robbing decent folks? Yeah, that's out of line. But robbing crooks? That's another story entirely," Beidou said with a mischievous grin. "I've heard about a group of pirates holed up on an island outside Liyue Harbor. Let's take their loot and split it. What do you say?"
Without hesitation, Shenhe nodded. "Deal."
"I like your straightforward style," Beidou said with approval, stroking her chin. "But aren't you worried I might betray you and take all the loot for myself?"
"No," Shenhe said flatly. "If you betray me, you become a bad person, and then I can rob you."
Beidou froze momentarily, then burst into hearty laughter. She clapped Shenhe on the shoulder, saying, "You're a riot! Let's go. With the Alcor at full speed, we'll get there before lunch."
"Wait a moment!" Beidou's referee, Bai Shi—another of Ningguang's secretaries—stepped in, adjusting her glasses. "According to the rules, all contestants must start from scratch. How can you use your ship?"
"Just consider it rented," Beidou said casually. "I'll pay the rental fee after we've made some money."
Bai Shi exchanged a glance with Bai Xiao. Both sighed, ultimately conceding with a resigned nod.
Chihu Rock, Wanmin Restaurant Entrance
"As long as I pay the rent by the end, it's fine, right?" Lucas confirmed.
"There are plenty of problems with that!" Yanfei frowned. "First, Chef Mao is notoriously stubborn. There's no way he'd risk his restaurant's reputation to rent it out to someone like you."
Wanmin Restaurant might not have the upscale reputation of places like Liyue Pavilion or Xinyue Kiosk, but its good standing was well-established. Many had offered to buy it for exorbitant sums, but Chef Mao always refused. To him, Wanmin Restaurant was his life's work, and he wouldn't lease it to just anyone.
"Well, well! Isn't this Young Master Lucas? And Miss Yanfei too," Chef Mao himself stepped out of the restaurant, a warm smile on his face. "Come in, come in. You have to try the new dish Xiangling's been working on."
What the…
Yanfei had always known Chef Mao to be a stern, no-nonsense type. Yet here he was, grinning like a child at Lucas. This sudden change felt nothing short of bizarre.
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