A few minutes later…
Childe lay on the ground in his Foul Legacy form, his chest heaving violently.
Stelle cast a disdainful glance at him.
"Hmph, and here I thought you were strong. That's it? I haven't even activated Annihilation, and you're already down."
Still, she had to admit—whatever this Foul Legacy thing was (she already forgot the name), it did look kind of cool. She made a mental note to check with Ye Yun later and see if she could buy a set for herself to try on.
Then Stelle called out to Hu Tao and the others to continue their journey. Heading to Wuwang Hill sounded way more fun than fighting this guy.
Stelle already had a plan: on the road, she'd ask Hu Tao to teach her some ghost-catching techniques, and the moment they reached Wuwang Hill, she'd try them out.
Hehe~ Little ghosts, I'm coming for you!
After Stelle and the others left, Childe struggled to his feet.
"What the heck is up with Liyue? Is everyone here a monster?"
He was kind of numb. Sure, he liked to fight—he lived for it.
But ever since he arrived in Liyue, every single battle had ended in total defeat.
Yesterday wasn't so bad; at least he could exchange a few blows with that adeptus.
But today? Complete annihilation. The other side wasn't even serious.
Even after activating Foul Legacy, he'd been sliced down by that girl Stelle in one strike.
For the first time, Childe started to worry—if these people were already this powerful, then just how terrifying was the Geo Archon, Rex Lapis, the actual god of Liyue?
He didn't think he'd offended Her Majesty… So why had she sent him to steal the Archon's Gnosis?
With this level of strength, even the captain might not make it out.
"Teucer… Big Bro might not be coming back for a while."
After a short rest, he glanced around. All the debt collectors he'd brought with him had already been dealt with.
They were no match at all for the other girls and were quickly wiped out.
Time flew, and two days passed.
Inside Ye Yun's shop—
Basically everyone who had ever bought a lottery ticket from Ye Yun was now gathered inside the lottery store.
Topaz and Jade were also there.
After asking Bronya a few questions, the two of them had come to find Ye Yun directly.
Jade had already reported the matter to Diamond.
Diamond had immediately ordered them to establish a friendly relationship with Ye Yun.
In fact, Diamond had already arranged for people to secretly gather Stellar Jades—keeping the operation hidden from the company.
If what Jade and Topaz reported was true, this could be a major opportunity for their strategic investment department.
Everyone present had purchased lottery tickets—just varying amounts.
The biggest spender? Stelle. In her words, this was "increasing her winning chances."
The room was crowded. The three little ones were running around, playing, and peeking at everything.
Stelle and the other girls were chattering nonstop, discussing what they'd do with their new ability if they won.
Stelle whipped out her ten lottery tickets and waved them around smugly.
"Alright, alright, this time I will win. Got it? Why are you all discussing what to do with my ability?"
March 7th glared at her, clearly annoyed.
"Hmph! No way to know who's gonna win yet!"
Lumine added, "Exactly! I'm super lucky, you know."
Hu Tao, on the other hand, looked rather gloomy.
Seeing her expression, Stelle asked, "Hu Tao, what's wrong? Why the long face?"
Hu Tao sighed.
"Ugh… I went over the balance sheets for the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor yesterday. Business has been awful this year."
As she said this, she couldn't help but feel irritated at Zhongli.
That so-called consultant! He's Rex Lapis for crying out loud, yet he still makes her pay for food, drinks, and entertainment?! Outrageous!
Topaz suddenly spoke up.
"Why not try a side business? Open up a secondary income stream or something."
Hu Tao hesitated. The Funeral Parlor had been passed down for generations—it was her family's legacy.
Was it really okay to start a side hustle?
Zhongli, however, chimed in.
"Director, I think Miss Topaz makes a good point. With the resources and manpower of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, we're more than capable of expanding.
If we launch a side business, we'll have more funds to promote the Funeral Parlor itself, wouldn't you agree?"
Hu Tao considered it. That made sense. It's not like she'd stop running the Parlor—just using spare time to earn extra income.
And the money could go toward advertising. Why not?
But… what kind of business should she start?
"I wonder what kind of side gig would work…" she muttered, rubbing her chin.
Nearby, Silver Wolf was lounging with her legs crossed, playing on her handheld game console. She spoke up without looking away.
"How about an internet café? A place like yours, that'd definitely make money."
Hu Tao blinked, confused.
"Internet café? What's that?"
Silver Wolf, still playing her game, answered casually:
"It's a place where people can go online. Didn't your consultant bring a laptop back the other day? Basically, you rent those out by the hour."
Hu Tao listened and finally understood.
She thought about it and decided it was worth a shot.
"I'll go talk to Ye Yun and buy a few computers."
Silver Wolf stopped her.
"No need to bother Ye Yun. I've got you covered."
With that, she used her Aether Editor to open a portal.
A moment later, ten computers emerged from it.
Silver Wolf explained:
"These are just some old ones I bought when I was bored. Should be enough for your café."
Hu Tao was touched—Silver Wolf had helped with the idea and now even provided the equipment.
She pulled out 1000 Stellar Jades and handed them over.
"Silver Wolf, thank you! I don't know how much these are worth, but is 1000 Star Coins enough?"
Silver Wolf glanced at the money. Honestly, she felt a little guilty taking it.
These were super outdated machines—not worth much.
But still decent enough for a retro-themed internet café.
She thought for a moment.
"Forget the money. Just bring me meals for the next month, deal?"
Hu Tao instantly agreed.
"No problem! Let's add each other—just tell me what you want to eat and I'll get it."
She pulled out the phone Himeko gave her and added Silver Wolf as a friend.
Silver Wolf put her phone away.
"By the way, these computers won't work right out of the box. Tell you what—add another month of meals, and I'll set up the network and management system too."
Hu Tao thought it over and agreed.
And so, Hu Tao's internet café venture was about to begin.
Ye Yun glanced at the time. It was time for the lottery draw.
He walked over to the counter. Instantly, the previously noisy room fell silent, and everyone turned to look at him.
Ye Yun pulled out a numbered ball and held it up.
Everyone clutched their tickets and stared intently.
He turned the ball around to reveal the number:
The girls let out dramatic cries of despair.
Especially Stelle—she'd bought ten tickets, spending 10,000 Stellar Jades… and didn't win a single thing.
"Noooooooo!!" she wailed, collapsing to her knees in agony.
Meanwhile, Dan Heng, quietly listening to music on the side, looked at his ticket.
"Huh? I think I won," he said calmly.
Stelle clutched her head in disbelief.
"What?! You won? You bought a ticket too?!"
March 7th was equally shocked.
No way! The cold-faced little dragon actually bought a lottery ticket? Wasn't he totally disinterested in that kind of stuff?
Dan Heng nodded.
"The shop had just been renovated. I saw Mr. Welt buy one, so I bought one too."
He walked up to Ye Yun.
"I'd like to claim my prize."
Ye Yun hadn't expected Dan Heng to be the winner.
He took the ticket and placed it into the counter.
Moments later, a scroll wrapped in bubbles floated out.
The bubbles flew toward Dan Heng, popped in his hand, and the scroll landed in his palm.
Ye Yun leaned on the counter, arms crossed.
"Just tear it open."
Dan Heng did so.
As the scroll shredded, new knowledge appeared in his mind.
It was the technique for "Spatial Teleportation."
He looked toward the nearby bar and activated it.
In an instant, he appeared beside it.
Sure, powerful people could move that fast, but they always left traces.
Teleportation, however, left none.
The difference? One could be interrupted or diverted, the other could not.
If someone could predict your movement path, they could strike in advance and force a change.
But not with Dan Heng's teleportation—it bypassed all that.
March 7th ran over.
"Dan Heng, how does it feel?"
He replied, "Good."
March 7th rolled her eyes.
"Can't you give a bit more detail?"
Dan Heng thought a moment.
"Very useful."
Then he walked off toward the library.
Since it was built, Dan Heng had basically split his time between training and reading.
March 7th stared after him, twitching.
Well… at least that was technically "more" detailed.
Forget it. Talking to Dan Heng was impossible.
She returned to the lottery shop.
At that moment, the big screen displayed the next prize.
[Next Prize: Swordmastery]
Description: A sword technique from a high-level cultivation world. Mastery allows one to comprehend Sword Intent.
Value: 130,000 Stellar Jades
Draw Countdown: 7d 23h 40s
Everyone rushed to buy tickets again.
This time, Stelle only bought one.
She finally realized—buying a bunch doesn't help. It's all about luck.
After getting their tickets, everyone left.
Himeko, Welt, and Pom-Pom went to check the Astral Express. If all went well, they'd be heading to their next stop tomorrow.
***
Hu Tao and Silver Wolf asked Ye Yun to open a portal, and the two of them headed to Teyvat.
Upon arriving at Jueyun Karst, Hu Tao walked toward the flying motorcycle she had parked there that morning.
Just as she was about to reach it, she suddenly froze.
She saw—
A giant bird was dismantling her flying motorcycle, and it was almost completely taken apart, leaving parts scattered across the ground.
"What kind of contraption is this? I've never seen this kind of structure before."
That's right—the big bird was none other than our friend, Cloud Retainer.
Cloud Retainer had just come out from seclusion after crafting a small trinket and went out for a stroll to relax.
As soon as she stepped outside, she saw the flying motorcycle parked in front of her abode.
Immediately intrigued, Cloud Retainer decided to disassemble it and examine the inner workings.
Hu Tao dashed over to the remains of her flying motorcycle.
Grabbing a handful of parts, she immediately burst into tears.
"Wahhh!!! My flying motorcycle! You died so tragically!!!"
Seeing Hu Tao sobbing, Cloud Retainer realized she might have made a mistake.
She had been so focused on researching the contraption that she had forgotten it belonged to someone else.
Cloud Retainer glanced at the pile of parts and said,
"No matter, This One shall reassemble it for you."
With that, she lifted the motorcycle's body and stared at the pile of parts, suddenly freezing.
Hu Tao saw her just holding the frame and not moving, and asked,
"Didn't you say you'd fix it?"
Cloud Retainer fell silent for a moment.
"Er… This One seem to have forgotten how I took it apart."
Hu Tao fainted on the spot.
What kind of situation was this?!
Looking at Hu Tao lying on the ground with a lifeless expression, Cloud Retainer thought for a moment.
"How much did this object cost? This One shall compensate you."
Hu Tao stood up and gave Cloud Retainer a once-over.
"Forget it, I'll go see if someone else can fix it. You just keep an eye on it—don't let any parts go missing."
Cloud Retainer quickly agreed.
"Rest assured. Though This One can't reassemble it, I can certainly watch over the components. Go ahead."
Hu Tao turned around and walked into the portal.
Back in the shop, she looked around and spotted Venti at the bar, drinking.
She ran up to him.
"Venti, have you seen Mr. Welt or Sister Himeko?"
Venti shook his head.
"Nope~ Why, is something up?"
Hu Tao sighed.
"My motorcycle got taken apart by a big bird immortal. I was hoping Welt or Himeko could help me see if it can be fixed."
Hearing this, Venti immediately guessed who she meant.
Who else could it be? It had to be Cloud Retainer. He didn't even need to think—she must've gotten curious and dismantled the thing for study.
Venti pointed to Clara, who was studying nearby.
"Why not try asking Clara?"
Hu Tao looked over at Clara.
Clara might not be as skilled as Welt or Himeko, but her technical skills were still solid.
She ran over.
"Clara, are you free?"
Clara looked up and smiled when she saw Hu Tao.
"Sister Hu Tao~ Do you need something from Clara?"
Hu Tao spread her hands.
"My flying motorcycle is broken. Got a moment to come take a look and see if it can be fixed?"
Clara closed her book and immediately agreed.
"Clara's free, Sister Hu Tao~ Let's go right now."
Hu Tao was overjoyed at her agreement.
The two then found Ye Yun in the reception room, who was playing chess with Zhongli, and asked him to open a portal for them.
Back at Jueyun Karst—
Hu Tao brought Clara back to the "crime scene."
Cloud Retainer had gathered all the parts in one spot and even categorized them.
Seeing Hu Tao return with only a little girl, she was confused.
Fixing things, and she brings back a little girl? She looks so delicate—can she even do repairs? Cloud Retainer was skeptical.
Hu Tao pointed at the parts.
"Clara, take a look—can it be fixed?"
Clara was a bit stunned by the mess.
How did it get dismantled to this degree?
Without saying much, she knelt down and started sorting through the parts.
After checking them, she found they were all intact with no damage.
The real challenge was reassembling them. Judging from the situation, it would take quite a bit of time.
Silver Wolf found a comfortable spot, lay down, and started playing on her handheld console.
Cloud Retainer watched Clara working, part by part.
At first, she was dismissive—there was no way this girl could reassemble it.
A while later—
As more and more parts went into place, her attitude started to change.
Oh? This girl has some skills. She's managed to reassemble quite a bit.
A while later—
Wow! This girl is impressive—she's almost halfway done!
Another while later—
Cloud Retainer stared in disbelief at the fully repaired flying motorcycle.
Impossible! Absolutely impossible! This little girl could fix what even this immortal couldn't?!?
Watching Clara, she began to like her more and more.
Clara was running tests on the motorcycle's smart system when suddenly, Cloud Retainer grabbed her hand.
"This child has the fate of a disciple! From now on, I am your master. Come, let me take you to my abode."
Before Clara could react, Cloud Retainer pulled her toward her cave dwelling.
Eh? What is this big bird doing?
Hu Tao was also dumbfounded. This immortal bird was kidnapping a little girl in broad daylight?!
Just as Hu Tao regained her senses and tried to stop her, it was too late.
Clara had already been taken into the cave.
Hu Tao was in complete shock.
No way! You're a revered immortal! How can you do something like this?!
She tried everything she could to open the door, but it wouldn't budge.
Silver Wolf glanced at her.
"Isn't that guy Zhongli your boss or something? Just go get him."
Hu Tao's eyes lit up—right! Find the consultant!
She had brought Clara here, and she had to get her back. Otherwise, she feared Svarog and Clara's family might just point a cannon at her head.
She dashed through the portal and skidded to a stop at the reception room, flinging the door open.
"Consultant! Bad news! Clara got kidnapped!"
Ye Yun and Zhongli stood up with furrowed brows.
Zhongli asked,
"Didn't she go with you to Jueyun Karst just now? What happened?"
To him, Jueyun Karst was extremely safe. With immortals stationed there, no criminals would dare venture in.
Hu Tao panted and said,
"Bad news! That bird immortal insisted on making Clara her disciple and dragged her into the cave!"
Zhongli and Ye Yun both fell silent.
Well… that does sound like something Cloud Retainer would do.
Cloud Retainer finds a kid:
Mooncarver has one, This One get one. Mountain Shaper has one, This One get one. Madam Ping has one, This One get one. Me? This One want all the disciples!
They looked at each other and followed Hu Tao to Jueyun Karst.
Eventually—
With Zhongli's intervention, Clara was finally retrieved from Cloud Retainer's cave.
At the cave entrance—
Cloud Retainer sulked as she watched Clara step into the portal.
She was furious. Just when she had finally found someone worthy of inheriting her skills, the Geo Archon wouldn't let her take her in.
Hmph! This One is very upset!!!
Though she had disciples like Ganyu and Shenhe, neither of them liked mechanical gadgets.
Zhongli looked at her, feeling a headache coming on—what kind of mess was this?
Cloud Retainer turned and disappeared back into her cave.
At Liyue Harbor—
Hu Tao and Silver Wolf were leading staff from the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor to clean out a house near the main gate.
"Move this, toss that," Hu Tao said, pointing at a broken chair.
With their effort, the room was quickly tidied up.
Silver Wolf looked around, then set up ten computers on the desks.
As for gaming chairs and such, Hu Tao planned to buy those later from Ye Yun's shop.
Silver Wolf finished setting everything up and stepped outside with Hu Tao, holding out her hand.
"The mini-satellite Himeko gave you?"
Hu Tao pulled out a palm-sized orb.
This little ball was a satellite. Himeko had given it to her for free when she heard Hu Tao was opening an internet café.
Hu Tao handed it over, and Silver Wolf did some adjustments before placing it on the ground.
Soon, the satellite rose into the air, hovering high above Liyue Harbor.
It could cover all of Liyue and nearby areas—more than enough for Hu Tao's internet café.
With that done, Silver Wolf started configuring the network, uploading café management systems, and installing essential software and games.
Since Hu Tao couldn't help, she decided to fetch some food as a thank-you for Silver Wolf.
An hour later, everything was set. Downloading took some time due to Teyvat's lack of internet infrastructure.
The satellite, though small and not super fast, was good enough for café use.
Silver Wolf gave the setup a final test, then clapped her hands.
"All done."
Hu Tao, who had just returned with food, quickly handed it over.
"Thanks for the hard work! Here, try this—I had it packed from Wanmin Restaurant. It's one of the best places to eat in Liyue."
Silver Wolf nodded in satisfaction and started eating.
Hu Tao sat down at the admin computer to familiarize herself with the system and check what games had been installed.
After finishing the meal, Silver Wolf gave her some business tips.
"Get a fridge. Ask March or Asta to order you some drinks online—those sell well.
Also, stock up on instant noodles and snacks. Make a list."