Chapter 223: Falling Hu Tao

Liyue Harbor, "Hanfeng's Ironmongers" Blacksmith Shop

Nolan and the others greeted Katheryne at the Adventurers' Guild and then made their way down the wooden steps to the blacksmith shop below.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Master Zhang, with short black hair, was hammering away at a red-hot, softened iron ingot.

Without stopping his work, he glanced up at the newcomers and said, "You're here. Let me just finish this sword billet. It won't take long."

"Take your time; we're not in a hurry," Paimon said, waving her hands lightly. Lumine nodded in silent agreement.

Nolan moved closer to watch Master Zhang work. Having watched Wagner forge weapons many times, he could tell that Master Zhang was making a sword billet for a one-handed sword.

If Nolan learned the craft, he thought, he could likely use Adventure EXP to quickly master forging and produce high-quality weapons to sell. Especially with four-star weapons, which could fetch millions—quite profitable without needing to go on adventures!

But wait, no. Adventures were still necessary.

Without fighting monsters, there would be no Adventure EXP to level up skills.

That said, blacksmithing could be as lucrative as adventuring. Even top-tier blacksmiths like Wagner, who could craft four-star weapons, needed over ten days for one, which, after subtracting material costs, would bring in two to three million Mora—about a hundred thousand per day.

This was comparable to what a top-tier adventurer like Nolan could earn from a mid-level commission, which offered ten to twenty thousand Mora.

Considering the additional Adventure EXP gained from adventuring, there was no need to focus solely on blacksmithing.

However, it would be worth learning at some point, given that the pinnacle of blacksmithing was crafting the legendary five-star weapons, a feat few mortals could achieve.

Yet, achieving the skill level required to forge a five-star weapon would demand an enormous amount of Adventure EXPs. It might be more practical to improve himself directly for now. He would consider blacksmithing when he had more Adventure EXP to spare.

As Nolan pondered, Master Zhang quickly completed a sword billet. He quenched it briefly in water, then set his tools aside and went inside the shop, returning with a bicycle.

"Take a good look. I crafted all the parts according to the design and assembled them as instructed. There shouldn't be any issues," Master Zhang said.

Though experienced, this was his first time making something so novel, so he couldn't be sure it would match the design's intended function.

"Alright, we'll check it out," Nolan nodded, and he and Lumine inspected the bicycle.

It resembled the vintage bicycles from Earth, though it was slightly smaller. The design was pleasing.

The handlebars were a simple straight bar with iron hand brakes at the ends. The brake cables were several strands of tough-looking wire twisted together, just like on Earth, though without protective sheaths.

The seat seemed to be leather filled with lots of cotton, providing a soft feel. It also had the feature of adjustable height. Additionally, there was a wooden basket on the front and a rear rack capable of carrying a passenger—both practical additions.

The only minor drawback was the wooden tires.

"Let me try it," Lumine said, feeling a sudden interest.

"Sure, take it for a spin and see how it feels!" Nolan nodded.

Lumine grasped the bike and gently lifted her leg, gracefully straddling the soft seat. She found it comfortable, with no hard spots pressing against her. Overall, the comfort was satisfactory.

With her left foot, clad in over-the-knee white heeled boots, resting on the ground and her right foot on the pedal, she pushed off lightly, and the bike started moving.

The wheels turned, making a sound like a carriage: "grug-grug-grug."

"It looks fun; Paimon want to ride too!"

Seeing Lumine riding the bicycle, Paimon's curiosity got the better of her. She flew up and sat on the rear rack, holding onto Lumine's skirt on either side.

"Haha, how's my craftsmanship? Is it up to standard?" Master Zhang asked, slightly surprised to see his creation moving along so smoothly with two people on it.

Last night, after assembling the bicycle, he had tried it himself but couldn't get it to move properly and almost fell off a few times. He had even doubted whether he'd made a mistake. But after repeatedly checking the details in the design plans and finding no errors, he finally felt relieved.

"It looks great! No wonder you're a famous hundred-year-old brand from Liyue!" Nolan said confidently.

After Lumine made a couple of rounds, Nolan also took a quick turn. He found that the thick seat cushion compensated for the rough ride caused by the wooden wheels.

After a few more tries, confirming that the bicycle met their requirements, they happily paid the 150,000 Mora forging fee.

"So, now we just need to find a buyer?" Paimon, realizing the potential market for this thing called a "bicycle," excitedly imagined a future where the Traveler would be rich and Mora would be endless.

"Yeah, but who should we approach? Or should we just ride it around the busy streets and attract the attention of merchants with a keen eye for business?" Lumine turned to Nolan, curious about his thoughts.

"No need for that. Even the most talented merchants can't compare to the 'Tianquan Star,' Ningguang," Nolan replied with a smile.

Not only was Ningguang wealthy, but she also had power, controlling Liyue's economic development. There was no one more suitable to approach.

"The Liyue Qixing? But didn't we just suspect her of harming Geo Archon two days ago?" Paimon asked, puzzled, with her hands behind her back.

"Hey, Paimon, you don't seriously believe what that Fatui Harbinger said, do you? If he hadn't given us that 'All-Purpose Adepti Seeker,' I wouldn't have even bothered with him," Nolan remarked, wanting to flick Paimon's forehead for being so naive.

"Yes, the Fatui definitely have some ulterior motive for telling us those things. We can use this business opportunity to observe the 'Tianquan Star' and see if she could really be the culprit," Lumine said thoughtfully, crossing her arms and resting her chin on her hand.

"Okay, but can we easily meet such an important person?" Paimon asked, realizing she might have been influenced by Childe's speculations.

"In any case, let's start by asking at the Ministry of Civil Affairs," Nolan suggested.

Nolan knew that meeting Ningguang wouldn't be easy, but the Ministry of Civil Affairs would definitely have a way to contact her.

Liyue Harbor.

Nolan sped through the crowded streets on the bicycle, with Lumine sitting upright on the rear rack, her legs together.

The fast-moving air lifted her white skirt from below.

From bottom to top.

Her snow-white thighs and lantern shorts were slightly exposed.

To prevent her skirt from flying up, Lumine had to hold onto Nolan's waist with her right hand and press down on the skirt with her left hand.

"Wow, this is so fast! It's so much more comfortable than flying myself. Let's go!" Paimon cheered excitedly.

Her small and light frame made it perfect for her to sit on the front basket without causing much strain.

A novel, two-wheeled vehicle that could carry people drew frequent glances from pedestrians on the street.

"What is this thing? It can carry two people without having to touch the ground? It looks incredibly convenient!"

This was the inevitable thought that crossed the minds of those who saw the bicycle.

It's easy to predict that once bicycles can be mass-produced and sold, they won't have trouble finding buyers.

Nolan felt very happy as well because riding this bicycle brought back memories of riding to school years ago. It was truly nostalgic.

"Be careful, don't ride so fast! Watch out for people!" Lumine said, her golden hair fluttering wildly in the wind. The sensation of it touching her eyes was somewhat uncomfortable, so she had no choice but to press her face against Nolan's back.

She also gently reminded him with her slightly parted lips.

"Okay, I got it."

Nolan responded casually, though he didn't slow down on the pedals.

Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.

Without any work to do, Hu Tao lay on the roof tiles, staring at the sun, trying to spot the vague black spot she had seen before.

Unfortunately, such black spots didn't often appear on the surface of the sun.

She thought with a slight hint of disappointment.

"Geo Archon inexplicably met his demise, and now everyone on the streets looks so sorrowful. I hope everyone can move past this sadness soon."

Hu Tao propped herself up, adjusted the slightly crooked Qiankun Taiyi hat on her head, and gazed down at the people in the street below.

"By the way, I wonder if Wangsheng Funeral Parlor will get the chance to handle the Lord's funeral. Oh, no, the Lord is a deity; it should be called the 'Immortal Farewell Ceremony.'

"But we haven't yet investigated the truth behind the Lord's demise. The Liyue Qixing probably won't have time for this right now."

As she was thinking this, she suddenly saw a two-wheeled vehicle speeding down the street.

"Hmm?" Hu Tao raised her eyebrows, her plum-blossom-like pupils reflecting a thoughtful expression. "Wheels like a carriage, and it can carry two people—what a amazing thing?!"

An interested expression appeared on her fair face.

"Hey!"

Hu Tao chuckled lightly, stood up, and jumped directly down from the roof.

Nolan saw a figure suddenly jump out in front of them and quickly grabbed both side brakes.

The rolling wooden wheels came to an immediate halt.

However, even with special treatments to increase friction, the wooden tires took about a meter to stop from high speed.

In ordinary circumstances, this would be acceptable, but suddenly encountering a person at such a speed could be dangerous.

"Wow, stop quickly or we'll crash into her!"

Paimon, in a panic, forgot that she could fly and could have avoided the collision in advance.

The next second,

The bicycle came to an abrupt stop.

Paimon, who was sitting in the front basket, was thrown off and then landed back down as if she had collided with something soft.

"Hmm?"

Hu Tao, while holding onto the front of the bicycle to stop it, patted her clothes on her small belly and smiled:

"Hehe, sorry for suddenly stopping you, but this vehicle of yours looks so interesting that I wanted to learn more about it. I also want one!"

Nolan looked at the girl who had stopped them.

She wore a round hat with red plum blossoms on the sides, and beneath it flowed her red-brown twin-tailed long hair.

Her fair face had a touch of playful charm.

She wore a robe with Liyue-style patterns and a long back, colored similarly to her hair. Her eyes were as beautiful as a plum blossom.

She wore black shorts, and her snow-white, soft legs were exposed.

On her feet were short socks adorned with plum blossoms and small brown shoes.

Hu Tao!

A name immediately sprang to Nolan's mind.

In the game's plot, Nolan learned that she was a girl who was a bit whimsical and liked to play pranks. No wonder she suddenly appeared to stop them.

"And you are?"

Lumine got off the rear rack, put her hands on her hips, and looked at her with amber eyes, somewhat displeased.

Doesn't she realize how dangerous that was? They almost crashed into her!

"Hmm~ I am Hu Tao, the head of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor!"

Hu Tao retracted her right hand, which had extended from her sleeve and was painted with black nail polish. She patted her slightly rising chest and smiled as if she hadn't noticed Lumine's displeasure.

"Well, Miss Hu Tao, this bicycle was designed by us, and there is only one for now. If you want one, please wait a while; it will be mass-produced in the future."

Nolan was quite willing to explain to Hu Tao.

"Ah, so it's not available for purchase right now."

Hu Tao crossed her arms, with her wide sleeves draping over her small belly. Her face first showed a bit of disappointment, then she continued to look at the bicycle:

"Hehe, how about you sell me this bicycle?"

Encountering such an interesting thing, she didn't want to give up easily.

"This isn't possible. We need to take it to negotiate with Lady Ningguang,"

Paimon rejected Hu Tao's idea, which affected her "free meals."

"Negotiating with Ningguang? I see. This is something I'm quite good at. How about I accompany you, and after the deal is done, you can let me play with the bicycle for a couple of days?"

Hu Tao insisted.

(End of Chapter)

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