Chapter 66

This time, Beidou's fleet returned from Inazuma, accompanied by a unique girl from Inazuma.

Her name is Yoimiya.

She is the talented successor of Inazuma's Naganohara Fireworks Shop and a skilled fireworks artisan. Concerned about the large batch of fireworks, she was worried that something might go wrong during the journey, so she decided to accompany the ship.

This was related to the upcoming Lantern Rite Festival. If anything went wrong, she might not receive such a significant order from the Liyue Qixing in the future.

At the same time, this was Yoimiya's first visit to foreign lands, giving her a chance to witness the true prosperity of Liyue.

"Sister Beidou, is the daily throughput at Liyue's pier always this grand?"

Naganohara Yoimiya was deeply amazed.

Looking up, she couldn't see the end of the merchant ships neatly arranged at the pier. Out at sea, there were countless sails.

Just this magnificent sight filled Yoimiya with a tingling excitement.

Beidou laughed heartily.

"The pier is just one side of Liyue Harbor's thriving world," she said. "This city has many wonders, and you'll discover them as you spend more time here!"

Just then, a boatman rushed over to the docking area and shouted toward the Alcor:

"Sister, that store has reopened!"

"Nightclub Manager Takumi is back!"

At this, workers carrying goods, sailors chatting in small groups, and merchants conversing stopped in surprise.

After a few moments of silence, the bustling conversations resumed, now centered on that store, Li Sheng.

"Do you know about Hong Yi?"

"Of course! He recently got a Growlithe and even caught Lady Ningguang's attention!"

"Let me tell you, I once saw Hong Yi training his Growlithe on the outskirts of Lisha… That Growlithe was fierce, charging through a group of Treasure Hoarders like a lion among rabbits!"

"You know nothing!"

"The reason it's called a Pokémon is its high intelligence, ability to respond to humans, and its elemental flame attacks… Recently, an entire Hilichurl camp was scorched. Captain Hong Yi and his Growlithe took them down, one by one!"

"And speaking of Pokémon, why does Lady Keqing's little one just sit quietly on her shoulder without showing any aggression?"

"You don't understand! According to my uncle, who works in the Ministry of Civil Affairs, Lady Keqing's Pokemon has abilities that let her manipulate objects from afar and teleport them…"

"Whoa! So, what's the real power of these Pokémon?"

As Beidou, Kazuha, and Yoimiya disembarked from the ship, Yoimiya couldn't help but feel confused amidst the animated discussions around her.

It seemed like Liyue had a grand event awaiting beyond just its usual splendor.

When Takumi returned to his main store in Liyue, the first thing he did was ask Meloetta to open the door and welcome guests.

He didn't plan to stay at the front desk, leaving Meloetta and Cresselia in charge of reception.

"Urgent matters first," he said to himself. "I need to meet with the elder and set up the ecological zone. Then, I can return to finalize the last stages of the Auto Chess game—testing, closed beta, bug fixes, and finally, the official launch!"

Takumi had also requested the Adventurers' Guild to provide him with Catherine's technical specifications. But finding it troublesome, he simply asked them to manufacture the doll and transport it, ensuring the setup was streamlined.

Takumi had meticulously organized the layout, with each store clerk in different regions, supported by a perpetual motion doll that replicated Catherine, creating an efficient, labor-saving system.

"Now, where would the elder be?" Takumi murmured.

Holding Jirachi, he asked Cresselia to use her psychic power to search a few likely spots.

"Got it!"

"Ah, he's at Heyu Tea House, drinking tea and listening to stories, as always!"

Heyu Tea House was a popular spot for Liyue locals after work, always buzzing with patrons.

For example, the renowned Yunhan Society, led by Yun Jin, regularly held performances here.

Today, however, it was a special performance by Doctor Liu Xin.

"But Captain Beidou spent heavily," Doctor Liu Xin narrated with fervor. "Though Haishan was gravely wounded, it grew stronger with time. The sea beast's instincts urged it to bide its time for an opportunity to strike Beidou in one fell swoop!"

The audience was enraptured, their silence reflecting the story's intensity, a pin-drop quiet filling the teahouse.

At this climactic moment, Takumi appeared quietly, sitting in the distinguished guest area reserved for the Liyue Qixing, undisturbed and observant.

Separated by a bamboo screen, there was another VIP seat beside him.

"This sword cleaves through clouds, splits the moon!"

"Bloodied, Beidou collapsed on the ship's bow."

"Thunder roared as the enormous corpse sank slowly, filling the seas with blood."

The crowd erupted in applause. A waiter walked through the hall with a tray, piled high with offerings for the storyteller.

"Well told! A tip, please—" Takumi smiled, tossing a handful of Mora onto the tray to join the festivities.

The guests gradually dispersed. As they did, Takumi exchanged a glance with Zhongli, who sat next to him. Neither rose from their seat.

The teahouse owner, Master Fan Erye, quickly caught on to the importance of these two guests. He softly directed his staff, "Bring a fresh pot of tea and some exquisite snacks for our honored visitors."

Once the area was cleared, Takumi finally spoke up.

"Should I call you 'Emperor,' or will you remain a guest of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor?"

Zhongli paused, silent.

Takumi pressed on.

"I spoke with Venti, the Wind Archon of Mondstadt. He challenged you, saying, 'I've got a Lapras as my first Pokémon. It may not beat you, but I bet it can defeat your first Pokémon. Do you dare to face me in a battle? I'll make sure you leave with a bruised face!'"

"No way, no way… Could the mighty Geo Archon Morax, the founder of all Adepti, not even have his first Pokémon yet…?"