After leaving the New Moon Pavilion (Xinyue Kiosk), Xianyu remained deep in thought, contemplating the information provided by Tartaglia.
To be honest, he was quite surprised about the puppet master behind the scenes. He initially thought it was the work of other big merchants, but it turned out that it involved a "high-ranking" member of Liyue.
This high-ranking individual wasn't one of the Liyue Qixing but someone else, adding a layer of complexity to the situation.
Xianyu hadn't planned on causing trouble for this person. I mean, he didn't even intend to settle the score with the Shui family, let alone someone from the higher echelons of Liyue.
"I just hope this person doesn't cross me; otherwise, I'll have to find an opportunity to deal with them," Xianyu muttered to himself.
Eliminating the opponent was something Xianyu never doubted. Even if it wasn't immediately feasible, there was always the matter of the Demon God. At that time, who would bother about others' lives and deaths when everyone would be focused on self-preservation?
"Here we are. This will be your new residence. Take the key, and we'll bid you farewell."
Xianyu looked at the attic in front of him. It wasn't extravagant, but given its prime location, the price was likely not low.
Tartaglia arranging for him to stay here was considerate enough.
"Yeah, sure. Thanks to your young master for me."
After the Fatui folks left, only Xianyu, Zang Ming, and his granddaughters remained on the scene.
"Young master, this house is 'borrowed' from the Fatui?"
At this, Xianyu naturally retorted, "Borrowed?"
"Well, you could say that. It's just a matter of... well, I'll live here as long as I want."
"Alright, don't worry about it. It's a small matter, really. Rest assured, the Fatui executive 'lent' it to me, and there won't be any issues."
Although it was called a 'lent,' the property rights were actually in Xianyu's hands in his space. To avoid causing too much shock, he didn't reveal the true situation.
Overall, the room looked decent. The decoration was simple, and the furniture was complete, sparing Xianyu from further trouble.
It seemed Tartaglia had put some thought into this arrangement.
"Choose your rooms yourselves; I'll take the left side on the second floor."
"Oh, almost forgot. Uncle Zhang, take care of this card. There's 150,000 Mora inside, and you can handle the daily expenses."
"Of course, I might not be in the room often in the future, so don't worry about me. Manage the Mora as you see fit, whether for small business or anything else."
With these instructions, Xianyu disappeared around the corner.
Is 150,000 Mora a lot? For regular folks, it indeed is. Not to mention in the past, even Zhang Feng and Xianyu themselves used to worry about Mora. But now, well, it's just how things are.
As long as Xianyu is willing, a couple of trips to the wilderness can easily fetch minerals, exotic beasts, and strange herbs—like a walk in the park.
Even if he stays indoors, he's got Dragon Blood Wood, Deep Stone, and all that good stuff in his space.
Dragon Blood Wood isn't that useful for Xianyu now, especially since the scabbard will be delivered later, making its value even lower.
But for certain folks, like those ship merchants, this kind of wood is a treasure. If used to build ships, not only will it make them indestructible, but it will also have a deterrent effect. It's like a priceless gem!
Of course, no one would extravagantly use this wood to build an entire ship; that's not cost-effective. Most likely, they'd incorporate parts of it for intimidation.
As for the Deep Stone, it can be easily sold to the Fatui. Given the Winter Nation's environment, which is no less harsh than the Dragonspine Mountains, selling it to them won't fetch a low price.
So, even though Xianyu practically gave away most of his Mora, compared to the wealth he possesses, it's peanuts.
And this is just a small portion of what he has collected. If he had done a lot of logging and collected deep stones back in the Dragonspine Mountains, his Mora would be even more colossal.
But Mora is one of those things that, once you have the capability, acquiring it isn't difficult. Hence, Xianyu isn't too concerned.
Watching Xianyu vanish on the second floor, Zhang Feng tightened his grip on the card, feeling a surge of emotions.
"Don't worry, young master. I won't let you down!"
Xianyu is blissfully unaware of Zhang Feng's internal turmoil. As for how the latter plans to handle that Mora, Xianyu couldn't care less.
He's got a good grasp of who Zhang Feng is, so there's no need to worry.
His own troubles, on the other hand, are piling up.
The Fatui situation might be resolved, but there's a high likelihood of inviting trouble from the Shui family next. While an outright provocation might not happen, subtle interference is probable.
Xianyu himself might be fine, but if he ends up causing trouble for others, that would be uncomfortable, especially for Zhang Feng and the others who helped him when he first crossed over. Despite saving them in return, emotions sometimes grow from small, everyday gestures.
It's precisely because of their time together that Xianyu takes care of them.
"Seeing the Fatui's attitude towards me today, they shouldn't be that foolish. They'll likely make a move after investigating. For the time being, I should keep a low profile."
"Hmm... it seems I'll have to strengthen my relationship with the Fatui. Although it might not be beneficial for my future life in Liyue, at least it's harmless for now."
There's no other better way to attain peace than using the Fatui as a shield. Or should he seek help from the Qixing? Don't be ridiculous. Are they that easy to find? And even if they are found, report the "high-ranking" individual? Good luck with that!
Xianyu isn't foolish enough to engage in such activities, nor does he have the time for them.
"Well, it seems he can't escape being a 'trusted fool' OBO..."
"But who cares? Once the Demon God matter is over, all these problems won't matter anymore! Besides, whether he stays in Liyue at that time is up in the air."
As Xianyu anticipated, the next ten days were indeed calm and uneventful, with no melodramatic incidents.
At most, Zhang Feng set up a small stall selling toys, well... Winter Nation toys.
Xianyu had no objections to this; a bit of business is good, at least ensuring their daily expenses.
As for the source of goods, there's no need to mention it. With Xianyu's connections, there won't be any issues.
The scabbard also arrived, but it's worth mentioning that the scabbard's dark red color clashed a bit with the blue and white sword body. However, it's just a minor flaw, not a significant problem.
Life seemed to settle into a peaceful routine. Besides daily meditation and practice, Xianyu occasionally strolled through the streets.
Of course, Tartaglia wanted to spar with Xianyu again during this period but got rejected.
He's a battle maniac, not Xianyu. Xianyu practices for self-preservation and longevity, considering combat as just a side gig. With that time, wouldn't it be better spent on cultivation?
"Li Wen! Come out! Today, he's settling the score in blood!"