Chapter SixtyTwo: Dry Twig

It's just a piece of dry twig.

If it were an ordinary dry twig, Xianyu wouldn't be concerned, but what if it's a Geo Sigil?

Xianyu has yet to encounter this item, and obtaining it has proven elusive. The Abyss Mages have it, but he's not about to scour the land for it. Besides, he has no grudge with the Abyss—no need to make an enemy over mere curiosity.

He refrained from taking action back in Dragonspine, and he won't now. While the Geo Sigil is unique, Xianyu doesn't believe it will enhance his abilities.

Spiritual energy? That power is his own unique creation, impervious to external influences, a fact he's long understood.

Elemental power? Geo Sigils do possess it, but he doesn't know how to extract or utilize it, making it practically useless.

Truly underwhelming.

Though Xianyu is curious about this seemingly lackluster item, the power of the Geo Sigil traverses the entire Teyvat continent, and such an existence warrants interest. However, his recent focus on observing the "God Crystals" in his room has left little room for other considerations.

Had the merchant not presented this dry twig, he might never have remembered the existence of Geo Sigils in Teyvat.

Unable to connect with his own power source, forgetting about this item was only natural.

"It's just a dry twig, what's so special about it?"

Xianyu's skeptical tone laced with indifference made the merchant a bit anxious.

This item was left by his father and once revered. Only when the family fell on hard times did he dare to take it out. He hoped to sell it for a good price, but several years had passed, and no one had shown interest.

However, he firmly believed the twig was extraordinary. No matter if soaked in water or exposed to fire, it remained unscathed.

To prove its uniqueness, over the years, whenever encountering someone generous or knowledgeable, he would show them the twig, expecting to make a sale.

Now, Xianyu was just one more person in this category.

In the merchant's eyes, Xianyu belonged to the "generous" type, but knowledge was not expected from him.

He decided to reiterate his claim. If Xianyu still doubted, actions would speak louder than words.

Soaking it and roasting it with fire.

"Don't underestimate this twig, sir. It's truly remarkable! It remains unharmed whether in water or fire."

Seeing Xianyu preparing to confirm its properties with hands-on verification, the merchant halted.

If this Geo Sigil twig possessed such characteristics, Xianyu wouldn't find it surprising. As part of an ancient tree, even if it had lost most of its elemental power, it was still an extraordinary item.

"No need to try. Even if you prove this withered twig is extraordinary, I wouldn't know what to do with it after buying."

"Do you really believe this twig will come back to life?"

Xianyu's words, though blunt, reflected a practical reality. The merchant, of course, understood that the twig had no hope of coming back to life. He simply wanted others to perceive its uniqueness, fostering a curiosity that might make them feel extraordinary.

"What if it comes back to life in my hands?" - a hopeful mentality many people shared. The desire to be special, to have something unique, was common.

However, convincing others proved challenging. Wealthy gentlemen rarely bought items from such street vendors, and the less affluent hesitated to make sales that seemed disadvantageous. That was until Xianyu appeared.

"Sir, your distinguished appearance and fortunate aura make me believe this twig might truly rejuvenate in your hands!"

As flattering as it sounded, Xianyu, being knowledgeable about what this twig was, wasn't easily swayed. The merchant's attempt to create an air of mystique around the twig couldn't alter Xianyu's perception.

Trying to revive the Geo Sigil twig? There might be a way, but Xianyu wasn't aware of it. In his understanding, these items were mostly consumables.

"Didn't see Abyss Mages carrying one of these, did I?"

After glancing at the twig, Xianyu had initially intended to leave. A Geo Sigil twig nearing depletion of its elemental power wouldn't serve much purpose even if purchased.

"The price."

Xianyu abruptly inquired about the cost, catching the disappointed merchant off guard. It seemed he hadn't expected such a direct question about the price.

"Why? Do you want to keep it for yourself?"

"No, no, I was just saying that you, sir, are not an ordinary person. Your insight is truly unique! A discerning eye for precious things!"

Xianyu didn't pay much attention to the flattery. Although such words could be pleasant to hear, they often held little significance.

"Alright, no need for small talk. Just tell me the price."

After hearing this, the merchant abandoned the flattery and went straight to quoting the price.

"100,000 Mora! Absolutely worth it. Only an item of this price can match your distinguished demeanor, sir."

As soon as this price was mentioned, Xianyu, without a second thought, turned to leave. While the item might have some value, asking for 100,000 Mora was simply unrealistic.

"Wait, sir! The price is negotiable!"

"10,000. If you want to sell, I'll pay right away. If not, I won't force it."

With this firm offer, the merchant seemed reluctant to let it go, but Xianyu's price was the highest he had encountered so far.

"Alright... I guess I'll sell it at a loss."

Who would go out of their way to buy this useless twig? After some consideration, the merchant reluctantly agreed. To him, this twig was practically worthless, and even if someone bought it, they might pay a few hundred Mora at most.

Xianyu knew whether it was a bargain or not. This item was essentially useless; even if someone bought it, it wouldn't be for much.

...

Is the Geo Sigil twig truly useless?

At first, Xianyu thought so too.

However, upon returning to his residence, holding the crystal butterfly in one hand and the Geo Sigil twig in the other, he silently contemplated the peculiar nature of the twig. Unfortunately, he gained nothing from the experience.

But the moment he entered his room, a creature swooped down, circled around his hand holding the twig, then flew back onto Zhang Yujiao's head.

"?"

"Well... this is an unexpected joy!"

"What started as mere curiosity and research has turned out to be quite rewarding."

The fact that the Cryo crystal butterfly left Zhang Yujiao's head, temporarily abandoning the absorption of imprint power, and instead flew towards the Geo Sigil twig, spoke volumes about what this meant.

Well, even if there's a logical explanation for the weakened imprint power, the Cryo Crystal Butterfly's fascination with this lifeless twig shouldn't be underestimated.

"I guess it's time to track down the Tartaglia and strike up some deals."