Out of everything that dropped from the jars, only the Vial of Life Water had any real value. The rest... not so much.
Whether it was Childe or Ekaterina, their luck had been abysmal. In contrast, Andrei, the manager of Northland Bank, had pulled a Kekkei Genkai. He'd struck gold.
"Shopkeeper, I'll be heading out now!"
Yanfei waved cheerfully at Felix, said her goodbyes, and left the Jar Shop with Xiangling in tow.
"At this rate, I'll be able to open another Exclusive Jar in a couple of days," Felix muttered, watching Yanfei disappear down the street. He glanced at the sales tally and allowed himself a satisfied smile.
Over thirty jars sold today. Fantastic.
The more jars he sold, the more Exclusive Jars he could unlock. And those special jars contained far stranger and more powerful items than the standard loot pool—unique gadgets, bizarre abilities, things that would blow the regular inventory out of the water.
Meanwhile, Childe and Ekaterina were walking back toward Northland Bank. His expression was calm, but his tone carried weight.
"Tonight, you're going to test Andrei."
"Huh?" Ekaterina blinked, caught off guard. "What do you mean, 'test' him?"
"Andrei opened jars before you did. He claimed he only pulled three useless items," Childe said evenly. "I suspect he's hiding something."
His face was devoid of its usual pleasant smile. In its place was cold calculation.
"So tonight, you'll arm yourself and confront him. Don't kill him—just injure him enough to get the truth."
"Understood." Ekaterina nodded without hesitation.
She didn't defend Andrei. She didn't say, "But I trust him, Lord Harbinger." She simply accepted the order. Even though she and Andrei got along well, when the Harbinger spoke, there was only one acceptable response: obedience.
"Good." Childe's smile returned, pleased by her lack of sentimentality. "Let's head back to the bank."
Ekaterina fell into step behind him.
After a few minutes of walking, Childe suddenly stopped. His eyes narrowed as he focused on something ahead—a crowd gathered in the plaza to their right.
"Lord Harbinger?" Ekaterina noticed his pause. "Should I go investigate?"
"Let's check it out together."
Childe moved toward the commotion. Crowds in Liyue weren't unusual—the harbor was always bustling. But this wasn't ordinary foot traffic. People were packed together, rubbernecking like something dramatic had just happened.
When they'd passed through earlier on their way to the Jar Shop, the plaza had been nearly empty. Now it was swarming.
"Hahaha! I can't believe that guy actually violated the Flight Ordinance! And he flew right into the Jade Chamber's airspace!"
"Seriously! That takes guts. Doesn't he know Ningguang's palace shoots down unauthorized flyers?"
"Wait, isn't the Flight Ordinance common knowledge? How does someone not know the rules? Don't you have to memorize the regulations to get a flight license?"
"Oh, here's the thing—this dude doesn't have a flight license. He didn't rent Wind Gliders either. He used a kite. But not a normal kite—this one puts the person in the air while the kite stays on the ground. It's completely backward!"
"What?! He flew with a kite? How did Li Zhilong even manage that?"
"No clue, but everyone's saying it's some kind of new flying device. That's why people are crowding around—they all want to know where he bought it."
"Man, he's gonna get fined hard for breaking the Flight Ordinance."
Childe absorbed the chatter as he approached. His expression turned peculiar.
Flying... with a kite?
In the center of the crowd, a man named Li Zhilong stood clutching a colorful kite, his face the picture of misery. A Millelith guard loomed over him.
"Sir, please... I know I messed up! I'll confess everything! Just... can we skip the fine? I don't have much money..."
He'd gotten carried away and completely forgotten about Liyue's Flight Ordinance. Now he was going to pay for it—literally.
"You said it yourself: Bai Xiao from the Jade Chamber spotted you," the Millelith said flatly. "You're coming with me. We'll discuss the details at the station."
"Yes, sir..." Li Zhilong's shoulders slumped as he shuffled after the guard.
He didn't dare run or resist.
"Wait, that's it? He's leaving already?"
"Damn it! He didn't even say where he bought the kite! I wanted one!"
"Who doesn't? That thing looks way more fun than Wind Gliders. You just float up into the sky!"
Disappointed murmurs rippled through the crowd as Li Zhilong was escorted away. People had hoped to learn where he'd acquired the mysterious flying kite, but the man was whisked off before anyone could interrogate him further.
The crowd began to disperse.
Among them was Wang Ming, a crew member of the Crux Fleet. He grinned to himself, hoisting a large bag of supplies.
"Didn't expect to see something that entertaining on a supply run," he muttered. "Today was worth it."
He made his way back toward Wanmin Restaurant.
When he arrived, Chef Mao was waiting at the entrance, already holding a neatly wrapped bundle of takeout.
"Your order's ready. I've been waiting for you," Mao said with a smile, handing over the food.
"Thanks, Chef Mao! I'll be on my way then." Wang Ming waved and headed toward the harbor.
His shopping was done. Time to return to the ship.
By the time Wang Ming reached the docks, it was nearly noon. The harbor was alive with activity—sailors unloading cargo, merchants haggling, dockworkers shouting orders. When they spotted Wang Ming's Crux Fleet uniform, many of them perked up, friendly smiles spreading across their faces.
"Hey! Crux Fleet, right? Done with your supply run?"
"Where are you guys sailing next?"
"I want to join the Crux! How do I apply for the crew exam?"
"Me too!"
Wang Ming loaded his supplies onto a small rowboat and turned back to address the eager crowd.
"The Crux Fleet is currently at full capacity. We're not hiring right now," he said with an apologetic grin. "But if Captain Beidou decides to recruit, we'll post notices here at the harbor. Keep an eye on the bulletin boards."
"Got it!"
Some of the hopefuls looked deflated. Others nodded in understanding.
Under their watchful eyes, Wang Ming climbed into his rowboat and began rowing away from the docks. Slowly, he disappeared beyond the horizon.
"I heard the Crux's base is somewhere near Guyun Stone Forest. Wonder if that's true."
"Probably. But no one goes out there. It's too dangerous."
"Yeah, and even if you tried, they'd probably treat you like an enemy and blow you out of the water."
The dockworkers chatted among themselves as Wang Ming's silhouette faded into the distance.
After a few strokes of the oars, Wang Ming stopped rowing altogether. Yet the boat continued gliding forward at speed.
This was one of the Crux Fleet's modified rowboats. A few initial strokes activated a mechanism beneath the hull, allowing it to propel itself across the water with minimal effort.
Time passed.
The rowboat sliced through the waves, leaving a white wake behind it. Eventually, an enormous ship came into view.
Wang Ming's face lit up. The Alcor.
Every time he returned to the flagship, it felt like coming home.
"Wang Ming's back!"
A crew member on deck spotted him and shouted down. "Drop the ropes and ladder!"
"On it!"
A reinforced rope descended, and Wang Ming secured his supplies to it. Then he grabbed the ladder and climbed up with practiced ease, hauling himself onto the deck in seconds.
"Did you eat yet?" asked Furong, one of the crew. She tilted her head, grinning. "If not, you're out of luck—we already finished lunch. You're usually back in the afternoon. What happened?"
"Didn't feel like wandering around Liyue," Wang Ming said with a shrug. "I grabbed what we needed and came straight back."
He patted his bag. "No worries, though. I didn't eat yet, but I've got instant noodles. I'll handle lunch myself."
"Instant noodles?" Furong blinked. "What are instant noodles?"
"Heh heh. You've never heard of them, huh?" Wang Ming's grin widened, clearly enjoying her confusion. "Just wait. You're gonna be amazed."
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