"No more for today. I'm done."
Looking at the 500,000 Mora, Cai Zihao fought the urge to open another jar. He felt his luck for the day had probably run out.
Two jars had yielded a powerful tool and a huge cash prize.
If he pushed it, the next one would surely be empty.
"I'll come back tomorrow," Cai Zihao said excitedly, pocketing the Mora. "I'm more than satisfied with today's haul."
He knew not to get greedy. It was better to quit while he was ahead.
Contentment was a virtue.
"As you wish."
Felix smiled faintly, unfazed by Cai Zihao's decision.
"Thank you, Shopkeeper! Thank you!"
After securing his money and his new Elephant Finger Puppet, Cai Zihao thanked Felix profusely. "If it weren't for the jars you sell, my life would never have changed! Shopkeeper, you are like a second father to me!"
He was about to kneel down and kowtow out of sheer gratitude.
"No need for such drama."
Felix waved his hand. An invisible force caught Cai Zihao, preventing his knees from touching the floor.
"It was all your own luck," Felix said, shaking his head. "A man should not kneel so easily. You pulled good items because of your good fortune. You are not the only one. If you truly wish to thank me, the best way is to keep buying jars up to your weekly limit. That is the greatest support you can give."
"Yes, Shopkeeper!"
Cai Zihao nodded like a chick pecking at grain.
He stood up, thanked Felix several more times, and left the shop, practically floating on air.
"Looks like that guy made out like a bandit," Wenqi murmured to Doyle as they watched Cai Zihao exit with a huge grin.
"Yeah, he must have pulled something amazing."
...
"First, I'll deposit 200,000 at the Liyue Bank. Then I'll save the other 300,000 to open more jars tomorrow."
Cai Zihao was already planning his finances as he walked. He would put some money into a fixed deposit account to earn interest—an emergency fund.
Today was a great day.
"Brother! Brother!"
Suddenly, a man in plain clothes stepped in front of him, blocking his path with a wide smile.
"Who are you?"
Cai Zihao's happy expression vanished, replaced by a frown. "Why are you blocking my way?"
This guy had ruined his good mood.
"Hehe, don't be angry. I just wanted to ask you a question."
The man chuckled. "I saw you come out of the Jar Shop looking ecstatic. You must have pulled something good. I wonder if you'd be willing to sell it? I'll pay well. I can start the bidding at one million Mora."
The man was a Fatui agent. Seeing Cai Zihao's obvious joy, he was sure the fisherman had won a prize. His mission from the Harbinger was to acquire any powerful items pulled from the shop.
Cai Zihao's heart sank.
He hadn't expected people to be camping outside the shop, watching for winners.
He had been too careless, letting his joy show so plainly.
But sell his tools? Never.
Not for any price.
The Automatic Fishing Gloves and the Elephant Finger Puppet were his golden geese. They were sources of continuous income. Selling them would be idiotic.
"I didn't get any items," Cai Zihao said flatly. "I spent 100,000 Mora and pulled 500,000 Mora. That's why I'm happy. I won money, not a tool."
"Uh."
The Fatui agent froze.
Just 500,000 Mora?
A 5x return was a good haul, sure.
But he was after powerful artifacts, not cash.
The agent's face fell. He had gotten his hopes up for nothing.
Still, he pressed on. "Did you only open one jar? Nothing else?"
"Isn't that obvious?" Cai Zihao replied, annoyed. "I got 500,000 Mora and now I'm going to the bank. Believe it or not, I don't care. Now get out of my way."
He pushed past the agent and walked purposefully toward the Liyue Bank.
Fatui Agent: "..."
"Country bumpkin," the agent muttered under his breath as Cai Zihao walked away. "Getting so excited over a mere 500,000 Mora. What a waste of my time."
He shook his head and melted back into the shadows of a nearby alley, his eyes still fixed on the Jar Shop. His shift wasn't over yet.
...
At Wangsheng Funeral Parlor
Lao Meng, the parlor's elderly caretaker, paced anxiously at the entrance, staring into the distance.
Finally, he saw a familiar figure skipping toward him.
"Director! You're finally back!" Lao Meng ran to meet her.
"What's wrong?" Hu Tao asked, surprised by his panicked expression. "Did something happen at the parlor?"
"It's that Fire Dragon Egg you brought back! It started moving today!"
Lao Meng said urgently. "It was shaking and flashing with a white light for a long time. I think it's about to hatch!"
"What?!"
Hu Tao's eyes went wide.
She had just been at the Jar Shop asking about this egg, planning to come back and try "nourishing" it with fire.
And now it was hatching?
She didn't hesitate. She sprinted into the funeral parlor.
Lao Meng sighed, watching his whirlwind of a boss disappear inside.
This Director...
Shouldn't she have been carrying such a precious item with her? She was always so forgetful.
He shook his head and hurried after her.
In a back room of the parlor, a red-orange egg sat in a makeshift nest of soft cloth. It was vibrating and pulsing with a gentle white light.
The ferrylady of the parlor watched it nervously.
She knew this was the Director's prized pet egg. A Fire Dragon Egg.
Although she'd never seen a fire dragon, she had witnessed the magic of the Director's new Soul Staff. She believed it.
A few moments ago, the egg had started shaking and glowing for no reason. She had immediately called for Lao Meng, who was equally clueless. They were too afraid to even touch it.
"Where's the egg? Where's the Fire Dragon Egg?"
Hu Tao burst into the room.
"Director!" The ferrylady sighed in relief.
Hu Tao ran over and saw the egg vibrating and glowing. It looked like the creature inside was trying to break out.
"Is it hatching?" she wondered aloud. "Did anything unusual happen before it started glowing?"
"No," the ferrylady shook her head. "It just suddenly started."
Hu Tao crouched down, her face filled with curiosity, and watched the egg.
It had to be hatching.
But why now?
Time ticked by. As Hu Tao stared, the egg suddenly erupted in a blinding flash of white light.
The ferrylady and Lao Meng squeezed their eyes shut.
Hu Tao squinted but kept watching.
A few seconds later, the light faded.
A small creature stood where the egg had been.
Hu Tao stared, completely dumbfounded.
This... is a fire dragon?
Next to her, the ferrylady and Lao Meng also stared, their faces masks of pure confusion.
"That... that thing is a fire dragon???" Lao Meng finally managed to say, his voice full of disbelief.
Read ahead with 100+ chapters now with daily updates!
@patreon.com/Zefyrus