"It forces them to help," Felix added, pausing for effect. "It's not a suggestion. It's mandatory."
Hearing this, Hu Tao's eyes lit up with mischievous delight. Mandatory help. Oh, the possibilities were endless.
"As for the second item, the Surprise Camera," Felix continued, pointing to the strange device. "If you take a picture of someone with this, a startling and bizarre event will immediately happen to them."
"Hmm, that doesn't sound very useful," Hu Tao said, her long eyelashes fluttering as she inspected the camera. "Shopkeeper, does the bizarre event happen to the person taking the photo, or the person being photographed?"
"You'll have to test that yourself," Felix replied, shaking his head. "I haven't used it. You can experiment with it later."
"Alright!" Hu Tao nodded emphatically. She set the items aside and excitedly smashed the sixth and seventh jars.
Smash! Smash!
A thick stack of paper tickets and a single, peculiar-looking pen dropped onto the counter.
The tickets were printed with bold red numbers: 10% Off!
[Universal Discount Coupons]: When purchasing any item, presenting one of these coupons will apply the printed discount to the final price. Each coupon is single-use.
[Escape Tunnel Pen]: Drawing a circle on a surface inside a room with this pen will create a tunnel leading outside. Similarly, drawing a circle outside can create a tunnel leading home. Please test for specific effects.
Felix raised an eyebrow as he read the system descriptions.
The coupons were incredibly practical. But the pen was fascinating—it was essentially a portable spatial wormhole. If you encountered danger in the wild, you could just draw a circle and dive back home.
Hu Tao's luck was genuinely absurd today. A constant stream of top-tier utility items.
"These tickets say ten percent off, twenty percent off, ninety percent off..." Hu Tao muttered, flipping through the thick stack. When she reached the bottom, her breath hitched. There was a ticket that read 100% Off.
"These are universal discount coupons," Felix explained with a faint smile, seeing her curiosity. "No matter what you're buying, they apply. For example, if you use a 90% off coupon on an item that costs one thousand Mora, you only have to pay one hundred Mora."
"That's such a good deal!"
Hu Tao's plum-blossom eyes widened dramatically. Her casual indifference vanished, replaced by the burning intensity of a seasoned businesswoman.
Clutching the tickets, she turned to the Ferrylady. "Quick! If something costs one thousand Mora and I have a seventy percent discount, how much is it?"
"Three hundred Mora," the Ferrylady replied, blinking in confusion. Why was the Director asking such simple math questions?
"What about something that costs ten thousand Mora?"
"Three thousand Mora."
"What about ten million?!"
"Uh... three million Mora."
Hu Tao's face flushed with sheer excitement.
Beside her, Undertaker Meng stared at the coupons, dumbfounded. At first, he hadn't thought much of them. A discount is just a discount. But when applied to luxury goods or massive business expenses? And he had distinctly seen a 90% Off ticket in that stack!
"There's a free one here!"
Hu Tao practically shoved the 100% Off ticket into Felix's face, her eyes shining like stars. "Does this mean I can buy something completely for free?!"
"Correct," Felix nodded. "A 100% discount means it's free."
"Then, Shopkeeper!" Hu Tao slammed her hands on the counter, leaning in close. "Next time I come to buy ten jars, I'll give you this free coupon! That means I get ten jars for free, right?!"
Felix: "???????"
Felix: "....."
Dark lines formed on Felix's forehead. "No."
The jars in his shop could only be purchased with Mora. No exceptions, no loopholes, no alternate currencies. Even he, the Shopkeeper, couldn't buy his own jars without paying the system. The most he could do was set the price to the absolute minimum—one hundred thousand Mora per standard jar. He couldn't go a single Mora lower.
"Aww, why not?!" Hu Tao pouted, looking incredibly disappointed.
She had fully intended to use the coupon to fleece the Shopkeeper for her next batch of refined jars. Curse him! He was immune to white-knighting!
Felix: "...."
What is with that look of profound betrayal?
"But Shopkeeper, you literally just said it could be used to buy anything," Hu Tao eyed him suspiciously. "Are you sure this isn't a scam? What if I go to a store outside and they reject it?"
"They won't," Felix shook his head firmly. "Outside of this shop, as long as it's a commercial transaction, the coupons will enforce the discount."
These coupons were produced by the Jar Shop system. Obviously, the system wasn't going to let someone use its own item to exploit it!
"Oh, okay." Hu Tao accepted the explanation, her good mood returning. She picked up the weird, finger-sized pen. "And what about this?"
"The Escape Tunnel Pen," Felix said. "If you draw a circle on the wall of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, it creates a tunnel. If you draw another circle somewhere else—say, out in the wild—the two circles connect, allowing you to travel directly back to the parlor."
"It's that magical?!" Hu Tao gasped. "Anywhere?"
"Yes," Felix nodded. "Anywhere. The two circles will link."
"So if I want to go to Mondstadt, I just draw a circle?!" Hu Tao's eyes gleamed. "Instant travel!"
"Essentially, yes," Felix agreed. "But you need to test the specifics yourself. If both circles are erased, the tunnel collapses. Also, if you draw a circle in the parlor and jump in beforedrawing an exit circle elsewhere... the destination is entirely unpredictable. Furthermore, drawing a third circle will likely erase the first one. You can only have two active at a time."
"Ooooh, I see, I see!"
Hu Tao nodded rapidly like a woodpecker, her eyes sparkling.
She was absolutely thrilled. These items were incredible! First a staff that knocks out souls, and now all these fun gadgets. Today's haul was simply fantastic.
Beaming brightly, she moved on to the final three jars.
Smash! Smash!
Two jars broke in unison.
A white glowing orb floated up, accompanied by five vibrant, crimson flowers that looked like blooming clouds.
"Oho! An Experience Orb!" Hu Tao cheered. "Shopkeeper, what kind of experience is this?"
She recognized the Silk Flowers instantly, but the white orb was a mystery.
[Master Tomb Raider's Excavation Experience]: The accumulated experience of a legendary tomb raider specializing in digging holes and filling pits. Upon fusion, the user gains the ability to perfectly analyze soil compositions and master advanced excavation techniques, allowing them to dig holes with effortless efficiency.
[Silk Flower]: A crimson flower that blooms like a rainbow cloud in Liyue. Can be made into silky-smooth fabric or used for other purposes.
"It is the experience of a master hole-digger and pit-filler," Felix said, his eyelid twitching slightly as he read the description. "Fusing with this orb will grant you mastery over excavation. You'll be able to analyze the earth, knowing instantly where the soil is soft and easy to dig, and where it is hard and strenuous. You'll learn how to dig holes effortlessly."
"Eh?"
Hu Tao puffed out her cheeks in indignation. "Just digging holes? I'm already an expert at digging pits!"
As the Director of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, she was intimately familiar with the art of digging graves. When she explored Wuwang Hill and found paranormal traces, she often had to dig up clues or old sites. She considered her shoveling skills top-tier.
This Experience Orb seemed a bit redundant.
Still, she reached out and touched the orb. Better than nothing, she thought. Maybe it'll refine my form.
"Eh?!"
The moment the knowledge flooded her mind, Hu Tao's dismissive expression vanished, replaced by sheer, unadulterated awe.
"So that's how you dig a pit! No wonder I get tired sometimes—my posture was all wrong!"
"There are techniques like this?! You can move earth this easily? I see! I have reached enlightenment!"
"This experience is incredible! The next time I have to dig a hole, it will take half the time, and I won't even break a sweat!"
Hu Tao babbled excitedly, absorbing the legendary tomb raider's techniques.
She hadn't expected the knowledge to be this profound. She thought her grave-digging skills were great, but compared to the techniques in this orb, she had been playing in a sandbox! The angles, the leverage, the soil reading—it was a true art form.
I have to write this down! she decided. I'll record these techniques in the Wangsheng archives for all future Directors to learn! This is heritage-level knowledge!
Hidden beneath the counter, squatting in the shadows, Qiqi heard every word.
Hearing the terrifying Director Hu exclaim about how much faster and more efficiently she could dig graves now... the little zombie hugged her head tighter, her entire body shaking violently in pure terror.
"Great, great!"
Thoroughly satisfied with her newfound earth-moving prowess, Hu Tao confidently smashed the final jar.
Smash!
The clay shattered, and two gleaming, golden circular wheels dropped onto the counter.
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