"It looks so... so sweet! It tastes like a sweet flower!"
Looking at the Sweet Sweet Pill in Ryan's hand, Paimon couldn't help but drool.
She remembered a dish from Mondstadt, Sweet Madame.
"This is my unique Sweet Sweet Pill, which solves the problem of medicine not tasting good. Its main function is to quickly heal certain injuries after consumption."
Ryan explained to Changsheng and the others.
This Sweet Sweet Pill was refined using sweet flowers as the main ingredient. It was the first pill Ryan ever refined when Cloud Retainer first let him practice alchemy, and it was also the first pill recipe Ryan recorded.
Although there might be strange side effects, at least for healing, there were no problems.
Cloud Retainer had also refined pills according to Ryan's recipe once, but in the end, she only produced an overly sweet sugar pill with no medicinal effect.
It was after that incident that Ryan gradually understood the special nature of his pill refining abilities.
"A healing pill, you say... May I take some powder to examine it?"
Baizhu couldn't discern the pill's special properties with his naked eye, so he proposed this.
Of course, Ryan had no reason to refuse. After all, they had just asked Shitous Gem Shop for a noctilucous jade sample for appraisal.
So, Ryan took out a golden file and filed off some powder from the pill's surface, pouring it onto a reed paper on Bubu Pharmacy's table.
"Qiqi, close your eyes."
Changsheng suddenly reminded Qiqi, who was nearby, holding coconut milk and joining in the fun.
Qiqi slowly sipped the last bit of coconut milk, and though his eyes showed confusion, he obediently closed them.
Then, Baizhu took out a small knife and gently cut his wrist, and crimson blood immediately flowed out.
"Waaah..."
Paimon quickly covered his eyes with both hands and hid beside Lumine.
After cutting his wrist, Baizhu used a finger from his other hand to dab a little of the filed-off pill powder and put it into his mouth.
Sweet... as if holding white sugar... This was Baizhu's first sensation. The subsequent feeling was that the sweetness in his mouth transformed into a warm current, instantly surging through his limbs and bones.
The next moment, the continuously flowing blood from Baizhu's wrist instantly stopped, and the wound quickly clotted.
However, since it was only a small amount of powder, the wound did not instantly heal after clotting, but it did scab over at a visible speed.
"Immortal medicine..."
Even a small amount of powder could quickly clot and scab a wound. If the entire pill were swallowed, it would undoubtedly be effective for critical injuries, so Baizhu immediately thought of this term.
"The value of this pill, I'm afraid, exceeds three million Mora. One everlasting incense doesn't seem quite appropriate."
Changsheng leaned over and licked the remaining powder. Although he couldn't fully analyze it, he said with certainty.
"I accept your trade, Ryan, but please let me think about what other items I should add to make up a sufficiently equivalent value."
After personally testing the medicinal effect, Baizhu solemnly said to Ryan.
That warm current that surged through his limbs and bones just now gave him the illusion that his body was stepping into another level.
"No need for those precious things. The value of this pill to me is just a few raw materials. It's not precious to me personally, so a trade is a trade."
"It's like, to the Geo Archon who mints Mora, he wouldn't consider Mora very precious to himself, would he? He probably spends a lot of it casually."
Ryan waved his hand and explained.
"So..."
"Just give me one more everlasting incense and three million Mora, and that'll do."
Suddenly, Ryan's face broke into a smile as he proposed this.
He couldn't help it; there was a rich young Young Master pursuing Paimon, and if he didn't have financial means, he probably wouldn't be able to win Paimon over.
"...You really are a big spender."
Lumine, who had recovered from his daze, looked at Ryan and said.
"Wrong, wrong, it's a small spending spree! All in all, this is less than ten million Mora, but if this pill were given to... well, important figures like the Liyue Qixing for treatment, the profit would definitely be more than this."
Changsheng refuted Lumine's words at this moment, winking at Ryan as he spoke, seemingly reminding him.
"Then, it's a deal."
Baizhu also felt it wasn't too expensive.
And so, two everlasting incenses and a Northland Bank check for three million Mora were handed to Ryan.
Having obtained the everlasting incense, everyone bid farewell to Qiqi, Baizhu, and Changsheng, and left Bubu Pharmacy.
"By the way, Ryan, why did you get two everlasting incenses?"
On the way back to Yujing Terrace, Paimon looked at the two everlasting incenses, tilting his head in confusion as he asked.
"Because I want to keep one for myself. That way, when I miss the Geo Archon, I can take it out and worship him."
Ryan explained.
He would never tell Paimon that he intended to offer worship in advance to prevent the Geo Archon from suddenly coming back to life when he was 'looting the body' tonight.
And so, returning to the square in front of Yiyan Hall on Yujing Terrace, Ryan placed one of the everlasting incenses on the offering table.
At this point, the preparations for the Rite of Parting were basically complete.
Although there was still one last item, it was getting late, so Morax decided to wait until tomorrow.
And to thank Ryan, Lumine, and Paimon for helping him prepare for the Rite of Parting, Morax decided to treat them to a meal.
He even promised that he would bring Mora this time.
So, he returned to Wangsheng Funeral Parlor to get money, while Ryan followed Paimon and his companions, strolling for a while before arriving at the place Morax was treating them, Sanwan Buguogang Restaurant.
And just as Morax was treating them, at the Northland Bank...
"Young Master, I just heard them mention that the Golden House was..."
A Fatui named Yekaterina reported the information she had overheard to Young Master.
"I see... Liyue Qixing, what else could you be hiding in the Golden House besides the Exuvia?"
"I'm sorry, Traveler, but I warned you, didn't I? There's an old Liyue saying: 'Walls have ears.'"
...At Sanwan Buguogang Restaurant, Ryan ate his meal while listening to the storyteller recount tales of Tianquan Star Ningguang throwing trash and paper scraps from high in the sky.
"I finally found you, the one who returned from Jueyun Karst."
Just as Ryan was happily eating with his recently increased appetite, and Morax was silently checking his coin purse to ensure he had enough Mora, a familiar voice attracted everyone's attention.
Ryan immediately turned his head and saw Ganyu standing on the rooftop.
"Senior Sister Ganyu, would you like to come down and eat with us? Someone's treating."
Ryan invited Ganyu on the rooftop while shoveling rice into his mouth.
"Ryan...? How are you here...?"
Ganyu only noticed Ryan then. He had been eating with his head down, and Ganyu had been so focused on observing and confirming Lumine and Paimon's identities that she hadn't noticed him.
"Ryan, you know him?"
Lumine and Paimon, who had initially thought the Millelith were chasing them and were almost scared into running away, looked at Ryan to confirm.
"Yes, he's my Senior Sister."
Ryan nodded and explained.
"Sorry, Ryan, I have a lot of work to do and can't sit down and rest."
"To those who returned from Jueyun Karst, I am Ganyu, secretary of Yuehai Pavilion, and I have come specifically for you."
Ganyu rubbed his stomach but still apologetically declined Ryan's invitation and began to explain to Paimon and his companions...