The medicinal ingredients required for the Heart-Calming Powder of Entwined Branches were not easy to acquire; they were all aged components that Bubu Pharmacy did not stock, requiring collection deep within the mountains.
Fortunately, Morax had collected quite a bit beforehand and stored it in a certain Adeptal Abode, so it didn't take long.
Xiao looked at the Heart-Calming Powder of Entwined Branches on the table and remained silent for a long time. He couldn't help but wonder: could he truly get rid of his karma?
The feeling of being plagued by karma is unbearable, and no one would enjoy it. If possible, he certainly wanted to return to normal.
But previously, he had deeply suppressed this thought, knowing it was the recompense for Accumulated Slaughter over generations, something inescapable.
Yet now, the words of the Lord Rex Lapis made this idea resurface in his heart.
"Hmph, tedious."
Xiao snorted coldly. When did he become so sentimental?
...*Clap!*
Tian Tiezhui suddenly opened his folding fan and then said in a deep voice:
"As the story goes, back in Liyue, the sea was plagued by great demons, and the mountains were occupied by evil Drakes."
"Rex Lapis gathered the Adepti, intending to restore peace to the world."
"Legend has it that when the Lord Rex Lapis set out on his campaign, he once said..."
*Erhu starts!*
Well, there was no Erhu here. It was mainly because Morax's character demo left too deep an impression that Shiki thought she was watching a Character Demo the moment Tian Tiezhui opened his mouth.
At this moment, she and Ayaka were sitting in this tavern named Three Bowls Are Not Enough, but although called a tavern, it also served tea.
On the empty table sat only a teapot and two teacups. Steam curled gently from the cups, and combined with the girl's delicate, doll-like features, it gave off the feeling of an Adeptus entering the mortal realm.
However, Inazuma has no Adepti, nor are there Inazuman people among the Adepti.
Many patrons, while listening to the story, would occasionally glance at these two girls from Inazuma.
Watching their graceful figures and exquisite faces, even the cheap tea seemed to acquire complexity.
It's not that the tea at Three Bowls Are Not Enough is bad, but rather that most people can't afford the better kinds.
Shiki had money, so she naturally ordered the most expensive Green Tea, sipping it while listening to the story—it certainly hit the spot.
"At that time, demons and Archons rose together. Though I had no intention of vying for power, I was aware of the suffering of the common people."
"Good!"
The moment the voice fell, a round of applause and cheers erupted below the stage, and Shiki followed suit with a light clap.
"Liyue is truly interesting. The form of Storytelling allows people to learn about past history without being boring. Perhaps we could establish similar storytelling venues in Inazuma."
Ayaka sighed, confirming that reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles. What she learned from books was ultimately just theory; some things must be personally experienced to be understood.
"However, most of the content told by Storytellers is artistically embellished and differs somewhat from true history."
"Actually, this sort of thing is just about novelty. We find Plays boring purely because we've seen too many; the stories are always the same few types."
"As long as the stories are diverse, it should still work."
"We can introduce historical stories from other nations into Inazuman drama creation. People are always curious about unfamiliar stories, and they will definitely be interested."
Shiki knew well that no form of entertainment in this world could remain interesting forever; what truly brings enjoyment is the core content.
For example, Computer Games: the operation is nothing more than pressing keys and clicking a mouse. This action alone wouldn't be considered interesting, but if combined with the content on the screen, that's another matter.
Moreover, people won't just play one game; after a while, they'll definitely move on to new ones.
It's like playing Plants vs. Zombies as a child and now playing Sekiro. What attracts you to games has never been the controls, but the content within the game.
The same applies to audiobooks and plays.
Repetitive stories will definitely get boring, but if you switch to a new one, won't that solve the problem?
"Hmm… indeed."
Ayaka nodded. Sure enough, she was still looking at things too superficially. It seemed she needed to learn more.
Shiki raised her teacup with her right hand, lifted the sleeve of her right arm with her left, and then gently sipped the tea.
Every movement was pleasing to the eye, and many peeping customers felt much happier. It proved that looking at beautiful women could indeed relax one's mind.
Such beauty is not usually seen in Liyue Harbor, and coupled with those clearly trained movements, it's probably only seen at the Pearl Galley, right?
Of course, another name might be clearer, and that is...
A brothel.
That's right, a brothel.
During the day, it's a normal floating restaurant, but at night, it becomes a place where countless men linger.
At this moment, Shiki didn't know that she had been mistaken for a woman comparable to a "courtesan". She was wondering where to go next.
After all, since it was an investigation, the Traveler and her companions shouldn't be back so soon, right?
'Atsuko, the Sakura in my hometown has bloomed…'
This mischievously amusing phrase suddenly popped into Shiki's mind, and she knew where she should go.
Liyue Harbor's dock!
"Waiter, bill please."
"Coming right up! One pot of premium Longjing tea, that'll be 35,000 Mora!"
"Here's 50,000. Keep the change; the extra is for that storyteller." Shiki said, taking out 50,000 Mora from her long furisode sleeve and placing it on the table.
"Also, please keep this table for us. We'll be back later. As for the tea… the same Longjing as before, please."
"No problem, esteemed guest! I'll see you out!"
The waiter tucked the Mora into his pocket, then bowed and walked slightly ahead to escort the two down the steps.
"Thank you."
Shiki simply thanked him, then opened her paper umbrella and walked towards the dock with Ayaka.
Watching the two beautiful women slowly depart, the waiter couldn't help but feel a little emotional. He never thought that one day he would be able to serve such exceptionally beautiful people.
The white-haired one looked a bit young, but the black-haired one had fully bloomed like a flower. He just wondered who would eventually pick this flower.
Of course, that person would definitely not be him; he had a pretty good idea of his own standing.
He wasn't educated; this was as far as he would go in life. Finding a woman of ordinary standards to be his wife would already be a blessing.
He was just afraid of encountering a 'tank' in the end; that would truly be a situation where he wanted to cry but had no tears.
The two arrived at the dock, and the smell of fish mixed with the sea breeze. It seemed Liyue Harbor was not without its flaws; at the very least, the stench of these rotten fish and shrimp was truly unbearable.
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I've posted 70+ chapters in advance on Patreon.
Webnovel updates will still be daily, as usual.
It might not seem tempting right now but who knows what the future holds?
[email protected]/SolyuraMT
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