On Yujing Terrace, Zhongli met with Lumine and placed the Cleansing Bell on the offering table.
Looking at the gradually "enriching" offering site, Paimon couldn't help but sigh: "It suddenly occurred to me that not long ago, the Exuvia of Rex Lapis was still lying here, and now we are already preparing a funeral rite for Him. How unpredictable life is..."
Lumine nodded in agreement: "Indeed. But if the Exuvia of Rex Lapis were still here, I'm afraid these incense burners and offerings of ours would have to be moved all the way out to the steps, right?"
Paimon thought of something, and the corner of his mouth twitched: "I know this might be impolite, but given the size of the Exuvia, if we had to prepare a coffin, wouldn't it have to be as big as a house?"
Zhongli laughed upon hearing this; he was the least afraid of being amused by dark humor: "What you say is quite true. It is fortunate that the Exuvia was placed by the Qixing in the [Golden House], otherwise, Yujing Terrace would likely not have been able to accommodate it."
"[Golden House]?" Paimon's eyes lit up: "I love this place just from the name! It must be perfectly compatible with me!"
Zhongli shook his head with a smile: "That is the mint of Liyue. Liyue holds the currency issuance rights for the entire Teyvat continent. Just as the currency 'Mora' is derived from the name of Morax, the Golden House is of utmost importance and not easily accessible."
"Alright..." Paimon's flying altitude dropped slightly, leaving Lumine speechless. Wait, what are you disappointed about?
By this time, it was getting late, and the sun was about to set. Zhongli intended to take Lumine and Paimon to buy the kites before treating them to dinner.
For this, he even specifically went back to get some money!
Lumine and Paimon were deeply touched. After spending Childe's money for so long, this was the first time they had seen Mora pulled from Zhongli's own pocket!
However, Zhongli reminded them: "But when I left, I only thought about taking you to dinner and forgot about the kites, so I only brought enough Mora to treat you."
Lumine understood immediately: "So that means we still have to use Childe's money to buy things?"
"Precisely."
And so, it was decided.
The trio arrived at the market and found a toy stall.
The owner of the stall was Granny A-Shan. Although the old lady was advanced in years, she was knowledgeable and skillful, and well-versed in the various cultural customs of Liyue. It was for this reason that Zhongli had commissioned her to make several kites.
Arriving at Granny A-Shan's stall, she recognized Zhongli at a glance. By this time, the seven kites Zhongli had customized were already finished, and Lumine and the others were basically just there to settle the payment and pick up the goods.
However, regarding the style of these seven kites, Granny A-Shan still had some concerns she felt she had to voice.
"Forgive this old woman for being meddlesome, but these seven kites aren't for ordinary occasions. Plus, with the rumors going around lately, could it be that the old gentleman, the Archon..."
Seeing that they could not hide the truth from such a meticulous old lady, Zhongli and the others had no choice but to tell her the truth: "Yes, we are buying these kites to prepare for the Rite of Descension."
Upon hearing this, Granny A-Shan sighed heavily: "Very well, very well. To be able to contribute one last time for the Archon, my life's work in making toys has not been in vain."
Subsequently, Granny A-Shan placed all seven kites on the table and introduced them to Zhongli and his companions.
"Take a look. When painting the Anemo Archon's pattern, I deliberately painted the colors 'freely' beyond the borders."
"As for the offering to the Geo Archon, it was painted strictly according to the [contract]. This pattern is very ancient; you can even see the same pattern on the walls of the [Golden House]."
"[Golden House]?" The little chatterbox Paimon immediately pricked up his ears at something that interested him: "We just heard this name earlier!"
"Paimon!" Lumine, however, suddenly spoke up to stop Paimon's loose-lipped behavior, and Paimon quickly covered his little mouth.
After Zhongli checked that all seven kites were correct, the three decided to pay and leave, only to find that the activity funds Childe had given them last time were no longer enough.
The three exchanged awkward glances. Just then, a very wealthy-sounding voice suddenly rang out from behind.
"I'll handle it! Honestly, I was worried you wouldn't have enough funds, so I thought I'd come check. I didn't expect you really wouldn't have enough!"
It was Childe. He walked over with an expression that said, "How did I end up with three such spendthrifts?" making Lumine and Paimon feel quite awkward.
In the end, Childe paid the bill and provided additional activity funds for the three, warning Lumine not to let Zhongli hold the money, otherwise he feared even this wouldn't be enough.
Finally, after some small talk, the three of them headed toward the restaurant where Tian Ironmouth usually performed. They had invited Childe, but he declined, citing other business.
After the three walked away, Childe watched their backs and asked the person beside him: "Did you hear anything?"
From an alley nearby, Ekaterina slowly walked out: "Yes, Lord Childe. Their conversation contained nothing amiss, except when [Golden House] was mentioned, the Traveler interrupted what Paimon was about to say."
"Gol-den House..." Childe read the name syllable by syllable: "Liyue's mint, huh? It sounds like a place that guy Pantalone would be interested in. Investigate this place; I have a premonition that what we are looking for is likely right here."
"Yes!"
Ekaterina bowed and melted back into the shadows.
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"Hiccup~ I'm full! It really wasn't easy to snag this meal from you!"
After the meal, Paimon patted his round belly and teased Zhongli.
Zhongli didn't react much, just smiling as he sipped his tea.
The surroundings were bustling with people. On the stage nearby, Tian Ironmouth bypassed the table with the gavel, stood at the front, and chattered away non-stop.
He was telling the story of the Tianquan Star, Ningguang.
He spoke of the Tianquan Star's far-sightedness and deep schemes, the magnificence of the Jade Chamber, and that legendary "wall" on the Jade Chamber.
Legend has it that all the Tianquan Star's intelligence and decisions are recorded on paper and pinned to that wall. Once everything is finalized, Ningguang takes down that page, tears it up, and opens the window to let the wind blow it away.
And the merchants of Liyue Harbor, even if they can only catch a glimpse of it, can see incredible business opportunities within it.
"It is truly—Fluttering and scattering, like falling snow dust above the clouds. Dense and sparse, every word as precious as a rare treasure. With a mere thought, the mountains and rivers are swallowed. Everyone knows, the Tianquan is supreme!"
This is, the Moon-Veiling Tianquan.
The gavel slammed down, and cheers erupted from the crowd. Lumine and Paimon also clapped foolishly.
The two children's joy was infectious; they looked very happy.
At the same time, it suddenly occurred to Paimon: could the wall he and Orion saw last time be this "very expensive" wall? Did he lose out on a lot of Mora?
It didn't matter until he thought about it, but the more he thought, the more he felt he had lost. For Paimon, not earning is a loss, and not picking something up is losing it. He thought to himself that next time he went up, he must get a piece of paper to see.
However, at this moment, a voice came from above.
"Finally found you, person returning from [Jueyun Karst]."
"Who?!"
The three looked up in unison and saw a blue-haired Damselette with horns on his head standing on the eaves.
He looked down slightly at Lumine and Paimon: "Rest assured, I am not a bailiff here to arrest you. My identity is a secretary of the [Yuehai Pavilion] responsible to the Qixing, named Ganyu."
"However, I have come this time as an envoy of the Tianquan. Traveler, when the sun rises tomorrow, the Tianquan Star Ningguang invites you to the palace in the sky, the [Jade Chamber], for a meeting."
After speaking, Ganyu disappeared.
His expression changed from the previous seriousness, and the corners of his mouth curled into a lovely arc.
"Perfect! With the experience of delivering the message to Orion last time, I won't forget things anymore! Last time, I forgot to tell Orion the time and location, but this time I've already told them. It's perfect!"
At the dining table, Lumine and Paimon stared blankly at the Jade Chamber in the sky, which was drifting slowly, blocking the moon behind it.
"Paimon," Lumine asked, "how did you and Orion get up there last time?"
Paimon was silent for a moment, then slowly said: "Jumped up."
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