Check out my new translation!
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"I've followed my master in cultivation for many years, so I know a thing or two about crafting talismans. Which means we already have one of the three required materials. As long as we find the Sunset Vermillionite and the Wonder Core, we'll be able to win this competition."
Shenhe, brimming with fighting spirit, quietly leaned to Victor Wang's ear and whispered this before anyone else even started moving.
"Th-Then let's follow the order and look for the Sunset Vermillionite first. I don't even know where we're supposed to find such a large piece…"
"Mm… When I worked at Wanmin Restaurant, I often heard people mention the Feiyun Commerce Guild, one of the pillars of the Liyue business world. Later, I found out Chongyun's good friend is actually from the Feiyun Commerce Guild. Their operations include ores, so maybe he'd have information. Let's go ask."
So proactive.
So full of initiative.
Before Victor Wang even had time to sigh again, Shenhe had already vaulted over the Jade Chamber Terrace's railing with ease and glided down. Victor Wang hurried after her.
It truly was the fastest route from the Jade Chamber Terrace to the Feiyun Commerce Guild, and the two of them arrived at the entrance in a single breath.
Many people came to the Commerce Guild seeking Sunset Vermillionite, but Victor Wang thought no one could possibly be faster than Shenhe—yet someone had already arrived ahead of them.
"Five hundred million Mora?!"
Paimon yelped, and Lumine's face turned bitter. "I don't think I can bring out that much money…"
"Honestly, I don't recommend you bid on that piece of Vermillionite. The markup is outrageous. It's not worth it."
Paimon was unwilling. "But… but those people said if we could get information out of Ningguang, we'd be able to earn a sky-high amount of Mora…"
"Perhaps that's true… if you still have funds left after purchasing the stone. Aren't there two more materials you need? If you fail to win, you'll lose everything. And as for converting the information Ningguang provides into real profit—no one knows how long that'll take."
After saying a few words to comfort Paimon, Xingqiu looked at Shenhe and Victor Wang, who had just landed. "Don't tell me… you two are also here for the Sunset Vermillionite? The Feiyun Commerce Guild does have one piece, but only one. Someone entrusted it to us for auction. I estimate the final price might exceed five hundred million Mora."
"Five hundred million Mora…?"
Even though they heard Paimon earlier, Shenhe still frowned slightly, while Victor Wang quietly shook his head.
That's ridiculous… That's enough to buy a two-hundred-square-meter house in Feiyun Slope. Even with his novels and business ventures with Ningguang, he couldn't raise that much yet. Maybe after saving for a year or two—but was it really worth it?
"So I truly don't recommend buying it." Xingqiu paused, thinking. "But I do have good news. Well… since it's you two, telling you shouldn't cause trouble."
"What news?"
"Have you ever heard of 'Sea Gazer'?"
When Xingqiu asked this, he mainly looked at Shenhe. Everyone knew she was a disciple of the adepti and grew up in Jueyun Karst.
Seeing Shenhe wasn't surprised but didn't speak, Xingqiu continued, "According to the [Idle Cloud Records], Sea Gazer once built a domain to store various rare treasures, and inside it was a piece of Sunset Vermillionite. After Sea Gazer passed, the domain was abandoned. Fortunately, I recently gathered a batch of rare manuscripts and confirmed its location."
"Oh, that is good news, but… taking things without permission—would that be… disrespectful to the adepti?" Paimon asked softly, glancing at everyone.
"That depends on the one who knows best. Actually… ahem, you should be familiar with Sea Gazer, right?" Xingqiu looked again at Shenhe. She was already confirmed to be Chongyun's aunt. But then what should he call her…? Aunt? The thought alone was hard to sort out.
"I know of him," Shenhe replied. "From what I understand, Sea Gazer was open-minded by nature. Even if he were still alive, he wouldn't mind such a small matter."
"That's a relief. I thought—well, since you know of Sea Gazer, why did you still come to our Feiyun Commerce Guild?"
"I don't want to use the possessions of an adeptus for personal gain."
"Uh…" Paimon suddenly felt exposed and turned a bit awkward.
"But I've thought it through. All the adepti of Jueyun Karst praised Ningguang for destroying the Jade Chamber. If Sea Gazer were still alive, with his personality, not only would he not mind, he might even offer the Sunset Vermillionite willingly. Just like my master's inventions—piled in corners gathering dust. Even she thinks it's a shame. Things that can no longer serve their purpose… have already lost their true value."
"That's true…"
"Then let's set off now."
"We?" Paimon pointed at herself and Lumine. "We're included too?"
"There are three slots. Victor isn't competing. We're all friends—let's work together."
"…Okay!"
Their journey to the domain of Sea Gazer was swift as lightning—and so was the action of lifting a piece of Vermillionite weighing over a few thousand pounds…
Witnessing it firsthand was a visual shock beyond compare, truly worthy of the phrase: the girl next door has grown up—strong enough to move mountains and shake the world. Victor Wang was briefly stunned.
"Whoa! Shenhe can actually—! But we need another piece, right? We can't make Shenhe carry two trips!"
"We're carrying it?" Lumine said blankly.
"Be careful…" Paimon fretted as she stared at Lumine and the second piece of Sunset Vermillionite, as though actually preparing for Lumine to lift it.
"Carry what—stop, stop! You all stop." Victor Wang snapped out of it and chased after the slowly disappearing Shenhe. "Leave this stone to me."
"No need to worry. This weight is nothing to me."
"No, we can just use Sub-Space Creation. There's no need to carry it."
"But my artifact doesn't have that much space."
"Put it down first—let me do it!"
It was like a thousand-pound boulder weighed on his head… because one actually was. Talking to Shenhe while standing under the enormous stone, Victor Wang was covered in metaphorical black lines.
After a few seconds of eye contact, Shenhe obediently nodded and gently set the Sunset Vermillionite down. Victor Wang finally breathed a sigh of relief.
The Inner Space of Wentian Sword couldn't store something this big, but the [Endless Thirst] could hold the massive stone like a pebble. Once stored, not even a speck could be seen outside.
Enlightened, Paimon shouted, "Lumine! We can just use the Serenitea Pot!"
"Ah—right…"
After all that, while others hadn't even glimpsed the Sunset Vermillionite, the reconstruction site of the Jade Chamber already had two large, high-quality pieces.
Paimon clapped her hands theatrically, though there was no dust, and sighed, "Now we only need two more materials. We've got a huge advantage!"
"No, I can craft the Adepti Sigil. Only the Wonder Core remains."
"Eh? Then aren't we about to win? I suddenly feel no pressure at all! Come on, come on! We've been running all day—I'm starving! Let's eat something good and rest!"
"Paimon, we can't slack off. What if someone gets ahead?"
"We're so fast—who could possibly get ahead~?"
"You shouldn't say that—" Shenhe didn't finish, because a crane suddenly descended from the mountain peak. "Master?"
"Ahem… Shenhe, how have you been recently?"