After forming that dream, Beidou quickly realized one thing—
Her strength was far from sufficient.
If she truly wanted to become the Pirate King, then her footsteps would have to span every sea in Teyvat.
With her current power and fleet, that was nowhere near enough.
So she had to grow stronger.
And since Ningguang said that manga shop had such miraculous effects, there was no harm in going to take a look.
"Alright, I'll go with you later to read manga," Beidou said boldly.
"If I get a good reward, I'll owe you a favor."
As long as she could gain something powerful, what was a mere favor?
Hearing this, Ningguang smiled slightly.
Although she had her complaints about Beidou— frequently breaking rules, and never really fixing that habit—
There was no denying Beidou's ability.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to make an entire fleet of sailors follow her wholeheartedly.
Gaining Beidou's favor was more than worthwhile.
Both sides benefited— a perfect exchange.
The atmosphere immediately became pleasant.
Ningguang added warmly,
"Oh right, Baiwen obtained Basic Cooking Skills from Boss Han.
You can try her cooking later."
"Then I absolutely have to," Beidou nodded.
She was quite curious about what food made with manga-derived cooking skills would taste like.
But then she suddenly remembered something and quickly added,
"By the way, when you mentioned Osial, it reminded me of something.
Osial actually had a follower—his wife, named Beisht.
Since you eliminated Osial, you should be careful of her retaliation."
Because her fleet frequently passed through Guyun Stone Forest, Beidou had done thorough research on Osial.
Naturally, she knew about his wife as well.
"Osial… had a wife?!"
Ningguang's expression instantly grew serious.
"Ordinary people have wives—Osial was a demon god.
Isn't it normal for him to have one?"
Beidou looked puzzled.
What kind of question was that?
"Cough—! That's not what I meant," Ningguang said helplessly.
"I meant… Osial still has followers?"
"Ohhh, that's what you meant."
Beidou finally understood.
"But it's still the same answer—Osial was a demon god.
Having followers is completely normal."
"It seems another battle may be inevitable."
After confirming the information, Ningguang sighed softly.
With the Jade Chamber, she wasn't worried.
And if things truly got out of hand—
She could always go next door to Mondstadt and borrow little Klee again.
There was no demon god that couldn't be solved by one bomb and one smash.
And if there was—
Then two times.
"Still, I should inform Keqing about this."
As she spoke, Ningguang took out her phone and sent Beidou's information to Keqing.
She also mentioned preparing a gift for Boss Han.
"What's that thing in your hand?"
Watching Ningguang tap her fingers across the screen, Beidou asked curiously.
"A phone—a communication tool that works across Teyvat.
It was a gift from Acting Grand Master Jean of Mondstadt."
Ningguang smiled.
"Does it work across all of Teyvat? That's incredibly useful!"
Beidou immediately understood its value.
If she had something like that, communication at sea would be far more convenient.
In emergencies, she could also contact others instantly.
"It's a reward Jean received from Boss Han's manga shop, but there aren't many of them."
Ningguang sighed slightly.
She had already experienced just how convenient it was.
With this device, she could contact Keqing anytime, exchange intelligence with Jean, and occasionally chat with Boss Han himself.
It was unbelievably practical.
If Jean hadn't had such a limited quantity,
Ningguang would've bought dozens—maybe hundreds.
"So even this came from that manga shop…"
Beidou was filled with awe.
That shop had far too many incredible things.
Power boosts.
Communication tools.
Even cooking skills.
Her curiosity toward the manga shop grew stronger by the second.
Not just Beidou—
Ningguang herself was also curious what kind of reward Beidou might receive.
Meanwhile — Solace Book House
Another hour passed.
The earlier customers had already finished reading and left.
Only the Liyue adepti remained in the shop.
"Do adepti always read this carefully?"
Noelle asked curiously.
She didn't dare say slow, so she chose the word careful instead.
"That's because we must constantly watch for rewards capable of reviving the Geo Archon."
A voice came from near the counter.
"I see."
Noelle nodded after hearing Xiao's explanation.
At that moment, Xiao turned his gaze toward Han Feng.
"Boss Han, I've finished reading my manga.
May I know what my reward is?"
There was clear anticipation in his voice.
After reading Journey to the West, Xiao finally realized just how vast that world truly was.
Immortals.
Gods.
Buddhas.
Demons.
Countless beings.
There were even many Yakshas within it.
Not to mention the powerful techniques and treasures scattered throughout the story.
Having seen such a grand world,
Xiao's confidence in reviving the Geo Archon and in relieving his own karmic debt—
had grown immensely.
"Just a moment."
Han Feng smiled, then looked at the system.
Information refreshed.
[Customer Xiao has finished reading Journey to the West]
[Reward obtained — Dao De Jing]
[Dao De Jing: Written by Laozi, incarnation of the Supreme Elder.
Daily recitation brings exceptional effects for self-cultivation and spiritual refinement.]
"That's a pretty decent reward."
Han Feng nodded in approval.
Dao De Jing was one of the core Daoist classics.
While it didn't grant flashy supernatural abilities, its words carried profound meaning.
According to the system, daily recitation had strong effects on spiritual cultivation.
It might very well help alleviate Xiao's karmic burden.
In Han Feng's view, many Buddhist scriptures had similar effects as well.
Despite certain controversies surrounding Buddhism, its scriptures undeniably held power.
Many monks used them for exorcism, soul-guiding, and meditation.
Their effects were quite similar to Dao De Jing.
"Unfortunately, this reward won't revive the Geo Archon,"
Han Feng thought to himself.
"I wonder how the others' luck will turn out…"
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