Once the registration was complete, Katheryne smiled and handed their documents back.
"All done. Your registration is complete. Welcome to free exploration in Liyue. If you need anything, feel free to come back to the Guild at any time."
"Thank you!"
Paimon happily took the Adventurer certificates and shook them proudly.
"Finally, we're officially registered! Hehe—Kairo, when are we gonna go dig up the land again?"
Her eyes were sparkling with excitement.
"Liyue is loaded with ore! Compared to Mondstadt, the mineral veins here must be way richer. We can totally mine a bunch of ores and stock up on resources!"
She waved her little hands enthusiastically.
"There are mountains everywhere around Liyue! Just pick one and we might dig up a whole bag of Noctilucous Jade!"
But Kairo only shook his head.
"Going around looting resources like that in Liyue… is not exactly a clever idea."
"Eh? Why not?"
Paimon froze, the excitement on her face fading into confusion.
"Mondstadt's environment makes that easy. Liyue's different."
Kairo's gaze swept over the distant mountain ranges as he spoke, his tone calm and analytical.
"Liyue is surrounded by rugged highlands. Any random valley or mine might hide danger—and the terrain itself isn't kind."
"In Mondstadt, you walk out of the city and you've got open plains. Places like Whispering Woods and Windrise are easy to move through and gather materials."
He paused for a beat.
"Also… all the ore veins near Liyue Harbor? You can bet most of them are owned by official forces or by big merchant associations. It's not like you can just walk up and dig."
"Even at Liyue's gates they're openly hiring miners."
"...Oh."
Paimon blinked, starting to get it.
"So in Liyue, if we want resources, we can't just rely on hacking away at rocks?"
"That's right." Kairo nodded.
"If you really want to make money in Liyue, business is king."
"Business, huh…" Paimon scratched her chin, frowning in thought.
"We don't exactly have a business to run. And money is already kind of a problem…"
She started counting on her fingers.
"We still have some Mora, but if we don't earn more, we'll eventually run out. Food every day costs money, even if lodging is free. Then there's drinks, and snacks, and—"
Ying rolled her eyes.
"That's because you eat the most."
"Eh?! I do not!"
Paimon puffed up angrily.
Kairo gave her a bland look.
"Who was it that just now ate six plates of osmanthus cake at Third-Round Knockout?"
Paimon's expression froze.
After a moment, she coughed lightly and straightened her back.
"T-That's only because Liyue's cakes are too delicious! Not eating them would be the real waste!"
Ying rubbed her temples. "You always have a reason."
Kairo chuckled and didn't push it further.
"In Liyue, Mora is the foundation of everything. Without enough money, even if you pile up resources, you still might not turn them into real value."
"Mm…"
Paimon finally lowered her head, frowning in real worry. She loved to eat, but even she understood that in a place like Liyue, being broke would be miserable.
They'd earned quite a bit in Mondstadt. But if they kept spending while in Liyue without income…
"Then… how do we make money?"
She looked up at Kairo with big, hopeful eyes.
Kairo didn't answer directly. Instead, he smiled faintly and looked out toward the bustling harbor.
"That's a question you might want to ask the merchants here. You can learn a lot just by watching how they live."
"Merchants?" Paimon and Ying exchanged a glance.
Kairo continued, "No rush. The Rite of Descension hasn't started, and Liyue hasn't… settled down yet. It's not the right time to start a business."
"Once everything here is resolved, then we can talk money."
"Right…" Paimon and Ying nodded together.
Zhongli's faked death plan would definitely stir up a huge commotion. Until that storm passed, nothing would be stable.
"So, what are we eating next?"
In the next second, Paimon perked right back up, rubbing her hands.
"It's about time for dinner!"
"Make way, make way!!"
Just as the words left her mouth, an anxious shout rang out from the corner ahead—a voice full of panic.
A figure came barreling around the corner like a small whirlwind, feet moving at near-sprint speed. Whoever it was clearly hadn't checked if anyone else was walking that way.
"Hey—hey—hey!!"
Before anyone could react, the girl ran straight into Kairo.
"Careful—!"
Paimon's eyes went wide, but it was already too late.
Thud!
The girl slammed into Kairo's chest, bounced back, stumbled several steps, and finally landed on the ground with an unsteady flop.
"Ow…"
She winced and rubbed her forehead, clearly a bit dazed from the impact. The thick stack of documents she'd been holding flew everywhere. Papers scattered through the air and fluttered down in a messy shower.
Kairo blinked, slightly stunned. He lowered his head and looked at the girl on the ground, his gaze faintly surprised.
That outfit…
A red-and-white dress with wide law-clerk sleeves. A scroll-shaped catalyst at her waist. A legalist crown perched on her head. Coral pink hair falling freely in slightly messy waves.
This image was practically iconic in Liyue.
Liyue Harbor's most outstanding legal consultant—Yanfei.
Renowned across the city, she was one of the finest legal experts in all Liyue. She knew the law inside out—thousands of clauses burned into her memory—capable of resolving anything from business disputes and contract arbitration to complex cases by flawlessly citing and applying the right statutes.
On top of that, a trace of adeptus blood ran in her veins.
Not an immortal herself, but not entirely mortal either.
Yet right now, this respected legal consultant looked less like a dignified law expert and more like a clumsy, flustered girl, sitting on the floor and scrambling for scattered papers.
"Aiya, I messed it up again… I swear I put that contract on top…" she muttered in a small, frustrated voice while gathering sheets.
Kairo sighed quietly, bent down, and picked up a page that had landed near his feet.
Legal clauses and contract terms filled the page—neatly written, layout clear, every stroke tidy and precise. Very much the work of a professional.
At that moment, a familiar translucent interface once again appeared before his eyes.
[While wandering around the Seat of Divine Foresight, you suddenly run into a clumsy trainee Cloud Knight girl—Su Shang.]
[Faced with her accidentally bumping into you, you choose…]
Option 1: Demand Compensation.
You grab your shoulder and put on a stern face. "Bumping into someone requires compensation! Medical fees, emotional damages, shock fees… all added together that's…"
(Reward: Su Shang's Swordsmanship – the Cloud Knight sword techniques she's learned.)
Option 2: Scold Her.
You frown and pat the spot she ran into, tone annoyed: "Why were you running so fast? What if you'd hit an old man instead?" Then you demand, "Apologize properly. Bow and say sorry!"
(Reward: Beast-Hunting Arrow – a star-forged arrowhead from the Xianzhou. Given to youth who downed their first prey, symbolizing that their life should fly straight and true like an arrow.)
Option 3: Be Kind and Reassure Her.
You smile, wave it off, and say calmly, "It's fine. Just be more careful." Then you even help her pick up the documents.
(Reward: Cloud Knight Armor – lightweight armor crafted by the Luofu's finest workshops. Convenient to wear and provides decent protection.)
Kairo paused.
So in the "overlay" this is Su Shang…
He glanced at the rewards.
None of them were amazing, but the first two clearly involved shaking someone down or scolding her.
Trying to talk "emotional damages" in front of a lawyer?
That was asking to be counter-sued.
And yelling at her did nothing for him either.
Option 3 was the only one that wouldn't cause trouble.
Decision made instantly.
"Yanfei?"
He called softly.
The girl on the ground froze for a moment, then looked up at him, her turquoise eyes widening in surprise.
"Huh? You know me?"
She blinked, clearly a bit amazed. Then she quickly straightened her legal crown with one hand and smiled proudly.
"Ah—haha, well, my legal consultancy is pretty famous in Liyue. It's perfectly normal for people to know my name!"
She hopped to her feet, patted the dust from her dress, then glanced anxiously at the scattered paperwork.
"Ah, my carefully sorted documents are all messed up again…!"
"Sorry about just now—really, really sorry for crashing into you!"
"It's fine."
Kairo shook his head and crouched down again, gathering up a few sheets and handing them to her.
"In such a hurry… heading to handle a case?"
Ying joined in and started picking up papers too.
"More or less," Yanfei sighed, taking the pages carefully.
"Lately, there've been way too many contract disputes in Liyue. I was just at my office organizing files when someone rushed in to drag me to an emergency arbitration…"
She finished stacking the documents and hugged them tightly to her chest, clearly worried about dropping them again.
Then she looked up at the three of them, curiosity flashing through her eyes.
"And you three are…?"
"Travelers," Kairo replied with a smile. "We only arrived in Liyue recently."
"Oh! So you're here sightseeing?"
Her eyes lit up and her smile grew warmer.
"Then you've come to the right place! Liyue is the city that values law above all—fairness and justice everywhere. Whether you're doing business, sightseeing, or taking commissions, this is the best place to be!"
She puffed her chest slightly in pride.
"And of course! If you run into any contract disputes or legal trouble—remember me, Yanfei!"
Paimon watched this bouncy, talkative, half-adeptus lawyer and whispered to Ying:
"Uh… she's not exactly the calm, stern 'law expert' I pictured…"
Right then, new text flickered across Kairo's vision.
[You chose to handle the clumsy girl with kindness and reassurance.]
[Congratulations, you've received Option 3's reward: Cloud Knight Armor. Crafted with elite Luofu techniques, this lightweight armor provides good protection.]
Kairo stared at the description and felt… a bit speechless.
It was a decent defensive item, sure, but… it wasn't exactly something he'd walk around Liyue wearing in public.
"Sorry again! Really, this was my fault!"
Yanfei bowed once more, clearly embarrassed, coral-pink hair swaying.
Her crown tilted a little with the movement.
"I still have urgent business to take care of—I didn't mean to bump into you like that!"
"Oh, right! Which inn are you staying at? When I'm done, I'll definitely visit to apologize properly!"
Before any of them could answer, she froze mid-sentence, then slapped her forehead.
"No, no, that's not right."
"How could I just ask where you're staying? That's private! What if you don't want to tell me? That would be super rude of me!"
She lifted her chin again, expression abruptly serious.
"Forget it! I'll just track you down myself. I'm very good at finding people, you know. Don't worry—once I'm done with this case, I'll definitely come find you to apologize!"
She patted her chest confidently as if handing down a formal verdict.
"Okay, I'm really leaving this time! Sorry again!"
Before they could get a word in, the girl had already spun around, hugging her files and sprinting off. Her footsteps rang crisply against the stone pavement.
Kairo, Ying, and Paimon stood where they were, watching her vanish around the next corner.
"...Uh."
Paimon finally regained her voice.
"She's really… fiery."
Ying nodded, still staring vaguely in Yanfei's direction.
"Her energy might actually surpass Amber's."
"Right, right!" Paimon chimed in.
"Amber is already bouncy enough, and now there's someone in Liyue who's even more intense?!"
She scratched her cheek, thinking.
"But… do you think she'll really find us?"
Kairo smiled faintly, his eyes glinting.
"She's Liyue's top legal consultant. If she couldn't even manage that, wouldn't we be underestimating her?"
"That's true…"
Paimon sighed softly.
"I just get the feeling that now that Yanfei's appeared, our journey in Liyue might get… a lot more complicated…"
Ying said nothing. She simply narrowed her eyes slightly, gazing toward where Yanfei disappeared.
That girl's style was completely different from most of the Liyue elite.
Here, people like Keqing and Ningguang were sharp, meticulous, and steady. Calm and composed.
Yanfei, on the other hand, had a fast, jumpy thought process, acted decisively, even impatiently at times—but from her tone and attitude, she clearly cared deeply about her work and responsibilities.
She was busy, yes. But not careless.
Night had already deepened. The streets of Liyue Harbor were still lively, warm lights spilling from taverns and restaurants. Music and laughter mingled in the air.
"Anyway, let's eat first!" Paimon declared, waving her hands eagerly. "Whatever happens, an empty stomach is the biggest problem!"
"Mm." Ying nodded lightly.
Together with Kairo, they headed toward a familiar street lined with food stalls.
"Tonight," Kairo said, "we're eating at the roadside booths."
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