Walking along the streets of Liyue Harbor, Ningguang quickly calmed down after hearing the shocking news that the Geo Archon was actually her martial grand-uncle.
After all, if an Adeptus was her master, then the Emperor being her martial grand-uncle seemed perfectly reasonable.
"Master, where are we going now?"
After following Jiang Yan for a while, Ningguang finally asked in confusion.
"Heh, don't rush. You'll know when we get there."
As Jiang Yan spoke, his gaze swept over Ningguang's rough cloth clothing—and the bare feet she wasn't wearing anything on.
As the beloved disciple of the Tianquan, how could she be dressed so poorly?
This demanded spending!
He had to dress little Ningguang up beautifully!
Before long, Jiang Yan led Ningguang to the entrance of a shoe shop.
Before she could react, he had already brought her inside.
"Welcome, you two. What would you like to purchase?"
The shop owner was a woman dressed in a very traditional Liyue-style blue qipao.
When she raised her head and saw Jiang Yan, her eyes immediately lit up.
"Oh my! It's Lord Tianquan!"
"Did Lord Tianquan come to have shoes custom-made?"
Jiang Yan smiled and shook his head, gently pushing Ningguang forward.
"Not for me. For her."
Ningguang froze for a moment, then tugged firmly at Jiang Yan's sleeve and shook her head.
"I don't want them! They're too expensive."
"I'm fine like this."
But Jiang Yan had no intention of agreeing with her.
"As my Tianquan's disciple, no matter when or where you are, you represent my reputation. Dressing like this simply won't do."
"Shopkeeper, design something properly. Use the best materials."
As he spoke, Jiang Yan led Ningguang to stand before the shop owner.
Not long after, a pair of brand-new, beautiful shoes was placed on Ningguang's feet.
Since they were custom-made on the spot, both the fabric and craftsmanship were of the highest quality.
The shoes fit her feet like a gentle hand—soft, snug, and incredibly comfortable.
It was a feeling Ningguang had never experienced before.
After her parents fell ill, she had to travel over mountains and rivers every day to gather medicinal herbs, catch fish, and walk long distances to sell them.
Gradually, her shoes wore out until they could no longer be used. She had no choice but to walk barefoot.
Over time, she grew used to it.
But now that she was wearing shoes again, she actually felt a little unaccustomed to the sensation.
Afterward, Jiang Yan measured Ningguang's small feet and had several more pairs made so she could change between them. Then he took her hand and left the shop.
Along the way, Jiang Yan entered full-on shopping mode.
Anything he thought suited Ningguang—without hesitation, he pulled out a bag of Mora.
Buy!
Pretty little dresses?
Buy!
High-quality fabrics?
Buy!
Almost every style of clothing—if it looked good on Ningguang, Jiang Yan didn't care whether she agreed or not.
Just one word.
Buy!
Spending solved everything!
Ningguang tried to stop him. In her opinion, having one set of clothes that could be worn was enough. There was no need to be so extravagant.
But how could Jiang Yan agree?
After wandering around for a long time, Jiang Yan ended up carrying two large bags full of packages.
Yet he still wasn't satisfied.
Although the clothes were beautiful, none of them truly pleased him.
Hmm...
Hmm?
Suddenly, Jiang Yan remembered a great designer!
Cloud Retainer, who had once designed clothing for female Adepti during the founding ceremony!
Since none of the styles were satisfactory, he might as well have Cloud Retainer design a set personally.
Jiang Yan smiled and said to Ningguang:
"Little Ningguang, hold onto the corner of my clothes."
Ningguang obediently grabbed his sleeve.
Then the Space Gem on Jiang Yan's right hand lit up, and a huge portal appeared before them.
"Let's go. I'll take you to meet someone."
With that, Jiang Yan brought Ningguang through the portal.
Jueyun Karst – Summit of Mt. Aozang
Cloud Retainer sat at a stone table, tinkering with a pile of mechanical components.
"Cloud Retainer!"
Just as she was deeply absorbed in her research on mechanisms, a voice suddenly rang out behind her.
Jiang Yan stepped out of a portal.
Cloud Retainer paused her work and turned around.
"Oh? Isn't this our busy man?"
"What brings you here today?"
She snorted lightly as she spoke, but her gaze quickly shifted to little Ningguang standing behind Jiang Yan.
"And this is...?"
Cloud Retainer asked in confusion.
"Ah, this is the new disciple I've taken in—her name is Ningguang."
Holding Ningguang's hand, Jiang Yan said with a smile:
"Come, Ningguang. This is your Martial Aunt Cloud Retainer."
"Hello, Martial Aunt Cloud Retainer!"
Little Ningguang greeted sweetly.
"Good, good."
Cloud Retainer nodded with a smile, carefully examining Ningguang with her eyes.
Seeing the delicate little girl, Cloud Retainer looked quite satisfied.
"Come here. Let your Martial Aunt take a closer look."
Cloud Retainer stretched out her hand toward Ningguang.
Ningguang glanced at Jiang Yan, who simply smiled and rubbed her head.
"Go on."
Only then did little Ningguang step forward.
"Why are you so thin?"
Seeing Ningguang's somewhat frail body, Cloud Retainer frowned slightly.
"Later, your Martial Aunt will cook a couple of her signature dishes for you. You need to nourish yourself more. Skinny children aren't good for cudd— ahem, for growing!"
Cloud Retainer quickly corrected herself.
At that moment, Jiang Yan also spoke up.
"Cloud Retainer, I came this time to ask you to design two outfits for Ningguang."
"I walked around Liyue Harbor, but none of the styles looked particularly good."
Hearing this, Cloud Retainer gave a proud snort.
"As expected. How could mortal craftsmanship possibly compare to that of this Adeptus?"
"I'll have them ready by tomorrow!"
Cloud Retainer's efficiency had always been unmatched.
"Alright then, thanks a lot, Sister Cloud Retainer."
Jiang Yan chuckled.
"Cloud Retainer, what are you working on—... ah!"
Just then, Guizhong walked up from the foot of the mountain. She had just begun speaking when she spotted Ningguang.
Her beautiful eyes lit up as she hurried forward and scooped Ningguang into her arms.
"Whose child is this? She's so adorable."
Guizhong kept rubbing her soft cheeks against little Ningguang's tender face.
Sure enough, even after thousands of years, Guizhong still couldn't resist the charm of cute things.
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