Just finished eating, and Dvalin, like Xiao, was about to leave.
He also remembered that his old lair held quite a few treasures.
Dvalin wasn't the type of dragon who liked shiny, golden things. In fact, there weren't many dragons in Teyvat with such a fondness for wealth.
However!
Having lived for so long, he still had quite a collection of goodies at home.
Their value might have dropped considerably by now, but such treasures still had a market. Selling them off could bring in a decent sum of Mora.
Dvalin had already made up his mind.
Venti was a hopeless pauper, and Dvalin doubted the guy would ever improve.
If he didn't improve, how could he protect Mondstadt?
The weight of responsibility instantly fell on Dvalin's shoulders.
He can't do it, but I can!
At this rate, who's the Archon and who's the familiar might just be up for debate!
Though, given how shameless Venti was… he might actually be fine with flipping their roles.
...
Back at the shop.
A pot of tea was brewed. Lu Heng's tea leaves were running low—these were actually some of Zhongli's prized reserves.
And let me tell you, the aroma was divine.
As they chatted and sipped tea, the atmosphere was utterly relaxed.
Meanwhile, outside the shop, the line of people waiting to draw cards gradually began to feature more luxurious attire.
Clearly, as news spread, the wealthy merchants of Liyue had come swarming in.
In a world filled with monsters and gods, what mattered most?
Without a doubt—power!
If I had overwhelming strength, would I still need to worry about my safety?
Ordinary folks might not dwell on such thoughts too much. After all, they had little to lose—they could always fight desperately if needed.
But wealthy merchants? They couldn't afford to gamble with their lives.
I still have so much Mora left to enjoy—how could I possibly die?
Absolutely not!
Longevity wasn't just something emperors sought—anyone with status and wealth yearned for it.
Before, there had been no way. But now? The opportunity was right in front of them!
As long as you had enough Mora, you could roll the dice!
Whether it was immortality, power, or something else… no matter how you looked at it, the potential returns were astronomical!
For merchants, nothing mattered more than profit.
And this kind of profit, multiplied thousands of times over, had the wealthy merchants at the back of the line fuming—why wasn't it their turn yet?!
"How do Liyue's wealthy merchant families compare to Fontaine's nobility?" Lu Heng pondered the question.
"They're all birds of a feather—nothing worth praising," Venti said with a shrug.
Don't think that just because Liyue had the Geo Archon, its noble families were clean.
No matter how bright the sun, shadows still existed beneath its light.
That said, comparatively speaking, Liyue's situation was slightly better.
If corruption couldn't be eradicated entirely, then "slightly better" was already a win.
If you thought Liyue's nobility was bad, you should've seen Mondstadt back in the day.
The Lawrence family once ruled Mondstadt with an iron fist.
With the Anemo Archon absent, who else was going to govern the city?
Outwardly glamorous, but inwardly feasting atop a mountain of corpses.
If Venti hadn't woken up back then, even with Vennessa's efforts, cleansing Mondstadt might've been impossible.
"I wish Liyue had something like the Skyward Mirror too," Zhongli mused, somewhat envious of Fontaine.
The network connected by phones was universal, transcending national borders.
So, as long as Zhongli browsed the internet on his phone, he could keep up with Fontaine's latest developments.
The Skyward Mirror monitored every little movement in Fontaine—what a fantastic tool!
"Want one?"
Lu Heng grinned. "Wishing won't get you anywhere. Why not try something more practical? Maybe you'll pull it in a single draw?"
"Mr. Lu, this is practically solicitation," Zhongli said helplessly.
If he had the Mora, he wouldn't need Lu Heng's coaxing—he'd be pulling cards already.
But alas.
Clearing his throat, Zhongli stood.
"I should go sort through my collection too. Once I've saved up enough Mora… I'll give it a try."
"Sounds good," Lu Heng nodded.
Venti fell into deep thought.
Zhongli had a collection he could sell. But what about him?
Suddenly, a heavy hand clapped his shoulder twice.
Venti looked up.
Tartaglia grinned down at him. "Feeling the pinch, huh?"
"Isn't that obvious?"
Venti sighed and flopped back onto the couch.
I give up!
Seeing this, Tartaglia leaned against the backrest and sighed listlessly.
His eyes glazed over as he murmured, "Mr. Lu, what do you think is the meaning of life?"
"Just say what you actually want to say."
Lu Heng could already guess what the young man was getting at.
"I've accepted that I can't beat Zhongli for now, and Venti doesn't want to fight me…"
"I've got no opponents!"
He spread his hands, exasperated.
This awkward middle ground left Tartaglia deeply frustrated.
Of course, he could withdraw Mora from Northland Bank to pull more cards.
But Tartaglia figured there was no need to rush.
Once the billion Mora from Snezhnaya arrived, he'd go all-in on a massive draw!
"That's just how it is at this level," Lu Heng shrugged.
The world's power structure, status, and wealth distribution were like a pyramid.
The higher you went, the fewer there were.
"I kinda miss Master Olivier."
But alas, Master Olivier was broke. Aside from the "Martial Arts Master" card, all his other cards had been issued by the Palais Mermonia.
Tartaglia cradled his head, stewing in frustration.
"Maybe you could go challenge the Electro Archon in Inazuma," Venti suggested after a moment.
"The Raiden Shogun?"
Tartaglia was well aware of the Seven Archons' identities.
The Raiden Shogun was another formidable powerhouse.
That single slash of hers had split an island in two—even after a thousand years, the remnants of Electro still crackled in the ravine.
"Would that… be a good idea?"
Even as he asked, Tartaglia's blood was already boiling.
Clearly, the battle junkie was tempted.
"Before you go, maybe book a funeral service with Zhongli first," Lu Heng said solemnly.
Fighting Zhongli was one thing—without a life-or-death grudge, Zhongli might not go all out.
But the Raiden Shogun?
She would draw her blade and cut you down!
At that point, it wouldn't be a spar—it'd be a fight to the death.
Could Tartaglia, in his normal state, match the Raiden Shogun?
Obviously not!
If he activated Dire Straits, he'd reach her level.
But if he was going all out, the Raiden Shogun wouldn't stay in her normal state either.
Who didn't have a trump card?
The only difference was that her buffs might not be as extreme as Dire Straits.
So, the outcome was predictable.
Tartaglia would die.
But the Raiden Shogun wouldn't walk away unscathed either.
"Maybe I'll try after I get stronger," Tartaglia wasn't stupid.
Why not wait until I'm even stronger before challenging her?
"Speaking of which, Inazuma's isolated overseas… with thousands of miles of open ocean, by the time news of the card shop reaches them, they'll already be left in the dust, won't they?" Venti mused.
Lu Heng raised a hand and performed a quick divination.
Hey!
Guess what?
The Sakoku Decree had locked Inazuma up tight!
Already remote due to its isolation, compounded by the Sakoku Decree—communication was next to impossible.
"Looks like it's just the six of us competing for now," Tartaglia laughed.
"Seems that way," Lu Heng agreed.
As they chatted idly…
Time slipped into the afternoon.
A streak of cyan light landed at the street corner.
Xiao was about to join the line when he saw Lu Heng waving him over from inside the shop.
Entering, Xiao clasped his hands respectfully. "Mr. Lu!"
"No need for formalities."
Lu Heng waved it off. "Should I notify Zhongli for you?"
"Please!" Xiao nodded.
He hoped to draw a card that even the Geo Archon could use.
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T/N:
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