Chef Mao walked over to the Millelith guards at the door with a dark expression.
Since the shopkeeper said to ask the guards, he would ask.
Though a small part of him was already starting to believe.
The Millelith usually patrolled the streets and kept the peace. This was the first time he had seen them stationed at a private shop.
In all of Liyue, no private business had the clout to request Millelith guards.
Only official government sites or critical facilities warranted such protection.
"Excuse me, officers. Is it true that this Jar Shop sells jars for 100,000 Mora each?"
Chef Mao addressed one of the guards. "That's way above market value for Liyue. Is this price... legitimate?"
In Liyue, the most famous pottery and ceramics shop was run by Ying'er.
Even her finest pieces didn't cost anywhere close to this.
Damn it, 100,000 Mora for a single jar? That was robbery!
If it were an antique, he could understand. But the shards on the floor were from an ordinary jar.
"Yes. Shopkeeper Felix's Jar Shop sells jars for 100,000 Mora each."
The Millelith nodded. "The price is not inflated. On the contrary, we believe Shopkeeper Felix is selling them too cheaply."
He had seen what came out of those jars. All sorts of bizarre and miraculous items.
Just what Lady Ningguang pulled had already improved the lives of everyone in Liyue. And that Eternal Youth Pill? Money couldn't buy it.
Today, Lady Keqing also left with a satisfied smile after opening her jars.
So in the eyes of these guards, Felix was undercharging.
If they had access to such miraculous jars, they'd keep them for themselves and open them in secret at home—not sell them for a mere 100,000 Mora.
Chef Mao: "..."
Chef Mao was stunned.
He had prepared himself to hear an explanation, but instead, the guard said the shopkeeper was selling them cheap?
What the hell?
100,000 Mora and it's cheap?
Chef Mao's face twitched. "Then... do you know why these jars are so expensive? The shopkeeper mentioned that the Tianquan and Yuheng also came here to buy some."
If the Millelith were confirming that the price was normal, then there had to be a reason.
"You didn't know?"
The guard looked surprised. "These jars contain all kinds of items. What you pull out is often worth far more than 100,000 Mora. Of course, if your luck is bad, you might get something useless—or even an empty jar."
"As for Lady Ningguang and Lady Keqing, they left not long ago."
The guard was a bit shocked. The Jar Shop was already famous. He assumed everyone nearby knew about it by now.
Even if they hadn't come themselves, word should have spread.
Chef Mao ran Wanmin Restaurant. If he was here to open jars, surely he would have heard about it?
"This is just gambling!"
Chef Mao's face darkened further.
This was a classic gambling scheme! Pull something good, you win. Pull something bad, you lose.
And it cost 100,000 Mora per try.
He despised this kind of thing.
This kind of predatory business model that exploited human psychology was unethical.
He knew how these operations worked. The house always won. There was no way the shop would ever lose money.
As for the Tianquan and Yuheng participating... he didn't understand why.
Gambling dens like this were everywhere in Liyue. Casinos used dice, roulette, and card games.
This shop just used jars instead.
And the contents? Obviously planted by the shopkeeper. Nine out of ten items would be junk.
He didn't understand why the Millelith were guarding this place. How was such a shop even allowed to operate?
He wanted to ask more questions.
But seeing the guards resume their posts and remain silent, he decided not to push it.
Since the Millelith confirmed the price was legitimate, he had no choice but to accept it.
Chef Mao returned inside with a grim expression and pulled out 100,000 Mora from his pouch.
"Here. This is for the jar."
As he handed over the money, his heart ached.
100,000 Mora wasn't a huge sum for him, but paying it for a simple clay jar? That stung.
No matter how wealthy you were, this was a waste.
This shop probably had powerful backers. Otherwise, there's no way the Millelith would be stationed here.
Never again. I'll avoid this black market shop like the plague from now on.
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