The Astrology Orb that originally cost one million Mora was ultimately bargained down to six hundred thousand by the two "goddesses."
Dori was utterly stunned.
She—Sangemah Bay's most esteemed lady, ruler of the Palace of Alcazarzaray, and the all-knowing, all-having, ultra-wealthy super-merchant—had been doing business for ages, but this was the first time she'd encountered two customers this ruthless.
Meanwhile, Mona was absolutely floored by their negotiation prowess.
That single exchange had just saved her a staggering four hundred thousand Mora.
She even found herself seriously reconsidering the idea of taking Xia Ci as her disciple.
Mainly because being an astrologer was just too expensive—if she had someone like Xia Ci by her side who could haggle like that, she'd be saving a fortune on future astrology equipment.
...Of course, the thought only lingered for a moment. After all, immortals were not to be trifled with.
Dori sighed and turned to Mona.
"Will that be card or cash, dear customer?"
"Oh, card, please…"
"Northland Bank or Liyue Bank card?"
"Liyue."
"Got it."
Dori pulled out a sleek black machine.
Mona tapped Yelan's anonymous card against it and, once the transaction went through, happily took the Astrology Orb from Dori's hands.
"Thank you for your patronage!"
Dori then turned to the rest of the group gathered around her stall, instantly switching back into sales mode.
"Ahhh, dear customers, I have rare items from all across the continent, and even ancient treasures from bygone eras! Anything catch your eye?"
Chi Yu was curiously inspecting a long, collapsible tube. "What's this thing?"
"You've got sharp eyes, dear customer! That's one of our most practical items—a telescope!"
"Telescope?!"
"That's right—a telescope is a mirror that lets you see faraway places. Use it right, and from the harbor, under good lighting, you can even see—"
"Can it see the Sacred Sakura Tree in Inazuma?"
Dori froze.
"Ah… sorry, dear customer, that's a bit beyond its range. But it can definitely show you Guyun Stone Forest from here."
"Oh…"
Seeing the slightly disappointed look on Chi Yu's face, Dori's brow twitched. Something didn't feel right.
Normally, anyone hearing about her telescope would be instantly amazed.
"This is actually the last telescope I've got in stock. If you're interested, you'd better act fast—it might be gone before you know it!"
"Oh? Who else has bought one?"
"Most of the buyers were adventurers, but I've had a few traveling traders pick one up too."
"How much is it?"
"Not expensive at all—just 100,000 Mora!"
"..."
Chi Yu silently set the telescope back down on the stall.
Nope.
The Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's budget was already tight. I can't be like Consultant Zhongli, blowing money left and right and making things hard for Hu Tao.
I'll just borrow Yaoyao's telescope when I need one. Hers sees farther anyway.
Dori, to her credit, didn't bat an eye and simply kept smiling.
"Take your time browsing, dear customers! I've got plenty of other fine goods."
But after checking a few prices, everyone's interest pretty much faded.
The items here were all too expensive—most were priced in the tens of thousands of Mora.
The staff didn't have that kind of spending power, and the two goddesses only cared about bargaining as a sport.
As for Xia Zhi, it wasn't that he couldn't afford anything—it was just that the items in the System Shop were a better deal, hands down.
Just as the group was about to move on and continue their stroll, a soft voice suddenly spoke up.
"How much is this?"
It was Shenhe's voice.
Among them, Shenhe and Qiqi were always the quietest during nighttime outings. They never took the initiative to shop for anything.
This seemed to be the first time Shenhe had ever shown interest in something.
Everyone turned to look at her in mild surprise.
She was holding a tiny object in her hand.
It looked like… a doll?
Xia Zhi "glanced" at it, and his expression immediately turned strange.
Because what she was holding was a miniature Ultraman.
"This is a Divine Lord figurine, only 100 Mora."
"Divine Lord?"
"You know, the one who suppressed Osial during the battle at Guyun Stone Forest. No one knows who they are, so to distinguish them from the Geo Archon, people started calling them the 'Divine Lord.'"
"Oh, I see."
"Customer, this figurine's been flying off the shelves—it's already our second restock."
"I'll take two."
"That'll be 200 Mora."
Shenhe didn't even try to haggle. She was ready to hand over 200 Mora on the spot.
"Wait." Xia Ci suddenly reached out to stop her. "Boss, I want one too. Can I get a discount?"
Xia Zhen added thoughtfully, "Me too. Maybe just a little cheaper?"
Dori's eyelid gave a tiny twitch.
"Fine... I'll give you a 20% discount…"
"Wuwuwu!"
"Guoba says he wants one too!"
"Yaoyao wants to buy one as well!"
In the end, everyone bought one, and they even managed to talk the price down to half off.
Xia Zhi held his figurine in his hand. It was small, sure, but exquisitely crafted. It really did look quite similar to the Giant of Light he once transformed into.
But with his [Rex Lapis] talent, he could identify the composition and clay ratios used during the figurine's firing process. Judging purely by materials and labor, the actual cost probably didn't even reach five Mora.
His fingers brushed lightly across the surface of the figurine, and his expression shifted again—slightly odd.
There was a faint trace of faith energy gathered inside it.
Which meant… somewhere out there, someone was genuinely worshipping these figurines.
Seems like what that stall owner said about them being hot sellers might actually be true.
Divine Lord, huh…
He'd assumed it was all just a misunderstanding, but now it was unfolding in a much more interesting way than he expected.
Without a word, Xia Zhi quietly stowed the figurine away.
And left Dori's stall.
"Thanks to all your bargaining," said Mona, gratefully, "I saved so much Mora!"
"No need to thank us, Miss Mona!"
Later, while discussing astrology with Xia Zhi, Mona—now armed with her Astrology Orb—seemed noticeably more confident.
Before they parted ways, Xia Zhi casually invited Mona to attend the school's upcoming inauguration ceremony in a few days.
She gladly accepted.
-
Guili Plains.
A sudden, tormented wail tore through the night, thick with resentment and hatred.
Xiao's face was blank as he pulled his spear from the ground.
The evil spirit beneath his weapon had already been destroyed.
And yet, the lingering aura of malice clung to him as it always did.
He held the spear in one hand, the other lifting slightly to reveal the string of prayer beads wrapped around his wrist.
He took the beads into his palm and slowly rotated them.
A cooling sensation rose to his chest, gradually washing away that maddening frenzy.
"Karmic debt… that's all it is…"
At one point, Xiao stopped rotating the beads and murmured softly to himself.
Then, spear in hand, he turned and walked into the darkness.
---
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