Wangshu Inn.
Though called an inn, it had long since ceased to be just a simple lodging.
Due to the sheer number of merchants and travelers passing through this trade route, a single Wangshu Inn couldn't possibly accommodate them all.
Over time, many other inns sprang up around Wangshu Inn.
And as these inns were established, the needs of their guests led to the rise of various other shops in the area.
By now, the place had grown into a sizable town.
Perhaps calling it Wangshu Town would be more fitting.
But out of long-standing habit, people still mostly referred to it as Wangshu Inn.
After breakfast.
Xia Zhi and his group strolled through the streets, curiously taking in the sights.
Xiangling and Diona walked ahead, enthusiastically recounting their experiences from their last visit here.
Charlotte, meanwhile, snapped photos with her Kamera.
"Guili Inn, Dihua Lodge, Hotel Debord… Huh? There's actually a Hotel Debord here?!"
"What's the matter?"
"You don't understand—Hotel Debord is the biggest and most famous restaurant in the Court of Fontaine!"
"Oh, you mean it's just the same name. This one's probably just riding on its fame."
"Or maybe the owner is actually from Fontaine."
Charlotte stared at Hotel Debord and declared, "I want to go inside and take a look!"
"Then let's go. We'll join you—we've got nothing else to do anyway."
The group entered Hotel Debord.
Charlotte's eyes lit up again at the sight of the familiar decor.
A waiter approached them politely. "Welcome, honored guests. Will you be dining with us today?"
Everyone glanced at the menu on the wall.
Unlike Wanmin Restaurant's menu, this one had photos of each dish.
And they all looked quite appetizing.
Though they were curious about these Fontaine-style dishes, they had just finished a hearty breakfast—one so delicious they'd all overeaten—so none of them had any room left.
"No, sorry. We're just here to look around."
"No problem at all! Feel free to explore, as long as you don't disturb the other diners."
"Hello, I'm a reporter from the Liyue Newspaper Agency. Would it be alright if I took some photos?"
"Of course!"
Charlotte, ever the professional, snapped a few well-composed shots.
The restaurant owner, having caught wind of their presence, rushed out from the kitchen—and, surprisingly, recognized Charlotte.
"Reporter Charlotte! All our ingredients are the freshest! Even the oil was freshly pressed at the end of last year! Absolutely safe and healthy! Would you like to inspect our kitchen?"
"Don't worry, boss. I'm not here for a food safety inspection this time."
"Food safety or not, I just want the public to see the real Hotel Debord! I used to work in the kitchen of the real Hotel Debord back in Fontaine—this is authentic Fontaine cuisine! Maybe the locals here aren't used to it, but I'd never embarrass Fontaine people!"
"That's true… Boss, why are you sweating so much?"
"Ah, well, the kitchen's just really hot, you know? Haha…"
"Then you should get back to work. We'll be on our way—don't let us keep you."
"Oh! Right! Take care, everyone!"
The owner, ever the gentleman, insisted on seeing them to the door—a gesture that was quite touching.
Once they were a good distance away, the girls finally couldn't hold back their laughter, covering their mouths as they giggled.
"That restaurant owner looked so nervous!"
"He was practically drenched in sweat."
"The way he looked at Charlotte—like she was some kind of terrifying monster!"
Charlotte sighed helplessly.
"Probably because of the things I've done in Fontaine."
"What things?"
"To expose the truth, I often go undercover in various industries, gathering evidence of shady bosses exploiting workers or cheating customers. Then I publish the truth in the newspaper."
"Wow! That's amazing!"
"My friend, you are the true hero!"
"But doesn't that make you a lot of enemies?"
"Yeah. I've gotten plenty of threatening letters. Honestly, this business trip to Liyue is partly to lay low for a while."
"That's rough."
"Those villains are just awful!"
"..."
After venting their indignation, the conversation shifted back to Hotel Debord's menu.
"I saw something on the menu that looked like hollow tubes…"
"You mean pasta?"
"Yes, that's It! That looked pretty good. Is it tasty?"
"It's delicious, especially with meat sauce."
"I want to try it now!"
"Don't get your hopes up too much. It's not as good as the mountain delicacy noodles Mr. Xia made this morning."
"That's true… Boss's cooking is the best in the world."
"But what if cousin made pasta?"
All eyes turned to Xia Zhi.
Xia Zhi maintained his usual calm demeanor.
"Pasta, huh…"
"Master, can you make it?"
"I've never tried, but it shouldn't be a problem. I'll make it for you next time."
"Yay!"
They continued their stroll.
Eventually, they reached another part of town.
This area had fewer inns and more shops selling miscellaneous goods.
There were also simple roadside stalls—just a piece of cloth spread out, displaying all sorts of ornaments.
Some were goods brought by traveling merchants, some were items adventurers had acquired during commissions, and some were even artifacts dug up by Treasure Hoarders.
Since the origins of some items were unclear—even the stall owners didn't know what they were—they were often priced haphazardly, leading to frequent "bargain finds."
Xia Ci and Xia Zhen were particularly interested in this kind of thing. The moment they arrived, they immediately began scouting for targets.
The others joined in the fun.
At one point, Xia Zhi sensed an unusual aura and stopped at a particular stall.
The stall owner looked up with a smile. "See anything you like, sir?"
Xia Zhi crouched down, picked up a blood-red, oddly shaped stone, and weighed it in his hand. It felt slightly warm to the touch.
"What kind of stone is this?"
The stall owner glanced at it. "Oh, that? I found it on Dragonspine. They say it's a special ore unique to that area. Crush it, and it'll warm your body, helping you withstand the cold for a while."
"I see… Are you an adventurer?"
"Yeah. If you're interested, why not take it as a souvenir?"
"How much for the stone?"
"Just 200 Mora."
"That's not too expensive."
"Haha, it's nothing special. There's plenty of these stones on Dragonspine. I just grabbed a few on a whim. If you like them, you can take them all."
"Sure."
"That'll be 1,200 Mora in total."
Xia Zhi paid and received six blood-red stones.
He stored them in his inventory, and their item information appeared.
[Scarlet Quartz]
Quality: Silver.
Type: Consumable.
Traits: None.
Effect: A crystalline substance with a blood-like texture, containing a certain will. Attaches to specific individuals, providing temporary resistance to cold.
Hidden Effect: None.
Non-recyclable.
Xia Zhi studied the system panel thoughtfully.
The descriptions "blood-like texture" and "certain will" suggested that these stones were formed from the blood of some entity.
And if just its blood was rated as Silver-tier, the original being must have been at least Platinum, if not Diamond.
But that wasn't the main point. What intrigued Xia Zhi most was the faint trace of Abyssal energy he sensed from these stones.
Now that was worth pondering about.
Xia Zhi took out one of the scarlet stones and rolled it between his fingers.
Madame Ping approached and asked softly, "Mr. Xia, are you interested in Scarlet Quartz?"
Xia Zhi nodded. "Yes, a little. Do you know much about it, Madame Ping?"
"A little."
"Oh? Do tell."
"Have you heard of the dragon Durin?"
"Not in detail."
"That was five hundred years ago. At the time, Mondstadt faced a terrible dragon calamity."
"Another dragon calamity?"
Xia Zhi recalled Diona mentioning that Mondstadt had recently dealt with a dragon crisis, resolved with the help of that golden-haired Traveler, Lumine.
Madame Ping shook her head. "Mr. Xia, this was different. The recent dragon incident in Mondstadt was minor compared to the one five hundred years ago. A golden alchemist created a massive dragon—Durin. It flew in from the sea, bringing poison and destruction, leaving the land in ruins. Dvalin fought Durin in a bloody battle on Dragonspine. With the Anemo Archon's help, Dvalin barely managed to defeat Durin, but the victory left him in a deep slumber. Durin died on the mountain, and its spilled blood became the Scarlet Quartz."
"I see…"
Madame Ping's account aligned with Xia Zhi's earlier speculation.
"Dragonspine also has another crystalline substance called Crimson Agate, but it's extremely rare. Some adventurers found it in the past, but by now, almost all of it has been mined."
"No matter. I was just curious about the Scarlet Quartz—I'm not particularly interested in collecting them."
"Mm."