Taking advantage of having both the heir of a merchant guild and the successor of an exorcist clan present, Jiang Bai pulled out the adeptus texts he'd found above the clouds.
The back of the mechanical crane was plenty spacious, and its long neck shielded everyone from the strong winds caused by high-speed flight. Even so, Jiang Bai didn't risk pulling out too many books—just a few, to avoid them being blown away.
"Director, take a look at these. Think they're worth anything?" He handed one to Hu Tao and passed two more to Xingqiu and Chongyun, rubbing his hands together with anticipation.
"You guys take a look too."
"Where did you even get these?" Hu Tao turned the book over. The cover was simple and old-fashioned, the paper yellowed with age—clearly ancient.
"From above the clouds," Jiang Bai said proudly.
Chongyun opened the book he'd received and flipped through a few pages. His eyes widened in surprise. "This looks just like the oldest form of the exorcism rituals from my clan."
Ancient? Jiang Bai's eyes lit up. Ancient meant valuable, right?
But then Chongyun continued, "The methods we use today are actually modernized versions of these. Over the generations, our elders adapted them to suit the human body better, and to match the current world. The procedures are more refined now—easier to perform, and less extreme."
"…So you're saying they're not valuable?" Jiang Bai deflated instantly.
"Why would you say that?" Chongyun blinked. "Why wouldn't they be?"
"Just because we've adapted them doesn't mean the original forms are useless. When dealing with certain particularly stubborn or malevolent spirits, these older, more direct methods are actually more effective."
Jiang Bai wasn't an exorcist himself, but he'd sat in on enough lectures at Wangsheng Funeral Parlor to get the basics.
After all, their line of work often involved the dead—it made sense to know a thing or two about evil spirits.
"So… if I were to sell them, would you buy them?" he asked bluntly.
That stumped Chongyun. He scratched his cheek and answered with a very matter-of-fact, slightly smug smile: "My family already has them."
Back in the days of the Archon War, Liyue wasn't the peaceful land it was now—evil spirits roamed freely, plagues spread unchecked, and monstrous beasts haunted the mountains. The adepti had passed down many manuals like these to help humans survive.
To ordinary folks, books like these might seem rare treasures, but to ancient exorcist clans like Chongyun's, they were heirlooms, preserved and protected for generations. They had no need to buy secondhand copies.
Jiang Bai's dreams of seven-star bidding wars and exorcist clans fighting to outbid each other promptly crumbled.
Liyue had stood for over 3,600 years. The families that had defended it all this time possessed a heritage too deep to compete with—not something a few musty old books found in the mountains could surpass.
"Were you planning to sell these?" Xingqiu asked, intrigued. "Why not hand them off to our Feiyun Commerce Guild? I guarantee we can get you a good price."
Unlike exorcist families, merchant guilds lacked heritage—but they had no shortage of mora. Collectors and scholars would definitely be interested.
Hu Tao closed the book in her hands. "We'll copy all of them first, then sell the originals."
Knowledge should be shared. The books themselves were just vessels. And ancient texts were fragile—storing them long-term was a pain.
It made far more sense to replicate the content, then sell the originals with a flashy label like "Handwritten by an Adeptus" or "Millennia-old Relic." Maximize profit.
Hu Tao's thoughts aligned perfectly with Jiang Bai's. He nodded enthusiastically.
"Following Director Hu's lead!"
"There's an auction coming up soon," Xingqiu added. "I'll have these included. Promise they'll fetch a great price."
Jiang Bai slung an arm over his shoulder with mock-seriousness. "Whether I become one of Liyue's richest men now… depends on you!"
Xingqiu twitched a smile. Thinking a few dusty scrolls could make someone rich in Liyue—bold aspirations indeed.
"I'll do my best. But don't expect me to waive the seller's fee."
"No worries, no worries! I always pay my debts!"
...
Under the cover of night, the mechanical crane returned to Liyue Harbor. As it soared over Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, Jiang Bai and Hu Tao leapt off and glided home.
Hu Tao went straight to Zhongli's residence, excited to brag while delivering food reheated with Pyro. Jiang Bai watered his freshly planted Sweet Flower garden, then lay back on the roof to stargaze.
The moon hung high, the wind cool and gentle—truly a peaceful life.
Peaceful days passed quickly. So quickly, in fact, that Jiang Bai sometimes forgot time was moving at all.
Leaf Returns to Root wasn't exactly a busy division—he barely got sent on more than a few missions a year. Most days he just tagged along with Hu Tao like some idle city vagabond, wandering every alley of Liyue Harbor and even the outer regions.
From exorcisms in Wuwang Hill to arguing with stray cats sunbathing on rooftops, the days blurred together—and before he knew it, the Lantern Rite had arrived.
...
The Lantern Rite was the grandest festival in Liyue.
On this day, people released Xiao Lanterns and Mingxiao Lanterns into the sky. They believed the spirits of the heroes who once protected Liyue would follow the lights home, reuniting with their people.
Thousands of lanterns lit the night in remembrance and hope, symbolizing the passing of the flame, the endurance of virtue.
Hu Tao woke up unusually early that morning and banged on Jiang Bai's door.
She was dressed head to toe in vibrant red, holding two freshly cut bamboo poles—leaves and all.
"Get up! The sun's already burning your butt!"
Still in bed, Jiang Bai groaned, rubbed his eyes, and opened the window. No sun. The sky was still dim. Dawn hadn't even broken yet.
But seeing Hu Tao's grinning face at the window? That, he'd gotten used to.
He yawned. "Morning, Director~"
"Get up, get up! We can't waste a day this beautiful sleeping!"
"…Are you quoting Chongyun?"
That training fanatic never wasted a minute.
"Don't worry about that! Go wash up! I'm waiting on you to help make my lantern—this year I'm building the biggest Xiao Lantern in all of Liyue Harbor!"
Beyond honoring heroic spirits, lanterns had taken on new meaning over the years.
People wrote down their wishes, hopes, and dreams, and sent them skyward with the lanterns, praying for good fortune in the year ahead.
"Alright, alright~"
Jiang Bai got changed and stepped into the courtyard. Hu Tao had already laid out blueprints across the grass.
She wasn't kidding—her design for this year's lantern was enormous. Jiang Bai honestly worried whether it would even fly.
"To keep it light, I snuck into Zhongli's yard and cut down two slim bamboo poles. The thinner frame should help reduce the weight."
Jiang Bai glanced at the dragon embroidery peeking from her sleeve and said, voice full of pity, "Director… be careful you don't get smacked."