The spring morning light, like fine threads of silk, shone warmly and purely on Fudé Port's harbor.
The surface of the sea shimmered, and seagulls, soaring freely, traced elegant arcs in the sky.
From a majestic Liyue passenger ship, two vibrant youths descended one after the other.
The young man in front was clad in a long cyan robe. His face carried a hint of androgynous softness, yet lacked a heroic air, resembling a gentle and refined knight-errant.
The young man behind wore a long white Daoist robe. His face was handsome, radiating a powerful masculine aura.
Gazing at Fudé Port's clean and beautiful cityscape, a hint of astonishment flashed in the young man's eyes. He murmured in admiration, "This city is truly too beautiful. It's almost unbelievable that it was built in just one short year."
The white-robed fangshi also heartily agreed, "Xingqiu, Fudé Port's prosperity and beauty far exceed the descriptions in rumors."
Xingqiu nodded and suggested, "Let's go stroll around the city center together. I heard there's a very large bookstore on the Fontaine Commercial Street there, which gathers books from various countries."
Afterward, the two headed towards the city center together.
The moment they stepped onto Fontaine Commercial Street, they were deeply struck by the prosperous and magnificent sight before them.
The streets were bustling with activity, packed with visitors. People in diverse attire from different nations congregated together.
In front of the shops, there was an endless stream of customers. Some shops even had to guide customers to queue orderly outside because of the large crowds.
They slowly moved forward with the flow of people, navigating through this extraordinarily lively commercial street.
After quite a bit of searching, they finally located that renowned bookstore.
The large characters "New Fu Bookstore" were clearly visible. It stood in a magnificent five-story building, with an area as vast as a school sports field.
Xingqiu, filled with excitement, stepped quickly into the store. Chongyun followed closely behind.
Although there were many customers inside, the entire environment maintained a rare tranquility.
People were either sitting or standing, all immersed in the sea of books, reading attentively.
Xingqiu was deeply moved by this scene.
In his past experiences, he had never encountered such a tolerant bookstore that allowed customers to freely read books inside. But here, it seemed to be the norm.
The staff not only didn't chase away customers who were just reading and not buying, but instead would even proactively offer hot water to some elderly and children.
For New Fu Bookstore to adopt such a business model in the bustling city center is undoubtedly a business operating at a loss.
After all, in such a prime location, no matter what type of shop is opened, substantial profits can be gained.
Just as he wondered why the bookstore owner adopted this business model, a few slogans on the wall dispelled his confusion.
"Knowledge is the ladder of human progress — Furina, the Hydro Archon of Fontaine."
Upon seeing this sentence, Xingqiu's heart stirred. He understood the reason why the bookstore owner would do this.
Although from a short-term business perspective, such a business model will undoubtedly result in losses.
But from a long-term perspective on development, the intangible value brought by this bookstore is immeasurable.
It not only contributes to promoting the rise in public cultural standards but also cultivates more talents for society.
Meanwhile, such a cultural atmosphere will also attract outstanding talents on the continent of Teyvat to settle here.
Xingqiu speculated that the power behind establishing this bookstore was likely the Furina Foundation.
And as it turned out, just as he expected, in many prominent locations in the bookstore, they could see the logo of the Furina Foundation — that blue top hat.
Next, guided by the signs, Xingqiu and Chongyun went up to the Wuxia novel section on the second floor.
Here, nearly a thousand captivating Wuxia novels were richly displayed. It was a paradise for Wuxia fans.
Xingqiu's gaze lingered over every book. Whenever he found a Wuxia novel that appealed to him, he would pick it up without hesitation and gently place it into the shopping cart that Chongyun was pushing.
Soon, the shopping cart was packed full with a variety of books.
Xingqiu's reading enthusiasm remained high; he was clearly not yet satisfied.
Just then, an extremely familiar novel suddenly caught his eye — "Chronicles of the Autumn Sword" (Shenqiu Shi Jian Lu).
He had once believed this novel would never again see the light of day, but he never expected to encounter it here.
This showed the bookstore's recognition of this novel.
"What's wrong?" Chongyun noticed Xingqiu's unusual expression and asked softly.
Xingqiu held this copy of "Chronicles of the Autumn Sword" tightly in his hand, his face beaming with a proud and joyful smile. He said to Chongyun, "I wrote this book!"
Afterward, Xingqiu, feeling pleased, brought another shopping cart and continued selecting books he liked. Soon, he also packed this shopping cart full.
For this book purchase, Xingqiu spent a full two million Mora.
At the checkout, the bookstore staff enthusiastically informed them that the bookstore offered a delivery service. For just an additional fifty thousand Mora, the purchased books could be directly delivered to their doorstep.
Xingqiu, as the second young master of the Feiyun Commerce Guild, naturally wouldn't hesitate because of this small amount of money.
Without hesitation, he paid the fifty thousand Mora and chose the delivery service.
When he and Chongyun walked out of the bookstore, it was already evening. The sunlight turned a soft golden hue, cloaking this bustling city in a layer of gold.
Xingqiu raised his head and looked up at the sky. However, his gaze suddenly froze. Within his vision, a huge shadow was rapidly approaching.
As the shadow gradually approached, he was astonished to realize that it was actually a large cyan Western dragon. Its body looked even more imposing in the light of the setting sun.
Chongyun also noticed this unusual situation. He exchanged a look with Xingqiu, "Xingqiu, what should we do now?"
Xingqiu pondered for a moment. Then, his eyes flickered with determination. "If this dragon attacks Fudé Port, I will certainly step forward to protect this city."
After hearing this, Chongyun also nodded with determination and replied, "Xingqiu, I will always be by your side to face any challenge together."
The gazes of the two met with profound emotion, and a unique sentiment quietly blossomed in each other's hearts.
As the giant dragon continued to approach, more and more people on the street noticed its arrival.
However, Xingqiu and Chongyun were astonished to discover that most people's reactions were rather calm.
They merely cast a quick glance and then continued on their way, as though they were already accustomed to such a spectacle.
Only a very small number of tourists would utter frightened and panicked screams.
Just then, a West Factory Guard wearing a black uniform and holding a loudspeaker shouted loudly, "Please everyone, do not panic! What is flying in the sky is the companion of our West Factory Director Yide — Dvalin! He has a gentle disposition and is friendly to people."
These words quickly dispelled the people's fear.
Xingqiu and Chongyun also breathed a sigh of relief; their tensed nerves could relax.
That West Factory Guard continued, "This weekend there will be a Dvalin merchandise event! Simply by purchasing Dvalin merchandise dolls and drawing a lucky blind box.
If you pull one of the Ultimate Dvalin figures, you will get an opportunity for a photo and hug with Dvalin.
If you collect ten Ultimate Dvalin figures, Mr. Dvalin will take you on a round-island flight in the sky."
Hearing that one could ride a dragon for a round-island flight, Xingqiu was tempted. He really wanted to try it.
Someone asked curiously, "How much does one Dvalin merchandise doll cost in Mora?"
The West Factory Guard quickly responded, "Each doll is only ten thousand Mora. And there's a promotion right now: Buy ten and get one free!"