"How about a thousand moras?" Morax raised one finger as he spoke.
"A thousand!?" The shopkeeper's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Yes, a thousand. If that's not enough, you can name your price."
"No, no, no... I mean, a thousand... isn't that too much?" The shopkeeper was stunned. A thousand mora was no small amount.
At this time, with the Archon War still raging, a thousand Mora had nearly the same purchasing power as five hundred thousand in later years.
Currently, mora circulated only within Liyue and had not yet spread across Teyvat. Combined with Liyue's small population and the limited issuance, its value was extraordinarily high.
"A work polished with such care over three or four months is worth that much. It's not excessive—if anything, it might even be too little," Morax explained calmly.
"This..." The shopkeeper was completely dazed. He had never imagined that such a small wooden box could sell for a thousand Mora. The sudden rush of wealth made everything feel almost unreal.
"Well... alright then."
Morax then took out a thousand Mora and handed it to him.
Under the shopkeeper's stunned gaze, Morax left the shop with Guizhong and the exquisite wooden box in hand.
"This box is so beautiful. I'm going to make one just like it when we get back," Guizhong said happily, gazing at the square box in her hands. She looked like a child who had just gotten a long-awaited toy.
"Strange... I feel like I've seen this box somewhere before." Morax voiced the thought that had been lingering in his mind.
"Really?" Guizhong paused for a moment, then her smile deepened. "Maybe it's fate. Perhaps it was meant to be ours from the beginning."
"Perhaps." A faint smile touched Morax's lips.
"What do you want to eat? Liyue has so many specialties," he asked, glancing toward the bustling food street ahead.
"Hmm... honestly, I kind of want to try everything," Guizhong admitted shyly.
"Hahahahahaha! Boss, ten more bowls!!"
Before they even reached the stalls, a familiar voice echoed down the street.
Following the sound, they spotted five Yaksha seated at the entrance of a medium-sized restaurant, their table stacked high with empty bowls.
Morax and Guizhong exchanged a knowing glance, faint smiles appearing on their faces as they walked over together.
"What's so delicious that you've eaten this much?" Guizhong asked with a gentle smile.
"Hehe, Lady Guizhong, Lord Zhongli, the tofu here is amazing! We've each had more than ten bowls!"
Seeing the two arrive, the Yaksha eagerly introduced them to the restaurant's specialties.
"Each of you ate that much? Then we have to try it." Morax and Guizhong took their seats with interest.
Before long, plates of silky tofu were brought to the table. The Yaksha quickly pushed them toward the two.
The tofu melted instantly on the tongue, its smooth texture carrying the delicate aroma of almonds that filled the entire mouth—an undeniable delicacy.
"What's this dish called? It's excellent," Morax praised.
"Right? Right? It's super tasty!!!" Bosacius grinned, thrilled that his recommendation had been a hit.
"It's called Almond Tofu. When we first got here, there was a huge line, but it was worth every minute of waiting."
The once cold and taciturn Alatus—freed centuries ago by Elliot—had long since vanished.
Now, he was more like a cheerful, spirited youth, living each day in happiness.
"Xianyun! Ganyu! Over here!!" Guizhong called out, spotting the other Adepti arriving at the food street.
Moments later, they hurried over, smiling brightly.
"Huh? Where's Marchosius? Wasn't he with you?" Bosacius asked, noticing his absence.
"Marchosius went ahead earlier," explained Skyward Guide. "He said he wanted to try every dish in the food street and then recreate them all. He's probably still at it right now."
"Recreate them all? That guy's intense! He's not leaving anyone else a chance!" Indarias joked, prompting laughter all around.
"Come on, let's find a bigger table and eat together."
"Yeah, let's do it!!"
Soon, they found themselves in the largest private room of the Wangshu Inn and ordered one of everything on the menu.
At this time, Wangshu Inn had not yet been relocated above Guili Plains—it was still just a small restaurant in Liyue Harbor.
But judging by its thriving business, it was easy to see why it would one day grow into something greater.
Before long, dozens of dishes were served one after another.
Clink—
The crisp sound of glasses meeting rang out as everyone's faces filled with joy and warmth. Raising their cups together, they cheered:
"Happy Lantern Rite, everyone!!!"