Cloud Retainer held a stack of blueprints in her hands—indeed, the fruits of her latest research.
Seeing her, Luya was overjoyed. With what she had developed, he could finally begin producing game consoles! And with Keqing helping him secure a site for an electronics factory, Luya would soon be able to start production—and start earning money.
"My dear disciple, you've finally come~" Luya said with a broad grin as he looked at Cloud Retainer's delighted face.
"Master, I've discovered a method to mass-produce the game consoles!" Cloud Retainer declared with confidence and joy, her eyes shining as she looked at the freshly awakened Luya.
"Hahaha, excellent! You've done well, Cloud Retainer." Luya took the blueprints she had prepared and studied them carefully.
"Hmm... not bad at all!" After reviewing the designs, he nodded approvingly. Cloud Retainer beamed with pride.
"Thank you for your guidance, Master. I've learned so much these past days!" she said sincerely. Everything Luya had shown her had been an eye-opener.
Her mastery of mechanical arts had advanced by dozens of levels! The technique for automatically converting elemental energy into power had reached perfection.
With this new technology, Cloud Retainer felt as though she had opened the door to an entirely new world—ideas for countless new mechanisms flooded her mind. These devices, in time, could transform life across all of Teyvat!
Thinking of this, Cloud Retainer couldn't help but drift into pleasant imaginings of the Teyvat of the future...
...
"Hahaha~ It's all thanks to you, Cloud Retainer," Luya said warmly, praising her contributions.
Hearing his words, Cloud Retainer's heart swelled with happiness, her expression softening more than usual.
With her method for mass-producing the game consoles, Luya's profits were about to explode! Right now, in Liyue Harbor, countless people were "cloud players" of Duel Monsters.
After all, physical Duel Monsters cards were expensive—and moreover, they required a Duel Disk or a Duel Stage to use properly. This made actual dueling rather inconvenient. Many people had jobs and could only visit Luya's shop to play during their free time.
At present, Luya's most profitable venture was the Yu-Gi-Oh! Scratch Cards. But that business had its limits—once the market became saturated, even if he stocked more scratch cards, they wouldn't sell.
So, if he wanted to spread Yu-Gi-Oh! throughout Teyvat, the game console was the key! With consoles, not only could he attract new players, but he could also host Duel Monsters tournaments. He could sell booster packs, monthly subscriptions—premium skins for cash—and make money through every model imaginable! If a business worked on Blue Star, Luya figured... it could work in Teyvat too!
That's why he was beyond excited about the game console's future. Now, the plan was finally within reach!
...
Though the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata hadn't yet completed her research on networking devices, Luya had a feeling the breakthrough was close at hand. Furthermore, once he began constructing the electronics factory, he could start installing network infrastructure across Liyue simultaneously.
When the consoles launched, they would already be connected to the network, allowing players to duel online seamlessly. It would mark the dawn of a new era for Duel Monsters in Teyvat. And then, he could export the consoles across every nation.
Once that happened, Luya's mission would be complete! He would earn the ability to travel freely between Blue Star and Teyvat—perhaps even visit other worlds for fun.
...
Soon, night fell.
That evening, Cloud Retainer, Ganyu, and Shenhe—all three master and disciples—enjoyed a hearty meal at Luya's shop.
"Master!" Cloud Retainer said cheerfully, tugging Shenhe along. "I've brought you a new shop assistant—if you're willing."
Shenhe blushed slightly as she faced Luya, feeling unexpectedly shy.
"But... I fear my fate might bring harm to the shopkeeper," she said softly, worried.
"No worries~ My fate is plenty tough; I'll be fine!" Luya replied with a grin.
Then, without hesitation, he reached up and untied the red cord bound around Shenhe's long white hair. As the cord came loose, Shenhe's emotions fluctuated violently.
...
In Liyue, there are two fates most people dread above all.
The first is the Fate of the Lone Star—those destined to lose their loved ones and live alone for life.
The second is the Fate of Calamity—those doomed to face constant disasters and deadly misfortune.
...
Long ago, Moon Carver once read Shenhe's fortune. The divination revealed that her destiny carried both Solitude and Calamity—a rare and ominous dual fate, an extremely violent, destructive omen that harmed both herself and others.
To allow Shenhe to grow safely without endangering the innocent, the adepti bound her with the Red Rope Binding Technique. The red cord sealed both her murderous aura and much of her human emotion.
Ever since, few things could stir her heart. What ordinary people treasured meant little more than dust to her.
Now, with the red cord removed, Luya had dispelled the binding.
...
Just as Shenhe began to fear she might hurt those around her, Luya used his store's invincible authority to nullify both of her ominous fates. Now, even without the red cord, as long as she remained in Luya's shop, she wouldn't harm anyone.
From now on, Shenhe could experience emotions like a normal human. And when she wished to go outside, she only needed to wear the red cord again.
As simple as putting on a mask.
Though this couldn't erase her fate entirely, it would at least allow Shenhe to live a happier, freer life.
...
If you want to support, please consider Patreon, and read advanced chapters! Your support keeps this series going! [Patreon.com/RedZTL]