Xianyun stood with arms crossed, her face tinged with both frustration and resignation.
"Hmph. This immortal honors her bets. Go ahead, tell me your request."
Shajin elegantly dabbed the corner of his mouth with a napkin after swallowing the last bite of his food. He looked up at Xianyun with a faint smile.
"It's simple, Xianyun. I want you to settle down in Liyue Harbor."
Xianyun's eyes widened slightly in surprise.
She had expected Shajin to make some harsh or outrageous demand. But to think it was something as simple as asking her to settle in Liyue Harbor…
Yet for someone like Xianyun, it wasn't so simple. She had long been used to a carefree, unrestrained life. To ask her to settle in one place meant she'd have to change her way of living.
Still, a bet was a bet. Since she had agreed to it, she could only grit her teeth and accept.
Not that she was truly unwilling—in fact, somewhere deep down, she did want to stay.
To stay and see for herself the people and things she had watched over for thousands of years.
But…
"What if Shenhe still wants to return to Jueyun Karst?"
"Don't worry, Xianyun. I can guarantee you—Shenhe will stay too~"
Xianyun gave Shajin a long look.
Though doubts still lingered in her heart, she eventually gave a small nod and sighed, speaking in a tone of reluctant acceptance.
"Fine, fine. This immortal honors her bet. I'll stay here then~"
Joy lit up Ganyu's face. The once-cool expression she usually wore became vibrant with excitement.
She had rarely been able to spend time with her master in the past. Now that they would be living together, it meant they'd be able to meet far more often.
Just the thought filled Ganyu's heart with warmth and anticipation.
But suddenly, a crucial issue occurred to her, and she quickly spoke up.
"Oh right, Master—do you want me to help you find a place to live? Property in Liyue Harbor isn't cheap, and finding the right spot could take a lot of time and effort."
Xianyun tilted her chin up slightly, flashing a confident smile.
"Hmph. This immortal may not care for such worldly things as Mora, but that doesn't mean I have no means of acquiring it."
"This trivial matter of purchasing a residence—I can easily earn the Mora needed."
As she spoke, Xianyun tapped her finger lightly. Streams of radiant light shimmered, and a series of exquisitely crafted mechanisms appeared in the open space of the room.
Each one had a unique design and intricate craftsmanship, clearly the work of a master artisan.
Xianyun pointed to one of them.
"For example, this Octave Box is my latest masterpiece. It soothes the mind and can even help recover forgotten memories."
She picked it up and handed it to Shajin, speaking with poise.
"Tell me, Shajin—how much do you think this Octave Box is worth?"
Shajin took the device, running his fingers along its smooth, polished surface.
Suddenly, a melody began to play.
The tune was graceful and flowing. Shajin closed his eyes to listen, letting himself be immersed in the beauty of the sound.
It was as If he had merged with nature, feeling an overwhelming sense of peace and harmony, his soul gently cleansed by the music.
He was clearly satisfied.
"If you're willing to part with it, Xianyun, I'm prepared to offer this amount~"
He held up three fingers.
Ganyu blinked in confusion.
Xianyun rubbed her chin.
"Thirty million Mora? That would be more than enough to buy property in Liyue Harbor."
Shajin shook his head.
Xianyun frowned.
"You mean three million? Hmph, this immortal can accept that."
Shajin shook his head again.
"What, you're saying this immortal's mechanism is only worth 300,000 Mora?!"
Still, Shajin shook his head.
Xianyun couldn't help but laugh in disbelief.
"Don't tell me you think it's worth only 30,000 Mora?!"
Shajin spread his hands with a calm smile.
"What I meant is—I'll offer 300 million as the starting price~"
Ganyu gave a helpless chuckle.
"I knew it… Shajin is still the same old prankster."
Xianyun was completely stunned.
"Th-three hundred… what?!"
Shajin repeated without hesitation.
"If you're willing to part with it, Xianyun, I'll buy this Octave Box for 300 million Mora."
Then he added, sincerely,
"And if you ever want to sell any more of your mechanisms in the future, I'll take them all off your hands—no questions asked."
Xianyun's brows furrowed deeply. Her eyes locked onto Shajin's, searching for any trace of sarcasm or jest.
But Shajin's expression remained serious and sincere. There wasn't the slightest hint of teasing.
A ripple stirred in her heart. She hadn't imagined that something she had crafted with her own hands would be valued so highly by someone else.
"Three hundred million Mora…"
She murmured to herself. That number was far beyond what she'd expected.
She knew how much effort had gone into making the Octave Box, and while she did think it was precious, she hadn't believed it could be worth that much.
She turned to look at Ganyu, who was also wide-eyed in shock. Clearly, she too was stunned by the offer.
After all, 300 million Mora was no small amount.
Shajin pulled out three sleek, black cards from his inner pocket, signed them, and handed them over.
"Each of these cards holds 100 million Mora. If you're alright with it, I'll take the Octave Box now~"
"N-no problem…"
Satisfied, Shajin took the mechanism and tucked it away.
He stood and stretched lazily.
"Well then, since we've finished eating, how about we don't wait any longer? Let's go house hunting—no time like the present~"
Xianyun turned to Ganyu.
"Ganyu, if you have other matters to attend to, feel free to go. Just let Shajin accompany me."
Ganyu shook her head.
"I'll go too. I'm more familiar with the residential areas here anyway."
Shajin waved for the waiter to settle the bill, then turned curiously to Ganyu.
"Didn't you have a meeting this afternoon?"
Ganyu replied with a cheeky smile.
"It's just a diplomatic conference with the Fatui ambassadors in Liyue."
She gave a playful wink.
"Since you technically count as a diplomat too, I'd say this still counts as official duty~"
Shajin chuckled and gave her a light pat on the head.
…..
"Phew~"
"We finally submitted the Sunset Vermillionite! And we came in first!"
Paimon flew around in excitement.
Lumine let out a wry comment.
"Shenhe was the one who carried it all the way back. Why do you look the most exhausted?"
Paimon scratched her head awkwardly.
"Flying is hard work too, okay?!"
"Oh? Didn't think you'd find the Vermillionite so quickly. Looks like we're late to the party."
A hearty voice came from behind.
"Huh?"
Paimon exclaimed in surprise.
"Beidou? Yun Jin? You guys joined the competition too?"
_
Please support my patreon, patreon. com/TravelerDouluo
And get early access to 50 advance chapters.