The first floor of the manga shop was bustling with voices, but upon reaching the second floor, all the noise mysteriously vanished.
The stairwell was completely silent. Amber thought she was imagining things, but when she shook her head, she realized there really was no sound at all. Surprised, she said, "Hu Tao, this is amazing. It was so noisy just now. The moment we came upstairs, it's completely quiet. What's going on?"
Downstairs, she had been wondering if such a noisy place could really be livable.
But once she came up, she realized it was like stepping into another world.
Too incredible.
Hearing her, Hu Tao stopped in her tracks and tilted her head to listen. The noise from below couldn't reach them at all. She looked shocked and said, "It really is silent… but I think this must be the work of an immortal!"
"Hahaha, worthy of the Hall Master, as clever as ever."
Accompanied by cheerful laughter, Su Han appeared before them. When he saw Amber, Kaeya, and Eula among them, he clearly froze for a moment.
Members of the Knights of Favonius? Why are they here? The Dragon Disaster over there shouldn't be over yet.
Seeing Su Han's puzzled gaze, Kaeya quickly introduced himself. "Hello, Mr. Su. Sorry for the sudden visit. I'm Kaeya of the Knights of Favonius, and these are Eula and Amber."
"Ah, greetings. I've heard of your names. Please, come inside."
Although he didn't understand why they had come, guests were guests, he couldn't refuse.
Once they entered the room, Hu Tao noticed two still-warm cups of tea and asked curiously, "Did you have a guest just now?"
"Yes, but that guest prefers peace and quiet. The moment they heard someone coming, they left first."
As Su Han spoke, he changed to a fresh set of teaware. That guest had a bit of a cleanliness obsession, if he didn't switch them, they'd definitely be unhappy.
Outside the window, in the sky,
A certain crane suddenly sneezed for no reason.
After brewing a new pot of tea, Su Han looked up to find Hu Tao staring at him with an eager gleam in her eyes, clearly expecting something.
He blinked, then suddenly realized, Hall Master Hu Tao must want to read manga. She'd just returned from a trip, so she probably hadn't had time to catch up.
Quickly, Su Han took a few volumes out from his system space and placed them in front of her. "Almost forgot, Hall Master, you came in such a hurry that you must not have had time to read. These are the new manga that came out after you left."
"Hehe, Su Han, at least you're smart. You guys talk, I'll go next door. When you're done, we'll catch up later."
Having gotten her favorite manga, Hu Tao didn't plan to play third wheel. She happily ran off to enjoy them, taking a plate of leftover pastries with her on the way out.
From what she said earlier, though, it was clear that the Mond trio had come for serious business.
Su Han looked at Eula and the others and asked, "So, what brings you here?"
Faced with his question, Eula seemed unsure how to start. Her social skills were limited to ancient noble etiquette, barely better than Shenhe's.
So the burden naturally fell on Kaeya.
The cavalry captain smiled slightly and said, "From what you said earlier, Mr. Su, it seems you already know of us?"
"I once wandered around Mond for a while. I know your names [Outrider Amber], [Spindrift Knight Eula], and [Cavalry Captain Kaeya]. Did I get that right?"
Su Han said with a smile.
"Wandering" was the perfect excuse. Mond's lax management made it impossible to verify whether he'd actually been there.
Amber let out a sigh of relief, if he'd been to Mond, things would be much easier.
She pursed her lips and stated their purpose. "Since you've been to Mond, you've probably heard about the Dragon Disaster. We came to ask for your help."
"Help?" Su Han looked at her oddly and said, "Young lady, I'm just a manga shop owner."
Something like the Dragon Disaster was way out of his league. Sure, he admitted he had some strength, but going to challenge Dvalin now would be pure madness.
If he attracted the Abyss's attention, his peaceful little life would be over.
Kaeya quickly waved his hands. "No, no, no, we're not asking you to defeat the dragon! We just heard that you have unique insight into Mond's situation. That's why we came to seek advice. The city is on the brink, and the Knights alone can barely hold out. We hoped to find some external aid."
"Well, I mean, that's fine and all, but I'm just a manga seller. I don't really understand what you're talking about. Besides, you can probably tell I can barely earn enough Mora to support Liyue, let alone help Mond."
Su Han spread his hands, showing he really couldn't help. As for Mond's mess, well, even Version 4.5 hadn't solved it.
Expecting him to fix it? Might as well hope pigs would climb trees.
Seeing that Su Han was deliberately pretending not to understand, Amber felt a pang of grief. Thinking of Mond's casualties and her promise to Acting Grand Master Jean, her tears suddenly welled up and fell.
Looking at the crying girl, Su Han felt a pang of guilt. He remembered her bright, cheerful self in the game, such a sunny little angel.
He sighed inwardly. Forget it, since he'd already meddled in Liyue's affairs, giving a bit of advice about Mond wouldn't hurt. He wouldn't actually get involved anyway.
Just as Kaeya was about to play his trump card, Su Han spoke up: "Fine, I'm too soft-hearted for my own good. But you'll have to agree to one thing, I'll only give you ideas. I won't participate in anything directly."
"Really, Mr. Su?"
The teary-eyed girl looked up in disbelief when she heard that he was willing to help.
Su Han handed her a handkerchief and sighed. "What can I say? I can't stand seeing a beautiful woman cry. I'm serious though, I'll just give advice, won't get involved, and my identity must stay secret."
"Hehe, I knew Hu Tao wouldn't recommend the wrong person. You're really a good man, Su Han!"
Amber smiled through her tears and handed him a "good person" card.
Unfortunately, Su Han hated those the most. In his previous life, he'd gotten too many "good person" cards, and that was part of why he'd died a virgin before crossing over. It had practically become his life's regret.
"Ahem. We'll talk about the 'good person' thing later. But let me make this clear, my method might not work, but at least it'll ease your current situation."
Hearing him turn to the serious topic, Kaeya and the long-silent Eula immediately straightened up.
That was exactly why they had come, to seek help. Since Su Han was willing to offer it, they would listen carefully.
"What I'm about to say might sound harsh, but let's start with an analysis of the situation. Mond's current mess isn't because of external forces, nor because the Knights aren't working hard enough, it's entirely because the people of Mond brought it upon themselves!"
The three froze for a moment. Weren't they supposed to be analyzing the situation? Why was he starting by scolding them?
Unable to hold back anymore, Eula slammed the table and stood up, gritting her teeth. "You bastard! Are you just here to mock us?!"
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