Felix had to admire Hu Tao's patience.
As far as he knew, she wasn't supposed to be this patient.
"You never said I couldn't sit here."
Hearing Felix's thoughts (or interpreting his look), Hu Tao stared at him with her beautiful plum-blossom eyes, puffing out her cheeks defiantly.
Felix: "..."
Facing that stare, Felix rubbed his nose, speechless.
"Aren't you interested in Captain Beidou's Steam Battleship? You could take this opportunity to go see it."
Felix tried to divert her attention. "The existence of a Steam Battleship is guaranteed to be an eye-opener."
"Why doesn't the Shopkeeper go?"
Hu Tao countered, her gaze unwavering. "Shopkeeper, you still haven't told me where you're from. Inazuma? Sumeru? Fontaine? Or Snezhnaya?"
"Snezhnaya can probably be ruled out. The Fatui Harbinger running the Northland Bank is in Liyue right now. If you were from Snezhnaya, there's no way he wouldn't have approached you or tried to force you to sell these magical jars exclusively through them."
She was genuinely curious about his origins.
Selling such miraculous jars, claiming it's to sell more, yet limiting everyone to ten per week. It was contradictory and strange.
In her eyes, Felix was too mysterious.
"I come from a very distant place," Felix replied slowly. "A place you cannot imagine."
Seeing that he wouldn't elaborate, Hu Tao puffed her cheeks out even more, clearly dissatisfied.
"Speaking of which, Director Hu, didn't Wangsheng Funeral Parlor just launch a new 'Soul Out-of-Body' service?"
Felix chuckled lightly. "You should have plenty of business right now. Shouldn't you seize the opportunity to fulfill those orders? You've been sitting here all afternoon wasting time. I'm waiting for customers to buy jars; what are you waiting for?"
He knew Wangsheng's business was usually slow. People didn't die every day (fortunately). Hu Tao had personally come out to drum up business.
Now, thanks to the jar, she had the Soul Staff. This item could single-handedly revitalize the Parlor's popularity.
She should be out there capitalizing on it.
"Hmm, you have a point."
Hu Tao blinked.
Indeed. Sitting in Felix's shop all afternoon was a waste of time.
If she used this time for business, she could have completed several Soul Out-of-Body orders already.
But thinking about the change in her body brought a flicker of emotion back to her face.
She had hoped that by sitting here, Felix might eventually reveal a solution. But he hadn't. Clearly, there was no quick fix.
If she wanted to cancel this "benefit," she would have to rely on future jar pulls.
And honestly, after an afternoon of sitting... the initial discomfort was fading. She was getting used to the weight.
...
"Lady Ningguang! Bad news!"
High above Liyue, in the Jade Chamber.
Bai Wen, clutching a paper crane, rushed in from the terrace.
"What is it now?!"
Ningguang frowned slightly.
How many times had Bai Wen lost her composure today?
As her personal secretary for years, Bai Wen was usually unflappable. But today, she was panicking every few hours.
The cloud machine incident earlier was understandable. But what happened now?
Beside her, Keqing opened her amethyst eyes, looking over with interest. What could possibly fluster the secretary again?
"It's a sensation at Liyue Harbor! Captain Beidou came to Liyue today, and she released a ship bigger and more impressive than The Alcor! The entire harbor is in an uproar!"
Bai Wen handed the paper crane to Ningguang while speaking rapidly. "It's not just the harbor workers. Crowds from the city are rushing there. The Millelith has already been deployed to maintain order."
"Hm?"
Ningguang's brows knit together. "Beidou is in Liyue? And she deployed a ship bigger than The Alcor?"
Why was Beidou in the harbor today? She usually avoided the city.
And what kind of ship could cause such a stir?
Bigger and more impressive than the Crux flagship?
Ningguang frowned. Beidou was popular, but she constantly flouted the rules. The fines she paid could probably buy a fleet of ocean-going vessels.
Did she develop a new ship? But how could a single ship shock the entire city?
Keqing looked intrigued.
It involved Beidou. The Captain was a headache for Ningguang, but the Crux Fleet was vital to Liyue's security.
If Beidou was causing a scene big enough for the Millelith to intervene, Ningguang had to investigate personally.
"Yes," Bai Wen nodded vigorously. "That's what the Millelith report says."
"Let's go see," Ningguang decided. "We have to check it out regardless."
She stood up and walked out. Bai Wen hurried to follow, and Keqing fell into step beside them.
"We're coming too!"
Bai Xiao and Bai Shi quickly joined the group. They couldn't miss this.
...
At Liyue Harbor:
"Holy crap, that ship is cool! I've never seen anything like it! It's absurd!"
"How was it built? That looks like steel! How does a steel ship float?"
"My Archons, I've really seen everything today. I wonder where Captain Beidou got it."
"I suddenly want to tour it. The outside is beautiful; imagine the luxury inside. Living there would be a dream."
"Yeah, it looks fancier than the best inns. And what are those spinning things on top? I don't recognize them."
"I don't know. Maybe we can ask Captain Beidou for a tour?"
"I doubt it. The Alcor was restricted. Why would she let random people on this one?"
"Actually, believe it or not, I visited The Alcor once. The crew was surprisingly welcoming."
...
When Ningguang and her entourage descended from the Jade Chamber and arrived at the harbor, they were met with a sea of people.
Crowds blocked the entrance, packed densely for blocks.
The noise of discussion and debate filled the air. More people were streaming in from every direction.
"Hiss!"
Bai Wen gasped.
This was exaggerated. It was almost as crowded as the Rite of Descension.
"It seems Captain Beidou's ship is truly extraordinary. Otherwise, it wouldn't draw such a crowd," Keqing marveled. "Even The Alcor docking wouldn't cause this."
"Let's go."
Ningguang moved forward.
"Lady Ningguang is here!"
"Make way! Lady Ningguang has arrived!"
"See? I told you this would alert the Tianquan!"
"Not just Ningguang! Lady Keqing is here too!"
...
Ningguang's arrival caused a ripple through the crowd.
The people of Liyue turned, faces full of respect, and automatically parted to form a wide path for their leaders.
"Thank you, everyone."
Ningguang smiled and nodded to the citizens as she walked through the human corridor with Keqing.
They entered the harbor area.
Before they even reached the end of the pier, they saw it.
Resting on the water, towering over the wooden junks nearby, was the Steam Battleship.
Ningguang's pupils contracted the moment she laid eyes on it.
A hull made entirely of pristine white steel. A massive, sleek silhouette that screamed power and dominance. It looked like a sleeping beast, ready to unleash earth-shattering force at a moment's notice.
"The Alcor... really can't compare to this," Keqing took a deep breath, whispering her assessment.
"This type of ship completely surpasses anything we have. It's something none of us have ever seen."
"Captain Beidou likely visited the Jar Shop today."
Keqing made the connection instantly.
Only Felix's shop could provide something so out of place, so advanced.
She surmised that Beidou had visited the shop upon arriving in Liyue and pulled this battleship from a jar.
Otherwise, there was no explanation. It didn't look like anything human hands in Teyvat could forge—at least not in Liyue.
She hadn't expected the shop to dispense something as physically massive as a battleship.
How did that fit in a jar?
In Keqing's mind, Felix's image grew even more mysterious and powerful.
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