"Eight million eight hundred eighty-eight thousand Mora? That's a bit steep, isn't it?"
Grumbling spread through the auction hall.
"This stone weighs at least four or five hundred kilograms, and its exterior is intact. Even if it doesn't yield gold or jade, a gemstone alone would make it worthwhile. And if an elemental crystal comes out of it—tsk, tsk—that kind of fortune could put you on the level of the Liyue Qixing."
"Keep dreaming. Didn't Boss Ji warn you? There might be nothing but a swarm of fireflies inside. This is stone gambling—cut it right and you soar, cut it wrong and you'll cry till your eyes dry."
"Wang Er, are you trying to scare everyone off so you can take it for yourself? Everyone here has weathered storms before—who are you fooling? I'll start us off properly. Twelve million Mora!"
"I want this raw stone—fifteen million!"
"Twenty million! Your luck can't match mine. Let me have it!"
After the first round, the price leapt from 8.88 million to over 20 million Mora—nearly tripling in moments.
Severin couldn't help but marvel at the purchasing power on display.
Liyue Harbor truly lived up to its name as Teyvat's greatest commercial hub.
Ji Fang's salesmanship was superb.
If Severin weren't deliberately concealing his identity—and avoiding the use of divine perception in front of Zhongli—he might have already scanned the stone with elemental sight just to pass the time.
Zhongli, meanwhile, said calmly,
"In Liyue, raw stones have long been associated with the saying: one cut to ruin, one cut to riches. Mr. Severin, you might consider bidding—there may be a pleasant surprise."
Elemental perception could sense vague conditions within a stone, but it could never grant true vision.
Even Vision bearers had to rely on experience and instinct when gambling stones.
Only gods—or those who stood shoulder to shoulder with them—could truly see through such things.
Zhongli's hint clearly suggested that something valuable lay within.
Yet Severin was certain Zhongli had not used any divine power to inspect it.
Which meant only one thing—
He already knew what the stone contained.
"You want me to help drive up the price," Severin said lightly. "That's easy enough."
Zhongli paused, surprised. "You realized I was the seller?"
"Everyone else was brimming with curiosity," Severin replied.
"You alone drank tea from start to finish, utterly disinterested—until you suddenly urged me to bid. The answer couldn't be clearer."
Zhongli gave a small sigh of admiration.
"Your insight is impressive. This stone came from deep within The Chasm. Inside is a high concentration of elemental crystals. After thousands of years of geological reactions, the energy has become exceptionally gentle—gentle enough for ordinary people to absorb."
Severin nodded.
"Then its value is immense. A stone of this size could fuel tens of thousands of elemental techniques for a normal person—perfect for self-defense or survival. For someone with a Geo Vision, the boost would be tremendous."
"I only hope it sells well," Zhongli said honestly.
"That way I can repay my debts. To be frank, I still owe a friend more than a hundred million Mora. I had no choice but to sell this. Though he is a Fatui Harbinger, my intent in befriending him was sincere."
If Tartaglia were present to hear this, perhaps he'd feel better the next time Pantalone scolded him for reckless spending.
"Liyue's records say that before the war between gods and demons," Severin added,
"when Rex Lapis was still young, a star once fell upon the western wastelands. From the depths of the Chasm sprang endless veins of jade and gold, giving rise to Liyue's mining industry for over a thousand years."
Zhongli seemed lost in thought, his expression heavy.
"The truth was far less beautiful than the legends. Every star in the sky… may well be humanity's enemy."
He offered no further explanation.
But Severin knew.
That so-called falling star had been a Skyfrost Nail, cast down from the heavens—
meant to annihilate an ancient civilization buried beneath the Chasm.
The inverted city deep underground was proof of that lost culture.
Whether by Celestia's rare mercy, by a hidden contract Zhongli struck with the heavens, or by Zhongli exhausting his full power to shield Liyue—
the end result was that Liyue alone survived, reduced merely to a vast mining pit, while other ancient nations were erased entirely.
"Zhongli," Severin said quietly, "I don't believe humanity has any true enemies."
Zhongli turned to him. "What do you mean?"
"To gods and demon gods, humans are ants—creatures that can be crushed at will.
But for something to regard humanity as an enemy… that means it has recognized human potential and grown fearful of it."
He continued evenly:
"The power that surpasses the gods does not belong to individuals—it comes from countless mortals together.
The sun, moon, and stars will one day decay, but humanity's courage to explore the heavens and pursue the truth of the universe will never perish."
Zhongli fell silent.
The tea in his cup rippled gently, betraying the turmoil beneath his calm exterior.
After Severin raised the price three more times, the raw stone's value doubled again.
In the end, it was purchased by Feiyun Commerce Guild's counterpart—the president of the International Trade Association, Kurisu—
for a staggering fifty million Mora.
Without pause, Ji Fang pressed on to the next item.
"The sixth item comes from Mondstadt's Dragonspine—
a remnant branch of the Frostbearing Tree!"
Disappointed noises rose at once.
"A firewood stick? What's so special about that?"
"Liyue has plenty of broken branches."
"Boss Ji, don't pad the auction with scraps. Bring out a complete one and I might offer a few Mora."
Unfazed, Ji Fang answered seriously:
"Much like the Chasm, around three thousand years ago the ancient nation of Sal Vindagnyr on Dragonspine witnessed a star fall from the heavens. That once-prosperous snow kingdom was destroyed almost overnight."
"The Frostbearing Tree—symbol of Sal Vindagnyr's fate—died in that catastrophe."
"Recently, adventurers discovered this branch deep within a remote glacial cave. Experts have confirmed it still retains a fragment of the Frostbearing Tree's memory."
"Whoever deciphers that memory may recreate the long-extinct Frostbearing Fruit."
She paused, then continued:
"The Frostbearing Fruit carries a cold, resolute will. When thrown, it forms an ice crystal above enemies before crashing down, freezing everything in a wide area."
These fruits were consumable elemental items usable even by those without Visions—
especially effective against Hilichurls or Pyro creatures, and invaluable for caravans, explorers, and self-defense.
Someone asked, "If it's so valuable, why would the owner sell it?"
Ji Fang replied evenly,
"Studying the tree's memory requires enormous resources. In ordinary hands, it's nothing but a stick. Only someone capable can unlock its true worth."
"Mastering this knowledge would allow mass production of Frostbearing Fruits—an unquestionable profit."
She smiled.
"Starting bid—ten million Mora."
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