It was noon in Liyue Harbor.
Mu Yang stepped out of Ningguang's office, with Yanfei trailing behind him.
The people at Yuehai Pavilion were already used to Mu Yang's frequent visits.
He had been coming to Ningguang's office repeatedly over the past few days.
If their statuses were even slightly less prominent, the gossip papers would probably be buzzing with rumors by now.
And today, Mu Yang had brought Yanfei, a well-known legal consultant, which only fueled speculation.
The gossip papers might not dare to publish anything, but the hushed whispers were rampant!
What could Liyue's highest authority and an Adeptus possibly be discussing that required a legal consultant's presence?
There was plenty of room for speculation…
As they left Yuehai Pavilion, Yanfei stretched lightly.
Among the cases she had handled in recent years, this client was by far the most prestigious.
The client was an Adeptus senior from Chenyu Vale, and the counterparty was Ningguang, the Tianquan of the Liyue Qixing.
However, the case wasn't as tense as she had imagined.
In fact, it was so straightforward that Yanfei nearly dozed off.
When Mu Yang first approached her, she was somewhat flattered.
She had heard about his identity from Granny Ping, so what kind of trouble could someone like him encounter in Liyue Harbor?
Mu Yang got straight to the point:
He needed the help of a legal consultant.
He asked Yanfei to act as a notary for a bet between him and Ningguang.
This request made Yanfei perk up instantly. "Miss Ningguang, the Tianquan?!"
She was, after all, the very person who revised Liyue's laws.
Every time Ningguang amended or added to the legal code, the changes were extensive.
Once, Ningguang added three new laws, revised 121 legal annotations, and attached a pile of precedent cases.
That was enough to keep Yanfei up for several sleepless nights just to understand and memorize it all.
Still, Yanfei always believed that, as a businesswoman, Ningguang couldn't surpass her in matters of law.
Clearly, Mu Yang trusted her abilities, which was why he sought her out.
The prospect of a head-to-head legal showdown with Ningguang thrilled Yanfei—she skipped breakfast and dragged Mu Yang straight to Yuehai Pavilion!
Who could've guessed the process would be so dull?
Miss Ningguang honored the bet without a fuss, listening with a smile as Yanfei read through the contract.
Then, she signed her name and transferred a grand mansion to Mu Yang, just like that.
The anticipated legal battle never materialized—Yanfei was merely there to witness.
Of course, she wouldn't voice these minor complaints in front of Mu Yang.
After all, there was a generational gap between them.
That said, Mu Yang insisted that Yanfei call him by his name.
He said it was to prepare for integrating into Liyue Harbor.
Yanfei spoke up, "Mr. Mu Yang, you're really impressive. I never would've guessed that the one who defeated Miss Ningguang in Liyue Millennial—the story circulating in the streets—was you."
Yanfei herself had tried playing the chess game against Ningguang.
She could recite the rulebook by heart, but when it came to applying business strategies, she was no match for Ningguang.
Naturally, she couldn't win. In fact, before Mu Yang, no challenger had ever beaten Ningguang.
Mu Yang remained very humble.
After all, he had only used a bit of an external assist, sipping tea while waiting for the victory.
As their conversation wrapped up, Mu Yang said, "I'll need to trouble you with a few more things soon."
Yanfei patted the legal code at her waist.
"Leave it to me. Mr. Mu Yang, you're my top client now. If you need anything, come to my office, and I'll take care of it right away."
Mu Yang nodded. "Mm."
The consultation fee he paid Yanfei was the highest tier, granting him a certain level of priority.
Yanfei glanced at the time. "I have another appointment this afternoon, so I'll take my leave. Goodbye, Mr. Mu Yang."
"Goodbye."
The reason Mu Yang was willing to pay this fee wasn't because he couldn't use "quantum fluctuation speed-reading" to understand Liyue's laws.
Rather, as someone preparing to assume the role of a "small merchant" in Liyue Harbor, Mu Yang didn't want to handle everything himself.
Besides, Yanfei was an authority on legal interpretation. With her involved, things in Liyue Harbor would go much smoother.
He wouldn't have to waste his breath explaining things.
He had a lot on his plate moving forward.
Acquiring properties and sourcing goods were tedious processes.
If he had to do everything personally, it would be exhausting.
If Mora could solve the problem, then he'd let Mora do the work.
Mu Yang looked at the contract in his hand—a deed to one of Ningguang's luxurious properties in Liyue Harbor.
After Yanfei's notarization, it now belonged to him.
He had "won" it from Ningguang.
Calling it a "win" was a bit much—it was more like Ningguang was practically begging to give it away.
Mu Yang planned to establish a small foothold in Liyue Harbor to host version events.
So, he decided to acquire a property in the city for long-term residence.
No more checking into inns every time he visited, as he had done in the past.
Used to bypassing complicated procedures, Mu Yang went straight to Yujing Terrace and walked into Yuehai Pavilion.
The "go to Ningguang for anything" approach was becoming second nature…
She seemed pretty free, didn't she? Probably.
When he explained his intentions, Ningguang said she had a better solution.
She offered to put up one of her ready-made properties as a wager and play a few rounds of Liyue Millennial with Mu Yang—if he won, the property was his!
Mu Yang thought, There's such a good deal?
If she was so eager to give it away, he wouldn't hold back.
He agreed on the spot.
The result of the chess match was, unsurprisingly, a crushing defeat for Ningguang.
Once the system had figured out Ningguang's tactics, it showed no mercy.
It steamrolled her, leaving her no chance…
In the end, Mu Yang stepped in, letting her off lightly. He understood the principle of leaving some room for others.
In his mind, Mu Yang said, "System, draining the pond to catch the fish is wrong. Go learn about sustainable development."
System: ???
And so, Mu Yang acquired a luxurious mansion in Liyue Harbor.
Following the address, he arrived at Chihu Rock.
The mansion was indeed impressive—opening the back door revealed a view of the docks and the sea, a proper seaside property.
If Mu Yang didn't have insider knowledge about Genshin Impact, he might have thought Ningguang was a total sucker.
Knowing he had a three-game winning streak, she still put up such a wager—what else could she be but a fool?
Unfortunately, Ningguang wasn't.
Because right across from this mansion was the Stone Gate Teahouse.
The Stone Gate Teahouse was originally just an underground gambling den.
After Tartaglia's aggressive debt collection, it became a Fatui intelligence outpost.
Following the Osial battle, the Fatui occupying the teahouse were purged.
The Stone Gate Teahouse then welcomed its new owner—Yelan.
Yelan transformed it into a covert operations hub. The teahouse's diverse clientele made it an excellent source of intelligence.
But aside from her subordinates and Ningguang, no one knew Yelan was the teahouse's owner.
Here, her public persona was merely that of a dice-loving regular who never lost.
Looking out from the window of his new home, Mu Yang muttered to himself,
"I wonder where the name 'Mu Yang' ranks on the Ministry of Civil Affairs' [Special Attention List]."
"It wouldn't be on the [Secret Intelligence List] for threats to Liyue, would it, Yelan…?"