Ah, simple Teyvat… still untouched by the art of fortune-telling.
Elliot didn't know much about things like the Five Elements, Bazi, palmistry, or face reading.
But he did know astrology!
Star signs were easy. With a little help from the psychological "Barnum Effect," it was child's play to read people.
Once you got the hang of it, it worked like a charm—always spot-on.
With so many people around, someone was bound to get curious. Elliot was confident the innocent citizens of Teyvat wouldn't be able to resist the most basic of psychological hooks.
"Hey, hello."
He had only been meditating for about ten minutes when someone called out to him.
"What exactly do you do here?"
The man paused for a second.
That phrasing felt a little odd...
But then again, it didn't sound entirely wrong either.
"Can you help with relationship problems?" he asked.
"Yes." Elliot slowly opened his eyes.
"If I buy a Mora Meat, I get a free reading?" the man asked, eyeing the sign beside him.
"That's right." The colder and more aloof Elliot acted, the more he looked like some wise master. Sitting cross-legged only added to the mystique.
"Alright, I'll buy one. Help me with my love life." The man handed over 1,000 Mora.
Elliot passed him a Mora Meat and gave him a quick look-over.
A man in his thirties. At that age, relationship issues were usually straightforward—easy to handle.
By now, more people had gathered to watch.
No one in Liyue had seen anything like this before. It was all very novel, and since someone finally stepped up to try, the crowd grew eager to see how it would unfold.
They were curious—how exactly was Elliot going to "read" this man?
"Let me have a look…"
Elliot closed his eyes again and resumed meditating.
Occasionally, he frowned or nodded slightly, as if catching glimpses of something profound. The crowd watched in fascination.
The man standing before him grew increasingly nervous.
The more anxious he was, the more control Elliot had.
People become far easier to read when they're unsettled. Fear and uncertainty cloud judgment.
That, right there—that was professionalism.
After about ten minutes, Elliot finally opened his eyes.
"You carry a heavy burden, but have no one to confide in. Your wife doesn't understand you. Your stress builds up with nowhere to go, and you're forced to bear it all alone."
"You think she's unreasonable, sometimes even insufferable, and it wears on your nerves. Your feelings for her have faded. Lately, you've even started questioning whether marrying her was a mistake."
The man's eyes lit up, nodding repeatedly.
"Master, you—"
"I know what you're going to say. If you want to praise me, save it until I'm done."
Elliot cut him off mid-sentence.
It was a subtle psychological pressure tactic. Interrupting someone asserted dominance—typically something only a superior would do.
A boss can interrupt an employee. A teacher can interrupt a student.
Very few subordinates interrupt their superiors. It's a power dynamic.
Interrupting might seem rude, but it seizes control of the conversation.
"Yes, yes, go ahead, I'm listening."
The man's reaction made it clear—he was already fully convinced.
"Put yourself in her shoes," Elliot said simply.
"Put myself in her shoes?" the man asked.
"Yes. When was the last time you spent quality time with her? Aren't you always too busy with work, running around, barely paying her any attention?"
"Work matters, yes—but so does family. Have you brought your workplace frustrations home? Dumped your emotions on her without realizing?"
"Now imagine—what if she came home every day with a gloomy face, always irritable? How would that make you feel?"
"Try to see things from her perspective. Think about it."
The man furrowed his brow, deep in thought.
The crowd grew even larger. Many nodded in agreement at Elliot's words.
Some even had sudden realizations and rushed off, as if newly enlightened.
"I understand now. Thank you, Master."
The man gave a respectful bow, then left with a serious expression.
Seeing his reaction, the onlookers were stunned.
That attitude… proved Elliot was completely right!
"Master! I want a reading too! I'll buy a Mora Meat!"
"Me too!"
"Count me in!"
In no time, a sea of people surrounded Elliot in thick layers.
"There are only seven left. Line up, one at a time."
Elliot remained calm and composed, his demeanor steady.
Two hours passed.
All seven were gone.
Even as the crowd pleaded with him to continue, Elliot quietly packed away his sign and Ningguang's basket.
Without a word, he turned and left.
Not a moment of hesitation.
Ningguang, meanwhile, was completely stunned.
She never imagined Elliot would sell all eight pieces of Mora Meat in such a short time.
And there were still people wanting more!
If he had more stock, he could've kept selling indefinitely!
More astonishingly—he sold them for much more than she did.
She sold hers for just 400 Mora. On a good day, maybe four or five. On a bad day? Sometimes none at all.
But Elliot? He sold eight in under two hours!
"Here—your earnings. Please take it."
Elliot handed her 3,000 Mora.
"2,500 for the Mora Meat, and 500 for renting your basket."
He hadn't given her anything extra. That was intentional.
It was a way of respecting her dignity.
She wasn't a beggar—she was running a business. She should be paid exactly what she was owed. Giving her more out of pity would only hurt her pride.
Ningguang stared at the Mora in shock.
"Big brother… I don't want the Mora. I want to follow you. I want to learn from you."
She knew—Elliot was incredible.
She had worked so hard, shouting all day, trying to pull in hundreds of people… only to be ignored, tricked, and left exhausted, with nothing to show for it.
Elliot, on the other hand, just sat there with a sign—and people lined up to hand him money.
If he could teach her even a little, she'd never worry about selling anything again.
"Oh? Is that so…?"
"But you know… my skills aren't something Mora alone can buy," Elliot said with a playful smile.
Ningguang paused, startled.
Of course. With skills like his, how could 3,000 Mora be enough?
But what else did she have?
She was flat broke—she had nothing else to offer.
Panicking, she wracked her brain, thinking hard about what she still had of value.
Seeing this, Elliot smiled faintly.
This was exactly what he wanted to see.
He knew she was smart—that she had a knack for business.
All he had to do was awaken her potential.
"I… I'll give you half of everything I earn in the future! Will that do? I'm still young, but I'll definitely make a lot of money someday!"
At her words, Elliot smiled in genuine satisfaction.
"Now that," he said, "is a very good investment."
She really did have the gift.