Elliot even overheard a kid chatting about how he'd pretended to be an immortal here the day before.
After spending over an hour listening, he'd picked up several pieces of useful intel.
But with his current funds, he could only act on one.
A fleet from a foreign nation had arrived that afternoon. They were planning to buy a massive amount of Qingxin—with no upper limit—and collection would begin the next morning. For now, they were likely just strolling through Liyue, enjoying the night.
"Ningguang, how much Mora do you have left—in total?" Elliot asked calmly once everything had wrapped up.
"Thirteen thousand five hundred eighty Mora," Ningguang replied without hesitation.
She knew exactly how much was in her pocket.
"Can I borrow all of it? I'll pay you back tomorrow."
"Sure!" Ningguang said immediately.
That response caught Elliot off guard.
This was the same girl who nearly drooled at the sight of snacks but refused to spend even a single Mora on them—yet now, she agreed without a second thought.
If he hadn't bought her those clothes, she'd still be barefoot, wearing something barely more than rags.
Ningguang, who clung to Mora like it was her lifeblood, was actually willing to hand over every coin she had.
No… Maybe she didn't just value money like her life.
With her personality, she probably valued it more than life itself.
"Come with me—I'll grab it at home," Ningguang offered warmly.
"Alright."
She led him on a long walk—across most of Liyue—before they finally reached her home.
It was small, secluded, and had no streetlights in sight.
Desolate.
That was Elliot's first impression.
"Elliot, careful—there's a stair here," Ningguang reminded him.
"You…"
"You walk barefoot from here all the way to Liyue Harbor…?"
Staring at the pitch-black wooden shack, Elliot felt a wave of discomfort settle over him.
Ningguang's obsession with Mora clearly ran deep—almost to a pathological degree. One out of every three things she said was about money…
But she wasn't just greedy…
He should've seen it sooner.
"Yeah, it's only like this in the summer. In winter, I wear shoes—otherwise my feet would freeze, and then I couldn't go sell stuff," she said casually.
She stepped inside the rickety shack and lit a kerosene lamp, casting a warm glow through the cramped space.
Elliot looked around, and his chest tightened.
It was empty.
Utterly bare.
No one else lived there.
The house was falling apart, holes in every wall. Rain would surely pour in. In winter, it couldn't possibly hold back the cold.
He couldn't understand how Ningguang had survived here—alone.
Despite its condition, the place was neat and orderly.
"The house is a little shabby, Elliot. Sit wherever you want—I'll go grab the Mora."
"Ningguang…"
"Hmm?"
"You…" Elliot's voice caught in his throat. But the words wouldn't come.
Seeing his expression, Ningguang—sharp as always—seemed to understand what he was trying to say.
"When I was little, my dad broke his leg at work. From that day on, our family fell apart. My mom left because we were poor."
"My dad lost his job and couldn't walk. With Mom gone, he got really sick."
"I sold everything we had just to pay for medicine. But it was never enough."
"Later, I tried making Mora Meat—Dad taught me how. I made a batch and brought it to Liyue Harbor to sell."
"Maybe because it was my first time, it didn't taste very good. The first guy who bought it said even dogs wouldn't eat it. He tossed it on the ground and stomped it to mush."
"I picked it back up and ate it anyway. Meat is meat. Though… he wasn't wrong. It was awful. Nothing like what Dad used to make."
"But I got smarter. The next time, I tasted it first. That batch sold."
"But even then, it wasn't enough. Medicine's just too expensive. No matter how much Mora Meat I sold, it couldn't cover the cost. On my dad's birthday, I bought a tiny cake—barely the size of a fist—and brought it home."
"When I got there… he was already gone. So now, it's just me in this house."
She handed the Mora to Elliot.
He stood there, frozen, staring down at the coins.
Then at Ningguang—who was smiling.
Not a trace of sorrow on her face.
"Don't worry about me. I'm fine. This place is enough for me."
"Liyue stays warm most of the year. In winter, I just wear a few more layers when I sleep. My dad's clothes are really warm."
Ningguang was smart—she knew exactly what Elliot was thinking. She knew what kind of comforting words he might want to say.
So she spoke first. Letting him know she was okay, that she didn't need anyone's pity.
"Can I live here…?" he asked.
"Huh?" Ningguang blinked, stunned.
She thought he'd say something like, "Don't be sad," or "Hang in there."
She never expected him to ask to stay.
"Elliot, you probably wouldn't be used to living here…"
"Hmm… So you don't want me here?" he asked, sounding slightly hurt.
"No, no, of course you're welcome! It's just…"
Clearly, reverse psychology worked well on her.
"Then that's enough. You've been living here all this time and managed fine—what could possibly happen to me?"
"Alright then… okay."
Ningguang agreed to let Elliot move in.