"Can I use this as collateral?" Elliot placed his Demonbane Blade on the table as he spoke.
The shopkeeper picked up the weapon and examined it closely. The longer he looked, the brighter his eyes became.
"A fine blade. Truly excellent."
He praised it repeatedly, clearly taken with Elliot's black sword.
After all, it was a gift from the system—a blade capable of slaying even Archons. Of course it was exceptional.
"It's acceptable for pawn. When do you plan to redeem it?"
"Tomorrow night should be fine," Elliot replied.
"Alright then, go ahead."
With that, Elliot took the massive bundle of Qingxin.
In a single night, he used all the Mora he had—along with the Mora he borrowed from Ningguang—to purchase an enormous stockpile of Qingxin.
He even pawned both his spear and Demonbane Blade, sweeping up nearly all the Qingxin available across Liyue.
Because he bought in such large quantities, the purchasing price was considerably lower.
Tomorrow, he'd sell it at a much higher price. The profit margin would be substantial.
All that was left now was to wait.
"Elliot, why did you buy so much Qingxin?" Ningguang asked.
"You'll find out tomorrow."
"Hmm… okay." She paused, then looked up and asked, "So tomorrow, we're not selling Mora Meat?"
"Nope. Tomorrow, it's Qingxin."
"Selling Qingxin…? But Elliot, we just bought it today. Are you sure we can make any Mora selling it tomorrow?"
It was clear that Ningguang didn't understand his strategy.
Worry even flickered in her eyes. After all, Elliot had staked everything on this—he even pawned his weapons.
"We can. And we'll make a lot. You'll see tomorrow." Elliot gave a confident smile.
Seeing him so sure of himself, her doubts faded away.
They wandered around Liyue for a while before heading back home.
Not long after, they fell asleep...
...
In his dream, Elliot stood above the gods.
Countless people knelt before him.
Surrounding him were women of otherworldly beauty—like celestial beings.
Ganyu, Keqing, Lisa, Barbara, Raiden Shogun, Yae Miko, La Signora...
Each of them tried earnestly to please him.
He held absolute power, living a life countless people could only dream of.
Just as he was about to sink into this illusion, a sharp pain shot through his head.
Faces he didn't recognize suddenly flashed through his mind.
Qiqi, Shenhe, Hu Tao, Eula, Xiao, Amber...
"Who... are they?" Elliot froze.
In that brief daze, La Signora slowly began removing her clothes.
And it wasn't just her—every woman around him did the same.
"No... this isn't right..." Elliot clutched his head in agony.
Those unfamiliar faces filled him with unease. He desperately tried to remember their names—who they were, what they had done.
"Grandpa... you don't want me anymore?" asked a little girl with plum-shaped eyes.
"Elliot... Qiqi never forgot you..." said the girl with the talisman on her forehead, speaking timidly.
"Husband, in this life, I would marry no one but you... I'm still waiting for you to come home... waiting for your tomato and egg noodles..." The white-haired woman's eyes shimmered with tears.
"You little brat, don't tell me you can't handle a bit of karmic debt? Don't let me look down on you."
A green-haired youth slowly removed his Yaksha mask, a faint smile on his face.
"Teacher, the people of Mondstadt accepted me. I've become a Wave Knight of the Knights of Favonius. Please… let me dance for you one more time."
A girl with short blue hair danced gracefully in mid-air, the sound of waves gently echoing around her.
"Grandpa, I became the only reconnaissance knight. And the doll you gave me—I named it 'Baron Bunny.' It's protected me so many times, just like you did when I was little."
A girl with long black hair and red bunny ears smiled brightly as she spoke.
At that moment, Elliot's spirit trembled violently.
In an instant, he sat up straight.
His eyes flew open, pupils dilated, breath rapid and ragged.
"Damn it!!! That cursed thing!! Kill him!!"
"So close! We were so close to succeeding!! That wretched wandering soul! Why isn't he afraid of us!?"
"Kill him! Devour him! Make him perish—let his soul be utterly destroyed!!"
Elliot quickly crossed his legs and activated the Calming Mantra, gradually subduing the rampant karma surging inside him.
As the mantra took effect, the voices of resentment faded away.
Once he regained his calm, he saw a man standing at the door of the worn-out house, his face serene.
"Ningguang's... father?"
The man looked very much like Ningguang. Elliot spoke the words without thinking.
His presence felt familiar.
He had just appeared in that dream...
Recalling what the karmic voices had said, Elliot suddenly understood.
It was likely thanks to this man's help that he'd managed to wake up.
"Thank you." Elliot rose slowly and bowed in gratitude.
"No—I should be the one thanking you. I know you came to protect Ningguang."
The young man gazed fondly at the sleeping Ningguang, his expression filled with tenderness.
As the former master of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor in his first life, Elliot understood why Ningguang's father had never crossed the boundary into reincarnation.
After all, she was still so young, all alone. What father could bear to leave her?
"I was a failure of a father," the man said with a bitter smile, his eyes full of guilt.
"I was gravely ill. I couldn't speak, couldn't move. If I could've, I would've taken my own life... maybe the Mora left behind could've gotten her to a kind family."
"But Ningguang… she sold off everything we had to pay for my treatment. I wanted to stop her—but I couldn't."
"I was useless. All I could do was watch her suffer, watch her struggle."
"I must be the most pathetic father in the world…"
"Thank you. Thank you for taking care of my child."
With that, the man knelt down.
Elliot rushed to help him—but his hand passed right through him.
The man was already bowing deeply, kowtowing several times.
"You…"
"There's no need for this…"
Elliot was at a loss, but he understood.
If it meant his daughter could escape her suffering, what were a few bows?
As long as she could live well, even dissipating into nothing was a small price to pay.
True, selfless parental love is the purest form of love in the world.
They won't look down on you when you're at your lowest, nor will they walk away when you fall.
They don't care if you achieve greatness—only that you live safely and peacefully.
They are, forever, your strongest support.