"It's over, it's gotten way out of hand." In a secluded alley at Chihu Rock, Yu Jin looked at the giant meat flower on a tall building in Feiyun Slope and felt a pang of regret.
"Northland Bank! Northland Bank! It's bankrupt!"
"The scoundrel Regrator ran off with the Damselette…"
Faintly, Yu Jin could still hear the loud clamor from afar.
"How long will this last?" Yu Jin pulled out the rot again. He was genuinely afraid those loudspeakers would keep shouting day in and day out.
At that point, not to mention the people of Liyue, even he wouldn't be able to stand such constant noise.
"Reporting, Boss, you can rest assured with my work. It'll be quiet by dawn, guaranteed!" The rot said, then eagerly burrowed back inside.
He had just gotten a good hand and couldn't let those shameless ones ruin it again. They always bullied him, relying on being stronger than him every day.
Yu Jin looked at the rot's eager retreat and was greatly astonished. Could his personality correction punch now work on deities?
As soon as he thought of this, Yu Jin felt his mood brighten considerably. Even the shouts from the distant loudspeakers no longer sounded jarring to him.
The night passed without incident.
The next morning, Yu Jin rushed out of his room, eager to head to the Northland Bank on Feiyun Slope.
Just as he expected, Feiyun Slope was already teeming with people. Large crowds of Liyue citizens gathered in front of the Northland Bank building, marveling at the scene before them.
Above the third floor of the tall building, golden-red "branches" now covered it, and on these branches, vibrant red flowers bloomed in the sunlight.
These "branches" grew upward along the building, eventually intertwining and twisting at the rooftop to form a thick trunk.
Above the trunk was a giant red flower, dozens of meters in size. Everything looked both beautiful and eerie.
"Hiss—, this… how is this possible! How did Northland Bank turn into this ghostly state overnight!"
"Didn't you hear the sounds last night? Maybe it was those two Fatui Harbingers who did it?"
"Hey, hey, hey, do you know? That sound last night, it was shouting from inside the flower! I'm not lying, I saw it with my own eyes!"
"Don't… don't say anymore! Look, did that flower just move? I… I have something to do, I'm leaving first!"
...The wide street was incredibly noisy, with various discussions rising and falling. Most people were discussing these flowers with a mindset of enjoying the spectacle, while a few gifted individuals sensed something eerie, but they didn't cause any stir.
"This technique of bringing life from petrification can be called a divine feat, don't you think, Yu Jin?" A refined yet magnetic male voice came from behind.
Yu Jin turned around and found Zhongli, whom he had met a few days prior, standing behind him, accompanied by a curious Hu Tao looking around.
Evidently, they too were curious about what had happened here and had come early in the morning to observe.
Yu Jin wasn't too surprised that Zhongli recognized the origin of the flower at a glance. Not to mention his strength as the oldest of the Seven Archons, his clearance to mint Mora alone allowed him to discern the essence of these flowers and branches.
Of course, this also had to do with Yu Jin's playful mindset at the time.
"A piece of cake, that's all." Yu Jin waved his hand. This was nothing. This time, the rot had been restrained to the extreme; no lives were turned into blood, and no corrosive mist emerged.
It should be known that contracting scarlet rot is extremely troublesome; not only does the body gradually rot, but it also possesses terrifying contagiousness.
From Yu Jin's observations, if the rot disease truly appeared in this world, the possibility of a cure would likely be minuscule.
"Is that so?" Zhongli's eyes narrowed slightly. It seemed Yu Jin's strength was indeed unfathomable.
However, he quickly felt relieved. If Yu Jin's words were true, there was a Barbatos-sized gap between his and Yu Jin's ages. It was only natural for his power to be great.
But why hadn't he become one of the Seven Archons? Zhongli was somewhat puzzled.
Yet, after a moment, Zhongli shook his head in self-mockery. These were old matters from thousands of years ago, and he was still dwelling on them here; it was truly unbecoming.
"What riddles are you two talking about? Tell me!" Hu Tao jumped up, trying to look towards the Northland Bank.
There were so many people, and she was so short; she couldn't see anything.
A bit dejected, Hu Tao couldn't help but run back to Zhongli's side. Whenever something strange happened, Mr. Zhongli could always talk at length; there was nothing he didn't know.
So she had heard Yu Jin and Zhongli's somewhat enigmatic conversation. She then simply gave up thinking and asked the all-knowing Zhongli.
"Heh heh, the Director is unaware, but these flowers and branches are actually all transformed Mora. It seems the Fatui have offended some expert. This move, I'm afraid, has turned most of Northland Bank's years of operational achievements into nothing."
Saying this, Zhongli also chuckled. Many of the Fatui's actions, even if he understood the Tsaritsa's ultimate goal, still instinctively annoyed him.
Now that Yu Jin had stepped in to teach them a lesson, he felt much more pleased.
"Expert?" Hu Tao glanced at Yu Jin beside Zhongli, who nodded calmly. Although he didn't want to grandly publicize it, he also had no intention of hiding his actions.
Ultimately, it was just for fun.
"Wow! How impressive! I wish I were that amazing too!" The plum blossoms in Hu Tao's eyes turned into little stars. If she were as powerful as Yu Jin, she could go to the Fatui's doorstep to promote her business.
Then she wouldn't have to be like this now, either handing out flyers or on her way to hand out flyers every day.
"Yu Jin, what are your plans next?" Zhongli asked curiously, looking at the idle Yu Jin before him.
"Set up a stall." Yu Jin uttered a word that made people drop their jaws.
"Set up a stall?" Zhongli looked at Yu Jin in surprise. He never would have imagined Yu Jin wanting to set up a stall.
Seeing Zhongli and Hu Tao's astonished expressions, Yu Jin couldn't help but feel a surge of irritation. It was truly a case of the full not knowing the hunger of the empty, wasn't it?
"Speaking of which, you left quite stylishly last time, but you never settled the bill, did you? If I hadn't been clever, I probably would have had to wash dishes for the owner!"
Yu Jin pointed at Zhongli, saying with some anger. If it weren't for the rich woman's help, he really would have had to wash dishes!
"Uh… I'm truly sorry. How much? The Director can pay." Zhongli rubbed his nose, saying somewhat awkwardly.
His old habit had resurfaced. He needed to be more careful next time, Zhongli secretly admonished himself.
Hu Tao: "???"
"Never mind, it's already paid. You'll have to treat next time." Yu Jin stopped Hu Tao from reaching for her purse, then bid farewell to the two and squeezed out of the crowd… Snezhnaya, where the city is perpetually shrouded in relentless snowstorms, painting the entire urban landscape in a white haze.
In a hidden secret room, the idle Fatui Harbingers were looking at the intelligence report that had just been urgently sent from Liyue.
"Quite interesting, isn't it?" The Regrator was the first to put down the report. Although his expression was as usual, his twitching mouth and flickering eyelids indicated his inner turmoil.
"It seems he's a very righteous person, huh. Heh heh, as troublesome as the Captain." The Rooster, short in stature but with a large nose, said with a laugh.
His wrinkles, creased by his smile, combined with his large nose on his face, gave him a distinct air of an evil wizard from a fairy tale.
"And equally easy to manipulate." The Regrator rummaged through the conference table and found a photograph with information about the Adventurers' Guild written on it.
"Oh? It seems you have a plan in mind?" The Rooster watched the Regrator's actions, feeling a slight sigh of emotion. Young people nowadays were becoming increasingly formidable.
"I have a fur coat, which I originally intended to present to the Tsaritsa, but unfortunately, it was targeted. But now…"
"Using it to buy two lives would not disgrace its value." The Regrator smiled. This deal was well worth it.
"Moreover, in Liyue, we still have enough power to utilize." The Regrator thought of Childe, strong but lacking in intellect, a good blade.
Then he looked at the Doctor, who had remained motionless throughout.
"That segment in Liyue is very strong."
"Your research funds, I will personally contribute again, and the amount is…" The Regrator smiled, opening his palm.
"An increase of half, how about it?"
"Deal."
The smile on the Regrator's face deepened. With that segment of the Doctor, this time it could be said to be a sure success.
"Marionette, making him obedient, I'll leave that to you, how about it?"
"One will break." The small Damselette in the corner said.
"Just like the Doctor!"
And so, the meeting came and went quickly.
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