"Let's go," Lu Ze said, calling the children over. He was planning to check out the house Ningguang had given him. He wondered if it was a mansion or just a very large house.
As Lu Ze walked away, Ningguang slowly raised her right hand. In it, she held a green pendant, which looked incredibly valuable, possibly exceeding the worth of some of her own collections. For reasons unknown, Ningguang slowly put the pendant around her neck and smiled gently, looking at it.
"What kind of surprise will you bring me? Perhaps, when it comes to you, I can't think with a business mind."
Meanwhile, Lumine, the Traveler, quickly ran towards the stairs. Seeing the several Millelith soldiers chasing her, she could only raise her silver sword, preparing to fight.
"Be careful, Miss!"
In an instant, several water arrows shot through the air. Tartaglia made a dramatic entrance, his bow transforming into a water blade. He dispatched the pursuing enemies with two swift strikes.
Seeing more pursuers approaching from above, she softly told Lumine to follow and started to lead the way.
The main story of Liyue had officially begun, but that wasn't the most important part. What he worried about was whether the world boss battles would affect the unfolding events.
Lu Ze followed the directions and arrived at the house. It was a small, three-story building with a garden. He realized it might be difficult to convert it, as the architect's original intention was to build a villa. Changing it for commercial use, while not impossible, would be quite troublesome.
"Let me take a look..."
He unlocked the door with the key. A small garden surrounded the property, complete with a fish pond. He could see several expensive fish, such as Golden Carp and other valuable breeds. The area was remarkably dust-free, indicating someone had been living there.
"Could that person have lent me their own house? I feel so embarrassed..."
For some reason, he felt a strange sensation, a mix of guilt and perhaps... infatuation?
Opening the house door, he found a living room on the first floor, complete with sofas and other furniture. On the second floor, he saw some personal clothing...
Lu Ze's face flushed slightly. This was her personal residence! How could he possibly convert it for commercial use? He'd rather rent a shop.
"No way, absolutely not. Converting someone's home into a shop is out of the question. I'd rather set up a stall outdoors."
Having made up his mind, he left with the children who were playing in the garden. From the shadows, Ningguang watched the scene with a smile. "So he's leaving already? This little brother is truly... easily provoked."
Returning to the Honkai Impact 3rd experience store, Lu Ze immediately penned a letter. The gist of it was that he would not be using the house. He then sent it through certain channels.
"If I were to use it, it would feel too strange. Forget it. I'll go out and try my luck."
Since he was just looking for a shop, he decided not to bring anyone this time. It was still early, only an hour before lunchtime, so he had some spare time to look around.
Naxida's accommodation issue had been resolved, and the others had no objections. There were plenty of rooms, so it didn't matter. They didn't believe such a small loli would be a competitor.
He arrived at the commercial street and inquired about several shops. Finally, he found one available for rent. The only catch was that it was a bit small and, coincidentally, located right next to Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. What a coincidence!
After negotiating the price and paying the deposit, everything was settled. It had been quite smooth.
He tidied up the room a bit. The location was quite good, being at the front of a commercial street. For selling goods, it would definitely be better than a shop further down.
With that thought, he walked out of the room and locked the door. As he took a step, someone bumped into him.
"Ouch, ouch... Who was that? Such a hard chest, they knocked me over."
Hearing a familiar voice, Lu Ze rubbed his sore backside and looked over.
"Huh? Hu Tao? What are you doing here?"
"Huh? Lu Ze? What are you doing here?"
They both spoke at the same time, blinked in surprise, and then burst into laughter.
"Why are you running so fast? Do you have a big order, or what?"
Hu Tao also patted her backside and stood up, playfully putting her hands on her hips with a smile. Her demeanor was a stark contrast to yesterday. If he hadn't seen her crying yesterday, he wouldn't have believed she was capable of it.
"Well, Ningguang, the Tianquan, contacted me to organize a funeral for the Geo Archon. According to tradition, it should be a Rite of Sending Away. This task should have been given to Zhongli, but I'm really worried about spending all the budget. After all, the remaining money is mine!"
After all that talk, she was just afraid of Zhongli's extravagance. Indeed, that old man could be incredibly lavish, possibly spending every last cent.
"Director, it's not good to speak ill of someone behind their back. If you have something to say, say it to their face."
Hearing that familiar voice, Hu Tao turned around with a hint of embarrassment. When did that old fellow Zhongli appear behind her? Was that appropriate? No, it wasn't. Was he trying to scare her to death?
"When did you appear behind me?"
Lu Ze tilted his head and looked over. Not only Zhongli, but Tartaglia, Lumine, and Paimon were all there.
"Long time no see, Shopkeeper. Although I've grown stronger during this time, I still don't think I can defeat you. I will definitely challenge you again after some time."
Tartaglia's goal was clear: to defeat the person before him. Recent news had given him hope. The points from the world boss battles could be exchanged for some excellent items, possibly even those that could increase his strength. When that time comes! Heh heh!
"Do you two know each other?"
Lumine looked at the handsome man opposite her with some curiosity. Her mouth involuntarily drooled a little. Perhaps because he was wearing rather thin clothing, his abs were faintly visible. For some reason, she felt an urge to touch them. Three handsome men, heh heh...
"Traveler! You're dripping on my head!"
Paimon, being held, could feel a slight dampness on her head and looked at Lumine with a hint of complaint.
"Ahem, sorry, sorry."
She quickly tidied herself up, waiting for an explanation.
"Oh, you mean Shopkeeper Lu Ze? He's the owner of the Honkai Impact 3rd experience store, a very powerful person. I sparred with him a while ago and was completely defeated."
Hearing Tartaglia's explanation, Lumine nodded.
"Is that so... Hmm? Wait, you were completely defeated? That's impossible. You're so strong, how could you be completely defeated?"