"Is this what you call a ritual implement?"
Though Zatt remained silent, his horrified expression spoke volumes about his current thoughts.
Su Bai held a tea bowl, quietly sipping its contents as if completely unaware of the situation nearby.
In the world of Mo, drawing the bow itself didn't require much strength, but the force unleashed after release was incredibly powerful—powerful enough to embed arrows deep into wood, or even pierce through stone.
This characteristic remained unchanged when brought to Teyvat.
Seeing this, Zatt immediately understood. He was fervent, but not foolish. Su Bai had sternly refused weapons trade, but by defining them as ritual implements, he hadn't said it was entirely off the table.
Drawing the bow and nocking an arrow again, Zatt carefully gauged the force required. It felt as weak as cotton, seemingly devoid of any offensive power. Yet, upon release, the explosive twang of the bowstring and the deeply embedded arrow clearly indicated formidable offensive capability.
"My friend, I believe we need to have a serious discussion about the specific price of this 'ritual implement' of yours."
Zatt meticulously studied the bow in his hand, instantly growing fond of it and reluctant to let go.
"The materials used are sourced from beyond the starry sea—the wood from Fangxiang trees, and the bowstring from the life-thread silk of the Black Glare Crimson-Eyed Spider, a凶兽 (fierce beast) found only beyond the starry sea. This silk can only be obtained upon the spider's death or from extremely rare nests. It's all crafted through the divine-level Fusion Altar of All Things."
Su Bai casually spun this tale, leaving Zatt with little choice but to believe it.
And indeed, upon hearing this, Zatt even stopped fidgeting with the bowstring, his breath catching for a moment.
"However, given our relationship and to express my admiration for you, Mr. Zatt, discounts are naturally a given."
Su Bai made a gesture with six fingers.
"Sixty percent off. A flat price of 120,000 Mora each, with a maximum supply of 270 bows."
"Oh, my friend! From today onward, you are the most generous person I have ever met in my life...…
Zatt went on and on, practically reciting every word of praise he knew. He had initially thought each bow would start at 500,000 Mora, but not only was the price cheap, it even came with a sixty percent discount!
Truly, the Tsaritsa's blessing, the Pale Fortune's boon.
Su Bai listened to Zatt's praises with a smile, well aware of his underlying motives, so he didn't let it get to his head. Instead, he feigned a look of flattery, picked up on Zatt's words, and steered the conversation back to the specifics of the trade.
Beside them, Baixiao quietly watched the two go back and forth, flattering and praising each other. Her starry eyes blinked occasionally as she glanced at Su Bai, her expression subtly complex.
She found Su Bai somewhat hard to figure out. He usually presented himself as someone who didn't love work, easygoing and optimistic, yet here he was, skillfully engaging in diplomacy with a foreign merchant, effortlessly spinning tales as if he had studied it meticulously.
"Baixiao, draft the contract details for Mr. Zatt."
Finally, as their conversation concluded, Su Bai instructed Baixiao to prepare the agreement.
Back in her element, Baixiao nodded in acknowledgment and quickly translated their discussion into written form on paper.
The final contract stipulated that Su Bai would supply 270 ritual bows, 270 sets of leather armor, 400,000 kilograms of food grains, and various other miscellaneous supplies within three days.
The total for all items combined amounted to 300 million Mora.
"Mr. Zatt, pleasure doing business with you. A toast to your ideals." Su Bai raised the fire-water handed to him by Baixiao, gently clinking glasses with Zatt.
"Su, I will remember you, my friend! Snezhnaya will remember your kindness as well!"
Zatt departed, and Su Bai lay back in his rocking chair, taking occasional sips from his teapot. His mind wandered to deep memories and their connections to the current situation.
On the current timeline, the "blonde traveler" was still asleep. There were no rumors of a dragon crisis in Mondstadt, and many people from Mondstadt had come to Liyue Harbor. As for Inazuma, its Sakoku Decree had probably begun around this time as well.
Su Bai had a guess as to why the grain merchants were so exclusionary, continuously buying up the grain in his hands.
From the information Zatt revealed, Snezhnaya now required large quantities of food, part of which was being sent to Watatsumi Island. The grain merchants wanted to maximize their profits by raising prices opportunistically, which required consolidating their power.
This explained the exclusionary practices and mergers. It also made sense why the Tianquan and the Qixing hadn't immediately crushed this monopoly.
However, understanding this didn't mean Su Bai approved.
"In that case, now that the goods have been delivered at the port today, the next move should come soon."
Muttering softly to himself, Su Bai suddenly sat up, pondering countermeasures in his heart.
While waiting at leisure had its advantages, having these people constantly causing trouble was irritating to Su Bai. Especially after learning of their schemes.
"Is Boss Su in?"
At that moment, a middle-aged man entered the shop. Over his crimson cloud-patterned brocade robe, he wore a black crane coat with gilded tassels. On the green jade pendant at his waist, the character "Fan" was faintly visible.
Liyue Slope, Grain Association, Master Fan.
"That would be me." Su Bai raised his hand in invitation, his eyes narrowing slightly as a plan already formed in his mind.
We were originally like wells and rivers, each minding our own business, with no grievances between us. Since you insist on this course, don't blame others for striking mercilessly.
"Young friend, I am from the Liyue Grain Association. Recently, I heard you've been selling a considerable amount of grain to Snezhnaya, so I've come specifically to inquire—"
"Pray, enlighten me." Su Bai smiled and gestured for him to take a seat, instructing Baixiao to brew a fresh pot of tea.
"I shall be direct then. As everyone knows, Liyue's grain harvest this year is poor. Currently, foreign trade prices are soaring, ultimately due to a shortage of supply."
Master Fan claimed to be straightforward, but he still circled around the issue, setting the tone before continuing.
"The people of Liyue are also affected. The Grain Association is now under immense pressure. Therefore, I must ask: might you, young friend, have any sources of supply? I sincerely hope you can share some information. I, Fan, would be eternally grateful!"
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100 powerstones = 1 chapter
200 powerstones = 3 chapters
300 powerstones = 5 chapters