Everyone was overjoyed after receiving their gifts.
Each of Lu Heng's presents had clearly been chosen with care, perfectly tailored to their tastes.
Greater Lord Rukkhadevata was especially fond of the [Laws of Life] Lu Heng had given her.
Just as he had predicted, the embodiment of wisdom was brimming with intellectual curiosity.
She knew all there was to know about Teyvat—but the knowledge beyond this world was still a mystery to her.
And Lu Heng's gift was a safe trove of such knowledge, something she could study without worry.
Seeing how enamored they all were with their presents, Lu Heng smiled and said, "There's one more thing."
"What is it?"
"I picked up someone along the way."
He explained how Cloud Retainer had entrusted Shenhe to his care.
"Huh?" Furina blinked in surprise before grinning. "So you really did bring home a kuudere girl?"
Back when he had set off, they had joked about it.
What started as playful teasing had now become reality—he actually returned with one!
"Kuudere?"
Lu Heng stroked his chin, pondering for a moment before realizing that Shenhe did fit the archetype perfectly.
Taciturn.Nearly expressionless—outsiders would struggle to read her emotions.Emotionally reserved.
"I know about Shenhe," Furina said.
In fact, all four of them had done their research by now.
"So now she's no longer affected by her cursed fate?" Focalors mused. "In that case, we shouldn't worry about her—we should worry about you!"
"Huh?"
Confused, Lu Heng raised an eyebrow.
Focalors smirked mischievously. "Cloud Retainer must be out of her mind! Entrusting Shenhe to you is like sending a lamb straight into the wolf's den!"
Greater Lord Rukkhadevata suddenly understood, casting a glance at Lu Heng before sighing. "Let's hope Cloud Retainer doesn't regret this decision in the future."
"Wait, what kind of person do you all think I am?!"
Lu Heng sucked in a sharp breath.
This wasn't right.
His reputation was taking a serious hit here.
"I'm a decent guy, you know."
"Sure, sure—you don't make the first move, you don't reject advances, and the only difference between you and a scumbag is that you take responsibility~" Focalors counted off Lu Heng's "virtues" on her fingers.
"Slander!"
Lu Heng scoffed, pointing at her. "Don't run away tonight."
Focalors tilted her head slightly, her smile widening. "Oh? I wouldn't dream of it~"
…Wait.
He'd walked right into that one.
"Sigh."
Greater Lord Rukkhadevata let out a pitying sigh, giving Lu Heng a sympathetic look. "Focalors is a wicked woman. You should be careful with her words—what she says and what she means are never the same thing."
"No matter."
Lu Heng waved a hand dismissively, exuding an air of invincibility.
"At worst, I still come out ahead."
He scanned the room. "Any other brave souls willing to team up with Focalors to challenge the Demon King?"
"I'll lead the charge!" Furina declared with righteous fervor.
(And no, she wasn't misusing the idiom—in this context, it was absolutely correct.)
Greater Lord Rukkhadevata glanced at Navia.
Navia's face flushed crimson as she stammered, "D-do we really have to... all at once?"
"Sniffle…"
Focalors pretended to tear up. "Little Navia won't stand with her sisters against the Demon King?"
Navia was nearly in tears.
Her experience paled in comparison to the other three, and she was already feeling overwhelmed.
This was where wisdom came into play.
Greater Lord Rukkhadevata had already begun tiptoeing away.
Furina noticed immediately.
With a devious grin, she scooped up the tiny archon.
Now trapped in Furina's arms, Greater Lord Rukkhadevata could only dangle her legs helplessly, her face a picture of resignation.
"Sisters united, their strength breaks metal!" Furina declared solemnly. "Tonight is our only chance to defeat the Demon King! No deserters!"
You actually think you can defeat me?
Lu Heng smirked in disdain.
Clearly, they had no idea what they were up against.
Did they really think a few defeated warriors banding together could overthrow him?
How naive.
"Ah, how delightful."
Lu Heng adopted the persona of a tyrannical overlord. "The Demon King has grown weary of solitude. Seeing four brave heroines unite against me brings me great joy."
"But do you truly believe victory will come so easily?"
Twelve hours later.
"Demon King, wake up~"
Furina shook Lu Heng's arm.
Greater Lord Rukkhadevata, still in her petite form, was struggling to prop him up.
Navia was lending a hand as well.
"Big brother~"
Focalors teased in a singsong voice. "Already spent?"
Lu Heng jolted upright like a man resurrected.
Taking a deep breath, he clung to his Demon King persona, scoffing, "I merely underestimated your preparations. Don't get cocky!"
How was he supposed to fight back when his house was full of vampires?
Lu Heng felt like he'd donated eight liters of blood—dizzy and weak.
Of course, that was just an exaggeration.
At his level of strength, the actual toll was more like the hollow hunger one feels after a late-night flight.
"What time is it?"
He checked the clock—nearly 11 AM.
"Up we go! Yae Miko's coming to the shop for gacha today—she's a VIP customer!" Lu Heng declared, scrambling out of bed.
"Here's your shirt, big brother~"
Focalors played the dutiful attendant, dressing him like an emperor.
Lu Heng had to admit—he was slightly panicking.
"Big brother's legs are shaking~"
Damn legs, betraying me like this!
Lu Heng cursed his lack of Arlecchino's [Absolute Control] card.
Once dressed, he announced, "Figure out lunch yourselves. I'm heading out!"
And with that, he bolted.
Focalors collapsed onto the bed, laughing uncontrollably.
"He ran like he was escaping," Furina cackled, slapping her thigh.
Greater Lord Rukkhadevata nodded. "Shall we get up too?"
"I don't have the energy…"
Focalors was utterly drained.
She'd been running on fumes earlier.
Pulling the blanket over herself, she mumbled, "I'm going back to sleep."
"Guess you're not so tough after all," Furina teased.
"I won't name names, but someone dealt the most damage in the battle against the Demon King," Focalors retorted smugly.
Between her and Greater Lord Rukkhadevata, they'd accounted for 70% of the total DPS—with Focalors alone making up 45%.
The remaining 30% was split between Furina and Navia.
"Don't worry, I'll take the next shift," Greater Lord Rukkhadevata said lightly.
"Not happening~"
Who said pressure was a bad thing? Pressure was wonderful.
Lu Heng arrived at the Liyue branch.
At first, he thought he was genuinely weakened—but after walking a bit, he felt his strength returning.
Ah, right.
He had [Perfect Physique].
Why had he been worried?
This was like health regeneration in some games—just a few seconds out of combat, and he'd be back at full strength, ready to dominate the battlefield again.
"Damn."
"Insufficient experience was my downfall," Lu Heng sighed, smacking his palm.
Now that he knew better, how could they possibly stand a chance?
The thought alone lifted his spirits.
"Good afternoon."
Shenhe, who had been up for a while, greeted him.
"Afternoon. Had breakfast?" Lu Heng asked.
"I'm not hungry."
Translation: No, I didn't eat.
Everyone had their own tastes and dietary restrictions.
Shenhe was unique—after being taken in by Cloud Retainer, she'd lived on medicinal herbs!
"Still not used to regular food?" Lu Heng inquired.
"I'll adjust gradually," Shenhe replied simply.
Unlike in the game's storyline, where she returned to the mountains, this Shenhe had no plans to leave.
She understood Cloud Retainer's intentions—she was to live in Liyue from now on.
And she'd already done the math: herbs were expensive.
The cost of one meal's worth of herbs could buy several proper meals!
And that was just for the cheaper varieties—wild, premium-grade herbs were even pricier.
Shenhe couldn't help but think about it.
Thanks to the card shop, she was constantly exposed to astronomical sums of Mora.
It made her wonder—just how much Mora had she "eaten" over the years in the form of herbs?
"If it's really uncomfortable, don't force yourself," Lu Heng said, pulling her out of her thoughts.
"Herbs might be scarce, but they're not impossible to gather. Besides, the shop has plenty of low-tier herb-related cards. I'll sort some out for you later."
"No need to trouble yourself," Shenhe declined.
"I'm your guardian now—no need to stand on ceremony."
Lu Heng waved it off before changing the subject. "Anything notable happen this morning?"
Shenhe recited, "A total of 8,652 people gacha'd today, drawing 146,782 cards. Among them, one 5-star gold card, 124 4-star purple cards…"
"?"
Lu Heng stared blankly.
"…Why are you memorizing this?"
"If I don't, I don't know what else to do," Shenhe admitted.
"That's why I told you to spend more time online."
"Here's an idea—when you're free, play some Genshin, watch some streams… no, wait, maybe dramas would be better."
He'd almost suggested watching Lumine's streams, but caught himself just in time.
After all, exposure to Lumine's… unique personality might have unintended consequences.
"I see," Shenhe mused.
"Trust me, I know best," Lu Heng said confidently.
"Alright."
Shenhe agreed.
"Any lunch preferences?" Lu Heng asked.
She nearly said not to trouble him, but remembering his role as her guardian, she changed her answer. "Anything is fine."
"I'll handle it."
With that, Lu Heng vanished.
A short while later, he returned with a handful of wild Qingxin flowers.
They weren't easy to find, but with [Cyber Divination], it was like having a full map hack—he knew every spawn point.
Twenty minutes later…
"Lunch is ready." Lu Heng called Shenhe over.
"Last night, I noticed you liked Qingxin salads, so I made one. Also stir-fried Qingxin with some other herbs. The aroma's nice, but I'm not sure about the taste—give it a try."
Shenhe felt a flicker of pleasant surprise and satisfaction.
"Thank you."
Lu Heng took a bite. "Not bad—none of Qingxin's usual bitterness."
Shenhe picked up her chopsticks and, after the first bite, couldn't stop.
By the time Lu Heng blinked, she'd already finished a bowl of rice.
"Guess you were hungry," Lu Heng chuckled.
Shenhe lowered her head slightly, embarrassed.
Lu Heng noted the reaction.
Progress!
The old Shenhe would've matter-of-factly stated she hadn't eaten breakfast.
This hint of shyness meant her emotional spectrum was expanding.
A good sign.
"Go ahead and get seconds—no need to hold back. I eat way more when I'm hungry," Lu Heng encouraged.
Soon, both were satisfied.
"I'll wash the dishes!" Shenhe announced.
Lu Heng didn't object, stretching out on the sofa to check his phone.
Social media was a wonderful thing—even the most old-fashioned people now posted their thoughts.
[Zhongli]: Dragged to Fontaine by the Director at dawn. [Photo of the Court of Fontaine]
[Comment] [Hu Tao]: If you have time to post, you have time to ask Neuvillette about Fontaine customs!
Lu Heng smiled approvingly.
Thought retirement meant endless leisure?
Think again!
The sight of others hard at work only made his own relaxation sweeter.
[Venti]: No Mora for drinks again. What to do? (Distressed)
[Comments] [Zhongli]: Get a job.
[Dvalin]: Get a job.
Dozens of identical replies followed.
Lu Heng liked the post and added his own "Get a job."
After some scrolling, a new message arrived.
[Ganyu]: Had lunch yet?
[Lu Heng]: Just ate with Shenhe at the shop. You?
[Ganyu]: Had lunch with Yae. Planning to bring her over for gacha soon—are you free?
[Lu Heng]: Absolutely. Come straight to me.
[Ganyu]: Great! We'll be there in about 15 minutes!
Yae Miko had indeed planned to visit today.
Lu Heng had heard about it last night.
As soon as she learned about the card shop, she'd prepared to come immediately.
As the second-in-command of Inazuma, how much Mora had she brought after all this preparation?
Lu Heng guessed it was a substantial amount.
Twelve minutes later.
Ganyu arrived with Yae Miko and Gorou in tow.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Lu," Yae greeted.
"Afternoon."
Lu Heng smiled. "What would you like to drink?"
When no one specified, tea it was.
As he poured, Ganyu went to check on Shenhe, leaving Lu Heng with Yae and Gorou at the counter.
"How much Mora did you bring?" Lu Heng cut straight to the point.
"2.2 billion Mora," Yae replied.
"2.2 billion?"
It sounded like a fortune, but for someone of Yae's status, it felt surprisingly modest—he'd expected at least double.
"Sigh. You know how things are in Inazuma right now."
Yae sighed helplessly. "Economically… strained."
The Kanjou Commission contributed 1 billion, while the Tenryou and Yashiro Commissions each gave 300 million.
1.6 billion total, with Yae adding 600 million from her own pockets.
For the Shogun's familiar and Inazuma's de facto leader to scrape together only 2.2 billion was downright embarrassing.
But what could she do?
A few years ago, Inazuma wouldn't have been this poor.
But the Sakoku Decree had severed foreign trade—and the economy had suffered.
With no external commerce, only domestic circulation remained, and Yae felt the pinch deeply.
The national treasury's reserves might have been less than some private fortunes!
Tycoons like Ningguang and Diluc could casually drop 4-5 billion Mora—terrifying!
"I understand," Lu Heng nodded before turning to Gorou.
"I only brought 300 million," Gorou admitted. "That's our absolute limit."
Watatsumi Island was just as broke!
Even this 300 million included savings from previous years.
Originally earmarked for military expansion and equipment, it was now a gamble on gacha.
Still, there was good news.
With knowledge of the future, Yae would resolve the conflict between the Shogunate and the resistance upon her return.
Even if Gorou returned empty-handed, peace alone would count as a major achievement.
"Then let's begin."
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T/N:
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