Getting down to business, Lu Heng asked, "You've done your research before coming, right?"
"Yes, Sister Ganyu told me a lot," Yae Miko nodded.
She and Ganyu were close—more than just ordinary friends.
Both were long-lived species, and before Inazuma's Sakoku Decree, many cross-nation affairs had been handled between the two. Over time, their relationship naturally grew stronger.
So when Yae Miko wanted to learn about the card shop, Ganyu naturally didn't hold back.
"Good. So, how many sets of equipment and phones are you planning to get?" Lu Heng asked.
This was a bit of a dilemma for Yae Miko.
At the very least, she needed two sets—one for herself and one for Raiden Ei.
But in Inazuma, she had plenty of other acquaintances.
Before answering, Yae Miko hesitated before finally asking, "Mr. Lu, do you have any plans to open a branch in Inazuma?"
Lu Heng replied, "I do have plans. My goal is to open one shop in each of the seven nations, but it's not time to execute that yet. Besides, Mondstadt will take priority for the next branch."
Yae Miko had heard about this from Ganyu.
Lu Heng had already made an agreement with the Anemo Archon, Venti.
So the next branch would definitely open in Mondstadt first. But Yae Miko wanted to secure the second spot for Inazuma.
"After the Mondstadt branch opens, could you consider Inazuma next, Mr. Lu?"
Worried that Lu Heng might dislike Inazuma's current state, Yae Miko quickly added, "Rest assured, once I return, I'll make sure everything in Inazuma is in order. I'll do everything I can to provide the best environment for your shop!"
Lu Heng pondered.
He didn't agree immediately. Instead, he said, "I'll consider it when the time comes. No need to overthink it—this won't be happening for a while."
"Understood," Yae Miko nodded, then said, "Then I'll take ten sets for now, to prepare for some friends."
Yae Miko had quite a few friends.
But she hadn't yet decided who to give them to.
She'd figure that out after returning and settling things.
After paying, she stored nine sets away and bound one to herself.
Next came the top-up—a neat 2.2 billion Mora!
Converted, that was 220,000 pulls!
With that many pulls, Yae Miko didn't think her luck was bad enough to struggle getting a 5-star gold card.
But the real concern was—what if the 5-star gold card was a material card?
At the 5-star tier, no card was truly useless.
But whether she liked its effect, or whether it was immediately useful or not, made a big difference.
Right now, Yae Miko didn't want material cards. She needed practical 5-star gold cards!
Only by boosting her strength could she return and deal with Raiden Ei.
Standing at the counter, Yae Miko took a deep breath, exhaled slowly, and tapped the 100,000-pull button.
The Shogunate is loaded.
Gorou, watching from the side, couldn't help but marvel.
The gacha animation played on the counter.
The crystal's color rapidly shifted, a golden light bursting from the deep purple, growing brighter and brighter—
Then, three 5-star gold cards appeared on the counter, along with dozens of 4-star purple cards and a pile of lower-tier cards!
Three!
Even someone as experienced as Yae Miko couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement.
This wasn't due to lack of composure—5-star gold cards were inherently awe-inspiring.
No matter how calm someone was, seeing one would stir emotions.
Before flipping them over, any one of these cards could grant power rivaling the Seven Archons!
How could anyone not feel thrilled?
"Mr. Lu, I'll trouble you to take a look," Yae Miko said, even more respectful now.
"No trouble at all, it's my job."
Lu Heng smiled and flipped the first 5-star gold card.
The card depicted a dagger.
After Lu Heng appraised it, the dagger's image became more vivid.
Then, the card's details appeared.
[Piercing Dagger]
[Tier]: 5-star • Gold
[Type]: [Item Card]
[Traits]: [Razor-Sharp] [Strike Through Defense]
[Description]: "This boss's shield is too strong, we can't deal any damage!" "Get Jun Moxiao over here! He has the Piercing Dagger—it can bypass the shield and hit the boss directly! Strike its weak point, and the shield will temporarily drop!"
Well, well.
Another crossover reference?
Lu Heng remembered Furina's [Weakness] card had mentioned Jun Moxiao.
This Jun Moxiao wasn't from The King's Avatar, but a player in some game who'd used the name.
So this card and [Weakness] were from the same game world.
"This one's pretty strong."
Lu Heng explained, "As the description says, this dagger can bypass an opponent's defenses and strike their true body directly—with significant damage!"
Yae Miko fell into thought.
"Can it bypass the Plane of Euthymia?" she asked.
Lu Heng immediately understood her meaning and nodded. "Yes. At 5-star tier, as long as you can locate and lock onto your target, it can pierce through space and harm Ei."
"Perfect." A faint, mischievous smile appeared on Yae Miko's lips.
If she was going to snap Ei out of her delusions, the harder she hit, the better.
Yae Miko didn't actually want to hurt Ei. But given how stubborn she was, mere words wouldn't shake her resolve.
Only a proper beating would make her reconsider.
And now, the first 5-star gold card was already a jackpot.
Of course, there were limitations.
For instance, she'd need to locate the Plane of Euthymia and lock onto Ei.
If she couldn't find or target her, the dagger would be useless.
But Yae Miko was no pushover.
While her direct combat power wasn't overwhelming, as a youkai, she knew plenty of esoteric arts.
She'd find a way.
Lu Heng moved to the second 5-star gold card and flipped it.
The card depicted a massive bear roaring at the sky.
Upon appraisal, the bear's eyes gleamed crimson, its fur thick and its claws terrifyingly sharp.
It was enormous—the human figures beside it looked like grains of rice in comparison!
[Black Wind]
[Tier]: 5-star • Gold
[Type]: [Skill Card]
[Traits]: [Summon] [Brute Strength]
[Description]: Legend says that north of the Southern Mountains, a great demon once unleashed its power, shrouding the sky in dust so thick it blotted out the sun. The world was plunged into a black wind—hence its name, the Black Wind Demon Bear.
Lu Heng examined it closely.
The mechanics were similar to the [Golden Armor General].
At first glance, he'd thought it was a reference to Journey to the West, but it was just a coincidence.
"You've seen the Golden Armor General, right?" Lu Heng asked.
"I have."
Yae Miko raised an eyebrow.
Lu Heng wouldn't bring it up without reason.
Did that mean…?
"This works the same way," Lu Heng said.
"Hiss—"
Gorou sucked in a sharp breath, envy written all over his face.
This giant bear looked majestic, brimming with primal ferocity!
It radiated sheer brutality!
But the cardholder wouldn't be influenced by the card's nature. How it was used depended entirely on the wielder.
Aside from lacking the Golden Armor General's regal aura, its power was just as formidable!
"Now I'm even more confident," Yae Miko said, her smile widening.
Ei, huh?
The second Electro Archon, huh?
Yae Miko could only say: No problem.
"Congrats. Both gold cards are incredibly strong," Lu Heng said with a grin.
"It's all thanks to you," Yae Miko replied with a slight bow.
Music to his ears.
Lu Heng chuckled. "No rush—there's still one more gold card and 120,000 pulls left. Let's keep going."
He flipped the third card.
It depicted a book.
After appraisal, the book's pages began flipping on their own.
Each page was filled with sketches of mountain spirits and youkai, accompanied by descriptions.
[Mountain and Wilderness Records]
[Tier]: 5-star • Gold
[Type]: [Item Card]
[Traits]: [Amplification] [Record]
[Description]: A tome that once chronicled the youkai of another world. Now, its contents have been erased—but perhaps it can be rewritten with the abilities of the youkai you encounter?
"Huh?"
Lu Heng raised an eyebrow. "This one's interesting."
"Please elaborate, Mr. Lu."
Mention of youkai piqued Yae Miko's interest—after all, she was one herself.
Lu Heng explained, "Think of this as a blank book. You record the youkai you encounter in as much detail as possible. Then, when you use the book, you can temporarily wield their abilities!"
Yae Miko's eyes widened. "So if I document a youkai's traits, I can replicate its powers?"
"Exactly!" Lu Heng nodded.
Insane, right?
But if it weren't insane, it wouldn't be a card!
"There must be limits?" Yae Miko asked.
"Of course," Lu Heng agreed. "But I doubt you'll hit them. There aren't that many youkai left in Inazuma nowadays."
"True," Yae Miko conceded.
"The more youkai you record, the more it amplifies your strength. So this book is both a power booster and a collection of youkai abilities," Lu Heng summarized.
"What an unexpected windfall."
Yae Miko was delighted.
Many youkai were weak, but their abilities had unique applications.
With insufficient power, those skills might seem lackluster—but what if they were wielded with greater strength?
This single book could elevate Yae Miko's capabilities tremendously!
"A 100% utilization rate is rare," Lu Heng remarked with a smile.
If Yae Miko stopped here, this flawless efficiency would be her crowning achievement.
But she wasn't done yet.
The 4-star purple cards could wait. She tapped another 100,000-pull button.
This time, only two 5-star gold cards appeared.
The first was a material card, and Lu Heng couldn't help but laugh.
Yae Miko shook her head wryly.
It was bound to happen eventually—she'd braced herself for it.
The second card, however, was a sword.
[Demon Subduer]
[Tier]: 5-star • Gold
[Type]: [Item Card]
[Traits]: [Youkai Bane] [Evil's Bane]
[Description]: A divine blade, as straightforward as it gets.
"This sword's a bit… counterproductive for me, isn't it?"
Yae Miko looked conflicted.
She was a youkai. Why'd she pull a sword that specialized in slaying her kind?
Ignoring that trait, the sword was undeniably powerful. In a battle between evenly matched gods, the wielder of this blade would dominate.
But ignoring that trait wasn't an option.
"Can I even use this?" Yae Miko asked.
"If you can overcome the mental block, yes," Lu Heng said.
Yae Miko immediately understood.
Once equipped, it wouldn't harm her.
"Still have 20,000 pulls left. Want to keep going?" Lu Heng asked.
"No."
Yae Miko shook her head.
With these four 5-star gold cards, she had more than enough.
The rest was just upgrading her equipment—something that would be resolved soon.
The remaining 20,000 pulls (worth 200 million Mora) could stay in her account for online purchases back in Inazuma.
No need to rush.
"Fair enough."
The odds of a gold card from 20,000 pulls were slim anyway.
Lu Heng appraised the 4-star purple cards.
Several had decent effects.
Yae Miko sorted through them while Gorou stepped forward to buy two equipment sets.
Then, he started pulling!
30,000 pulls felt meager, and Gorou was nervous.
But on the final 10,000, a golden light flashed!
"Whew—"
Gorou exhaled in relief.
"Not bad luck," Lu Heng said with a grin.
"I was terrified I'd get nothing worthwhile. Would've been hard to explain back home," Gorou admitted.
Lu Heng picked up the card.
[Youkai Transformation]
[Tier]: 5-star • Gold
[Type]: [Talent Card]
[Traits]: [Amplification] [Bloodline Awakening]
[Description]: A youkai's innate power.
Today's the youkai convention or what?
Lu Heng's expression turned odd.
"Not bad. Fits you perfectly," he said.
Gorou wasn't fully human to begin with.
From a human perspective, he had youkai ancestry. (By that logic, Diona counted too.)
Anyone not purely human qualified.
"With this card, you can transform outright. You'd be pretty formidable," Lu Heng said cheerfully.
Gorou was thrilled.
But he didn't make the decision himself. He planned to take everything back and let Sangonomiya Kokomi decide.
Even though Kokomi would undoubtedly give it to him, skipping protocol wasn't an option.
As a subordinate, proper procedure mattered.
Half an hour later, Yae Miko's equipment had reached 5-star tier.
By the commonly accepted ranking system, her gear was at 4-star, Tier 2.
If equipment tiers were treated as power levels, 5-star Tier 2 still fell short of an Archon's might.
But cards had their own playstyle—raw tier wasn't everything.
Take Yae Miko, for example.
If [Mountain and Wilderness Records] amassed enough youkai entries, the amplification alone would push her far beyond ordinary gods!
She couldn't beat Ei, but what about an amped-up [Black Wind]?
Yae Miko's current card setup: 4 gold, 8 purple!
With the 5-star equipment's unique resonance, her base strength was now mid-tier god level.
Feeling the tangible boost in power, Yae Miko was invigorated.
The thought of returning to teach her dear "friend" a lesson made her smile even brighter.
"Mind if I watch when the time comes?" Lu Heng asked, intrigued.
"Hm?"
Yae Miko realized he meant her showdown with Ei.
She'd prefer to keep it private—Ei's pride was at stake.
But Lu Heng's strength was unfathomable.
Whether he could observe was entirely up to him.
After a brief pause, Yae Miko agreed. "How about I livestream it?" She added, "For a select few, of course."
"Deal," Lu Heng nodded.
As for Ei's opinion?
She'd have to live with the consequences of her actions.
A little embarrassment was nothing. Keeping it from the public was already Yae Miko's way of protecting her.
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T/N:
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