"Can they really be used like that?"
Keqing was in disbelief.
If those little green guys were really capable of that, then she had essentially gotten a free labor force.
She knew that the cost of labor in Liyue was currently very high.
Even the cheapest workers cost eighty Mora a day.
But a goblin could be recruited for only ten Mora.
The cost-effectiveness was off the charts.
"Why don't you summon one and try?" Su Han suggested.
"Mm, you're right."
Keqing took out ten Mora and used the Goblin Recruitment Contract.
Swish.
With a flash of light, a small, green-skinned humanoid about eighty centimeters tall appeared out of thin air before them.
"Gah?"
"Gob…"
The creature's gaze was dull, one might even say idiotic.
Su Han began to have some doubts. What can this moronic thing actually do?
The nearby Keqing had lines forming on her forehead.
"Hey, Su Han, can they really become laborers? Why do I get the feeling they're not very smart!"
"Ahem, probably. Why don't you try communicating with it?" Su Han said with an awkward laugh.
He had only ever seen goblins in games. In those, the creatures had low intelligence but were definitely good at manual labor, as long as you gave them some food.
"How am I supposed to communicate with it? Am I supposed to tell it to go squat over there? But I don't understand its language at all."
"Just give it a try."
"Alright then. You, go over there and squat," Keqing said, mostly to herself.
She never expected that the goblin would actually walk in the direction she pointed.
When it reached roughly the right spot, it squatted down.
This discovery was astonishing.
Keqing and Su Han looked at each other, stunned.
This goblin could understand their language!
Following this, Keqing began to test out various commands and quickly came to a conclusion.
The goblins could understand human speech, but their intelligence was very low.
They couldn't understand complex commands at all.
However, they could execute simple commands, such as transporting items and mining, which seemed to be part of their basic instincts.
"It seems I've really found a treasure," Keqing mused.
"Indeed. Five hundred recruits a month means six thousand goblins a year! The cost is just too low," Su Han added.
Ten Mora to recruit one goblin meant five hundred goblins only cost five thousand Mora.
And these creatures were obedient and well-behaved. They were simply too useful.
Keqing thought for a moment, then nodded. "I think we can dispatch them to Mingyun Village. The railway is under construction right now, and they are in urgent need of a large number of workers. For the time being, they can supplement the workforce."
Because The Chasm was sealed, all the mining operations had been transferred to Mingyun Village.
Even so, the workers were still overwhelmed. The reason was that the railway construction required too many ore resources.
It was for this very reason that Ningguang had sent Beidou to Mondstadt in the first place.
"Shall I have Meyer take you there? The sooner you can start mining, the sooner you can relieve the pressure on the workers."
"Okay, I'll head out now."
Keqing had no time to rest. Now that the plan was settled, she stood up and left.
Su Han had wanted to send Kaedehara Kazuha with her, but she refused.
At that moment, a private message chimed in the group chat.
He opened it and saw that it was a message from Xiangling.
Su Han:What's up? Do you need something?
Xiangling:Hehe, I just missed you. Come to Yujing Terrace in a bit. My master has returned from her travels and wants to meet you.
Su Han:Your master?
Xiangling:That's right! My master has taken care of me since I was very little. But she went traveling three months ago and only just got back. I never had a chance to introduce you. And after hearing about you, she became very interested. Oh, right, you don't know my master's name yet, do you? Hehe… she's the one and only, the famous Madame Ping.
Su Han:I see. Her reputation certainly precedes her. I'll head over right now.
Streetward Rambler. How could Su Han not know of her?
He just never expected that she had been away traveling all this time.
Still, it would be good to meet her. This would be the first true Adeptus he would meet in person.
Half an hour later, Su Han arrived at Yujing Terrace.
The nearby Millelith guards saw him and quickly bowed in salute.
The news had already spread. The one who had destroyed the Fatui and the Treasure Hoarders a few days ago was this very lord.
"Greetings, Lord Su Han."
"Mm, no need for such formalities. Where is Madame Ping's residence?"
"This way, my lord, please." A guard named Tie Shan quickly led the way.
Yujing Terrace was not as bustling as it had been on the day of the Rite of Descension, but one could still see quite a few people coming and going.
"My lord, this is Madame Ping's residence. I won't disturb you any further."
"Mm, you're dismissed."
Su Han looked at the simple, quaint little house, a little puzzled.
Madame Ping lives in a place like this? There must be more to it than meets the eye.
The moment he pushed open the main door, a spring breeze rushed to greet him.
The sight that met his eyes was a lush, green bamboo forest.
Immortal cranes danced in the sky, and not far away was a small courtyard, from which a rich aroma wafted towards him on the wind.
"As expected of an Adeptus," Su Han sighed to himself.
The ability to fit Mount Sumeru into a mustard seed.
He had only ever seen such a thing in Journey to the West. This was his first time experiencing it firsthand.
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