Yuto and Qiqi, who had left Wangsheng Inn, finally returned to Liyue Harbor on the morning of the second day.
This trip to Jueyun Karst for herb gathering, thanks to Ganyu's help midway, greatly improved efficiency, and they returned successfully in just five days.
Initially, Baizhu was quite surprised to see them return so quickly, thinking they might have encountered some difficulties along the way. After all, Qiqi had an inexperienced newcomer with her this time, so a little setback would have been normal.
However, Yuto and Qiqi were not only unharmed but also brought back an unexpectedly large quantity of medicinal herbs. This efficiency greatly astonished Baizhu, who immediately inquired about their herb-gathering process.
Yuto merely explained that he had coincidentally met Senior Ganyu near Huaguang Forest, and with her help, they had such a bountiful harvest. He did not, however, explain why Ganyu would help him. Upon hearing that Ganyu had lent a hand, Baizhu's mind was at ease.
Yuto selected 100 Qingxin and 40 Violetgrass from his herb basket and handed them to Baizhu, thus declaring that his debt to Bubu Pharmacy for the consultation fee was completely paid off. As for the remaining herbs, Baizhu purchased them at Bubu Pharmacy's standard herb prices, paying Yuto 120,000 Mora for his hard work.
It was precisely because of this collaboration with Qiqi that Yuto's status changed from a temporary herb gatherer to an exclusive herb gatherer for Bubu Pharmacy.
This meant that from now on, the herbs Yuto gathered could only be sold to Bubu Pharmacy, and Bubu Pharmacy would purchase them at a price 20% below market value. In return, Bubu Pharmacy would pay Yuto an additional monthly stipend for his hard work, as well as provide him with accommodation.
The work of a herb gatherer is, naturally, gathering herbs. However, herbs need a growth cycle, and during seasons without herbs to gather, a herb gatherer has no income. But with this contract signed with Bubu Pharmacy, even when there's no work, Yuto can receive a basic salary sufficient to make ends meet.
From then on, Yuto could be considered to have firmly established himself in Liyue Harbor, and his task of gathering herbs to pay off his debt was also completed.
However, no sooner had this beginner's quest been completed than a new quest appeared.
[Ding! A great man born between Heaven and Earth, how can he remain long in a subordinate position? As the sole bloodline of the Uchiha Clan in Teyvat, how can you not have a residence of your own?
Please acquire an independent property within Liyue in half a year. (Note: From the Jade Chamber above to a dilapidated shack outside the city below, the higher the value of the property owned, the richer the quest reward.)]
This new quest was primarily about uncertainty. Completing this quest was not difficult; if it were just to complete the quest, one could simply find an empty plot of land in the wilderness, build a thatched hut, and then get it notarized by the Ministry of Civil Affairs to complete it. However, doing so would completely waste the good things bestowed by the system.
The [Advanced Skill Mastery Book] obtained from the previous debt-repayment quest allowed one's skills to improve regardless of conditions. Therefore, Yuto very decisively used it on his Sharingan, successfully upgrading his Two-Tomoe Sharingan to a Three-Tomoe Sharingan, with a significant improvement in his ocular techniques.
Compared to other aspects like Chakra refinement, ninjutsu, and taijutsu, improvements in these areas only require effort. However, the improvement of the Sharingan requires experiencing great pain, first understanding love, then losing what is loved.
Especially the upgrade from Three-Tomoe Sharingan to Mangekyo Sharingan, which basically requires losing the person one loves most to have a chance to awaken. This kind of abnormal upgrade method is not something Yuto can easily achieve if he wants to, and even if he could, Yuto does not want to experience such pain.
Therefore, using the system's bug-level item to complete this step was the most suitable approach.
Thus, since the quest reward was directly linked to property value, he needed to try his best to earn money within half a year. As for the Jade Chamber mentioned in the quest's upper limit, Yuto did not consider it. That was Tianquan Ningguang's workplace and residence, a landmark building of Liyue; how could it be sold to him?
Huh? No, Yuto, who was familiar with future plot developments, fell into contemplation as he looked at the Jade Chamber floating high in the sky. Half a year? The timing was sufficient. It seemed, perhaps, there was indeed a possibility, but it wasn't very secure, so it could only be a backup plan.
After leaving Bubu Pharmacy, Yuto first decided to take a good tour of the city of Liyue. As for Qiqi, as Bubu Pharmacy's herb-gathering assistant, her work also included decocting the previously gathered herbs, so she naturally had to stay at Bubu Pharmacy.
Liyue is a typical port and commercial city. Due to the millennium-long Archon War that had destroyed everything, to develop Liyue, people vigorously developed handicrafts and commerce.
Coupled with Lord Rex Lapis also being the God of Contracts, the concept of "those who break contracts shall suffer the wrath of rock" was deeply ingrained, and no one dared to play tricks with contracts under the watchful eye of Lord Rex Lapis. Liyue's business environment was extremely friendly.
After three thousand years of development, Liyue's commerce prospered unprecedentedly, and Liyue Harbor became Teyvat's premier port. High-quality mineral resources and jewelry were exported overseas, supporting Liyue's enormous financial expenditures.
When Yuto truly walked through the streets of Liyue, he truly realized that the immense vitality contained within this city was far beyond what a remote small village like Konoha could compare to. The strong urban atmosphere, workers performing their duties, vendors enthusiastically shouting, Millelith diligently patrolling, and children laughing joyfully made Yuto feel a rare sense of relaxation.
Unconsciously, Yuto smelled a fragrance and then noticed that he had walked between Xinyue Kiosk and Liuli Pavilion. It was already mealtime, and these two most famous high-end restaurants in Liyue had been in constant rivalry since ancient times, even escalating from a restaurant rivalry to a rivalry between two major chef factions.
Neither side would concede to the other, and the flavors of their dishes each had their own merits, making it difficult to determine a winner. Due to the large number of wealthy merchants in Liyue, these two restaurants had become the preferred venues for Liyue people's social engagements—tasteful, stylish, and with first-class flavors. Of course, the prices were not cheap either.
However, Yuto jingled the Mora in his pocket and felt a bit short on cash. At this moment, Yuto thought of another restaurant that was more suitable for him.
Yuto walked past Xinyue Kiosk and Liuli Pavilion without looking back, heading straight for Chihuo Rock.
When Yuto saw the sign for Wanmin Restaurant, he could already smell a stronger fragrance and spiciness. Seeing this, Yuto's smile grew even wider.
Upon closer inspection, he found that Wanmin Restaurant was already full of customers, mostly workers from the docks. A vibrant and beautiful figure was vigorously wielding a large ladle at the stove. The fiery red Vision at her waist seemed to declare the girl's extraordinary nature.
And beside her was a mysterious creature, resembling both a bear and a doll. However, seeing that the creature was constantly spewing fire into the stove, one knew that it was also not ordinary.
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