Hu Tao was utterly baffled by the [Bluff Duel Stage]. Xingqiu, Chongyun, and Zhongli were also deep in thought, while the other customers listening to Luya faintly felt that something wasn't right.
Why would it be suited for Hu Tao…?
Amid everyone's confusion, Luya began to explain.
"Customers who've watched the Yu-Gi-Oh! anime should know. In quite a few duels, Yugi Mutou and Yami Yugi, Atem, used their imagination to create all kinds of effects not printed on the cards, overturning the duel's outcome."
Luya's words made Xingqiu, Chongyun, and the people who had watched the anime in the screening room yesterday all fall into thought. Then someone suddenly exclaimed:
"Holy crap! That's true!!"
"In the Yu-Gi-Oh! anime, card effects would change!"
"The episode we watched yesterday… Weevil versus Yugi, I didn't really understand it, but it blew me away…"
"This really is free play…"
"In the rain, [Summoned Skull] releasing a lightning attack gained ATK…"
"That really makes sense!"
"In the rain, Great Moth's ATK decreased, which also matched natural phenomena…"
"But those were effects not written on the cards!?"
"Could it be… this Duel Stage allows you, just like in Yu-Gi-Oh!, to make up a reason, and if the Duel Stage acknowledges it, the card can manifest another effect!?"
"No way…"
"That's broken!"
"Then, who could possibly out-bluff Master Hu…?"
"Exactly, exactly!"
Many voiced their agreement.
Hearing this, Hu Tao grew angry and shouted at the discussing customers:
"What do you mean bluffing!"
"That's called creative thinking! Got it?!"
Luya went on explaining:
"Just as you guessed, this [Bluff Duel Stage], just like in the Yu-Gi-Oh! anime, as long as you can justify it and make it reasonable, and it's accepted, the card can produce additional effects."
Once Luya finished explaining, the customers were delighted. Hu Tao especially—her eyes were shining, her interest in the Bluff Duel Stage exploding.
For Hu Tao, making up a convincing explanation… was child's play. Once she started talking, even the dead could be talked into being alive…
Ecstatic, Hu Tao jumped onto the [Bluff Duel Stage], grinning as she shouted down at the crowd:
"Who wants to have an exciting duel with this Hall Master?!"
Hearing Hu Tao's challenge, the customers all looked awkward, no one willing to step forward.
Hu Tao in normal mode was already very strong. In bluff mode? Dueling her would just be asking for punishment!
Seeing no one dared to accept, Hu Tao felt helpless…
Noticing her awkward situation, Luya smiled and said:
"Hall Master Hu, once I'm done here~ I can play a quick duel with you."
It was also a good chance for him to try out the Genshin Deck the system had given him, to see how strong it was in practice.
The deck was really more like a framework. Although it had cards from every nation, there wasn't much synergy between them. It could be broken down into multiple decks. If forced into play, it might work better on the Bluff Duel Stage, where you could piece effects together.
Luya was confident—his bluffing surpassed even Hu Tao's!
Hearing Luya's words, Hu Tao instantly brightened.
"Then it's a deal!"
With that, she happily hopped off the Bluff Duel Stage and went to help with the work.
"Oh right, about the Lantern Rite Duel Tournament… how's it going?!"
"I was out promoting it all over last night!"
Luya glanced around the shop. There really were far more customers—at least triple yesterday's! Hu Tao had truly done a lot. If the shop hadn't upgraded yesterday, expanding its space, there wouldn't have been room for so many people.
Luya went to the counter, took out a notebook, and said to Hu Tao:
"Thanks for your great support, Hall Master Hu~ The Lantern Rite Duel Tournament is nearly ready."
"The duel rules are simple…"
He pulled out a pair of Star Gloves, put them on, and inserted a Metal Star.
"It's about the same as the rules used in Yu-Gi-Oh!. Registrants will be given one glove and one star. Each glove can hold up to ten Metal Stars. Free dueling—losers give their star to the winner. Once your glove is filled, you qualify for the final tournament."
Once Luya finished explaining the rules, the shop erupted in excitement.
"I want to sign up!"
"Me too!!"
"Count me in!"
Luya added:
"There's one entry requirement… You need a Duel Disk. Otherwise, you've got nowhere to duel."
The customers suddenly realized. The shop had only a limited number of Duel Stages—there was no way all duels could be finished on Lantern Rite day!
"Wait… only Hall Master Hu has a Duel Disk!"
"And the shop only has eight for rent."
"Shopkeeper, are you messing with us???"
"Yeah! We don't even have Duel Disks… And you only have 8—how can this tournament even happen?"
"We've already got like 200 people here, not to mention more will come to register."
Hu Tao, Zhongli, and Xingqiu also began thinking. Their conclusion was the same as the customers': not enough Duel Stages or Duel Disks. And to reach the finals, someone would need at least 9 straight wins… Losing once would mean needing even more wins. It might not even be possible to collect 10 stars before the finals began.
Everyone was confused.
Realizing the reason was lack of Duel Disks, Luya remembered he hadn't told them yet—the shop now sold Duel Disks.
He cleared his throat, then smiled:
"Starting now… the shop is selling Duel Disks! Still, they need to be pre-ordered~"
He pulled out a pen. "Pay today, and you'll have it tomorrow."
The customers lit up.
"What!"
"The shop is selling Duel Disks!?"
"Then we can freely duel outdoors from now on!?"
"Wow, that's awesome!!!"
"Though… how much do they cost?"
"Feels like even a few million Mora wouldn't buy one…"
"Ugh… I'm broke. Just building a deck cost me nearly a million. If the Duel Disk costs another million, I really can't afford it!"
Hearing their worries, Luya shook his head.
"Don't worry, customers~ The Duel Disk is 100,000 each!!!"
The crowd erupted.
"What!?"
"Only 100,000 Mora!!!"
"The price of just 5 card packs for a Duel Disk???"
"That's crazy! Amazing!!!"
"I'll take 4!"
"I want 6!!"
Customers eagerly handed over their Mora. At 100,000, most thought it was entirely reasonable—just 5 packs' worth. In the System Shop, the Simplified Duel Disk only cost 50,000 Mora. Luya set the price at 100,000, earning 50,000 profit on each, while the customers still thought it cheap!
As Luya prepared to record orders and write receipts—Liyue people valued contracts—someone stepped forward from the crowd.
A girl with waist-length coral-pink hair. "Leave the contract drafting to me!"
She wore a red legal cap with white-and-yellow gradient antlers extending from the sides of her head, marking her as half-adeptus.
Luya recognized her at once: the famous legal consultant of Liyue Harbor, Yanfei.
Liyue was a port that prized contracts and trade, a place of accumulated wealth. Merchants from all nations came here. Its prosperity also brought disputes. To address them, the Tianquan Star of the Liyue Qixing had codified detailed laws—however, not everyone had the patience to study them.
Thus, the profession of legal consultant was born. And Yanfei was the most renowned of them all. Always working within the bounds of the law to secure maximum benefit for her clients, she was said to be the walking embodiment of Liyue's rules.
Seeing Yanfei in his shop, Luya was curious. How had this hard-to-appoint legal consultant ended up here?
At that moment, Keqing also stepped out. And behind her was a blue-haired girl—Ganyu.
Two small black-red qilin horns grew from the sides of her head, and her long hair was tied into a ponytail draped down her back. A golden cowbell hung from her high collar. Though her expression was serious, she looked unbearably cute.
Seeing Keqing, Luya more or less understood. Keqing must have invited Yanfei to help him, and even brought Ganyu out "to work."
After entering, Ganyu asked Keqing nervously:
"This… this is the work we're supposed to handle?!"
Keqing nodded.
"During the Lantern Rite, there will be a Duel Tournament. So we need to cooperate with the shopkeeper to bring Liyue Harbor a grand Lantern Rite. This will enrich the people's spiritual and cultural lives!"
Hearing Keqing's words, Ganyu was puzzled… but she believed that fellow workaholic Keqing would never lie. Though Keqing didn't seem as overworked as before lately, Ganyu trusted that as the Lady Yuheng of the Liyue Qixing, everything Keqing did was for Liyue's development!
So, even though the shop looked like a place of entertainment, Ganyu believed this was all part of work. After all, Keqing would never slack off or indulge at the expense of duty.
Ganyu herself was a workaholic. Over 3,000 years ago, she had signed a contract of work with Rex Lapis, Morax. When the Liyue Qixing first formed, Ganyu became the secretary of the inaugural Seven Stars. Through the centuries, as the Seven changed again and again, only Ganyu remained, bearing the mountain of accumulated clerical duties.
Even facing tenfold, a hundredfold, a thousandfold the workload, Ganyu's sense of duty never faltered.
Therefore, when Keqing suggested taking her out to "work," Ganyu gladly came along.
Hearing that this job was related to the Lantern Rite, Ganyu nodded, her delicate little qilin horns standing proudly.
"Mm… then let's do our best at work…"
...
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