"Hmph!"
Seeing the plum blossom cake Hu Tao brought out, Xiangling huffed and took it.
Hu Tao always bullied her just because she knew she loved plum blossom cakes.
"By the way, what are you making? I've never seen this kind of noodle before."
After Xiangling took the cake, Hu Tao turned her gaze to the instant noodles in front of Xiangling. She looked surprised. "Is this a new ingredient you researched? This noodle looks so strange."
The shape of the instant noodles was bizarre—it was actually made into a square block.
Not only was it a square block, but the noodles themselves were all curly.
"Hehe, so there's something our Manager Hu doesn't know."
Hearing Hu Tao's confusion, Xiangling snorted. "I thought Manager Hu was knowledgeable and knew everything."
"Oh? You're actually teasing me now?"
Seeing Xiangling teasing her, Hu Tao immediately reached out with her fair little hands and pinched Xiangling's cheeks.
"Let go! Let go! I'll tell you about the noodles!"
After being ambushed and pinched by Hu Tao, Xiangling shook her head and swatted Hu Tao's hands away.
"By the way, did you just come back today?"
Xiangling looked at Hu Tao and suddenly asked, "Do you know about the Jar Shop in Liyue?"
"What Jar Shop?"
Hearing Xiangling's question, Hu Tao paused. What Jar Shop? Since when did Liyue have a Jar Shop?
She shook her head. "Every time I come back, I come straight to find you. I've been dealing with supernatural events at Wuwang Hill recently. Plus, business at Wangsheng Funeral Parlor has been slow, so I had to go out and actively look for clients. But I didn't find any."
Speaking of this, Hu Tao felt a bit helpless.
Business had been bad lately. Even she had to run out personally to market their services and find customers, but she still hadn't found any.
Hearing there was a supernatural event at Wuwang Hill, she had rushed over excitedly.
But she returned disappointed.
"You don't need to work so hard for the funeral parlor's business. Just relax a bit."
Hearing Hu Tao's complaints, Xiangling shook her head. "You run around from morning to night every day, but you won't find any business that way. If something happens to someone, they'll come to Wangsheng Funeral Parlor themselves. You can't rush these things."
"As for the Jar Shop, a magical shop appeared in Liyue."
Xiangling explained, "While you were gone, a Jar Shop opened up. It specializes in selling jars. Each jar costs 100,000 Mora. Inside the jars are all kinds of things—some worth more than 100,000 Mora, some worth less."
"Eh??? Isn't that just gambling in disguise?"
Hearing Xiangling's explanation, Hu Tao let out a surprised sound and tilted her head. "That's a form of gambling. But it sounds interesting—a clever new way to gamble."
Although Xiangling called it a shop, Hu Tao instantly concluded from the business model that it was basically a gambling game.
"It's not gambling."
Hearing Hu Tao's conclusion, Xiangling corrected her. "Gambling is about winning or losing money. But in this Jar Shop, the things hidden inside the jars are often things that Mora can't buy."
"Impossible."
Hearing Xiangling's correction, Hu Tao frowned. "Everything in the world has a value. Unless it's something priceless that can't be measured, everything can be bought with Mora."
"No, listen to me."
Xiangling shook her head. "Let me give you the simplest example. A few days ago, someone opened a Vision from a jar in that shop. They activated it on the spot, releasing Pyro elemental power. Because they couldn't control it, they burned down a stall and got arrested by the Millelith."
"How is that possible?"
Hearing this, Hu Tao was stunned. "A Vision? Are you sure you didn't see it wrong?"
What kind of joke is this? Since when can Visions be traded? Even if they could, they would be Masterless Visions (empty shells).
An empty shell has no magic power unless it resonates with a person to activate the elemental power inside.
But even a Masterless Vision is a priceless treasure.
Anyone who owns one would keep it as a collection item, hoping to resonate with it one day, even if they can't use it yet. They wouldn't sell it.
But this Jar Shop actually sold one?
For 100,000 Mora?
Is this just a publicity stunt?
Hu Tao's mind raced with possibilities.
"I didn't see it with my own eyes."
Seeing Hu Tao's shock, Xiangling shook her head. "That's what people are saying. Then, Lady Tianquan personally went to open jars. She pulled some kind of book from inside, which set off a massive change in Liyue."
"Ningguang caused another upheaval?"
Hearing Xiangling's words, Hu Tao was confused. I've only been gone for a few days. How did Liyue change so much?
She knew about Ningguang's "paper snow." Every time it happened, the business world of Liyue underwent earth-shattering changes.
"Yes."
Xiangling nodded. "Lady Ningguang opened the Liyue Bank. All the money houses in Liyue were upgraded to branches of the Liyue Bank. She called for residents to deposit their money there. Both deposits and withdrawals have no fees, and you even earn extra interest."
"The longer you save, the more interest you get. The more you save, the higher the rate. Plus, saving money gets you free gifts—rice, eggs, things like that. My family went to claim some today."
"Such a change actually happened."
Hearing this, Hu Tao was surprised. "So I can take my Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's money and deposit it into this Liyue Bank? That really is a big deal."
The establishment of a bank in Liyue was huge news.
No fees for deposits or withdrawals, plus interest for saving money—it was purely beneficial.
But this would make things difficult for Northland Bank.
She knew Ningguang had been wanting to deal with Northland Bank for ages. With this opportunity, she wouldn't stop until she drove them out of Liyue.
"Wait."
Suddenly, Hu Tao realized something and asked in surprise, "You just said that the reason Ningguang opened the Liyue Bank was because of a book she got from the Jar Shop?"
If she hadn't misheard, that was what Xiangling said.
"Yes, that's what everyone is saying."
Xiangling nodded. "Many people saw it. After someone pulled the Vision and caused trouble, Lady Ningguang was alerted and came to the shop. She opened jars and got many things. When she left, people saw her holding a book."
"On the very day she got that book, she announced the establishment of Liyue Bank. So many people guess that the reason she opened the bank is because of that book."
"It wasn't just the book. Lady Ningguang also pulled an Eternal Youth Pill. Just by eating it, your appearance stays frozen in that moment forever..."
"The instant noodles in my hand right now? I made them using a recipe I got from that Jar Shop. You can't buy these things with 100,000 Mora."
"Oh, right!"
Xiangling quickly grabbed the Dragon's Bane spear leaning against the wall. "Look! I spent 100,000 Mora to get this weapon from the Jar Shop today. It's pretty good, right?"
Xiangling smiled brightly.
"Hmm?"
Hu Tao, who had been listening, took the spear. With just one touch, her eyes narrowed. "A very good weapon. It suits you perfectly. This weapon... forget 100,000 Mora. You couldn't even buy it for a million Mora. Even Master Zhang would have a hard time forging this."
Hu Tao also used spears, so she knew the value of the weapon instantly.
Let alone 100,000 Mora—if this were put on the market for a million, people would fight to buy it!
Yet Xiangling said she got it from the Jar Shop for just 100,000 Mora.
Whether it was the Eternal Youth Pill or this spear, the fact that Xiangling pulled them herself proved that the Jar Shop was extraordinary.
Curiosity about the shop immediately bubbled up in her heart.
She wanted to go open some jars too.
"Yeah! Not just the spear—there are magical tools too."
Xiangling beamed. "I pulled this Underground Fishing Rod today. I can lend it to you."
She handed the rod beside her to Hu Tao.
"Underground Fishing Rod?"
Hu Tao took it with a surprised expression. "Is this a fishing rod?"
"Not for fish—for fishing things out of the ground."
Xiangling shook her head and explained. "The shopkeeper said this rod can pull things buried deep underground. He said it can be used as a treasure-hunting tool. I don't have time to go out lately since I have to work on the instant noodles and other recipes, so I can lend it to you."
Since she couldn't use it for now, she could lend it to Hu Tao.
"Sure!"
Hearing this, Hu Tao looked delighted. "Then I won't be polite!"
Such a thing actually exists? I really want to try it.
"I didn't expect that Jar Shop to have such amazing things."
Hu Tao marveled.
Whether it was the rumors, the Liyue Bank, or the items Xiangling pulled herself, everything confirmed the shop's magic. She had no choice but to believe it.
Now, she really wanted to go open jars there.
"Besides these, are there other things?"
Hu Tao swung the rod a few times, then looked at Xiangling. "Can you tell me more about the shop first?"
"Yeah, there are other things."
Xiangling nodded. "I'll show you in a bit. As for the shop, I recommend you go open jars too. But the shopkeeper said each person can only buy ten jars a week. Each jar costs 100,000 Mora."
"There's a purchase limit like that?"
Hearing this, Hu Tao rubbed her chin. "Looks like I have to visit this magical Jar Shop."
At this moment, Hu Tao was filled with curiosity.
She absolutely had to go see this shop for herself.
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