Ningguang had never heard of a legend involving a wish-granting dragon.
The legends of Visions were well-documented; she possessed one herself, and their existence was undeniable. But a divine dragon? That was entirely unheard of.
If such Dragon Balls truly existed, it made no sense for them to be unknown.
Whether it was Mondstadt, Liyue, or the isolationist Inazuma, no nation had records of Dragon Balls. Even in distant lands like Fontaine or Sumeru, such artifacts were unheard of.
Yet, Shopkeeper Felix claimed that gathering seven of these orbs could summon Shenron and grant any wish. It sounded preposterous.
Not even a Vision could grant "any" wish.
Ningguang stared at the orange crystal sphere with its seven glittering stars, falling deep into thought.
She couldn't sense any power radiating from it.
To the naked eye, it looked like an ordinary glass ornament. Exquisite and beautiful, yes, but just glass.
Gather seven, summon a god, grant a wish?
"Shopkeeper... what is Shenron?" Bai Xiao swallowed hard. "Is it a type of dragon?"
She knew of the Primo Geovishap, Dvalin the Stormterror, and other draconic beings. But "Shenron" was a new name.
"And... can it really grant any wish?" Her face was still masked in disbelief.
It had to be a lie. A dragon that could grant godhood? Impossible.
"Yes. Any wish," Felix said slowly. "Whether you want to become a god, obtain multiple Visions, or reshape reality... if you can imagine it, Shenron can likely do it. The only limit is your imagination."
The System description said "Any Wish." Felix trusted the System.
However, he suspected the people of Teyvat were mentally caged. They believed the Seven Archons were supreme. They couldn't conceive of worlds beyond Teyvat.
So even if they gathered the balls, their wishes would likely be small-minded.
"This is the Seven-Star Dragon Ball. There are six others, numbered one through six," Felix explained. "You can identify them by the number of red stars inside. And frankly... an item like this shouldn't be in a Normal Jar."
"I understand, Shopkeeper." Bai Xiao took a deep breath.
She believed him.
She had to. She had just obtained the Byakugan—a pair of eyes that let her see through walls and bodies. If that miracle was real, why not the Dragon Ball?
Phew.
Bai Xiao reached out and touched the two floating light orbs.
Hum.
When she touched the Spirit Energy Mass, her mind instantly cleared. A refreshing, cool sensation washed over her brain, sharpening her focus and soothing her fatigue.
More importantly, she felt the Chakra inside her body swell.
"It's amazing."
Bai Xiao opened her eyes, clenching her fist. "My Chakra... it's doubled."
"You've gotten stronger!" Bai Wen cheered for her friend.
"Mhm." Bai Xiao nodded, picking up the Dragon Ball with a grin. "Your turn."
Bai Wen stepped forward, handed over her Mora, and pointed to the bottom row of the shelf. "I'll take those ten."
Felix waved his hand, floating the jars down to the counter.
Bang.
Bai Wen smashed the first one.
Clatter.
A small pink machine fell out.
"Uh."
Bai Wen stared at the palm-sized device. She poked it, and it suddenly expanded slightly, unfolding like a miniature laptop.
"What is this?" She looked at Felix.
[Cloud-Making Machine]: A tool that allows you to sculpt clouds into any shape you desire—animals, clothes, objects. The clouds will move with your hand.
"A toy for killing time," Felix glanced at it. "You can use it to make cloud sculptures. The instructions are engraved on the back."
It was a novelty item from Doraemon. Useless, but fun.
"Eh?" Bai Wen flipped it over. Sure enough, instructions were etched into the metal casing.
"Next."
She packed the machine away and continued.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Three jars shattered. Two glowing flowers fell out. One jar was empty.
"One empty, two Small Lamp Grass..." Bai Wen's face fell.
[Small Lamp Grass]: A wild flower that glows at night. Used in cooking to enhance flavor.
She didn't need Felix to tell her what they were. They were common Mondstadt specialties.
Felix watched silently. No need to explain local flora.
"Keep going," Ningguang encouraged her. "Six left."
"Yes, Lady Ningguang."
Bai Wen smashed the next three.
Only one item dropped. A red can.
"Two more empties! And a Coke..." Bai Wen looked pale.
Seven jars down. Three empty. Her luck compared to Bai Xiao was abysmal.
"Coca-Cola. A delicious beverage," Felix commented, noting her distress. "Enjoy the taste."
He looked at her with a hint of pity. No experience orbs? Just grass and soda? Did Bai Xiao suck up all the luck in the room?
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Bai Wen smashed the final three.
A white light orb. A book. A pair of scissors.
She let out a sigh of relief. No empties. And an experience orb.
[1,000 Vegetable Chopping Experience]: Muscle memory from a professional chef. Grants mastery of knife work.
[Financial Management Vol. 2]: A textbook detailing monetary policies to balance supply and demand, stabilize currency value, and promote economic growth.
[Scissors of Decision]: When a hesitant person hears the snip of these scissors, they will immediately make a decision and act on it.
"That book!"
Ningguang, who had been watching calmly, suddenly gasped. Her pupils constricted, and pure joy flooded her face.
It was the same cover design as the first book she had pulled!
She had been desperate for the sequel. Bai Xiao, Bai Shi, even Keqing hadn't found it.
But now, Bai Wen had delivered.
"Bai Wen! You did it!" Bai Xiao cheered. "Lady Ningguang has been waiting for this!"
Everyone knew the Liyue Bank was built on the incomplete knowledge from Volume 1. Ningguang had mentioned that the book was fragmented—a "shard" of knowledge. To get the full picture, she needed the rest.
"I... I helped Lady Ningguang?" Bai Wen beamed.
This haul was a massive win.
"That is indeed the second volume of the book Lady Ningguang needs," Felix confirmed, seeing Ningguang's excitement. "As for the orb, it's knife skills for cooking."
He wasn't surprised by Ningguang's reaction. Her new bank was revolutionizing Liyue's economy, and its influence would soon bleed into Mondstadt. Getting the sequel was a strategic victory.
"And finally," Felix pointed to the scissors. "The Scissors of Decision. If someone is hesitating, just snip these scissors. The sound will force them to make up their mind and act. A useful little tool."
"Scissors..."
Ningguang's eyes lit up even brighter.
Scissors that force a decision?
A certain blue-haired half-qilin came to mind immediately.
Ganyu.
Ganyu was notoriously indecisive, always fretting over work or diet. If she heard these scissors...
Ningguang's smile turned radiantly mischievous.
Meanwhile, at Yujing Terrace.
In the Moon Sea Pavilion, a woman with blue hair and horns was buried under a mountain of paperwork, scribbling furiously.
Suddenly, she stopped. Her long eyelashes fluttered.
She felt... unsettled.
A chill ran down her spine. It felt like someone was talking about her. Or plotting.
As a half-qilin, her intuition was sharp. She could sense malice and goodwill.
This feeling... it was somewhere in between. Not quite malicious, but definitely scheming.
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