"Then let me ask you, is it true, as you advertised, that Sacred Marks and weapons can greatly enhance a person's combat power? If that's the case, they should be priceless, so why do I feel like they're being given away for free?"
According to the current system rules, as long as one grinds enough and doesn't miss any version updates, they can accumulate a large amount of crystals and obtain many excellent Sacred Marks and weapons for free, which is indeed almost like being given away for free.
"I don't know about that. Don't look at me being the shopkeeper; I'm just an agent. Don't ask me such questions, I don't know either."
Who knows what the system is up to, but as long as it's harmless to him, it doesn't matter.
"Is that so? Then I'll visit your shop in a couple of days. If it can indeed greatly boost combat power, I'll definitely be a frequent visitor.
Strength isn't something I desperately need, but without it, many things can't be accomplished. So, please don't disappoint me, okay?"
Keqing tilted her head and smiled slightly, even the buns on her head twitched. Lu Ze was stunned. As expected of the "national wife," she was truly beautiful, especially those alluring legs.
"The auspicious time has arrived!"
These four short words directly pulled Lu Ze back to reality. Could this be Keqing's honey trap? No, no, he couldn't look anymore, or he would fall for her.
Thinking this, Lu Ze quickly turned his head away, not daring to look at Keqing any longer. Even she seemed a little confused, wondering why he seemed so afraid of her.
The three children beside them were looking around with curiosity. Bella crossed her arms, acting like a mature adult, or rather, like a bodyguard.
Meanwhile, Ningguang was rapidly moving her fingers, and the Geo Vision at her waist emitted a faint glow. Four crystals instantly condensed and were quickly hurled into the slots of the cauldron, followed by a flash of light.
The clouds in the sky instantly changed. The white clouds abruptly turned black. Ningguang watched this scene with a slight frown, as this had never happened in previous years. Why was there a problem only when it was her turn?
As the sky darkened, a clay-yellow dragon slammed down, overturning all the offerings. It weakly lifted itself up but quickly fell back down, its life force slowly draining away.
In the audience, if one looked closely, they could see Zhongli calmly taking a sip of tea, giving his acting a perfect score.
"The age of gods ends here, and the age of you begins. From now on, there will be no more Rex Lapis, only Zhongli, the guest consultant of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor..."
Among the crowd gathered around, a young man with blond hair, accompanied by a flying creature, was the most peculiar individual in the throng.
"The Geo Archon has been harmed; the entire area is sealed off!"
At this command, countless Millelith soldiers rushed out, brandishing their White Tassel Spears, and immediately controlled the crowd, attempting to find any clue.
"What do we do? We seem to be suspicious individuals who were too close to the scene..."
This flying creature named Paimon was a little flustered. She had been in Liyue for so long, and this was her first festival, only to encounter such an incident. She had planned to eat boiled fish this afternoon.
"We need to escape the scene quickly; this is not a place to linger."
Lumine surveyed the surroundings and immediately devised an escape route. With a quick leap, she fled the scene, only to be met by dozens of Millelith soldiers.
Seeing the blond-haired traveler escape, Lu Ze chuckled. This must be the Traveler. It seemed to be Lumine, then her brother Aether must be on the Abyss side. Based on his previous experience, he worried that Aether might be plotting something.
"Let's go and be investigated. Everyone present must be interrogated by the Millelith. You are no exception. However, I believe you are not the type of person to do such a thing."
Suddenly, a woman in a qipao walked over. Ningguang looked at the corpse of Rex Lapis with a solemn expression but managed to compose herself.
"No need. What you saw just now was a ruse. The Millelith have already taken everyone present into custody. How could Rex Lapis be killed by mere mortals? Anyone with a bit of sense wouldn't say such a thing.
However, to evade the eyes of certain individuals, I had no choice but to resort to this. Keqing, please quickly take Rex Lapis's remains and hide them. I fear some may have ulterior motives."
Upon hearing this, Keqing quickly walked away. Although she usually didn't get along with Ningguang, this was a significant matter, and her words made sense, so she would act accordingly.
"Alright, now it's just the two of us. I received your letter this morning. Your book is quite interesting, and I'm looking forward to the sequel. As for your request, I agree, but there are three conditions.
First, for the operating revenue of one shop, I want 5% as rent. It shouldn't be much for you, right? Second, I don't want this money; just help me convert it into crystals. I apologize for not visiting when you opened. Third... I want you!"
Lu Ze: ???
The first two requests were normal, but the third one took a sudden turn. What did she want him for? He was just an ordinary shopkeeper, with strength, money, and intelligence... hmm, perhaps he wasn't bad after all?
"Don't misunderstand. In about a week, I'll be leading the Millelith to subdue Chi. I've received a lot of information about it recently. This demon god is quite troublesome, according to the research I've done...
Logically, Rex Lapis sealed his head and body in two different places, making it impossible for him to break free in this lifetime. Yet, he has miraculously appeared. So, I wish to ask you to be my bodyguard. Your strength should be greater than most present, perhaps even far exceeding mine. Do you understand now?"
Hearing the explanation, Lu Ze immediately thought of someone: the Abyss Traveler, Lumine's brother. Could it be that person's doing? After all, the Abyss Order is capable of anything.
"I understand. Take this. A promise made is a debt unpaid. I will be your bodyguard starting now. If you get hurt, this will notify me immediately, and I will rush to your side."
After a few more words, Ningguang had her secretary bring a house key. The matter of the Honkai Impact 3rd figurine shop was perfectly resolved. He could also see Hu Tao's new outfit now. Ehe?