In Sumeru, pretend to be a scholar

"Is this statue for sale?" Wang Yan asked.

Gorendran smiled: "Of course, the purpose of an art exhibition is to make more people like it and thus acquire it."

"...So how many Mora do I need to pay to like and obtain it?"

“Fifty thousand Mora per station.” Gorendran held up five fingers.

A statue costs 50,000 moras, which is indeed very expensive.

But thinking about it carefully, a golem made of insoluble spiritual dew to hold a soul, forged with magic stones, and with a melody in perfect balance, even though it's broken, only costs 50,000 Mora, which seems quite cheap.

"Alright, I'll take both of them."

"Hehe, thank you for your patronage. How would you like to pay?" Gorendran rubbed his fingers together.

Wang Yan thought for a moment: "Would the Adventurers' Association work?"

He didn't have a local account in Maple Leaf, nor a Northern Bank account. He did, however, keep a lot of Mora in the secret realm for when he travels.

It's not that Wang Yan wasn't prepared; he could simply notify Dolly what he wanted to buy and have the money deducted from his account—it was incredibly convenient.

“Of course,” Gorendran nodded. “The Adventurers’ Association is more convenient; there are no fees, which is better than the Northern Bank.”

The rest is much simpler.

Wang Yan glanced at his mentor and Nico, who were still talking animatedly, then turned and went to the Adventurers' Association with Gorendran, where he had Gorendran issue a ticket for 100,000 Mora.

Wang Yan certainly doesn't have that much money in the Adventurers' Association, but that doesn't stop the Adventurers' Association from giving him money.

After all, Wang Yan has a very good reputation in the association, and he can entrust tasks worth millions of dollars without hesitation.

Back at the exhibition, Gorendran withdrew the two golems from the exhibition and handed them over to Wang Yan: "Mr. Wang Yan, please treat them well. If you ever stop liking them, please do not damage them. You can come to me, and I can buy them back or help you find a new collector."

After hearing this, Wang Yan did begin to believe that he wasn't simply after money.

"Don't worry, I won't throw them away," Wang Yan replied.

Wang Yan has already made arrangements for these two stone statues: one will be taken back and placed in the Institute of Teachings for safekeeping, while he will study the other himself.

Although the two golems are damaged, they are still very valuable for research. The patterns, craftsmanship, and even the possible traces of spiritual dew on them are all precious.

In a sense, this can be considered a precursor to the study of Fóbs.

This is why he was willing to spend money to buy it, instead of waiting for Ying to take him to the Old Sea to buy it for free.

……

The exhibition continued until evening, and Nicole and Estelle chatted for a long time until then.

The exhibition staff began packing up the fences, and the crowd surrounding Nicole and Estelle reluctantly dispersed.

Before leaving, several elderly gentlemen solemnly handed over their business cards, repeatedly saying they would like to invite the two "artists" to the salon another day.

Nico accepted them all with a smile, regardless of whether she would actually go or not.

"Let's go, young man." Erosan waved to Wang Yan, looking like she hadn't had enough. "You've been watching all afternoon, what are your thoughts?"

"My impression is that the art lovers in Fengdan are quite enthusiastic," Wang Yan added. "Also, mentor, you've gained quite a few fans today."

"Of course." Falushan raised her chin reservedly, but couldn't suppress the smile on her lips.

"Mentor, I need to discuss something with you."

"Hmm? Tell me."

"Could you make some of your traditional coconut charcoal cakes for me?" Wang Yan carefully considered his words. "The more the better."

Eros paused, turned to look at him, and asked with a slightly surprised expression, "Why did you suddenly want to eat this? Don't you like the food at Maple Leaf?"

"Not really." Wang Yan gave a kind smile. "A friend of mine likes to eat coconut charcoal cakes, and I'm planning to give them to him as a gift."

"Oh?"

Upon hearing this, Falushan's eyes immediately lit up.

Her ancient craftsmanship is so rare that even a thousand people wouldn't appreciate it.

Now that she suddenly heard that someone had a taste for this, and that he was Wang Yan's friend, she felt a sense of relief that her unique skill had found a successor.

"Your friend has good taste."

"Young people these days are spoiled by sweet and cloying snacks. Not many of them know how to appreciate coconut charcoal cakes. They look simple, but the key lies in the heat of the charcoal powder and the strength of the kneading. If you're not careful, you won't get that wonderful aroma."

"Yes, yes, that's why I came to ask you for help, Master." Wang Yan said, going along with her words. "I wouldn't dare to give anything to someone else."

"You have good taste." Eros nodded in satisfaction. "I'll make it for you when we get back, and make a lot so your friend can eat his fill."

"Thank you, mentor."

"No need to thank me." Eros waved her hand. "It's only right that I use my senior's skills to help you maintain your friendship. By the way, where is your friend from? If you like the food, I'll teach you a couple more dishes later, so you won't have to ask for help every time."

Wang Yan thought about Vilette's identity.

Where is the Water Dragon King from? He's a local from Fengdan, I suppose.

“I’m a local from Fengdan,” he said without batting an eye.

"Oh? It's rare to find someone from Fengdan who knows how to appreciate the ancient methods of making Sumeru pastries." Falushan was even more delighted. "Alright, I approve of this senior friend."

Chapter 375 Navellet, I bring you…

July 6th, sunny.

The sky was cloudless, and the lake was covered with a layer of shimmering gold light; even the wind was dry.

It didn't rain.

Wang Yan stood on the street, munching on the breakfast he had just bought, looked up at the sky, and immediately understood.

Whether it rains or not in Fengdan depends entirely on the mood of the person in Mo Mang Palace.

When Navellett was calm, the sky over Maplewood was clear and sunny; but the moment he felt a stirring in his heart, the heavens would turn on him in an instant.

The fact that it's so sunny today means the Water Dragon King is in a good mood.

I'm in a good mood.

You should only receive gifts when you're in a good mood.

Wang Yan leisurely finished his breakfast. When he arrived at Erossen and Nicole's place, Erossen had already prepared everything.

On the table sat a small gift box, the kind you can buy locally in Fengdan, with a dark green body and tied with a wooden sash, which looked quite elegant.

The box was open, and inside were more than a dozen coconut charcoal cakes, each individually lined with oil paper and stacked neatly in both horizontal and vertical rows. It was clear that the person who packed the box had put a lot of thought into it.

The box and the contents inside it look somewhat discordant.

“Mentor, you’re being too formal,” Wang Yan exclaimed.

“Of course.” Falushan put her hands behind her back and said proudly, “You’re taking it to give to a friend, so you can’t let him think that our Sumeru’s skills are not up to standard. Let him taste it and he’ll know what traditional methods are. Ordinary people can’t get to eat it.”

Wang Yan picked up a piece and looked at it.

The cake is jet black and shiny, with a firm texture. When you get close to it, you can smell a distinct aroma of caramel mixed with coconut.

Of course, it's just the smell that's pleasant.

Wang Yan knew the taste of this stuff all too well: dry, solid, and choking. One bite could choke you; you couldn't swallow it without water.

perfect.

“Oh, right,” Erosanne suddenly remembered something and instructed, “When your friend eats these cookies, make sure he has a cup of tea. Don’t just focus on enjoying them; if he chokes, it will make us seem like we’re not being hospitable.”

"Don't worry, there's plenty of water there." Wang Yan closed the gift box without changing his expression and tied the ribbon.

Will the Water Dragon King run out of water?

I don't think so!

He won't choke. If he really choked, would the mighty Water Dragon King really die of thirst?

Ni Ke leaned against the window, arms crossed, watching Wang Yan solemnly accept the gift box, watching him earnestly thank him, watching the flawlessly innocent expression on his face.

"What's your friend's name again?"

Wang Yan's hand, which was tying the ribbon, didn't stop: "You wouldn't recognize me even if I told you."

“Oh,” Nicole drawled. “In Maple Leaf, the place where I work is called Mo Mang Palace, and I especially hate friends who do manual labor.”

Wang Yan's hand finally paused for a moment.

He looked up and met Nico's eyes, which seemed to be both smiling and not smiling.

The two stared at each other for two seconds.

Wang Yan calmly hugged the gift box to his chest, revealing a standard, innocent smile: "I don't know what you're talking about."

Eros looked at this one, then at that one, completely bewildered: "What kind of riddle are you two playing?"

“It’s nothing,” Wang Yan and Nicole said in unison.

Elushan: "..."

She always felt that these two people were hiding something from her.

Wang Yan didn't give his mentor a chance to think it over. He stood up, holding the gift box, and said, "Mentor, Nicole, I'm off. What are your plans for today?"

“Nico and I have plans to go to another art exhibition.” Ella waved her hand. “Go and deliver your gift, don’t worry about us.”

"Row."

Wang Yan carefully put the gift box away and went out the door.

……

People don't get tired when they're doing bad things.

Wang Yan is the same.

Carrying the gift box in her hand, Wang Yan walked briskly and happily towards Mo Mang Palace.

When Wang Yan arrived at the square in front of Mo Mang Palace, there were more people than he had expected.

Although the film festival has already started, and there are long queues at the opera house, with tickets for the first few films reportedly selling out as soon as they went on sale, the registration point here is not quiet at all, and is even more lively than when Wang Yan came to register before.

Directors, producers, and screenwriters who carried their scripts around trying to sell them all craned their necks to get in line.

And with so many people, another group of people will follow the scent.

A young person with a dream of becoming an actor.

There were both men and women, all dressed up in the most exquisite way. Some immediately took out their cameras to audition, some grabbed passing producers to promote themselves, and a few simply started performing in the middle of the square, regardless of whether anyone was watching.

Sigh... the entertainment industry.

Besides these people, the only one left is Meluxin.

They were small, weaving through a forest of human legs, calling out "Please line up" and "Don't push," while pulling back those who tried to cut in line.

Weaving in and out of the crowd, so busy that her feet barely touched the ground.

If Navellett saw this, he would probably be heartbroken.

As Wang Yan was pondering this, he found himself being targeted first.

No wonder, everyone around him was either carrying scripts or equipment, all looking hurried and anxious, while he stood there with his hands empty, holding a ribbon-tied gift box in his arms, looking around aimlessly in the crowd, as if he had wandered onto the wrong film set.

A small figure quickly ran towards him.

"Sir, are you here to register for the competition? The registration team is over there. Please do not stand in the aisle."

Wearing her uniform, Meilushin looked up and politely pointed in the direction of the formation.

Wang Yan looked down and laughed.

know.

This was the person who greeted him when he came to Mo Mang Palace to register.

"We meet again." Wang Yan greeted her with a smile. "Don't you remember me? When I came to register a while ago, you were the one who gave me directions."

Melusin paused for a moment, tilting her head to look him over.

Then, her eyes lit up.

"Ah, it's you!"