In Sumeru, pretend to be a scholar

Yun Gui didn't say anything lofty or sophisticated; she simply told Wang Yan plainly that this was investment.

Ultimately, the Academy has the final say on Sumeru. Not many scholars from Liyue have entered the Academy, so it's essential to maintain good relationships with them.

Even if only one of these scholars eventually becomes a scholar at the [Heban Tu] level, it would still be a pure profit for the Feiyun Chamber of Commerce.

In Sumeru, business matters are often difficult to explain. If a [Heban Tu] speaks up for you, the matter may be resolved.

Compared to the potential future benefits, what is the cost of the ticket?

Besides, even if the entire army is wiped out, not a single scholar has become a [Haban Tu]. Does the Feiyun Chamber of Commerce think it can't afford to lose this little bit of investment?

For the Feiyun Chamber of Commerce, it was all about casting a wide net; if they caught something, they would make a profit, and if they didn't, it didn't matter.

In the end, Wang Yan did not refuse this kindness. After all, one of his identities was that of a Liyue person, and it would be abnormal to refuse it outright.

"Then I shall accept your offer."

"Haha, no problem, no problem. The Chamber of Commerce has other matters to attend to." Yun Gui stood up. "Then see you at Tianbi Pool in three days."

"Alright, Manager Yun, take care."

After watching the manager of the Feiyun Chamber of Commerce leave, Wang Yan followed Catherine to the counter to process the refund. Then, after thinking for a moment, he asked, "Catherine, can the association help send the letter?"

“Of course, delivering mail is part of an adventurer’s job,” Catherine said with a smile. “However, international mail is not cheap. If there are goods accompanying the mail, we suggest you find a caravan to help with the delivery, or place an escort order directly.”

Clearly, someone had used the guise of a messenger to deliver goods before, which is why Catherine made this reminder.

"If there are no goods, then a letter. I need to send it to Desia of the Radiant Hunter."

Wang Yan took out a letter he had written yesterday after returning home. It asked Dixia if she would like to be the protagonist in his storybook, and included a short adventure story.

The story is simple: Desia and her companions go on an adventure, encounter monsters, and then use their wits to defeat them and obtain treasure.

The monster in the story is a super fire slime, and Desia and her companions' wisdom lies in using water to extinguish the flames.

(This might be too childish for a child, but it's just right for a scholar like Wang Yan from the Imperial Academy.)

“Desia of the Radiant Hunters…” Catherine nodded slightly. “According to the Guild’s intelligence, the Radiant Hunters are still active in the desert area. If you want to send a letter there, it will cost 500 Mora. You can ask an adventurer who is going the same way to take it. If you can wait for Desia to return to Sumeru City and hand over the letter, then it will only cost 100 Mora.”

If it's just for delivering mail, 500 Mora definitely won't be enough, but it's much cheaper if it's along the way.

However, Wang Yan was not in a hurry. Besides, what if he sent the letter only to find that Dixia had already returned to Sumeru City? Wouldn't that be a joke?

He remembered that the camp there was almost finished being built, and Dixia should be returning to Sumeru City soon.

“Then let’s give her one hundred moras. We’ll give her the letter when she gets back.” Wang Yan took out one hundred moras from the money that had just been refunded and handed it to Catherine.

Catherine took Mora's hand and registered the quest: "If there is a reply later, you will be in Liyue. We will send it to the Liyue Adventurers' Association. After you return to Liyue, if you have a fixed residence, it would be better to leave a message at the Liyue branch. That will make things more convenient."

The Adventurers Association has a very sophisticated information transmission system.

So travelers can receive letters from their friends no matter where they are.

Wang Yan nodded: "Okay, I've got it. Goodbye."

"Goodbye, thank you for choosing the Adventurers Association."

Chapter 105: The Beginning of Liyue

She told her mentor, Elucan, and Kavi and Elhesen when she would be leaving.

When she had some free time, she treated Faliha and Ian to a meal. Time flew by and three days later.

Wang Yan didn't bring much luggage, just a few changes of clothes, a suitcase full of books, and a mechanical toolbox, which was also placed inside the suitcase.

As for the money, he deposited a sum of money directly into the Adventurers' Guild, and then went back to the Adventurers' Guild in Liyue to show the voucher, and he could withdraw it.

Although Teyvat has not yet developed online banking, it already has a considerable number of money shops and banks for deposits and withdrawals.

The Adventurers' Association is the most convenient, since it's spread across seven countries and you can withdraw money anywhere.

Of course, there is no interest on money deposited with the Adventurers Association.

If you want interest, you can only go to professional financial institutions such as Northern Bank or Liyue Bank. However, these institutions are not as ubiquitous as the Adventurers' Guild, so they each have their own strengths.

Wang Yan arrived at Tianbi Pond Wharf with his luggage and saw Yun Gui standing beside a cargo ship with a Liyue style, waiting in the distance.

The cargo ship was quite large, with a hull built of solid hardwood. The bow was carved with auspicious cloud patterns, the masts were towering, and the sails were neatly folded up. Several shipwrights were busy on the deck making final preparations for departure.

Upon seeing Wang Yan, Yun Gui quickly approached him with a smile: "Mr. Wang Yan, you've arrived. Everything is arranged. Please follow me onto the ship."

Wang Yan nodded, then nodded to the port officer next to him before following Yun Gui onto the wooden plank laid between the pier and the ship's side.

Port Authority Officer Shabandar, a very serious and patient middle-aged man, is in charge of the entire operation of Tianbi Pond Wharf, as well as the commercial taxes of the ships coming and going.

Wang Yan and he were not familiar with each other; they had only met once in a tavern and were merely nodding acquaintances.

When Shabandar saw Wang Yan, his serious expression softened slightly, and he nodded without saying a word.

When Yun Gui saw this, her smile widened even more.

After boarding, Yun Gui led Wang Yan across the somewhat crowded deck—which was piled with a lot of goods covered with tarpaulins—towards the cabin area.

"This is a cargo ship, the passenger cabin is not big, I'm sorry to trouble you." Yun Gui explained as she walked, her tone polite, and pushed open a wooden door in the middle of the cabin, gesturing for Wang Yan to go in.

The room was indeed small, only about six or seven square meters, but it was clean and tidy.

A single bed is fixed against the wall, with the bedding neatly folded; next to the bed is a small table and a chair, and on the table there is even a simple ceramic pen holder with two calligraphy brushes and a pencil inserted inside; several wooden wedges are nailed to the wall, which can be used to hang clothes or luggage.

"The conditions are basic, but all the daily necessities should be provided," Yun Gui said, standing at the door. "Meals will be served on board every day, and a waiter will deliver them to your room. If you need pens, ink, paper, or anything else, you can always ask me or the ship's steward. The tea room is at the end of the corridor, and hot water is available all day."

Wang Yan looked around and was very satisfied.

For a long-distance voyage, having such a separate, clean, and fully functional space far exceeded his expectations.

In fact, the conditions were even better than when I rode Dolly's spaceship.

He placed the suitcase at the foot of the bed, turned around and cupped his hands in thanks to Yun Gui, saying, "Manager Yun, you've gone to great lengths. This arrangement is excellent, and I am very grateful."

Yun Gui waved her hand, a genuine smile on her face, and said, "We'll be setting up in an hour. Please rest and tidy up first."

"Oh, by the way, if you feel bored during the voyage, you can go for a walk on the deck, but please be careful and avoid the work area."

"I understand, thank you for reminding me," Wang Yan said again.

Yun Gui gave a few more instructions about things to be careful about on the ship, then took her leave to continue with her ship duties.

Wang Yan closed the door, arranged his belongings, and then took out a book to read.

As he read, Wang Yan suddenly felt the ship shudder slightly, which startled him from his engrossed reading.

He looked up and then noticed the faint sounds of sailors' chants and the rustling of ropes coming from outside the cabin.

Then, a slight rocking sensation came through the deck, accompanied by the sound of flowing water; clearly, the boat had set sail.

Wang Yan gently closed the book in her hand, clipped the page she was looking at with a plain bookmark, and then placed the book flat on the small table.

Having been interrupted, he lost interest in continuing to read attentively.

Push open the door and walk along the narrow corridor toward the deck.

Along the way, he would encounter two or three businessmen hurrying by, all of whom would nod and greet him.

Lifting the curtain at the cabin entrance, the afternoon sunlight and the slightly damp river breeze rushed in.

On deck, the crew was still busy: some were gathering the last few mooring lines, some were climbing the mast to adjust the angle of the sails, and several others were working together to carefully cover some loose cargo with waterproof tarpaulins.

At the bow of the boat, Yun Gui stood there, sometimes gesturing with her hands, and sometimes whispering something to a middle-aged man beside her who looked like the boat captain.

Wang Yan did not go over to disturb them, but only nodded slightly in the direction of Yun Gui from afar before turning and walking to the side of the ship.

Holding onto the railing, I looked out at the ship as it slowly departed from Tianbi Pond Wharf.

As the buildings and figures on the shore gradually receded and became smaller, Port Authority Officer Shabandar remained standing upright at his post on the pier, waving goodbye to the departing ships.

Further away, the outline of Sumeru City was clearly visible in the sunlight, especially the tall dome of the Church, which reflected a warm glow amidst the green trees.

As the boat sped up, the wind brushed against his face, bringing with it the fresh, unique mist from the river. Wang Yan took a deep breath and felt much more relaxed.

"Once we get to Liyue, we'll find a place to settle down... I remember the inn that's related to Zibai is called... [Iwao Shun Lv]? Oh, no, it's [Baiju Ni Lv].

Wang Yan recalled that the name "White Horse Inn" had been criticized several times in the story.

But in reality, the name has a lot of depth.

The term "white horse" refers to a white horse, and it also carries the meaning of "time flies by like a white horse passing a crack," which means that time passes quickly.

The term "inn" actually means "traveler's lodging".

Heaven and earth are the inn of all things; time is the passing guest of a hundred generations.

This sentence is probably the origin of the name "White Horse Inn".

"We can rent a room at the White Horse Inn first. After all, we still need to go back to the Order Academy. It's not worth buying property directly."

At first, Wang Yan intended to buy a house in Liyue Harbor, but after thinking about it carefully, he realized that after the Lantern Festival and the consultation with the Zibai Angels about blessings, he would definitely have to return to the Faith Academy.

After all, he still had to study with Erossan, and he hadn't read many books in the Faculty of Education.

In this way, buying a house in Liyue Harbor would be a bad deal.

Instead of spending a large sum of money to buy a house he hardly ever lives in, he would have been better off buying a mansion with a laboratory next to Al Heisenberg's house.

After all, although he has some money now, and Dolly gives him a substantial monthly bonus, as his studies progress, some powerful mechanical creations will soon be on the agenda.

You can't have a hand crossbow when you're a beginner, and then still have a hand crossbow after you've mastered it, right?

This money... will never be enough.

As Wang Yan was pondering this, he saw a girl also come out of the cabin, and then look around on the deck, groping around.

He knew this girl too.

It was Qishan, the waitress at the Lambad Tavern.

This girl is very interested in knowledge about ships, and she came to the academy to further her studies and learn more about them.

Judging from her current appearance, she really likes him.

However, on the surface, you can't tell much about the Liyue ship.

The real power lies inside the ship.

Wang Yan could clearly sense that the power of this merchant ship was not only the raised sails, but also some kind of extraordinary force.

However, Wang Yan wasn't kind enough to remind Qi Shan. After glancing at the scenery on both sides of the river, he returned to his cabin to read.

Chapter 106 Lunar Moment Force Materials

The merchant ship sailed through the Sumerian River for three days before finally arriving at the port of Ormos.

The Port of Omos is sheltered by the natural topography controlled by two trees. The buildings are divided into two levels and connected by wooden boardwalks and stairs.

The pier is filled with trading ships, and the market area features a suspension bridge and viewing platform, creating a bustling scene.

Compared to Sumeru City, Port Ormos, being far from the political center, was a thriving commercial center even during the time of Azhar, becoming the most prosperous place in Sumeru.

Yun Gui knocked on Wang Yan's cabin door and asked with a smile, "Mr. Wang Yan, the ship will be docked at Omos Port for half a day to load and unload cargo. Would you like to take a stroll around the port and get some fresh air?"

After a pause, he added, "Also, we're going to change ships soon."

Wang Yan was somewhat surprised: "We need to change ships again?"

Yun Gui smiled and explained, "The boats used for river navigation are definitely different from those used for sea navigation. The section from Tianbi Pond to Omos Port is an inland waterway with shallow water and narrow decks, making it suitable for agile navigation."

"But if we really want to sail across the sea to Liyue, we'll have to switch to a larger, wider ship that can withstand wind and waves."

He paused, then added, "Besides, this ship is too small. It's too small to sail to Tianbi Pool, especially considering it's only a short distance from Moss Harbor."

This was new knowledge for Wang Yan.

However, upon closer reflection, he recalled that riverboats and seaboats did indeed have different structures and uses, and this distinction also existed in the world before his transmigration.

He nodded: "I see. It was my oversight. Will the voyage change after we change ships?"

Yun Gui said, "The sea voyage is faster. If the weather is good, it will take about five or six days to reach Liyue Harbor, which will definitely be in time for the Lantern Festival. Don't worry, the ship you transfer to will be bigger and more stable, and the passenger cabin conditions will be better."

"I've already made arrangements. Your luggage will be transferred directly to your destination. You just need to board the new ship at its berth before evening."

In fact, Wang Yan didn't have much luggage, just a few clothes and a box of books.