Walnut used me to boost her sales performance.

Riding the mechanical crane high in the sky, Hu Tao stretched comfortably.

"What a great birthday! I even had dinner with an immortal, which helped me get to know him better. I'll have to brag about it to Zhongli when I get back."

"Yes, Master, don't forget to ask Mr. Zhongli for your birthday present."

Jiang Bai nodded seriously.

Zhongli has all sorts of good stuff; we can't miss out on taking advantage of this opportunity.

"Oh right, Hu Tao, you still haven't told me why you came to the mountains to celebrate your birthday!" Xiangling suddenly remembered this.

They traveled all this way just to have a picnic, it's so ordinary, not like Walnut's style.

"It's all because of this guy. He insisted on taking me to see the sunrise, dragging me all the way to Qingyun Peak. We couldn't get back in time, so we had to call you guys over..."

Hu Tao covered her head with her hands and shifted the blame to Jiang Bai.

As for the top of the cloud, she didn't say.

Let's just consider it a secret base for her and Jiang Bai.

Chapter 190 Sea Lantern Festival

With the young master of the merchant guild and the heir of the alchemist family both present, Jiang Bai took out the immortal books he had obtained on the cloud top.

The crane's back was quite large, and its long neck shielded everyone from the hurricane generated by its high-speed flight. Even so, Jiang Bai didn't take many books, only a few, to prevent them from being blown away by the wind.

"Master, take a look at these books and see if they're worth anything." Jiang Bai handed one of the books to Hu Tao, and the other two to Xing Qiu and Chong Yun respectively, rubbing his hands together expectantly.

"Can you take a look at this for me too?"

"Where did you get this?" Hu Tao looked at the cover. The book cover had a very old design, and the paper was yellowed, clearly indicating that it was an old thing from a long time ago.

"Above the clouds."

Chongyun took the ancient book from Jiang Bai, glanced at it briefly, and immediately widened his eyes in surprise, "This seems to be the oldest exorcism method in my family."

ancient?

Jiang Bai's eyes lit up. Doesn't antiquity mean it's valuable?

But Chongyun continued, "The exorcism methods our family uses now are all improved versions based on this prototype. They were developed by generations of intelligent ancestors who combined human physical characteristics with the current environment, making them more suitable for human use. The rituals have also been simplified and are much gentler..."

"Does that mean it's worthless?" Jiang Bai felt like he'd been happy for nothing.

"How could that be?" Chongyun retorted. "Why would it have no value?"

"Although we are now using improved versions, it does not mean that ancient exorcism methods are no longer needed. When dealing with some stubborn and difficult-to-remove evil spirits, this ancient and brutal exorcism method is more suitable."

Jiang Bai was not a Taoist priest and did not know how to exorcise evil spirits, although he had listened to lectures from the guest priests at the Rebirth Hall and knew a little about it.

Moreover, the main business of Wangshengtang now is funeral services, and I understand these things because I spend a lot of time with the dead and am prone to encountering them.

"If I were to sell it, would you buy it?"

Jiang Bai's question clearly stumped Chong Yun.

He shook his head, and said in a very Versailles-like manner, "I have some at home."

In ancient times, the environment was not as good as it is now. Evil spirits roamed freely, epidemics were rampant, and there were all kinds of dangerous monsters in the mountains. In order to enable humans to have the ability to cope with these crises, the immortals naturally wrote a lot of ancient books like these.

Jiang Bai's books are only very attractive to ordinary people, but for ancient families like theirs who are masters of magic and exorcism, these ancient books have always been preserved and even carefully protected. There is really no need for them to buy the same ones from outside.

Jiang Bai's imagined scenario of the Seven Stars raising prices and the demon-slaying families scrambling to buy them was shattered.

Liyue has existed for 3600 years. The families that have protected Liyue all this time have such profound heritage that it is impossible to compare with their thousands of years of accumulation by simply finding a few ancient books in the mountains or obtaining some treasures.

"Are you planning to sell these books? Why don't you hand them over to our Feiyun Chamber of Commerce? We guarantee you'll get a good price!" Xingqiu seemed quite interested.

Compared to demon-slaying families, the merchant guild lacks cultural heritage, but it has no shortage of Mora. It's likely that many big merchants would be interested in these ancient books.

Hu Tao closed the book in her hand. "Later, make a copy of all the books, and then send the originals to be sold."

You can never have too much knowledge. Books are just a medium for recording knowledge. There's no need to keep the originals. These original books are too old and their preservation is quite complicated.

It would be better to sell the original and label it with something like "written by an immortal" or "an ancient book from a thousand years ago" to maximize profits.

Hu Tao and Jiang Bai had the same idea; he thought the same thing.

"I'll listen to the hall master."

"The Chamber of Commerce is holding an auction soon, and I'll help you get these ancient books listed there. I guarantee they'll fetch a good price!"

Jiang Bai put his arm around Xing Qiu's shoulder and said with a serious expression:

Whether I can become a wealthy man in Liyue depends on you!

Xingqiu's lips twitched. To think that one could become a wealthy man in Liyue by relying on a few ancient books was simply too far-fetched.

"I'll try my best, but you can't try to get me out of the auction fees..."

"Don't worry, don't worry, I never renege on my debts!"

......

As night deepened, the mechanical crane flew back to Liyue Harbor, and Jiang Bai and Hu Tao jumped down from the sky above the Hall of Rebirth and flew back to the Hall of Rebirth.

Hu Tao carried the vegetables heated with fire element to Zhong Li to brag about, while Jiang Bai watered his newly cultivated sweet flower garden and lay on the roof watching the stars.

With a bright moon and few stars, and a gentle breeze on your face, this kind of life is truly pleasant.

Peaceful life always passes quickly, so quickly that Jiang Bai hardly notices the passage of time.

[Returning to One's Roots] He only had a few missions a year, so he followed Hu Tao around like a street urchin every day, and basically explored every corner of Liyue Harbor and the entire Liyue region.

From grand rituals like exorcising ghosts and warding off evil spirits to small squabbles with stray cats sunbathing on the street, time flies by so quickly that the Lantern Festival has arrived before we know it.

The Lantern Festival is the grandest festival in Liyue.

On the Lantern Festival, people release lanterns and other magical lanterns into the sky, believing that the spirits of those who once protected Liyue will return to their homeland and reunite with everyone, guided by the lanterns.

Ten thousand bright lamps symbolize the wish to pass on the torch and the enduring nature of virtue.

Hu Tao got up very early that day and knocked on Jiang Bai's door early in the morning.

She was wearing a bright red new dress and carrying two bamboo stalks that had been cut down from somewhere, with the bamboo leaves still attached.

"Get up! The sun's already high in the sky!"

Jiang Bai, who was sleeping in bed, was woken up by the noise. He rubbed his eyes and opened the window, but there was no sun. The sun hadn't even risen yet.

Jiang Bai was no longer surprised to see Hu Tao suddenly appear at the window.

He yawned widely, "Good morning, Master!"

"Get up! We can't waste this precious time sleeping!"

"Master, why are you mimicking Chongyun's speech?"

Chongyun, that martial arts fanatic, was practicing all the time.

"Hey, hurry up and wash up! I'm waiting for you to make the lantern! I'm going to make the biggest lantern in Liyue Harbor!"

Besides commemorating the fallen heroes, the lanterns have now been given even more significance.

People make wishes and release them into the sky along with the lanterns.

"Good~"

Jiang Bai changed into a new outfit and came to the courtyard. Hu Tao had already laid out the blueprints for the lanterns on the grass in the courtyard.

Just as Hu Tao said, the lantern she wanted to make was quite large, so large that Jiang Bai worried whether it could fly.

"Considering that the larger it is, the heavier it will be, I secretly cut two thin bamboo poles from Zhongli's yard and used the lighter bamboo strips to support the entire frame..."

Jiang Bai glanced at the dragon-patterned hem of Hu Tao's robe and cautiously reminded her, "Master, be careful not to get beaten up."

Chapter 191 Super Large Sky Lantern

Walnut put her hands on her hips, unconcerned, "I am the head of this hall, what's wrong with cutting down a couple of bamboos!"

"Master."

Zhong Li's voice suddenly rang out behind her, and Hu Tao froze.

She stood up, a smile on her face, showing no embarrassment at being caught doing something wrong.

"Oh, it's a guest elder. Why are you up so early, guest elder?"

"I heard the sound of bamboo being chopped, so I got up to see what was going on, only to find it was the Hall Master." Zhongli's gaze fell on the two tender bamboo shoots on the ground. "The Hall Master wants my bamboo, so I, as a guest, dare not refuse."

"However, Master, I'd like to go and buy some things."

“This…” Hu Tao’s eyes darted around before finally settling on Jiang Bai.

Sending Zhong Li to make the purchases would mean she'd have to spend a fortune today, but since she was caught red-handed, Zhong Li has other ways to make her lose money even if she doesn't go shopping.

She tossed the purse to Jiang Bai, "Jiang Bai! I'm entrusting you with this important task of accompanying Mr. Zhongli on the shopping trip! The budget is limited, so don't go over budget."

Jiang Bai weighed the money in his purse and compared it with Zhong Li's purchasing power, feeling that this "shopping" trip was risky.

"Alright, you guys go buy the supplies! I'm going to make the lanterns!" Hu Tao grabbed two bamboo poles and the blueprints and ran off in a flash, leaving only fallen leaves swirling in the air.

Jiang Bai followed Zhong Li out of the Hall of Rebirth. Liyue Harbor was quite lively today. Lanterns were hung in front of every house, colorful ribbons were hung in the air, and even the cats and dogs lying on the roadside sunbathing had taken a bath and were clean.

Pedestrians also changed into new clothes and wished each other a happy Lantern Festival.

"It's really lively here," Jiang Bai couldn't help but exclaim.

“This should be your first Lantern Festival.” Zhongli walked among the festive crowd, a smile playing on his lips.

"Yes."

"Liyue's Lantern Festival has a long history and many customs. You don't need to accompany me. I'm not buying anything. Go have fun."

"what?"

Jiang Bai had already made strict preparations to prevent Zhong Li from spending a single extra penny, but suddenly he stopped buying?

"Go have fun. Oh, and give me Mora."

Jiang Bai hesitated for a moment, but still handed him the Mora that Hu Tao had given him.

This Mora was originally given to Zhongli by Hu Tao, and there was only so much of it, so giving it to him would be the same.

"And what about you, Mr. Zhongli?"

"I'm going to visit an old friend and bring him some things."

Zhongli glanced at the Mora in his purse; the amount should be enough to buy one dose of [Lianli Zhenxin San].

"Happy Lantern Festival," Zhongli congratulated.

"Happy Lantern Festival!" Jiang Bai waved and watched him walk into the crowd.

Without accompanying Zhongli on shopping trips, Jiang Bai strolled around the city alone, and many people greeted him, which he responded to one by one.

After buying two sugar figurines, Jiang Bai strolled back to the Hall of Rebirth.

Licking a sugar figurine, he stepped into Walnut's courtyard. "Master, are you finished with your lanterns?"

"It can't be that fast!"

Hu Tao looked up from among a pile of bamboo strips and Xuan paper. "Why are you back so soon?"

“Mr. Zhongli said he didn’t need me to accompany him, and asked me to give him Mora, and then I came back.”

Jiang Bai handed her a sugar figurine he had specially made in the shape of a little ghost, saying, "Hall Master, have some sugar."

"I knew it! He was just trying to scam me out of Mora!" Hu Tao crunched the sugar figurine into pieces, imagining it as some big spender.

One hundred thousand Moraye! That's enough for her to buy so much bamboo!

"I don't care, I'm going to cut down a few more!"

Before long, Hu Tao returned carrying a pile of things. Besides bamboo, there were fine inkstones, high-quality pine soot ink, cinnabar pigment worth a thousand or two, and several calligraphy brushes of varying thicknesses that looked very expensive.

Hu Tao happily put these things aside and started building the frame structure with Jiang Bai according to the blueprints. After the frame was built, they covered it with another layer of lamp paper.

Walnut picked up her brush and sketched beautiful red plum blossoms on it, then inserted a large piece of floating stone.

As the sun reached its zenith, after several processes, this enormous lantern, half the height of a person, was finally completed!

Looking at the lantern, Jiang Bai clapped his hands in congratulations, "As expected of the hall master, you are skillful and clever!"