Zhongli was extremely pleased with his disciple, Mewtwo.
He had remarkable fighting talent, vast potential, excellent intellectual abilities, and a sensible yet independent nature. Mewtwo was someone who would undoubtedly become a key figure in Liyue's future.
If Mewtwo were not an outsider from the Pokémon world, Zhongli might have considered making him his successor at this very moment.
However, the natural laws of Teyvat would not accept Mewtwo as the new God of Rock.
Still, this was not a major problem. During their journey to Teyvat, they had brought hundreds of Pokémon, all of which would reproduce and potentially spread across the continent in time. Perhaps, in the future, an entire generation of Pokémon would inhabit Teyvat.
Zhongli had to admit that the Pokémon world was far superior to the human world. This wasn't because the gods of the Pokémon world were better than those in Teyvat.
The difference lay in the enemy they faced—the Abyss. Zhongli wondered if the Pokémon world had an equivalent enemy. Perhaps there was, but the God of Creation had sealed it away from the world.
The gods in that world seemed less peaceful, and if one had to consider it, each deity had its own motives and intentions.
Zhongli's gaze was fixed on the location of Sky Island. Since the previous day, his eyes had not wandered. Smith had already exchanged for the godhood of the Grass God, and Zhongli had anticipated this.
In other words, there were now two Grass Gods in Teyvat.
But as he observed Sky Island, it appeared that there was no reaction whatsoever.
Had they not noticed it yet, or had they discovered it but were too preoccupied to address it?
Either way, it didn't matter. This was a good thing for them.
Smith needed time to grow, and no one could predict how far Smith might go in the future.
Not just Smith—Zhongli knew that even they, with time, would grow significantly stronger. The Abyss and Sky Island would not pose a threat to them forever.
---
"Tell me, what do you, a woman, want me to do?" On the Qunyu Pavilion, Keqing folded her arms and stared at Ningguang, who had summoned her. There was dissatisfaction in her voice. "If it's something trivial, you should have just said it in the guild."
Keqing wasn't just annoyed by Ningguang's summons. She also felt a sense of guilt.
Keqing could already imagine that Smith's comments about their actions on the street had probably spread quickly. Ningguang, who had eyes and ears all over Liyue, surely couldn't have missed it.
Although Keqing hadn't intended to hide it from everyone, she couldn't shake the feeling of embarrassment. She could easily picture Ningguang—always a bit mischievous—spreading rumors about her.
Some things were common in other countries, but in Liyue, they were still somewhat scandalous.
Keqing cursed Smith countless times in her mind, but a small part of her was also excited. She wasn't the type to just follow orders—otherwise, she would never have asked the Rock King Emperor those questions.
But still, she had pride.
"If it wasn't something particularly important, I wouldn't have come to find you. After all, Keqing, you've been quite busy lately." Ningguang looked at Keqing with a smile, not even attempting to hide her amusement.
"Pah!" Keqing slapped the table in front of Ningguang, her cheeks flushed with a mix of embarrassment and dissatisfaction. "What? Are you going to laugh at me now?"
"No, no, no, I'm actually a little envious of you," Ningguang said, showing a hint of amusement in her voice. "After all, he really is someone who can change everyone's fate, isn't he?"
Keqing furrowed her brows. "What are you trying to say?"
Ningguang's smirk widened. "But this time, I came to you with something serious."
Keqing turned her head slightly, crossing her arms defensively. "Fine, speak."
"The house opposite the Northland Bank… it should belong to your family, right?" Ningguang walked to the planning map of Liyue Port nearby, pointing to a property. "I was wondering about it."
Keqing frowned, thinking for a moment. "Yes, that's our property. The Northland Bank asked us before if we wanted to sell it to them, but my family refused. After all, I don't trust those people from the Northland Bank."
Ningguang nodded thoughtfully. "They ended up buying the property they have now."
"Mm," Keqing confirmed, still cautious. "If it were for a bank, I suppose that piece of land would indeed be better suited. But we'll see."
Keqing wasn't a fool—she quickly grasped Ningguang's intentions. "You want to use it as the headquarters of the Liyue Bank, don't you?"
As soon as the thought crossed her mind, Keqing's pulse quickened.
Not only was this a prime piece of land, but Liyue Bank was meant to compete with the Northland Bank.
Keqing naturally supported this; after all, this was Liyue. The arrogant outsiders from the Winter Kingdom had no right to dominate.
"Hmmm, indeed." Ningguang spoke with a hint of determination. "Liyue Bank wants that building. How does 1 billion Mora sound?"
Keqing raised an eyebrow. She wasn't shocked that Ningguang had proposed such an amount. She knew that Ningguang, with her sharp business acumen, was aware of the value of this property.
But Keqing wasn't someone to be easily swayed. "1 billion?" she repeated, her expression thoughtful. "If Liyue really wants it, my family would still be willing to rent it to Liyue for free, indefinitely."
Keqing paused, her gaze firm. "But I can't just give it away. That's not how it works. Giving it away might make it seem like I became a Seven-Star just by handing over property.
I'll admit, 1 billion is quite a lot of money, but it's within our means.
The most prime commercial area in Liyue Port is opposite the Northland Bank. Their headquarters isn't even as large as my family's house. The Northland Bank spent 800 million Mora to buy it, after all."
"No," Ningguang replied, shaking her head slightly. "It cannot be rented. Liyue Bank is for Liyue. We don't need to save money when it comes to Liyue's prosperity. Besides, the Liyue Bank needs a strong foundation to establish itself. The market price for that property is around 1 billion. To be honest, you'll suffer a little bit of a loss. After all, the property values are still rising."
Keqing nodded as she thought about it. "I understand. The Northland Bank offered 1 billion a few years ago, and now it's likely worth more."
"If Liyue Bank opens, I'll deposit Mora directly into the Liyue Bank, and it will have the funds to purchase the house itself," Ningguang continued, her tone pragmatic.
Keqing thought for a moment, then nodded. "Alright, I agree to your terms."
Ningguang's eyes glinted with satisfaction. Keqing, despite her youthful nature, was a sharp businesswoman. She had the potential to be just as formidable as herself with time.
"Perfect," Ningguang said with a smile.
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