Hearing Barbatos's invitation, Zhongli said indifferently, "Liyue's sweet shops don't sell wine. If you want a drink, you should go to Wanmin Restaurant. Come to think of it, I haven't been to Wanmin Restaurant in a few days."
Though Wangshu Inn sold wine, and every inn in Liyue Harbor had fine liquor, Zhongli favored Wanmin Restaurant for one reason alone: he could run a tab there without the owner hounding him for payment. When the tab reached a certain amount, he could either have Director Hu settle it or invite Childe to dinner and have him pay all the bills. It was very convenient.
Though Barbatos knew Zhongli well, he didn't know this. "Oh, is that so? What a pity. Still, even without wine, let's visit the sweet shops. Someone might already have a craving."
As he spoke, he glanced at Ei nearby. Ei noticed his look and quickly said, "I don't like sweets. I'm just interested in them for research. Yes, I'm learning to cook. Barbatos, I just learned a new recipe. It's called something like... Judgment... something. Do you want to try it?"
Hearing the word "Judgment," Barbatos dared not say another word. Even Zhongli's expression grew solemn at the mention of that dish. That dish was no joke.
In the end, to avoid eating "Judgment," the gods decided to accompany Ei to the sweet shops. But Yae Miko, who had been following the Raiden Shogun, did not go with them. One reason was that Liyue's sweet shops definitely wouldn't have the fried tofu she liked. Another was that she not only planned to publish the storyteller's tales in Mondstadt but also to turn them into light novels for publication in Inazuma and Liyue. With these light novels, dominating Teyvat's publishing industry was only a matter of time.
...
After the gods left Wangshu Inn together, the other audience members also departed one after another.
In one corner, Keqing said seriously, "Let's go. Come back tomorrow to listen. And when we do, bring Ganyu along. She's not busy these days; she should get out more."
Hearing Ganyu's name, Hu Tao also smiled. "Hehe, that's right. Ganyu really should hear these stories. But the storyteller has only mentioned her a little, not much. I'd like to know other stories about Ganyu—like her liking to sleep in haystacks... Are there any other stories? No way—tomorrow I'll make the storyteller tell Ganyu's stories properly. It'll be fun."
Beside them, Xiangling, having finished Bennett's story, felt a little unsatisfied. She wanted to hear more. But she was conflicted—the more the storyteller spoke at Wangshu Inn, the worse Wanmin Restaurant's business would be. Yet the stories were so touching, even she had been moved.
"I wonder how many more lives he'll tell. Will one of them involve me? I wish I could keep listening. Guoba, you want to keep listening too, don't you?"
Guoba, who had been sitting beside Xiangling listening to the storyteller, was completely absorbed. He jumped down from his chair and danced around.
"Lulu lu—"
Before he could finish, Xiangling grabbed him. "Alright, don't cause trouble. We should go home."
Qiqi also said, "Go home."
They left together. Shenhe, as a disciple of the adepti, had been watching Li Mo on stage without a word. She left with the others, but even as she went, she couldn't help looking back at him. Unfortunately, his bamboo hat hid half his face. She couldn't see him clearly.
Gradually, all the audience members left one by one.
...
Now, inside Wangshu Inn, aside from the inn's staff, only the storyteller Li Mo remained. He was communicating with the system in his mind.
[Ding! System notification: The story of "Bennett's Dad" you told has resonated deeply with the audience.]
[99% of listeners expressed sorrow, 30% shed tears, 10% wept bitterly.]
[System reward: 2000 Storytelling Points!]
[System reward: Gacha Ticket x1]
In this life, since Bennett himself was not present at Wangshu Inn, he had not been made to cry. But Li Mo believed that before long, these stories would spread to Mondstadt, and when Bennett saw them, he would cry his eyes out. So the mission was as good as complete.
As before, the reward was a single gacha ticket. After several such draws, Li Mo was very familiar with the process. He waited quietly for the system's draw prompt.
As expected, the prompt soon sounded in his mind.
[Use the gacha ticket to draw now?]
Without hesitation, Li Mo said, "Draw now."
The moment he spoke, the familiar giant roulette wheel appeared before him again, filled with all kinds of prizes. As soon as he said the words, the system's power set the wheel in motion. The pointer swept rapidly across each precious prize.
Soon, the pointer slowed and finally stopped on a prize.
[Ding! Congratulations, host. You have obtained the five-star item—Serenitea Pot Realm (Enhanced Version).]
Serenitea Pot Realm? What did "Enhanced Version" mean?
Before he could figure it out, a small purple-gold teapot appeared in his hand. He immediately used his spiritual sense to examine it and learned all its information.
"Enhanced version—ten times the building capacity? That's possible?"