Genshin Impact: Villain Life Sim

Recalling the events that had just transpired, a faint blush appeared on Yelan's face.

Shaking her head, she said, "Twenty million Mora, just for that? I never imagined my underarms were worth so much. I might need to take out an insurance policy on them next time."

"Save it for after the competition," Lucas replied with a chuckle, amused by her quip. "If we don't hurry to Yujing Terrace, we might be disqualified by default."

"Not we," Yelan said, shaking her head. "I've already lost all my Mora to you. There's no chance of advancing. Sigh… Ningguang is going to give me an earful for this."

"No, you still have 40 million Mora left," Lucas said with a smile. "That's more than enough to advance."

"But those 40 million Mora are already yours," Yelan said firmly. "I said I'd honor the bet, and a loss is a loss. I don't need your pity."

"I just think my enjoyment earlier was worth the full 60 million Mora," Lucas replied casually. "Like you, I don't like taking advantage of people."

Yelan understood perfectly well that Lucas was giving her an out. Something like that wouldn't realistically be worth 20 million Mora, let alone 60 million.

Not long ago, she had dismissed Lucas as someone merely lucky to be chosen by the Yuheng. Now, she realized he had plenty of hidden talents.

More importantly, Yelan could tell they were alike—people with principles but not bound by rigidity. Working with someone like that was always comfortable.

Of course, that comfort required first making sure he was comfortable, and fortunately, Yelan had already mastered at least one way to please him.

At precisely 8:58 PM.

As Liyue Harbor's political center, Yujing Terrace became heavily guarded after dark, with few people in sight. At this hour, the only regular might be Ganyu, finishing up her late-night work.

But tonight, dozens of contestants were gathered there.

Earlier in the day, they had been full of ambition and confidence, but now, the atmosphere was divided—some faces were jubilant, others defeated.

The competition's premise of "starting from scratch" had seemed equal on the surface, but everyone's starting point had varied. Beidou had her captain's connections to secure a ship. Lucas leveraged his position as Wanmin Restaurant's heir to set up shop.

Meanwhile, contestants with ability but no connections had been at a disadvantage. For them, earning even one million Mora was a monumental feat.

"Strange… where is Yelan?"

Ningguang glanced at the timer, her expression betraying a flicker of unease.

She had placed her bet on Yelan not just because of their rapport but because of her proven ability. By all accounts, this round should have been in her favor. Yet, there was still no sign of her.

"Ningguang, can't we just announce the results already?" Beidou said, cleaning her ears lazily. "Looks like some folks who didn't earn enough have already given up."

Indeed, the number of participants present was noticeably fewer than in the morning. Those who knew they couldn't advance had likely chosen to forfeit, sparing themselves further embarrassment.

"Where is he…?"

Shenhe scanned the surroundings anxiously, but Lucas was nowhere to be seen. She had visited Wanmin Restaurant earlier and seen his booming business. There shouldn't have been any issues.

Could something have gone wrong?

Just as the clock's minute hand was about to strike the hour, two figures darted in from the distance, landing on Yujing Terrace with impressive speed.

It was Lucas and Yelan!

Unlike the slightly out-of-breath Yelan, Lucas looked composed, smiling. "Looks like we made it."

"Lucas! I knew you weren't the type to give up easily!" Hu Tao chirped, suddenly appearing beside him with her usual mischievous grin. "Making money is tough, huh? I had to perform three ceremonies today just to barely scrape together 9 million Mora."

The Wangsheng Funeral Parlor provided comprehensive funeral services, from burial clothing to elaborate ceremonies. Large-scale events were particularly lucrative, and few others in Liyue could handle such jobs. While complex and time-consuming, the earnings were undeniably significant.

"That's impressive," Lucas replied with an awkward smile. "But isn't that a bit coincidental?"

"Not at all! I specifically saved them for today," Hu Tao said with a giggle. "So, how much did you make?"

Wait… she saved them up? What if things went stale?

"Me? 60 million Mora," Lucas replied.

"Not earning much isn't anything to be ashamed of. What matters is participating—wait, what? Sixty million Mora?"

"Just lucky," Lucas said humbly. "Shh, Lady Ningguang is about to speak."

His words drew several disappointed sighs from the crowd. Some competitors, unwilling to accept this outcome, voiced their frustration loudly.

"Why base it on Mora earnings?!"

"Simple," Ningguang replied with a smile. "The Mora you earned in this round will serve as your 'starting capital' for the next round."

"The next competition will be—Genius Invokation TCG."

"Genius Invokation TCG?"

Hearing the name, the crowd exchanged puzzled glances before expressions of bewilderment appeared on many faces.

"Wait! Ningguang, are you talking about that card game from Sumeru?" Beidou scratched her head with a frown. "That game's been pretty popular on my ship recently."

"Exactly, it's that card game," Ningguang nodded with a smile. "This is also Uncle Tianshu's idea. After all, in Liyue Harbor, his skill at Genius Invokation TCG is probably among the top five."

"But deciding the position of a Liyue Qixing through a game…" A silver-haired girl said flatly, "Isn't that a little too frivolous?"

Following the voice, Lucas saw the speaker was Bai Ye from the Baize clan, who had come to provoke him a few days ago. If she hadn't left, it must mean she had passed the first round as well.

It seemed the upcoming competition would indeed be troublesome.

"I asked the Tianshu the same question," Ningguang, prepared for such objections, responded calmly. "While Genius Invokation TCG is just a game, it tests players' strategic planning, patience, and luck—all qualities essential for a Liyue Qixing."

"This doesn't seem very fair," Shenhe, who had remained silent, suddenly spoke. "I don't know how to play Genius Invokation TCG. How am I supposed to compete with others?"

Although the game was gaining popularity, it wasn't as universally known as, say, "Fight the Landlord." Many people didn't just lack experience—they didn't even know the basic rules. (AN: Its a chinese card game)

This included Shenhe, who had only recently come down from the mountains. For her, this competition was indeed unfair.

In truth, Ningguang had discussed with Tianshu Star the possibility of using her invention, Liyue Millennium, as the competition's focus.

However, the high learning curve and lengthy matches ultimately led to its rejection, something Ningguang still begrudged.

"Besides, nothing in this world is absolutely fair," Ningguang continued. "The purpose of this selection is to find the most suitable candidate for the Tianshu, not to guarantee fairness. Those who lack ability being eliminated is perfectly normal."

The crowd fell silent, unable to argue further. After all, the lack of fairness was evident from the first round of competition.

"All right, stop keeping us in suspense!" Hu Tao urged impatiently. "Lady Ningguang, how are we supposed to use the starting funds?"

"It's simple," Ningguang explained. "As you all know, a deck in Genius Invokation TCG consists of 40 cards. For this competition, you can only use cards provided by the organizers. Each card costs 200,000 Mora."

Lucas finally understood why a minimum of 8 million Mora in starting funds was necessary. Without it, one couldn't even afford a basic deck, let alone participate.

"200,000 per card? Isn't that way overpriced compared to the market rate?" A refined, blue-haired youth shook his head mockingly. "Lady Ningguang, are you trying to make a small fortune off us?"

"Don't worry, I'm not interested in such trivial sums," Ningguang replied with a smile. "The Mora earned in this round won't be collected but will be converted into an equivalent amount of points. You'll use these points to purchase cards."

This arrangement didn't bother most contestants. After all, the earnings were only from six hours of effort. For someone like Yelan, who wasn't short on cash, or Shenhe, who had no concept of money, it was even less of a concern.

---

One hour later, at Ganyu's residence.

"What… what did you say?" Xianyun's expression was one of disbelief. "You're telling me the Tianshu selection's competition is… card games?"

"To be precise, a card game," Lucas explained. "It sounds absurd, but it's the truth. The bigger problem now is… neither Shenhe nor I know how to play Genius Invokation TCG. Do you?"

Ganyu and Xianyun exchanged glances before shaking their heads.

"This one has no interest in such mortal games," Xianyun said with a haughty tone. "It sounds dull."

"I've heard my colleagues at Yuehai Pavilion mention it," Ganyu said with a sigh. "But I've been too busy with work to try it myself."

Of course, aside from time, Ganyu also lacked an essential component for such games—a friend to play with.

"Wait, a Genius Invokation TCG expert?" Ganyu's expression shifted thoughtfully. "I think I do know someone."

"Really?" Lucas asked eagerly. "Do you think you could invite this expert to teach us?"

"Hmm…"

Before Ganyu could finish, a soft snore interrupted her. Shenhe, who had unknowingly dozed off, was now slumped over the table.

"This child must be exhausted," Xianyun said, her tone surprisingly gentle as she stroked Shenhe's silver hair. "I'll take her to her room to rest. You two should also retire for the night."

Lucas and Ganyu exchanged a glance, suddenly reminded of their "cover story."

Blushing slightly, Ganyu murmured, "We… we'll go rest now."

Although their relationship hadn't crossed certain boundaries, they had grown familiar enough with each other that sharing a bed no longer felt awkward.

A short while later, as they lay side by side, Lucas suddenly cleared his throat. "Uh… could I…?"

----

Author's Note: Alright, I'm starting the Powerstone goals again, but if we don't do well I won't bother with it, don't make me lazy again or you'll have to wait days for an update!

For today, I'll give you an extra chapter for every 100 stones. Remember only today!