Burden of the Abyss: Internal Refraction [Genshin Impact x (O)OC]

Arc 2 - 5: Parting Preprrations Part 1

"Welcome to the Jade Mystery, my good friends! Would you like to try your luck betting on jade? This could be your lucky day." A chubby vendor asked the two. "It's cheap and it's fun, and who knows, you just might strike it rich!" The man said with a wink.

"Sorry, sir. No betting for us today. We're here for Noct... Nocturl— no, Noctilup—" Mono tried, but Zhongli intervened. "Noctilucous Jade, of radiant grade at the very least." She said stepping forward. "Thank you..." Mono said looking away, embarrassed.

"Radiant-grade Noctilucous Jade? I see, you're not a tourist. My apologies. I have some here for your perusal." The man said making Mono slowly put his hood up. The man took out three sets of a very pretty blue ore and set them on the stand.

"What do you think? The Jade Mystery is an old name in the jade business. Just look at that wonderful quality! Rex Lapis doesn't often bless us with such finery. Go on. Pick whichever one you like!" The man urged.

"Er... I think this is a job for you again." Mono said with a nervous chuckle. "Oh? You want me to decide? If you say so." Zhongli asked Mono. She turned back to the vender and smiled. "If it were me, the answer would be simple." She started.

"I'll take you're entire stock." She said with that unmoving smile. "I stand corrected! Don't listen to her!" Mono said before nudging Zhongli away from the stand.

"Listen, that's three times the Mora, right? Don't we only need one?" Mono asked, the two away from the stand. "Oh. Mora... hmm..." Zhongli hummed, thinking to herself. "It is as you say. I suppose I may have overlooked this particular aspect of the transaction." Zhongli admit with a hand on her chin. "I've never used Mora myself, and even I knew the currency was needed." Mono said with a sigh. "How do you buy stuff without remembering Mora?" Mono asked.

"If one must always consider Mora before acting, then in all things one is bound by Mora." She said with a smirk. "...Touché." Mono said with a shrug, still giving her an unimpressed look. "No need to waver. Even when I am constrained by Mora, I have ways of working around my limitations." She added with a nod. "Evaluating the quality of Noctilucous Jade is indeed very tricky. As crude ore, there is little difference in texture, lustrousness, and internal pattern between good and bad jade." Zhongli explained.

"...So we're screwed?" Mono asked. "Well, only after the item is made using Noctilucous Jade has taken shape, will you be able to see whether it is up to par or not. If you return to those crafty merchants to quibble, they will counter by saying that your crafting bench is to blame, or that your heat control was poor." Zhongli ranted, seemingly from experience. "...I'm hearing that we're screwed." Mono said with concern.

"Don't worry. There is a way to truly evaluate this jade, and a true insider would know it." Zhongli said removing Mono's hood, and patting his head. "A fool sees the pointer and misses the moon." She stated. "I... think I get it. We're supposed to see the bigger picture?" Mono asked. "Indeed. If you point at the moon with your finger, a wise man knows that you are pointing at the moon, while a fool will only see the finger." Zhongli replied with a nod. "The patterns, the facade, these are all the 'finger'. Noctilucous Jade is a mystical stone used to light up the darkness, and so it's brightness is the important thing— it is the 'moon'. Noctilucous Jade of excellent quality would have superior Pyro affinity. In other words, the bluer and brighter the luster of the ore under high temperature, the higher its quality." She explained.

"Wow. You're an expert with this stuff. Wait—Pyro, you say?" Mono asked with a smirk, receiving a nod. Mono glitched away, and a second later, reappeared with Pyra on his shoulder. "What the...?" She asked looking around.

"Hmm. I have imparted the priceless secrets of the jade trade to you. Now all that is left is to put it into a practice." Zhongli said proudly, nudging Mono back to the stand. "What is going on..." Pyra mumbled.