I opened a shop on the Astral Train-Chapter 68

Earlier

The dining car of the Astral Express was alive with chatter, laughter, and the clinking of plates as Yuri, Dan Heng, Topaz, Welt, Zhongli, Venti, Noelle, Xiangling, Clara, and Himeko gathered for a lively dinner. The long wooden table was adorned with steaming dishes, courtesy of Xiangling, who had outdone herself yet again.

Yuri leaned back in his chair, surveying the feast. "Xiangling, I don't know how you do it, but you've managed to make this train feel like home."

Xiangling beamed. "Cooking is an art, and the train is my canvas!" She pointed at a sizzling plate of stir-fried meat. "This one's a special dish inspired by Himeko's love for spice. I call it 'Flames of Shamash.'"

Himeko laughed, picking up her chopsticks. "If it's named after the Judgment of Shamash, it better have enough heat to scorch a planet."

Topaz raised a skeptical eyebrow. "I don't know if I trust your spice tolerance. Last time, you had tears in your eyes."

"Lies! That was from the sheer joy of eating!" Himeko declared dramatically, taking a bite. A second later, she froze, her face turning red. "Okay, maybe it's a little much."

Welt chuckled, setting down his tea. "Himeko, are you about to lose to a plate of food?"

Dan Heng smirked. "The great Himeko, felled by spice. A true tragedy indeed."

"Oh, shut up and eat your plain rice, Dan Heng!" Himeko shot back, gulping down water.

Clara, ever the gentle one, was focused on slicing a piece of meat for Svarog, who had stationed himself beside her. "Is it really that spicy?" she asked innocently, handing the plate over to Svarog.

Svarog analyzed the dish. "Heat level: dangerous. Proceed with caution."

Venti, swirling his wine glass, leaned over to Zhongli with a grin. "I feel like this dinner is missing a song. Shall I compose a ballad about Himeko's downfall by spice?"

Zhongli took a sip of his tea and sighed. "Venti, must every occasion turn into a musical performance with you?"

"Of course! What's life without a bit of melody?" Venti lifted his glass. "To the Flames of Shamash! May they forever haunt Himeko's taste buds!"

Yuri, between bites of roasted duck, raised an eyebrow. "Speaking of haunting, did anyone else hear strange noises in the storage car last night?"

Topaz looked up from her plate. "Oh, that? That was just a Stellar Jade shipment shifting around. Unless you're suggesting we have a ghost problem?"

Noelle, who had been diligently polishing the silverware even at dinner, suddenly stiffened. "A ghost problem? Should I prepare my sword?"

Dan Heng sighed. "We do not have a ghost problem. Yuri just enjoys dramatics."

Yuri smirked. "Guilty as charged."

Xiangling, trying to steer the conversation back to food, turned to Clara. "Clara, do you want to try making a dish next time?"

Clara nodded eagerly. "That sounds fun! But...I don't know how to cook much."

"No worries!" Xiangling waved a hand. "We'll start simple. Maybe something Svarog would approve of."

Svarog calculated. "Suggestion: Nutritional balance should be prioritized over taste."

Venti gasped. "Blasphemy! Food should be about joy! About art! About—"

"Survival," Dan Heng finished flatly.

Zhongli chuckled, setting down his cup. "Food should be a balance of both. A necessity, but also a celebration. Just like this meal."

Himeko, finally recovering from the spice, raised her glass. "Then let's celebrate! To food, to laughter, and to—"

"To never letting Himeko pick the spice level again!" Topaz cut in.

Laughter erupted around the table as the meal continued, filled with more teasing, stories, and warmth. For all their differences, this ragtag group found solace in one another's company, and in the simple joys of a shared meal.

Present

Time passed minute by minute, and soon, the countdown on the big screen ended. A cheerful tune rang out.

"Ding ding dong ~ ding ding dong ~ The lottery is about to be drawn ~"

Hearing the familiar melody, Yuri walked to the counter and retrieved the winning number for this round.

Everyone present held their breath, their gazes locked onto Yuri's hand as he unfolded the slip of paper and read the number aloud.

"The winning number for this round is 37! Who has number 37?"

Instantly, the crowd erupted into frantic movement as people scrambled to check their numbers.

Kevin flipped through the ten lottery tickets in his hands, his excitement rapidly draining away as he scanned each one.

Not good! Not a single win!

After double-checking all ten tickets, reality hit him—he hadn't won anything.

Kevin felt utterly devastated. His ten thousand Stellar Jade—gone!

"If I ever play the lottery again, I'm a dog!" Kevin shouted, standing up and furiously throwing his tickets aside.

Hu Tao, who had also bought ten tickets, sighed dramatically before following Kevin's lead.

"Me too! If I ever play the lottery again, I'll be a dog as well!"

As the wave of disappointment spread, the crowd turned their attention toward each other, eager to see who the lucky winner was.

Qingque peeked at the ticket in her hand and suddenly gasped.

"Oh my! It's me! I won! Hahahaha!"

Fu Xuan beamed at Qingque's luck and clapped her shoulder enthusiastically. "Well done! That's my girl! I knew I chose wisely!"

Jing Yuan, upon hearing the news, couldn't help but smile. Qingque's victory was, in a way, a win for the Luofu as well.

After all, the prize—a sword-controlling technique—was invaluable. Unlike certain abilities that were exclusive to the user, this technique could be taught to others, making it a highly valuable asset.

"Qingque, go ahead and claim your prize," Jing Yuan encouraged.

Grinning ear to ear, Qingque eagerly ran up to Yuri and handed over her winning ticket. Yuri took it, scanned it at the counter, and within moments, a scroll materialized in his hands.

"Here you go. Once you take it, it's your responsibility. No refunds, no exchanges."

Qingque accepted the scroll with utmost care and returned to Jing Yuan and the others.

"Open it!" Fu Xuan urged, her curiosity evident.

Qingque hesitated, then suddenly smirked. She rolled the scroll slightly open before snapping it shut again and handed it to Jing Yuan.

"General, I think this belongs to you. I have no interest in sword techniques, and besides, I have zero talent for it. It would just go to waste in my hands. It's better if you find someone else who can put it to good use."

Fu Xuan nearly teared up at Qingque's unexpected maturity. "You're finally growing up! I can rest easy knowing that when the time comes, you'll take over the Taibusi without issue."

The truth, however, was that Qingque simply found the idea of training in swordsmanship—and worse, teaching others—way too troublesome. She wanted no part in it, especially if it meant extra work.

Fu Xuan, though deeply moved, made a quick executive decision. "Alright, as a reward, from now on, you only have to copy fifty alliance reports a day. No more overtime."

Qingque's eyes sparkled. "Seriously?! That's amazing! More time to drag Kevin and the others into playing Diyuan Qiongyu!"

Jing Yuan chuckled at her antics before turning to Yanqing, who was practically vibrating with excitement at the thought of learning the sword-controlling technique.

"Yanqing, don't rush. You'll get your chance to learn soon enough."

Yanqing's face lit up with pure joy. "Thank you, General!"

Jing Yuan nodded. "Alright, let's check the next prize. We'll each buy one ticket—using public funds."

No one left the lottery shop yet. Some stayed to chat, while others eagerly awaited the next prize announcement.

Kevin and Hu Tao, despite their previous declarations, continued their dramatic complaints.

"Lottery tickets? What are those? I'll never buy them again! Not in this lifetime!"

"That's right! This Hall Master is a practical person. I'd rather spend that money on snacks at the small bar!"

Then, two minutes later, the big screen flickered, revealing the next grand prize.

[Third Prize: Emperor Warrior Armor Summoner]

Description: The ultimate armor from a certain armored world, possessing immense and terrifying power.

Price: 200,000 Stellar Jade

Countdown: 6 days, 23 hours, 59 minutes.

The moment the words appeared, Kevin's stance did a complete 180.

"Woof! Woof! Woof!" he barked three times before sprinting to the counter to buy ten tickets.

Hu Tao followed suit. "Woof! Woof! Woof! Give me ten tickets!"

Even Welt, normally composed and reserved, silently approached the counter with a handful of Stellar Jade in his grip.

March 7th was utterly baffled. "Is this thing really that amazing? Armor? I don't get it. Why are they acting like this?"

She turned to Himeko in confusion. "What's so special about it?"

Himeko chuckled. "Everyone has something they're passionate about. For example, you love photography, right? Imagine if the next prize were a one-of-a-kind, legendary camera. What would your reaction be?"

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March 7th thought about it for a moment before realization dawned on her.

"Oh. Ohhh. I'd be exactly like Uncle Welt right now."

Suddenly, laughter boomed from the entrance.

"Hahahaha! Aha is back! What's the situation here?"

Swaggering in, Aha struck a flamboyant pose—only to step right onto a garbage shovel that Pom had left out for cleaning. With a loud clang, the trash flew everywhere, covering the floor in an instant.

Pom's eyes twitched.

"Aha! Ever since you came back, nothing good has happened!"

With a furious expression, Pom grabbed the broom and pointed it at Aha like a weapon.

Aha gulped, a cold sweat forming on his forehead. "Wait, Pom! Listen to my totally logical and flawless explanation!"

Instead of an explanation, Pom responded with a powerful headbutt.

"Oof!" Aha was sent flying.

Jing Yuan, witnessing the chaos, exchanged glances with Fu Xuan. Both of them were visibly stunned.

"Eternal Joy Heavenly Lord!" Jing Yuan muttered in disbelief.

March 7th's eyes widened as she tugged on Himeko's sleeve. "Himeko! Himeko! Is that really the Joyful Star God?"

Himeko nodded. "That's right. But don't worry, Aha doesn't mean us any harm. In fact, they're a former Nameless."

March 7th's jaw dropped. "Wait... what?! Aha was part of the Nameless?!"

Himeko nodded again, confirming it. "Yep. Even Pom verified it."

March 7th sat down in a chair, struggling to process this revelation.