Hu Tao had been waiting outside Liuli Pavilion for quite a while.
When she finally saw the pair approaching, she immediately rushed forward to greet them.
As for how she knew they were at Liuli Pavilion?
Well, that was simple— she had plenty of "friends" in this place.
During the day, those friends rarely came out.
But once night fell, it was another story.
So it didn't take long for her to locate Su Ran.
"Hey! Young man!"
Most people, upon hearing someone call out, would turn their head in curiosity.
Even Archons weren't exceptions to that rule.
Raiden Ei glanced over, immediately recognizing the stalker she'd seen earlier that day.
Su Ran, meanwhile, looked over because Hu Tao's voice was just too distinctive to miss.
The seemingly ordinary Hall Master of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor came running toward them, her steps quick and light.
"You two, hello there! I'm Hu Tao, Hall Master of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
Judging by your rosy complexions, it seems you've had some joyful occasion recently, so—"
"So you're here to offer us a funeral package?"
Su Ran cut in smoothly.
The sudden interruption almost made Hu Tao choke on her own words.
"Cough! Cough! What nonsense are you spouting? Even I know this isn't the right time to promote funeral packages!"
True, when joy came, people preferred joy upon joy.
But even Hu Tao knew—
if someone sent her a funeral package during her own happy event, she'd smash them into the ground with her shovel.
Business was one thing, joy another.
You couldn't just mix the two.
Su Ran gave a look of feigned disappointment, sighing gloomily.
"Really? What a pity. I heard from a friend that the Hall Master of Wangsheng was so kindhearted, she never fussed over profit and loss. I thought maybe, when others had happy occasions, she'd give out lavish gifts for free."
Kindhearted? That I can accept, Hu Tao thought to herself.
But not fussing over profit and loss? Me? Do I look like someone who doesn't fuss?
If there was anyone who truly did that, it was probably that extravagant spender Zhongli.
"Oh? Sounds like your friend knows Wangsheng Funeral Parlor quite well.
Why don't you introduce them to me?"
Hu Tao's wide eyes gleamed with curiosity.
She waited eagerly for Su Ran's answer.
"Do you… really want to hear this, Hall Master?"
His hesitant tone only made her suspicions stronger.
Don't tell me… Zhongli's met with misfortune?
Dying in a foreign land, with no one to handle his remains—that would be far too tragic!
"Yes, yes, yes!"
"My friend," Su Ran continued, lowering his voice for effect, "is none other than your Parlor's consultant."
"Zhongli?!"
Su Ran leaned in as though sharing a secret.
"It's a pity, really. He traveled all the way to Inazuma just to… meet the Raiden Shogun."
"To… meet the Raiden Shogun? Wait—what? He's that brave?!"
Hu Tao's eyes went wide with disbelief.
Where had her consultant gotten such courage?
Facing the Raiden Shogun herself?
She was the supreme ruler of the Shogunate!
Going to her was nothing less than a death wish!
"Indeed. He once told me, 'There will always be mortals willing to face the might of lightning head-on.'
So he wished to witness the Shogun's Musou no Hitotachi with his own eyes!"
Ei's skin prickled as though ants were crawling over it.
This outrageous lie was being woven right onto her!
"Yes, Zhongli journeyed alone to the abode of a god, hoping to challenge the Shogun herself!"
Ei, expression calm, even played along with Su Ran's story, adding a few details.
Hearing this, Hu Tao's heart sank.
Zhongli's fate could only be imagined.
The Raiden Shogun's prestige in Inazuma was no less than Morax's in Liyue.
There could only be one outcome— no return.
"Did… did my consultant at least leave behind a whole corpse?"
Surely not.
She had heard that the Raiden Shogun's blade could split canyons.
With Zhongli's frail frame, not even ashes would remain.
"Alas. The dead deserve respect, but in the end they need a resting place.
Zhongli… what a pity."
Hu Tao's face was filled with sorrow.
To lose the consultant who had been with Wangsheng Funeral Parlor since her earliest memories, and not even be able to send him off herself— that left her full of regret.
Still, to die by the hand of a god… that was a kind of honor, wasn't it?
"Er… Hall Master, I think you may have misunderstood."
Su Ran interrupted her melancholy, secretly guessing that what truly saddened her
wasn't Zhongli's supposed death, but the fact she couldn't collect his remains.
"Zhongli isn't actually dead."
"Huh?"
She had already steeled herself for the worst, so hearing he was alive left her completely stunned.
What kind of joke is this?
She'd already prepared herself for a funeral— and now he was fine?
"My consultant's that strong? He survived a slash from the Raiden Shogun?"
Could it be… he was some hidden adeptus?
Come to think of it, she'd never seen his appearance change in all these years.
His identity was truly suspicious.
"No, no, you misunderstand! Do you think the Shogun would so casually accept a mortal's challenge?
He never even saw the true Raiden Shogun.
He was arrested for impersonating someone else."
The enormous gap between expectation and reality left Hu Tao utterly speechless.
She had thought it would be a grand tale of a hero's fall.
Instead… it was cowardice?
Consultant… oh, Consultant!
How could you bring such shame?
Hu Tao covered her face, mortified.
All that emotion she'd built up inside— and this was the truth?
"So he wasn't killed, just imprisoned for a crime?"
Honestly, that outcome was worse than death.
At least dying would have left him a name in history.
Now, he was nothing but a laughingstock.
"Then whose identity did he impersonate?"
Was Inazuma really so strict?
That crime could be big or small—usually a fine would suffice.
Surely he hadn't just failed to pay up?
"…He impersonated the Geo Archon of Liyue."
Su Ran spoke with a complicated expression.
Hu Tao's face froze, equally conflicted.
"…Well, in that case, he really does deserve to be locked up."
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