The girl in front of them had a slim figure.
Her reddish-brown twin ponytails swayed lightly with each movement, and her "plum blossom" eyes shimmered with a hint of mischief and mystery.
Her outfit was utterly distinctive: a long black-and-red coat embroidered with intricate patterns, the hem behind her bearing a faint, ghostly motif of red spider lilies under the moonlight.
A pair of pale, slender legs were wrapped with red ribbons, ending in black embroidered shoes that made her look at once dashing and playfully charming.
At first glance she just seemed like a lively, quirky young girl.
But her identity… was none other than the one who handled life and death in Liyue—
The current Hall Master of Wangsheng Funeral Parlour.
Hu Tao didn't give Kairo any time to ponder.
She blinked, eyes shining with excitement as she stepped right up, her gaze glued to the snow-white lion:
"Hey, hey— I'm saying! If you can make a stone statue come alive… then can you help me with something?"
She clasped her hands behind her back, rocking lightly on her toes, eyes full of anticipation and excitement.
The way she circled around Kairo, carefully sizing him up, was like a little fox that had just found a new toy.
"After all—"
Hu Tao narrowed her eyes with a grin.
"Between life and death, change is limitless. This little trick of yours is very interesting."
Kairo's eyes narrowed slightly as he smiled.
Looking at this girl who had suddenly barged into their night, he couldn't help but think—
The Hall Master of Wangsheng Funeral Parlour… interested in "making stone come alive", is she?
Just what sort of "favour" does she have in mind?
With that thought, Kairo asked, amused, "What kind of favour?"
"Hehe."
The moment he responded, Hu Tao's smile widened.
Without another word she darted forward, grabbed Kairo by the wrist and started tugging him away down the street.
"Come on, come on! No refusing!"
Kairo blinked.
Before he could react, he'd already been "abducted" by this ball of boundless energy.
Paimon and Ying exchanged a look, then hurried after them.
Under the night sky, Hu Tao dragged Kairo along at a half-run.
Her coat swung with each step, the plum blossom on her hat bobbing lightly in the breeze.
Her whole person radiated an almost explosive vitality.
"This Hall Master… really is full of energy…"
Paimon floated along behind, staring, utterly stunned by how tirelessly Hu Tao bounced along.
"What on earth does she want to do?"
Ying frowned slightly.
Even if Kairo didn't seem to object, she still couldn't help being a bit wary of what this Hall Master wanted him to help with.
And if she remembered correctly, Zhongli was Wangsheng Funeral Parlour's consultant.
"Wait… doesn't that mean this Hall Master's position is actually higher than Zhongli's?"
Paimon, still hovering in mid-air, suddenly froze as the thought struck her.
"She's the Hall Master, and Zhongli's just a consultant, right…"
"Seems so."
Ying scratched her cheek.
"Surely she's not going to drag us straight to Wangsheng Funeral Parlour? I still don't even know exactly what they do…"
As they spoke, they kept pace, following closely.
Soon, Hu Tao came to a stop—
Right in front of the General Affairs Bureau.
The building loomed solemn and imposing in the night, its green tiles and red eaves silhouetted against the soft glow of an enormous glazed lantern hanging at the gate.
The orange light bathed the stone steps in a warm halo, lending this government office a rare touch of quiet serenity.
Yet at the top of those steps, guarding the entrance, two mighty stone lions sat facing outwards.
Carved with exquisite craftsmanship, they radiated awe-inspiring majesty.
Hu Tao released Kairo's wrist and planted her hands firmly on her hips, eyes sparkling as she jabbed a finger at the two lions.
"It's them!"
Her eyes shone with excitement, her lips curling into a familiar, wicked little smile.
"Big Mi and Second Mi!"
"Come, come— you can make a stone statue come alive, right?"
"Can't you wake them up too?"
Kairo: "..."
He fell silent for a moment.
He lifted his gaze to size up the two lions at the door.
The craftwork really was top-notch—
Their forms powerful and well-proportioned, stone muscles defined, even the texture of their manes carefully carved.
Most striking of all were their eyes: though mere stone, the sculptor had given them a lifelike, intimidating presence.
Paimon hovered there, staring between the two lions in disbelief.
"They've got names? Big Mi and Second Mi?"
"Of course!"
Hu Tao nodded very seriously.
"These are Liyue's treasures of town and ward!"
Paimon gaped at her.
"Aren't they just ordinary stone statues? Why are you giving them names? And why are you acting like they could really come alive?"
"Hehe, of course they're just stone statues right now."
Hu Tao's tone turned mysteriously playful, eyes gleaming.
"But if they could come alive— heheh— just imagine how much we could scare those stiff-faced Millelith who stand guard here every day."
"..."
Kairo: "..."
Paimon: "..."
Ying: "..."
"So… they really are just carved stone?"
Paimon scratched her head.
At last she understood what Hu Tao had been thinking.
Ying nodded as well.
So this Hall Master… just wanted to pull a prank.
"Well? Well?"
Hu Tao leaned in again, blinking expectantly at Kairo.
"How about it? How about it? Can you do it?"
"No."
Kairo shook his head.
"My snow lion wasn't a sculpture to begin with. It naturally shifts between statue and living form— it's a particular kind of creature."
"Making that turn back into a real lion is one thing.
But taking any random stone carving off the street and turning it into a living beast? That's beyond me."
As he spoke, a strong gust of wind suddenly swept past them—
The snow lion had finally caught up from behind.
Thankfully, Hu Tao had dragged them down a fairly quiet side street.
If a lion this size bolted through the main thoroughfares of Liyue Harbor, they'd have startled half the city awake by now.
"Ah? You can't?"
Hu Tao deflated a little, scratching her head in frustration.
"I really thought you could…"
"I mean, I did just watch you toss a statue, and— bam— it popped into a lion…"
Kairo: "..."
Paimon: "..."
Ying: "..."
"You are the Hall Master of Wangsheng Funeral Parlour.
How do you not know that something like reversing death into life… generally doesn't happen?"
Kairo's mouth twitched.
"Even the adepti can't just bring the dead back to life at will, let alone turn pure stone into living flesh."
"This is different, this is different."
Hu Tao ruffled her own hair, clearly unwilling to give up.
"I mean, you did turn that one into a lion…
In the end it's just this Hall Master getting carried away, huh!"
She let out a dramatic sigh.
Kairo: "..."
Paimon: "..."
Ying: "..."
"By the way, Hu Tao, since you're the Hall Master… you know Zhongli, right?"
At the side, Paimon suddenly thought of something and turned to Hu Tao, eyes curious.
"We met him earlier today, and found out he's your funeral parlour's consultant."
"You met Zhongli?"
Hu Tao's eyes widened in surprise.
"He talked to you? And he didn't make you pay for anything?"
As she spoke, she eyed Paimon, Ying and Kairo suspiciously, a trace of genuine wariness in her gaze.
Paimon: "???"
Ying: "..."
Kairo: "..."
"No, we just had a nice chat with him."
Paimon scratched her cheek.
"He took us to Yun-Han Opera Troupe, and later to the Pearl Boat too. He didn't ask us to pay for anything."
"What!?"
Hu Tao's cheeks puffed up instantly.
"He even took you to the Pearl Boat to spend money?"
Did that mean tomorrow's bill was going to be even longer when it landed on her desk?
Just thinking about it made her cheeks puff out even more.
"Yeah? Is there some problem?"
Seeing her reaction, Paimon and Ying were completely confused.
They really didn't understand why Hu Tao was reacting like this.
A moment later, Hu Tao snapped out of it with a sigh.
"Forget it. I don't even know your names yet. What do I call you lot? How come I've never seen you in Liyue before?"
As she spoke she turned her curiosity back on Paimon.
This floating little creature— she'd certainly never seen her before. They were clearly newcomers to Liyue.
"Hehe, I'm Paimon!"
Paimon grinned proudly.
"This is the Traveller, Ying, and that's Kairo.
We came from Mondstadt to take part in the Rite of Descension."
"Ohhh, out-of-towners."
Hu Tao nodded in sudden realisation.
"Then you've come at the right time! The Rite of Descension is very lively—
and you've already made friends with Zhongli, too."
She puffed out her chest with a sly little smile.
"To tell you the truth, a lot of things used in the Rite of Descension are actually provided by our Wangsheng Funeral Parlour, you know?"
"You're very welcome to come visit the parlour any time~"
"Sure, sure!"
Paimon nodded like a pecking chick, clearly intrigued.
Kairo: "..."
Watching Paimon's excited face, Kairo fell silent for a moment.
He strongly suspected Paimon still didn't actually know what Wangsheng Funeral Parlour did.
And then—
Hu Tao put her hands on her hips, spun lightly in place and flashed them an all-too-familiar sly grin.
"Hehe, right then! In that case, this Hall Master shall be merciful and personally show you around Liyue tonight!"
Her eyes sparkled.
"The night-time Liyue is even more interesting than during the day, you know—
The streets, the lights reflected in the water, the bustle of the night markets, and the atmosphere at our Wangsheng Funeral Parlour after dark…"
"Tsk, tsk. I guarantee you, it'll open your eyes~"
Paimon's curiosity was instantly hooked.
"Eh? Liyue at night is that fun?"
Even Ying felt herself wavering.
Liyue in the daytime was already bustling and beautiful— if the night was even more unique, then it was definitely worth a look.
But just as Paimon was about to blurt out "Let's go!", she suddenly shivered.
She tilted her head back to look up at the sky.
The night was dark and deep, moonlight washing over the stone streets, glazed lanterns casting the city into a dreamlike glow.
But…
"It's already really late!"
Ying also glanced up at the pitch-black sky and frowned slightly.
After a brief hesitation, she said, "Um… it's really late. We should probably sleep, shouldn't we?"
Paimon nodded quickly.
"Yeah, yeah! We still want to look around tomorrow, and we've got more to do with Zhongli too.
We should rest early…"
She'd been sleepy just a moment ago, and had almost let herself get talked into a night-time tour.
"Huh?"
Hu Tao blinked, clearly baffled.
Her head tilted slightly as she stared at them, as if they'd just said something utterly ridiculous.
"Going to sleep this early?"
Her expression was a perfect picture of confusion.
Then she scratched her head, her lips tugging sideways with a mixture of doubt and disbelief.
"This Hall Master has only just gotten up, you know."
"...Huh?"
Ying and Paimon froze on the spot, pupils trembling as their expressions went completely blank.
"You just… got up?"
"Yup!"
Hu Tao nodded emphatically, completely confident that she was the normal one here.
"Isn't the sun during the day way too bright? Of course you sleep more then!"
"The night in Liyue is perfect for going out and doing things~"
Ying: "..."
Paimon: "..."
The two of them stared at each other, speechless.
They'd spent the day wandering all over Liyue, watching the busy shops, the bustling tea-houses, the crowded harbour— and they'd thought that was Liyue.
Who'd have guessed… Liyue apparently had a whole separate "nocturnal mode" as well.
So this was the Hall Master's daily schedule.
No wonder she was bursting with energy in the middle of the night…
"Fine, fine."
Seeing their stiff expressions, Hu Tao just laughed and waved a hand grandly.
"Since you're used to sleeping so early, this Hall Master won't force you."
She narrowed her eyes, a hint of regret in her voice.
"It's rare to meet such interesting people. I really wanted to show you what Liyue is like after dark…"
"But— oh well. We'll just have to save that for next time!"
With that, she clasped one hand behind her back, used the other to nudge up the brim of her hat, and said cheerfully:
"Come on then, this Hall Master will walk you back."
So they set off again, this time with Hu Tao leading the way.
They passed under rows of lanterns, through narrow alleys and broad streets.
The night-time Liyue was still full of life—
Stalls selling late-night snacks, tea-houses still spilling music and laughter, Pearl Boats gliding slowly across the water, lantern-light reflecting in ripples like golden stars.
Hu Tao walked like she owned the place, effortlessly weaving between people.
It was obvious she was a veteran of Liyue's nights, completely at ease amidst the lingering crowds.
Before long, they arrived back at the inn's entrance.
Hu Tao narrowed her eyes, looking the building up and down, quietly committing it to memory.
Then a sly grin curved across her lips.
"Hehe, so this is where you're staying."
She nodded to herself with exaggerated seriousness, that not-entirely-reassuring smile still on her face.
"Got it~"
Kairo raised an eyebrow.
For some reason, he had a very bad feeling about this.
Hu Tao looked exactly like she was planning something.
"All right then! This Hall Master won't disturb your sleep any longer~"
Hu Tao gave them a jaunty little wave, her smile bright.
Then she spun on her heel and dashed off into the night, coat fluttering behind her, every step radiating pure, unfiltered energy.
Her voice echoed down the street behind her:
"See you tomorrow! Don't forget— this Hall Master won't let interesting people off the hook so easily!"
"Hahahaha!"
Her laughter grew fainter and fainter, until it vanished completely into the night.
Paimon patted her chest, looking thoroughly relieved.
"Honestly… what kind of person is she?"
"She really doesn't play by any normal rules at all…"
Ying could only shake her head, half helpless, half amused.
Her energy levels were almost terrifying.
Kairo, however, watched Hu Tao's retreating back with a thoughtful expression.
Strange.
Hu Tao hadn't triggered his "idiot system's" evaluation at all.
Could it be… that she couldn't be evaluated?
That she was classed as something "unique"?
He thought about it for a moment.
Actually, that was not hard to accept.
A one-of-a-kind Hu Tao?
Just as that thought passed through his mind, a sudden flurry of shouts rang out from not far away—
"Hey! Wh–what's that!? That lion is massive!"
"Whose lion is that? How dangerous!"
"Where are the Millelith?! Hurry and call the Millelith over!"
The previously quiet street was abruptly shattered by the rising clamour.
The few late-night pedestrians, the stall-owners packing up their night-market stands, and scattered Liyue residents out for a stroll—
All of them turned, wide-eyed, towards the source of the noise…
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