As for the second and third options, those rewards really didn't feel all that friendly.
If he summoned a Demon-Yin soldier…
That would mean he'd gain a guardian similar to the Eternal Winter Shadow—
and one that would unconditionally obey his commands.
As for running to the Luofu high command and tattling to Jing Yuan…
in this world, that basically meant going to complain to Zhongli and the Liyue Qixing.
Why would they believe him?
He'd only been in Liyue for one day.
Thinking of this, Kairo shook his head, decision made.
For now, only the first option was acceptable.
He glanced at the system prompt one last time, then decided to just sleep and see what triggers might appear tomorrow.
Zhongli's "trigger reward" still hadn't been claimed, after all.
And that was lightning affinity.
With that thought, the night passed uneventfully.
Morning.
Dawn light slowly spilled over the horizon.
Golden sunlight slipped past the tiled roofs of Liyue Harbor, scattering across the blue-green stone streets and coating this ancient, bustling port city in a thin layer of gold.
A faint morning mist lingered in the air.
The delicate scent of tea wafted from upstairs teahouses, mingling with the warm aroma of fresh breakfast from street stalls, filling the whole city with life and mundane comfort.
Kairo slowly opened his eyes.
Last night's solid sleep left him refreshed.
Using the snow lion as his pillow, he'd experienced a rare kind of softness and warmth.
"Time to… get up," he murmured.
He straightened up from the bed.
Beside him, the snow lion's golden eyes blinked open.
It yawned lazily, then hopped lightly off the bed, stretching its limbs with practiced grace before giving its white fur a little shake.
Right on cue, Paimon's voice rang through the door:
"Kairo, Kairo! Hurry up! We're going to the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor today!"
"Give me a minute," Kairo replied, shaking his head with a small smile.
After tidying himself up, he opened the door and headed out with the snow lion at his side.
Leaving the inn, Kairo, Ying, and Paimon walked together toward Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, the great white lion pacing calmly beside them.
The streets of Liyue were already bustling.
Shops had opened their doors.
Vendors called out energetically, hawking the freshest ingredients of the day.
Teahouses and taverns already had early patrons chatting and laughing.
A peaceful, prosperous morning.
But as Kairo's group appeared, the street's attention quickly shifted to them—
More accurately, to the snow lion.
"Eh? What's that?!"
"Whoa— that lion is huge!"
"Whose spirit beast is that? That fur is way too clean!"
The lion's posture was tall and proud, snow-white fur glowing softly in the morning light.
Its golden eyes were deep yet gentle.
Walking down the street, it looked like a king strolling through its own domain, its presence impossible to ignore.
More and more people stopped to stare.
Some were openly awestruck.
Some whispered questions to each other.
A few children tugged at their parents' sleeves, eager to get close.
"It's so pretty…"
"Could it be… an adeptus beast?"
"I've never seen such a big, calm lion before. Does Liyue even have this kind of lion?"
Shopkeepers leaned out from their doors to gawk.
Murmurs rose up one after another.
One particularly bold child, eyes shining, reached out a small hand, wanting to touch the snow lion's fur.
But the moment those fingers were about to graze its coat, the lion tilted its head slightly.
Its gaze was soft yet dignified.
A low, quiet rumble rolled from its throat—more like a warning wrapped in comfort:
No.
The child froze, then slowly withdrew his hand, muttering with wide eyes:
"It's so smart…"
"Easy," Kairo said, amused.
He patted the lion gently on the head.
The snow lion settled and stood quietly, not making another move.
"Man… I'm jealous. Imagine owning a lion like that," someone in the crowd sighed.
Another furrowed his brows.
"Hey, wait. Is it even allowed to have something that big walking around inside Liyue Harbor?"
"Probably not, right?"
"Is there a law about that?"
"Dunno. Never seen one written down…"
More voices rose in surprise.
Paimon crossed her arms proudly, hovering just above the group with a smirk.
"Hehe, that's right—we are people who have a big lion!"
Before long, they arrived at Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
Its main doors stood at the end of the street, quiet and imposing.
The deep red doors were old yet dignified.
The signature lanterns of Wangsheng hung at both sides, swaying slightly in the morning breeze.
The doors were shut tight—clearly not yet open for business.
In front of them, Zhongli stood alone.
He seemed lost in thought.
Dressed in his familiar dark long coat, tall and composed as always, he stood with his hands folded before him.
It looked as if he'd just stepped out from the parlor and paused here in the morning light, contemplating something.
As Kairo and the others approached, Zhongli looked up slightly.
His gaze fell on the snow lion at Kairo's side.
"..."
For a brief moment, Zhongli froze.
A rare flicker of surprise flashed in his amber eyes.
As Morax, he had seen more strange and exotic creatures than most could name.
He had read countless records of odd beasts throughout Liyue's history.
Yet—
This snow-white lion before him was unlike anything he had ever seen.
"..."
He hummed thoughtfully, eyes filled with curiosity.
He stepped forward, his gaze carefully tracing over the lion's fur, frame, and eyes, as if searching his memory for a matching creature.
But whether by what he'd personally witnessed, or from ancient records…
There was no such beast.
"This lion…" Zhongli finally said, voice calm but intrigued, "is rather unusual."
His gaze lingered on the snow lion, studying it with mild fascination.
"Hehe."
Paimon puffed out her chest and floated over to Zhongli, full of pride.
"Well? Pretty impressive, right? This lion looks amazing, doesn't it?"
"It is indeed extraordinary," Zhongli answered with a small smile and a nod.
He didn't know why, after just one night, Kairo had acquired such a snow lion…
But he did know one thing:
Kairo was anything but ordinary.
And this creature was clearly no ordinary beast either.
"Good morning, Zhongli," Paimon cheerfully greeted, rubbing her hands together.
"So! Where are you taking us to eat and play today?"
"Oh, right—and last night, we met the Funeral Parlor's director."
"She said her name was Hu Tao. You know her, right? She's not fake or anything… is she?"
As she spoke, Paimon tilted her head curiously.
No matter how she looked at that girl from yesterday, she didn't quite scream "dignified funeral director."
"Mm. That child is indeed the one," Zhongli replied after a slight pause, nodding. "Running into her was rather coincidental."
"So she is the director!"
Paimon's eyes went wide, her face full of disbelief.
She'd heard Hu Tao claim to be the "77th Director of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor," but it just hadn't felt real.
That girl was pure chaos:
full of pranks, mischief sparkling in her eyes, prone to doing anything for fun.
She didn't look like someone who handled solemn funeral rites at all.
"You're kidding…" Paimon muttered.
"Wangsheng handles super important ceremonies and funerals, right? And the one in charge is some girl who runs around all night, bouncing everywhere, and lives to mess with people?"
This morning, she had even specifically asked the innkeeper about Wangsheng.
The more she learned, the more wrong it had seemed.
Now, hearing Zhongli say it himself, she still couldn't help being suspicious.
"You're sure she isn't an impostor?"
Zhongli paused, then gave a small, helpless smile.
"Hu Tao is truly the director of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor," he said. "But…"
He hesitated a little, something complicated flickering in his eyes.
"That child… is not easy for me to handle."
"..."
Paimon froze.
Even Zhongli—this Zhongli—said Hu Tao was hard to handle?
And she was the director??
Ying raised an eyebrow slightly as well, surprised.
She'd already felt that Hu Tao was nothing like the "funeral director" she'd imagined.
Now, hearing it confirmed by Zhongli himself only made her more curious about just how Wangsheng managed to function.
Could someone that chaotic truly manage such a serious hall?
Seeing their reactions, Zhongli chuckled softly.
"Being able to meet Hu Tao can be considered your good fortune," he said. "Her schedule is unlike most. Were it not for moving about at night, you likely wouldn't have seen her at all."
Paimon's mouth twitched.
"No wonder she was bouncing around so energetically so late last night… turns out she'd been sleeping all day," she muttered.
"Mm." Zhongli nodded. There was a deeper meaning in his tone as he continued,
"Still, if she's willing to interact with you, it is no bad thing."
"Wangsheng may be a place of farewells, but it is not only about departure. There are also meetings between the living."
Paimon blinked, not entirely understanding.
Ying, however, looked thoughtful.
She had the feeling that despite Hu Tao's mischievous exterior, there had to be something truly remarkable about her, for her to hold the position of director.
Just as Paimon was still processing the idea—
Zhongli smoothly shifted the topic.
"Speaking of which," he said, "yesterday you did not get to see Miss Yun's performance."
He lifted his gaze, amber eyes drifting toward the distant streets.
"However, this morning, Miss Yun will be taking the stage. If you are interested, you may pay a visit to the Yun-Han Opera Troupe."
"Eh?! Really?!"
Paimon's eyes lit up immediately.
"That's great!"
Last night, she'd already been glued to the stage, absolutely fascinated by the opera.
But the performer Zhongli had praised—this "Miss Yun"—hadn't been on stage, which left her deeply regretful.
She'd really wanted to hear for herself how amazing that performance was supposed to be.
And today, she finally could.
"I have to see how good this 'Miss Yun' really is!" Paimon said, clapping her hands excitedly.
Ying smiled softly and nodded.
"Then let's go," she said.
Zhongli inclined his head and turned, walking steadily toward Yun-Han's theater.
Kairo and the others followed.
Meanwhile—
At Yuehai Pavilion, one of Liyue Harbor's key administrative halls, and a patrol hub for the Millelith.
Inside the seaside building, refined and elegant in design, sunlight streamed through the carved window lattice.
It fell upon a desk adorned with subtle golden patterns, illuminating stacks of neatly arranged scrolls and documents.
Ganyu—
secretary to the Liyue Qixing—
sat quietly behind the desk, working through the city's daily affairs.
Her brush flowed smoothly over the page, and in a short span several documents had been reviewed and annotated.
Her gentle features carried their usual softness, but the faint shadows beneath her eyes hinted at a long, sleepless night.
Just as she paused for a brief rest, hurried footsteps echoed from the corridor.
"Lady Ganyu!"
A Millelith soldier in armor stepped quickly into the room.
His expression was serious, though his posture remained respectful as he bowed with clasped hands.
"This subordinate has important information to report!"
Ganyu's fatigue vanished as she lifted her gaze.
"Please, speak," she said, voice soft but firm.
The Millelith soldier nodded and produced a photo, taken with a Kamera, presenting it with both hands.
"This morning, while patrolling the streets of Liyue Harbor, we discovered a large snow-white lion walking openly within the city," he reported.
"Liyue Harbor is always crowded, and there has never been a case of such a large creature moving freely inside the city. We fear it may cause unnecessary panic, so we came to report it to you, Lady Ganyu."
Ganyu blinked, slightly taken aback.
She accepted the photo and lowered her gaze.
In the image, a massive snow-white lion was calmly walking along Liyue's streets.
Its fur was smooth and immaculate, its presence at once imposing and serene.
What drew her attention most were its eyes—
calm, golden, like polished amber or glazed gold.
Ganyu's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Could this be… an adeptus beast?"
Her first thought was that this snow lion might be connected to one of Liyue's adepti.
Liyue had long been under the protection of adepti, and the appearance of strange beasts was not unheard of.
Many secluded mountains and hidden places had legends of such creatures.
Just from appearance and bearing alone, this lion did not look like a common animal.
Especially given who she was.
She was of adeptal blood herself.
She knew practically all the adepti of Jueyun Karst.
She was even the disciple of Cloud Retainer.
If a new adeptus beast had appeared in Liyue, there was no reason she wouldn't have heard of it.
So when had Liyue suddenly gained a creature like this?
The Millelith soldier continued respectfully:
"We have confirmed that the lion's owner is the foreign guest whom Lady Yuheng personally arranged lodging for."
"That traveler from Mondstadt who arrived the other night?" Ganyu asked, immediately recalling the matter.
"Yes," the soldier confirmed with a nod.
"They were personally escorted by Lady Keqing to an inn, and their status is… rather special."
"We were already monitoring their movements, but upon discovering they were now walking around Liyue with such a creature, we felt it necessary to report it to you."
Ganyu fell silent.
She gently ran a finger along the edge of the photo, thoughtful.
If these travelers had been personally arranged by Keqing… then things truly were getting more interesting.
Just what was their background?
They had arrived in Liyue only the night before last—
And today they were already parading a never-before-seen snow lion through the streets?
Not to mention that icy warrior that radiated cold, still stationed near the inn as a guard.
She had received a report about that as well.
Confusion stirred in her heart, but she was inherently cautious and rational, unwilling to jump to conclusions.
After a brief silence, she raised her head, voice gentle but decisive.
"Indeed, there has never been a precedent for such a large creature walking freely inside Liyue Harbor," she said.
"However… if this snow lion has no intent to harm anyone, and its master can keep it properly restrained, then there is no problem."
"For now, there is no need to impose restrictions."
"However, I will personally speak with Lady Yuheng to confirm the situation."
The Millelith soldier looked slightly surprised.
Lady Ganyu isn't going to crack down on this?
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