The day of the Rite of Descension.
"Central Plains delicacies! Tasty and affordable!"
The streets of Liyue Harbor bustled with endless crowds, the air filled with the cries of street vendors.
Paimon and Lumine had just entered the city, looking around with wide eyes.
"Wow, so this is Liyue Harbor? It's so lively—and so many yummy smells!"
Paimon's eyes sparkled. Her little legs kicked excitedly as her round cheeks flushed with joy.
The annual Rite of Descension always drew countless foreign visitors.
As a result, snack stalls, souvenir booths, and all sorts of little shops filled every alley, eagerly awaiting generous tourists with more Mora than sense.
Lumine nodded slightly.
"It's definitely a lot more prosperous than Mondstadt."
It had only been a few weeks since they resolved the Stormterror crisis in Mondstadt.
For over half a year, because of Dvalin's rampage, trade routes had been broken, and the people were anxious and fearful.
When they first arrived in Mondstadt, almost everyone wore gloomy faces.
But here in Liyue? Business thrived, the people were at peace, and the streets were full of laughter and the scent of food.
"This 'Rite of Descension'—where exactly is it held?"
Paimon tapped her chin, frowning slightly in thought.
"Let's ask someone. Um, excuse me, could you tell us how to get to Yujing Terrace?"
Lumine glanced around, spotting a street vendor selling beef offal. She approached politely to ask.
The man had black hair and dark eyes, sharp brows and bright pupils, his hair slicked back with a touch of blue-tinted gel. He wore a silver-white martial outfit embroidered with cloud patterns.
It was none other than—the pretentious show-off, Bai Hao!
He eyed the two of them carefully.
Emergency Food was still Emergency Food—
petite, with a star-shaped crown on her head and chubby cheeks that looked way too biteable.
As for Lumine, she wasn't tall, dressed in a white-and-blue traveler's gown.
A Geo crystal gleamed faintly on her chest—so she'd already obtained the power of the Geo Archon.
Golden hair, golden eyes, the Intrepid Bloom pinned to her head—
that slightly clueless yet charming face had an ageless allure.
For someone who'd lived thousands of years, the "blonde auntie" aura still lingered—and she was, well, rather blessed in certain areas.
Truth be told, Bai Hao had noticed them a while ago—he was just deciding on the best way to approach.
Who'd have thought they'd come up to him first?
He cleared his throat, puffing out his chest.
"Well, you've found the right guy."
"I'm an old Liyue local, born and raised!"
(He had, in fact, arrived in Liyue… five days ago.)
Putting on the air of a seasoned local, he boasted fluently,
"From Chihu Rock to Wanmin Restaurant—there's not a single place I haven't tried!"
(Meaning: he'd spent the last few days eating nonstop.)
He pointed a thumb toward Mt. Tianheng.
"You've heard of Lady Yuheng of the Liyue Qixing, right? We're old acquaintances. I was just at Yujing Terrace yesterday."
(Translation: he'd delivered takeout to Keqing the day before.)
Paimon's eyes lit up.
"Really?! You know all the best food places?"
Bai Hao grinned confidently.
"Of course! Want a few skewers?"
He grabbed a few sticks of beef offal and handed them over.
"Wow, thanks! I won't be polite, then!"
Paimon gleefully accepted, biting down.
"Mm~~ So good!!"
Her eyes turned into happy crescents as she chewed, cheeks puffed full—a picture of bliss.
Lumine sighed and rubbed her forehead.
This little glutton really was too easy to bribe…
Composing herself, she asked,
"Um, could you please tell us how to get to Yujing Terrace?"
Still chewing on a skewer, Bai Hao replied casually,
"You're going to see the Rite of Descension, right? I'm headed that way too. Why don't we go together? I'll be your guide."
Lumine hesitated, then nodded.
"All right… we'd appreciate that."
Bai Hao nodded back.
"Great! Boss, pack me fifty more skewers to go!"
"Coming right up!" the vendor called cheerfully, thrilled by the huge order.
Paimon beamed.
"Liyue people are so friendly! I love it here already!"
Once the food was packed, Bai Hao led the two travelers toward Yujing Terrace, chatting and eating as they went.
Along the way, he explained local customs, festivals, and funny tidbits—
all things he'd picked up from wandering the markets these past few days.
His smooth delivery made him sound like a true expert, and by the time they reached the upper levels, Paimon's eyes were filled with sparkling admiration.
After an hour or two, they finally arrived at Yujing Terrace.
A commotion broke out at the entrance.
A dozen or so uninvited guests were being escorted out by a squad of Millelith soldiers.
"Hey, hey, don't kick me out!"
A girl's indignant voice rang out.
"I'm here to promote Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's services, not to cause trouble!"
The soldiers' faces twisted in irritation.
"Leave! Promote what, exactly?"
"Today's the Rite of Descension, not the Ghost Festival!"
"Trying to sell funerals on the Archon's day—how disrespectful can you get?"
"If you keep making a scene, we won't go easy on you!"
With synchronized shoves from their halberds, they pushed her and her attendants out of the venue.
"Waaah—!"
Hu Tao stumbled back several steps before managing to regain her balance.
Her group of assistants followed, all looking equally disheveled.
Bai Hao and the travelers witnessed the entire thing.
"That must be Hu Tao, right?" Paimon muttered, embarrassed.
"Yeah," Lumine nodded firmly.
Over the past few days, Hu Tao had been flooding every livestream chat with her sales pitches.
That relentless style of hers was impossible to forget.
Bai Hao couldn't help but sweat inwardly.
Really? Trying to sell funeral services during the Rite of Descension?
Did she somehow predict that the Geo Archon was about to "ascend"?
Even after being thrown out, Hu Tao remained unbothered.
If they wouldn't let her promote inside, she could always find customers outside!
Dusting off her clothes, she scanned the crowd—
and quickly spotted a promising target.
"Well, well~ hello there!" she said cheerfully, her eyes locking onto Lumine.
"You're that Traveler from yesterday's stream, right? The one who got chased around by the Raiden Shogun?"
And with that, Hu Tao and her entourage approached with mischievous smiles…
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