Episode 169: The Terrifying Road Knight within Liyue Harbor
[ The Herta (Honkai: Star Rail): "Interesting, caught your own people, huh?" ]
[ Ganyu (Genshin Impact): "Um, I believe Mr. Zhongli wouldn't do such a thing." ]
[ Hu Tao (Genshin Impact): "Even so, I still trust my Zhongli." ]
[ Zhongli (Genshin Impact): "Thank you for your trust, Director Hu. As for the answer, perhaps you all can continue watching." ]
[ Shizuka Hiratsuka (Oregairu): "In that case, let's see." ]
[ Conan Edogawa (Detective Conan): "Anyway, this suspect isn't getting away." ]
[ .....]
『 In the scene, Paimon, hearing this novel term, couldn't help but ask curiously:
"People of the underworld? What does that mean?"
"Oh, simply put, in Liyue, there are many industries like the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. Wangsheng's line of work can be... sensitive at times. Let's just say they understand when discretion is needed," Tartaglia explained slowly while inviting them to sit.
"And we, the Fatui, have always been glad to do business with friends who walk in the shadows."
"Eh? W–Walk in the shadows?" The more Paimon listened, the more uneasy she felt.
"Huh? Discretion... shadows... Ah! Is Wangsheng some kind of business involving... "dealing" with people?... How scary."
Just as Paimon was trembling with fear, Zhongli suddenly spoke, his tone calm:
"Indeed, just as you've guessed."
Paimon suddenly heard this,
"Ahh—!"
After Paimon's exclamation, Zhongli slowly revealed the true meaning of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor:
"The Wangsheng Funeral Parlor is an organization responsible for funeral rites in the Liyue region, intending to ensure every departed soul safely embarks on the path to the afterlife."
The more Paimon listened, the more she felt something was off.
"Eh?"
Didn't they just say it was a killing organization?
How did it suddenly become a funeral organization? From one that kills people to one that sends people off?
This change is too confusing!
"Haha, do you two really think Mr. Zhongli was some sort of hired killer?" Tartaglia, seeing Paimon and Lumine misunderstand, stood up and explained with a smile: "While it's true that many of us Fatui are enforcers, the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor doesn't do that kind of business. You two can rest assured."
"Really?" Paimon tilted her small head, muttering.
After Tartaglia finished, as if he suddenly remembered something, he added: "Hmm, at least on the surface, that's what I believe."
Regarding Tartaglia's addition, Zhongli chuckled lightly:
"Hehe, in secret, it's not entirely out of the question either."
Lumine, who hadn't heard Zhongli's whisper, looked curiously at Tartaglia, expecting an answer.
"What do you mean by 'on the surface'?"
"Haha, after all, we're all people of the underworld. Well, they are still— Ah, I shouldn't say too much." Tartaglia quickly brushed it off: "In any case, I brought you to meet Mr. Zhongli because..."
Before Tartaglia could finish, Zhongli, who was beside him, put down his teacup and interjected:
"Because I have a way for you to see the remains of the Rex Lapis' vessel."
"What!"
"Ha, don't be so surprised. Sure, the Geo Archon's body has been squirreled away by order of the Tianquan Ningguang..." Tartaglia paused here, "but first, let's hear what Mr. Zhongli has to say, shall we?"
As the topic returned to Zhongli, he slowly explained the reason:
"Rex Lapis may be the Prime of Adepti, but he is ultimately an adeptus."
"Looking back at Liyue's history, Many adepti have left us over the millennia — this is the inexorable trend."
"I heard you've been to Jueyun Karst. You must have felt this change, right?"
Lumine recalled what she saw in Jueyun Karst and couldn't help but nod.
"Indeed, the Adepti in Jueyun Karst are gradually moving away from the mortal world, away from Liyue."
Every Adeptus she encountered conveyed roughly the same message.
In the past, when the Geo Archon was present, he rarely inquired about worldly affairs.
Now that Rex Lapis has passed, the future days may well mark the advent of the era of human governance.
Having confirmed this, Zhongli smiled faintly.
"As you have seen, the time of the adepti is ending, and the era belonging to mankind has become an unchangeable fact."
"In years past, Liyue's tradition was that a huge memorial service be held to mark the passing of every adeptus."
"But this time, the Qixing have not attempted whatsoever to respect this tradition. It is sacrilege."
As he spoke, Zhongli's displeasure was evident. 』
『 .....』
〜Dimensional livestream, Chat Room〜
[ Keqing (Genshin Impact): "I knew Mr. Zhongli was fine. After all, our philosophies are the same." ]
[ March 7th (Honkai: Star Rail): "I didn't expect it to still be this result." ]
[ Umaru Doma (Himouto): "A ceremony to bid farewell to an Adeptus, huh." ]
[ Hu Tao (Genshin Impact): "Speaking of which, our Wangsheng Funeral Parlor is indeed responsible for this, but it's been so long since we last performed one that I'd forgotten." ]
[ Hu Tao (Genshin Impact): "I didn't expect you, Zhongli, to still remember this. Good, very good." ]
[ Hu Tao (Genshin Impact): "Very good, very good. You know how to generate income for our Wangsheng Funeral Parlor." ]
[ Zhongli (Genshin Impact): "The Director Hu overpraises me." ]
[ Hu Tao (Genshin Impact): "However, you should be looking for me for this kind of thing. Zhongli is a newcomer after all; I'm the Funeral Director." ]
[ Paimon (Genshin Impact): "Weren't you just criticizing each other? What happened?" ]
[ .....]
『 To this question, Lumine offered her unique insight.
"Well, they do have a decision to deal with.... After all, this concerns the defiant act of overthrowing a god."
No sooner had Lumine finished speaking than Paimon quickly added:
"Yeah, the killer hasn't even been caught yet, so such a ceremony might truly have been forgotten."
"As for the matter of the killer of Rex Lapis, our Wangsheng Funeral Parlor does not interfere," Zhongli said calmly, crossing his arms. "Our Wangsheng Funeral Parlor specializes in this duty, which is why the Rite of Parting is conducted with such grandeur and solemnity. Could it be that the ceremony to bid farewell to an Adeptus is now left unattended?"
Given that the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor itself is an organization responsible for such affairs, the veracity of Zhongli's words was unknown to outsiders.
Lumine pondered for a moment, then tentatively offered a guess.
"Could it be a lack of budget?"
Logically, such a large-scale ceremony could indeed be limited by funds, especially since the Rite of Parting had just concluded.
If another Rite of Parting were to be held immediately afterward, a tight budget wouldn't be impossible. 』
『 .....』
〜Dimensional livestream, Chat Room〜
[ Tartaglia (Genshin Impact): "Hahahahaha!" ]
[ Tartaglia (Genshin Impact): "Ningguang of the Qixing's richest person! How could she not have money? Don't joke around!" ]
[ Keqing (Genshin Impact): "Indeed." ]
[ .....]
『 However, having no concept of how deep Liyue's pockets were, this remark immediately drew mockery from a certain "unlucky" wallet: "Hahahahaha! What you said is absolutely impossible!"
Facing her words being immediately refuted, Lumine looked curiously at Tartaglia, expecting him to provide a reasonable explanation.
"Why do you say that?"
"You might not know, but this year's head of the Qixing is Tianquan Ningguang, one of the wealthiest figures on the continent of Teyvat," Tartaglia said with disdain in his tone.
"If she truly wanted to do it, how could it not be done? I think she just didn't put her heart into it." 』
『 .....』
〜Dimensional livestream, Chat Room〜
[ Ningguang (Genshin Impact): "Tartaglia, was it? I'll remember you." ]
[ Tartaglia (Genshin Impact): "My future self was only speaking the truth." ]
[ Cloud Retainer (Genshin Impact): "Neither of them is any good." ]
[ Ningguang (Genshin Impact): "..." ]
[ .....]
『 The conversation was about to stray miles off-topic when Zhongli coughed twice, drawing everyone's attention back.
"Ahem, let's not dwell on the Qixing's various matters. Let's return to the topic of the Rite of Parting."
"Traveler, I've heard much about your deeds from Childe. Since you have had dealings with the Anemo Archon of Mondstadt, would you consider joining me in organizing the last rites for the Geo Archon?"
"Childe, why do you talk so much?" Lumine glared at Tartaglia, displeased.
Paimon, meanwhile, was busy enjoying the food on the table. After all, free good stuff, why not eat it?
The other party also seemed interested and extended a hand to Lumine.
"Oh? In our line of work, that means you want to silence me... How interesting. Draw your sword. We shall—"
After a brief standoff, a smile suddenly bloomed on Tartaglia's face. "Alright, alright, I was just teasing you. Let's get back to business."
"Right now, the Tianquan, Ningguang, has forbidden anyone from accessing Rex Lapis' vessel... Which of course you would need to access if you are to achieve your goal of meeting all of The Seven."
When these words reached Zhongli's ears, he nodded lightly in agreement.
"Precisely. Only by joining the Rite of Parting will you two have the opportunity to personally witness the form of Rex Lapis again."
With that, he quietly awaited Lumine's response. Lumine pondered for a long while, finally nodding helplessly.
"Under the current circumstances, it seems there are no other options but to follow your arrangements."
Seeing Lumine's affirmation, Zhongli rose smoothly and announced to everyone present:
"Good, if we are agreed, come with me. We will speak of the details as we walk."
With that, Zhongli clasped his hands behind his back and leisurely walked out of the Liuli Pavilion's private room.
Not long after he left, Tartaglia turned to Lumine, a glint of triumph in his eyes.
"Everything went smoothly. Alright, my bridge-building work here is done. Turned out well, didn't it?"
Lumine was deep in thought, only replying faintly: "It's alright."
As if reading Lumine's mind, Tartaglia raised his chopsticks and gestured to her:
"You can go if you want to, don't worry about me. I might just have a few more drinks... and get acquainted with these things they call "chopsticks" in the meantime."
Seeing this, Lumine didn't want to say more and was straightforward:
"Alright, we'll head off first. Paimon, let's go."
Paimon, who was leisurely enjoying her meal, heard this and hurriedly put down her bowl and chopsticks, following closely behind Lumine.
"Coming!"
After the two left, Tartaglia indeed began to concentrate on practicing with chopsticks.
After bidding farewell to Tartaglia, the two quickly disappeared. 』
『 .....』
〜Dimensional livestream, Chat Room〜
[ Eriri Spencer Sawamura (Saekano): "Chopsticks? What's there to practice?" ]
[ Utaha Kasumigaoka (Saekano): "Idiot, it's obvious they're foreigners. Even in another world, they might not necessarily use chopsticks." ]
[ Eriri Spencer Sawamura (Saekano): "You!" ]
[ Tartaglia (Genshin Impact): "Hahaha, indeed, in Snezhnaya, we don't use these things, but they're really convenient. I should learn properly." ]
[ Xiangling (Genshin Impact): "Then you should learn well. Many delicious foods are hard to eat without chopsticks." ]
[ Tartaglia (Genshin Impact): "Thank you for the reminder, Chef Xiangling." ]
[ .....]
『 The moment they stepped out of the Liuli Pavilion, the two found Zhongli standing with his back to them, deep in thought at the entrance.
Their soft footsteps sounded, enough to interrupt Zhongli's thoughts.
He slowly turned around, his gaze gently falling upon them.
"After having experienced the land of the absentee archon, Traveler, how does it feel to know that our archon and adepti are here all around you in Liyue?"
At these words, a myriad of thoughts surged within Lumine. Her initial memories of Liyue were of the tension and unease of being wanted, and while many of its sights were more to her sister's liking, compared to it, the free and easy atmosphere of Mondstadt still made Lumine feel more comfortable.
So, she honestly expressed her feelings:
"For now, I prefer the atmosphere in Mondstadt."
Zhongli listened, his face showing no displeasure, but rather a smile of understanding.
"I see, so you're that sort of person. It's not a bad thing." He continued, "A godless land has its own charm, but Liyue's cultural heritage as a divine realm, accumulated over three thousand seven hundred years, you probably haven't fully appreciated yet. Participating in the preparations for this Rite of Parting will be a great gain in your journey, broadening your horizons."
"Liyue is the most prosperous of the seven nations, defended by deities and ruled by the Qixing. As such, the diplomatic maneuverings of the Fatui have gained no purchase here. Among them, Ningguang of the Qixing has always been on her guard against the Fatui. That is, in all likelihood, why Childe wants to make use of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's connections."
After this introduction, Lumine gained a deeper understanding of many things and once again reflected on the differences between Mondstadt and Liyue.
In Mondstadt, the Fatui acted high-handedly and domineeringly, even daring to steal the Anemo Archon Barbatos's Gnosis.
But in Liyue, even though the person who called himself a Fatui Harbinger seemed friendly on the surface, Lumine found it hard to believe that the Fatui, who had acted so wantonly in Mondstadt, would become docile lambs in Liyue.
Lumine was filled with doubts, and little Paimon, her companion who had unfortunately been turned into frozen food, also harbored deep distrust.
At this moment, her mind full of questions, she asked Zhongli.
"Huh... what would Childe get out of us doing the Rite of Parting anyway?"
To her surprise, Zhongli shook his head abruptly, saying with a helpless expression:
"I neither know nor do I wish to know. As far as I am concerned, the Fatui are merely financial sponsors. I only wish for Liyue's traditions to endure."
Saying this, Zhongli pulled out a cloth pouch and gently placed it in Lumine's palm.
"This is the first batch of startup funds Childe provided. If you run out, you can claim reimbursement from him."
"Alright, without further ado, let's go buy the first item needed for the Rite of Parting."
The group set off as planned, embarking on their treasure hunt.
Their first stop was the bustling stone shop in the plaza, where they were to find the first essential item.
The shop owner, sharp-eyed, spotted them from afar and greeted them with a beaming smile.
"Oh, please come in, guests! Would you like to see our new stones?"
The group, overwhelmed by the enthusiasm, quickly waved their hands in refusal.
"No, no, we're here to... uh, what exactly are we here to buy?"
"Noctilucous Jade, of 'radiant grade' at the very least." Zhongli stepped forward and stated their purpose clearly.
Upon hearing this, the stone shop owner suddenly understood.
"Oh, Radiant grade Noctilucous Jade? I see, you're not a tourist. My apologies. I have some here for your perusal... What do you think? The Jade Mystery is an old name in the jade business. Just look at that wonderful quality! Rex Lapis doesn't often bless us with such finery. Go on, pick whichever one you like!"
After a flurry of extravagant sales pitches and haggling, everyone eagerly waited to see how Zhongli would choose the superior Noctilucous Jade.
But Zhongli's answer took them by surprise: "I'll take them all, boss."
This answer was quite bold, quite adult-like, but at this moment, it wasn't very appropriate.
After all, they didn't seem to have enough money.
The stone shop owner, hearing this, grinned from ear to ear and launched into another round of lavish praise, but this time it was useless.
Lumine and Paimon, who controlled the finances, pulled Zhongli aside for an emergency consultation.
During the discussion, Paimon felt that buying everything was too extravagant, and Lumine also nodded in agreement.
To their surprise, Zhongli actually admitted his mistake, saying that his considerations were lacking and he hadn't thought about whether they had enough Mora.
( Tartaglia: Why do I suddenly feel a chill down my spine?... The Rich Man in distant Snezhnaya: Same here + 1 )
Finally, after Zhongli's eloquent analysis, everyone unanimously decided to ask the owner for some samples to experiment with.
Thanks to the generous stone owner, the group took the samples to Mondstadt, found a suitable location, and began their experiments.
The results showed that Noctilucous Jade number three was the most effective, so everyone returned to Liyue, intending to buy a whole box.
Just as they were about to pay, the stone owner suddenly asked curiously about the purpose of the Noctilucous Jade.
Upon learning that it was for bidding farewell to the Geo Archon, the owner immediately gave a fifty percent discount and even threw in a bunch of life philosophies.
But at the critical moment of the transaction, Zhongli actually said he forgot his wallet.
Lumine, without a word, took out the money Tartaglia had advanced her earlier and paid for the stones. 』
『 .....』
〜Dimensional livestream, Chat Room〜
[ Paimon (Genshin Impact): "Good grief, he wants to buy so much but doesn't bring money?" ]
[ Zhongli (Genshin Impact): "Ahem, by universal rationality, it's possible I left in a hurry and forgot it." ]
[ Hu Tao (Genshin Impact): "You never bring it. The bill always comes back to me." ]
[ .....]