"Wow! So this is Liyue Harbor?"
Kizuna asked Hu Tao, as in front of her was the view of the whole city, just in the distance. It was quite different from what she viewed on her map, but that means it was better to see it in person. It was quite a view to see, especially the water that makes Liyue Harbor a harbor.
She also noticed some Chinese similarities within the harbor, as if this whole nation was inspired by China. Then again, in her world, some of the nations represent the countries and nations from Earth, like the nation she was summoned to, which was part of Germany in the Middle Ages.
It was quite surprising to her to see something familiar back in her home world, before all of this ever happened. Kizuna couldn't help but feel sad as she thought back to the times when it was simple instead of complicated. But Hu Tao's voice broke through her thoughts as she listened in.
"Yep! Tourists who arrive here will always find the view of Liyue amazing. Even though this pathway always has Mondstadts tourists walking through here. Still, it's quite amazing, I'm sure you'll like it just as you enjoyed our small visit to Wangshu Inn."
Kizuna smiled as she remembered that very inn, the fact that she could tell that the moment she reached the top, even though she only had a look at it while talking to Liyue, the view would truly be wonderful.
Sure, both of them could have rested there before moving on, but it turns out Hu Tao is the director of the funeral parlor in Liyue Harbor, as she needs to get back as soon as possible after checking Wuwang Hill, as she would occasionally check there in case anything needed her abilities as the 77th Director of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
The name does sound eerie to Kizuna, but then again, from what she heard, her family's business is the only place in all of Liyue, possibly Teyvat, that runs a funeral business. So her business could be very helpful when someone passes away or dies in unfortunate events. Plus, Hu Tao herself spoke a lot about her business.
She even tried to give Kizuna a discount for her coffin, even telling her the types of coffin she would prefer in case she ever does pass away someday. But Kizuna politely declined the offer as she told Hu Tao she still had a lot to do while still being alive. For example, meeting the Geo Archon of Liyue, or at least meeting one of the Adepti that remains in Liyue after a disaster that happened nearly 500 years ago.
And from what she learned from Hu Tao, she could not meet Rex Lapis until next year, either January or February, as it turns out, the month is April, as it is the 5th today. The fact that she has to wait for months to talk to the Archon about her situation just makes it feel like a long time. She really wanted to go back to her world just to see everyone.
She just wanted to see her friends, to at least let them know that she was alright after all those years. But if it means waiting just to get the answers she wanted to get, then she just has to eat it up and wait.
She would just enjoy the freedom she has while at least trying to get comfortable in this new world. As well as getting back the level she ultimately lost just to prevent another kidnapping, as of now, she could only trust Hu Tao. Who knows who could be lurking in this kind of nation or anywhere?
"Come on, Kizuna! I want to show you everything about Liyue! I can even show you my parlor!"
With no hesitation, Hu Tao grabbed Kizuna's hand as both of them ran towards the harbor, with Kizuna yelping in surprise as they both rushed to the bridge that led to the harbor. Kizuna notices two guards; in her view of guards with spears, they only look at them for a brief moment before looking in the direction they were looking at.
Kizuna assumes they knew Hu Tao whenever she left or returned and thought nothing of it when she came back with Kizuna.
Still, as if the view wasn't enough to amaze Kizuna, the close-up of the city was something to behold. The buildings look amazing, the huge water on the whole side of the city, she could spend countless days just fishing here. It even looks more beautiful than seeing it on the map when she activates another Statue of the Seven.
"Welcome to Liyue Harbor Kizuna! We're in the Feiyun Slope, one of the three places in Liyue. You can see merchants from different nations selling products of their own, or just our own citizens selling their own products."
Kizuna watched in awe as she saw what Hu Tao meant, carts of different varieties from different nations, some new, familiar, or even looked at least the same, but different. She even saw some items that could help her unlock new forms, but alas, she didn't have the money, or Mora, to buy them. Well, not exactly enough to buy them.
Hu Tao then dragged Kizuna to what she saw as another inn that was nearby.
"This is Baiju Guesthouse. If you are a foreigner like yourself, then you can book a room here during your time in Liyue. Hold on, hi Xiuhua!"
A small conversation between Hu Tao and a waitress named Xiuhua commences as Kizuna notices how shy the waitress is. Once that was done, Hu Tao led Kizuna up the stairs to what seemed to be a plaza.
"So many places I can show you, Kizuna, so we'll start here. Over there is the Liuli Pavilion. It's the leading establishment for Li-style cuisine. So if you wish to have a meal here, then you have to book a reservation here."
She then led her to a big building that Kizuna assumes must be very important. With its green rooftops and such.
"This here is the Ministry of Civil Affairs. Remember what I told you about it? The government organization that is under the Liyue Qixing has various departments, and ensuring public safety is its most important priority. Especially when they recently closed off the Chasm due to accidents happening there."
"Wow. So they focus on everything in the city?"
"Yep~ So if we need to get you citizenship, especially considering your mysterious background, you can get your identification papers here. Though you would need Yanfei to ensure you are aware of the law here."
Before Kizuna could ask about the name Hu Tao spoke, she was already being dragged to another place after another.
So, from Kizuna's perspective during the whole tour, she saw a bookstore named Wanwen Bookhouse, where a friend of hers would always write books and have them published there. A jewelry shop named Mingxing Jewelry, where a woman named Xingxi, who apparently only accepts Geo Sigils as currency instead of Mora.
She saw another restaurant named Xinyue Kiosk, renowned as the authentic restaurant for its cuisine, which was more popular than Liuli Pavilion. It also seems that if you wish to dine there, then you have to book a reservation within three months. A long waitlist just to eat here is amazing, to say the least.
There was a store called Xigu Antiques that sold antiques by Linlang, who gave Kizuna a discount on selling an artifact, which Kizuna accepted using the Mora she gained on her way here by opening hidden chests and beating a few Hilichurls and Slimes.
But that sadly means her finances are in the red. But it was also worthwhile as it unlocked a few hunting forms even if it stats bonuses.
There was also this teahouse, Heyu Tea House, where Hu Tao explained that her special employee would often go there to listen to Liyue's history. She even said she was there herself and enjoyed hearing what Tea Master Liu Su said about the stories he spoke of. Kizuna even got a chance to hear a story about Rex Lapis.
The story was really enjoyable to hear, and she understood why Hu Tao's employer enjoys coming here. Apparently, there was also a famous figure here who performed at this very tea house some time ago. Her name is Yun Jin, an opera singer with a Geo Vision. Kizuna would like to meet her someday to hear her singing.
Then there was this bank that was apparently near the tea house. There were two strange people dressed like they were a gang of some sort. In Kizuna's view, it was the strangest clothing she had ever seen. From what she learned, it is a bank that is not just in Liyue but in other nations as well, and it is the bank of a nation called Snezhnaya. Hu Tao specifically warned her not to get tangled in their affairs, like a primary example, taking a loan from them.
It looks like they have special debt collectors who use their own Visions to hunt down people who didn't repay their debt or went into hiding just to avoid paying rent. Plus, the way they look just makes Kizuna wary of them, as if they were planning on taking her down.
So the last spot of the tour, at least for the moment, was her business parlor. It was located at the end of the area, next to a bridge, and it looked like a special place compared to the normal funeral places she had been to back in her old world.
"Hehe~ I've been waiting to show you the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor! And finally! Here we are."
Hu Tao never looked so excited in Kizuna's eyes; she must have been very excited for her to show her the business her family and herself have been taking care of for generations.
"Our parlor existed either when Rex Lapis protected us or after the founding of Liyue. The Hu family has been watching this very place for 77 generations, including my generation! We're responsible for maintaining life and death to ensure nothing bad happens in Liyue.
"For example, fetor. Should even a small amount of it emerge into the world from the border, then it is my duty to make sure to burn it away to prevent it from being absorbed in a body where it can risk people's lives. I've been leading the business for six years."
"Wow. That's impressive! Wait, six years? You told me you are a year older than me, you've been taking care of the parlor since you were 13!"
During their journey here, Kizuna found out that Hu Tao was 19, as Kizuna herself believed she was still 18. She lost sense of time because… Well. Anyway, it was still shocking for Kizuna to hear.
Hu Tao chuckled at Kizuna's reaction to what she told her. She gave her a wink as she led her inside the parlor.
"Well, it's been like that. The first funeral I've arranged for the first time was for my grandfather. To be honest, Kizuna… I was worried, as I said, it was the first funeral I've ever arranged. I was worried if everything I prepared for, everything I was taught, wouldn't be enough for me to be the director.
But I managed to do what my grandfather did in every funeral he made preparations for, to make his spirit know that the parlor and its future are safe with me. I am the last Hu in the family to watch over the parlor. It is my duty and responsibility to ensure that everything my grandfather and those who came before him have left behind is taken care of with my next bloodline without any regret."
Just hearing her say that made Kizuna feel touched; she never saw that much dedication in her star eyes. The moment she saw the inside, the way Hu Tao smiled as if she was saying she was home, she could see how much the parlor meant to her.
"I have so much I have to show you here! Let me introduce you to everyone here!"
Kizuna met one of the employees of the parlor, Ferrylady. Kizuna was a bit skeptical about whether that was her actual name. But it turns out it was. From what she interacted with, it was like she hadn't been through a lot of social interactions. She even said to Kizuna that, other than the director and the other employee, Kizuna herself was someone who wasn't from Liyue.
So yeah, that interaction was something.
Then there is the special employee that Hu Tao would talk about, one of the things about him is that he would send bills to her parlor that she herself has to pay back whenever a bill comes in. And that he would have no sense of limiting the amount of Mora he would "pay," whenever it was for food, jewelry, or ores.
But there was also this unique thing about him that overwrites the negative part of him. He's, in fact, very knowledgeable of Liyue's history, the stories about the people, Adeptus, and gods that existed so many centuries ago, before Liyue had its own Geo Archon leading the nation.
"Ah, director, you have returned from your trip to Wungang Hill. Was everything alright there?"
The moment Kizuna saw him, she couldn't help but feel a bit overwhelmed by the sight of him. As if he were so important that he was giving out this authority aura. Was it just her who felt that because Hu Tao was acting the same, as if she just didn't feel it, or just thought of him as just a special employee?
He is good-looking, which is something she can easily agree with. A tall man with fair skin, amber eyes with yellow diamond-shaped pupils, and red eyeliner on the lower lids of his eyes. He has mostly short, dark brown hair with a longer fringe on the right side of his face.
His attire is elegant and form-fitting, consisting of a beige dress shirt, a brown and amber waistcoat, slim black trousers, black dress boots, and black gloves with twin silver archer rings on the thumbs. His neckpiece is a white tie pinned at the throat by an amber gemstone. His left ear is adorned with a jeweled tassel earring.
He wears a long dark brown tailcoat with dragon scale patterns, gold and silver accents, golden tassels, and Rex Lapis' diamond symbol on the back. His clothes are decorated with diamond symbols found on his sleeves, belt, trousers, waistcoat buttons, and tailcoat buttons. His Geo Vision is embedded on the chain at the small of his back.
"Hehe~ Yep! The border is stable, and nothing went through here, so we're alright. But sadly, I didn't get to see Qiqi."
Kizuna's head tilted in confusion. She hadn't heard of Qiqi, but it looks like Hu Tao was hoping she would be at that hill. Was she her friend? Before she could even ask the question, she could feel the gaze of the man in front of her; it was as if she should show him the utmost respect she could.
And for some reason, in her status system, the weapon book was glowing the same color as the Geo element. She wondered if something was happening to the hunting tool forms she unlocked in this world. With a quick check, she noticed it was only the Geo-related forms. It looks like the stats, abilities, and effects were powered up.
Kizuna was shocked that her weapon forms were able to do that, but what was more confusing was that she hadn't used any of the strengthening methods she knew of on her weapons. Could it be they were affected by something, or someone?
What she didn't know was that the man was looking at her with a calculating look. Hu Tao noticed this and began to do the introductions.
"Oh, Mr. Zhongli, this is Kizuna Kazayama! This is her first time in Liyue. We met in Wungang Hill, and my introduction to her caused a misunderstanding, but it was resolved. Kizuna, this is Zhongli, my special employee."
The man named Zhongli walks towards Kizuna as he offers his greetings.
"Greetings, Miss Kazayama. I'm Zhongli, an employee of this establishment. I hope that your time in Liyue has been well."
Kizuna offers a handshake as she smiles at Zhongli.
"Call me Kizuna. Anyway, it's nice to meet you, Mr. Zhongli. Liyue has been a blast so far, the atmosphere and the sights have been wonderful! I can't wait to see the rest of the nation and what it has to offer."
Zhongli suggested as he shook hands with her.
"Then I shall say that you will truly feel what Liyue can show you. I can recommend that you see Yiyan Temple when you get the chance. The view there can be marvelous for you, Miss Kizuna."
Kizuna nodded as Hu Tao continued the tour in her home, as Zhongli once again gave Kizuna a calculated look. He closed his eyes for a moment before he opened them again, as his expression was just calm.
"A legendary hero in Teyvat, after so many centuries. But it was like what I felt a month ago… Perhaps fate decided that the Shield Hero wasn't going to be enough for the conflict that is rising in the world and decided to bring another hero here. But how? How could both of them enter and pass through her and not be detected?"
Zhongli spoke to himself in a whisper as he left the parlor, thinking of what was going to happen from here on out.
"Perhaps, I should speak with my old friends to see what we can do for Miss Kizuna and for the Shield Hero should they ever come here. Miss Kizuna will definitely need to control the Geo element that she was able to obtain. Old friend, was this the warning you meant all those years ago?"
He looks up to the sky as he wonders if Liyue will be able to survive whatever disaster should happen in his watch. But another part of him wonders, should he remain as the Geo Archon, should he still lead humanity the way he did after protecting them for so many years? Should there be a day when he can finally rest?