Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, Liyue's only establishment dealing with funeral matters, has now been passed down for seventy-seven generations. The current Hall Master Hu Tao is a teenage Damselette. It is said that the first funeral she handled after becoming Hall Master was her own grandfather's.
Hall Master Hu Tao is a vibrant Damselette with pigtails, and the plum blossom pattern in her pupils adds a playful touch to her image. Her words and actions are often at odds with the solemn ceremonial attire she wears, leading customers who meet her to feel that she doesn't resemble someone in the funeral industry.
At this moment, Hu Tao's pretty face was filled with worry as she sprawled across her front desk. Young as she was, she now had two troubles.
Firstly, her consultant, whom she had spent a fortune to hire, had disappeared again. His disappearance wouldn't be so bad if people didn't constantly send bills to the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. It had gotten to the point where her first reaction upon seeing someone enter was no longer 'a customer,' but 'a servant delivering a bill.'
If the bills were for legitimate business, Hu Tao could understand, but the contents were mostly for her consultant's tea-tasting, drinking, dining, listening to music, listening to stories, shopping, and so on—and all at very expensive prices.
Although such a small amount of money was nothing to Hu Tao, it was truly irritating.
If it weren't for the consultant's truly excellent professional skills, she would have fired him.
As Liyue's only funeral service provider, Wangsheng Funeral Parlor had achieved a monopoly. Any business that achieves a monopoly cannot just earn small money. In a city as large as Liyue, there are always partings and deaths every day. Moreover, birth, old age, sickness, and death are things everyone must experience. Therefore, this was no longer an 'iron rice bowl' but a 'golden rice bowl.'
Furthermore, the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor is located right next to Yujing Terrace. This geographical location is akin to being able to see Tiananmen Square just by opening the door.
Not only that, but the annual Rite of Descension and Rite of Parting in Liyue are both handled by the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. This alone is enough to make her incredibly wealthy. Hu Tao can be said to be one of the richest Damselettes in Liyue Harbor; if she were more high-profile, she could even drop the 'one of.'
Her second worry was that the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's performance was continuously declining, making her doubt her business methods. She had clearly adopted Liyue's most successful marketing strategy—discount promotions—so why hadn't business improved?
Just then, a man and a woman walked side-by-side into the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. After noticing someone enter, Hu Tao didn't even lift her head, weakly raising one hand and saying, "Whose bill is it this time? Give it to me, I'll settle it for you."
After a long silence, Hu Tao felt a bit strange. She looked up and saw a man and a woman observing the parlor's layout and decor. Although the Damselette's features were well-proportioned, he was overshadowed by the woman beside him.
Hu Tao's gaze immediately fell on the ice beauty with outstanding temperament, then her eyes naturally drifted downwards, resting on an impressive pair of breasts. Her hands unconsciously moved to her own chest. At this moment, Hu Tao's young heart suffered a severe blow.
She secretly consoled herself: I'm still young, I'll grow.
"Excuse me, does Zhongli reside here? We have a request for him."
When Hu Tao heard them looking for Zhongli, she initially thought they were also here to deliver a bill. However, the latter part of their sentence meant they weren't; instead, they were her most valued customers!
Hu Tao immediately perked up, the frustration from her earlier emotional blow instantly forgotten. She greeted them with great enthusiasm.
"Greetings, guests! I am Hu Tao, the current Hall Master of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. Do you have any needs? We are currently running a discount promotion at the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. Excellent nanmu coffins are buy one get one free, buy two get three, the more you buy, the more you get! Would you like to consider ordering a few sets?"
"Uh, we don't need coffins at the moment."
"No coffins? That's fine too! We at Wangsheng Funeral Parlor offer various other services: wake-keeping, burial rites, tablet placement, and so on. We provide a one-stop service, guaranteed to ensure the deceased's soul has no regrets, peacefully crosses the boundary, and reincarnates."
"Uh, Hall Master Hu, you've misunderstood. There is no deceased. We just..."
"It doesn't matter if there's no deceased! You'll all become my customers sooner or later anyway. Would you like to pre-order our services for your relatives, or you can even pre-order for yourselves? As long as you become our customers, if you encounter any accidents in the future, Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's services can be arranged immediately."
"Emmmmmm... I don't have parents or relatives. Shenhe, you still have several masters. Do you want to pre-order a service for your masters?"
Shenhe looked at him as if he were an idiot. Pre-ordering Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's services for Cloud Retainer, Moon Carver, and Mountain Shaper? He must be out of his mind to even think of it.
"No need."
"Actually, we have something to ask of Mr. Zhongli. Hall Master Hu, could you tell us where Zhongli is?"
"Alright, guests are welcome. Consultant Zhong is not at the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor right now. Please wait here for a moment, and I'll go find him for you."
With that, Hu Tao stormed out of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, her demeanor suggesting she was holding back a great deal of frustration.
In fact, Hu Tao was indeed holding back frustration. Zhongli, being excellent at his job, usually got away with eating and using her things. But there was one thing she absolutely couldn't tolerate: a customer coming to the door and giving up on a deal because they couldn't find him.
She could understand being rejected when she actively went out to promote business, as customers might not have an immediate need. But now, customers had come to their door, specifically asking for Zhongli, and he wasn't there. This was unacceptable to Hu Tao.
If this business deal didn't go through, he could forget about her paying his bills in the future!
Yuto and Shenhe sat leisurely in the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's reception area, completely unaffected by the gloomy atmosphere. Due to its constant position in the shade and its funeral business, the interior of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor always had a faint chill.
After only half an hour, Yuto heard movement outside the door. He saw the petite Hu Tao, forcefully dragging a handsome and dignified adult man, appear at the entrance of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
In terms of temperament alone, Shenhe and Zhongli were actually quite similar, possessing a strange sense of 'CP.' Thinking of this, a hint of unpleasant emotion suddenly arose in Yuto's heart, but it was quickly quelled.
The man was pushed by Hu Tao in front of Yuto and Shenhe. Hu Tao then quickly said, "This is our Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's consultant, Mr. Zhongli. You two chat, I'll go prepare some tea for you."
Hu Tao skipped off to the back room of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor to boil water and brew tea. Zhongli shook his head helplessly, then turned to look at the customers who had come to find him.
When he saw Shenhe sitting nearby, a look of surprise appeared on his face. He thought to himself: Isn't this that girl from Cloud Retainer's place?
"Welcome to the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, both of you. May I ask what you need me for?" Zhongli's composure was impeccable. For an old hand who had lived for over six thousand years, remaining unruffled and undisturbed by favor or disgrace was the charismatic trait of a mature man.
However, when he heard Yuto's first sentence, his years of composure almost shattered instantly.
"Hello, Rex Lapis!"
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