Liyue Harbor, Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
The moment Hu Tao saw that the courtyard and layout shown in the video were exactly the same as Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's, a sense of dread rose in her heart.
And sure enough, when she saw the elderly figure on the cover, she became certain—
That was what she herself would look like when she grew old.
Gu Chen and Zhongli still stood there, young as ever, grieving quietly.
Hu Tao clutched her head with both hands.
"How could it be this Director?!"
Zhongli sat to the side, calmly sipping tea.
Venti, who had been hanging around Zhongli lately and was also living at Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, smiled and tried to comfort her.
"Director Hu, if you can't resist it, you might as well learn to accept it~"
"Accept it?"
Hu Tao snapped upright.
"How is this Director supposed to accept that?!"
She slumped over the table, her small face filled with existential despair, plum-blossom-like eyes brimming with complicated emotions.
"Is it that you don't like it?" Venti asked.
"That's not it."
Hu Tao waved her hand.
"What this Director can't accept is the idea that those who have seen through death still fear death… Every generation of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor directors faced death calmly. I'm the seventy-seventh director—yet when it's my turn, I'm the one who's afraid…"
Counting upward, every previous director of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor had departed this world with ease and grace.
When it came to her, she was the one who hesitated.
From the clues on the cover, Hu Tao could understand it rationally.
But what she couldn't accept was that she herself was the protagonist.
"Director, try to look on the bright side," Zhongli said gently.
Hu Tao shook her head and sighed.
"You wouldn't understand."
"Why wouldn't I?" Zhongli asked, surprised.
Hu Tao leaned closer and spoke in a mysterious tone.
"You'll understand when you reach my age."
Zhongli: "..."
In that case, he really didn't understand.
[Extraordinary Group Chat]
[Kaeya]: Judging from the cover, theme, and keywords, haven't we basically already got the answer? (Shikanoin Heizou · As expected of me)
[Sangonomiya Kokomi]: Indeed. This time the theme and keywords aren't just hints—they're practically spelling it out. It highlights the tragedy between long-lived beings and short-lived ones, doesn't it?
[Hu Tao]: AHHHH—!! (Diona · Irritated)
[Xingqiu]: Looks like Director Hu still can't accept it. (Hu Tao · Bad grin)
[Chongyun]: Completely understandable!
[Shikanoin Heizou]: Not just Director Hu—if it were me, I'd probably feel the same regret and unwillingness. A human lifespan of a hundred years feels both long and short to us, but to an immortal being, it's just a fleeting instant. In the river of eternity, a century is barely a ripple—almost invisible. Just thinking about it makes one lament the brevity of mortal life. (Tartaglia · Sigh)
[Osial]: (Tighnari · Knocking the blackboard) This is where we must praise the Cult Leader's foresight and preparations. Did you really think he promoted the Grand Profound Scripture just to give everyone a chance to grow stronger? Too small-minded! The real goal was to give everyone hope of longevity—bridging the gap between long-lived and short-lived beings, giving all of us a brighter future! Now, shout it with me—Cult Leader is awesome! (Yoimiya · Shouting)
[Venti]: See that? We Grand Profound Sect members are just this profound! Cult Leader is awesome! (Venti · Confetti)
[Kaeya]: I get it now. I've achieved enlightenment. This was all part of the Cult Leader's plan. His magnificent radiance has already descended upon the world, shining into my filthy soul and cleansing it! (Devout)
[Azhdaha]: I, too, have deeply realized the Cult Leader's greatness. I once thought my past deeds were worthy of eternal praise, but compared to the Cult Leader, he is like the blazing sun in the heavens, while I am but a flickering firefly. How could I dare compare myself to him? I now see that I haven't done enough—I must follow the Cult Leader's example! (Nod)
[Nilou]: Umm… why does the atmosphere in the group suddenly feel so strange? (Paimon · Shocked)
[Tighnari]: One can indeed feel Mr. Gu Chen's selflessness and compassion, but the group atmosphere is becoming rather… peculiar.
[Collei]: A generous and kind person like Mr. Gu Chen—let's all become his fans together! (Klee · Yay)
[Sustainer of Heavenly Principles]: You're right. This is Cult Leader Gu… he… forgot. (Amnesia)
[The Prince]: (Grin)
[Furina]: (Furina · Amused)
[Gu Chen]: The me inside the group is absurd beyond measure, while the me outside the group is incomparably great! (Kaeya · Rose-in-mouth greeting · Heartthrob)
[Kaeya]: The Cult Leader used my sticker, so I = Cult Leader! (Grin)
[Diluc]: If you had even the slightest sense of reality, you'd realize that even in appearance, you're not one ten-thousandth of the Cult Leader.
[Kaeya]: Hey! That's a personal attack on my looks! (Annoyed)
[Venti]: Strongly agree. (Grin)
[Hu Tao]: This Director has figured it out. (Hu Tao · Spooky)
[Zhongli]: Excellent. (Nod)
[Lyney]: It'd be hard not to figure it out, right? From the keywords, Past-Life Hu Tao was full of regret and unwillingness—but that was the past life. According to the new theories everyone's been discussing, this life's Miss Hu Tao is essentially her reincarnation. Plus, there's the Grand Profound Scripture. That regret has already been made up for, hasn't it? (Lyney · Salute)
[Lynette]: (Nod) (Lynette · Sipping tea, watching the show)
[Hu Tao]: Whatever. What bothered this Director was dying with regrets. Now that's cleared up—done! (Yaoyao · Lying flat)
[Qiqi]: (Qiqi · Watching secretly)
[Nilou]: Everyone! The video's starting! (Nilou · Popping up)
[Collei]: Video—launch!! (Collei · I can do it!)
The cover gradually faded, replaced by a vast expanse of blue sky.
The camera hovered high above the heavens, leaving everyone puzzled by the opening.
Above was a clear azure sky; below, seas of clouds stretched endlessly like layers of cotton.
There was nothing else.
In the next instant, the air rippled like water, space subtly distorting. A foot stepped out from the ripples, followed by the figure of a young man in a blue robe.
[Kaeya]: This entrance feels kind of plain for the Cult Leader, but compared to floating in the sea last episode with unknown life or death, it's still cool as hell. (Grin)
[Venti]: Kid! Still clinging to the Cult Leader's dark history, huh?! (Grin)
[Nilou]: Mr. Gu Chen is wearing blue this time! His great face pulls off that color so effortlessly! (Venti · Starry eyes)
[Collei]: This is the idol I stan! (Paimon · Hmph)
Gu Chen stepped out of the ripples, and the moment his foot landed, ripples spread beneath it as well.
The empty air seemed to turn into flowing water, supporting him so that walking on midair felt like level ground.
Gu Chen raised his hand. His skin was smooth, palm lines clear. Specks of frost appeared in his palm.
With a firm clench, the frost shattered and vanished.
He lifted his gaze toward the higher heavens.
Golden light shimmered like stars, tearing open a rift.
A woman with white hair and golden eyes stepped out, crimson cube-shaped energy constructs floating around her.
She looked down from on high, golden pupils filled with indifference as they fixed on Gu Chen.
"Who are you?"
Gu Chen narrowed his eyes, sensing the shift in atmosphere.
"I am the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles, here to end the journey of an interloper," she said coldly.
Gu Chen frowned.
"I'm just here sightseeing. You let me in but won't let me leave?"
The Sustainer did not reply, but her expression said everything.
[Ying]: The Sustainer's really arrogant, huh? Teyvat lets you enter but not leave? (Paimon · Shocked)
[Kaeya]: Cult Leader, go—beat her up! (Grin)
[Venti]: This is already Episode Seven. In past episodes, whenever the Cult Leader ran into the Sustainer, he just cut her down. What'll happen this time? Judging from the theme, could the "Curse of Immortality" be something she placed on him? (Hu Tao · Bad grin)
[Dainsleif]: That can be stated with certainty.
[The Prince]: The curse the people of Khaenri'ah bear is immortality—the body and soul decay, leaving them neither alive nor dead, suffering endlessly. I wonder if Gu Chen's curse is the same.
[Azhdaha]: @[Sustainer of Heavenly Principles] Come out and say a few words!
[Kaeya]: Azhdaha's getting bold? (Grin)
[Venti]: No, you don't get it. With the Cult Leader backing you, you should be arrogant. (Grin)
[Sustainer of Heavenly Principles]: Don't ask me—I don't know. Anyone with eyes should be able to see that every world develops differently, and the attitude of the Sustainer differs as well. And besides… in this episode, am I really his match? (Thinking)
"That means we can only fight it out?"
Gu Chen sighed and rolled his wrist.
"Perfect timing—it's noon. If you haven't eaten, let me treat you to a punch!"
Before the words even fell, Gu Chen flashed forward, closing the distance instantly. Frost surged over his fist, his entire hand seeming to turn into millennia-old ice.
He threw a punch.
The Sustainer felt bone-piercing cold rush toward her.
She twisted her body and cast with both hands. The crimson energy cubes transformed into chains that lashed toward Gu Chen's back.
Gu Chen dodged and weaved, continuing to close in even as the Sustainer retreated.
Thunderous booms echoed across the skies.
Both moved at extreme speed.
Soon, the camera could no longer track their figures—only ice crystals exploding in midair and crimson chains dancing like dragons and serpents.
Boom—
A white figure was sent flying.
The Sustainer took Gu Chen's punch head-on. Ice crystals lingered on her abdomen, and golden blood flowed like molten gold.
"Bye-bye."
Gu Chen raised his right hand, waved with a faint smile, and turned into a streak of white light shooting skyward.
"Hmph!"
The Sustainer snorted coldly.
A vast aura surged from her body. Reaching out, she grasped—
High above the heavens, Gu Chen seemed to be sealed within an invisible cage.
Overwhelming power spread across the sky in the form of frost.
Gu Chen frowned deeply.
"Those who transgress shall bear the curse of undying."
The Sustainer took a deep breath and clenched both hands.
The void tore open, crimson energy cubes wrapping around Gu Chen.
He did not sit idle, unleashing tremendous power again and again in resistance.
Seeing that she couldn't subdue him quickly, the Sustainer's aura surged once more.
In an instant, Gu Chen was completely swallowed by crimson light.
After finishing this, the Sustainer's face turned pale. She gave the crimson cube one last deep look, then turned and disappeared into the golden light.
With her departure, the crimson cube—no longer sustained by power—fell toward the earth.
[Sustainer of Heavenly Principles]: See? I told you this has nothing to do with me. At the very least, I definitely don't have the ability to power myself up once or twice like that! (Shrug)
[Venti]: So you're saying the version of you in this episode was buffed? (Tartaglia · Whale-eating shock)
[Sustainer of Heavenly Principles]: You could say that. (Nod)
[Azhdaha]: I strongly demand a buff for Azhdaha!! (Shouting)
[Osial]: Why not buff me too? (Sucrose · Aggrieved)
[Shikanoin Heizou]: I don't believe it. I think this is just the Sustainer hiding her trump card. (Grin)
[Zhongli]: By common rational standards, it is indeed difficult to believe.
[Dvalin]: Come on, be honest. We're all brothers here—who'd hurt you? (Grin)
[Sustainer of Heavenly Principles]: Instead of speculating about me, you might as well pay more attention to the details of the video.
[Paimon]: That topic shift—my evaluation is: stiff.
[Gu Chen]: Seems you still haven't grasped the essence of changing the subject. (Furina · Amused)
[Sustainer of Heavenly Principles]: I'm so worried Mr. Gu Chen will die from the fall. (Worried)
[Nilou]: He won't! He definitely won't! Mr. Gu Chen hasn't even started with Miss Hu Tao yet—how could he die!
[Collei]: Don't curse Mr. Gu Chen like that! (Annoyed)
[Sustainer of Heavenly Principles]: This method works surprisingly well. (Jean · Thumbs up)
387
[Nilou]: Huh? (Delayed realization)
[Collei]: (Collei · No response) Never mind! Mr. Gu Chen is about to reach the ground! Please don't let anything happen! (Klee · Please)
The crimson cube fell like a cocoon from the sky, accelerating faster and faster.
Breaking through the clouds, mountains and distant farmlands finally came into view below.
[Yaoyao]: Eh? Brother Gu Chen is falling toward Qingce Village. (Paimon · Shocked)
[Paimon]: Looks like a lot of people live there. I hope he doesn't land on anyone! (Sangonomiya Kokomi · Prayer)
[Zhongli]: By common rational standards, he shouldn't hit anyone. His landing point should be in the mountains.
[Hu Tao]: He's falling toward Wuwang Hill… Don't tell me this Director picked him up?! (Qiqi · Faint)
[Nilou]: That's not impossible!
[Shikanoin Heizou]: Put that way, the plot developing like this is very likely.
Boom—
The cocoon crashed into the mountains at tremendous speed.
The location was precisely Wuwang Hill of Liyue.
The deafening impact echoed far and wide, but most residents of Qingce Village were elderly. Even if they wanted to check, they lacked the strength.
The gloomy, chilling Wuwang Hill was blasted open with a deep crater.
The cocoon shattered.
Gu Chen lay unconscious at the bottom of the pit.
His blue robes were stained indistinctly red. If not for his faint breathing, one might have thought him already dead.
He remained unconscious.
Lingering traces of power repelled animals from approaching.
As evening fell, the forest finally filled with the sound of footsteps and heavy breathing.
Before long, a young man arrived first, froze at the sight of the pit, then turned and shouted,
"Dad! Come take a look!"
"What is it?"
A steady voice answered as a white-haired yet sturdy old man hurried over.
"Dad, look." The young man pointed into the pit.
"This…" The old man said in shock. "Did this person fall from the sky?"
"No idea." The young man shook his head. "Looks like he's still breathing."
"Then what are you standing around for? Save him!" The old man smacked the back of his son's head.
"Got it!"
After carefully testing the dark red residual aura in the pit and finding nothing unusual, the young man slowly climbed down.
At that moment, a group of people arrived at the edge of the crater. Some carried pipes, others held incense, candles, and paper money—it was clearly a funeral procession.
[Hu Tao]: !!!
[Kirara]: Miss Hu Tao seems really excited? (Meow?)
[Hu Tao]: That's my grandfather and my father!!!
[Zhongli]: Indeed, it's the old Director. In the blink of an eye, ten years have already passed since his death. (Sigh)
[Nilou]: Ah… hug for Miss Hu Tao. (Comfort)
[Collei]: (Hugs with heartache)
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