Zhongli noticed the group's interest and proceeded to explain:
"Rather than saying it's about bidding now, it's more about building momentum. After all, rebuilding the Jade Chamber is no small matter."
Rover, who had been walking midway, suddenly stopped and turned to look at Zhongli.
"Building momentum? Could it be...?"
Seeing that Rover understood his meaning, Zhongli glanced at the bustling crowd ahead and continued,
"Releasing the news has drawn attention from all sides. The sudden announcement about rebuilding the Jade Chamber has sparked much discussion. Some say it's to reassert the authority of the Qixing, while others claim it's to prove that Liyue remains the land of wealth... and so on.
But no matter what, Lady Ningguang has already invested heavily in this project."
Paimon squinted her eyes. The scene ahead was indeed noisy and lively.
Rover and Hu Tao both stopped in their tracks, observing the crowd. Rover sensed an extremely unfamiliar aura.
Abby emerged, his face already filled with solemnity.
"It reeks of death."
Hu Tao immediately dashed in a certain direction. Abby and Rover exchanged glances before swiftly following.
"Eh? Eh? What's going on?"
Paimon, floating mid-air, noticed their unusual behavior. Aether quickly reacted and hurried after them.
...
"You little brat! What are you doing? This is something I worked hard to obtain!"
A rough voice rang out from the center of the venue, instantly drowning out the surrounding noise. All eyes turned toward the source.
"Put down that stone in your hand!"
Hu Tao, who had been cheerful earlier, now wore a stern expression, her Staff of Homa already in hand.
Rover squeezed sideways into the scene. His first glance wasn't at the burly man but at the white stone in his hand.
It was unnaturally white—so white it was eerie, gleaming peculiarly under the sunlight while faintly emitting an almost imperceptible aura of death.
Hu Tao grew anxious and repeated firmly,
"I'll say it again—give me the stone!"
The burly man stuffed the stone into his chest and immediately shouted to the crowd,
"Someone help! This person's trying to rob me in broad daylight!"
Seeing this, Rover quickly deduced the man's intentions. He reached out to stop Hu Tao, giving her a look that said trust me, then stepped forward and calmly stated,
"You just want to use this strange stone to gain Lady Ningguang's favor, right? How about I summon her here to meet you?"
The man gave Rover a strange look, his tone laced with mockery.
"And who do you think you are? Lady Ningguang isn't someone you can just summon!"
"Indeed, Lord Rover has the authority to summon us at any time."
Ningguang's leisurely voice caused a stir among the crowd. The sea of people gradually parted as she approached.
"L-Lady Ningguang...?"
The man's voice trembled. Without further ado, Ningguang pointed at the stone.
"Hand it over. Don't keep us waiting."
With a wave of her hand, the accompanying Millelith swiftly dispersed the crowd and effortlessly retrieved the stone, passing it to Rover.
"Where did you get this stone?"
Hu Tao clutched the white stone tightly, pursed her lips as if recalling something, then looked up at the man.
"Wuwang Hill..."
Under the combined pressure of Ningguang and Rover's gazes, the man immediately confessed. After confirming he had no further useful information, they let him go.
"Apologies for making you witness such an unsightly scene, Lord Rover."
Ningguang's tone carried a hint of regret, but Rover paid it no mind. After exchanging a few polite words, she tactfully took her leave.
Aether and Zhongli, who had been watching from the sidelines, stepped forward.
"Rover, what just happened...?"
Hu Tao gripped the stone tightly, forcing a faint smile as she bid everyone farewell. Rover watched her retreating figure—it seemed lonely, carrying a sense of solitude.
Seeing that Rover wasn't keen on explaining, Abby stepped forward instead.
"All things have spirits. Even the smallest object carries the essence of this world. But the aura emanating from that stone... it shouldn't exist in this realm. It's almost as if..."
Zhongli finished Abby's sentence.
"As if it came from the boundary between life and death?"
Abby nodded vigorously, relieved that someone had put it into words.
"Yes, yes! Exactly what Zhongli said."
Paimon, now even more confused, asked,
"But if that stone, which shouldn't exist, has appeared where it doesn't belong... what does that mean?"
Everyone turned to Zhongli, but to their surprise, he only gave four words in response.
"I don't know."
It seemed everyone had subconsciously assumed Zhongli was omniscient—at least when it came to Liyue.
Zhongli gazed at Hu Tao's retreating figure for a long moment before slowly addressing the two.
"My young friends, would you honor me with your presence at the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor tonight?"
...
Night in Liyue was still brightly lit, but the area around the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor was eerily silent, devoid of the usual liveliness.
A tall figure stood under the light for a while before noticing Rover and Aether arriving for the meeting. He then moved.
Zhongli led the two through a side door into the main hall of the funeral parlor.
"Thank you both for coming."
His eyes lingered on the clock in the hall before he stood up and prepared two cups of tea, placing them before the two.
"Director Hu has always been a strong-willed child. She dislikes showing vulnerability in front of others. When Old Hu was still alive, he entrusted her to me..."
Zhongli fell silent for a moment before continuing leisurely,
"But recently, Director Hu has been spending more and more time at Wuwang Hill. I suspect something may be amiss at the boundary between life and death. Today's incident only confirms my suspicions."
Rover took a sip. There was no denying Zhongli had impeccable taste.
"I see. You're unable to intervene directly, is that it?"
Zhongli sighed.
"I respect Director Hu, so I won't interfere excessively. But at the same time, I worry for her well-being. Consider this a personal request—if you encounter any unusual circumstances, please look after her."
Rover didn't respond. Zhongli checked the time and brought out some pre-prepared medicinal supplies.
Sure enough, footsteps soon echoed from outside.
"Oh? What are you all doing here?"
Hu Tao walked in slowly, her expression weary, one hand occasionally rubbing her shoulder.
"Director Hu, don't forget to take these medicines. They're from Bubu Pharmacy."
What a flimsy excuse.
A strange feeling welled up in Hu Tao's heart. She paused, took the medicine bottle, muttered a quick "thank you," and swiftly disappeared from sight.