"Father, how could you just leave like this?!"
With the passing of a family member, an atmosphere of grief instantly filled the room. A son and daughter knelt by the old man's bedside, weeping silently, while the old man lay peacefully on the bed, a faint, almost imperceptible smile on his face, as if he had simply fallen asleep.
After some time, the two, still sobbing, began discussing how to arrange the old man's funeral.
Just then, they heard a knock on the door. Wiping away their tears, they went to open it.
When they saw Hu Tao and Chen Feng standing outside, they froze.
"Um, This Director was just passing by, and I seemed to sense someone had just departed from here. I was wondering if you'd consider our Wangsheng Funeral Parlor?"
"This Director guarantees that we will send off the deceased with the most fitting ceremony, ensuring they leave this world without any regrets!"
After hearing Hu Tao's explanation, the two didn't overthink it and quickly invited Hu Tao and Chen Feng into their home.
They didn't doubt Hu Tao's words, as it was no secret that each generation of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor Directors possessed special abilities, though most people didn't know the specifics.
The two had already considered hiring Wangsheng Funeral Parlor during their earlier discussion. With Hu Tao conveniently passing by, they didn't even need to visit the parlor, and both sides quickly reached an agreement.
That afternoon, the full funeral service package was arranged. The two were somewhat amazed by Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's efficiency.
While holding vigil in the mourning hall and chatting with other guests, the two couldn't help but praise Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
Hearing their praise, many guests began to consider it themselves, especially since Wangsheng Funeral Parlor offered significant discounts for advance bookings.
After the event hosted by the Liyue Qixing, many people had become less hesitant to discuss matters of life and death.
However, at that very moment, someone snapped out of their shock, their expression turning to horror as they spoke in disbelief.
"Director Hu Tao said they were just passing by?!"
"What a coincidence! Director Hu Tao said the same thing when my friend's great-uncle's sister's mother's grandmother passed away!"
"And even though Wangsheng Funeral Parlor is quite large, how many times have you seen them work this efficiently before?"
"Holding a funeral that befits a person's status has always been Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's guiding principle since its founding. But achieving this requires incredibly complex rituals and etiquette. In the past, even with their vast experience, they needed at least a full day to prepare."
"But this time, you say Director Hu Tao just happened to pass by this morning, and by afternoon, Wangsheng Funeral Parlor had everything ready. That's just too abnormal!"
"And my friend's great-uncle's sister's mother's grandmother's funeral was also prepared just as quickly. I thought it was just a coincidence back then, but now it seems they must have prepared everything in advance!"
After hearing that person's words, everyone present was instantly stunned, then hurriedly asked.
"Did your father meet with Director Hu Tao recently... no, wait, did he meet with that Wangsheng Funeral Parlor Consultant?!"
"No, he didn't!"
The two of them also wore expressions of shock and uncertainty; the amount of information in that person's earlier words was simply too much!
"Even we haven't seen Director Hu Tao or Consultant Chen Feng recently. Because of some recent rumors, we've been consciously avoiding going out when they are."
Suddenly, the male host's eyes widened as if he'd remembered something!
"I remember now! My father might have seen Director Hu Tao."
"Some time ago, he attended a promotional event for the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor organized by the Liyue Qixing!"
"What a coincidence! My friend's cousin's... uncle also attended!"
The case was solved. So they had been targeted back then!
"This is... a coincidence, right?"
"Heh, after everything that's happened, you still think what's happening to Director Hu Tao is a coincidence?"
The crowd began to murmur among themselves. Some people's faces paled, and they quickly made excuses to go home, forcibly dragging family members who had attended the event to see a doctor.
Soon, a rumor began to spread through Liyue Harbor.
Hu Tao, the 77th Director of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, possesses a black Book of Life and Death that records everyone's current life status. Using the names in it, she can easily find people who are about to die or have just recently died, and then aggressively promote the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's services.
Initially, many people dismissed this rumor, until they heard more and more people talking about it. As more families experienced deaths, Hu Tao and Chen Feng would always arrive on the scene immediately, claiming they were just "passing by" before aggressively promoting the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's services.
Now, they had no choice but to believe it!
People panicked. Some went to the Yuehai Pavilion staff to report the situation, while others even subtly tried to confirm it with Hu Tao herself.
"What?"
"How could something like that be possible?!"
"Hahaha, that's too outrageous! How could This Director possibly have such a thing? Your imagination is truly wild!"
"But Director Hu Tao, many people say it's true."
"No buts!"
"Rumors! They're all just rumors!"
"Alright, This Director has other matters to attend to. I'll be leaving now!"
Seeing Hu Tao's retreating figure, feigning composure, the people completely panicked.
Soon, a Millelith soldier, who wished to remain anonymous, quietly confirmed that the rumors were true.
Another anonymous Millelith soldier warned everyone to hide their names well.
Finally, a third Millelith soldier, who claimed his name was already on the list, tearfully lamented to the crowd, "Be careful who you make friends with!"
Ningguang looked at the report on her desk, massaging her temples with a headache.
How long had the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor been quiet? Now they were stirring up trouble again!
Most importantly, if they were going to do something, they should at least do it cleanly and not be so obvious.
In Ningguang's view, most people would choose the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor anyway. Hu Tao only needed to identify those who might lean toward other competitors. But Hu Tao, seemingly afraid of losing any business, insisted on personally promoting every single case.
This was likely another scheme devised by Consultant Chen Feng. She had just received a report from her spies in Fontaine, giving her a general understanding of the recent events there.
Honestly, she found it incredible when she heard about it: a single faction, with just a few Numbered Members, had pushed the powerful Fontaine into such a dire state.
If not for one of them defecting, Fontaine's fate would likely have been much worse.
She had also inquired about the events in Sumeru, which also seemed to be connected to that mysterious faction.
Therefore, under these circumstances, the possibility that Chen Feng was also a member of that mysterious faction was not low. However, he wouldn't necessarily stand against Liyue. Whether he was friend or foe needed to be determined as soon as possible.
She had met Chen Feng briefly once before. In her perception, Chen Feng seemed utterly ordinary. If not for his extremely special ability, he would be no different from the countless masses.
But Ningguang couldn't tell if this was just a disguise. When facing someone potentially from that faction, no amount of caution was too much.
It seemed it was time to find another opportunity to make contact. Hopefully, this next meeting would yield new insights.
Then, Ningguang summoned Baiwen and gave her some instructions...
-
Neuvillette and Nahida had already left the Desert of Hadramaveth and were about to cross the massive Wall of Samiel, heading towards the lush forest.
However, right behind them, two figures—one large and one small—were stealthily following.
Sensing the deeply hidden trace of worry in Nahida's eyes, Neuvillette sighed silently, then turned around and spoke to the two figures.
"Apep, didn't you say you never wanted to see me again?"
The sight of Apep's current form surprised Neuvillette. While Apep wasn't exactly hostile towards humans, she held no fondness for the beings who occupied her territory. He hadn't expected her to willingly take on a human form this time.
Another perplexing situation, and this time it involved Apep, the Dendro Dragon, a member of his own kind.
Caught in the act, Apep first looked embarrassed, then immediately put on a stern face and retorted.
"Neuvillette, you think I wanted to see you? I wish you'd just disappear from my sight!"
"Dad!"
The small figure cheered joyfully, then immediately scampered over to Neuvillette's side, hugging his leg tightly.
"Dad, please don't leave me and Mom behind, okay?"
Faced with the innocent face putting on a pitiful expression, Neuvillette felt a bit helpless; he was truly terrible at handling situations like this.
Neuvillette wanted to tell Apep to take the child back immediately, but as soon as he looked up, he felt her gaze burning with envy, jealousy, and hatred. At that moment, seeing the warm "father-child" scene, Apep gritted her teeth so hard they made a grinding sound.
"Daughter, come back! He's not your dad!"
"You... you can call him Uncle."
In the end, Apep compromised. Honestly, she didn't want her child to have any connection with Neuvillette. If even his followers were this fanatical, Neuvillette himself couldn't be a good dragon!
As the saying goes, "a crooked beam upstairs leads to a crooked beam downstairs"—that was Neuvillette exactly!
Don't be fooled by Neuvillette's consistently mild-mannered and easygoing demeanor; who knew how dark his heart truly was!
What if her child spent too much time with Neuvillette and he corrupted her?!
But her child was so attached to Neuvillette, and she was at her wit's end. Letting her child call Neuvillette "Uncle" was the absolute last line she was willing to draw.
However, the small figure clearly didn't understand Apep, the Dendro Dragon's painstaking efforts.
Upon hearing Apep's words, she immediately pouted, her eyes welling with tears as if she were about to cry.
Seeing this, Neuvillette deeply understood the saying that a child's expressions change as quickly as Fontaine's weather.
Just as Neuvillette was about to speak, he heard the child say something.
"Dad, Mom, please don't fight! Don't get a divorce, okay?"
"I don't want to be an orphan the moment I'm born!"
Everyone present froze upon hearing these words.
When she finally snapped back to reality, Apep, the Dendro Dragon, completely broke down.
"Child, we're not getting a divorce... No, Neuvillette and I have no relationship whatsoever! You belong only to me!"
"So I came into this world because of an accident..."
Hearing this, although the child's birth was indeed an accident, Apep sensed that the situation was likely different from what the child imagined.
At this moment, Apep felt helpless, wondering why her child understood so much right after birth. This often happens when a being reaches a certain level of power, saving the time needed to teach basic common sense during the enlightenment stage.
But she didn't care. How could personally teaching her own cub be a waste of time? Besides, it would prevent her from being tricked away by Neuvillette with who knows what sweet talk!
"My child..."
Apep, the Dendro Dragon, was about to say something when she saw the small figure scrambling up Neuvillette's leg onto his back, using both hands and feet. The child then hugged his waist tightly and shouted loudly.
"If you two have to separate, I'm going with Dad!"
Apep, the Dendro Dragon's composure shattered.
Neuvillette was also at a loss, feeling completely helpless in this situation.
Fortunately, Nahida was quite experienced and immediately suggested something.
"Apep, why don't you spend some time with the child first? She'll naturally grow closer to you."
Upon hearing Nahida's words, Apep, the Dendro Dragon, instantly regained her spirits.
That's right, that's it!
The child was closer to Neuvillette now only because he had the advantage of spending time with her earlier. If she also spent some time with the child, she believed that under the influence of their blood connection, the child would abandon Neuvillette and come with her!
"In that case, my daughter and I will impose on you for a while."
"Whatever we consume during this time, consider it the rent you've paid for the past thousand years."
Even in this predicament, even with her dragon persona nearly shattered, the fiercely proud Apep, the Dendro Dragon, still spoke with an air of dominance.
However, neither Nahida nor Greater Lord Rukkhadevata took her words to heart. After all, Greater Lord Rukkhadevata had once invited Apep, the Dendro Dragon, to be her guest, even offering a considerable price, but was refused every time.
This was a once-in-a-millennium opportunity. Once Apep, the Dendro Dragon, developed some affection for the Sumerians, she would be less likely to stand by idly if Sumeru faced any difficulties. This would essentially give Sumeru a powerful new trump card.
Although Apep, the Dendro Dragon, had recently lost a significant amount of power, her strength was still firmly at the Archon level, and not the weaker kind of god. At the very least, Nahida didn't believe she was currently a match for Apep, the Dendro Dragon.
Seeing Nahida's respectful demeanor, Apep, the Dendro Dragon, regained some of her confidence as Sumeru's overlord. Then, she looked toward Neuvillette, a fierce fighting spirit rising within her.
Damn you, Neuvillette, just you wait! She would expose his hypocritical facade to his face and take the child back!