In Liyue, within an extravagant private room at Xinyue Kiosk, Tartaglia and Zhongli sat together.
"Mr. Zhongli, I'll get straight to the point."
"You're the most knowledgeable Liyue person I know. By any chance, are you acquainted with the author of Teyvat's Strange Tales, Shikikan?"
The reason Tartaglia chose to ask Zhongli was that Lucian's pen name seemed like something a person from Liyue would use.
In Tartaglia's view, when it came to matters of Liyue, asking Zhongli was always the right choice—he would surely know.
Zhongli paused his chopsticks and glanced at Tartaglia with slight confusion.
Haven't you met Lucian several times already?
Didn't Lucian send letters and books to all his friends? How come you don't know his identity?
Could it be… he didn't consider you a friend?
After meeting so many times, did you really just eat together and nothing else?
Well, now that you mention it, whenever Lucian came to freeload meals, he really did just focus on eating.
Tartaglia had no particular interest in Lucian, so most of the conversation was between Zhongli and Tartaglia.
Lucian had simply sat quietly on the side, occasionally turning the lazy Susan to pick dishes.
Seeing that Tartaglia's curiosity seemed genuine—that he truly didn't know Lucian's identity—Zhongli pondered for a moment but ultimately chose not to reveal it directly. Instead, he replied tactfully:
"I am indeed acquainted with that author."
Who knows if Zhongli will regret helping Lucian conceal his identity in the future, once Lucian 'repays kindness with betrayal' and exposes his true nature?
Here I am covering for you, and in return, you stab me in the back?
"As expected, Mr. Zhongli is exceptionally well-informed."
Even when conversing with intellectuals, Tartaglia strained to sound cultured.
"Then, may I ask about this author's identity?"
Tartaglia pressed curiously. Zhongli had only confirmed that he knew the author—he hadn't even mentioned where the person was from.
"A person with many ideas… and perhaps the ability to realize them." Zhongli's answer was as good as saying nothing.
"..."
Tartaglia could tell—Zhongli simply had no intention of revealing the other's identity.
"Alright, alright~ Let's eat first."
Tartaglia didn't press further. He didn't believe his eloquence could coax information out of Zhongli anyway.
Rather than relying on his conversational skills, it'd be more effective to capture the person and beat the answers out of them.
Of course, Tartaglia would never lay a hand on Zhongli.
Zhongli was a rare and capable figure in Liyue whom he'd worked hard to befriend—now was not the time to offend him.
After a few bites, Tartaglia suddenly remembered something else.
If the author's identity couldn't be disclosed, perhaps other details could?
"Mr. Zhongli, in your opinion, since the author has already prophesied events in Mondstadt, might they also predict Liyue's future?"
Zhongli pondered for a moment before nodding.
"Given that the book is titled Teyvat's Strange Tales, it's unlikely to focus solely on Mondstadt."
"Though it's unclear what Liyue's story will entail, or when the prophecies will begin—it's something to look forward to."
Zhongli smiled faintly. At this moment, he resembled nothing more than a retired old man.
In his leisure, he enjoyed bird-walking, tea-drinking, and storytelling. The emergence of this prophetic book added a new layer of amusement.
It also allowed him to observe whether the future of Liyue, under human governance after his 'death,' would proceed smoothly.
Little did he know that Liyue's story would begin with his own faked demise...
Speaking of resembling a retiree, Zhongli recalled a tale Lucian had once shared with him.
It was about the Eight Immortals.
When narrating the story of one named 'Zhongli Quan,' Lucian had jokingly remarked whether all people with 'Zhongli' in their names were like this.
That Zhongli Quan had called himself the 'Great Unfettered Fellow of the World.'
His image—bare-chested, leisurely wandering with a fan in hand, occasionally doing good deeds—made him seem like a carefree loafer.
At the time, Lucian had even teased whether Zhongli was also an adeptus, pretending to be just another idle wanderer like Zhongli Quan.
This had prompted Zhongli to pay even greater attention to his attire—he absolutely could not allow himself to be perceived as a bare-chested loafer.
"Is that so? Ah, I hope the prophecies start from the distant future," Childe sighed.
After all, I'm planning to make big waves in Liyue—stealing the Geo Archon's Gnosis!
If the people of Liyue found out, it wouldn't matter if I were just the lowest-ranked Harbinger—even if I had the strength of the Tsaritsa's top envoy, escaping would be nearly impossible.
Zhongli nodded as well. He, too, wished to see the distant future—only then could he confirm whether Liyue would remain stable.
Just then, the door to the private room creaked open.
A black hat peeked in slightly, the red plum blossom adorning it particularly eye-catching.
Next came a pair of chestnut-red twin tails and a playful, smiling face.
The newcomer's beauty—especially the striking appearance of her pupils—outshone even the plum blossom on her hat.
This person was none other than Teyvat's number one Pyro DPS, Hu Tao.
"Aiya, found you~" Hu Tao giggled as she pushed the door open. "Hope I'm not interrupting?"
The reason she had initially only opened the door a crack was to check if the two were discussing something private.
Seeing that they weren't, she fully entered.
"Greetings, Director," Zhongli was the first to acknowledge his superior.
"You must be the Director of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor? Please, have a seat."
Tartaglia didn't mind Hu Tao's sudden arrival.
Since their previous topic had concluded, making another influential friend couldn't hurt.
Moreover, he could sense that despite the girl's petite and adorable appearance,
her footwork and certain movements hinted at considerable combat prowess.
Tartaglia's favorite pastimes were befriending the strong—and then fighting them.
"Mhm, hello there, Northland Bank's [Childe]."
"Aiya, what a name that takes advantage of others~ I'm Hu Tao—'Hu' as in 'reckless,' 'Tao' as in… well, just Tao."
Hu Tao returned the greeting before nimbly making her way to Zhongli's side.
"Consultant, you've really made me search all over for you."
"Director, please."
Zhongli, ever the tactful one, promptly stood and pulled out the chair beside him for Hu Tao.
Satisfied, Hu Tao gave a small nod, flicked the hem of her robe, and took her seat.
"By the way, Mr. Childe, would you like to purchase our Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's services? As a favor to our consultant, I can give you a discount~"
The Northland Bank is loaded—who knows, maybe he'll buy a hundred or so packages in one go?
Objectively speaking, the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor practically monopolized Liyue's funeral industry—they were far from poor.
Though the parlor had declined somewhat in recent times, it remained one of Liyue's top-tier institutions.
But alas, her consultant spent money like water, forcing the director herself to take up sales.
At this thought, Hu Tao found herself missing Lucian.
When Lucian was around, not only did he spend little, but he also kept her company and even entertained Zhongli with stories—keeping him too occupied to go out and splurge.
I wonder if it's because Zhongli was so restricted before…
After Lucian left, Zhongli started spending like it was revenge—every day, the parlor was flooded with his bills.
Lucian, the house is in danger—come back quick!
Had Tartaglia known Hu Tao's thoughts, he would've deeply related.
After all, some of Zhongli's bills had also been sent to the Northland Bank. Though the individual amounts weren't large, the sheer quantity was overwhelming.
Well, at least it's not my money. Clearing the bills is no big deal—what's a little spending for the mission?
===✧✦✧===
Character Voiceline · Tartaglia: About Hu Tao
"Such a lively girl, though she seems quite capable. I wonder—if I buy her services, will she spar with me?"