The pale moonlight shone down, and the vortex gate silently exuded a sense of eeriness.
Hu Tao, holding a shovel, was suddenly pulled inside without warning.
Qiqi blinked blankly, then took the chance to roll away with the burlap sack as far as she could. Struggling out of it and running a long distance more, she finally turned back with a nervous glance.
Confirming that Hu Tao hadn't followed, Qiqi let out a small sigh of relief. She didn't know where Hu Tao had gone, but at least she had narrowly escaped danger.
The hoot of night owls echoed through the dense forest of Wuwang Hill, carrying a sense of desolation.
Qiqi looked around, then raised her head to the bright moon above. A trace of confusion glimmered in her rose-colored eyes.
"…What was I doing today again? Let me check my notes."
Speaking in her childlike voice, Qiqi finally remembered her notebook. She slapped her forehead, then rummaged for it.
Inside were her daily records—without them, her memory was so poor that she often forgot even her friends.
To keep her life in order, she wrote down everything. When she forgot, she could just look it up.
Unfortunately, sometimes she forgot to even check the notebook—leading her to end up far from Bubu Pharmacy at Wuwang Hill, and nearly buried alive by Hu Tao.
On the thick notebook's first page, several neat characters were written:
["Run from Hu Tao."]
And to keep herself from forgetting who Hu Tao was, she even sketched a simple portrait: twin ponytails, talisman hat, plum-blossom eyes, and her signature outfit.
"Qiqi… survived the calamity, must return… to Bubu Pharmacy."
Reading this, Qiqi realized she had forgotten about returning home. After confirming Hu Tao was gone, she started running again.
…
The Magic City
Compared to the eerie Wuwang Hill, the villa here glowed with warm light.
Hu Tao blinked her plum-blossom eyes, looking around the unfamiliar place. She instinctively glanced up at the vortex gate above, thoughtful.
She hadn't expected that just one door away, there would be scenery entirely different from Liyue Harbor. Under her gaze, the vortex gate slowly faded away.
Sensing something unusual, Hu Tao gripped her shovel tightly, her expression turning serious.
But even so, she wasn't afraid.
At six she had dared sleep in a coffin, and by eight she was already studying funeral rites.
She had even visited the Border between Life and Death, where she saw countless wandering souls in eerie, silent nights. With her courage, she was never flustered in strange situations—only curious and eager to explore.
Right now, what mattered most was—
Where was Qiqi?!
Realizing Qiqi hadn't been sucked into the strange gate, Hu Tao grew anxious.
She had finally found the perfect chance to bury her tonight—time, place, and opportunity all lined up—and yet halfway through digging, she herself got pulled in!
The buildings and devices here were utterly unlike Liyue Harbor.
Hu Tao's imagination ran wild.
Could this be another nation? Was the gate at Wuwang Hill waiting for a fated person, transporting them across Teyvat?
"…Eh? What smells so good?"
Her thoughts were interrupted by the aroma of food wafting through the air. Sniffing, she followed it to the dining room.
There, behind a luxurious dining table, sat a man.
His jade-like face was handsome and refined, dark hair gleaming under the light. He looked only in his twenties, yet his black eyes were as deep as a dark lake.
For a moment, they locked eyes. The air felt awkward.
"Hu Tao?"
Ken set down his chopsticks, surprised, studying the girl.
Her delicate face, bright plum-blossom eyes, and quirky charm radiated youthful liveliness.
Though her chest was flat, her long legs were lean and straight.
A girl had her own kind of beauty.
As a self-proclaimed lover of all styles of girls, Ken appreciated them all.
But the shovel on her shoulder was undeniably out of place.
He hadn't expected tonight's visitor to be Hu Tao, and certainly not arriving like this—on a dark night, shovel in hand, looking downright fierce.
"…The wind is noisy tonight," he thought.
"You know me?" Hu Tao tilted her head, noting the man's face was even more handsome than many honored guests of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. His attire was odd, but his looks were exceptional.
"Hu Tao, seventy-seventh director of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor of Liyue Harbor—welcome to Blue Star. I'm your host here, Ken."
He smiled warmly, rising to prepare her a drink.
Hu Tao's tastes were unique—never plain juice, but strange mixed drinks.
"This is Blue Star? Wait—are you the great prophet Ken, who saved Mondstadt?"
Her eyes suddenly sparkled as she set down her shovel and ran up to him, excitement shining.
"You even know about that?" Ken raised a brow.
"Of course! Caravans have spread your deeds all over Liyue Harbor. I never dreamed I'd be invited to Blue Star myself. I'm truly honored!"
Her wariness melted into excitement as she looked around the villa, ideas bubbling in her mind.
No wonder the elemental energy here was weak. No wonder everything looked so different.
So this was Blue Star!
She wandered the dining room, curiously inspecting everything.
Ken wasn't surprised. Despite her playful exterior, Hu Tao was strong and brave, a legendary figure in Liyue.
Not only a funeral director, but also a renowned poet—writing at night, roaming mountains by day, and popping up anywhere inspiration struck.
Now that she was here, excitement was inevitable.
Sure enough, as Ken finished mixing the juice, Hu Tao suddenly asked:
"Mr. Ken, since you already know my name… how about we collaborate?"
Ken blinked.
Collaboration?
Hu Tao had long wanted this—ever since hearing of Ken's feats, she had dreamed of visiting Blue Star.
Though Wangsheng was famous in Liyue, clients were scarce. Adventurers were increasingly cautious, deaths rarer, and business was in decline.
On top of that, some guest consultants were big spenders, constantly sending bills to the funeral parlor. Hu Tao was always racking her brain to keep business afloat.
Ordinary folks weren't keen on such inauspicious matters either. Even discounts rarely persuaded them to pre-purchase funeral services.
So when she learned of Blue Star, a new idea struck her:
If she could develop clients here, Wangsheng could thrive again!
"Collaborate?" Ken chuckled. "I don't plan on dying anytime soon."
"I regret you missed our special discount," Hu Tao said earnestly. "But I mean business collaboration—expanding Wangsheng to Blue Star!"
"That would be you making money, not me."
Hu Tao scratched her head. "Uh… maybe it looks that way, but I can offer you perks. For example—you could become a guest consultant! Share Blue Star customs with us. And when you die, you'll get free funeral services."
"…Thanks, I guess." Ken made a strange face. "Do you send invoices afterward too?"
"You don't seem short on Mora," Hu Tao eyed the lavish villa suspiciously.
"True, I'm not short on Mora. But I am stingy."
"..."
Even Hu Tao was speechless at that.
"…Anyway, try the food. Once you're familiar with this place, think about the rest." Ken sighed with a smile.
Only now did Hu Tao notice the delicious dishes. She hadn't eaten dinner while chasing Qiqi, and her stomach growled loudly.
"Thank you for your generosity! As thanks, when you die, I'll give you a huge discount."
With that, she eagerly sipped the fish soup.
The rich broth and tender fish, flavored with herbs and light pepper, blossomed across her taste buds.
"This is amazing… even better than Wanmin Restaurant!" she exclaimed.
Wanmin was Liyue's famed eatery, known for creative dishes and skilled chefs. Yet Hu Tao found this meal even superior.
"This is crucian carp soup. It's very nourishing… drink more if you like," Ken said, glancing at her flat chest, silently hoping it might help.
"So, what do you think about my proposal?" Hu Tao asked confidently. "A half-price tombstone package would surely sell well on Blue Star!"
"You're dedicated, but funerals here follow different customs. Best not to pursue that idea," Ken replied firmly.
Blue Star already had its own funeral industry. Moreover, opening an inter-world funeral parlor would attract… far too much online attention.
Hu Tao's dream of expansion here was best abandoned.
"…What a pity. Still, I can study your customs and improve Wangsheng's management."
She quickly bounced back with a new idea.
"That's fine. After dinner, I'll teach you to use a computer—you can learn much without leaving the house," Ken said kindly.
Hu Tao's eyes lit up at the thought of something new. After finishing her meal, she followed Ken to the study, juice in hand.
The spacious study overlooked a city of bright lights through floor-to-ceiling windows.
Later…
Under Ken's patient teaching, Hu Tao learned the basics of browsing, typing, and opening documents.
"Now try it yourself."
He released her hand, letting her practice.
Hu Tao nodded, clicking carefully, then typing a search.
"I finally learned it!" she cheered, blinking happily. Then she spotted something on-screen. "…What's this 'Genshin Impact Data Pack'?"
Wasn't "Teyvat" the name of their own world?
Leaning back, she recalled Ken's reputation as a prophet.
"It's a game based on Teyvat. The data pack contains background stories of the characters," Ken explained briefly.
"So this is the prophecy game the caravans talk about…" Hu Tao hurriedly clicked in. "Do they have me? I want to see!"
"Check under the Liyue section," Ken said.
Hu Tao grinned. "Great! Let's see if they got it right…"
But her words cut off.
Because on the first page under "Liyue," she saw a familiar name. Her plum-blossom eyes wavered.
"They even have Zhongli's profile?"
Her mouth dropped open as she quickly clicked it.
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