Watching the other party fly away right before her eyes, Hu Tao couldn't help wondering if her voice simply hadn't been loud enough for the other person to hear.
As Zhongli slowly made his way back, Hu Tao waved her hand and gave him some overtime.
"Come with this Director to pick someone up!"
This time, she was going to see for herself what kind of evil spirit could be this formidable.
Zhongli had only just returned from walking his bird before Hu Tao dragged him away again.
Kiana landed in front of Xiangling.
Seeing Kiana standing before her, Xiangling thought she was blocking the way.
Her eyes immediately became wary, and the spear in her hand ignited with flames.
"Move aside! And... let go of my friend!"
"Who's your friend!"
Before Kiana could say anything, Lumine, who was on her shoulder, cried out first, her voice full of resentment.
"I, Lumine, have wandered Teyvat alone. I don't have friends like you."
"...?"
Xiangling and Paimon froze for a moment before exchanging glances.
'Terminally ill?'
'Increase the dosage!'
'Send her to Wangsheng Funeral Parlor!' ×2
The two reached the same conclusion.
Xiangling twirled the spear in her hand, preparing to snatch Lumine back from Kiana.
At that moment, Paimon stepped forward.
"Wangsheng Funeral Parlor is this way. Hurry, follow me!"
Seeing this, Xiangling, who was desperate to save her friend, finally remembered Kiana shouting when she first arrived at Liyue Harbor that she was going to take Lumine to Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
Watching Paimon lead the way while Kiana followed behind, Lumine struggled again.
"I don't want a funeral! I don't want a funeral!"
"Kiana! Let me go!"
"Hmph!" Paimon snorted. "Evil spirit, your end has come!"
"I #￥￥#@￥&!"
Soon, the two groups met Hu Tao on the road.
After Zhongli examined Lumine, they finally reached a conclusion.
There was no sign that Lumine had ever been possessed by any evil spirit.
"How is that possible?", Paimon murmured.
Even Hu Tao looked completely unconvinced.
Xiangling scratched her head as she looked at the tied-up Lumine.
"So... we misunderstood her?"
So her earlier reversion wasn't because she'd been possessed.
That was simply her true nature.
"That can't be."
Hu Tao walked over to Lumine and looked her up and down.
"Paimon and I both saw her become like a completely different person... Consultant Zhongli, could you have made a mistake?"
Looking at Lumine, Zhongli pondered for a moment before saying, "That is indeed possible."
Nothing was absolute.
Perhaps there really was an evil spirit powerful enough to hide itself even under a god's gaze.
At that moment, Lumine answered with a cold laugh, "As a woman, having a few days like that every month isn't perfectly normal?"
She had figured it out.
These people had treated her like this because they thought she'd been possessed.
And Wangsheng Funeral Parlor wasn't some assassin organization.
It was an organization responsible for exorcisms.
No wonder the residents hadn't tried to stop them.
She had thought they were all villains.
Now it seemed she had overreacted.
But...
That still wasn't a reason for Lumine to forgive them.
"Untie me!"
After the ropes were removed, Lumine rolled her wrists and swept an icy gaze over everyone present.
"You made my life so miserable. It's only fair I ask for some compensation for emotional damages, right?"
"No problem."
After calming Lumine down, Hu Tao pulled Paimon and Xiangling aside.
Watching Lumine trying to beat up Kiana, she whispered, "I think you sent her to the wrong place. She should've been taken to Bubu Pharmacy to see Doctor Baizhu."
As she spoke, she pointed at her own head.
The meaning couldn't have been more obvious.
Lumine might have something wrong with her brain.
Just based on what she'd said.
Women having a few days like that every month was indeed perfectly normal.
Yes, it was normal.
But the way Lumine acted during those days... wasn't normal at all.
It wasn't even close to normal.
Since even the knowledgeable Consultant Zhongli believed she hadn't been possessed by an evil spirit, Hu Tao gave her suggestion.
"Send her to Bubu Pharmacy. Increase the dosage!"
If a drastic personality change wasn't caused by possession, then it had to be a problem with her brain.
Paimon and Xiangling thought about it and nodded slightly.
They felt Hu Tao had a point.
Then Paimon held out her little hand.
Hu Tao blinked.
"What?"
"Since she wasn't possessed, then the Mora I gave you..."
Hearing that, Hu Tao painfully took out a pouch of Mora from her pocket and handed it over.
So today's work had all been for nothing.
Not only had she failed to earn any Mora, she even had to pay some back.
Seeing Hu Tao looking so heartbroken she could barely breathe, Paimon thought for a moment, took one Mora from the pouch, and placed it in Hu Tao's hand.
"This is your service fee."
Looking at the single Mora in her hand, Hu Tao's lips twitched.
"Gee, thanks."
"You're welcome."
———
On the way from Jueyun Karst to Liyue Harbor.
Two birds and one deer flew through the clouds.
Cloud Retainer generously let Levi ride on her back so they could better discuss the upcoming plan.
"So like this, then like this."
"No. It should be like this first, then like this."
Watching the two mutter away about who knew what, the two Adepti behind them, Mountain Shaper and Moon Carver, spoke up, "Are you sure that's really Rex Lapis's incarnation in the mortal world?"
"Yes. If you've mistaken him, the impact on Liyue would be enormous."
Levi answered firmly, "If it isn't!"
If it wasn't him, and he'd mistaken the wrong person...
"I'll hang myself in Jueyun Karst!"
"A ruler's word carries no joke!"
That was how confident he was.
Mountain Shaper & Moon Carver: "What bad luck."
If you're going to die, die somewhere far away. Just don't die in Jueyun Karst. As long as you don't pollute the place, that's enough.
After answering the two Adepti's question, Levi resumed discussing the plan with Cloud Retainer.
"If you think that isn't suitable, then why don't we compromise?"
"Like this, then like this."
"What do you think?"
"Hmm..."
Cloud Retainer pondered for a moment before flapping her wings harder, her speed suddenly increasing.
"Very well!"
Lying against the soft feathers, Levi squinted into the fierce wind and looked ahead.
After they flew over a tall mountain, the outline of Liyue Harbor gradually came into view.
Xiao, who was flying at the very back, had already stopped following them.
He stood on a mountaintop, gazing toward Liyue Harbor, clearly having no intention of entering the city with Cloud Retainer and the others.
He simply stood there atop the mountain, facing the cold wind as he looked toward Liyue Harbor.
Noticing Levi's curious gaze, Cloud Retainer explained, "He's always been like this."
Perhaps because he feared the karmic debt upon him would spread into the bustling Liyue Harbor, Xiao had never once set foot there from beginning to end.
Even during festive holidays, he only watched from outside the harbor.
Cloud Retainer greatly admired someone like Xiao, who silently protected Liyue and fought evil spirits every day.
Looking at the ever-closer Liyue Harbor, Cloud Retainer let out a clear crane's cry, announcing the arrival of the Adepti.
Hearing it, Zhongli looked up.
When he saw the Adepti descending, although they were still far away, he still recognized them clearly.
There was a man lying on Cloud Retainer's back.
And that man seemed to have noticed Zhongli looking at him, because he looked back.
The two exchanged a glance across the great distance.
For some reason, the moment their eyes met, Zhongli's heart tightened.
Especially when he saw the other man smile at him.
It felt like that person had come specifically for him.
He immediately declined Hu Tao's invitation to eat together and returned to Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, planning to hide there for a while.