Genshin Impact World.
"Tsk tsk, poor Osial. Not only is he about to be smashed by the Tsar Bomba, but he's also going to lose a part of his soul."
The Demon God Xia Yu leaned against the Dragon-Queller, feeling a bit of schadenfreude. At the thought of Osial's exasperated look, he couldn't help but want to laugh.
According to the memories of the Demon God of Soul, he had actually known Osial thousands of years ago, though they were enemies at the time.
Or rather, during the Archon War, every god besides oneself was an enemy. No god could stay out of it; the God of Salt was the most typical example.
Back then, he was considered among the strongest group of gods, and there were many frictions between him and Osial. A duel between the two was bound to happen sooner or later, but who would have thought that in the end, both would be sealed by Morax.
Now that he had escaped the seal, although Osial would also escape briefly later, he would soon be sealed away again. When that time came, he would definitely have to have a good laugh at Osial just before he was sealed back.
"Happiness is built on the pain of others, especially when that 'other' is a former enemy. It really makes me feel so high."
Xia Yu stood up from beside the Dragon-Queller, stretched, and muttered to himself.
He came here to scout the sealing site of Azhdaha and take some photos while he was at it. At this time, the seal on Azhdaha had not yet shown any cracks.
After absorbing the remaining authority of the God of Salt, he had run off to help Zhongli and the others prepare for the Rite of Parting. During that time, he even met the Cocogoat Wang Xiaomei. Compared to the in-game model, seeing the real person was indeed more stunning.
Afterward, because everything needed for the Rite of Parting was ready and the Adepti of Jueyun Karst were in a standoff with the Liyue Qixing, the group went their separate ways.
Aether, not wanting to stand idly by, chose to follow the same path as in the original plot. Zhongli also left alone under the pretext of trouble at the WangSheng Funeral Parlor. Xia Yu, on the other hand, came to the Dragon-Queller alone, preparing to scout for the upcoming side quest 'No Mere Stone'.
It wasn't that he insisted on participating in the plot; it was mainly because he was bored and had to find something to do.
As a Demon God, his strength had almost reached the peak of this world, so he didn't have an urgent need to increase his power. He didn't have a system to assign tasks and give him motivation to move forward, so he was truly bored right now.
Recently, he had been considering whether to follow Zhongli's example and go to the WangSheng Funeral Parlor to be an idle Consultant.
"I wonder if Old Zhong can understand Immortal Cultivation Techniques. I thoughtfully translated them into the script of this world. If he still can't understand them, that would be embarrassing."
Xia Yu flew toward Liyue Harbor while making fun of Zhongli in his mind.
He had given the Immortal Cultivation Techniques to Zhongli while Aether and Paimon were visiting Ningguang. Zhongli had rarely shown interest in such a completely novel cultivation system.
In exchange, Zhongli would teach him knowledge related to forging, sealing, and the use of power. Although Zhongli was known as the Martial God, his expertise extended far beyond combat; after all, six thousand years of life were not spent in vain.
Although he was also a Demon God, he certainly didn't know as much as Zhongli. So, teaching Zhongli cultivation while Zhongli taught him other knowledge was a fair exchange of what they each had.
He just didn't know how far the other had progressed in his cultivation, so Xia Yu prepared to head over and check.
A moment later, Liyue Harbor was already in sight. Seeing this, Xia Yu first applied a versatile Breath Concealment Technique to hide his presence and avoid causing a commotion.
As the only business in Liyue handling funeral services, the scale of WangSheng Funeral Parlor was much larger than in the game. Its location was near Liyue Harbor.
So, with a quick look around, he could find the location of the WangSheng Funeral Parlor.
Although Xia Yu could have come directly through a portal, using a portal for everything would mean missing out on a lot of scenery along the way.
He was already quite bored anyway, so he didn't mind the travel time.
Tap~
Xia Yu landed gently. While walking toward the WangSheng Funeral Parlor, he slowly deactivated the Breath Concealment Technique. When he reached the entrance, the undertaker at the door noticed him.
"Mr. Xia Yu, welcome back to the WangSheng Funeral Parlor, but we are currently not in a convenient position to receive new guests," said the Ferrylady, also known as Miss Not-Worth-Mentioning, looking at Xia Yu.
Xia Yu had visited the WangSheng Funeral Parlor once before with Zhongli, so the undertaker at the door remembered him.
"It's fine," Xia Yu waved his hand. "I'm just here to see Zhongli. He should still be inside, right?"
Hearing this, the Ferrylady nodded. "Mr. Zhongli is indeed still inside. Would you like me to pass on a message?"
"That won't be necessary. I'll just go in and find him myself."
Considering that Xia Yu was an acquaintance of Zhongli, the Ferrylady didn't stop him. She nodded and stepped aside.
Xia Yu walked straight in without ceremony. After all, he had memorized the layout during his last visit; he wouldn't get lost even with his eyes closed.
However, just as he stepped into the WangSheng Funeral Parlor, a sneaky figure spotted him. Seeing that he was alone, the figure cautiously followed him.
After walking for a while, the figure saw that Xia Yu hadn't noticed them yet and immediately lightened their steps to come up behind him. Then, with hands shaped like claws, they were about to let out a shout.
But in the next moment, Xia Yu suddenly turned around making a funny face.
"Rawr!!!"
"Ah—!"
The figure who had intended to scare Xia Yu was suddenly startled by him instead, jumping up on the spot in fright.
"Hahahaha, you still wanted to scare me?"
Seeing the startled look on the girl's face, Xia Yu laughed heartily. Then, while laughing, he hunched over and intentionally said, "Wuwuwu, so scary, I'll never scare anyone again."
The startled girl patted her flat chest. Seeing that Xia Yu not only scared her but was also teasing her, she immediately retorted indignantly.
"This Director didn't say that! Also, how did you find me? I was being so careful just now!"
"Hehe, secret."
"Hmph... if you won't say, then don't say it."
After muttering indignantly, a quirky smile immediately appeared on the girl's face. She said playfully, "Why are you at the WangSheng Funeral Parlor again? Have you changed your mind? Do you want to sign up for our 'buy one tombstone, get one free' service? Or maybe the'second coffin at half price' service?"
Girl... you're in the funeral business, not selling milk tea. What on earth is 'buy one tombstone, get one free'?
Looking at the girl's smile, Xia Yu couldn't help but complain in his heart. Ever since he met this Director of the WangSheng Funeral Parlor named Hu Tao with Zhongli last time, she had remembered him.
And he had a deep impression of this Director, not just because she was a game character, but because when they first met, she actually patted Zhongli on the shoulder and praised him for finally knowing how to bring in customers.
After the praise, this Director Hu Tao dragged him along to recommend the funeral mega-package service, which included body retrieval for those who died unfortunately in the wild, stitching services for fragmented bodies, post-mortem makeup services, and burial services in auspicious locations, and so on.
It left him with a face full of black lines. Even though he already knew Hu Tao had such a personality, it was still a bit much to handle.
Besides, he was a Demon God. If he really did die, ordinary people wouldn't even be able to get close to him due to the lingering power after his death, let alone help him arrange funeral services.
Moreover, Demon Gods were almost immortal. Who knows who would be burying whom in a hundred years.
"No thanks, Director Hu Tao. I think I should be able to live for quite a while longer."
Looking at Hu Tao's expectant smile, Xia Yu rejected her heartlessly.
"Eh, don't say that." Hu Tao put her hands on her hips. Though she was just a girl, she put on the air of an adult. "Everyone dies eventually. Don't you know about planning ahead?"
I'm really sorry about that, girl, but I'm actually not human.
However, he only thought this in his mind. Xia Yu shook his head honestly: "I don't."
"Hmph, this Director won't lower herself to your level." Hu Tao tilted her head and snorted softly. "Since you're not here for business at the WangSheng Funeral Parlor, what are you doing here?"
"I'm looking for Old Zh—cough, Zhongli. The Ferrylady just told me that Zhongli is inside, so I came in."
Xia Yu coughed lightly and explained. He almost accidentally said 'Old Zhong' just now, but luckily he reacted in time.
"Zhongli, huh?" Hu Tao tilted her head and stared at Xia Yu. "You're really on good terms with that old fossil, even though he never brings money when he eats."
"...If he brought money, he wouldn't be called Zhongli."
"Exactly." Hu Tao nodded in complete agreement. "Even though this Director has never withheld his salary, every time he spends money outside, he sends the bill to the WangSheng Funeral Parlor for us to pay on his behalf."
"Then all the salary meant for him ends up being used to pay his bills. He's such an inexplicable fellow."
"Exactly, he is an inexplicable fellow." Xia Yu strongly agreed with Hu Tao's words. Roasting Old Zhong once in a while was good for physical and mental health.
"Hehe, I didn't expect you to have the same view as me. This Director acknowledges you!" Hu Tao stood on her tiptoes and patted Xia Yu's shoulder with satisfaction. "Since you're someone acknowledged by this Director, if you ever have any business you want to handle, come straight to me. This Director will give you a twenty percent discount!"
After saying that, Hu Tao skipped toward the door of the WangSheng Funeral Parlor, saying as she went, "Zhongli is in the inner hall. If you want to find him, go there."
"Thanks, Director Hu Tao."
Hearing the thanks, Hu Tao waved her hand with her back turned and vanished in a flash.
Seeing this, Xia Yu chuckled and shook his head. No wonder Zhongli couldn't handle her. With his old-man personality, he probably felt quite restricted when facing the quirky Hu Tao.
Recalling Hu Tao's reminder, Xia Yu stepped forward and walked toward the inner hall of the WangSheng Funeral Parlor.
This time, no one suddenly appeared to scare him. After a minute or two, he arrived at the inner hall.
In the inner hall, Zhongli was sitting on a grand armchair, holding a cup of fragrant tea and savoring it slowly. On the table next to him lay a jade slip.
That jade slip contained the Immortal Cultivation Techniques that Xia Yu had given to Zhongli—the kind that could allow one to cultivate directly into an immortal.
"Yo, I didn't expect to see you slacking off again, Zhongli."
Hearing the greeting, Zhongli raised his head. After seeing who the visitor was, he said calmly, "What brings you here this time, Xia Yu? Could it be that you want to learn sealing techniques now?