"Consultant Chen Feng, hurry up! We need to leave now," Hu Tao called from inside the house.
"Let's try to secure as many clients as possible today!"
"Come on, let's go!"
Chen Feng quickly appeared before Hu Tao, and they left Wangsheng Funeral Parlor together.
"Consultant Chen Feng, should we continue looking for clients on the streets today?"
Not long after leaving Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, Hu Tao turned to Chen Feng, eager to hear his opinion. He had devised a brilliant plan to make the funeral parlor soar to new heights, completely winning her over.
This man is our golden goose, she thought. All I need to do is hold onto him tight!
"No, that's too inefficient. The number of potential clients on the streets is far too limited," Chen Feng said, shaking his head.
"We should visit the Adventurer's Guild again. Yesterday, just a few dozen adventurers yielded two high-quality clients. Who knows what new prospects we might find today!"
"Then, we can check teahouses, opera houses, and other leisure spots frequented by retirees. These places tend to attract older patrons, mostly retired old men—surely we'll find premium clients among them!"
Hu Tao's eyes lit up at Chen Feng's explanation.
"Not bad, Consultant Chen Feng! I never realized you had such a keen business mind!"
"This Director has decided: I'm giving you a raise!"
Hearing this, Chen Feng rubbed his hands together like a fly and grinned. "May I ask, Director Hu Tao, will the raise take effect this month or next? And how much will it be?"
"Of course, it will be..."
Hu Tao was about to say the raise would start immediately, but she suddenly remembered the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's current financial straits and quickly changed her tune.
"...Of course, it'll start next moon!"
Realizing she might sound like she was making empty promises, Hu Tao's cheeks flushed slightly. She quickly added, "But don't worry, Consultant Chen Feng. This Director will give you a bonus after you close a few more deals!"
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's head to the Adventurer's Guild right away!"
Seeing Chen Feng sprint ahead, even more eager than she was, Hu Tao paused, then quickened her pace to catch up.
Soon, they arrived at the Adventurer's Guild again. Just as they were about to start promoting their services for the day, they sensed something was off in the atmosphere.
Hu Tao casually grabbed a nearby adventurer and asked, "Uncle Adventurer, what's everyone whispering about?"
"D-Director Hu Tao?!" The man jumped back in shock at the sight of Hu Tao, his face betraying guilt, as if he'd been caught doing something wrong.
His exclamation drew the attention of other adventurers. Many glanced at Hu Tao and Chen Feng, their expressions turning peculiar.
"What's wrong? Why are you so scared of This Director?"
"N-nothing!"
The man spoke nervously, his tone making it difficult for others to believe him.
Though Hu Tao was curious, it wasn't her style to interrogate someone. Instead, she turned her gaze to the others.
Then a bizarre scene unfolded: every member of the Adventurer's Guild had their backs turned to Hu Tao and Chen Feng, pretending nothing was amiss.
Puzzled, Hu Tao scratched her head, completely bewildered by the situation. Finally, she approached Katheryne for an explanation.
"Miss Katheryne, why are they all acting so strangely?"
Katheryne glanced at the others before whispering her explanation:
"It's like this, Director Hu Tao. Yesterday, the person we sent out to promote Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's services had an accident. And just a few days ago, a family filed a complaint against the parlor at Yuehai Pavilion. These two incidents are suspiciously coincidental, so everyone's been talking about it."
Hearing Katheryne's explanation, Hu Tao's expression lit up with sudden understanding.
"Ah, I see now!"
"Of course it's no coincidence! It's one of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's exclusive, closely guarded secrets!"
Hu Tao suddenly lowered her voice, speaking in a mysterious tone.
However, if Hu Tao had continued to offer evasive explanations, the others might have remained uneasy.
But hearing her exaggerated explanation, everyone felt relieved.
It really was just a coincidence!
If the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor truly possessed some secret technique, why would they wait until the 77th Director to start using it? Clearly, Hu Tao was just trying to drum up business for the parlor!
The earlier awkward atmosphere had stemmed from a combination of underlying worry and the fact that they had been discussing the matter right before the Director appeared, making them feel like they'd been caught doing something wrong.
"Director Hu Tao, if you say it like that, everyone will believe you!"
Someone quickly joked, chuckling cheerfully at Hu Tao.
"Yes, yes, Director Hu Tao! Most of us in this group trust you implicitly. Even though this sounds absurd, if you say it's true, we'll believe you without question!"
Seemingly oblivious to the group's teasing, Hu Tao immediately thumped her chest.
"Of course it's true! Would This Director ever deceive you?"
"If you doubt me, I can even calculate your remaining lifespans right here, right now!"
This was the perfect opportunity to boost Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's reputation, and Hu Tao wasn't about to let it slip away.
As she spoke, Hu Tao discreetly signaled to Chen Feng. A moment later, he returned the gesture, and Hu Tao's anxiety gradually subsided.
"Is it really that accurate? Director Hu Tao, could you calculate how much longer I'll live?"
One man stepped forward, grinning broadly as he addressed Hu Tao.
"Of course I can!"
Hu Tao glanced subtly at Chen Feng before immediately declaring:
"Ten years, three months, and twenty-one days."
"Hahaha, down to the day—so meticulous! Director Hu Tao, I believe you!"
"You have to believe it! Such precision must be genuine!"
"Director Hu Tao, can you calculate my lifespan too?"
"No problem... You have thirty-three years, one month, and seventeen days left."
"Haha, looks like I'm destined for a long life!"
Soon, many people lined up to have Hu Tao calculate their remaining lifespan. But when a young man in his early twenties stepped forward, Hu Tao's answer shocked everyone.
"...You have five days left."
A stunned silence fell over the crowd, followed by a burst of laughter.
"Director Hu Tao, that's a bit short for someone so young, isn't it?"
"Don't worry, Director Hu Tao. You've calculated so many lifespans today. We completely understand if you made a mistake!"
"There's no mistake!" Hu Tao snapped, glaring at the still-laughing crowd. She had absolute faith in Chen Feng's judgments, having witnessed their accuracy firsthand multiple times.
Wait a minute... five days?
Could it be... the condition has been met?!
Hu Tao's eyes lit up, and she stared excitedly at the slightly awkward young man before her.
"Wahahaha! Finally, a big client!"
"Here, take this flyer and keep it safe. If you bring it to Wangsheng Funeral Parlor in a week, you can redeem it for 1,000 Mora."
"Oh, and remember to keep it in good condition!"
Before the man could even react, Hu Tao had already persuaded him to fold the flyer and tuck it into his pocket.
Hearing about the 1,000 Mora reward, the crowd's eyes lit up.
"Holy crap! The rumors were true! Wangsheng Funeral Parlor is really giving money away!"
"I told you! Yesterday, people even got into a brawl over this, and now they're cooling their heels in Liyue Prison."
"Brothers, for some reason, I'm getting a weird vibe from what she said..."
"Yeah, something feels off..."
After hearing Hu Tao's words, many in the crowd felt a growing unease. After a moment of pondering, they suddenly realized: If I only have five days to live, why do I have to wait a week to claim the Mora?
Isn't this just mocking me?
No, the real problem was Hu Tao's unsettling confidence that the man wouldn't live to claim the money.
Could everything she said earlier actually be true?!
A chill ran through everyone present, shooting from the soles of their feet to the crowns of their heads, causing them to involuntarily shudder.
The young man finally snapped out of his daze, his heart suddenly seized by panic.
Impossible, impossible! How could something so absurd happen in this world?!
Whether out of a need for reassurance or clinging to their long-held worldview, the onlookers swiftly dismissed the unsettling thought that had flickered through their minds.
Just then, two people burst into the Adventurer's Guild, one on each side of a person who had fallen unconscious. They rushed in and frantically called out to Katheryne:
"Miss Katheryne, please get some ice immediately! This person seems to be suffering from heatstroke!"
"Alright, I'll get some right away!" Katheryne replied, immediately preparing to retrieve the ice. However, she was stopped by another adventurer.
"No need, Miss Katheryne. This isn't heatstroke."
The adventurer shook his head with regret and continued:
"His injuries are too severe. Clotted blood has accumulated in his chest, and without prompt removal, his heart vessels have ruptured. He... doesn't have much time left."
As soon as the words were spoken, the unconscious man's breathing grew fainter and fainter until, moments later, it ceased altogether.
The atmosphere in the Adventurer's Guild immediately turned somber. Though these adventurers had long grown accustomed to the fragility of life, witnessing a living person die before their eyes was still a deeply unsettling experience.
"Ah, he suddenly collapsed by the roadside earlier. We thought it was just heatstroke, but he was gone before we knew it."
"He's wearing adventurer's attire, so he must have been one of us. Does anyone recognize him?"
Soon after the question was asked, a man stepped forward and said, "I know him. Let's all help carry him to his family."
Two more adventurers answered the call, and they quickly retrieved a stretcher to transport the body.
However, as they were moving the body, a corner of a piece of paper peeked out from his chest pocket. Noticing how carefully he had preserved it, they assumed it contained important information and unfolded it to read.
However, when someone finally unfurled the paper, the room fell into an eerie silence. Scrawled across it were the words:
[Wangsheng Funeral Parlor Grand Opening Special: Buy one tombstone, get one free! Second tombstone half-price!]
The crowd stared in disbelief, the scene before them defying all reason.
"What's wrong? Hurry and take this deceased client back!"
Hu Tao, snapping out of her joy at securing two deals so quickly, noticed the others' strange behavior and asked in puzzlement.
"Director Hu Tao," Chen Feng tugged at her sleeve and pointed toward the corpse. "That's a client we identified earlier."
"Huh?"
Hearing this, Hu Tao looked more closely. Recognizing the slightly weathered face, she finally recalled who it was.
"Isn't that yesterday's Uncle Adventurer?"
"Ah, what a pity. I thought we had a new client," she sighed. "But no matter. We've found a new one anyway."
She pointed to the corpse on the ground. "One client."
Then, she gestured to the young man who had received a flyer earlier. "Two clients."
Instantly, the young man's legs buckled, and he collapsed to his knees, his face as pale as paper.
Gulp
The onlookers, jolted back to reality, swallowed hard. Another death? This was beyond eerie!
They could have dismissed the previous incident as coincidence, but this recurrence shattered their denial.
"Director! Director Hu Tao!"
The young man scrambled on his hands and knees to Hu Tao, weeping and pleading through snot and tears.
"Director Hu Tao, please spare me! I don't want to die yet!"
"I'll give you all my money, Director Hu Tao! Please show mercy and save me!"
Hu Tao's expression darkened at his words.
"What kind of nonsense is this?"
"This Director has neither the power to steal lives nor the ability to alter fate. Now, get up at once."
"Birth, aging, sickness, and death are inevitable for everyone. Face them with equanimity. Rather than futilely struggle against the inevitable, consider your affairs beyond the grave. Spend generously on a grand funeral—at least you'll have made the most of your time on earth."
"But I'm only in my twenties!"
The man's composure shattered in an instant, and he burst into loud, uncontrollable sobs.
Hu Tao frowned, then sighed.
"This Director isn't good at comforting. Take these next few days to think things through."
With that, Hu Tao went to find Chen Feng, asking if there were any other high-quality clients among the crowd.
Chen Feng gave Hu Tao a thumbs-up, flashing his pearly white teeth, then pointed to a slightly older man in the crowd—a middle-aged Uncle Adventurer in his forties.
The man Chen Feng pointed at trembled violently, a wave of intense unease washing over him.
Hu Tao's eyes lit up the moment she saw the target.
"Three clients!"
"Stay back! Don't come any closer!"
The man's face twisted in terror as he spun around and bolted.
"Wait! Don't run away!"
Hu Tao chased after him without hesitation.
"Take the flyer with you! It's worth a thousand Mora!"
Hearing this, the man bolted even faster.
This isn't a perk from Wangsheng Funeral Parlor—it's a price on my life!
"Director Hu Tao, please spare me! I have elderly parents and young children—I can't afford to die!"
"Go find someone else! There are plenty of people here!"
Hearing this, the other members of the Adventurer's Guild turned pale and scattered in all directions.
They could swear on their lives this was the fastest they had ever run!