"Oh my, I didn't expect you, Qingge, to have such a deep understanding of death. If everyone in Liyue were like you, I wouldn't need to personally promote it as the Director."
"Director Hu is certainly capable, but the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor is the only one of its kind in Liyue. Whether they want to or not, everyone is destined to be Director Hu's customer, it's just a matter of time."
Hu Tao immediately retorted:
"That's not the same. In Liyue, we value 'peace in the earth.' The rituals after death are very complex. If you book in advance, we can prepare early based on the number of reservations."
"Besides, Zhongli has recently become obsessed with buying antiques and calligraphy. Not only does he never bargain, but he occasionally even raises prices, and all the bills are sent to the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor!"
As Hu Tao spoke, her small face puffed up with anger.
"One of the reasons this Director came to Wanmin Restaurant this time is to pay his debts. How annoying! Xiangling should have made him stay here and wash dishes until he paid off his debts before letting him leave!"
Mu Qingge: "…"
She found that question difficult to answer.
Her superior's superior was criticizing her superior, so as a junior employee, she'd best not speak up.
"It's truly fate that we met here. I originally wanted to treat you all to a meal, but since you've already eaten, let's save it for next time. I'll host then, and we can invite Xingqiu and Chongyun to have a good get-together."
Mu Qingge: "Alright, Director Hu, please enjoy your meal. We'll be going now."
Hu Tao nodded quickly, then ran to the kitchen to find Xiangling.
Leaving Wanmin Restaurant, the three walked together down the main street.
Lumine and Paimon looked like they wanted to speak several times. Noticing this, Mu Qingge stopped.
"You two, it seems you still have something to say. I think, given our relationship, there shouldn't be anything you can't say."
Paimon floated in front of Mu Qingge: "Qingge, Traveler and I are planning to go to Inazuma next, but it's currently under Sakoku Decree, and there are thunderstorms at sea. We wanted to ask if you know how to get to Inazuma."
"Are you going to Inazuma?"
Lumine nodded.
Mu Qingge thought for a moment before replying: "I do know how to get to Inazuma, but you probably can't go right now."
"Huh? Why?"
"There are many people who want to go to Inazuma or leave Inazuma during this special time, but only one fleet called 'The Crux' can ensure safe round trips, and that fleet just departed recently."
"Then when will that fleet return?"
"I'm not entirely sure about that. Perhaps you could ask Ningguang. She has a very good relationship with the fleet's captain, Beidou. It's possible her reasons were behind the fleet's recent departure."
Having received the information they wanted, Lumine and Paimon made to return to Wanmin Restaurant.
"Aren't you two full yet?"
Mu Qingge said this to both of them, but her gaze was fixed on Paimon, her meaning obvious.
Paimon put her hands on her hips: "What do you mean? Of course not! Paimon is full, alright. We're going to find Shenhe."
"Shenhe?"
Mu Qingge seemed to recall not seeing Shenhe in Wanmin Restaurant just now. Had she gone out to deliver food?
Speaking of which, she had a good relationship with Shenhe too. She had actually planned to visit her.
However, since Shenhe wasn't here now, she'd save it for next time.
After all, she had promised her sister she'd return early.
If she came back late, that girl wouldn't say anything, but she'd probably secretly resent her for being perfunctory and treating her like a child.
Thinking of this, Mu Qingge's lips curved slightly upward.
She was just a child, but she insisted on acting like an adult.
On the way home, Mu Qingge kept thinking about how to create a commotion as big as the one in Mondstadt in Liyue.
How to create such a big commotion without harming too many innocent people.
Compared to Mondstadt, it was undoubtedly much more difficult in Liyue.
Moreover, that drunkard in Mondstadt harbored a deep hatred for Malice. If Malice appeared in Liyue, Venti would come to avenge Ruola without Zhongli even needing to ask him.
The Dragon King under the Dragon-Queller tree might be able to hold back Morax, but what about Venti?
His strength was not weak.
Should Osial be released again?
That seemed feasible!
A battle at sea shouldn't affect too many civilians, right? At most, they could just go a little further out into the ocean.
The Adepti could be dealt with using the Evil Chi of Qingce Village, and the Abyss under the Chasm could also be utilized.
There were many things to consider; she needed to sort them out properly.
If the Abyss under the Chasm were agitated, Lumine's storyline in the Chasm would be disrupted. Although there would be new plot points to compensate, Jiang Mumu really liked that part of the story.
She had cried for a long time when she played through the Five Yakshas' bond.
In any case, the plan wasn't ready yet, and the potential accidents in between hadn't been calculated. Once the plan was initiated, it might very well become uncontrollable.
If too many casualties were caused, her, Jiang Mumu's, sin would be great.
She'd wait until the Chasm's storyline was over. For now, she'd let Malice slowly refine this plan until it was absolutely foolproof.
---
Inazuma.
The Raiden Shogun detests the fleeting world's illusions and seeks the pure land of eternity.
In her own words:
The worldly scenery remains the same for hundreds of years, but human existence is like dew and bubbles.
Nihility!
The god who pursues eternity hopes that Inazuma can be frozen in the river of time, and thus she issued the Sakoku Decree.
To curb swelling desires, the Vision Hunt Decree also came into being.
The people of Inazuma, under the shadow of Sakoku, smiled much less.
Inazuma City, within a courtyard.
"Ahem, Uncle, look, these are all gifts we brought. Can you please let Shinobu and Kuki come out and see us?"
"As long as they say they want to leave the Arataki Gang, we will absolutely not bother them again. Is that okay?"
The speaker was Arataki Itto, the boss of the Arataki Gang.
With him were ordinary members of the Arataki Gang: Ashu, Aki, and Genta.
In front of the four were two large crates of Onikabuto, and they faced a man who looked about fifty years old, with a cold face, unfriendly eyes, and a stick in his hand.
"I've said it many times! You came from wherever you came from, now get back there! Take your things with you! Don't bother my two daughters anymore!"
The man's face was flushed with anger, and he glared at the four men in front of him through gritted teeth.
It was all these hooligans who led his daughters astray, and two of them at once!
If it weren't for their mother pretending to be sick and tricking them back this time, those two kids wouldn't even know to come home!
Now seeing these "culprits," it was already polite that he didn't just hit them with the stick.
"Uncle, you see, children grow up and have their own ideas. Our Arataki Gang isn't just a name either; in the future, it's going to be the number one gang in the whole world, with boundless prospects…"
Uncharacteristically, Itto actually started reasoning.
He had no choice; Shinobu and Yunling had been gone from the Arataki Gang for three days, and he was genuinely anxious.
This man in front of him was the father of his second-in-command, Shinobu, and that violent girl, Yunling, so he could only be as polite as possible.
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