"Speaking generally, Director Hu, I believe your recent actions were somewhat inappropriate."
"Oh, come on, Zhongli. Don't be so stiff. So I scared Mona by sleeping in a coffin. She'll forgive me."
"However, Mona has already gone to find that exorcist named Chongyun to deal with the ghost."
Zhongli found Hu Tao's carefree nature quite troubling. What was this girl thinking, falling asleep in a coffin surrounded by funeral supplies? Anyone would have been terrified—not just Mona.
Hu Tao stretched lazily, unconcerned. The past few days had been exhausting. She had only crawled into the coffin to sleep after finishing all the ceremonies this morning because she was so tired.
Had she really been that scary? Hu Tao looked down at herself. No wonder Mona was frightened. A hand reaching out from a pile of funeral items would startle anyone.
"Whatever. Since it's already happened, I'll just explain when Chongyun gets here."
"As for Mona, I'll treat her to a nice meal tomorrow. She won't hold a grudge."
Having sorted out her thoughts, Hu Tao hummed her adapted tune and skipped toward the bathroom. She hadn't had time to bathe in days. With the dinner party tonight, she needed a proper wash.
Zhongli took a sip of tea. It was about time. He needed to find Azhdaha. To celebrate his retirement, Cloud Retainer had suggested they all gather at Mt. Aocang for a meal later.
He had searched all over Liyue Harbor but couldn't find Azhdaha. He only learned her whereabouts after asking Klee this morning.
"The Place of Salt... why would Azhdaha go there? As far as I know, there's nothing there that would interest her."
With that thought, Zhongli stepped forward and vanished from Wangsheng. Azhdaha's recent strange behavior had him worried. Could his old friend be suffering from erosion again?
No sooner had Zhongli disappeared than a panicked Mona arrived at Wangsheng with Chongyun and Xingqiu in tow. She pointed fearfully at one of the coffins.
"It was that coffin! That's where the hand came from."
"I was tidying the funeral supplies and accidentally bumped into it. Suddenly a hand reached out, clutching a few spirit money papers."
Mona's words put Chongyun on high alert. For an evil spirit to manifest in a place like Wangsheng, which was already steeped in death, it must be no ordinary spirit.
"Xingqiu, Mona, stand back. I'm going to confront that spirit."
"Be careful, Chongyun."
Xingqiu warned his friend, then guided Mona a few steps away. Still, he kept his Sacrificial Sword at the ready. If Chongyun ran into trouble, he could intervene immediately.
Standing beside the coffin, now closed, Chongyun took a deep breath. As long as it wasn't a massive creature like that octopus god, he wasn't afraid. Today might finally be the day he exorcised his first evil spirit.
"Fiend, show yourself!"
With that, Chongyun flung open the coffin lid. A talisman made of Cryo energy materialized before him. Seeing the coffin stuffed with funeral supplies, he didn't hesitate—he pressed the talisman into the coffin.
Instantly, Cryo energy blasted the expensive coffin apart, scattering funeral items everywhere. Chongyun scratched his head in confusion. He hadn't sensed any evil aura. But Mona's terror seemed genuine.
From the bathroom, Hu Tao heard the crash and her plum blossom eyes narrowed. Had some foolhardy thief come to rob Wangsheng?
An idea struck her. She slipped out of the bathroom and crept to Su Bai's room. After putting on the sunglasses he had bought from Liben, she donned the zombie outfit she had made to match Qiqi.
"I was going to use this to get closer to Qiqi, but I never got the chance. Looks like I'll use it here instead."
"This thief has some nerve, breaking into Wangsheng in broad daylight. Do they think I'm easy prey?"
Hu Tao admired her new look in the mirror. She looked just like Qiqi. Perfect. Time to wake up. Time to hunt.
Downstairs, among the debris, Chongyun still couldn't sense any evil presence. He felt deflated. Were there no weak evil spirits in this world? If they were all as big as that octopus god, then what was the point of being an exorcist?
"Don't be so discouraged, Chongyun. Maybe Miss Mona just mis-saw something."
"You've got your whole life ahead of you. You'll definitely encounter an evil spirit eventually."
Xingqiu tried to comfort his friend. It was strange—here was a professional exorcist who couldn't seem to find any evil spirits. Was that good luck or bad luck?
"But I really did see a zom..."
Before Mona could finish, a figure appeared at the top of the stairs. No, not walked—hopped. The sound of feet striking the floor made Mona's legs give out, and she collapsed to her knees.
Sensing something amiss, Xingqiu looked up. The sight nearly made the second young master of the Feiyun Commerce Guild cry out. There really was a zombie in Wangsheng!
Seeing his friend's silence, Chongyun assumed Xingqiu was worried about him. He collected himself and offered a reassuring smile.
"I'm fine now, Xingqiu. Don't worry."
"Huh? Your face looks terrible. Are you feeling ill?"
Xingqiu didn't answer. Pale-faced, he asked instead:
"Chongyun, do exorcist families have ways to deal with zombies?"
"Of course. I just don't have any on me right now. Why do you ask? Are you interested in zombies?"
"If your novel is about zombies, I can tell you all about them."
Thinking his friend was curious about the undead, Chongyun launched into an explanation. No one knew zombies better than exorcist families—well, except for little Qiqi.
"Never mind that. I think we should run."
Xingqiu grabbed Chongyun, who had no idea what was happening, and bolted for the door. But before they could make it out, Xingqiu's head collided with something solid.