The great Geo Archon of Liyue, the exalted Rex Lapis, whose decisions could change the course of the entire nation, would never visit a small teahouse like this to listen to stories. Absolutely impossible. Even if he said it outright, Hu Tao's grandfather would never believe him.
But what the grandfather could never imagine was that the "young man" sitting before him was indeed the great Rex Lapis himself.
Morax set down his teacup and said coolly, "Taking a stroll to play with birds, sip tea, and listen to stories is a refreshing experience in itself. Where did you buy that thrush?"
The moment Morax saw the thrush, it stirred old memories. Thousands of years ago, during his time at Guili Plains, he had also kept a thrush like this. It had died in the war, struck down by a god.
Hu Tao's grandfather smiled. "This little fellow? I bought him from a merchant in Sumeru many years ago."
Speaking of merchants reminded him of his own business. He chuckled. "Thrushes are toys for old folks like me. You're still young. You can't spend your days playing with birds. You should focus on work. By the way, would you be interested in my business?"
Morax blinked. "Your business?"
The grandfather nodded. "That's right. Here's a flyer. Take a look. If you're interested, you can find me at Wangsheng Funeral Parlor."
With that, he placed a flyer in front of Morax and walked out without looking back.
When Morax picked up the flyer and read the slogans, he was momentarily stunned. Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. Funerals.
He recalled that thousands of years ago, when the first director founded the parlor, it had been with his help. Now, all these centuries later, a promotional flyer from the parlor had landed in his hands? Promoting funeral services to the Geo Archon himself? How absurd.
Yet as he looked at the slogans and the funeral packages, a glint of interest flickered in his eyes. He seemed to have a new idea.
…
Meanwhile, Hu Tao's grandfather left the learned "young man," still murmuring to himself. "Young people these days are so knowledgeable. If only I could get him to join Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, he'd be a great help."
But he knew it was wishful thinking. To ask such a brilliant young scholar to work in the funeral business would be a waste of his talents.
Lost in thought, he made his way back toward the parlor. Before he even arrived, he ran into his first customer of the day.
"Pre-order a funeral? In three days? Excellent, excellent. Please pay the deposit. Do you have any preferences for the coffin? Please come to Wangsheng Funeral Parlor to choose one."
The grandfather happily led the customer to the parlor and into the main hall.
"Hu Tao, I'm back!" he called out.
But there was no answer.
Never mind. He would deal with little Hu Tao later. First, let the customer pick a coffin.
He cheerfully showed the customer to the rows of coffins and began his earnest introduction.
"This one is made of thousand-year-old fragrant cedar. Lying in it can prolong your life."
"This one is spruce, which prevents decay."
"This one is ancient wood imported from Sumeru, certified by the Lesser Lord Kusanali. Lying in it grants the blessing of the Dendro Archon.
The grandfather delivered his pitch with complete seriousness, leaving the customer utterly baffled.
A dead person—what use would they have for prolonging life? A dead person buried in the ground—why did preventing decay matter? And why would a Liyuean want the blessing of Sumeru's Dendro Archon?
The customer grew dissatisfied. "Are you people at Wangsheng Funeral Parlor using these tricks just to make money?"
The grandfather looked a little embarrassed. "Ahem, of course not. If these coffins don't suit you, please take a look at this side. We have more over here."
He led the customer to the other side of the hall, where the most ordinary coffins were displayed. These were the ones the grandfather had made himself in his spare time, using the most common wood available in Liyue. Naturally, they were also the cheapest.
The customer walked around, examining them. Pretending to be an expert, he tapped on a coffin with his finger to test its quality.
Dong dong.
But the moment he tapped, a strange sound came from inside the coffin, startling him. "What was that?"
The grandfather looked puzzled. "This is Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. What else would be here but coffins? Even the boldest little ghosts wouldn't dare cause trouble here."
Hearing the word "ghosts" made the customer jump. Trembling, he reached out and tapped the coffin again.
Dong dong.
From inside the coffin came a sound: Snore!
"Ah! A ghost!"
Terrified, the customer leaped back a dozen meters. A hall full of coffins, strange noises coming from one of them—under the eerie atmosphere, he wanted to leave immediately.
The grandfather grew impatient. "Have you made your choice? Which coffin do you want?"
The customer stammered, "The best one. I'll take the best one."
With that, he fled the hall and bolted out of the parlor, his fear of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor deepening even further.
The grandfather called after him, "The best coffin is the most expensive one. We'll use that for you. Please pay the Mora as soon as possible."
Watching the customer's retreating figure, the grandfather couldn't help but chuckle. Another decent profit. The Mora from this sale should be enough to cover Hu Tao's school fees for next year.
Thinking of the missing Hu Tao, he walked over to the coffin, smiling, and gently lifted the lid.
As expected, the little girl lying inside was making funny faces at him.
Hu Tao grinned. "Hehe, you found me, Grandfather! You win!"
Her grandfather pretended to be angry. "Hmph, I knew it was you, you little troublemaker, hiding in the coffin and playing tricks. You nearly scared away our most important customer."
Hu Tao climbed out of the coffin, looking wronged. "Hey, he's the one who went around tapping the coffins for no reason. Buying a coffin isn't like buying a melon. Does tapping it tell you if it's ripe?"