Though Hu Tao had lost her grandfather, she had never forgotten his teachings: follow the cycle of the elements, let the dead pass peacefully into the underworld, forget all that came before, and find rest.
For Hu Tao, helping the deceased find peace was of utmost importance. But Qiqi, though clearly dead, remained in the mortal world in physical form, a strange little zombie. She must be very unhappy.
So Hu Tao would help her. She had known Qiqi for less than a day, but she had already grown fond of her. She truly considered Qiqi a friend. Yet now, she would have to bury her herself. She sighed with reluctance, but also felt happy for Qiqi's sake. Burying a friend so they could finally rest—how interesting.
She sighed again as she prepared her shovel and sack, waiting for nightfall. When darkness came, she would put the sack over Qiqi's head, take her to the cemetery at Wuwang Hill, dig a grave just the right size for a child, and, following the traditions of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, bury her deep underground so she could find peace.
After preparing everything, Hu Tao walked back into the main hall to find Qiqi. The moment Qiqi saw her return, she set down her food and held out a Qixing Flower, trying to stuff it into Hu Tao's mouth.
"Qixing Flower, heal, eat, heal."
Though they had only just met, Hu Tao's warmth and kindness had already won Qiqi over. She had fed her and brought her to the parlor for a feast. Qiqi could tell that this big sister named Hu Tao was a good person. She had already come to see her as someone close. So whenever she saw Hu Tao, she would offer her a Qixing Flower to help heal her.
But Hu Tao wasn't sick. She was perfectly fine.
She giggled. "Oh, look how healthy I am—how could I be sick? Put those flowers away. Eat more, so you'll have strength for the journey."
Qiqi's blank little face showed confusion. "Jou... ney?"
She didn't understand what that meant, but she had no suspicions. She just kept eating the food Hu Tao gave her, listening to her talk about the parlor's affairs and her strange theories of life and death. As a zombie, Qiqi didn't understand any of it, so she stopped thinking about it. Instead, she thought about going up the mountain to pick more Qixing Flowers and heal more people.
Time passed quickly. The sun set, and the sky grew dark.
Hu Tao giggled and led Qiqi into a room. "Wait here for a bit. I need to prepare a few things, then we'll go."
Qiqi's blank face showed confusion. "Go... where?"
Hu Tao kept grinning. "Hehe, don't worry. It'll be over soon. I've been director for a few years now—I'm pretty fast at digging."
Qiqi: "???"
Though she was a cold little zombie, her senses were still sharp. She could feel no ill intent from this big sister Hu Tao. So she had no reason to be on guard. Following Hu Tao's instructions, she lay down on a small bed, looked out at the darkening sky, and slowly closed her eyes, drifting off to sleep.
As the night deepened, Hu Tao opened the sack she had prepared, measured it with her arms, and found it just right. She sent the staff away, then opened the door and carefully approached Qiqi. Looking at this little girl who had already died, her eyes were full of pity.
She murmured softly, "Don't worry. You won't suffer anymore. I'm going to help you find peace."
For Hu Tao, burying someone who had already died was the right thing to do—good for the deceased. That was why she hadn't hesitated to bury Qiqi.
With that, she opened the sack and slipped it over Qiqi's entire body. Looking at the sack on the ground, she nodded with satisfaction. Her skills were getting sharper. Her grandfather would have been proud.
She grinned, feeling as though she had done a good deed. But then the sack began to shake—Qiqi had woken up.
Realizing she might have hurt her, Hu Tao carefully opened the sack and poked Qiqi's little head out. Their eyes met. Hu Tao's gaze was full of pity. Qiqi's was full of confusion.
Seeing her puzzled look, Hu Tao giggled. "Sorry, were you suffocating? I'll let your head out then."
With that, she tied the sack snugly around Qiqi's neck—tight enough that she wouldn't escape, but loose enough that she wouldn't choke.
Qiqi looked bewildered. "Hu Tao... what... are you doing? Eat Qixing Flower?"
Having recently emerged from the amber, Qiqi's little zombie brain wasn't very sharp. Coupled with her lost memories, she looked dazed and easy to deceive.
Hu Tao laughed. "Oh, I told you, I'm not sick—no Qixing Flower needed. Anyway, enough talk. Let's get down to business."
She couldn't be bothered to explain. Soon, Qiqi would be at peace, so explanations were pointless.
She scooped up the sack with Qiqi inside and hoisted it onto her shoulder. "Oof, you're pretty heavy! But it's worth a little effort for little Qiqi's happiness. Off we go! The moon is out—time to bask in the moonlight!"
Singing loudly, she happily carried Qiqi out of the room. As she passed through the parlor courtyard, she grabbed the shovel she had prepared and, under the cover of night, set off for Wuwang Hill. What a perfect night for business.
As Hu Tao cheerfully sang her own poems, Qiqi, stuffed in the sack with only her little head poking out, looked utterly bewildered. She had no idea what was going on. Listening to Hu Tao's strange songs, she finally sensed a hint of danger.
But it was too late. She was already in the sack, and only her head was free—she couldn't move or escape.