At Wangshu Inn, the audience was still chattering away, and no one noticed the newcomer at the entrance. Li Mo was waiting for the system notification to fuse with his past incarnation, so he too paid no attention to the new arrival.
After a short wait, the system prompt appeared in his mind.
[Ding! System analysis complete. The story of the thirteenth life, "Hu Tao's Grandfather," has been fully told. New effect triggered—Fusion! You will now merge with your thirteenth incarnation's body.]
[And gain the power of the thirteenth life.]
[Merge now?]
The thirteenth life was the seventy-fifth director of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor—Hu Tao's grandfather.
From a power perspective, Hu Tao's grandfather had no Vision and no martial arts skills. He was an ordinary man in everyone's eyes. His only strengths were his speed in digging graves and his ability to craft various strange creations. Fusing with him would offer only a minimal power boost.
But even so, no matter how weak, this life was still part of Li Mo's hundred-life cycle. Fusing would complete his soul. So without hesitation, he chose to merge.
"Merge with the past incarnation now!"
The moment he spoke, the system notification sounded.
[Ding! System notification: Fusion with the thirteenth life, Hu Tao's Grandfather, has begun.]
The instant the system spoke, Li Mo could feel a new power entering his body—the strength of Hu Tao's grandfather. Though not powerful, it was unique. It not only enhanced his elemental power but also strengthened his soul, bringing some relief to his eroded spirit. He felt noticeably lighter.
Once the fusion was complete, Li Mo opened his eyes. He wasn't in a hurry to continue. He glanced at the murmuring audience below and slowly picked up his teacup.
Just then, at the entrance of Wangshu Inn, the young man finally stepped inside. He surveyed the noisy surroundings and the diverse crowd, frowning slightly. Could this kind of environment really produce truthful stories?
As he crossed the threshold, the audience gradually noticed him. His skin was fair, and despite being a man, he wore his flowing red hair in a ponytail that caught the attention of both men and women. His crimson eyes gleamed. His elegant black formal attire and crisp white shirt gave him an aristocratic air.
In an instant, everyone realized that though this young man was a stranger, he was no ordinary citizen. He looked like a nobleman from a centuries-old lineage. His bearing, his expression, his manner—all exuded aristocratic refinement. The moment he appeared, he became the center of attention.
In that regard, he resembled Mr. Tartaglia, the Harbinger. But even so, the audience couldn't help but murmur.
"A newcomer? His attire is so unusual—nothing like Liyue fashion. Does anyone recognize him?"
"He's definitely not from Liyue. His clothes look more like Mondstadt nobility."
"Wait, doesn't he look familiar?"
"Familiar?"
"Oh, I remember now—he's a character from the storyteller's previous life!"
"Crepus's son, Diluc Ragnvindr?"
"Yes, that's him!"
"He's changed his clothes—I almost didn't recognize him."
"It's only been a few years since his father's sacrifice, and Diluc has already matured so much."
"The impact of his father's death must have been enormous."
In real life, the audience had never met Diluc. But from the previous story, they knew young Diluc well, even his sword training habits. So the moment they saw him, they recognized him immediately. This was Diluc, who had crossed national borders to come from Dawn Winery in Mondstadt to Wangshu Inn in Liyue.
Though they knew Diluc was a Vision wielder and not someone to be trifled with, they whispered freely. After all, the storyteller was here, the gods were here, and the Liyue Qixing were here—there was nothing to fear.
Not only the ordinary audience, but Keqing, Hu Tao (who had just composed herself), Shenhe, and the others in the corner also looked curiously at Diluc. So this was that person's son? Just like his father, he was quite handsome.
Hu Tao chuckled. "A handsome person deserves a handsome funeral. Hehe, I'm a genius—I've just thought of a new funeral package idea!"
Xiangling: "Hu Tao, you're getting carried away again."
Keqing was more composed. "He's from Mondstadt and traveled all this way. He must have read the light novels from Yae Publishing House. Another poor soul searching for a loved one."
Guoba: "Lulu lu—"
In that moment, even Keqing and Hu Tao couldn't help but turn their attention to Diluc, wondering what he would do. Would he search for his father? Or confront the storyteller?
Not only Keqing's group, but in another corner, Barbatos, Zhongli, the three Electro sisters, and Tartaglia also noticed Diluc's arrival. Especially Barbatos—even before Diluc entered, he had caught the scent of wine on him.
The moment he saw Diluc, he grinned. "Eh heh, Diluc is finally here! Zhongli, Raiden Shogun, let me introduce you—he's the owner of Mondstadt's largest winery, Dawn Winery. Their wine is excellent. Get on good terms with him, and you'll never run out of good wine."
Laughing, he stood up and waved at Diluc, welcoming him warmly and inviting him to sit at the gods' table, giving him face in return for all the wine he'd enjoyed.
The next moment, Diluc frowned as he scanned the room. He spotted Barbatos waving at him. But Diluc snorted coldly, ignoring the invitation. He strode forward until he reached the center of the inn, where he could see the storyteller past the sea of spectators, and finally stopped.