*(A low growl of Riftwolves)*
Several Riftwolves emitted eerie, strange cries, darting through the forest like swimming fish suspended in mid-air, lunging at a purple-clad figure from all directions.
"Judgement of the Euthymia!"
In an instant, lightning flashed brilliantly. Under the blinding light, the forms of the Riftwolves vanished into thin air like melting snow under a scorching sun, turning to ash in the blink of an eye.
"Is all of this truly just a dream?"
The Shogun held her Engulfing Lightning, swinging it mechanically like a programmed automaton. Her mind endlessly replayed the past within her dream—that figure who had disguised herself as her sister, spending countless ages by her side.
Upon waking, she could no longer find any trace of the talisman from her memories. Even when she asked Yae Miko, the kitsune's ears twitched with laughter as she claimed she had never heard of such a thing, let alone seen anyone who looked like her.
"My, my, so the almighty Shogun can have nightmares too~ What a wildly imaginative plot. Would you be interested in writing a novel?"
Another Riftwolf was reduced to fine powder by a single slash. The Shogun continually tried to sense the marks on the Engulfing Lightning, attempting to locate the scars she remembered slicing into it, but the blade was smooth and flawless, bearing nothing at all.
Those wonderful times and past events, though fresh in her memory, felt so distant.
The scene shifted. That damaged Engulfing Lightning was being polished over and over in Fu Li's palm.
A few dents shouldn't affect its usability, right?
Fu Li put the blade away, leaning against the ship's railing and gazing at Liyue Harbor, which was gradually coming into view in the distance.
Unlike the scaled-down Liyue Harbor in the game, which consisted of merely a single dock, Liyue Harbor in reality could only be described as magnificent. The cargo-loading docks stretched for at least ten kilometers, and behind them, traditional Liyue-style architecture stood row upon row as far as the eye could see, a testament to its immense prosperity.
A pair of childish little hands slowly leveled behind Fu Li's back, forming a frame in the air. In that instant, Fu Li sensed the feeling of being watched, then smiled calmly.
"Oh? Reading my mind, are you? Is something troubling you?"
The moment those words were read, Nahida's heart skipped a beat, her expression turning somewhat awkward. Able to sense her mind-reading—was she truly Greater Lord Rukkhadevata?!
Fu Li smiled gently and squatted down, wanting to pet Nahida's little head once more. Who would have thought that Nahida would reach out first, grabbing Fu Li's pair of elf-like, pointed little ears, causing the latter to shiver involuntarily.
Being touched by someone else felt truly different from touching oneself.
"Mmm~ Nahida is so mischievous. Go easy on me, alright?"
With that, Fu Li continued to look at Nahida with gentle eyes, letting her ears be rubbed this and that way in the little hands until she confirmed those ears were no different from her own. Only then did Nahida let go, her face flushed with an embarrassed blush.
"Can I call you big sister from now on too...?"
"Of course you can~!"
The ship soon docked. One had to admit, Yae Miko was indeed reliable at times; she had managed to procure Inazuma's fastest vessel, reaching Liyue in just half a day.
Although it was 400 years in the past, Liyue Harbor's development at this time was already roughly on par with later eras.
Weaving through the endless crowds at the port and feeling the solid ground beneath her feet, Fu Li suddenly felt that these wooden geta were not very comfortable. If she had the chance, it would be best to buy a pair of soft shoes.
Hutao was the 77th Director, and she didn't know if Zhongli was serving as a consultant for the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor yet. He might not even be called Zhongli at this time. Naturally, the in-game map was certainly useless now, so she would just have to ask for directions one by one.
"Excuse me, sir, how do I get to the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor?"
"That place? It's a bit far from here. Just follow this road heading south for about twenty li, and when you reach a large river, turn right and go one li, and you'll be there."
"Oh, right, thank you."
***
Ten minutes later.
Fu Li and Nahida were each holding a bag of xiaolongbao, nibbling on them slowly. Suddenly, Fu Li shivered all over.
Wait a minute, I'm a grown man, why am I nibbling like a sissy? This won't do.
Thus, she inhaled all the buns in two bites. Nahida watched from the side, dumbfounded, with the lingering impression that the big sister in front of her had been assigned the wrong gender.
Liyue's development was simply better than Inazuma's. She hoped Morax could share more experience with Nahida. Recalling Nahida's plight in the storyline made her want to shout out an immediate "Amen", punch through the screen, dive right in, and tear the Grand Sage apart with her bare hands.
Pulling out her phone to glance at the game map on the screen and roughly cross-referencing it with the surrounding scenery, this should be the river.
Just as her gaze locked onto the phone, a pair of fair, slender legs stepped into Fu Li's field of vision. Her perspective shifted upward: loose brown hair paired with golden pupils, and furthermore, a brown qipao that clung tightly to a stunning figure.
"The Dendro Archon of Sumeru—Buer? I am Morax, the Geo Archon of Liyue; you may call me Zhongli."
The other party spoke first, strictly speaking using divine consciousness, as people nearby couldn't hear a thing. Her voice was cold yet alluring. She hadn't expected Morax's female form to be so breathtakingly beautiful; she had thought those fan-made edits were already stunning enough, but seeing her in reality truly set one's heart racing—it was just a pity that the tools for mischief were now gone.
"It's crowded here, let's go somewhere else."
With that, Zhongli walked away on her own. Fu Li quickly followed, then turned back, scooped up Nahida, and hurried after her.
The Wangsheng Funeral Parlor—it seemed the game had cut away a massive portion of the modeling. The Wangsheng Funeral Parlor was nothing like the tiny shopfront in the game; it was large enough to stand as a building of its own.
Just as they stepped inside the main gates, they ran right into an adult-female version of "Hutao".
"Yo, the consultant actually brought a friend! Nice to meet you, my name is Hu Yao. Are you here to apply for a job? The Wangsheng Funeral Parlor is currently short on staff, offering room and board with generous benefits."
Compared to the later Hutao, who would aggressively try to sell coffins at the drop of a hat, Hu Yao at this time was markedly more refined. Most importantly... ahem.
Thinking of this, Fu Li quickly averted her gaze from the tight buttons across Hu Yao's chest.
"Not at all, we merely have important matters to discuss."
"Oh, that's rather a pity. Judging by this young lady's fair skin and extraordinary temperament, if we could recruit her into the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, wouldn't that be... Hehe, just kidding. There are empty rooms inside, remember to lock the door."
With that, Hu Yao turned and left to resume her work.
The room Hu Yao had left for them was not large, but the walls were well-insulated. Clearly, this was specially prepared for Zhongli, and one could tell she doted on the consultant quite a bit.
Once the door closed, Zhongli's expression turned instantly solemn. Those eyes glowing faintly with gold seemed eager to see right through the "Greater Lord Rukkhadevata" before her, but clearly, she spotted no flaws at all; the other party was not using illusions for disguise in the slightest.
"Buer? You clearly perished in the Khaenri'ah war due to Forbidden Knowledge, yet here you stand before me safe and sound. Can you tell me how you resurrected?"
"I am terribly sorry, I am not the wise and benevolent Dendro Archon Buer, but merely a lingering thread of her consciousness. My name is Fu Li."
Hearing this reply, the look of anticipation in Zhongli's eyes instantly vanished, replaced by a trace of disappointment. She had thought there was hope for Guizhong's resurrection, completely missing the flicker of surprise in Nahida's eyes. If not for the fact that she could sense the dense Dendro authority radiating from Fu Li, Nahida herself might have been fooled by Fu Li's brazenly fabricated falsehood.
"Very well... Then I assume esteemed young friend Fu has important business today?"
"Indeed. Senior Zhongli may not know this, but before I awoke, the Sumeru Akademiya imprisoned Nahida because she was deemed unfit to govern, usurping her authority. Meanwhile, having lost all my memories and strength, I am likewise incapable of undertaking the great task of governance. I have come today solely to ask the Senior to impart some wisdom on statecraft to the new Dendro Archon—Nahida."
"Imprison a deity!? To think the people of the Akademiya could be so audacious. This favor, I must grant."
"My thanks to the Geo Archon."