Chapter 50: Wangsheng Funeral Parlor

Xin Yu sat at the tea table, listening to the story sung by the storyteller on the small stage. He gently sipped the tea in his cup, feeling the atmosphere was quite pleasant. Perhaps he could consider staying in Liyue for a while to properly experience the local culture. Meanwhile, the man who had just introduced himself to Xin Yu as Zhongli put down the letter he held. The content of the letter was actually quite simple. That fellow Barbatos was quite startled after discovering a terrifying monster like Xin Yu. However, after spending the last two days together, he found that the other party's nature wasn't bad; he was a relatively easygoing person. But even so, Mondstadt had recently suffered from the Dragon Terror incident. If any other unexpected situations arose, the losses would be immense. Therefore, he could only hope the old man (Zhongli) could look after this visitor from beyond the stars for him, and incidentally, pay the commission fee. Due to this situation, which suspiciously resembled redirecting trouble, Barbatos expressed sincere apologies in the letter and promised to come to Liyue personally to apologize once he was free. "...My old friend also stated in the letter that the commission reward should be paid by me. So, young friend Xin Yu, what kind of reward do you wish for?" Xin Yu fell into thought. What did he want? Naturally, rare treasures or minerals containing extremely high energy. But just for delivering a letter, he felt embarrassed asking for such a high reward. What else did he lack? Thinking of this, Xin Yu suddenly recalled his fight with the Herrscher of Thunder. She had personally told him he was completely inept with a blade. And indeed, that was true. Forget using a blade; even his hand-to-hand combat skills were very poor. He might encounter even stronger enemies in other worlds later on. He still needed to work hard on learning this aspect. After all, he was currently just a "mechanism monster," not yet at the stage where mechanics and stats were both high. He still needed to hone his skills. "Mr. Zhongli, do you know where the best martial arts hall in Liyue is? I want to learn combat techniques." "Oh?" Hearing this, Zhongli seemed intrigued. He placed the teacup he had just sipped from back on the table and asked, "What does young friend wish to learn? I have some understanding in this area and might be able to offer some guidance." "I... want to learn the blade." Xin Yu recalled the first person he met after being tainted by Nihility, the woman calling herself Acheron. She carried a blade on her. But that didn't seem to be the reason he liked blades. It felt like an impression from a much, much earlier time. Xin Yu closed his eyes, searching for fragments within his past memories, seeking that blurry impression, searching for the reason why he wanted to use a blade. In the end, he only recalled an extremely vague image: someone wearing a long black leather coat, holding a blade, exuding a visible blood-red aura. He didn't know what that person looked like, nor their physique or appearance. But even with just that blurry image, even though all his memories of this person were lost, he could still recall them reaching the end of their own path, relying solely on the blade in their hand. That was pure strength, pure power. "The blade... I also have some slight knowledge of swordsmanship. If young friend doesn't mind, I can guide you for a period of time." "Then thank you very much, Mr. Zhongli!" To express his gratitude, Xin Yu paid for the tea himself this time. Zhongli didn't object, mainly because he had just remembered that he seemed to have forgotten his wallet again. Xin Yu followed Zhongli to a place called Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. After asking Zhongli, Xin Yu learned that this seemed to be the only establishment in Liyue that handled funeral affairs. "Yo! Consultant! Is this a client you brought?" A girl's voice, sounding somewhat familiar, rang out. Xin Yu looked towards the source and saw a smiling girl. She looked like the mischievous type, a very lively person. Moreover, her voice sounded a lot like Kiana's. "You misunderstand, Hall Master. This is a friend of an old acquaintance of mine from Mondstadt. This time, my old friend entrusted him to deliver something specifically to me. This young friend also plans to stay in Liyue City for some time, so I intended to arrange for him to stay nearby, so we can look out for each other." After hearing Zhongli's explanation, the smile didn't disappear from the girl's face. Instead, she came up to Xin Yu and said, "Then little bro, want to consider our Wangsheng Funeral Parlor services? Second monument half price!" If one didn't know better, it might be fine. But knowing Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's business, hearing such an offer would make many feel like the speaker was cursing them to die, filled with bad luck. Xin Yu, however, after thinking seriously for a moment, said, "Although I'd like to buy, given my situation, I probably won't leave a corpse if I die, so setting up a grave seems unnecessary." "Eh?" "And even if a grave were erected, there's no one in this world who would grieve my death, let alone cry. Not to mention anyone coming to offer incense or sweep the grave. Setting one up would likely be pointless." "So I don't think it's necessary." Upon hearing Xin Yu's words, the smile vanished from the face of this Wangsheng Hall Master. She looked at Xin Yu with pity, thinking he must be an orphan who had lost all relatives and friends. "Hello, my name is Hu Tao." Suddenly, the girl broke into a bright smile, greeting Xin Yu and extending her hand. Xin Yu, somewhat puzzled, shook her hand briefly before letting go and introducing himself. "I'm Xin Yu." "Then we're friends now! Since we're friends, if you run into any trouble, just let me know! This Hall Master is the most loyal! Consultant! I'll leave it to you to take good care of our new friend. I need to get back to work!" Hu Tao waved goodbye with a smile. As Xin Yu watched her departing figure, Zhongli's voice sounded beside him. "The Hall Master's thoughts are somewhat unconventional. She used that method just now to comfort you, telling you that you have gained a new friend." "Although the Hall Master's behavior is somewhat erratic and her temperament a bit strange, she is indeed a kind child. Her efforts to promote funeral services everywhere are simply because she hopes people won't always treat this matter as unlucky, always avoiding the topic of death." "Death is an inescapable end for everyone. No matter how one avoids or rejects it, people can never stop walking the path toward death. Only by clearly understanding death and bravely facing it will people cherish their present lives more." "...Hall Master Hu is truly a good person." "Mm. Let's go, young friend. I have arranged lodging for you nearby. You can settle down there for now. If you wish to move elsewhere, just let me know." "Thank you for the trouble." "Then that will be all for today. Rest well, young friend. Tomorrow, we shall begin training in the way of the blade."