The next morning, Chen Feng, still asleep, was woken up by Hu Tao.
Opening his eyes to find her delicate face filling most of his vision, Chen Feng immediately closed them again and mumbled, "Woke up too fast... I saw Director Hu Tao. I must still be dreaming."
However, the next second, Chen Feng was grabbed by Hu Tao by his shoulders and shaken until his head spun.
"Consultant Chen Feng, don't sleep anymore, wake up quickly! You didn't see the wrong person, it is this Director!"
After a long time, Chen Feng, who clutched his dizzy head and sat up from the bed, looked at Hu Tao, who was already properly dressed, and spoke with some confusion.
"Director Hu Tao, why are you appearing in my room?"
"The door wasn't locked, this Director of course walked right in!"
"No, what I mean is, Director Hu Tao, you just entered my room like this, isn't that a bit improper?"
"What if I like to sleep naked?"
After hearing this sentence, a hint of joy appeared on Hu Tao's face.
"Consultant Chen Feng, this is a good habit, you can cultivate it!"
Chen Feng: "?"
"Alright, alright, hurry up and get ready. Today this Director will take you to a fun place!"
Under Hu Tao's urging, Chen Feng finally got himself ready. Then he stood at the door, looking at the still dark sky, and fell into deep thought.
"Director Hu Tao, is the weather so bad today? Why does it look like it hasn't dawned yet?"
"Consultant Chen Feng, what kind of nonsense are you saying? Of course it's nighttime right now!"
"Can't you see the moon still hanging in the sky?"
Chen Feng: "..."
At this moment, Hu Tao walked out and stretched. Even after this action, there was still no rise or fall in her chest.
"It's actually quite nice to come out and bask in the moonlight sometimes."
"Let's go, let's go. It's a long journey. It would be bad if the sun rose by the time we got there."
Hu Tao now seemed to have recovered her usual vitality, as if the way she had acted yesterday was just a dream.
Hu Tao quickly led Chen Feng out of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. Behind them, a pair of calm, amber-yellow eyes silently watched their departing figures.
"Director Hu Tao, I'm so foolish. I actually thought when you said 'before dawn,' you meant before the dawn of today!"
After arriving at their destination, Chen Feng complained to Hu Tao while leaning on his weak legs.
"Isn't that what I meant?"
"How was I supposed to know you meant before the dawn of the next day, Director Hu Tao!"
"Ouch, my legs are numb from walking!"
"Just tell me, isn't it before dawn? One, two... zero, four, five, six..."
Looking at Chen Feng, who looked as though half his soul had left his body, Hu Tao couldn't help but speak with a hint of disdain.
"I must say, Consultant Chen Feng, your physical condition is far too weak. When you have some free time, this Director will help you get some training!"
"I've been thinking, I have a distant uncle I can go live with. Director Hu, it's best if we part ways here!"
"Give me a break! Your memory hasn't even fully recovered yet—where did this uncle suddenly come from?"
"More exercise is a good thing! Don't be so eager to avoid it. Other people would pay for this Director to train them, and I wouldn't even agree to it! This is a unique benefit the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor offers its Consultants!"
"A benefit like that is best left to Consultant Zhongli. I'll pass," Chen Feng shook his head repeatedly.
However, hearing Chen Feng's words, a thoughtful expression appeared on Hu Tao's face.
"You're right. Consultant Zhongli's small frame could definitely use some exercise too! When you're both free, this Director will train you both together!"
Far away in Liyue Harbor, Zhongli suddenly felt a chill run down his spine, as if some unclean thing were staring at him.
The perspective returned to Chen Feng and Hu Tao. Chen Feng looked at the desolate scene before him, where several mounds could be vaguely seen and a few clusters of ghostly blue flames floated in the air. He couldn't help but tighten the clothes on his body; this place was strangely cold.
"Director Hu Tao, is this the 'good place' you wanted to bring me to?"
Chen Feng looked around. No matter how he thought about it, this place was far from being "good."
"Exactly! This is Wuwang Hill, the very Border of Life and Death."
"This Director has always loved playing here since childhood. It's dark and eerie—what a wonderful place!"
Hearing this, Chen Feng's lip twitched.
"What's wrong, Consultant Chen Feng? You don't like it here?"
"Like it? Of course I like it! How could I not love a place that Director Hu Tao loves?!"
Satisfied by Chen Feng's words, Hu Tao patted his shoulder.
"Follow this Director! Actually, I want to take you to another place."
"A place where you can speak directly with the souls of the departed!"
-
Guided by Hu Tao, the two of them quickly passed through a series of "ghost wall" traps. Eventually, they found a Spatial Rift and reached their final destination.
The sky suddenly brightened. Though this was supposed to be the Land of Death, it felt more alive than Wuwang Hill.
Surrounding them were dilapidated roads and buildings, now covered in green moss. On a bare tree trunk, a single green sprout was beginning to emerge.
This was a place where Life and Death converged, a realm where the two could coexist in harmony.
Chen Feng followed Hu Tao along the cracked stone steps. Throughout their journey, Hu Tao constantly scanned their surroundings.
Scattered about were a few translucent souls, their gazes fixed on the distant horizon as if waiting for something.
Hu Tao searched among them relentlessly until they finally reached the end of the path, where the way forward was obscured by dense mist, and the ground beneath their feet vanished from sight. Only then did she stop.
"Still... nothing."
Chen Feng asked curiously, "Director Hu, are you looking for someone?"
"This Director is searching for the three victims from this time," Hu Tao replied softly.
"They died under mysterious circumstances, and their hearts must be filled with intense resentment and regret. Such souls wouldn't move on to the New World to begin a new life."
"Generally, such spirits linger here until someone who can resolve their inner turmoil or answer their questions arrives. Yet, this Director cannot find them anywhere."
"Could they have already moved on to the New World?"
Chen Feng speculated, but Hu Tao immediately refuted him.
"That's unlikely. If it were just those two who had finally let go of their grudges, it might be possible. But there are three of them, and that last one—he definitely harbors a powerful sense of injustice. He won't leave until he sees this Director or the murderer who drove him to this state."
"So, Director Hu, you're actually here to help him find peace so he can pass on?"
"That's not entirely true," Hu Tao sighed gently and shook her head. "I also thought that as victims, they might reveal some details to this Director."
"But it seems I've wasted my trip."
"If they aren't here, where could they have gone?"
"This Director doesn't know either," Hu Tao paused, then looked at Chen Feng and asked, "Consultant Chen Feng, have you noticed anything here?"
"Me?" Chen Feng scratched his head and then spoke. "It's strange, really. Even though this is the Border of Life and Death, I can't see a single trace of Deathly Aura."
"Hehe, that's the result of generations of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's hard work!"
Hearing Chen Feng's words, Hu Tao immediately spoke up with a little smugness.
"Consultant Chen Feng, there's something this Director hasn't told you yet, right?"
"Actually, Wangsheng Funeral Parlor wasn't always in the funeral business; it used to be engaged in medical-related work."
Hu Tao's tone was soft as she looked up slightly at the distance, as if reminiscing about the memories she had heard.
"Thousands of years ago, the Archon War broke out, and the world was shattered, filled with death-cursed lands and Forbidden Zones where life could not exist."
"The god residues left behind after the gods died were the most potent poison for humans; even monsters would become extremely berserk if they came into contact with it."
"Through the efforts of generations of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, Liyue finally recovered to its current state and became the Liyue Harbor of today."
"This history, which spanned millennia, has long been forgotten by countless people, but the successive Directors of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor will never forget!"
"The efforts of our ancestors must not be destroyed on my watch! This Director will severely punish anyone who dares to challenge the laws of life and death!"
After hearing this, Chen Feng nodded and said with some emotion...
"I never imagined Wangsheng Funeral Parlor was such a great institution!"
"Director Hu, you have my support! I will help you judge the one who dares defy the Parlor!"
"Hmph, with the Crouching Dragon and Fledgling Phoenix of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor both on the move, that murderer won't be arrogant for much longer!"
Hearing Chen Feng's support, Hu Tao pumped her small fist, a smile returning to her face.
"Chen Feng, meeting you must be the luckiest thing that's ever happened to me."
"Director Hu, you finally stopped using your 'this Director' catchphrase..."
Chen Feng seemed to have noticed something crucial and spoke with a hint of excitement. However, as his gaze shifted, he saw that Hu Tao had already removed her Hexagram Hat. Her smooth long hair cascaded down her shoulders, and her peach-blossom eyes shimmered with a faint aqueous light. The subtle smile on her lips revealed a charm completely different from her usual self.
"Director..."
Chen Feng froze, at a loss for words.
They stood there, locked in each other's gaze. One looked down from the stairs, while Chen Feng stood below, his figure shrouded in a chaotic mass of darkness.
The other looked up from below, Hu Tao's entire being enveloped in a soft, gentle glow.
At that moment, the relationship between them seemed to shift slightly, becoming something indescribable.
Suddenly, an ill-timed voice cut through the air.
"You... Good, so it's Director Hu Tao and Consultant Chen Feng, right?!"
A soul drifted over, wedging itself between them. It pointed a finger at each of them and began to berate them.
"I finally see you again! Back when you were chasing me to hand out those flyers, you never imagined you'd meet me here, did you?!"
"You two are detestable! I was already in my late seventies and eighties, yet you still chased me relentlessly, never letting me go!"
Hearing the soul's words, Chen Feng and Hu Tao froze for a moment. Then, after seeing its face, they vaguely recalled that period.
"Elderly one, birth, old age, sickness, and death are all part of the natural order," Hu Tao said, placing her hat back on her head and trying to persuade him. "You've already lived to eighty. It's about time, don't you think? Why not accept your fate with grace?"
The words came out of her mouth with practiced ease—she was well-versed in this kind of sales pitch.
But this time, Hu Tao had met her match.
"Eighty? I've only lived eighty years! How could I have had enough?!"
"Hey, you little girl! You look so fresh and lively, yet how can you say something so cruel?!"
"I'm only eighty! How could I have lived enough?!"
"For eighty years, I've woken up early and gone to bed early every single day, with no bad habits to speak of. I only drink in moderation and never get drunk!"
"I even drink a glass of warm milk and do twenty minutes of stretching before bed every night! The doctor said I could live to be a hundred, and yet you curse me to only eighty?!"
"I've already died once, so there's nothing left for me to fear! This time, I'm definitely going to let out all my frustrations!"
"Take this!"
The old man swung his cane, his steps agile and swift as he chased Hu Tao and Chen Feng relentlessly.
Chen Feng and Hu Tao couldn't bring themselves to fight back against an old man, even a dead one, so they did their best to dodge and weave.
After several dozen minutes, the old man finally left, satisfied. Chen Feng and Hu Tao, their clothes disheveled, watched him go. Only when his figure completely vanished did they finally breathe a sigh of relief.
"We finally sent him off. Next time, let's just not come to this place, okay?"
"Otherwise, I'm afraid that while the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor might be growing and thriving, we'll just end up getting bullied by the dead after we pass away!"
Hearing Chen Feng's words, Hu Tao patted his shoulder and declared with unwavering loyalty.
"Rest assured, Consultant Chen Feng, this Director will have your back then. All you have to do is hide behind me."
"But Director Hu Tao, you ran much faster than I did just now!"
Hearing Chen Feng's complaint, Hu Tao defended herself a bit anxiously.
"That was an accident, a special circumstance!"
"You can't expect this Director to bully an old person, can you?"
"But it will be different then. By that time, this Director will be an old person too. If they dare to make a move, I'll give them a good thrashing!"
Hu Tao shook her fist emphatically, showing off her muscles.
"Alright, I'll be counting on Director Hu Tao's protection then!"
Chen Feng cupped his fist to Hu Tao in a gesture of respect, and then they both laughed.
As for the previous incident, they both tacitly agreed not to mention it again, acting as if it had never happened.
"Consultant Chen Feng, didn't this Director promise to take you to a nice place?"
"Don't you think the scenery here is beautiful?"
Hearing Hu Tao's words, Chen Feng nodded vigorously.
"The scenery here is indeed beautiful. Director Hu Tao really didn't lie to me!"
"It would just be nice if we could go somewhere a bit closer next time. I actually think watching the sunrise on Mt. Tianheng would be pretty great."
"Jumping off the Jade Chamber should be the fastest way to get there!"
"You, you're so lazy, you'll be the death of yourself!"