"I understand. Actively promoting it is to provoke people's aversion to death, making them value their time alive more, so they don't have regrets when they die."
Durandal and Hu Tao sat on chairs, holding the snacks they had just bought, and said, "I thought you were indifferent to life to say such things. I didn't expect there to be this aspect involved."
"Hehe~ Actually, there's also an element of expanding business. The Wangsheng Funeral Parlor is a business after all; without customers, it can't be sustained."
Hu Tao scratched her head. There was a reason she could become the Director at such a young age. If she hadn't done well, her family wouldn't have entrusted her with this position.
Of course, because of her promotional tactics, people often called the Millelith to arrest her.
"Using death to make people value life more, striving to do one's best while alive? Not a bad idea, but next time, don't suddenly say such things. When I understood the meaning of your words, I almost sent you on your way."
"Eh? Really?"
"..."
"Don't be silent at a time like this! At least say something to reassure me!"
"Eh heh?"
"What does 'eh heh' mean? It makes me even more uneasy."
Durandal, who didn't know how to fool people and wasn't going to lie, could only learn Venti's way of fooling people, but her method clearly didn't have much effect, instead greatly increasing Hu Tao's unease.
But... how to put it? After this conversation, Hu Tao was no longer as nervous as she had been at first. The two of them ate Liyue's special snacks and watched the pedestrians on the streets of Liyue.
"Hey, look at that old gentleman."
Hu Tao pointed to an old man on the other side of the street, walking shakily with a cane.
"Given his current condition, how much time do you think he has left?"
"...I cannot give you an exact number, but he has several different diseases within him. Given his physical condition, even if only one were to flare up, it could easily take his life. If they all flare up simultaneously, he would be gone by tonight at the latest."
"Eh? You can tell what illness someone has from so far away?"
Hu Tao, who was about to get into the topic, looked at Durandal in surprise. She had heard that highly skilled doctors could achieve the level of 'looking, listening, questioning, and feeling the pulse,' but they were at least a hundred meters apart. Could she tell from that far away?
"Yes, I can tell. You don't have any major ailments, aside from frequently dealing with the deceased, which has caused a bit of something to cling to you, but otherwise, you're fine. You're still young, and you're a Vision wielder, so you'll be alright."
"Phew~ That's good."
"At least not for a short time. I'm not sure about after a while."
"Eh? How long is 'a while'?"
"Decades, probably after you're old."
"Don't pause like that when you speak! It's very scary, you know?"
Really, usually it was she who scared others. She never expected to be scared by someone else one day.
And this person was of a very high caliber, yet she couldn't hold a grudge against her. If she retaliated, she would only receive a more terrifying 'repayment' in the future, just like someone's specially made Qingxin Fried Slime Condensate.
"So, what do you want to tell me?"
Durandal didn't pick up on Hu Tao's remark. Looking at the finished snack in her hand, she casually tossed it into a nearby trash can.
"He shouldn't be your client, right?"
"Hmm, I saw him a few days ago. At that time, I saw that his time was almost up, so I went to his house to promote the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's services. As a result, his family scolded me severely. If it weren't for my identity and my Vision, I probably would have been beaten out."
Hu Tao chewed her food and said, "Actually, they are well aware of this, and they know very well that this old gentleman is about to pass away. But they can't bear it, and neither can the old gentleman, so they deliberately avoid mentioning it, trying to deceive themselves in this way."
"Isn't that good? Forgetting those troubles, wouldn't it make one live a little happier?"
"If that were the case, it wouldn't be anything, but look at his expression, where does he look happy?"
Just as Hu Tao said, the old gentleman's expression was bleak. He probably knew his own condition, but he didn't want to leave; he still had many things he cherished.
Soon, his family found him. They wanted to take the old man back, but he didn't have much time left. If he didn't take advantage of the remaining time to go out for a walk, he wouldn't have the chance.
This made him agitated, and his temper became foul. He couldn't help but scold his Children and daughter-in-law, but he would never have done so before. It was all because he couldn't face his own death, which led to this situation.
In the end, although he was taken back, the onlookers heard the old gentleman's words. Thinking that they too would someday leave this world like him, their good mood instantly vanished.
"They are afraid, afraid of death. Of course, no one isn't afraid of this. But even if they are afraid, what then? A person's life is at most a hundred years. Even if they dread death, it is the endpoint of life's journey. No matter how unwilling, they will eventually arrive there."
At this moment, Hu Tao's expression was serious, completely devoid of her earlier playful demeanor, and her tone was grave.
"Since this is something that will be faced sooner or later, why not be more straightforward? Understand it, accept it. Then, while alive, enjoy your life, resolve regrets, and reduce the fear and sadness when death arrives."
Durandal listened intently. She was skilled at bringing death, but her understanding of death was not as deep as Hu Tao's.
No, that's not right. Durandal is different from humans, but Hu Tao's words are very important for her to understand humanity.
She is immortal and indestructible. As long as a single cell remains, she can regenerate, so she cannot understand what death feels like and can only learn through others' descriptions.
"I once had a client who was nearing his end. He knew very well that his life had entered a countdown. But he wasn't afraid at all; he even personally came to the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor to discuss funeral-related matters. At that time, his Children was very sad, but he himself was very optimistic. He said that he had lived a very long time, was able to see his Children grow up, have a happy family, and even hold his adorable grandchild. He couldn't imagine a better life than that."
"When he finally closed his eyes, his loved ones were by his side. He left without any regrets, and he even had a smile on his face when he died. He didn't have a trace of fear, frankly accepting his death."
At this point, Hu Tao closed her eyes, a smile on her lips, seemingly recalling that scene.
"I understand your thoughts. You have made me realize a lot."
"It's good that you understand."
Hu Tao smiled and nodded, finishing the food in her hand, then cautiously observed Durandal.
She looked as if she wanted to ask something, but due to certain reservations, she didn't dare to ask directly.
"Just ask whatever you want directly. Your eyes are too obvious; it's rather glaring."
"Those scenes... those scenes you showed me just now, were they real?"
Hu Tao paused, then continued, "Was that really you who did it? Spreading the plague, causing those people to die in such extreme agony, was that really you?"
"...It was me." Durandal lowered her head and nodded.
It was really her? Why? Could she really be a bad person? But... that shouldn't be, it makes no sense.
"Why? You... don't seem like the kind of person who would do such a thing."
Hu Tao understood the saying 'the more you talk, the more you err,' but she saw Durandal's kindness and couldn't help but ask one more question.
"Can you control time?"
"Eh? Of course not. Let alone a small human like me, even the Geo Archon probably can't do something like that."
Joking aside, how could a mortal control something as mysterious as time?
"Can you control your own aging?"
"Of course not. Didn't I say that birth, aging, sickness, and death are things no one can control?"
Hu Tao was confused. What was the reason Durandal suddenly asked this question? Hmm? Control? Control, control!
"Could it be that you can't..."
"That was a long time ago. At that time, I... couldn't control the plague that constantly emanated from my body."
Durandal reached out to Hu Tao, letting her see an energy orb condensed with various deadly Viruses; just one glance terrified her.
The energy orb was quickly retracted, but those few seconds had profoundly shocked Hu Tao.
"During the time I couldn't control my abilities, I hid in a deserted corner. Only I was there, so even if the plague spread uncontrollably, no one would be harmed. But one day, someone suddenly teleported me to a densely populated area. What you just saw was a scene from that time."
"I... am not human. In terms you can understand, I... am a God. The lowest, worst God, that would be me."
Just existing was a sinful existence. 'The worst of the worst' described her perfectly, didn't it?
Hu Tao was silent. Durandal's self-assessment wasn't without reason, but that was all in the past, wasn't it?
No wonder she behaved that way when she thought she didn't care about life. It was precisely because she understood the preciousness of life that she opposed actions that didn't cherish it.
"That's how it is. I'm quite satisfied. Our conversation has given me a new understanding of death. I... should probably leave now, human."
Durandal stood up, preparing to leave. She thought that after knowing so many secrets, Hu Tao wouldn't dare to approach her again.
Although she knew so much, she certainly wouldn't go around telling everyone.
Why? Because she was very smart. She knew the consequences of revealing these secrets, so Durandal wasn't worried she would be a busybody.
This was how it should have developed, but Hu Tao, just like Lumine back then, held her hand.
"You... must be visiting Liyue for the first time, right?"
Hu Tao said with a grin, "How about I show you around? This Funeral Parlor Director has nothing to do today and has time to spend with you."
"You..."
"Oh dear~ I have an ulterior motive too, you know. Can't you tell a person's physical condition? This is also for me to discover potential clients. I'm doing this for the business of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, you see."
Looking at the grinning girl, Durandal couldn't help but shake her head.
"Truly... a strange human."
"Eh~ Don't call me that. I have a name. Call me Hu Tao. And you still haven't told me your name. That's very impolite."
Staring at Hu Tao's unique plum blossom eyes for a while, Durandal smiled faintly.
"Durandal."