"Mondstadt is still having some difficulties."
"Mondstadt is different from our faith."
"Funeral rites are naturally different."
"It's a little closer to Liyue, though."
"It should work."
"That's it."
Hu Tao's tone was a little disappointed.
"Looks like I'm going to open the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor to the whole of Teyvat."
"It's a bit hard to do."
"But it's fine."
"I have Mr. Orion."
"Absolutely."
"Oh?"
Ningguang suddenly became interested.
"This Mr. Orion… You have such great ability?"
Even she couldn't imagine the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor expanding abroad. After all, the business of funerals was too… special.
Each nation had its own customs, its own unique rites. The Wangsheng Funeral Parlor was deeply rooted in Liyue's traditions—a localized institution. Why would people choose a foreign parlor over their own?
"Absolutely."
Hu Tao's confidence in Orion was unshakable, though no one quite knew where it came from. She patted her chest proudly, then dragged Orion—who had been peeking at Ningguang from behind her—forward.
"This is our Mr. Orion."
"If you don't believe me, ask him yourself."
"He's really, really amazing."
"I've lived this long and never met anyone more capable than him."
Suddenly thrust into the spotlight, Orion stiffened.
He had been too busy admiring Ningguang's elegance to pay attention to their conversation. Now, hearing Hu Tao's grand praise, cold sweat nearly broke out on his forehead.
What ability? He had none!
Hu Tao must have misunderstood.
Sure, he knew a lot about Teyvat's history, the intricacies of its nations, the hidden stories—but that was just from studying. It wasn't like he had some grand talent.
The moment Ningguang's eyes landed on Orion, she froze.
There was something… familiar about him.
And yet, his face was completely different.
But his name…
She spoke carefully, testing the waters.
"Dare I ask, Mr. Orion… is that your full name?"
Before Orion could answer, Hu Tao cut in cheerfully.
"Yep! Like the constellation!"
"Pretty meaningful, right?"
At first, hearing Hu Tao's affirmation, Ningguang's eyes had flickered with something—hope, perhaps.
But the moment Hu Tao clarified the name, that light dimmed.
She offered a polite nod.
"For Hall Master Hu to hold you in such high regard, Mr. Orion, you must be quite remarkable."
"Perhaps another time, I could seek your advice."
The name "Orion" wasn't uncommon. Over the years, she had met hundreds—no, thousands—of people with that name.
None of them had been him.
This one, she suspected, would be no different.
She had even tracked down every "Orion" with the same characters, the same pronunciation.
Still, nothing.
Sometimes, she wondered if the name had ever been real to begin with.
"I've just traveled a fair bit," Orion said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Seen a few things. If Lady Tianquan is interested, I'd be happy to share."
"As for what Director Hu said… well, that's an exaggeration."
"I'm nothing special."
Hu Tao waved a hand dismissively.
"Mr. Orion is just too modest."
With that, she steered the conversation back to business.
"Anyway, I'll finalize the Wangsheng Parlor's arrangements soon."
"We'll be ready to depart once the preparations are complete."
Ningguang nodded.
"I'll make the necessary arrangements on my end as well."
"Then, until we meet in the western suburbs."
With a final exchange of pleasantries, Ningguang left—her previous client trailing behind like an afterthought, his haunted mine commission entirely forgotten.
Once they were alone, Orion turned to Hu Tao with a serious expression.
"You know, I'm really not as incredible as you make me out to be."
"I don't even have a Vision."
"No!"
Hu Tao's refusal was instant, absolute.
"You're the best."
"No arguments."
Orion sighed.
People who bore Visions were stubborn—driven by desire, obsession, an unshakable will. Once they decided something, changing their minds was near impossible.
Hu Tao believed in him.
That was that.
She'll realize the truth eventually, she thought. Especially when she meets someone like Morax—the God of Contracts, who's lived for millennia.
Compared to an actual deity, Orion's knowledge was just… trivia.
---
"Are you and Lady Tianquan going to the Chasm this time?"
Though Orion had been distracted earlier—too busy admiring Ningguang to fully follow their conversation—he'd at least caught the key details.
Hu Tao nodded, her expression twisting into mild annoyance.
"Yeah. The Chasm's *far*, the terrain's a nightmare, and I don't know squat about it. Not half as fun as Wuwang Hill."
To be fair, Orion had never properly explored the Chasm either. Back when he'd first arrived in Teyvat, that area had still been locked behind Paimon's infamous line: *"The area ahead is still uncharted… Let's explore it later!"*
If Hu Tao was unfamiliar with it, Orion was utterly clueless.
"Speaking of which," Hu Tao mused, her mood shifting abruptly, "it's been ages since I checked on Mimi and Meowmeow. Even if they've grown up now, they still need looking after!"
Before Orion could respond, she was already gone—dashing off like a gust of wind, trailing fiery butterflies in her wake.
The butterflies were a recent development, a side effect of her Vision. Every time she moved with purpose, they flickered into existence around her, vanishing only when she stilled. It reminded Orion of her sprinting effect in-game, though the real Hu Tao's butterflies *never* faded, no matter how long she ran.
Beautiful, sure. But also a reminder: Vision-bearers weren't just gifted with elemental power. Their bodies were enhanced too—speed, reflexes, senses all sharpened beyond mortal limits.
Hu Tao was already out of sight. Orion, still recovering from his illness, had no hope of catching up.
Not that it mattered. He knew exactly where she was headed.
Those "stone lions" she'd mentioned—Mimi and Meowmeow—were the twin guardian statues outside the Ministry of Civil Affairs. Typical Hu Tao, naming inanimate objects like pets and fussing over them as if they were alive.
Then again, "typical" and "Hu Tao" rarely belonged in the same sentence.
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End of chapter...