"Woo-hoo! Let's go!" Director Hu Tao bounced excitedly in the carriage, making the entire vehicle sway from side to side with her unrestrained energy. Orion could only offer a helpless smile at her childlike enthusiasm.
"We're heading to the Chasm," he reminded her, his voice laced with concern.
"It's dangerous there. Why are you so excited?" The worry in his tone was justified - this was no ordinary expedition site.
Even well-equipped Fatui squads had suffered devastating losses exploring its depths. Yet this petite funeral director showed not an ounce of fear, her petite frame belying her fearless nature.
"Danger is good!" Hu Tao countered, her distinctive petal-shaped eyes sparkling with mischief.
"The more dangerous a place is, the better our services sell! Ohhh, Orion~"
She leaned in uncomfortably close, her sudden proximity making him lean back.
"What do you think of a 'buy one coffin, get one free' special offer? Hmm? Hmm?" She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.
Orion finally understood why adventurers like Sister Lan avoided Hu Tao's business pitches. These were people who braved the Abyss and reached for the stars - warriors who clung fiercely to life. The last thing they wanted to discuss was funeral arrangements. What a complete mood killer.
"D-Di...Director Hu?"
The nervous coachman's trembling hand pulled back the carriage curtain, his voice quivering.
"W-we're...we're ready to depart when you...you give the word..."
"Mmmhmm! Let's go-go-go!"
Hu Tao nodded so vigorously her distinctive hat nearly flew off, revealing her twin pigtails bouncing with excitement.
The carriage was already packed with stacks of promotional flyers - clear evidence of her serious intent to expand Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's services into the Chasm's dangerous territory.
"Aren't you the least bit worried about the danger?"
Orion pressed, his brow furrowed. The Chasm wasn't some harmless tourist spot - one wrong step could mean certain death, their bodies never recovered for proper burial.
"Pfft! Who's afraid?" She thumped her chest proudly, the gesture making her oversized sleeves flutter.
"What business would this director refuse? Have some faith in me!"
For someone who regularly traversed the boundary between life and death, who treated ghosts as casual acquaintances, what could possibly be frightening? The afterlife was practically her office space.
With an exasperated chuckle that turned into a cough, Orion finally conceded defeat as the carriage wheels began turning, slowly rolling out of Liyue Harbor's grand gates toward Qingxu Pool.
The scenic views of towering stone formations and winding rivers made for pleasant watching, and even Hu Tao's typically boundless energy seemed momentarily calmed as she pressed her face against the window, her breath fogging up the glass as she gazed at the passing landscape.
Their first obstacle appeared shortly after crossing the initial valley, when—
"Hey you! Leave your...your valuables if you...you know what's good for you!"
A ragged band of Treasure Hoarders emerged from the crumbling ruins of abandoned dwellings along the Qingxu route, their weapons shaking in unsteady hands.
The sight of such a fine carriage, clearly belonging to someone important, proved too tempting for the desperate bandits.
"Oho! Early customers!"
Hu Tao's eyes lit up like a child spotting candy as she summoned her Staff of Homa in a flash of crimson energy, already halfway out the carriage door before anyone could react.
"D-Di...Director! P-please...it's too d-dangerous—"
The coachman called out nervously, his hands wringing the reins, but his warning came far too late.
"Yo! Little girl!"
"You're the hall master, aren't you?"
"What? Want to get your hands dirty? We're so scared!" The Treasure Hoarders didn't take Hu Tao seriously at all.
They all laughed.
"W-w-who...who calls this director 'little girl'?"
Her usually playful grin twisted into something far more terrifying as flames erupted around her staff, the heat making the air shimmer.
The Treasure Hoarders' mocking laughter died in their throats, their bravado evaporating like morning dew.
What followed was pure poetry in motion - Hu Tao became a blazing whirlwind of destruction, darting between the frozen bandits with her signature charged attack, her movements far more fluid and graceful than any in-game animation could portray.
"Dinnertime~"
With a mischievous giggle that would haunt the bandits' nightmares, she performed her infamous ghostly technique, yanking screaming spirits straight from their bodies and swinging the flailing specters by their tails like fiery nunchuks before unleashing her Elemental Burst in a spectacular explosion of crimson flames and howling ghosts.
As the smoke cleared, the panicked screams of fleeing Treasure Hoarders echoed through the valley: "W-what...what WAS that monster?! Run for your lives!"
"Boring~"
Hu Tao skipped back to the carriage as if she'd just taken a casual stroll, twirling her staff and humming a cheerful funeral dirge.
"Next stop~ More future clients~ I mean, lovely scenery to admire!"
She winked at Orion, who could only massage his temples in exasperation.
The coachman, still trembling, could only mutter:
"Y-yes...Director..."
As he urged the horses forward, casting nervous glances at the still-smoldering ruins where the bandits had made their last stand. The carriage continued its journey, leaving behind only the faint smell of smoke and the distant echoes of terrified bandits vowing to find honest work.
The coachman sat dumbfounded, his mouth hanging open. In just a few short moments, the battle had already concluded.
Hu Tao still looked thoroughly unimpressed as she dusted off her sleeves, her expression making it painfully clear how vastly superior her strength was compared to the bandits.
"So strong..." Orion murmured from inside the carriage, equally stunned.
He hadn't expected the fight to end so quickly. When he used Hu Tao in combat, he always had to pair her with Xingqiu for vaporize reactions to achieve decent damage output.
But the real Hu Tao needed no such support - she could obliterate enemies instantly all by herself.
The difference was staggering. She simply charged in with her Elemental Skill, followed up with a single devastating Elemental Burst, and the fight was over before it even began.
"I thought they'd be stronger," Hu Tao grumbled as she climbed back into the carriage, clearly disappointed.
She'd actually wanted to capture one of the Treasure Hoarders alive to promote her funeral services to them.
But they'd all fled too quickly, denying her this golden business opportunity.
"Tch~" She clicked her tongue in frustration.
"No chance at all! What a wasted opportunity!"
She shook her head dramatically. "Such a shame! Such a waste!"
Then suddenly, her expression brightened as she turned to Orion with a predatory grin.
Placing a hand on his shoulder with all the charm of a street vendor about to make a shady deal, she chirped: "Hey, hey~ See that? Convinced of my strength now, aren't you?"
She gave his shoulder a reassuring pat.
"No need to worry! Everything will be just fine~"
Hu Tao wanted nothing more than for Orion to trust her capabilities. After all, in their line of work, taking risks was simply part of the job description.
"Your esteemed Funeral Parlor Director has everything under control!" she declared with a flourish. "Safety guaranteed!" When it came to dealing with threats, Hu Tao was indeed a consummate professional who could handle herself.
Orion could only wipe the cold sweat from his brow as he watched her antics.
He sincerely hoped she would maintain this level of competence when they reached the Chasm. Those depths held far greater dangers than these petty bandits - threats that couldn't be dispatched in mere seconds.
A persistent unease gnawed at Orion. What if they encountered something even Hu Tao couldn't handle? The thought of putting her in danger because of his presence filled him with dread.
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End of chapter...