The two walked on, with only the rustling of leaves underfoot echoing incessantly through the forest.
Only when they reached the boundary between yin and yang, before that gate, did Hu Tao finally stop, hesitating as she looked at the pitch-black door before her.
"Director Hu, go ahead."
Rover slowly drew his blade, the aura of Havoc seeping from its edge, causing the surrounding spirits to scatter in fear. His cold demeanor as he guarded the entrance made him seem like an icy god of slaughter.
"Alright."
Hu Tao pushed open the door. It was light—just a slight force was enough to swing it wide.
Stepping inside, there was only void. After what felt like an eternity, Hu Tao seemed to hear an ethereal song, and then her vision gradually cleared.
The courtyard from her memories, the plum blossoms, the fan... and... Grandpa.
Hu Tao lowered her head, only able to see the dirt beneath her grandfather's feet, mixed with a tattered plum blossom petal.
"Little Hu Tao, long time no see?"
The moment Grandpa spoke, Hu Tao's vision blurred. She lifted her head.
Grandpa looked just as he did in her memories, while she had long since begun crying uncontrollably, tears streaming down her face.
"Yeah, I'm here."
Hu Tao's voice choked up. She stared blankly at the old man before her, all the words she had prepared vanishing in an instant. When she truly faced him, she realized she was just like a child again—panicked and lost.
His kind face flickered faintly. He reached out, his wrinkled hand trying to wipe away her tears, but Hu Tao didn't move.
Biting her lip, Hu Tao fiercely wiped her own tears away.
"Grandpa, I know... I know this goes against the natural order of life and death. I... I just..."
Hu Tao wanted to continue, but Grandpa cut off her self-reproach.
"Since when has Grandpa ever blamed you?"
The old man still wore the same smile as always, as if nothing in their shared memories had ever changed.
Hu Tao took deep, heaving breaths. As plum blossoms fell in the courtyard, the old man saw the resolve gradually hardening in her eyes.
"Grandpa."
Hu Tao's hoarse voice finally spoke. The old man remained silent, listening intently.
"I'll never forget—Wuwang Hill is the boundary between life and death. Back then, I had just finished holding your funeral. I always believed I would get to see you one last time.
"You told me that the spirits lingering in this world are those who cling to regrets or unresolved attachments. But no matter how hard I searched, I couldn't find you. That was when I realized... you had left without any regrets."
Finally, the old man spoke.
"So my little Hu Tao still couldn't let go of me?"
Hu Tao took the dim Vision from her waist.
"Ever since I saw you reappear a few days ago, I kept thinking... if... if the boundary between life and death blurred again, maybe I could bring you back to this world, keep you by my side forever?"
In her trembling hands, the dim Vision lay quietly, unchanged.
There were no words about life and death, no grand philosophies. The two of them, so familiar with death, simply savored this fleeting moment of peace.
"You've suffered a lot, haven't you?"
The old man glanced at Hu Tao's attire and couldn't help but smile.
"Can you come closer, let Grandpa take a good look at you?"
Hu Tao still didn't move. Pressing her lips together, she forced a smile uglier than crying.
"Before seeing you, I kept holding onto the hope that your spirit was still in this world. I thought... surely Grandpa would have regrets facing such a sudden death... Even though that little girl back then searched for days and nights and found nothing, deep down, I still clung to that sliver of hope.
"But now, even that hope is gone. Thank you... for letting me see Grandpa's face clearly one more time."
The old man fell silent. Finally, he spoke, puzzled.
"When did you realize?"
Hu Tao scrubbed furiously at her unstoppable tears, but for some reason, they kept flowing like they cost nothing.
"Because... Grandpa would never step on plum blossoms!"
The old man froze, then looked down and moved his foot, revealing the crushed petal beneath.
"Then... is there anything else you want to say to him?"
His tone was serene, as if he had already accepted everything.
"No."
Hu Tao turned her head away, not wanting to watch the old man disappear before her eyes.
After a long pause, Hu Tao couldn't hold back anymore. She turned, crouched down, buried her face in her knees, and sobbed.
"Little Hu Tao, I'm still here, you know? Don't leave yourself with regrets."
Hu Tao hurriedly stood up, but she didn't want her grandpa to see his granddaughter in such a state, so she chose not to look back at him.
"I know... I know... Right now, I should be smiling and saying goodbye to you...
"But... but I wasn't even ready for any of this...
"I've thought so many times... if only Grandpa could live to a hundred, he'd see the day I became the Director of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. He'd see the day his granddaughter could shoulder the responsibilities of the Parlor. But when you left... it was all so sudden."
Hu Tao's eyes were filled with confusion. Behind her, the old man chuckled softly.
"Do you remember what he told you?"
Hu Tao's eyes widened. Those sudden words struck her like lightning.
"Life and death follow order; fate is fickle."
To live when it is time to live, to die when it is time to die. Follow your heart, fulfill your duties—this was Hu Tao's principle as the Director of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
Instantly, clarity returned to Hu Tao's gaze. The blazing flames in her hand reignited, burning away the beautiful illusions of the past before her.
"Remember this: no matter when, no matter where, no matter the reason, one should never recklessly challenge death. Only by understanding it, respecting it, can one truly grasp the value of life."
The old man's words echoed endlessly through the space. Forcing a smile, Hu Tao turned and walked toward the other side.
Outside the gate, Rover swung his blade once more. A violet-black arc of light shot toward a vengeful spirit trying to break free. In an instant, a piercing shriek rang out—then silence.
All the spirits watched, not daring to move under Rover's cold, deathly gaze—until Hu Tao stepped out again.
"Thank you, Rover. It's time to end this. Since I opened the door, I should be the one to close it."
Hu Tao took a deep breath and pressed her hand against the door. In the final sliver of light before it shut, she thought she saw Grandpa smiling at her. Her hand paused.
"This time... it really is goodbye."
Hu Tao closed the door completely.
She knew tomorrow would be another day—and that was enough.
(Hu Tao's Story Quest: Complete.)