After venting her frustration, Hu Tao finally calmed down.
She looked at Su Ming and said, "You must be here for Zhongli, right? I'll take you in. Hopefully, they've finished their little meeting."
She leaned in close to Su Ming and asked, "Lord Sword Immortal, we're old acquaintances, aren't we?"
"Can't you give me some inside track?"
"Why is the Rex Lapis still having the Rite of Parting held for him when he clearly isn't dead? It's not like the old man would..."
Su Ming laughed. "First of all, don't call me 'Lord Sword Immortal.' While I admit I like the title, hearing a friend say it makes me feel incredibly awkward."
"Secondly, I don't have any 'inside tracks' per se, but I do know why the Rite of Parting is going forward."
"It was a personal request from Rex Lapis himself."
Hu Tao looked blank. "???"
"Did the old man drink too much? Who throws a funeral for themselves for no reason!?"
Su Ming chuckled. "Perhaps he has other plans and considerations in mind?"
"Besides, isn't the Rite of Parting proceeding normally good news for Wangsheng Funeral Parlor? At the very least, all the early preparations won't go to waste. You'll make a tidy profit and further establish the parlor's reputation."
A look of helplessness crossed Hu Tao's face. "Sigh... if he were actually dead, then yes, it would have that effect."
"But the old man is alive! Who knows how the ordinary people of Liyue will see this?"
As they spoke, Hu Tao led Su Ming and Shenhe into the depths of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
They navigated the corridors until they reached a reception room.
"Zhongli, several Adepti, Lumine, and Paimon are all inside."
"Thank you for leading the way, Director Hu."
"Don't mention it, it was nothing." Hu Tao waved her hand dismissively. "Alright, I'm going back to go through that guy Zhongli's expense reports. When I'm done with them, I'll dock his entire salary!"
Humming a little tune, Hu Tao trotted away, looking quite cheerful.
Once she was gone, Su Ming and Shenhe knocked on the door and entered.
Inside, the atmosphere wasn't as solemn as Su Ming had expected. Or rather, the discussion had already concluded.
"You've arrived? Please, take a seat."
Zhongli looked up as Su Ming entered and gestured toward two empty chairs. Lumine and Paimon, sitting off to the side, also greeted him.
Su Ming didn't stand on ceremony and sat down with Shenhe. He looked at Zhongli and asked, "I heard from Director Hu that you were discussing the Rite of Parting? Is everything settled?"
Zhongli gave a faint smile. "There was nothing much to discuss regarding the Rite of Parting itself. I simply gathered the Adepti to entrust them with a few matters."
"After all, the way things developed was quite different from what I had originally planned."
"Naturally, I had to make some adjustments to the arrangements following my abdication."
Then, he looked at Su Ming. "And what of you? What brings you here? Weren't you staying on Mt. Aocang for some peace and quiet?"
Su Ming smiled. "I heard from Shenhe that you were all swamped, so I thought I'd come by and see if there was anything I could help with."
"I appreciate the thought," Zhongli said with a nod. "However, the busiest parties right now are the Liyue Qixing and the Ministry of Civil Affairs."
"Between the repairs to the docks and the more troublesome task of salvaging the floating ice from the sea, these aren't matters that can be resolved in a day or two."
"Fortunately, the most difficult preparatory stages are over. Now, it is simply a matter of waiting for the staff from the Ministry and the adventurers hired through the Adventurers' Guild to finish the work."
"Of course, the Qixing will also be holding the Fatui accountable for their involvement in this incident."
"While the Fatui did not cause any severe harm to Liyue's safety this time, the act of forging the Sigil of Permission and attempted sabotage of the seal is more than enough for the Tianquan to make things very difficult for them."
Su Ming smiled after hearing this. "It seems there really isn't anything for me to do."
"That's fine. I'm happy to enjoy the leisure."
Lumine looked at him then and asked, "Su Ming, what... what are you planning to do next?"
"Next?" Su Ming saw the look in Lumine's eyes and read the unspoken meaning there.
"Next, I think I'll head over to Mondstadt. Since I have some free time, it's a good chance to see the sights of our neighbor."
"I've heard the wine there is excellent; I'd like to try it for myself."
"After Mondstadt, I'll probably head to Fontaine."
"The Hydro Archon actually sent an invitation to the Qixing, asking me over for a tea party or something of the sort."
"Since she's been so hospitable, it would be rude to refuse. But it isn't urgent, so I can take my time."
Hearing his answer, Lumine was visibly despondent. "I see... so, we're going to be separated for a while?"
Su Ming nodded. "Yes, but also no."
"I just remembered a few tricks. As long as I have a clear memory of a location, I can open a teleportation gate and go there."
"Like... this."
Su Ming opened a teleportation gate directly in front of them.
On the other side of the gate was Mt. Aocang.
This technique undoubtedly stunned everyone present, including Zhongli.
Seeing their shocked expressions, Su Ming didn't say a word but chose to prove it with action.
He stepped through the gate, pulled a fish out of Aocang Heaven's Pool, froze it, and tossed it back through to the other side.
Then he stepped back through and closed the gate.
"Just like that. Theoretically, there's no distance limit. I just need to have a strong enough impression of the destination."
"I can even pinpoint specific people."
He looked at Lumine and smiled. "So... if I want to see you, it only takes a few seconds."
Paimon's mouth fell open. "Whoa... with a skill like that, traveling would be so easy!"
Lumine asked softly, "So... you still won't be traveling with me?"
Su Ming gave her a gentle smile. "Lumine, everyone has their own journey. Everyone has their own plans."
"But I'll say it again... as long as I want to, or if you run into trouble and need help, I will be by your side."
"Here, take this."
Su Ming reached down and unfastened a bracer from his wrist.
This pair of bracers was actually a communication device he had crafted with Cloud Retainer several years ago, shortly after he had first gone up the mountain.
It was powered by Elemental Power.
For a long time, Su Ming had treated them as mere ornaments. It wasn't until he mastered the Edge of Taixuan and gained the ability to manipulate the free-floating Elemental Power in the air that they actually became functional.
At the time, he hadn't decided who to give them to.
But now, he had a fitting recipient.
"You... you're finally willing to give those things away?" Cloud Retainer asked, sounding surprised.
Su Ming laughed. "A communication device only works if two people have one."
"They look nice enough as a pair on my wrists, but in the end, they were just decorations."
"I'm giving this to you now. If you need me, just channel Elemental Power into it, and you can reach me."
Su Ming smiled and placed the bracerwhich was a bit too large for heronto Lumine's wrist.
Lumine gripped the bracer silently, her heart a whirlwind of emotions.
She desperately wanted to keep traveling with Su Ming, but she had already decided on her next destinationthe isolated archipelago nation across the sea, Inazuma.
It was a closed country, restricted by both the Sakoku Decree and the Vision Hunt Decree.
Given the vast distance, if she didn't set sail from a shipping hub like Liyue, her journey would be much longer and more circuitous.
Logically, going to Inazuma before visiting the other nations of the continent was the most stable path.
Furthermore, deep down, she felt a strange pull, a feeling that she had to follow a specific pattern in her journey through the seven nations.
It felt like intuition, or perhaps destiny, guiding her toward Inazuma.
She had to go there, even if it meant not following Su Ming on his journey.
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