Hu Tao adjusted the hat her grandfather had given her, now perfectly sized, and adorned it with a carefully dried plum blossom. In the illustration, Hu Tao, wearing the official hat of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, crouched in front of a stone lion, her smile as radiant as a flower while chatting with it, even "grooming" the stone lion's fur.
She had regained her quirky, mischievous charm. The good news was that she had new friends to play hide-and-seek with—Xiangling and others had become her companions.
The next illustration took us back to the border, where Hu Tao's expression was unusually serious, discussing the history of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor with the Traveler.
On the adjacent page, a memory was depicted: her grandfather recounting the same history to a young Hu Tao, who leaned back in her chair, deliberately rocking it, seemingly distracted. Back then, young Hu Tao didn't understand why her grandfather would tell this story so solemnly, or why he brought it up from time to time. Now, with the same solemn expression, she shared this story with the Traveler.
[Traveler, surprised: "I didn't expect you to tell such a serious story."] [Hu Tao, laughing: "Hahaha, this is the thing the old Director loved to ramble about the most. I think I tell it better than anyone!"]
The story concluded here, with two final illustrations: one capturing Hu Tao's beaming smile, and the other showing Zhongli's back, holding Hu Tao's Universe-Taming Talisman Hat in his hands. At first, Hu Tao's smile brought joy to everyone who saw it.
But now, looking at that same smile, there was an added layer of heartache. Surely, it was the same for Rex Lapis. In the future, this too would be a form of erosion.
Hu Tao snapped the book shut with a thwack, her face brimming with a mischievous grin as she looked at Lucian. "You saw this Director cry and dared to take a picture! Little Lucian, oh Little Lucian, looks like Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's business is about to +1!"
Beside her, Furina was still crying. She had initially wanted to comfort Hu Tao, but Hu Tao had already composed herself first.
At first, everyone saw Hu Tao's story and thought she was just a quirky, mischievous girl. But the latter part of this manga revealed her experiences. Beneath her playful exterior was an incredibly resilient heart. She was only thirteen at the time!
To think, when she inherited Wangsheng Funeral Parlor at thirteen, the first funeral she conducted was for her own grandfather. For someone without immense inner strength, how could they withstand such a blow?
Navia, who usually bickered with Hu Tao, was stunned. This experience, this personality—it was so much like her own! Navia wasn't much different. When she took over the Spina di Rosula, she was also young, and the first thing she did was hold her father's funeral and seek justice for him. Kamisato Ayaka felt uneasy too.
She and her brother had also lost loved ones at a young age and shouldered great responsibilities. She had wondered why she, someone unrelated to the story, was invited. Now she understood—it was because it would cut her deeply too. Was this kind of experience a prerequisite for being one of Lucian's "bosses"? Ayaka's gaze lingered on Lucian, her expression pitiable.
Thankfully, Lucian avoided her gaze, pretending to be an ostrich. With several "bosses" around him breaking down emotionally, what else could he do but play dumb? Navia, who shared a similar experience, could empathize with Hu Tao, but even those without such experiences could relate. The timing of this story was also clever.
Everyone had just finished reading the story about Bosacius and the others, a tale of parting and reflections on life and death. Hu Tao's story, by contrast, seemed to "deconstruct life and death." The two stories together added a new flavor.
Having just felt the sorrow of life-and-death farewells, Hu Tao's story taught everyone to face such partings without regrets. Xiao and Old Meng's stories both involved five people. The difference was that only one Yaksha survived, while in Hu Tao's story, only one person passed away.
The similarity was that both groups chased after the one who had left, finding closure only when they caught up. The five Yakshas had once gathered, sharing dreams of the future. But now, only Xiao, who "had no dreams," remained in the world. This comparison only deepened the sorrow.
In Mondstadt, Diluc closed the book. The "Bartender" rarely felt the urge to drink, but now he wanted a glass, reminded of his own youthful experiences. Like Hu Tao, young Diluc had been lively. Unlike her, after losing a loved one, Hu Tao remained cheerful.
Diluc, well… he was "cheerful" too—cheerful in the sense that he wanted to carve out a bright new world, "cheerfully." Ahem. In short, Hu Tao's story stirred many emotions in Diluc, leaving him in a low mood. Kaeya noticed this and handed him a glass. "This one's on you." Diluc took the glass, a one-pixel smile tugging at his lips. "Don't even think about it. Your drink's 1800."
Amber rubbed the book's pages, murmuring, "Grandfather…" Where are you, Grandfather? You're still out there, right?
Hu Tao's story and the Chasm's story—one about personal love, the other about universal love. One taught living without regrets, the other dying without regrets. Both stories spoke of friendship and family, truly complementing each other. After the sorrow of the Chasm's story, Hu Tao's "deconstruction of life and death" made the sadness feel less overwhelming.
No, it wasn't less sad—it had transformed into a lingering, resonant sorrow. Without the sharp highs and lows of intense grief, it was more enduring than a fleeting crescendo. It was like being stabbed and then given emergency treatment by the culprit. The wound would ache for a long time.
What's more absurd was that the two stories complemented each other without overlapping. One was the story of a "small family," the other of a "greater whole." They struck at the heart from two different angles, doubling the sorrow. Readers called out Lucian's relentless layering of emotional blows, daring him to keep going with more "life-and-death parting" stories. Lucian, as it turned out, was up to the challenge. His next book, already in progress, was titled Akitsu Kimodameshi Night Courage Test.
Lucian fled, using the excuse of writing his story, unable to bear the gazes of the "bosses." The others took the opportunity to discuss the courage test event. They agreed to hold a courage test for fun, and everyone was enthusiastic about it.
Hu Tao and Guizhong were especially excited, itching to start right away. However, with so many participants, they might need to invite more people, so they needed to carefully plan the time and location. A courage test was more fun with people playing ghosts than relying on real ones, so they began dividing into groups. But none of that was the main point. The real focus was Lucian's courage test story.
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Character Voice · Navia: About Hu Tao
"Such experiences, such strength—hahaha, I really like her."