Hearing someone call her name, Hu Tao paused and turned around.
She saw a graceful young woman in elegant opera attire.
It was none other than Yun Jin, the director and leading performer of the Yun-Han Opera Troupe, and one of Hu Tao's close friends.
Seeing her friend, Hu Tao walked over with a smile.
"Yun Jin! Long time no see! What brings you here?"
"I've run into a few problems while composing a new opera, so I thought I'd come chat with you."
Yun Jin smiled gently.
She and Hu Tao got along extremely well in private and often spent time talking together.
She also thought Hu Tao was an incredibly interesting person.
Every conversation with her always lifted her spirits.
"By the way..."
"Are you heading out somewhere?"
Yun Jin asked curiously.
From the looks of it, Hu Tao seemed to be on her way out.
"I'm going to Boss Han's manga shop."
"Want to come along?"
"You might even find some inspiration."
Hu Tao grinned as she invited her.
She felt that, with so many different manga in the shop, some of them might be perfect material for adaptation into opera.
And even if they weren't...
There were still the rewards.
She simply hadn't thought of inviting Yun Jin before.
Now that they'd met by chance...
She naturally wanted to bring her friend along to experience it.
"Read... manga?"
Yun Jin blinked in confusion.
What exactly was manga?
And how could it inspire her creative work?
Had Hu Tao stumbled upon something extraordinary?
"I'll take you there."
"I'll explain everything on the way."
Without waiting for a response, Hu Tao happily grabbed Yun Jin's hand and headed toward the manga shop.
Trusting her friend completely...
Yun Jin didn't object.
Along the way...
After listening to Hu Tao's explanation, she finally understood.
Hidden within one of Liyue's back alleys was a mysterious manga shop.
Simply by reading manga there...
Visitors could receive rewards originating from the stories themselves.
Sometimes the reward was an ordinary item.
Sometimes it was a special skill.
Sometimes...
It was overwhelming power.
According to Hu Tao...
Even Lady Ningguang and Lady Keqing had visited.
"So such an incredible shop has appeared recently..."
Yun Jin sighed in amazement.
She'd apparently spent so much time at the opera troupe that she'd completely missed everything happening outside.
She didn't doubt Hu Tao's story.
She knew her friend's personality.
Hu Tao could be eccentric at times...
But she would never joke about something like this.
"Xiangling even got an amazing cooking reward there."
"If you have the chance, you should visit Wanmin Restaurant."
"I promise you won't be disappointed."
Hu Tao smiled brightly.
She'd already tried it herself once.
Those glowing dishes had been unbelievably delicious.
Back then...
She'd even secretly taken several portions home thanks to her friendship with Xiangling.
"Then after we're done reading manga..."
"I'll definitely go."
Yun Jin nodded with a smile.
After hearing Hu Tao describe it so enthusiastically...
Her curiosity had been thoroughly stirred.
She could hardly wait to see this manga shop herself.
Noticing her anticipation...
Hu Tao picked up the pace.
Before long...
The two arrived in the secluded alley.
"So the shop is hidden here."
"I honestly don't know how you ever found it."
Looking at Solace Book House tucked away at the end of the alley, Yun Jin was astonished.
The place was simply too well hidden.
How many people would ever discover it by chance?
Probably only someone as unconventional as Hu Tao.
"Hehe..."
Hu Tao scratched her head sheepishly.
She still remembered that she'd originally come only because she felt sorry for the seemingly deserted bookstore and wanted to become its very first customer.
Instead...
She'd accidentally uncovered an enormous secret.
"But..."
"The bookstore doesn't seem nearly as large as you described."
Yun Jin looked around in confusion.
According to Hu Tao...
The manga shop covered several thousand square metres.
What she saw before her clearly didn't match that description.
"This is just the branch."
"Once we go inside, we'll be teleported to the headquarters in Mondstadt."
Hu Tao explained proudly.
She herself hadn't known that at first.
When she'd eventually learned the truth...
She'd been incredibly envious.
If only she possessed an ability like Boss Han's...
Wangsheng Funeral Parlor could open branches across all seven nations.
Business would practically walk through the front door by itself.
Still...
As long as she kept visiting...
Perhaps one day...
Even such an impossible dream might come true.
"So he possesses power on that level..."
"It seems this Boss Han is truly an extraordinary individual."
Yun Jin sighed with admiration.
A trace of reverence naturally arose in her heart.
"Don't just stand there."
"Come on!"
Hu Tao blinked playfully and pulled Yun Jin inside.
A flash of light...
And the two instantly arrived in a spacious, brightly lit shop.
"So this is what the manga shop looks like..."
Yun Jin looked around with curiosity.
It was exactly as Hu Tao had described.
The interior was enormous.
Strange posters decorated the walls.
Beautifully crafted figurines stood throughout the shop.
They looked so lifelike...
That Yun Jin almost wanted to take a few home.
"Those are called figures."
"They're characters from Boss Han's manga."
"You'll understand once you've read them."
Seeing where Yun Jin's gaze had settled, Hu Tao patiently explained.
"Come on."
"I'll introduce you to the boss."
Yun Jin nodded.
She was just as curious about the mysterious shop owner...
As she was about the manga itself.
"Welcome."
"Hu Tao... and Miss Yun."
Han Feng greeted them with a warm smile as they approached the counter.
"Hehe!"
"See? I'm pretty great, aren't I?"
"I even brought you a brand-new customer!"
Hu Tao leaned over the counter with a cheerful grin.
Although Boss Han was mysterious...
After visiting so many times...
She'd come to feel he was genuinely easy to get along with.
At the very least...
Unlike certain people...
He didn't recoil the moment he heard she was from Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
That was one reason she loved coming here.
"Then here's your reward."
"A drink."
Han Feng smiled as he conjured a cup filled with a white beverage and handed it to her.
"Mmm!"
"This tastes amazing!"
"What is it?"
Hu Tao's eyes sparkled after finishing the drink.
It suited her tastes perfectly.
"Papaya milk."
Han Feng smiled mischievously.
"There's a chance it'll turn you from a saint... into a Demon Queen."
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