"Hm, what Consultant Zhongli said makes sense. Rather than waiting for others to give answers, it's better to seek them out yourself." Xingqiu nodded.
"Qingce Village… now that I think about it, this Hall Master only goes there when there's business and has never properly admired the scenery of Qingce Village." Hu Tao agreed with the suggestion.
Then she looked at Zhongli: "Consultant, since you were the one who brought it up, you'll be coming along too, right?"
"When the Director invites, I naturally won't decline." Zhongli accepted Hu Tao's invitation.
"Oh~ Looks like there's a new adventure. Take us along—we're veteran adventurers!" Paimon cheered, requesting to join.
Lumine nodded: "I'm curious about the Qingce Sword Immortal too."
"Two managers." Ning Yao walked over at this moment. "If the two managers wish to go adventuring, this humble one naturally has no objections—after all, you are free during closing hours.
"However, it's almost time to open for business. Aren't the two of you going to prepare for receiving guests?"
"Ah! I accidentally lost track of time!" Paimon widened her eyes.
So Lumine and Paimon agreed with everyone to meet at Qingce Village in three days, then followed Ning Yao back into Fengdeng Lou to prepare for the new day's business.
[Sister Yao feels more like the manager than we do.]
[I feel like Sister Yao just purely doesn't want to do extra work, so she's acting as a hands-off manager.]
——Reality
Little Gui put down the chips in her hand: "We've already reached the key part, and it cuts off here!"
Helpless, Little Gui could only go wash her hands, then come back to continue managing her Fengdeng Lou.
At this point, she was no longer as eager as before to do Jun Bai's Story Quest.
Because in Little Gui's view, this segment of the plot was itself part of Jun Bai's Story Quest.
Thus, after very cautiously securing all the Primogems for the next three days, Little Gui finally entered the second part of the event's story.
——Teyvat
After finishing midday business, Lumine and Paimon used the Teleport Waypoint to arrive at Qingce Village and meet up with Hu Tao's group.
"Sorry we're late—business was really good today." Paimon apologized to the group that had clearly been waiting for a while.
"Understandable—after all, it's Fengdeng Lou." Xingqiu said. "Lately Xiangling has been telling me nonstop that Fengdeng Lou's kitchen is way busier than Wanmin Restaurant—she's been so busy her feet don't even touch the ground every day."
"Sigh, if one day Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's business could be like Fengdeng Lou's…" Hu Tao began fantasizing.
Zhongli calmly said from the side: "Director, by common rational standards, that day had best never come."
Wangsheng Funeral Parlor dealt in funeral services—if business exploded, could that be a good thing?
Just like Bubu Pharmacy—if one day the entire hall was filled with people seeking treatment from Bubu Pharmacy, would Baizhu be happy or dejected?
[Wangsheng Funeral Parlor business exploding like Fengdeng Lou's—peak Genshin dark humor.]
[With Fengdeng Lou's foot traffic applied to Wangsheng, Liyue would basically be a nation of the dead.]
"Consultant, you make a good point. Then let's change it to: the number of people pre-booking services at Wangsheng matching the number going to Fengdeng Lou." Hu Tao rephrased for herself.
Zhongli: "…"
At least it was just pre-booking services—that was acceptable.
"You two, there's still one friend up ahead. May I go pick him up first?" Xingqiu asked.
"Xingqiu's friend is our friend—why don't we all go pick him up together?" Paimon suggested.
"That would be excellent. What does Director Hu think?" Xingqiu asked, looking toward Hu Tao.
"You're going to pick up Chongyun, right?" Hu Tao said with hands on hips. "Isn't this redundant? It's like you're saying Chongyun isn't my friend."
Zhongli… since the Director had no objections, he as a consultant naturally had none either.
The suggestion passed, and the group went forward together to find Chongyun.
"Evil spirits, begone!"
A sharp shout accompanied by a surge of Cryo energy came from ahead on the road.
The appearance of this shout caused Xingqiu and Hu Tao's expressions to change simultaneously. They immediately drew the Flying Sword and Staff of Homa respectively and rushed forward.
Their reactions made Lumine and Paimon instinctively follow.
Suddenly, Lumine paused her steps, glanced back at Zhongli behind her, and her sprinting pace instantly stopped.
With this person here, basically nothing would go wrong—she had been overly worried.
[The protagonist's expression goes from panic to calm with just one glance—the root cause being that elderly man strolling like it's nothing.]
[In-game, the sense of security from Zhongli is reassuring; in the story, Rex Lapis's combat power similarly cures all disobedience.]
Paimon had originally wanted to urge Lumine to hurry up, but when she turned around she saw Zhongli casually walking.
Paimon: Suddenly feels like not catching up is fine.
The peak military strength of the Archon War was right here—if Xingqiu and Hu Tao could still be in danger, then the Archon War could restart.
Flames, water, and ice—the auras of three elements came from ahead. Lumine and Paimon quickened their pace with Zhongli, then arrived at the combat zone up front.
Hu Tao and Xingqiu stood on left and right respectively—one with flames coiling around the Staff of Homa in her hand, the other surrounded by swirling water swords.
A blue-and-white short-haired youth stood in the middle between them, dressed in exorcist Daoist robes, gripping the Prototype Archaic, surrounded by swirling Cryo energy—he must be the "Chongyun" Xingqiu mentioned.
The three of them were currently facing a group of hilichurls head-on.
Lumine drew the Sword of Dawn and joined the battlefield. Zhongli stood to the side ready to act, while Paimon… cheered them on.
A group of hilichurls, plus some hilichurl berserkers, were utterly no match for the four.
Lumine was a veteran adventurer who had faced Osial and fought Fatui Harbingers—her record spoke for itself.
Chongyun was an exorcist who had trained rigorously for years, mastering techniques to subdue demons and vanquish evil.
Xingqiu was a chivalrous swordsman who had learned the secrets of the Guhua School, with martial prowess surpassing his peers.
Hu Tao was the Director of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, who not only dealt with spirits daily but frequently handled traces left by god remnants.
Honestly, any one of these four could solo wipe out a hilichurl tribe. Now all four were attacking together.
Hilichurls: You're giving us way too much credit!
Soon, the group of monsters that had originally surrounded Chongyun were all sent back to the Ley Lines for eternal rest.