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They’d won the fight, but at the cost of a tragic loss.
A thick silence filled the air of Liyue Harbor.
The atmosphere was extremely heavy, everyone felt as if a massive weight was crushing them.
The sounds of the waves crashing, along with the numerous candle lights strewn about Feiyun Slope and Chihu Rock, the cold air of the night.
It was a dark and depressing time for the people of Liyue...
… and it was an especially depressing night for Hu Tao.
It happened on a rainy afternoon. Rogue Fatui soldiers and Harbingers who betrayed the Tsaritsa stormed Liyue upon orders of an unknown god from Celestia. At the time, Hu Tao didn’t know why they attacked, but she should’ve known soon enough: Their orders were to kill the Geo Archon, Rex Lapis, who as it turns out was still alive, and to capture the outlander traveler, Aether, who happened to be residing in Liyue, recovering from injuries sustained battling the leader of the Abyss, his sister, Lumine.
Hu Tao had figured out quite a while ago that her most trusted consultant, Zhongli, was none other than Rex Lapis himself, however she wasn’t one to question the decisions, choices and actions of the gods of Teyvat, Rex Lapis included. It seemed rather odd to have an archon work under you, she thought.
Given the current situation, however, she had no choice but to warn her consultant.
Word got around quick, and all of Liyue Harbor’s Vision holders all gathered with one goal: Protect Aether, Zhongli and the people of Liyue. They got to evacuating every citizen to the same secluded area where Baizhu and Aether were.
The battle waged on. Aether may have been down and out, being taken care of by Baizhu in a secluded area of the Harbor, but Zhongli was healthy and could fight, which is what he did, revealing the truth that the Geo Archon was still alive and well. The Millelith were providing a great aid, the non-Vision holders holding their own against the Delusion-wielding Fatui soldiers. Beidou happened to be at the harbor at the right time and got to work, going toe-to-toe with one of the rogue Harbingers. Chongyun and Xiangling held their own against two of the rogue Harbingers, long enough for Xiao to swoop in and provide the exorcist and chef some aid. Hu Tao and Xingqiu were doing their best as a tandem, battling hordes of soldiers and easily defeating them.
They were eventually spread out, with more aid coming in the form of Scaramouche, Signora and Tartaglia; the only Harbingers who never strayed from the Tsaritsa after the unknown god offered a seat at Celestia to all eleven Harbingers.
As time went on, the damage to the city was evident. Bodies of the Fatui and the Liyue Qixing were sprawled out everywhere.
Hu Tao ended up inside Xinyue Kiosk, battling Dottore. As the fight went on, Hu Tao managed to blind his right eye, but he would return the favor by breaking her dominant arm. Just as he was about to deal a fatal blow to the director, Xingqiu yelled a rage Hu Tao had not heard from him before, and before her eyes, Xingqiu had tackled Dottore, continuing the battle Hu Tao had with the crazed Harbinger.
The young Guhua disciple staggered to his feet, obviously feeling the fatigue of nearly an hour of battling. Dottore struggled to get up on his feet, opting to balance himself on one knee and trying to regain some bit of strength back.
“Back off, you fiend.” Xingqiu growled at the Harbinger.
“Heh… Hehe… Brat… Of course there had to be a vigilante in this damn city just like in Mondstadt.” Dottore spat.
“So you’ve met Master Diluc…” Xingqiu spoke, sword currently in a defensive stance, keeping wary of Dottore.
“That doesn’t matter…” Dottore said, gathering enough strength to stand up. “I’ve had it with rich kids spoiling my plans.” The man lunged forward, sword positioned to impale Xingqiu’s abdomen, but the young vigilante telegraphed the attack, blocking the attack with his own sword.
The fight carried on, with Hu Tao looking on as she backed away, treating her right arm. The fatigue also got to her, with her unable to muster enough energy to at least launch a fireball using her vision to aid Xingqiu.
After some time, Xingqiu managed to bring Dottore down with a well placed parry, knocking the rogue Harbinger out. As he sighed in relief, he looked over to Hu Tao, his eyes widening at the sight of her broken arm.
“Director!” Xingqiu rushed to her aid. “Are you-”
“I’m fine, Master Xingqiu…” Hu Tao replied, breaking into a smile upon hearing his concern for her.
“That misshapen arm tells otherwise, my liege…” Xingqiu retorted with a little light-hearted banter. The two stared at each other for a while before breaking into a shared giggle.
“We best get going… the others still need our help.” The funeral director said as she stood up shakily, falling into Xingqiu’s arms in the process.
“No, hold on now… Let me try and heal you at least…” He grabbed her arm as carefully as he could. He managed to gather Hydro energy around his hand, enough to dampen the pain on her arm, but not enough to fully heal it.
“How does it feel?” The bookworm asked.
“It still hurts, but I think I can manage…” Hu Tao replied.
All of a sudden, the air around them started to feel cold. Both of them felt a chill start to creep up their spines.
Hu Tao looked behind Xingqiu… revealing Dottore had started to wake up, a Cryo Delusion in his hand.
“I’m not going down that easily, brat…” Dottore growled.
In response, Xingqiu rushed to attack Dottore, continuing their battle. Dottore had channeled the Delusion throughout his entire body and sword, each attack making the air inside ice-cold. Hu Tao immediately got up to help her friend. Thanks to the healing she received, she was able to use her Vision and generated enough Pyro energy around her polearm. Together, they gave it their all in defeating the Delusion-powered Harbinger in the close quarters of Xinyue Kiosk…
… but the power of a Delusion was too much for them to handle.
Hu Tao was knocked back into the shelves, hitting her head hard and suffering a concussion. She could only make out blurry silhouettes of the Hydro swordsman duking it out with the Cryo-wielding Harbinger.
The sounds of swords clanging, icy winds whooshing by, intense sounds of water filled her ears, until…
“GAH!” Hu Tao heard Xingqiu groan, followed by Dottore saying...
“You’re finished…”
This was followed by a horrifying sound that she wished weren’t real. The sound of flesh being pierced.
“G-!”
“Hah… Haha… HAHAHA!”
Hu Tao’s sight came back to her, and what greeted her eyes was enough to confirm her worst fears.
Dottore had his sword impaled into Xingqiu’s body, piercing his heart. The madman had a crazed smile on his face. Xingqiu was stuck looking back and forth between Dottore and the sword impaled through him as blood started streaming out his mouth. His blue silk coat now had an eerie shade of red spreading all throughout the garment.
Xingqiu’s arms lowered, and along with this, came the drop of his sword. Dottore continued laughed maniacally as he pulled the sword out of the vigilante’s body and threw him to the floor.
“N… No…” Hu Tao couldn’t believe what she was seeing.
Xingqiu’s fatally wounded body was laid there, unmoving. Dottore continued eyeing his victim, his laughter dying down.
“Ha… Ain’t that a wonderful sight… To see your enemies down for the count, indefinitely…” He turned to Hu Tao.
What happened next was a blur for her. A blur out of rage, shock, grief, sadness. A rush of adrenaline coursed through her body, giving her enough strength to conjure an enormous amount of Pyro energy. With this, she rushed down on Dottore, her Pyro energy outclassing Dottore’s Cryo energy. Soon, the entire restaurant started catching flames. Dottore knew he had just escalated things between himself and these two and braced himself.
Hu Tao charged towards Dottore, the latter underestimating the power of the enraged director’s strikes. Fiery blow after fiery blow, Dottore was starting to feel the wrath that he had incurred.
The fight broke out into the main road of Feiyun Slope, where there were still handfuls of soldiers fighting one another. All soldiers from both sides, however, stopped and looked on at Hu Tao and Dottore, their elemental energy reaching an all-time high enough to warrant everyone to take cover and look on.
Dottore might not have been struck by Hu Tao’s attacks, however he himself wasn’t able to even get a bit of offense in, the sheer relentlessness of the young lady clad in black evident.
“For someone supposedly solemn, you sure have a lot of pent up emotion.” Dottore provoked. He couldn’t help himself.
Unfortunately for him, taunting his opponent wasn’t exactly the best choice, as Hu Tao surged with even more Pyro energy.
“I am not going to take your snide remarks. I am going to cremate you right here, right now.” Hu Tao growled as she continued her flurry of attacks, eventually overwhelming Dottore’s defense.
“Crossover!” Hu Tao yelled summoning her blazing spirit and dealt a final blow to Dottore. His clothes were charred black, his hands suffering burn marks and the mask he wore was burned off, replaced with a third-degree burn.
The Fatui soldiers that happened to be around them all immediately tried to attack her, but further waves of her Pyro-infused polearm were enough to terrify them into submission.
As she looked down on Dottore, she immediately reentered the building they were in. The flames from her Vision were starting to spread, and she had to get him out of there immediately.
“Please, don’t be… please…” Hu Tao shakily said to herself.
She entered the Kiosk, and immediately went over to Xingqiu.
“Xingqiu!”
No response.
“XINGQIU!” Tears started streaming down her eyes.
Before the building continued burning up, Hu Tao dragged Xingqiu’s near-lifeless body out the exit and propped him up so that he was leaning on one of the support beams of the other buildings.
“No… no… no…” Hu Tao tried everything she could think of to gain Xingqiu’s attention, even taking his own Hydro vision to try and cure him, but to no avail.
“H...Hey…”
Hu Tao gasped.
“X-Xingqiu?”
“...”
Xingqiu managed to open his eyes a little bit.
“Listen, you’ll be fine, you’ll be fine!” Hu Tao said, purely out of desperation, hoping that someone out there could actually do something.
“Th… This is it for me, Hu Tao… You… of all people… should know that…”
“NO! No! You don’t- You don’t deserve to die just yet!”
Xingqiu lifts a bloody hand up to Hu Tao’s face and caresses her cheek. A soft smile and a calm look etched his face. The young lady looked at Xingqiu’s eyes as she let out all her tears.
Eventually, the light in his eyes faded away as she felt his hand slowly leave her cheek and fall down to the ground.
Hu Tao reluctantly closed his eyes and rested her forehead on his, crying even more.
As the Fatui that surrendered were being rounded up, Chongyun and Xiangling arrived, checking to see what had happened with their two friends.
“Hu Tao! Xingqiu!” Chongyun ran up to Hu Tao, tailed by Xiangling, only to stop dead in his tracks as he noticed Hu Tao bawling her eyes out over the lifeless body of his best friend.
“N-no…” Chongyun dropped his weapon in shock as he approached the two of them. Xiangling looked on, her hands covering her mouth as tears started to form in her eyes.
“Hu Tao? Is… no… it can’t be!” Chongyun muttered.
All Hu Tao could do was look at Chongyun with teary eyes.
Never did Hu Tao imagine she would be dealing with this conundrum quite early into her life.
They were a day removed from the Fatui ambush. A day removed from the death of Xingqiu.
Hu Tao was reminded of a running gag amongst the four of them, alongside Chongyun and Xiangling. A dark running gag, but one that she enjoyed partaking in nonetheless. Hu Tao would often make dark jokes about how her friends wanted their funerals to be. Although Chongyun and Xiangling were obviously uncomfortable to reveal these details, Xingqiu had decided to reveal his, prompting Chongyun and Xiangling to think about theirs as well. She might’ve been playful in her approach to this question, but since she was the director of the Wangsheng funeral parlor, she took these ‘ideal funerals’ of her friends seriously, noting them down for the moment their time would come in the distant future.
Note, that she was only seeing these ‘ideal funerals’ as something to do in the distant future. Doing them now… was surreal.
She’s a firm believer of the idea that a proper service be held for the deceased, no matter who they were. However, she didn’t know if she had it in her to hold Xingqiu’s funeral properly. The fact that she believed it was a death he didn’t deserve was just more salt to the wound. She would’ve preferred to hold his funeral according to his own terms.
But thanks to those rogue Harbingers, that luxury was taken out the window.
She sat in her office, her right arm currently in a sling. Clutched in her other hand was a piece of paper that Xingqiu had written; his ideal funeral.
“A ship sailing across the seven seas,
A fire burning bright in the cold breeze.
A verse to keep me company out there,
With the cries of chivalry in the air.”
“Heh… typical Xingqiu…” Hu Tao playfully thought, a small smile etching her face which was immediately replaced by a solemn look. A tear threatened to break out from her eyes.
“Director?” A deep, husky voice called out from outside, bringing Hu Tao back to reality.
She turned to the entrance of her office, where her consultant, Zhongli, was standing.
“Ah, Mr. Zhongli…”
“You don’t need to call me by that name anymore, Director… You have discerned who I am after all.”
“I’ll stick with Zhongli… calling you Morax or Rex Lapis doesn’t have that much of a ring to it…” Hu Tao stood up from her seat to look out the window in her office. “What did you need?”
“... Everyone’s gathered at the plaza right by the Yuehai Pavilion. It’s time we head there.” The ex-archon said.
“...” The silence from Hu Tao caused Zhongli to sigh.
“You’re going to be alright, Hu Tao… I know you will.” He reassured the young lady.
“And if I won’t be? What then?” Hu Tao turned to him, her voice sounded close to breaking.
Zhongli simply stood there, looking off towards the side. He may have lived for millennia, but he knew since then that some questions simply cannot be answered.
After some moments of silence, Zhongli opted to leave Hu Tao behind for her to compose herself. “I’ll be off then, Director… we’ll see you there.” The consultant walked away from her office and out the funeral parlor.
Hu Tao looked back out the window seeing the man walk at a brisk pace, hands clasped behind his back. She then turned towards the night sky, a full moon shining down on the harbor, with Celestia just peeking out from behind the heavenly body.
She kept Xingqiu’s note in her robe’s pocket as she steeled herself for what was to come.
As she approached the Yuehai Pavilion, she noted who had showed up.
Her consultant and the ex-archon, Zhongli. Beside him is the young Fatui Harbinger, Tartaglia. Chongyun, Xiangling and Xinyan were standing beside each other by a silk flower bush, having a conversation. The three prominent figures of the Liyue Qixing, Ningguang, Ganyu and Keqing were huddled up in one group along with the other two Harbingers, Signora and Scaramouche. In another group were Aether and Baizhu. Qiqi was standing behind the herbalist and instantly tugged on his garments the moment her eyes met the funeral director.
Baizhu turned to Qiqi then towards Hu Tao.
“Director Hu Tao.” He solemnly greeted.
“Doctor Baizhu.” Hu Tao returned the greeting, surprised at how somewhat civil she was despite her hatred for the herbalist.
Everyone else turned towards Hu Tao, approaching her and forming a huge huddle around the plaza.
“Director Hu Tao.” Signora greeted the young lady.
“So, why have you asked all of us to gather here, Signora?” Ningguang asked. It seemed everyone was here on a short notice.
“On behalf of the Tsaritsa, we would like to extend our sincerest condolences for your loss.” The Fair Lady began. “We wouldn’t have imagined that such a wild-scale attack would occur yesterday.”
“Damn that Dottore… I knew he was bad news the moment I saw him.” Tartaglia muttered under his breath. He gasped at his own words, turning to look at everyone. “Apologies… I guess my inner dialogue slipped out.”
“There’s no need to worry about it, my friend.” Zhongli replied. “As a matter of fact, I believe I’m the one who’s supposed to take the blame for all this. I endangered all of you by feigning my death, and further endangered you all even after my fake passing.”
“When you put it like that, aren’t I one to blame as well for summoning Osial?” Tartaglia jokingly replied, earning a deadly stare from Aether and Paimon.
“Regardless of whose fault it is, the damage to this prosperous city had been carried out.” Scaramouche spoke. “... and, as much as it pains me to say this, you have suffered not only a damaged city, but a loss of a dear friend.”
These words caused Hu Tao, Chongyun, Xiangling and Xinyan to flinch. Scaramouche may not have meant for that to happen, but it stung.
“Scaramouche, I don’t think we should bring that up right now.” Aether spoke up.
“Paimon feels really bad though… Guhua Geek didn’t deserve that.” Paimon added, siding with Scaramouche.
A silence loomed over everyone else. No one had been able to process it properly, Hu Tao noted. It was expected that everyone would be stunned about it until now.
“I had the pleasure of meeting Master Xingqiu while I undertook on a covert operation here in Liyue. He was one of the few people to see through my facade, and for that, he had a soft spot in my heart… An extremely skilled fighter, and a likeable personality.” Tartaglia began, not speaking as the Harbinger Tartaglia, but as Childe. “I still remember the battle we had in the Feiyun Commerce Guild.”
Chongyun and Hu Tao both turned to look at the young Harbinger with surprise in their eyes. Childe noticed this and scratched his head. “Heh… he really did love to keep a good secret.”
“Well… it’s not the first. His family only thought he performed martial arts for show.” Chongyun added. “Sure, he was extremely skilled, but they didn’t think much of it. The one thing I wasn’t counting on was him actually heading out there resolving matters with combat.”
“Xingqiu was skilled in that regard…” Keqing spoke up. “It was an admirable way of going about things…”
Eventually, their huddle broke into various anecdotes of their time with Xingqiu. Sometimes they would break into laughter remembering the happiest memories. Sometimes they’d be in awe of the stories that one hadn’t even heard of.
While all this happened, Hu Tao simply stood back, looking on. She tried to get into it, laugh along with them, be inspired by the stories… but she just couldn’t.
It still hurt.
“Hu Tao, I’d like to have a word with you.” Baizhu went off to the side and grabbed her attention. She eyed him for a short while before deciding to tag along with him to another part of the plaza.
“What is it you want, Doctor Baizhu?”
“How are you holding up?” Baizhu asked, sincerity hinted in his voice.
“I’m fine, Doctor Baizhu, there’s no need for you to be worrying on my behalf.” Hu Tao let out a slight chuckle.
“Unfortunately, that’s not what I see, Director…” Baizhu bluntly replied, with Hu Tao taken aback at the sudden shift in tone.
Baizhu sighed. “I had a moment to speak with Rex Lapis about how you’re doing, and I believe it’s clear that you’re the one that’s taking all this the worst. I can’t blame you… though, the two of us can’t help but feel worried for your well-being.” He gestured towards her slinged arm.
Hu Tao simply looked off to the side. Out of all people to call her out for her behavior right now, it had to be this man.
“There’s… one other thing I wanted to speak to you about.” The doctor said.
“... What is it?” Hu Tao saw no choice other than to entertain his topic.
“Well… you of all people know what my ultimate goal is: I seek to prolong my life… and I have to say, I am inching closer and closer to that dream. I figured… maybe there could be a chance we could push this medicine to its limits and potentially… resurrect someone.” Baizhu explained.
Hu Tao scoffed. “No.”
“Hm?”
“No!” Hu Tao raised her voice a bit. “Listen, Doctor Baizhu… I know where you’re going with this discussion, but I refuse.”
“Director, you of all people should know that his death was ill-timed. Undeserved.” Baizhu retorted. “If you ask me, I believe this is the way we do things. We’re already at war with a god from Celestia, I think we should push beyond our limits.”
“And I think you’re out of your damn mind to think that you’re any better than that maniacal god!” Hu Tao clapped back.
At this, Qiqi clung harder onto Baizhu’s garments. Hu Tao could only imagine what must be going through the zombie’s mind…
…
Qiqi… zombie…
This discussion with Baizhu had disgusted Hu Tao.
As much as she believed Xingqiu had an untimely death, she refused to break the natural order of life and death. It was that same reason she had wanted to ‘seal away’ Qiqi after finding out she was a zombie.
Letting Qiqi live on was probably one of the hardest things for her to do… she may have finally agreed on letting the zombie girl run free and live the life she deserved, but to repeat it with Xingqiu felt like a violation.
Qiqi was the rare exception. Allowing Xingqiu to carry that privilege meant that if they both had that opportunity, everyone should as well. The least of her worries was the Wangsheng funeral parlor going bankrupt, but this was hardly important. What was important to her was that the mere thought of destroying the balance of life and death far outweighed everything.
This is why she can’t help but feel conflicted. Xingqiu was a near and dear friend, not only hers, but to everyone standing in this plaza right now. At the same time, it wouldn’t be fair to the rest of Teyvat.
Another thing to note was that this medicine Baizhu was creating probably wouldn’t even be enough to achieve a successful resurrection. If the adepti resurrected Qiqi but at the cost of her being a zombie, what would a mere mortal such as Baizhu achieve in performing such a feat?
“I just think it’s worth a try, Hu Tao…” Baizhu persisted.
“And I’m telling you you’re wasting your time, Baizhu. I can’t believe you, you know that?” Hu Tao started to feel a bit of rage boil in her.
“Come now, there’s no need for such hostility.” The herbalist tried to defuse the situation.
It was at this point everyone noticed the argument going on between these two opposing ideologies.
Chongyun and Xiangling ran towards Hu Tao, grabbing her uninjured arm and pulling her away from Baizhu.
“Hu Tao… this is hardly the time for this.” The exorcist tried to calm her down, but to no avail.
“No, it’s not. But this man is trying to deal with a problem that can’t be solved… I know he’s dead! I know I can’t do anything about it and I know that he didn’t deserve to die this young, there’s no need to rub it in.”
“Hu Tao…” Xiangling called out but before she could put a word in, Hu Tao continued her tirade.
“All of you aren’t any better… He just passed away and you were all laughing… Laughing!” Hu Tao continued. She was being irrational, she was starting to speak without coherent thought, contradicting statements left and right.
“Hu Tao.” Aether called out. “Please… stop this… you’re being emotional…” He said.
“... Aren’t you all as well? Why is it that I feel I’m the only one taking his death hard? Don’t you feel the same as I do?”
“What? Hu Tao, you must be joking… You really think we don’t feel the same as you do?” Xinyan spoke her two cents.
“Xingqiu held a spot in our hearts… We wouldn’t be here if we hadn’t cared for him.” Ganyu added.
Hu Tao didn’t realize the tears that streamed down her face. Damn it… damn it all…
After a while, she composed herself, wiping her tears with her sleeve and began speaking.
“I… I’m sorry… for that…”
“I’m sorry as well…” Baizhu followed. “I… I wasn’t thinking rationally when I decided to speak to you about that…”
“... I understand where you’re coming from, Doctor, but… but you must understand that this situation isn’t something we can simply… reverse…” Hu Tao continued.
She then decided to pull out the piece of paper she had kept in her coat. She read the poem written in it out loud. As she did, everyone else knew exactly what it was.
“This is what Xingqiu wants… and it’s our duty to make sure we fulfill this wish.”
Everyone began to look at each other, nodding in agreement at what needed to be done.
They were gonna hold Xingqiu’s funeral.
Everyone had gathered at Guyun Stone Forest.
The rock formations of what used to be Rex Lapis’ spears still managed to awe everyone, minus Zhongli, who simply reminisced about the times of the Archon war.
The citizens of Liyue, alongside Xingqiu’s family, stayed by the shore, each of them carrying a candle.
All Vision bearers have gathered at the highest point of the god-made archipelago, looking on at the scene below them.
There was a ceremonial ship prepared on the shoreline closest to them. On the ship was the body of Xingqiu, wrapped in a white silk cloth. Dozens of items were also laid inside the ship, all of which were memorabilia and items that held a significance for him: Complete volumes of book series he’s read throughout the years, drafts of poetry he had written during his spare time, his trusty sword, and the Hydro vision he used to perfection.
As the rest looked on, Beidou spoke.
“Hey, Morax…”
“Hm?”
“I wanna personally thank you for giving Xingqiu his vision.”
“Hm…” Zhongli hummed affirmatively. “Bestowing upon Xingqiu a Vision was probably one of the best things I’ve done as an Archon. A chivalrous heart that never faltered. A never-ending sense of loyalty to the side of justice. A skilled warrior and a skilled versemonger. A perfect vessel to channel a Hydro vision. Wouldn’t you agree, Director Hu Tao?”
“Aiya, Mr. Zhongli… I wasn’t expecting you to mention my name…” Hu Tao let out a small smile. “But, I agree…”
She looked on towards the ceremonial ship, watching as each civilian placed their own gifts for the young vigilante. Memories of her time with Xingqiu flooded her mind with each passing second, all the times they spent trying to best the other in a verse battle, the times where they inspected the homegrown silk flowers and glaze lilies in the city, the times where he’d accompanied her to the mountains of Jueyun Karst whenever she felt like going, the times where they fooled around, pranking every single one of their friends in Liyue.
…
…
“I regret not telling him I love him.”
These words made everyone around her turn towards her, Chongyun and Xiangling looking especially surprised, followed by looks of sadness.
As more silence continued being the trend going on in their little circle, Xinyan closed the gap between herself and Hu Tao, placing a comforting hand on her right shoulder and rubbing it gently. “You’re alright… and if you’re not… you will be.”
“... I know.” Hu Tao fought a tear. She’d had enough of crying. She was going to honor his death.
The last gift had been placed by Xingqiu’s family: a simple Kamera photograph with him in the center. They had one moment of peace, comforting each other before turning towards the vision users above them.
“Xiao… you may have the honors.” Zhongli stood back, allowing Xiao to take center stage.
“May your soul be protected from all that is evil.” Xiao muttered as he performed a protection chant alongside Chongyun. He used up a small amount of Anemo energy to push the boat into the water and out to sea within seconds.
Afterwards, Childe and Ganyu readied their bows, arrows currently aimed at the boat. Xiangling used her vision to light the arrows up.
Both archers steeled themselves.
As all this happened, every vision holder recalled the verses they had written for Xingqiu.
“I didn’t really get to know you that much, kid, but you’ve got heart. The Crux Fleet would’ve loved to have you on board.” -Beidou
“I never told you this, but your literary works were always a pleasure to read during my rest. Now, it’s your turn to rest peacefully, Raincutter…” -Ganyu
“I would’ve enjoyed working with you on handling Liyue’s affairs. Do not worry, I’ll take good care of your family.” -Ningguang
“We’ll miss out on a great heir to the Feiyun Commerce Guild. Your justice and the legacy you’ve left behind will be remembered, Disciple of the Guhua clan.” -Keqing
“Medicine was meant to help those that need it, and I whole-heartedly regret not being able to help you in your moment of need. For that I apologize. I will be continuing making medicine for the people that do need it, in honor of your chivalry.” -Baizhu
“You were a good person and I’m happy that I still remember you.” -Qiqi
“As someone who has spent thousands of years battling demons, I have to say, for a human, you did well defending the people of Liyue. For that, I respect you.” -Xiao
“Just like how my music reached the hearts of people, your morals have touched the souls of everyone. I’ll miss you, partner… oh… and sorry for those times I made a racket while you were busy reading a book.” -Xinyan
“I’ve had the pleasure of engaging in combat with you and I will remember you as one of my best adversaries. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure justice is served to those who deserve it.” -Childe
“I made the right choice bestowing a Vision upon you, Xingqiu. You will live on in our memories.” -Zhongli
“I’ll miss cooking those specialty parcels of yours with you. We’re gonna miss you, Xingqiu.” -Xiangling
“Thank you for everything and most of all, for being my best friend.” -Chongyun
“Xingqiu, wherever your soul is right now, I hope my words reach you. I love you… and when I die, we’ll meet again in the afterlife and I’ll say it to you properly over there.” -Hu Tao
At that moment, Childe and Ganyu released their fiery arrows, striking the boat at a perfect angle, setting the entire thing ablaze in the cold night sky.
His ideal funeral, done splendidly, thanks to Hu Tao and everyone else involved.
They reflected about their time with Xingqiu a little bit more, looking on at the blazing ship.
After a couple more minutes, all vision holders, minus Hu Tao and Childe, along with everyone else, left the archipelago and went back to Liyue.
“You’re going to fight, aren’t you?” Childe asked the director.
“It’s pretty obvious, isn’t it?” Hu Tao replied as she turned to look at the Harbinger.
At the same time a portal opened up behind them. Out came Aether & Paimon, Signora and Scaramouche.
“Any leads?” Childe asked.
“We’ve heard rumors of two of our old allies forming a resistance in Natlan… I think it’s time for some payback…” Scaramouche replied.
“No, we’ll gauge the situation first. I’d prefer not to face them head-on.” Signora disagreed with the purple-haired Harbinger.
“Come on, Signora, you’re killing me here… It’s in Natlan of all places! An opportunity for me to get stronger despite my Hydro handicap.” Childe smirked.
“No, Childe… even if you powered yourself with your Electro Delusion, I’m not going to risk us losing more people.” Aether said. “It’s not that I don’t believe in your strength, it’s just that I agree with Signora more… we’d have a better chance biding our time and assessing the situation.” He continued.
“Yeah! Oh, also, Aether’s sister is starting to become even more dangerous! We’re actually heading to Mondstadt to see if the Knights of Favonius need any help regarding the Abyss!” Paimon added.
“I agree.” Hu Tao spoke up. “We also have a city to fix.” The director gestured towards the ruined sight of Liyue Harbor, thanks to the battle they had. They had to turn some buildings into makeshift prison cells for Dottore and the rogue Fatui soldiers.
Childe gave out a sigh of disappointment. “Alright, alright, I see your point… If that’s the case, do you mind if I accompany you to Mondstadt, Aether?”
“No problem.” Aether replied.
“We’ll report back to the Tsaritsa.” Signora and Scaramouche left through the same portal they entered. Aether, Paimon and Childe began running down the spear-turned-mountain, eventually turning into a Hydro bubble that travelled at a high speed, passing over the seas of Liyue.
Hu Tao turned back to the sea, seeing the faintest sight of the ceremonial ship Xingqiu was buried in making its way into the waters of Inazuma. She steeled herself before leaving Guyun Stone Forest, with a brand new determination inside her.
Months have passed, and their battle against the unknown god was reaching a climax. They were already so close, Hu Tao could feel it.
Currently, Liyue Harbor has returned to its normal state. The buildings were all fixed, with some modifications in the city to make prison cells for war criminals. Security was tighter than ever, with some of her friends even working together with the Millelith, notably Chongyun, who had doubled the time on his patrols ever since Xingqiu’s death. Ningguang had also expended some of her income to create a sturdier Jade Chamber, one that not only focused on the business transactions occurring within the harbor, but also the welfare of its people.
Though, something felt incomplete…
…
Yeah… Hu Tao had not completely moved on from his death.
“Achoo!”
“Hm… I don’t suppose it’s time you pay Doctor Baizhu a visit for that cold? It’s worsening by the day, Director.” Zhongli worryingly said.
“Aiya… a god fearing a cold?” Hu Tao playfully teased.
“No. I don’t have such a weakness, unlike a certain god from the city of Freedom.” His face soured.
“Don’t be like that, Venti’s practically the only one you can talk to when it comes to being grandpas of Teyvat!” Zhongli simply growled at Hu Tao’s remarks.
“I am serious though, Hu Tao… That’s been going on for almost two weeks now.”
“... Alright, alright, guess I can’t help it if a god is worrying for me…” Hu Tao stood up from her seat and went for the door. “I’ll leave you to handle the matters of the funeral parlor while I’m out. Toodle-oo!”
In the end, Hu Tao wasn’t even able to get a prescription from the herbalist. Instead, the herbalist left Qiqi in her care while he went on an ‘important meeting’, and as usual, it didn’t come without dismay on the zombie’s part. Hu Tao didn’t seem to mind the hostile nature of Qiqi nowadays. She just opted to give the zombie her ‘cocogoat’ milk and enjoyed the small moments of trust Qiqi would have for her, before she would forget it again.
Eventually, more customers started to show up, and without anyone manning the pharmacy, Qiqi was forced to try and give out prescriptions to the people. Hu Tao would’ve done it in her stead, but her knowledge on medicine was limited and she’d instead make Bubu Pharmacy bankrupt while simultaneously earning income for Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
The zombie girl was able to manage giving out the right prescriptions for the customers, deciding to reward herself by performing some aerobics to prevent rigor mortis from setting in.
Until…
“Is a Director Hu Tao in here?”
Hu Tao turned towards the entrance of the pharmacy, coming face to face with a young man with long blonde hair and teal eyes. His white coat was adorned with golden patterns that hailed from... Khaenri’ah. Underneath was a blue shirt and black shorts and boots. He was also carrying around with him something, a canvas of sorts?
“That’s me.” Hu Tao greeted the boy.
“Ah… hello… My name is Albedo. I’m the Chief Alchemist and Investigation Team Captain of the Knights of Favonius back in Mondstadt. It’s great to finally meet you.” Albedo formally greeted, offering a handshake which Hu Tao accepted.
“Finally meet me? Those are some odd choices of words, Captain Albedo.” Hu Tao replied.
“No, I meant it… I’ve heard about you countless times… thanks to Master Xingqiu.” Albedo explained.
“Xingqiu? You… you knew Xingqiu?” Hu Tao was surprised. She didn’t know Xingqiu had friends in the neighboring nations.
“I worked on the illustrations for his book, “A Legend of Sword”. Last I heard, it’s gained quite a traction in Inazuma and Fontaine.” Albedo mentioned. “But I’m not here to talk about that… I’m here to talk about… his passing.”
Hu Tao went silent. This young man must have found out just now about the death of a mutual friend. She intently listened to what Albedo had to say.
“I would like to offer my sincerest condolences for the loss of your friend. I’ve visited your other friends as well as his family to say the same.” Albedo started. “I didn’t come here to just pay respects to our friend, but to give you this.”
Albedo handed Hu Tao the item he was holding. Sure enough, Hu Tao’s guess was right. It was a canvas covered with some fabric… but that could only mean a painting.
“May… May I see what’s inside?” Hu Tao asked the alchemist.
“You may… It is for you, after all…” Albedo reassured the director.
With that, Hu Tao began unveiling the canvas.
…
…
…
Hu Tao almost fell to her knees.
Her eyes started watering at the sight of what’s painted on the canvas.
It was a painting of her and Xingqiu. The painting depicted the two of them sitting side by side on the edge of a cliff in Mondstadt. Cecilia flowers were in the grass they were sitting on, and a beautiful full moon in the night sky.
“You… You made this?” Hu Tao asked.
“Yes. I have been urged by Xingqiu countless times to do this painting of him and you, telling me to add my own flair to it. So I decided to draw him and you on Starsnatch Cliff, considered by my people to be one of the most romantic spots in Mondstadt.” Albedo explained.
“But… how did you even know how to… draw me?”
“It’s simple. I just based your appearance off of the countless times he’s talked about you in detail. He really likes talking about you… It was one of the few times where I almost felt annoyed. Almost.” Albedo continued his explanation.
“Wh-why give this to me now?” Hu Tao started tearing up.
“Well… I assumed he was planning to give this painting to you some time back then. There’s also a note in the back of the canvas meant solely for you. Don’t worry, it’s readable. I made sure to transcribe his handwriting to the best of my ability.” The alchemist said.
Hu Tao flipped the painting. There was a piece of paper glued onto the back of it.
“Dearest Hu Tao,
How did you like my present? I had to keep this under wraps from Chongyun and the others, lest I wanted my secret to come out. The only person I could depend on when it comes to this was the person who made the painting.
As much as Liyue is my home, I really, really love Mondstadt. The place is such a breath of fresh air compared to our bustling city. To be honest, I’m really envious of Mondstadtians and I sort of wish I was born here, but that would mean I’d never have gotten to meet you.
Starsnatch Cliff. One of the most romantic spots in all of Mondstadt. I dream that one day, the two of us can go there and speak our verses in the moonlit sky, but until then, this is what I can give you.
It’s pretty obvious what this present means, don’t you think, Director? I am writing this letter in hopes of being able to spend time with you, alone together. And should you be reading this after you have answered my question, my next question is, should we walk along the mountains of Jueyun Karst or maybe try something new and visit Mondstadt for a couple of days?
Either way, it would be my pleasure and an honor, my liege.
Sincerely yours, Xingqiu.”
“Xingqiu… You didn’t even need to ask…” Hu Tao clutched the painting even harder, tears slowly coming down her face. Albedo looked on, sympathy in his expression.
“Thank you… Thank you so much for this, Captain…” Hu Tao lifted her head to look back at Albedo.
“You’re welcome, Director. Until then, I must be going now.” Albedo turned around and left the premises. Hu Tao looked back at the painting in her hand, finally dropping to her knees in the pharmacy as Qiqi looked at her with a confused stare.
Damn it… she was crying again… Xingqiu wouldn’t like seeing her like this, maybe he’d even make fun of her if he saw this.
…
Perhaps a walk in Wuwang Hill could clear her mind.
She left the painting in Zhongli’s hands, trusting his consultant to place it somewhere in her office where it would be perfect to hang.
Hu Tao walked at a brisk pace, desperately wanting to reach Wuwang Hill. She wanted her mind clear and she wanted it right now, so the faster she reached the ‘haunted hills’, the better.
The sun was about to set, a perfect time for her to leave Liyue Harbor and arrive at Wuwang Hill by nighttime.
This little journey she set about to do reminded her of the time she went to Wuwang Hill right after conducting the funeral of her grandfather. The memories of that impromptu journey still remain fresh in her mind. The countless hours she spent hoping to see the spirit of her grandfather, wandering about the ‘border’. The taunts of the lingering souls. The amount of her rations dwindling with each passing moment. The exhaustion that was setting in.
It was all coming back to her…
But this would not deter Hu Tao from having the breather she desperately needed.
Wuwang Hill had become somewhat of a comfort zone for her after coming to terms with her grandfather passing through the border with no regrets.
…
And she was certain Xingqiu was one of the few souls able to cross over with no regrets, no unfulfilled wishes and dreams.
What once took her a full two days to traverse only took a couple of hours for Hu Tao right now. She’d gotten so impatient that she decided to channel some energy from her Vision to increase her speed by a significant margin.
By the time she’d reached the pathway leading into Wuwang Hill, it was nearing midnight. Her friends back in Liyue should be pretty used to that by now, but knowing how much of a worrywart Zhongli seems to be as of late, they’re all probably worrying for her as well right now.
Maybe it wouldn’t have hurt to tell him where she was headed… as for what reason, however… yeah… though, it’s not like she needed to tell anyone. Besides, Zhongli was smart enough to know what she was doing right now after she handed him that painting.
Hu Tao took in a huge breath and steeled herself. She began venturing deeper into the foggy ghost town, trying to calm her senses.
The voices of long-lingering souls whispered in her ear, full of curiosity as to why this strange, young lady was visiting their domain yet again. Hu Tao simply paid no attention to them; she was no longer unfamiliar with these voices.
She approached the Hidden Palace of Zhou Formula, taking in the view of the moon in the night sky along with the wisps of blue light around the area. It was here that Hu Tao took a bit of her time to reflect on this area. The tragedy behind Wuwang Hill was something she was somewhat familiar with. The elemental energy that surged through this land saddened her, knowing that the energy was shimmers of the dreams of the young children that died here at the hands of a demon of old. Thanks to this knowledge that her grandfather had bestowed upon her, she knew not to fall victim to the energy within the land.
The shimmers of dreams that the children of Wuwang had…
Hu Tao wondered if Xingqiu would linger here…
“No. No, that’s impossible… He wouldn’t be here, he lived a life worth living…” Hu Tao told herself. She decided to take a rest on one of the chairs littered about the abandoned houses in the area.
“... This… This isn’t working…” Hu Tao cursed. She’d come here to try and clear her mind about him. She was tired of feeling helpless when it came to him.
…
“... Why can’t I just be at peace with myself?” Hu Tao closed her eyes, more whispers from the spirits lingering in the desolate site.
“She’s… tired…”
“My my, dear child… You can’t be… serious… walking around here… by yourself…”
“Get out… of here… I don’t want… the living… near me…”
“Don’t exorcise… us… please…”
“I wanna cross the… ‘border’... but I feel… incomplete…”
“... Hu Tao?”
…
“Huh?” Hu Tao’s eyes widened. One of the spirits around her said her name… How come? The souls that were here when she visited years ago have all crossed over.
“Huh… it really is you…” Hu Tao stood up from the chair, running into the pathway and looking around, still wondering where that voice was coming from…
… now that she thought about it, that voice…
…
“No… it… it can’t be him…”
Hu Tao kept looking around her frantically, muttering “please don’t be him”.
She then turned behind her…
Sure enough… there he was.
A visage, at first, but his form started to be clearer, revealing the detail in the clothing he last wore and his face.
It was Xingqiu.
“Hey…” His form greeted her. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it, my liege?”
Hu Tao approached his ghost, disbelief etched on her face. Her hands stretched outward to touch him, but they phased through.
“Hehe… I never expected you to forget that ghosts aren’t tangible matter, Director…”
“... Xingqiu?” Hu Tao managed to break out.
“It’s me, Hu Tao… no afterlife trickery… no mind games…” Xingqiu reassured the young lady.
“Ha… Haha…” Hu Tao broke into a laugh of relief. This went on for a while until her laughter died down, replaced by a frown.
“How is everyone doing back at the harbor?” XIngqiu asked.
“We’re… we’re doing great… we’re starting to gain an edge against that god from Celestia.” Hu Tao replied. It had been so long since she smiled genuinely for a long period of time. All it took was a conversation with a friend who had passed away…
… she really did love him.
“That’s really great to hear…” Xingqiu nodded.
“By the way…” A solemn expression took over his face. “I have to say… you did a fantastic job holding my funeral. It was everything I ever wanted…” Xingqiu smiled.
“Well, you’re looking at the 77th Director of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. I take funerals seriously, you know?” Hu Tao bragged.
“I know… I know… I’m just expressing how much I loved it. Childe was a pleasant surprise.” Xingqiu added.
“Speaking of which, you never mentioned battling a Fatui Harbinger, not to mention, actually being a tough adversary for him as well.” The director noted.
“I didn’t wanna have to worry everyone… though, the secret’s out now.”
“Of course, such chivalry can only come from the one and only Guhua Geek, as Paimon liked to call you.”
Laughter from both of them. It was… refreshing… everything about this conversation felt like things were okay. As if all this war with Celestia nonsense wasn’t even a thing.
Hu Tao missed all this, and to experience it after she resigned herself to the thought that she would never be able to after Xingqiu’s death… it all felt surreal, but supremely satisfying.
It’s when it hit her.
She remembered not being able to see her grandfather because he’d already crossed the ‘border’, living a life of no regret.
Now that she’s here, and Xingqiu’s soul was right in front of her…
“Xingqiu… why… why do you still linger here?” Hu Tao spoke.
“Well… it’s… kind of an embarrassing reason, now that I think about it.” Xingqiu replied. “But… yes… it is a huge regret of mine.”
…
“Apart from not being able to help you guys against Celestia…”
…
Xingqiu sighed.
“I regret not being able to tell you I love you back when I was alive.”
…
“Oh…” Hu Tao blushed. Eventually, she let out all the cries she held back, allowing herself to be vulnerable in front of the spirit of her friend. Xingqiu looked on, feeling sorry that he had to die that time.
“I’m… I’m so happy… to see you but… but… I’m sorry you didn’t even get to live the life you wanted.” Hu Tao bawled.
“It’s not your fault, Hu…” Xingqiu comforted her. “You’ve already fulfilled my ideal funeral, and you’re doing everything you can to make sure my death isn’t in vain. For that, you don’t have to feel helpless. For that, you don’t have to feel worthless. I really love you for that. There’s no need for you to cry anymore.” He tried to wipe away her tears, but to no avail. Hu Tao noticed this and decided to take it to her advantage.
“Hehe… did you forget that ghosts aren’t tangible?” Hu Tao managed to let out a joke, to which Xingqiu chuckled in return.
“I… received a painting from a Captain Albedo from Mondstadt…” Hu Tao mentioned, managing to compose herself. Xingqiu looked on, his eyes widening a little bit.
“I love it.” Hu Tao smiled.
Xingqiu was surprised, but eventually, he smiled back. “I’m… I’m glad you like it…”
“And for an answer… well, I suppose we are spending time together already…” Hu Tao added.
“I’m really sorry we couldn’t do this in Jueyun Karst or at Starsnatch Cliff…” Xingqiu apologized, much to the dismay of the director.
“You really shouldn’t be apologizing. I got to spend time with you right now, that’s more than enough for me.” She explained.
“Hehe… well, I don’t suppose you could stay for a few more moments to engage in a poetic spar then, my liege?” Xingqiu asked as he walked along the path, offering his hand in a gesture for her to tag along.
Hu Tao smiled widely as she tried to fit her hand in his incorporeal form. “With pleasure, my dear Xingqiu…”
When Hu Tao returned to Liyue, one could not help but notice that she had a bit more spring in her step.
This elicited confusion amongst her peers, notably Chongyun, Xiangling and Zhongli.
When questioned about why she’d suddenly disappeared in the middle of the day and about her spontaneous jovial nature by the three of them, they all expected her to just give a very ‘Hu Tao-like’ answer.
To their surprise, she responded with:
“Oh? It’s nothing… just
a moment of solitude
…”