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Hu Tao trudged through Liyue Harbor, hugging a framed photo of her grandfather. She still remembered all the stories he’d tell of the days before Wangsheng Funeral Parlor went out of business. How he could communicate with spirits, knew the secrets of exorcism, and how their bloodline assisted the yakshas in ancient times.
Hu Tao came to a stop before the Civil Ministry of Affairs. Two lion statues flanked the entrance, her beloved Whiskers and Mittens. Her grandfather said Liyue stone statues were adepti who begged Rex Lapis to turn them into stone to gain immortality and forever serve him.
Hu Tao bowed her head. Her grandfather’s voice echoed in her mind. “There is nothing nobler than the yaksha who dedicate their life to the protection and care of Liyue. If only I could help somehow…”
Inhaling, Hu Tao closed her eyes and balled her fists.
Grimacing, Xiao massaged his shoulder as he crossed the bridge leading to Wangshu Inn. Lochfolk oceanids swam through the water. The massive tree Wangshu Inn rested on towered over the plains. Overhead, the starry night sky twinkled. Wind spirits chased each other around the trunk. Seelie bobbled on the breeze like will-o’-wisps. From the wraparound deck at the tree’s base bustle, music, laughter resounded.
The memory of Bosacius’ voice whispered to Xiao. “See? What did I tell you? We made it back in one piece.”
Xiao glanced behind him. Only the empty expanse of Guili Plains stretched out before him. The wind blew, carrying a chill. Shoulders braced, Xiao trudged towards the inn.
A maelstrom of noise swirled around Xiao. Oni beat drums while youkai danced. Aranara, Arapas, offered soup to passersby. Qilin, mythical creatures similar to unicorns, munched on silk flowers. Dressed in hanfu, adepti attendants flitted here and there serving tables. A couple of ghost children ran around, squealing and laughing.
“Conqueror of Demons!”
Xiao turned. Ganyu stood by the steps leading to the deck, packages in hand. “Greetings. I—” Ganyu narrowed her eyes at the mechanical bits in Xiao’s hair. “Oh, were you out fighting again? It must be difficult after losing Bosacius and the others. But please don’t lose heart—”
Clearing his throat, Xiao crossed his arms. “What do you want?”
“O-oh, sorry. I hope I didn’t offend. With Rex Lapis retiring to manage Wangshu Inn, humans now lead the Qixing. I’m here as an emissary and come bearing gifts.”
Xiao raised a brow. “Is that from you or one of the mortals?”
“It’s from Lady Ningguang—Huh?”
Xiao walked off. “Mortals are nothing but problems.” He lost count of the number of times humans had interfered with his work. Whenever Xiao would fight Ruin Guards or hilichurls threatening the inn, humans stumbled onto the battlefield and needed protection. They treated yaksha temples like tourist destinations. Humans regularly wandered into Jueyun Karst, hoping for adepti blessings to fulfill their selfish goals. Xiao tsked. They don’t show any respect for the guardians who have protected this land over the millennia.
Xiao climbed the steps to the deck. Paper lanterns hung between poles, keeping the dark at bay. A ghost played on the flute, joining the drums. A kitsune nabbed an oni’s food and darted off. In the back corner sat Zhongli, sipping tea. Next to his table were souvenir shops with awnings. Storage pallets and stacks of chopped wood lined the deck’s railing.
Xiao approached Zhongli’s table. “I’ve returned. All monsters encroaching on the border were eradicated.”
“My thanks, Xiao.” Zhongli set his cup down. He watched Ganyu in the distance give Cloud Retainer a mechanical gift. “Hmmm… You are well aware of this, Xiao, but after the Archon War two millennia ago, this inn was founded to be a safe haven for spirits who desired to live apart from humankind.”
Xiao blinked. “Y-yes…”
“But some adepti like Ganyu have lived alongside mortals all the time.” Zhongli gazed up at Xiao, eyes boring into him. “They are living proof humans and immortals can coexist. Perhaps even here at Wangshu Inn.”
Xiao balked. “Mortals can’t stay at the inn; it’s at the border between life and death. They’ll die—!”
The music screeched to a halt. All voices hushed. Hair on his neck rising, Xiao turned around. His heart stopped.
A mortal girl, Hu Tao, stood on the bridge leading to the inn. All other creatures stared at her. A silk flower fell from a qilin’s open mouth. Ghosts flickered then vanished. Only the Seelie’s nervous chittering sounded.
Eyes wide, Hu Tao gazed at the array of mythical beings. “Um. Hi.” She jabbed a thumb behind her. “Was that Lochfolk in the water back there? That is so cool. Think they’d let me swim with them? And, oh, is that soup? Can I try it?” Hu Tao accepted a ladle from the Aranara and sipped some. “Hmm. Bit bland. So that’s Aranara cooking techniques, is it? Fascinating! I’d love to learn more later.”
“How…?” Xiao wondered. How could a mortal’s spiritual affinity be so high they stumbled upon Wangshu Inn? Fists balled, Xiao strode forward. “I’ll handle—”
Zhongli held up a hand. “Hold a moment. Young one, what brings you here to Wangshu Inn? And you can see the Aranara?”
“Yup, yup! My grandfather told me all about the protectors of Liyue and beyond.” Hu Tao approached the table. Craning her head back, she soaked in the sight of the hotel resting in the tree branches. “Wow… what a beaut. An inn, you said? Any openings for more staff? I’ll wait on tables, scrub floors, whatever!”
Xiao bristled. “No—”
Eyes narrowed, Zhongli studied Hu Tao. “You understand you crossed a border to arrive here.”
Hu Tao beamed. “Of course!”
Zhongli’s gaze roved over her face. Oni and youkai murmured to each other in the background. Eyes closed, Zhongli inclined his head. “Then you may stay as long as you need.”
“Thank you very muchly! You won’t regret it; cross my heart and hope to die!” Giggling, Hu Tao bounded off.
Xiao wheeled on Zhongli. “Rex Lapis, is this wise? Wangshu Inn exists on the border between life and death. The longer a mortal stays, the more their soul separates from the human realm. They become immortal spirits trapped in a never-aging human body. They’ll perish.”
“I am aware and so is she. Wangshu Inn is a haven for all wandering souls, mortal or not. And until she finds what she is searching for, I leave her in your care.”
Xiao opened and closed his mouth like a guppy fish. “I… Wha…?” Snapping his jaw shut, Xiao gave a stiff bow. “As you command.”
Scowling, Xiao glanced over his shoulder at Hu Tao. She sampled an oni’s food. Growling, they rose from their seat, fists balled.
This is the worst mission I have had in all my existence.
A few weeks later, Xiao sat on a low branch of the Wangshu Inn tree, watching Hu Tao clean tables on the deck below. In the distance, oni and youkai played Akitsu Hazura. Their raucous laughter and cries as they drank and played filled the air. Adepti headed in and out of the inn, serving them. Will-o’-wisps glowed. The wind carried the night’s chill.
Xiao crossed his arms. Watching over Hu Tao was beyond irritating. She had challenged an oni to an arm-wrestling contest, sparking all the other oni to arm wrestle. Xiao had to break up all the ensuing brawls. Then when Hu Tao was too handsy with Cloud Retainer’s device, Xiao stepped in. Curiously, Cloud Retainer stopped him and wanted to hear more about Hu Tao’s thoughts about it. And, true to her word, Hu Tao held a cooking contest among the Aranara. When no one ate their dishes, the foolish girl ate all the entries, even though she became sick in the bathroom afterwards. Xiao narrowed his eyes. Just what is she trying to accomplish?
Even though her shift had ended hours ago, Hu Tao tackled the worst job of cleaning up after the youkai by herself. Pamphlets and dishes lay on the ground. Drinks had been spilled. Utensils were everywhere. Hu Tao scrubbed at the wooden tables and floors with a soapy rag. Using his Anemo vision, Xiao used the wind to carry her voice up to his ears.
Hu Tao crouched down by a table. “Yuck! There’s rice plastered all over the bottom.” Endora, a Lochfolk, swooped in and blasted it with water. Smiling, Hu Tao rubbed her head. “Aw, thank you, Endora. You’re such a sweetheart.”
Task finished, Endora started to float away. Hu Tao rose to her feet. She grabbed a knife off the table and held it in the air, about to stab.
Xiao teleported to Hu Tao’s side and seized her wrist. The knife clattered to the ground. Glaring, Xiao pressed in close. “What do you think you’re doing?”
Hu Tao flashed a grin through her grimace. “Aiya, whatever a girl’s gotta do to get your attention. I—Ow, you know, dear yaksha, it’s hard to concentrate when you’re so close and holding my hand so tightly.”
“I’m not holding—!” Clearing his throat, Xiao stepped back. He waved a hand. “Ugh, just leave us! Go back to the human realm. You don’t belong here.”
“Go back, huh?” Hu Tao turned away, hands behind her back. She gazed across the Guili Plains, towards the direction of Liyue Harbor. Hu Tao sighed. After a moment, she doffed her hat and fingered the plum blossoms. “A plucked plum bloom, / With roots severed from the earth, / Its life cannot resume, / But lacquered is given new birth.” Putting it back on, Hu Tao smiled and shrugged a shoulder at Xiao. “There’s no one to return to. You understand… Right, yaksha warrior?”
Xiao’s eyes smoldered. His karma aura rolled off of him in waves. Even after I lost Bosacius and the others, I didn’t give up on life or go on vacation! Xiao summoned his polearm. Voice low, he said, “No matter what, I have always kept my duty of protecting Wangshu Inn.”
“From monsters?”
“From mortals like you!”
Eyes wide, Hu Tao flinched.
Screams rang through the air. Xiao looked up. A flood of water gushed out of the Wangshu Inn’s windows, cascading down the tree like waterfalls. Screeching, tanuki fell in a free fall.
Xiao donned his yaksha mask. He jumped from branch to branch before catching the tanuki and letting them down on the ground. Soaking wet, they shook out their fur.
Xiao looked up. “Stay here, Hu—” But she was already gone. She was running towards the elevator which led to the inn. “What is she—?”
More cries. Aranara were falling out of the sky.
Well, she already chose to die. Jumping up, Xiao rescued them. After saving several others, Xiao leapt up to the inn’s roof. He slipped in through a window.
Xiao entered the central hub of the inn. A domed ceiling encased three floors. A wooden spiral staircase ran along the walls. Open doorways led to the kitchen, reception area, and balcony. The water rested at mid-calf height and gushed down to the lower floors. Potted plants and paper lantern decorations floated in the water.
Rhodeia, an oceanid, floated midair, looming over Hu Tao and Endora. The two stood by the staircase’s railing, their backs to Xiao.
Xiao gripped his polearm. “You fool, get back! I’ll settle this.”
Rhodeia held out a watery wing, summoning a ball of water. “Surely you are an assassin sent by the Hydro Archon!”
“Rhodeia, Endora doesn’t mean any harm!” Hu Tao stepped between Endora and Rhodeia, her arms spread out.
The oceanid lowered its watery arm. “A mortal knows my name? Are you an assassin, too?”
“I’m not! My grandfather told me how many Lochfolk were the Hydro Archon’s informants. But you and Endora broke ties with her, so, hey, there’s no need to fight. You know the saying: birds of feather, or, in this case, fish with the same scales…”
“Endora… has broken ties with the Hydro Archon? No, I don’t believe… I will not be betrayed again!”
“And you won’t. Rex Lapis and his adepti personally vet guests and guarantee everyone’s safety while staying. Wangshu Inn is a haven for all beings, regardless of their origin. It’s a safe place for all those who wander.” Eyes closed, Hu Tao pressed a hand to her heart. “So, please, let’s not destroy but protect what we care about. So we can all live in harmony together.”
Rhodeia studied Hu Tao. A wind blew through the open windows. They could hear the guests’ cries down below. With a wave of her wing, Rhodeia dissipated the ball of water and flew out a window. Saying, “I’ll check on her!” Endora followed after Rhodeia.
Xiao released the breath he held, the grip on his polearm loosening. “How did you pacify…? How do you know all that?”
Grinning, Hu Tao winked at Xiao. “Oya? Curious about my mysterious charm?” When Xiao narrowed his eyes, Hu Tao giggled. She turned to gaze out at a window at the starry sky beyond. She breathed in the smell of the pond water. “I learned from my late grandfather. He inherited Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, but the business gave up the ghost during his lifetime. Being unable to save the business was his life’s biggest regret. Ever since the family business became selling jewelry to stuck-up ladies. Yuck.”
Hu Tao turned to Xiao and shrugged. “So… yeah! I’ve experienced a mortal life that could put me to sleep permanently. Been there, done that. But living alongside adepti and Aranara and Lochfolk…! This is my chance to fulfill my grandfather’s wish and protect Liyue alongside all of you.”
“I see…” Polearm vanishing, Xiao stepped forward to the railing alongside Hu Tao. “After my fellow adepti fell in battle, I swore to myself that I’d protect this inn with my life.”
“Because this is your home! You’re living out their memory at the place you feel closest to them. Just like me. So see?” Grinning, Hu Tao wagged a finger. “You’re not getting rid of me so easily, my dear yaksha. Because I’m not leaving until I pass over, too.”
Xiao studied Hu Tao in his peripheral vision. Eyes closed, Xiao dipped his head, a ghost of a smile on his face. “That so? Well.” Xiao faced Hu Tao, a gleam in his eyes. “That day is going to be far in the future. Because given that you’re a member of this inn, it’s my duty to protect you, too.”
Eyes wide, Hu Tao stilled. Her face flushed. Giggling, Hu Tao grabbed Xiao’s hand and held it up.
“Hey, what are you—?”
Hu Tao held up hers as well, making a heart with both of their hands. A rosy glow radiated from Hu Tao’s face as she beamed. “Well then, Xiao… ‘til death do us part!”