Yes, Lady Funina!

However, Richard felt at the time that the girl was no ordinary person and was a blessed person. He had taught her a lot and thought she should be doing very well now.

Another one was encountered when he visited an old friend in the mountains. At that time, he sensed that there was an evil spirit in the mountains, so he followed the evil spirit's aura and thought he would get rid of it as easily as picking up trash and throwing it into the trash can.

When Richard finally found the evil spirit, he discovered that it had already been defeated. Inside the cave lay a little girl, exhausted and on the verge of death. When Richard approached, she seemed to mistake her for the evil spirit and gripped her exorcism dagger tightly, trying to stop Richard from getting closer.

Later, Richard completely eradicated the evil spirits he had defeated, and he also took the little girl to his old friend's place. The friend, recognizing her talent, adopted her and taught her the Dao.

That's a good ending for her.

After all, Richard was all alone and homeless at the time, and it was not convenient for him to wander around with a young girl.

It was absolutely perfect that the girl with the special destiny was adopted by the immortals.

——————

A few days later, Richard saw the headline on the front page of the Steambird newspaper.

The Emperor of Liyue has been assassinated, and Ningguang, the Star of Tianquan, has ordered the entire area sealed off in search of the killer!

The photos accompanying the front-page headline looked like they were taken secretly. There were three in total: one was of a huge, rock-yellow dragon; another was of a superior with an exquisitely beautiful face and an elegant demeanor waving his hand to give an order; and the last was of a traveler with golden hair adorned with white flowers at the ends, accompanied by a flying elf, being chased by the Thousand Rock Army and fleeing in panic.

Richard: ...

Three photos, four acquaintances.

The moment Richard saw the condensed light of Tianquan Star, he thought of the girl who sold goods back then. He never imagined that she had gone to such lengths...

And since Ying and Paimon parted ways, Ying has now traveled to Liyue, but her situation doesn't seem too good.

As for the giant, rock-yellow dragon in the photo...

Richard pondered for a moment and came to the conclusion: he was indeed faking his death!

He didn't believe Morax would die so easily, even if the other party had suffered the 'wear and tear' of time.

Unless it was Tianli who did it himself, Richard really couldn't imagine anyone being able to take down the other party so quietly.

"What should we do now? It seems the Rock God can't reply to you right now," Lynette asked from the side.

Richard glanced at Lynette, sensing that her words were somewhat disturbing. After thinking for a moment, he said, "I'll take leave and go to Liyue myself."

"Lady Frynn is going too?" Lynette thought Richard wanted to follow the example of his last trip to Mondstadt and take Frynn with him to Liyue.

"The Opiclay Opera House has just been renovated, so let's forget about it. Given Liyue's current situation, it's not really appropriate for Frynn to go there."

Liyue is more sensitive than ever right now, and Morax probably doesn't want to see her go looking for him in a big way, so it's best to keep a low profile.

If he were to bring along the big star Funina, it would be impossible to keep a low profile, and Richard certainly didn't want headlines like "Shocking! The Rock King faked his death just to retire and slack off" to appear on the front page of the Steambird newspaper.

Richard went there to ask for favors, not to cause trouble.

"Going alone?" Lynette's cat tail swayed. She took Funina last time, so it should be her turn this time, right?

Unfortunately, Richard doesn't plan to bring anyone with him this time; he intends to go to Liyue alone.

Moreover, it wouldn't take long, because even through the newspaper, he could sense the turbulent and unpredictable situation in Liyue, and he certainly didn't intend to get involved.

However, it probably won't be a big deal. Morax isn't really dead. With him around, even if those defeated demons of Liyue from the past were to revive, Liyue wouldn't be in danger of destruction.

"Well, I'll go alone and come back in about two or three days. Maybe if I'm quick, I won't even need to ask for leave. I can just go and come back early during the weekend," Richard replied after thinking for a moment.

“Oh.” Lynette felt this was somewhat acceptable; at least Richard was going alone, not with someone else without her…

Richard keenly sensed Lynette's thoughts and said with a smile, "If you want to go out and have fun, let's wait until Liyue has weathered this storm before we go together."

“I don’t really care…” Lynette looked away, put her hands behind her back, twitched her cat ears, and said insincerely.

“Then it’s settled,” Richard decided. “I’ll go and let Furness know first, and also Clarin… If I don’t get back on time, you can give her some chores to do.”

"Haven't things always been like this?"

Even when Richard was around, she would still entrust some chores to Claude.

"Don't bully them too much," Richard said helplessly.

“She did it voluntarily.” Lynette wasn’t wrong, after all, the work of a secretary is not like that of a duel agent, which requires a lot of work, big and small, to accumulate experience.

Moreover, after each time she asked Clorinde for a favor, Lynette would serve her fragrant black tea and some delicious snacks as a reward, and the two got along very well.

It's like Zhou Yu beating Huang Gai—one was willing to hit and the other was willing to be hit.

“If we’re really talking about bullying, you should have gone even further…” Lynette looked at Richard, “You were the one who tricked him into coming here to be Furnessa’s secretary.”

Although Clarinde was indeed quite busy at the time, serving as both a duel agent and Frinna's bodyguard, the duel agent also had his easy moments.

With Richard around, the job of a bodyguard seemed somewhat irrelevant.

Without the job of a bodyguard, Clarinde could easily manage as a duel agent, and could even be considered quite relaxed.

At the time, Clarinde was probably too busy to figure out the key points, so she was easily tricked into joining Richard's trap of "high welfare," "high income," and "high vacation."

"I think she's enjoying herself quite a bit now. She even went to have tea with Navia a while ago."

"Finding joy in suffering?"

"It hasn't gotten to that point, has it?"

Richard walked out of his office and ran into Claudia. Thinking about their conversation earlier, he asked, "How are you feeling these days?"

A question mark slowly appeared on Clarinde's forehead.

"It's not bad. The work environment is comfortable, the workload is moderate, and the food is very good. Thanks to you, you even helped me settle a matter that I had been worrying about." Claude felt that her current life was pretty good.

Without Richard, Clarinde would still be worrying about how to protect Navia.

"I see..." Richard nodded. He had just said he hadn't bullied her, hadn't he? Didn't she even thank him?

"I might need to take a few days off after that, and I'll leave the work at the city hall to you then."

Clorinde: ...

That was hasty. Is it too late for her to take back what she said?

Book 1: Chapter 87 Contracts and Trust

The docks of Liyue Harbor are wide and bustling, with all kinds of ships moored along the shore. Merchants, travelers, fishermen and many other professionals come and go from the port to the docks, giving a glimpse into the prosperity of Liyue Harbor.

However, behind this prosperity, Liyue Harbor is facing an unprecedented crisis.

If you stay in Liyue Harbor for a while, you'll notice that the garrison has been significantly strengthened, and the checks on foreign merchants and travelers are much more thorough. All necessary customs documents must be complete, and you must also present your identity and state your purpose for coming to Liyue. Otherwise, you will not be allowed to disembark or enter Liyue Harbor.

Any violation will be subject to mandatory measures by the Qianyan Army, including but not limited to arrest, detention, and repatriation.

"Mr. Richard, welcome to Liyue Harbor." The staff member said with a smile after backing up the documents provided by Richard.

"Um, could you tell me how to get to the Hall of Rebirth? Is it on that old street in Scarlet Cloud Slope?" Richard planned to head straight to his destination as soon as he arrived, aiming for a quick and efficient trip.

"Yes, the location of the Hall of Rebirth has not changed in recent years..."

"Well, if it's still the same place, it hasn't changed in over a hundred years," Richard replied casually, then left the General Affairs Department's port office amidst the bewildered gazes of the staff.

Knowing his destination, Richard headed straight there. Perhaps because he was dressed respectably and didn't look like a bad person, the Thousand Rock Army patrolling along the way didn't conduct any random checks or questioning of this foreigner.

However, Richard wasn't afraid of any of that. He had entered through normal procedures and also had a temporary residence permit. Even if he was questioned, he could easily pass by simply showing his documents.

"Hmm...it's deserted." Richard looked up at the antique building in front of him.

As it is an organization responsible for handling funeral arrangements, the Hall of Rebirth does not have many customers. In fact, the foot traffic on this old street is not high to begin with. This area is already close to the outer edge of Feiyunpo, and it cannot compare with the core commercial area inside.

However, the business that Wangshengtang operates doesn't require a large flow of people; if there's a need, customers will come to them on their own.

"Young man, you look unfamiliar. What brings you to my Hall of Rebirth?" A clear female voice rang out from behind Richard.

Just by hearing her voice, Richard could already picture a lively, adorable, and quirky young girl in his mind.

Looking back, sure enough, a cheerful young girl wearing a Qiankun Tai Gua hat and a Chinese-style dress with patterns and a long back was looking at him.

But what the other party was holding was...

The girl noticed Richard's gaze, waved the flyer in her hand, and said, "Would you like to take a look? It's a new promotion from Wangshengtang. To thank our new and old customers, we're offering a special half-price discount on the second stele."

"However, you look radiant and healthy, so you probably won't need this discount. Hmm... Has someone in your family passed away? If so, come directly to the Funeral Home. We have a professional team and provide one-stop service, from the funeral procession to the burial..."

"It's okay if you don't have any relatives who have passed away. Our store also offers reservation services and you can enjoy the same discounts. Just register and pay a certain percentage of the deposit, and you won't have to worry about your funeral arrangements!" The girl's voice was full of energy. If you ignored the products she was promoting, you could tell from her speech that she was a professional salesperson.

“I’m sorry, I’m an orphan and have no blood relatives.” Richard ended the conversation with a single sentence.

"Ah...haha, really? Um...sorry." Even though the girl had long since become indifferent to life and death, she still had to apologize for her sales pitch when faced with this topic.

“Don’t worry about it. I haven’t asked yet. Who are you…” Richard looked at the energetic girl in front of him, her plum blossom-shaped pupils, and the Qiankun Tai Gua hat on her head. He had a vague idea of ​​her identity.

"My name is Hu Tao, and I am the 77th head of the Rebirth Hall! May I ask how you should address me?"

“Richard, I’ve come all the way from Fontainebleau to visit an old friend,” Richard said.

"Visiting an old friend... to the Hall of Rebirth? If you want to sweep the tomb, you have to go outside the city, not inside. May I ask what your old friend's name is?" Hu Tao had obviously misunderstood, thinking that Richard's old friend had become her customer.

"His name is Zhongli, do you know him, Master Hu?" Richard asked.

"Oh, so it's him. He's a guest elder here, as I, the head of this hall, know. But he should be having tea at the teahouse right now. You can go there and look for him, or you can wait for him to come back in the Rebirth Hall."

"Although the Rebirth Hall rarely receives guests, we still have good tea to serve. Would you like some snacks? I just bought some candied hawthorns and coconut milk date cakes from the street. They were originally for old friends, but you've come at a good time, so I can share some with you."

"Then thank you very much, Master Hu."

"Just call me Walnut."

Led by Walnut, Richard arrived at the main hall of the Hall of Rebirth, where he could see many elements related to funerals, such as coffins, paper money, and candles. However, it was not gloomy; instead, it had an indescribable sense of solemnity.

It seems that Morax has gone to great lengths for his retirement plan, even making arrangements for his funeral.

"Zhongli, how long have you been a guest elder of the Hall of Rebirth?" Richard asked.

"I don't have an idea about that, but he's a friend of my grandfather, who was also the previous head of the Rebirth Hall. Anyway, he's been a guest elder since I took over as head of the Rebirth Hall."

“That must be quite a few years old,” Richard nodded and said.

"And you? How did you meet Zhongli? Although he has a wide circle of friends, I've never heard him mention having any friends in Fengdan."

"I met him through a bard, which is quite a few years ago..." Richard took a sip of tea from Wangsheng Hall, frowning. The tea was indeed good, but the way it was prepared... was a real waste.

Hu Tao drank the tea with ease, completely unaware that there was anything wrong with the tea she had brewed.

For her, brewing tea should be exactly as the name suggests: pinch some tea leaves into a cup, then brew with boiling water. As for the water temperature, the amount of water, and the amount of tea leaves, it's all up to her. As long as the water has flavor, that's fine.

"How many years is 'some years'?" Hu Tao noticed that Richard looked young but spoke with a maturity beyond his years, and her attention was quickly drawn to Richard's ears.

Such ears are quite unusual.

"It has been many years, of course. I haven't been back to Liyue for many years either."

"From what you're saying, Richard, you used to live in Liyue?"

“I stayed there for a while and met a lot of interesting people, but most of them are probably gone now.” Richard looked around and then smiled. “Maybe they were regular customers of the Hall of Rebirth.”

"Are you an immortal being?" Hu Tao had a plan after hearing this.

“Elves naturally live longer than ordinary people.” Richard did not deny it, but he did not reveal everything.

Dragons are naturally long-lived, let alone the Dragon King. If nothing unexpected happens, his lifespan should be as long as the heavens. A thousand years is nothing more than a moment for him. At his current age, he has no need to worry about any wear and tear.

“Oh, well…” Hu Tao couldn’t help but look toward Richard’s ear.

"It's just that his ears and lifespan are different from ordinary people; otherwise, he's basically the same," Richard explained with a smile.

While the two were chatting, the person they were waiting for returned from the teahouse.

Zhongli had just entered the room and hadn't even had a chance to speak when he saw Hu Tao waving at him and saying, "Guest Elder Zhongli, your friend is here to see you."

“?” Zhongli shifted her gaze to Richard, who was sitting opposite Hu Tao.

Richard happened to meet his gaze and waved to the elderly man who was about to retire, saying, "Mr. Zhongli, it's been a long time."

“Long time no see. Today is indeed a good day. An old friend has come to visit, so we should celebrate properly. I happen to have reserved a table at Liuli Pavilion. Master…” Zhongli looked at Hu Tao.

A subtle expression appeared on Hu Tao's face. She unconsciously reached for her purse. She was all too familiar with the feeling of her wallet being at risk!

"Liuli Pavilion? That's a well-established restaurant, you've really gone to a lot of trouble." Although Richard said that, he personally felt that a meal at Liuli Pavilion was nothing to Zhongli.

Unfortunately, little did he know that Zhongli was just a mortal, not the Rock King Emperor. His pockets were practically empty, and he had no money to spend at the Glazed Pavilion.

In the end, these expenses will either go through the accounts of the ancestral hall or fall on Richard's shoulders; in any case, Zhongli will definitely not have any money.

This is why Hu Tao subconsciously reached for her purse.

Zhongli noticed Hu Tao's subtle actions and explained, "It's Young Master Hu who's hosting, so there's no need for you to worry about the expenses."

"You should have said so earlier! Phew, I was worried for nothing." Hu Tao wiped non-existent sweat from her forehead. She was prepared to help pay the bill, after all, it's impossible to let a guest who came from afar treat you, right?