Nolan and the others quickly realized just how persistent Hu Tao could be.
She was adamant about borrowing the bicycle for a while, clearly not giving up until she got her way.
Nolan thought it over. Since the bicycle was only needed for the negotiation with Ningguang, there was no harm in letting Hu Tao borrow it for a while.
It could also be beneficial to befriend this quirky head of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
"Alright," Nolan agreed, after checking with Lumine, who had no objections.
"Wow, you guys are so nice," Hu Tao said, casually patting Nolan and Lumine on the shoulders as if they were old friends.
[Hu Tao Has Developed Good Feelings Towards You, Obtained 190 Affection Points. Current Affection Level: Lv.2 (90/200)]
Lumine sighed slightly, feeling a bit exasperated. This was her first time encountering someone so quirky and persistent.
"Hehe, alright then, I'll take you to find Ningguang right away!" Hu Tao turned and started walking in the opposite direction from where they came, waving for them to follow.
"Wait, isn't the Ministry of Civil Affairs in the other direction?" Paimon asked, hovering in the air with a puzzled expression.
"You've been in Liyue long enough to see that building floating near Mt. Tianheng outside Liyue Harbor, right? That's Ningguang's private palace, the Jade Chamber. If you want to find her, we just need to find a way to fly up there."
Hu Tao stopped and turned around to explain.
"Ahem, I think it's best not to do something that might be misunderstood," Nolan suggested.
He had thought about this method too. With his and Lumine's abilities, they could use wind gliders and gather wind elements to lift themselves up to the Jade Chamber.
However, doing so without permission would be impolite, as it was Ningguang's private residence. While Hu Tao might not care about formalities, they, as outsiders, felt it was inappropriate.
"Ugh, fine, fine, how troublesome," Hu Tao grumbled.
Though she was quirky, playful, and a bit unpredictable, she was also smart and open-minded. She understood everything clearly and wasn't bound by rigid rules.
She always showed her true self, as she did now, voicing her annoyance despite understanding the situation.
"You speak so bluntly!" Paimon commented.
"The ancients said, 'Think thrice before acting,' but if you overthink everything, it just becomes too much of a headache," Hu Tao remarked, walking alongside Nolan and the others towards the Ministry of Civil Affairs. Her long, reddish-brown robe swayed gently, occasionally brushing against her pale legs.
"So, you said you're the head of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. What kind of work do you do?" Lumine asked, feeling that, despite Hu Tao's persistent nature, she wasn't all that bad.
Curious about this eccentric girl, Lumine asked the question to learn more about her.
"Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, as the name suggests, is all about sending people to the afterlife," Hu Tao replied, her hands clasped behind her back as she walked with a spring in her step. Her pale lips curved into a mischievous smile, and she spoke with a spooky tone.
"What?! Is it an assassin organization?" Paimon gasped, covering her mouth with her tiny fists and quickly darting away from Hu Tao.
Lumine looked at her with a puzzled expression. Hu Tao didn't seem like someone from an assassin organization.
"By 'sending people to the afterlife,' she probably means conducting funerals for the deceased," Nolan interjected, seeing through Hu Tao's prank. "I mean, assassins don't usually walk around openly in the streets."
Hu Tao's words weren't exactly lies; she just deliberately left out details, steering others' thoughts in a darker direction.
"Hehe, you're pretty sharp!" Hu Tao chuckled, realizing Nolan's familiarity with Liyue's culture.
"Phew, so that's it. Don't joke around like that next time!" Paimon, having almost fallen for the prank, was a bit embarrassed and glared at Hu Tao.
"Alright, enough about that. Before we reach the Ministry of Civil Affairs, why don't you teach me how to ride this bicycle?" Hu Tao said, pushing aside Nolan, who was guiding the bicycle, and clambering onto it as if they were old friends.
She wasn't shy about it at all.
"Sure, it's all about balancing. It's not too hard," Nolan replied, relaxing his neck and nodding.
---
*Ministry of Civil Affairs*
Keqing had just finished reviewing the reports on the Geo Archon's unexpected death and left the Ministry of Civil Affairs.
The numerous inconsistencies troubled her. How could the powerful Geo Archon be suddenly killed? And who could have managed to ambush him?
There were no signs before the incident, and no suspicious individuals had been found. How could this happen?
Keqing felt deeply troubled, wanting to uncover the truth behind the Archon's death but with no leads to follow.
"Ah, whoa, whoa! Watch out! Move aside, I can't control this!" A voice suddenly called out from her right, interrupting her thoughts as she descended the steps.
She turned her head and saw the enigmatic head of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor causing chaos again.
Hu Tao was riding some two-wheeled contraption, careening through the street. Pedestrians quickly dodged, causing chaos along the way.
Seeing this, Keqing felt her blood pressure rise. Gritting her teeth, a spark of electricity flickered across her body as she disappeared from sight.
"Grab the brakes, you idiot!" Paimon shouted, flying beside Hu Tao to remind her.
Hu Tao, with her quick learning ability, had picked up how to ride the bicycle after a couple of lessons from Nolan. Then she insisted on trying it on her own.
In the end, Hu Tao got more excited and sped up, completely forgetting to use the handbrakes. She raced down the street, causing significant trouble for everyone.
Paimon had to remind her.
"Oh, right! Almost forgot!" Hu Tao exclaimed, just as she reached for the handbrakes.
But at that moment, it felt like the speeding bicycle was suddenly stopped by an invisible force. Before Hu Tao's pale fingers could reach the brakes, the bike lifted from the rear, launching her like a projectile.
"Eh?"
Hu Tao somersaulted through the air, passing over Keqing, and landed hard on her backside.
"Ouch!"
Hu Tao winced, placing her hands under her rear to avoid further contact with the hard ground, temporarily staying down.
Nolan and Lumine, who had walked up, couldn't help but laugh at the sight. It served her right for always acting so carefree!
"Behaving so recklessly in the street! What kind of conduct is this?" Keqing scolded, turning her annoyance on Hu Tao after curiously examining the bicycle she'd stopped.
"Hehe," Hu Tao dusted off her black shorts and playfully winked and stuck her tongue out at the girl in front of her.
Nolan, Lumine, and Paimon noticed how the young girl's face, framed by her cat-ear twin tails, darkened like a stormy sky.
"Hu Tao, you little..." Keqing gritted her teeth, raising her right hand clad in a purple glove. Sparks of lightning crackled like an agitated cat's fur.
"Ah! The 'Yuheng' star is going to hit me!" Hu Tao panicked and quickly hid behind Nolan and Lumine, using them as a shield.
"Uh, sorry, this is all a misunderstanding," Nolan quickly explained, feeling Keqing's piercing gaze. He wasted no time throwing Hu Tao under the bus:
"We were actually on our way to discuss business with the 'Tianquan' star, using this new, convenient transportation tool we developed. But we encountered this girl who insisted on riding it, leading to this situation."
"Hmph!"
Keqing huffed.
The people of Liyue Harbor were well aware of the playful and unruly nature of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's director. Fortunately, she usually knew her limits and didn't cause significant trouble.
"I'll let it go this time. But if there's a next time, I'll make you experience the real meaning of 'Wangsheng(afterlife)'!"
With that, she extinguished the crackling electricity in her hand and prepared to leave.
"Hey, wait a minute!" Hu Tao hurriedly ran ahead to stop Keqing, not seeming to mind her previous outburst. "I'm actually here on business today!"
This cat-eared, twin-tailed girl was indeed Yuheng, one of the Liyue Qixing. If they could get her to introduce them, it should be easy to meet Ningguang.
"What business?" Keqing crossed her arms under her chest, covered in a light-colored undershirt, frowning slightly. She was curious about what this mischievous girl was up to now.
"You heard it earlier, right? We're here to discuss business with Ningguang. Since we happened to run into the famous 'Yuheng,' could you please introduce us?" Hu Tao clasped her hands together in a pleading gesture.
She had already enjoyed the fun of riding the bicycle and was willing to go all out to help Nolan and the others meet Ningguang, hoping to borrow the bike for a few more days.
"Why don't you just go on your own?" Keqing wasn't particularly eager to meet Ningguang, as their governance philosophies often clashed.
"'Yuheng,' we've recently noticed some individuals who might try to stir up trouble in Liyue during this special period. I think it's necessary to discuss this with you and 'Tianquan,'" Nolan interjected, hoping to persuade Keqing to facilitate their meeting with Ningguang, which would undoubtedly make things easier.
Having seen the game's storyline, Nolan knew the Liyue Qixing weren't villains. Sharing some information about potential troublemakers in a reasonable way could earn their goodwill.
Keqing looked at Nolan and the others with serious expressions and remained silent for a moment.
As one of the highest authorities in Liyue, she had seen her fair share of schemes and could usually tell if someone was lying.
"Alright, follow me," she finally agreed.
Liyue Harbor, Jade Chamber.
With Keqing's introduction, Nolan and the others easily made their way here, flying with the help of Wind Gliders and harnessing wind elements.
"Is Ningguang here?" Keqing, her legs wrapped in black tights with light gold patterns, walked to the front of the Jade Chamber's main entrance and asked the Millelith guards on duty.
"Welcome, Lady Keqing. Yes, Lady Ningguang is inside, but who are these guests?" The young Millelith guard, Zhenhai, looked curiously at Nolan and the others.
"Hehe, we're here to discuss business with 'Tianquan' Ningguang," Paimon replied with a smile.
"Business? Well, congratulations on getting Lady Keqing to introduce you. You know, there are countless big merchants in all of Liyue who wish to meet Lady Ningguang, just for a single piece of advice, and yet they can't get the chance," Zhenhai remarked with a hint of envy.
Then, he helped them open the door to the Jade Chamber.
"Alright, let's go in and see Ningguang," Keqing said, not bothering to explain further as she urged Nolan and the others to move quickly.
She was more concerned about the potential threat to Liyue's safety that Nolan had mentioned than whatever business they were here for.
"Ah, Lady Yuheng is as decisive as ever," Hu Tao remarked, spreading her hands as she watched Keqing enter first.
Nolan and the others followed Keqing inside the Jade Chamber. On either side was a circular corridor, with an octagonal platform ahead and a wooden spiral staircase winding down to the right.
"Lady Keqing, what brings you here?" BaiShi, the Jade Chamber's secretary, who was cleaning the floor in a dress, noticed the visitors immediately and came over to assist.
"BaiShi, it's you. Please take us to see Ningguang," Keqing said, nodding slightly and resting her arms naturally at her sides.
"Sure, Lady Ningguang is in her office," BaiShi responded, setting aside her broom and leading the way.
Soon, Nolan and the others descended the spiral staircase and arrived at the office of "Tianquan" Ningguang, guided by the secretary of the Jade Chamber.
The room was spacious, with bright sunlight streaming through the patterned windows on the right. Sitting behind a long desk, Ningguang, whom they had seen recently at Yujing Terrace, was perusing a scroll.
Hearing footsteps, she looked up slightly.
"Lady Yuheng, what brings you to my Jade Chamber?" Ningguang, with her gloved hand resting against her chin, looked at her with mild surprise.
"It's not me; these people have some information they want to share with you," Keqing replied, shaking her head and directing her gaze toward Nolan and the others.
"The Two Honorary Knights from Mondstadt and their little fairy companion, along with the head of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. Now, that's an unusual combination," Ningguang remarked with a light laugh as she stepped forward, her high heels clicking softly.
"Hehe, hello, Ningguang!" Hu Tao greeted with a wave, her wide reddish-brown sleeves slipping slightly to reveal a pale arm.
Nolan, Lumine, and Paimon also greeted her.
Not wasting any time, Nolan began to explain the situation, including what Childe had asked them to do and the Fatui's actions in Mondstadt, where they had stolen the Anemo Archon's Gnosis.
(End of chapter)
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