Bab 21: This Trainee Fatui Harbinger is Too Unreliable [21]
Since the night he let Yelan go, Luo Qing's life had been uneventful. Each day was spent fishing by the harbor or sitting in the teahouse listening to Uncle Tian's tall tales. He seemed less like an envoy from Snezhnaya and more like a local Liyue native.
As always, Luo Qing was on a small boat at the harbor, intently watching the bobbing float on the water's surface. He'd been fishing since sunrise and hadn't caught a single fish. Stubbornly refusing to admit defeat, he was determined not to go home empty-handed.
"Lord Luo Qing, maybe we should just buy some fish from the market?" Natalia, standing behind him with an empty basket, couldn't hide her impatience.
"Shh... don't scare the fish away," Luo Qing whispered back.
"..."
[+1 Frustration from Natalia]
Natalia, looking utterly defeated, stared at the float bobbing in the water, praying for a foolish fish to take the bait and end her suffering. She now understood why Igor and Sergey had quickly volunteered to chase down debtors when they heard Luo Qing planned a fishing trip. She had been foolish enough to stay, trapped as his reluctant assistant for the day.
With her chin in her hands, Natalia's legs dangled over the edge of the boat, stirring up ripples in the water. Just as she was daydreaming about when the torturous fishing session might end, a gentle breeze brushed past her shoulder. Startled, she turned to see an owl perched on her shoulder.
The owl held a letter in its beak. The envelope's elegant, intricate design looked vaguely familiar to her.
"A letter for Lord Luo Qing?"
Natalia took the letter from the owl's beak with a puzzled expression. The owl glanced at Luo Qing, then flapped its wings and flew off.
"Lord Luo Qing, someone's sent you a letter..." she said, walking over to hand it to him.
"A letter?" Luo Qing took it, recognizing the pattern on the envelope even before opening it. It was the mark of a witch—a deep crimson moth engulfed in flames.
It could only mean one thing:
Signora.
He looked up at the owl circling overhead before opening the envelope to read the contents.
"In such a hurry... Just what did Her Majesty the Tsaritsa promise you?"
Whether it was him, the yet-to-arrive Childe, or Signora, they all had the same mission: to locate Rex Lapis and retrieve the Geo Archon's Gnosis. Signora had been stationed in Mondstadt, overseeing the retrieval of the Anemo Archon's Gnosis, leaving Childe in charge of the Liyue mission.
But with Childe's responsibilities still tying him up in Snezhnaya, Luo Qing had been sent ahead to make preparations in Liyue. Yet now, before Childe had even shown up, Signora had already reached out to him.
The letter was straightforward.
The Anemo Gnosis had been secured in Mondstadt, and she would be arriving in Liyue before Childe. She wanted Luo Qing to meet with her, provide any information he had gathered, and ideally, reveal Rex Lapis' whereabouts.
The subtext was clear: Signora wanted to be the one to secure the Geo Archon's Gnosis and win favor with the Tsaritsa.
"Such a loyal servant of Her Majesty," Luo Qing muttered, shaking his head as he reeled in his fishing rod.
"Lord Luo Qing, does that mean you're done fishing?" Natalia tried not to sound too hopeful.
"Yeah, let's head to the market and buy some fish today..."
Late at night, Liyue Harbor, an upscale inn.
To avoid drawing attention, Signora hadn't taken control of the local Fatui forces but had contacted Luo Qing directly, asking to meet in private. Even if Luo Qing were promoted to the official Twelfth Harbinger, Signora was still his superior due to her higher rank.
He had no choice but to comply, sneaking to the address provided in her letter.
Standing before the room Signora had indicated, Luo Qing took a deep breath, steeling himself before knocking.
"Come in," came a mature, sultry voice from inside.
As he pushed open the door, he saw a silhouette behind a folding screen—a curvaceous figure, unmistakably feminine.
Rounding the screen, he was momentarily stunned by what he saw.
Huge... way bigger than coconut milk...
"Lady Signora," he greeted, lowering his gaze to maintain respect. Despite his newfound power and confidence that he could take her on if things got heated, the formalities remained.
"Well, well, I never imagined that the little boy trailing behind Arlecchino would one day become a trainee Harbinger," Signora said lazily, leaning against the window with an air of superiority.
"I'll get straight to the point. How much do you know about Morax's whereabouts?"
They're... really that big...
"What was that?" Signora's brow furrowed.
"Ahem, I mean... I know where he is, Lady Signora," Luo Qing replied quickly, recovering from his lapse.
"You know?" Her expression became noticeably more eager. Though Rex Lapis was the deity who governed Liyue, he had gradually withdrawn from public life after entrusting governance to the Liyue Qixing. These days, the citizens only saw him once a year during the Rite of Descension.
Signora's mission was to find Rex Lapis and finalize a contract with him on behalf of the Tsaritsa. Yet even the Liyue Qixing struggled to see the Geo Archon in person, so how could outsiders like the Fatui hope to succeed?
"Yes, Lady Signora. In fact, he's right here in Liyue Harbor," Luo Qing confirmed.
He had sent Igor and the others to investigate the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor upon his arrival, discovering that a man named Zhongli worked as a consultant there.
It seemed that when Morax had nothing better to do, he would roam Liyue disguised as Zhongli.
"In Liyue Harbor?" Signora's surprise was evident—she hadn't expected things to go so smoothly.
"Yes. If you wish to meet him, I can take you there tomorrow," Luo Qing offered.
"Oh? And why not just tell me where he is right now? Afraid I'll steal the glory from you?" Signora's eyes narrowed, her tone playful yet taunting.
"Wow, you're sharp! That's exactly it!" Luo Qing said, grinning as he gave her a thumbs-up.
"..."
[+1 Frustration from Signora]
There was something about Luo Qing's respectful demeanor that rubbed Signora the wrong way, almost as if he didn't fear her in the slightest. Since when were youngsters this bold?
"Fine, if you want the credit so badly, I won't stop you. Take me to him first thing in the morning. Understood?"
"How early are we talking?" Luo Qing asked out of nowhere.
"At dawn. Got it?" she replied, narrowing her eyes.
"Understood," Luo Qing said, pretending to bow dutifully.
"Good. Now get out," Signora said dismissively. Was Pantalone out of his mind to recommend this guy as a candidate for the Twelfth Harbinger?
Just as she was mentally preparing to get some rest and shake off the fatigue from her journey, Luo Qing suddenly paused at the door and turned back.
"Lady Signora, it's so late... maybe I should just squeeze in here for the night? Don't worry—I don't hog the blankets!" he said with a cheeky grin.
"...What?"
Her eyebrow twitched.
Bab 22: This Trainee Fatui Harbinger is Too Unreliable [22]
In the end, Luo Qing's hopes of sharing a bed with Rosalyne remained unfulfilled. His survival instincts kicked in just before her patience reached its breaking point, and he made a hasty exit.
Of course, if he hadn't known the whereabouts of Rex Lapis, Rosalyne might very well have incinerated him on the spot.
Luo Qing waited for a while in the hotel lobby. Soon enough, Rosalyne appeared, dressed in a simple, understated outfit, a far cry from the ornate dress she had worn the night before.
"Lead the way, and I hope you're not trying to deceive me," Rosalyne said coldly.
She was the ultimate purist, and if Luo Qing weren't her colleague, who happened to know Morax's location, she would've burned him to ashes for his offhand remarks.
"Of course not. Just follow me," Luo Qing replied with a grin, paying no mind to Rosalyne's icy expression.
They walked together through the streets of Liyue until they arrived at the front of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. Its doors were tightly shut, and aside from the commission board outside, the entrance was deserted.
"Oh? This is the place? Looks like no one's here," Rosalyne said, arms crossed, giving Luo Qing a dangerous look that practically screamed: You better have a good explanation, or I'll turn you to ash.
"Relax, Lady Rosalyne. No need to rush," Luo Qing said calmly, as if expecting her skepticism.
He stepped up to the commission board and picked up a small wooden plaque. The front was blank, ready for a message, but the back bore a playful inscription in a cutesy font: "Buy One Stele, Get One Free."
It was one of the quirky marketing strategies of a certain young Funeral Parlor Director.
Luo Qing took a deep breath, raised his fist, and pounded on the door. He shouted:
"Director Hu! Time to wake up and open for business!"
According to Natalia's gossip, if the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor was closed in the morning, it was likely because Hu Tao, the Director, was still sleeping in. A little "wake-up call" would usually do the trick.
After a few heavy knocks, Luo Qing heard hurried footsteps from the other side of the door, accompanied by the sound of things being knocked over.
"Ugh... who's in such a rush to set off?"
Hu Tao opened the door, rubbing her eyes. In her haste to answer the door, she was still half-dressed: one of her socks was only pulled halfway up her ankle, and her crimson collar was unbuttoned, revealing her pale neck and collarbone. Even her oversized hat was askew, several stray strands of hair poking out.
When her eyes finally focused, revealing those plum blossom irises, Luo Qing's heart skipped a beat.
Too cute. I...
"Director Hu, we have a commission. We'd like to speak with your consultant, Zhongli," Luo Qing said, trying to remain composed.
"Huh? You woke me up so urgently just to see Zhongli?" Hu Tao pouted, clearly annoyed at being disturbed.
Damn... so cute. I—
Luo Qing felt as though an arrow had struck his heart. Was cuteness the world's most dangerous weapon?
"Ahem... Perhaps I'd consider buying a stele," Luo Qing said nonchalantly. With the Northland Bank backing him, a little expense like this was trivial.
"Really?! You've come at the perfect time; we're running a promotion: buy one stele, get one free!" Hu Tao's eyes lit up, her annoyance vanishing instantly. She swung the door wide open and dragged Luo Qing inside.
Meanwhile, Rosalyne followed them in, frowning in confusion.
Once inside, Hu Tao seemed to realize she was still half-dressed. She quickly excused herself, leaving Luo Qing and Rosalyne in the lobby while she dashed upstairs to make herself presentable.
"What exactly is this Wangsheng Funeral Parlor?" Rosalyne asked, staring at the sign above the door with its bold black characters. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was... off.
"Liyue's top funeral service provider," Luo Qing said, sipping the tea Hu Tao had left out. "They handle everything from burials to spiritual rites, even gravestone inscriptions and burning offerings."
"..." Rosalyne's expression remained blank.
"Would you like to consider it, Lady Rosalyne? We're in a high-risk profession, after all. You never know when you might meet an untimely end. The Wangsheng Funeral Parlor specializes in dignified services. Even if you die in Inazuma, they'll make sure you're brought back for a proper send-off."
"Hmph. Should I take that as a curse?" Rosalyne's tone was frosty. His mouth is just as obnoxious as that Scaramouche's.
"Not at all. I'm just offering a practical suggestion. Of course, it'd be ideal if you lived a long life, Lady Rosalyne..." Luo Qing said, taking another sip to hide his smile.
Before long, Hu Tao reappeared, now fully dressed and holding a stack of pamphlets. She ran over excitedly and thrust them at Luo Qing.
"Here are our latest burial... I mean, funeral packages. Which one would you like?"
"Uh... We're mainly here to see Consultant Zhongli," Luo Qing said, eyeing the exorbitantly priced full-service packages on the pamphlet.
"Hm?"
Hu Tao held the pamphlets close to her chest, her plum blossom eyes narrowing. Her gaze seemed to say: No stele, no Zhongli.
"..."
"Fine, we'll take the most expensive package," Luo Qing sighed. The Northland Bank's money wasn't his, so why not spend freely?
"Really?"
"I'm serious," he affirmed.
"Yes! A completed sale!" Hu Tao's face lit up as she practically bounced with excitement. "Any special requests for your service? Perhaps a favorite song during the ceremony, specific types of spirit money, or should we burn a house or clothes as offerings?"
"Also, full payment in advance, as per our policy!" she added, grinning.
"..."
Luo Qing turned to Rosalyne and suggested with a straight face, "It's a buy one, get one free deal. Should we go halves on it? You can get a stele too."
"..."
Half an Hour Later
After enduring a barrage of Hu Tao's unique "services," both Luo Qing (and a reluctant Rosalyne) had become proud owners of underground real estate—pre-purchased plots for their future graves. Even if they met their end in foreign lands, the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor would ensure their remains received a grand farewell.
Hu Tao was delighted, surprised that such profitable business had come knocking just after her morning nap.
Rosalyne, on the other hand, was seething. She couldn't shake the feeling that Luo Qing had somehow jinxed her. If they didn't meet Morax today, she swore she would scatter his ashes herself.
Not even the Tsaritsa could stop her. She promised.
"Director Hu, we've bought the package. Now, can we finally see Consultant Zhongli?" Luo Qing asked.
"Well... Zhongli is merely a consultant, not a full-time employee here. If you want to meet him, you need a bit of luck and timing~" Hu Tao replied, smiling.
"So, you don't actually know when he'll be here, do you?"
"Exactly," she said, nodding.
"..."
Luo Qing felt a chill run down his spine. When he turned, Rosalyne's eyes had gone cold—murderous, even.
She'd followed Luo Qing around all morning, only to end up buying a tombstone and fielding bizarre questions from this strange girl about whether she and Luo Qing wanted to be buried together.
Rosalyne was a warrior of pure-hearted devotion! To suggest something like this was practically dancing on her landmine!
If it weren't for the hope of meeting Morax, she would've burned down this whole establishment long ago.
Luo Qing's mind raced as he saw Rosalyne's temper flaring. He considered using Time Zero to whisk her out of there before Hu Tao bore the brunt of her rage, but just then, footsteps echoed from the entrance.
A man in a brown robe, patterned with dragon scales, stepped calmly inside.
---
T/N: Oh Hu Tao...
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