"Ancestors, Hu Tao has been unfilial~"
"I was only gone to buy ingredients for a moment, and our Wangsheng ancestral plaque ended up like this. It really wasn't my fault."
Looking at the charred plaque of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, Hu Tao knelt on the ground holding the piece of charcoal that used to be the plaque. Her heart had turned to ash as well.
This plaque had been passed down from Wangsheng's very first director. Calling it a family heirloom wouldn't be an exaggeration. Yet in her generation, it had become a lump of charcoal. How would she explain this to her ancestors when she met them in the afterlife?
Watching Hu Tao kneel on the ground, muttering about being an unfilial descendant, Azhdaha couldn't bear it. She hopped off her stool, kicked Zhongli, and under his bewildered gaze, retrieved a crimson polearm from his room.
"Little Hu Tao, don't be sad. Take this weapon and turn those blasted Whopperflowers into Whopperflower Nectar."
"Wow, such a cool weapon is really for me? You're the best, little sister Zhongtuo!"
Hu Tao took the polearm and was surprised to find it actually enhanced her power. Excitedly, she picked up Azhdaha and spun her around twice. Before Azhdaha could react, Hu Tao slammed the plaque onto the table and charged out eagerly to settle scores with those Sweet Flowers.
As for the burnt plaque, Hu Tao had already thought it through. When Su Bai returned, she would have him write a new one. After all, a plaque inscribed by an adeptus would surely hold a similar status in her ancestors' eyes. That way, when she met them in the afterlife, she would have a good explanation.
"Tsk. Morax, since when did you become so dishonest? You've wanted to give this weapon to little Hu Tao for a long time, haven't you?"
"You wouldn't give it to her yourself, so you had me do it. I really don't know what goes on in that head of yours."
"I was planning to wait until Hu Tao was a bit older. I didn't expect you to find out and take the credit."
Facing Azhdaha's complaints, Zhongli took a sip of tea with a troubled expression. The fragrant brew improved his mood considerably. His reasoning wasn't without merit. A weapon of this caliber, like the Staff of Homa, offered too great a boost to its wielder.
If someone with an immature mind used it, they might become overly reliant on it and stagnate. But Azhdaha could clearly tell Hu Tao wasn't that kind of person, so she had full confidence in her.
"Come on, let's go take a look. Don't let little Hu Tao get hurt."
Worried about Hu Tao, Zhongli set down his teacup. He had watched her grow up. He didn't want to see her injured.
Azhdaha had no objections either. That clever little girl had grown on her. Speaking of which, Hu Tao didn't seem at all like someone raised by Zhongli. She wondered how he had brought her up.
...
Outside Wangsheng, Hu Tao was weaving through the monsters with the Staff of Homa that Azhdaha had given her. Wherever she passed, wreathed in flames, the monsters' screams filled the air. This eased the pressure on the Millelith squad dealing with monsters sneaking in through the side paths.
The more Hu Tao used the Staff of Homa, the more natural it felt. It was as if the weapon had been designed specifically for her. The only drawback was that the shaft was a bit long. Still, the pros far outweighed the cons. Even if it was a little long for her now, Hu Tao felt that once she grew a few more years, they would be a perfect match.
"Yikes, it looks like your director has been surrounded by a bunch of Whopperflowers."
Sensing the rising temperature around her, Hu Tao realized she had been surrounded by disguised Pyro Whopperflowers. These cunning creatures had been hiding in the shadows, waiting for someone to take the bait.
"Ouch, why are these Whopperflowers' fireballs so hot?"
A Whopperflower spat a fireball at her. Hu Tao dodged to the side, and it grazed her face before hitting another Pyro Whopperflower square in the head. She touched her cheek. Though she hadn't been hit, from her years of hunting Whopperflowers, she could tell these were much stronger than the ones found in the wild.
"Zhongli, don't just stand there! You have a Geo Vision, don't you? Give me a shield!"
"Wait, you don't know how to shield people, do you?"
Thinking back and realizing she had never seen Zhongli fight before, Hu Tao's heart sank. Was she going to die here today?
"Director Hu, you're as reckless as ever."
Though Zhongli complained, Geo energy obediently enveloped Hu Tao, forming a golden shield before her.
"Wow~ Zhongli, I didn't know you had it in you! Looks like I'll have to take you with me from now on when I go out."
"Speaking generally, that's not a very good idea."
Zhongli was already regretting shielding her. The whole point of retirement was to spend his days bird-watching and listening to opera. If Hu Tao latched onto him, his leisurely life would be over.
"Never mind that for now. Zhongli, I'm borrowing your tea tonight. Your director is going to brew some tea with Whopperflower Nectar."
"Director Hu, please don't ruin good tea. The tea from Qiaoying Village is hard to come by. And besides..."
Before Zhongli could finish, Hu Tao had already run off with the Staff of Homa, chasing after the Whopperflowers. Zhongli thought for a moment, then turned to head back inside. He decided he needed to keep his precious tea on him at all times.
"Um, Mr. Zhongli."
A Millelith squad leader stopped him. Seeing the man hesitate, Zhongli already knew what he was about to ask.
He channeled a bit of Geo energy, and golden shields materialized around the Millelith soldiers. Their faces lit up with relief. With shields, casualties could be significantly reduced.
"Thank you, Mr. Zhongli. Once this war is over, I'll be sure to report this to Lady Ningguang."
With that, the squad leader turned and led his men to continue hunting the monsters that had breached Liyue Harbor. Zhongli watched them go, lost in thought.
"Azhdaha, there was a time when we fought side by side just like them. I wonder if we'll ever fight together again."
"Azhdaha? Azhdaha?"
Hearing no response, a sense of unease rose in Zhongli's heart. She hadn't gone out to help the Millelith with her own power, had she?
As it turned out, no one knew Azhdaha better than Zhongli. After sensing around, he detected her deep underground, using Geo energy to eliminate monsters.
Azhdaha had grown clever. To avoid detection, she only targeted monsters in the middle of the horde, taking out one or two at a time. When more monsters filled the gap, she would strike again.
Unfortunately, the devil is always one step ahead of the wise. Azhdaha had underestimated Zhongli's knowledge of her. Without much effort, Zhongli brought her back to Wangsheng.