Yes, Lady Funina!

However, Richard felt at the time that the girl was definitely not an ordinary person, but a blessed person. He also taught her a lot of things, and he thought she should be living a good life now.

The other one was what he encountered when he was visiting an old friend in the mountains. At that time, he sensed that there was an evil spirit invading the mountains, so he followed the evil spirit's breath and tried to get rid of it, just like encountering garbage on the road and picking it up and throwing it into the trash can.

When they found the evil spirit, they discovered that it had been repelled, and in the cave lay a little girl who was exhausted and dying. When Richard approached, the little girl seemed to misunderstand it as an evil spirit, and tightly grasped the exorcism dagger in her hand to stop Richard from approaching.

Later, Richard completely eliminated the evil spirit that had been repelled, and he took the little girl to an old friend. The friend, mindful of her talent, adopted her, patted her on the head and taught her.

It's a good destination.

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

It was only fitting that the girl with a special fate was adopted by the immortal family.

——————

A few days later, Richard saw the front-page headline of the day in the Steam Bird newspaper.

"Liyue Emperor was assassinated, Tianquan Star Ningguang ordered the whole place to be blocked to find the murderer!"

The photos attached to the front-page headlines seemed to be secretly taken. There were three photos in total. One was a huge rock-yellow dragon, one was a superior with a beautiful face and graceful temperament waving his hand to give orders, and the last one was a traveler with blonde hair and white flowers on the ends of his hair. There was a flying elf beside him, and he was being chased by the Thousand Rocks Army and was fleeing in panic.

Richard: ...

Three photos, four acquaintances.

The moment he saw Tianquan Xing Ningguang, Richard thought of the sales girl back then. He didn't expect that she had already achieved this level...

Also, Ying and Paimon have traveled to Liyue since their separation, but it seems that their situation is not very good.

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

Richard pondered for a moment and came up with the answer. He was indeed pretending to be dead!

He didn't believe that Morax would die so easily, even though he had suffered the "wear and tear" of time.

Unless Tianli took action himself, Richard really couldn't imagine how anyone could kill the other person quietly.

"What should we do now? It seems that Yan Shen can't reply to you now." Linnet asked from the side.

Richard looked at Linnett and felt that her words were a bit ridiculous. He thought for a moment and said, "I'll take some time off and go to Liyue myself."

"Lady Fernina is going too?" Linnet thought Richard wanted to follow his example and take Fernina with him to Liyue, just like he did last time when he went to Mondstadt.

"The Opikley Opera House has just been renovated, so let's forget it. Given Liyue's current situation, it's a little inappropriate for Funina to go there."

Liyue is more sensitive now than ever. Besides, Morax probably doesn't want me to go to him in a high-profile manner, so I'd better keep a low profile.

If he brought along the big star Funina, he wouldn't be able to keep a low profile. Richard didn't want the Steambird newspaper to have a headline like "Shocking! Rock King faked his death just to retire and slack off."

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

"Going alone?" Linnet shook her cat tail. She took Funina with her last time, so it should be her turn this time, right?

Unfortunately, Richard didn't plan to bring anyone with him this time. He planned to go to Liyue alone.

And it won’t take too long, because he can feel the turbulent situation in Liyue even through the newspaper, and he doesn’t intend to get involved anyway.

But it is estimated that it will not be a big deal. Morax is not really dead. With him around, even if those demons that were defeated in Liyue in the past are resurrected, Liyue will not be in danger of destruction.

"Well, I'll go there alone and be back in about two or three days. Maybe if I move quickly I won't even need to take a leave. I can just go there early and come back early during the weekend." Richard thought for a moment and replied.

"Oh." Linnett felt that this time she could barely accept it. At least Richard went alone, instead of accompanying someone else without her...

Richard was keenly aware of Linnet's thoughts. He smiled and said, "If you want to go out and have fun, let's wait until Liyue is through this storm, and then go together."

"I don't care..." Linnet looked away, put her hands behind her back, and said insincerely with her cat ears trembling.

"Then it's settled." Richard decided, "I'll go inform Funina first, and Clorinde... If I can't come back on time, you can let her do some of the chores."

"Isn't it always like this?"

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

"Don't bully others too much." Richard said helplessly.

"She volunteered." Linnett was not wrong. After all, a secretary's job is different from a duel agent's. It requires many jobs, big and small, to accumulate experience.

And every time after asking Clorinde for a favor, Linnet would serve her fragrant black tea and some delicious snacks as a reward. The two got along very well.

It's like Zhou Yu fighting Huang Gai - one is willing to fight and the other is willing to be beaten.

"Besides, if it really counts as bullying, you should have gone even further..." Linette looked at Richard. It was you who tricked him into working as Funina's secretary.

Although Clorinde was indeed busy as a duel agent and also served as Furninna's bodyguard at that time, the duel agent also had his moments of relaxation.

At least with Richard here, the job of guard officer seems somewhat unimportant.

Without the job of guard officer, Clorinde would obviously be able to handle the job just as a duel agent, and could even be said to have some free time.

Clorinde must have been so busy at the time that she didn't think through the ins and outs of the matter, and was easily lured into Richard's trap of "high welfare", "high income" and "high vacation".

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

"Enjoyment in suffering?"

"Not to that extent?"

Richard walked out of his office and ran into Clorinde. Thinking of the conversation just now, he asked, "How do you feel about your life now?"

"?" A question mark slowly appeared on Clorinde's forehead.

"It's not bad. The working environment is comfortable, the workload is moderate, the food is good, and thanks to you, you helped me get rid of a worry." Clorinde feels that her life is pretty good now.

If it weren't for Richard, Clorinde would still be worrying about how to protect Navia.

"Is that so..." Richard nodded. He said that he didn't bully others. Didn't he see that she still had to thank me?

"I may take a few days off after this, and I'll leave the work of the City Hall to you."

Clorinde: ...

It was too hasty. Is it too late for her to take back her words now?

Volume 87: Chapter Contract and Trust

The dock of Liyue Harbor is wide and busy. You can see all kinds of ships docked at the shore. Merchants, travelers, fishermen and many other professions travel to and from the port. The prosperity of Liyue Harbor can be seen from here.

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

If you stay in Liyue Harbor for a long time, you will find that the garrison force of Liyue Harbor has increased significantly. The inspection of foreign merchants and travelers is also very detailed. The corresponding customs documents must be complete, and you must also show your identity proof and explain the purpose of your visit to Liyue. Otherwise, you will not be allowed to disembark or enter Liyue Harbor.

If there is any violation, once discovered, the Qianyan Army will have the right to take compulsory measures, including but not limited to arrest, detention, repatriation, etc.

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

"Well, could you please tell me how to get to the Wangsheng Hall? Is it still on the old street in Feiyunpo?" Richard planned to go straight to the destination as soon as he arrived, aiming for a quick victory.

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

"Well, if it's still the same place, it can be said that it hasn't changed in hundreds of years." Richard replied casually, and then left the Port Affairs Office of the General Affairs Department under the confused eyes of the staff.

After knowing the destination, Richard went straight to it. Perhaps because he was well-dressed and did not look like a bad guy, the Qianyan Army who were in charge of patrolling the way did not conduct random checks on him as a foreigner.

But Richard was not afraid of these. He came in through normal procedures and had a temporary residence permit. Even if he was questioned, he only needed to show his ID to pass easily.

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

Because it is an institution responsible for funeral matters, there are not many guests in the Wangsheng Hall. In fact, the flow of people in this old street is not large. This place is close to the outskirts of Feiyunpo and cannot be compared with the core business district inside.

However, the business carried out by Wangsheng Hall does not require traffic. If there is something, customers will come to the door themselves.

"Young man, you look a little unfamiliar. What brings you to my Hall of the Dead?" A clear female voice sounded from behind Richard.

Just by listening to the voice, Richard had an image of a lively, cute and quirky girl in his mind.

Looking back, he saw a happy girl wearing a Qiankun Tai Gua hat and a Chinese-style dress with floral patterns and a long back, looking at him prettily.

But what the other party was holding was...

The girl noticed Richard's gaze, raised the flyer in her hand and said, "Would you like to take a look? This is a new promotion launched by Wangsheng Hall. In order to give back to new and old customers, we at Wangsheng Hall have specially launched a special promotion of half-price for the second monument."

"But I see that you look radiant and healthy, so you probably don't need to use this discount. Hmm... has anyone in your family passed away? If so, just come to the Hall of the Dead. We have a professional team and provide one-stop service, from funeral procession to burial..."

"It doesn't matter if no relatives have passed away. Our store also provides appointment services, and you can enjoy the same discounts. You just need to register and pay a certain percentage of the deposit, and you don't have to worry about your affairs after death!" The girl's voice is full of energy. If you ignore the products she is selling, you can tell that she is a professional salesperson just by her words.

"Sorry, I'm an orphan and I have no blood relatives." Richard ended the topic with just one sentence.

"Ah... haha, is that so, um... sorry." Even though the girl had long since become indifferent to life and death, she still had to apologize for her salesmanship when faced with such a topic.

"Don't mind me. 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, and had a vague guess about her identity.

"My name is Hu Tao, and I am the 77th head of the Wangsheng Hall! What should I call you?"

"Richard, I came here from Fontaine to visit an old friend." Richard said.

"Visiting an old friend... coming to the Wangsheng Hall? If you want to visit the grave, it is not in the city, you have to go outside the city. May I know the name of your old friend?" Hu Tao obviously misunderstood and thought that Richard's old friend had become her client.

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

"Oh, it turns out to be him. He is our guest here. This hall master knows him. But he should be drinking tea in the teahouse now. You can go there to look for him, or you can wait for him to come back in the Hall of Rebirth."

"Although there are basically no guests in Wangsheng Hall, there is still good tea for guests. Would you like some snacks? I just bought a few strings of candied haws and coconut milk date cakes from the street. I originally prepared them for my old friends. You are lucky enough to come here, so I can share some with you."

"Thank you very much, Master Hu."

"Just call me Walnut."

Under Walnut's guidance, Richard came to the lobby of the Hall of the Dead, where he could see many elements related to funerals, such as coffins, paper money, candles, etc. However, it was not gloomy, but rather had an indescribable solemnity.

It seems that Morax has put a lot of thought into his retirement plan and has even arranged his affairs after his death.

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

"I don't have an idea about this, but he is a friend of my grandfather, the previous head of the Wangsheng Hall. Anyway, he has been a guest official since I took over the position of head of the Wangsheng Hall."

"It should be quite some time now." Richard nodded.

"What about you? How did you get to know Zhongli? Although he has a wide range of friends, I've never heard him say that he has a friend in Fontaine."

"As for me, I got to know him through a bard, so it's been quite some time..." Richard took a sip of tea from the Wangsheng Hall and frowned. The tea is good, but the method used... is really a waste of resources.

Walnut drank the tea comfortably, not realizing that there was anything wrong with the tea she brewed.

For her, making tea should be just as the name suggests, put some tea leaves into the cup, and then brew it with boiling water. As for the water temperature, the amount of water used and the amount of tea leaves used, it all depends on her heart, as long as the water has flavor, it's fine.

"How long is some years?" Hu Tao saw that Richard looked young but spoke quite maturely, and soon her eyes were attracted by Richard's ears.

Ears that look like this are quite rare.

"Of course it's been many years. I haven't been back to Liyue for many years."

"From what you said, Richard, you have been to Liyue before?"

"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 said with a smile, "Who knows, they may be regular customers of the Wangsheng Hall."

"Are you an immortal?" Hu Tao had an idea after hearing this.

"The lifespan of elves is naturally longer than that of ordinary people." Richard did not deny it, but he did not reveal the whole story either.

Dragons have a long lifespan to begin with, let alone the Dragon King. If nothing unexpected happens, his lifespan should be as long as the sky. A thousand years is just a moment for him, and there is no need to worry about any wear and tear at his current age.

"Oh, then..." Walnut couldn't help but look towards Richard's ears.

"It's just that the ears and lifespan are different from those of ordinary people, the rest is basically the same." Richard explained with a smile.

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

Before Zhongli, who had just entered the room, could speak, he saw Hu Tao waving at him and saying, "Guest Zhongli, your friend is here to see you."

"?" Zhongli shifted his gaze to Richard who was standing opposite Hu Tao.

Richard happened to meet his gaze, waved at the old man who was about to retire and said, "Mr. Zhongli, long time no see."

"Long time no see. Today is indeed a good day. An old friend is visiting, so we should celebrate. I happened to have booked a table at the Liuli Pavilion, Master..." Zhongli looked at Hu Tao.

Hu Tao showed a subtle expression on her face. She couldn't help but reach out to touch her purse. She was very familiar with the feeling of having her wallet insecure!

"Liuliting? This is our own restaurant. I'm sorry to have cost you a lot of money." Although Richard said this, he personally felt that a meal at Liuliting was nothing to Zhongli.

It's a pity that he didn't know that Zhongli was just a mortal now, not the Rock King. His pockets were even cleaner than Master Hu's face, so he had no money to spend at Liuli Pavilion.

In the end, these expenses will either be charged to Wangsheng Hall or fall on Richard. In any case, Zhongli is definitely penniless.

This is why Walnut subconsciously reached for his wallet.

Zhongli noticed Hu Tao's little action and explained, "The Young Master is the host, so Master Hu doesn't have to worry about the expenses."

"Why didn't you tell me earlier? I worried for nothing." Hu Tao wiped the non-existent sweat from her forehead. She was ready to help with the bill. After all, it was impossible for her to ask the guests who came from afar to pay for the meal, right?