Returning to Hu Tao's room, Ryen paused for a moment.
It was pitch black—the lights were off—and the only sound was faint breathing from inside.
Hu Tao seemed to be asleep.
He glanced at the desk, a little confused. The note he left was still there, untouched, without even a crease.
Ryen let out a wry smile. She must've thought he stood her up and snuck away quietly.
Now that was a disaster.
Wouldn't Hu Tao be furious?
He quietly tried pushing the bedroom door—it was locked from the inside. She really was mad.
But thinking from her perspective: if Hu Tao had told him they had something big to do tonight and then suddenly disappeared without a word...
He'd be pissed too.
Smiling bitterly, he gently applied pressure and forcibly broke the lock, stepping into the room.
Hu Tao's breathing was steady; she really looked asleep. But Ryen could clearly hear her heartbeat.
She was still angry. Not asleep. She had already heard his footsteps, and her heartbeat had quickened.
Ryen quietly got into bed and hugged her close.
"Still mad?"
Hu Tao didn't respond. She just grumpily pushed his hands away and guarded herself, not letting him take advantage of her even a little.
"I had some business with Zhongli earlier. I left for a bit, but I did leave a note for you."
Hu Tao tensed—she remembered the note on the desk.
But she had just finished bathing, smelling all fresh and fragrant, ran out with joy, expecting to be embraced—only to find Ryen gone.
Of course she was huffing with frustration, totally ignoring the note.
"Still mad?"
Ryen snickered and let out a theatrical sigh.
"Then I'll be going now… maybe next time."
Just as he finished speaking and started to move, Hu Tao suddenly grabbed his hand and placed it back.
After a moment of silence, she muttered:
"I thought... you went to find Ganyu."
"What kind of nonsense is that?"
Ryen chuckled helplessly and turned her to face him.
In the dark, Hu Tao's plum-blossom eyes sparkled, looking a little aggrieved.
Ryen's heart instantly softened. He gently brushed her hair and spoke softly:
"How could I bail halfway through something I promised you? I was with Zhongli, meeting someone and discussing important matters."
He didn't mention who it was, and Hu Tao didn't press him.
She wasn't stupid. Zhongli had been a guest of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor since her grandfather's time. Over a decade had passed, and he hadn't aged a bit.
Of course Hu Tao suspected Zhongli's identity was unusual.
Besides, in the Minecraft world—even if Xiao and Zhongli hid their identities well—Xiao's restraint and respect during interactions made it obvious.
If Xiao acted like that around someone, who else could it be but the Geo Archon?
But Hu Tao didn't care who Zhongli really was.
To her, whether he was Morax or simply the guest consultant Zhongli—it didn't matter.
What mattered was the Funeral Parlor. And now, Ryen.
Since it was a conversation between the Geo Archon and someone else, she didn't care what Zhongli was planning.
"You could've just told me!"
After thinking it over, Hu Tao pouted and glared at Ryen.
He shook his head helplessly.
"You were in the bath. What was I supposed to do? Storm in and say, 'Hey, I'm going out for a bit'?"
In the darkness, Hu Tao blushed. After a long pause, she muttered:
"S-So what! You're the head's man—what is there you can't see!"
"But I was afraid that if I saw it, I wouldn't be able to hold myself back. Then I'd never leave to handle that business."
Ryen teased her. With a flick of his finger, the button on her pajamas popped open.
Hu Tao glanced down and grumbled:
"You're awfully good at that…"
Ryen nuzzled her cheek gently and asked:
"Want to continue? It's getting late. Or should I just cuddle you to sleep?"
"No way!"
Before the words had fully left his mouth, Hu Tao sat up straight and started fumbling with her pajamas without waiting for Ryen.
"You promised today, so it has to be today! I specifically timed this when Ganyu was too busy to look for you!"
"If we miss tonight, who knows when the next chance will come!"
"This head of the parlor is very eager to start training our heir to carry on the legacy!"
Ryen sighed in defeat, but seeing her fumble clumsily with her clothes, he didn't dawdle either. With a tug, he pulled her back into his arms.
In the darkness, Hu Tao held him tightly. After the initial pain, they began their journey to ensure the future of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor…
---
Meanwhile, on the second floor of the Northland Bank…
Tartaglia sat bored in a meeting room, waiting.
It wasn't clear how much time had passed when the wooden door finally opened.
Rosalyne stepped in, her face pale—clearly injured.
She went straight to the chair and took out a recovery potion, drinking it in one go.
Tartaglia sat up, clearly amused, and teased:
"Tsk, so stubborn. I told you not to go, but you just had to. What bad luck, Lady."
"Heh! Injured by divine power too? Congratulations—it's an honor to be struck by the Geo Archon himself."
Alchemical potions worked well even against Planet Befall."
In no time, Rosalyne looked fully recovered.
Of course, she knew Zhongli had gone easy on her.
Otherwise, she had no confidence she could've withstood the punishment.
As for what the "Planet Befall" actually was—its form completely depended on the severity of the contract breach.
For Venti, it meant being made to eat rocks. For Rosalyne, it meant a divine-powered strike.
Back then, when punishing a merchant who violated a business contract, Zhongli threw down a Heavenly Star. That too was the Punishment of Stone.
To be honest, Rosalyne was relieved that Zhongli hadn't used Heavenly Star on her this time.
After stabilizing her condition, she glanced at Tartaglia, who had a mocking grin on his face. Rosalyne responded calmly:
"I met Morax, and also that Ryen you mentioned."
Tartaglia instantly wiped the smile off his face, sat upright, and looked at Rosalyne with a slight frown.
"How strong is he?"
Rosalyne's expression darkened as she responded coldly:
"Is that all you ever ask about?"
"Come on now!"
Tartaglia shrugged, looking innocent.
"I'm a battle maniac. If I don't ask about strength, what else am I supposed to ask? I don't understand all your twists and schemes anyway!"
Rosalyne suppressed her anger and said in a low voice:
"If you're asking about Morax… then it's a strength that cannot be defied."
"I invoked the Tsaritsa's divine power and provoked him. He responded with Planet Befall. In that moment, my powers fed me one single message—"
"Do not resist. Any resistance is futile. Compared to the Tsaritsa, he's far, far stronger."
Tartaglia wasn't surprised.
Having studied many of Liyue's ancient texts and legends, he naturally understood how powerful the Geo Archon was.
"No wonder they called him the God of War…"
Tartaglia shook his head and asked again:
"What about Ryen?"
At that, Rosalyne also furrowed her brows. After a moment of contemplation, she shook her head.
"I couldn't tell... There were no elemental fluctuations from him at all."
"He looked utterly ordinary, like some passerby on the street."
Tartaglia raised an eyebrow and chuckled.
"Ordinary?"
"That's just what my powers told me. But my instincts… they say this man is more dangerous than Celestia itself."
Rosalyne shook her head again.
She really couldn't make sense of Ryen. The man didn't seem to possess any strength…
Yet the more she thought about him, the more uneasy she felt.
"If he really is what we suspect… then he might truly be stronger than the gods."
Tartaglia made the comment lightly, but he didn't want to dwell on it.
Whether it was the Geo Archon or Ryen, neither were people he could casually challenge to a fight.
The former? He stood no chance. The latter?
Given how seriously Liyue seemed to regard Ryen… if Tartaglia even thought of fighting him, the Adepti might crush him before he could utter a word.
Tartaglia set aside those thoughts and asked:
"Anything else?"
Rosalyne looked at him.
"As for the plan to release Osial, continue with it."
Tartaglia couldn't help it—he crushed the corner of the table with his grip.
He stared at Rosalyne in disbelief.
"Continue? With Liyue's current strength, once it's over, they'll bury us under the sea!"
"This was Morax's decision. He'll take responsibility afterward."
Rosalyne's reply was vague, but Tartaglia thought for a moment and said:
"If that's the case... I'll have the factory proceed. But you'd better make sure he gives us an explanation."
Rosalyne didn't elaborate further. She just gave him a casual glance.
"Morax is the God of Contracts."
That one sentence was enough to silence all of Tartaglia's concerns.
If Morax said it, then there was no need to worry about empty promises.
Any god might break their word—but not Morax.
As the God of Contracts, everything he says and does must carry weight.
"Any other questions?"
Tartaglia didn't dwell on it and casually asked.
Rosalyne paused briefly, then nodded.
"I mentioned to him the idea of collaborating with us."
Tartaglia's interest piqued. He stared at her intently.
"He rejected it?"
"He neither accepted nor declined."
"…What's that supposed to mean? Can you not be so cryptic?"
Tartaglia hated riddles more than anything.
Rosalyne sighed.
"My rank isn't high enough. If we want a collaboration, the Tsaritsa herself would need to come."
"Besides… Morax clearly expressed his distaste for the Fatui. And with the alliance between Mondstadt and Liyue…"
"There's no way the Fatui can cooperate with Liyue."
Hearing this, Tartaglia immediately lost interest. He yawned, clearly bored.
"If that's the case, then forget it."
Rosalyne shook her head and said softly:
"You know how things are within the Fatui. Strictly speaking, the hostility from the other side is directed at certain specific Harbingers."
"The Doctor!"
Tartaglia immediately called out the name. Seeing Rosalyne nod in confirmation, he curled his lip.
"I knew it. That bastard's useless anyway. Who knows what he's even thinking."
"In Liyue's terms, he's like a rat that spoiled the whole pot!"
Rosalyne didn't argue with Tartaglia's crude metaphor.
She had little regard for those Harbingers who weren't truly loyal to the Tsaritsa and instead harbored their own selfish agendas.
Fortunately, Tartaglia was a devoted follower of the Cryo Archon.
Rosalyne didn't mind sharing some of her speculations.
"The Fatui can't cooperate with Liyue… but that doesn't mean Snezhnaya can't."
That caught Tartaglia's interest. He sat upright, saying nothing, waiting for Rosalyne to continue.
~~----------------------
To read 30 future chapters head over to patreon:
patreon.com/Dreamer20