While I was in Mondstadt, I never imagined becoming a god.

The old woman suddenly called out to him, took a steaming hot bun from the steamer, wrapped it in oil paper, and stuffed it into his hand.

"My child, please accept my condolences."

Xu Chuan looked at the steamed bun in his hand, unsure of what to say.

"Grandma, I just went to..."

"No need to explain, Grandma understands, but only when she's well-fed will she have the strength to handle the funeral arrangements."

The old woman patted the back of his hand, her eyes reddening.

Xu Chuan silently took a bite of the steamed bun. It was filled with pork and cabbage, and it tasted really good.

After thinking about it, he decided not to explain further.

As it turned out, this was a wise decision.

Along the way, Xu Chuan asked for directions several times, receiving three "please accept my condolences" messages, two "people are dead and cannot be brought back to life," and an orange shoved into his hand.

The most outrageous thing was when we passed a fabric shop, the proprietress poked her head out and shouted, "Young man, we make custom-made funeral clothes here, and customers of the funeral parlor get a 20% discount!"

Xu Chuan sped up and turned the corner.

Finally, after crossing the seventh intersection, he saw the building.

Hall of Rebirth.

The vermilion pillars and upturned eaves are adorned with white banners bearing black characters.

The stone steps at the entrance were wiped spotless, and two ever-burning lamps burned quietly in the morning breeze.

The entire building is solemn and dignified, yet not gloomy; on the contrary, it exudes a strange and reassuring aura.

It's as if death itself is properly placed here, no longer frightening.

As soon as Xu Chuan stepped onto the steps, a hand landed on his shoulder from behind.

"Yo-"

Her clear, crisp voice, with its long, drawn-out ending, was like a sika deer suddenly leaping out of the grass.

"I was wondering why the weather was so nice today, it turns out it's you!"

Hu Tao peeked out from beside him, the plum blossom on her hat swaying gently in her hair, her plum blossom eyes curving into crescents.

She was dressed in a black short outfit with red patterns of rebirth embroidered on the cuffs and hem, exuding a vitality that was completely out of place with the solemn building.

Xu Chuan wasn't frightened and even greeted her.

"Good morning, Master Hu."

"Good morning!" Hu Tao walked around to face him, looked him up and down, her eyes full of the gleam a businessman has when he sees a potential customer.

"Xu Chuan, be honest, were any of your ancestors from Liyue?"

Xu Chuan: "Why are you suddenly asking this?"

"Because I find you particularly pleasing to the eye!"

Hu Tao said matter-of-factly, putting her hands behind her back and circling around him, "Think about it, the Hall of Rebirth has been open in Liyue for so many years, and countless people from Liyue have passed away."

"Perhaps one of your ancestors was handled by our Rebirth Hall back then."

"In that sense, we're practically family friends!"

Goodness, you can actually calculate it like that?

She winked at Xu Chuan.

"So, would you like to learn about the latest services offered by Wangshengtang? I'll give you a discount since we've been friends for generations."

Xu Chuan: "..."

If it were anyone else, there might actually be a one in ten thousand chance that Hu Tao's words would be true.

But for him alone, it's absolutely impossible.

Because their home planet is not on this planet.

Thinking of this, Xu Chuan suddenly became interested.

"Is the business of Wangshengtang really that extensive?"

Hu Tao's eyes lit up.

In that instant, Xu Chuan felt as if he had transformed from a human being into a piece of meat on a chopping board.

"Of course!" Hu Tao grabbed his sleeve and pulled him towards the door.

"Come, come, let me give you a proper introduction."

"Our Rebirth Hall has a dedicated international business line. For travelers who unfortunately pass away in foreign lands, we can take care of bringing their remains back to Liyue, so that they can return to their roots and be laid to rest."

"The entire process is escorted by dedicated personnel, and the ceremony is fully arranged. Family members only need to wait at home. Isn't that thoughtful?"

She said this with the pride in her voice, as if she were introducing some remarkable achievement.

Xu Chuan had to admit that, in a sense, this was indeed a remarkable thing.

“Multinational business,” he repeated, a slight smile playing on his lips. “And what about global business?”

Hu Tao paused for a moment.

"what?"

“I mean,” Xu Chuan stopped at the threshold of the main hall of the Hall of Rebirth, turned to look at Hu Tao, “if someone doesn’t belong to any country on the Teyvat continent, can the Hall of Rebirth send their little box back?”

Hu Tao tilted her head, revealing a rare expression of serious thought.

"If it doesn't belong to any country in Teyvat, then what kind of place is it?"

"It's a very far place, so far that no one can deliver it."

A voice came from deep within the main hall.

Warm and deep, like the echo of water in an ancient well being stirred up by pebbles.

Every word carries just the right weight, neither too much nor too little, landing perfectly on the listener's heart.

Xu Chuan raised his head.

A tall, slender figure slowly walked out of the Hall of Rebirth.

The man had deep-set eyes and walked at a steady pace, each step landing as firmly as a mountain itself.

Even though it's just walking from inside the door to outside, it gives the illusion of mountains slowly moving.

Zhongli, a guest of the Hall of Rebirth.

It is also the Rock King, Morax.

Xu Chuan's gaze met those eyes.

In an instant, he had a strange feeling.

Xu Chuan was not surprised that Zhong Li could see his special qualities.

Having lived for so many years and being one of the oldest gods in Teyvat, what he has shown so far is probably only the tip of the iceberg.

"What this gentleman said is true."

Zhongli withdrew his gaze and turned to Hu Tao, speaking calmly and unhurriedly.

"If Master Hu wants to do this business, he should think twice before he does."

Hu Tao blinked, her mind racing for a moment before she finally understood.

"Wait, Elder, do you mean Xu Chuan really isn't a Teyvat?"

She suddenly turned her head and stared at Xu Chuan, her plum blossom eyes wide open.

"You just said you don't belong to any country in Teyvat... are you serious?"

"Seriously."

Xu Chuan nodded, his expression calm.

“My hometown is not in Teyvat. No matter how extensive the business of the Rebirth Hall is, it probably won’t reach there.”

Walnut opened her mouth, then closed it again.

Her expression underwent a truly remarkable transformation.

From shock to confusion, and then to sudden realization.

"Doesn't that mean..."

Her voice took on a dangerous upward spiking tone.

“You are the most special customer that Wangshengtang has ever had in its history.”

Xu Chuan: "..."

This focus is typical of Walnut.

"Oh right, right." Hu Tao suddenly remembered something and clapped her hands, "I haven't formally introduced you yet."

"This is Mr. Zhongli, a guest elder of our Rebirth Hall."

"He knows everything from astronomy to geography, is knowledgeable about the past and present, and has a vast amount of learning. In short, he knows everything, and he can talk to you about anything for three days and three nights."

Then, she pointed at Xu Chuan.

"This is Xu Chuan, Yan Fei's friend, who just arrived from Mondstadt."

Zhong Li nodded slightly in greeting to Xu Chuan.

"Mr. Xu Chuan, it's a pleasure to meet you."

His manners were just right, neither distant nor overly warm, as if measured with a ruler.

Xu Chuan looked at the refined man in front of him, feeling a mix of emotions.

Morax, the Rock King.

The creator of Liyue, and also its guardian deity.

The emotions that welled up in Xu Chuan's heart were mostly admiration and respect.

Over six thousand years and countless wars between demons, he single-handedly built Teyvat into the most prosperous trading port. This achievement deserves the respect of everyone.

But beyond the respect, there was also a subtle... mischievousness.

After all, he knew better than anyone that the majestic Prince Yan had just staged a dramatic "death on the spot" performance at Yujingtai the day before yesterday.

At this moment, the entire Liyue Harbor was filled with mourning and panic, while he himself was standing at the entrance of the Hall of Rebirth, discussing the feasibility of cross-world business with his hall master.

Who would believe this scene if I told them?

"Mr. Zhongli," Xu Chuan cupped his hands in greeting, "I've long admired you."

"Oh?" Zhongli's gaze fell on him, a faint smile on her face. "Mr. Xu Chuan, you've heard of me?"

"I've heard Master Hu mention him before. He said that Mr. Zhongli is learned and insightful." Xu Chuan smiled. "Meeting him today, I can see that his reputation is well-deserved."

Zhongli nodded slightly, seemingly unmoved by the polite words.

But his gaze lingered on Xu Chuan for a moment longer, and that feeling of being scrutinized resurfaced, even more clearly than before.

Then, he looked away.

Hu Tao listened to their conversation from the side, her mind racing with calculations for a long time, when she suddenly clapped her hands.

"Wait, let's not talk about this nonsense!"

She leaned close to Zhongli, her expression unusually serious.

Zhongli glanced at her.

"Master Hu, where do you think the business of the Rebirth Hall can extend the furthest?"

"The furthest?" Hu Tao counted on her fingers, "Mondstadt, Winterfell, Fontainebleau, Natalya, Mount Meru... It's not impossible as long as you're willing to pay more."

"Therefore, what the Hall of Rebirth can do is ultimately limited to Teyvat."

Walnut's fingers stopped.

"It doesn't exist on this continent." She murmured, then suddenly realized something and stared at Xu Chuan with wide eyes. "Since you can come here, can't you go back?"