Jiang Bai walked over, his tone tinged with a hint of regret.
"Too bad there's no way to record this… A shot of the Nail would've made a perfect cover for Cartis's travel log."
"Oh, I've got something!" Hu Tao perked up. "There's a kamera in my ring, stored in a wooden box. Give it back to me and I'll dig it out—"
Since the explosives had all been unloaded, there was no need for Jiang Bai to keep Hu Tao's ring any longer. The two of them switched their storage items back.
These storage devices weren't the kind just anyone could use — each one required a unique method to activate, tailored to its owner.
After organizing her own things, Hu Tao found the kamera.
It was a novelty she'd bought ages ago from a Fontaine merchant — a fun little gadget she'd used once or twice, then forgot inside the ring. Honestly, if Jiang Bai hadn't mentioned it, she might never have remembered she had it.
Jiang Bai stared at it with wide-eyed curiosity.
"How does it work?"
"Press here — it'll capture the scene in front of it and turn it into a photo."
She fiddled with the kamera and pointed it at him. "You go raise our Wangsheng Funeral Parlor flag, stand with your back to the Skyfrost Nail. I'll take a shot for promotion."
Jiang Bai hoisted the spirit-summoning banner onto his shoulder. The large characters for Wangsheng Funeral Parlor fluttered boldly in the wind. Above him, Albedo's silhouette jutted out as he worked on the Nail, while Klee peeked her little head out from between the icicles.
Click.
Hu Tao pressed the shutter, capturing the moment.
A soft whirring followed as the kamera printed out the photo from its base.
She took it by the corner and gave it a few shakes in the air to dry the ink.
Jiang Bai leaned over to take a look, beaming with satisfaction at the image.
"Hehe, not gonna lie — I look pretty good!"
Spotting something fun going on, Klee skipped over, her little boots thumping across the snow.
"What's that? Let Klee see too!"
She stretched up on tiptoe, craning her neck, but still couldn't see a thing — too short.
Jiang Bai handed her the photo. "It's a picture!"
"Waaah! I see Klee!" She pointed excitedly at the red-topped head poking out behind Jiang Bai.
"And there's Big Brother Albedo too!"
"Who's this?" Hu Tao turned to Jiang Bai, raising an eyebrow in question.
"This is Klee — Albedo's younger sister. I ran into them in Mondstadt when I went to get the explosives. The Cavalry Captain of the Knights, Kaeya, came along too."
"Hello, Big Sister!" Klee greeted her politely.
Hu Tao smiled and ruffled her hair. "I'm Hu Tao."
"Want a photo of your own?"
"Yes please!" Klee bounced in place, full of excitement.
"Stand right here, I'll take one for you."
The kamera required film, but Hu Tao still had plenty stored. She wasn't stingy when it came to photos.
"Big Brother Jiang Bai, come join too!" Klee tugged Jiang Bai toward the frame.
"Big Brother Albedo, hurry over!"
Still hard at work setting charges, Albedo heard her calling and reluctantly jumped down.
He'd only gotten halfway through the setup, and at this rate, there was no way they'd be done by noon.
"Hurry, hurry!"
With Klee urging him on, Albedo walked over to her side.
Once everyone was in place, Klee flashed a big grin and threw up a playful peace sign.
"Say cheese!"
With the towering Skyfrost Nail as their backdrop, the three of them struck matching poses.
Klee was adorable, Albedo elegant, and Jiang Bai wore a bright, sunlit grin.
Click.
The kamera captured it all.
And just like that, the ominous Skyfrost Nail suddenly felt more like a sightseeing spot.
Klee clutched her printed photo like it was a rare treasure.
"Thank you, Big Sister Hu Tao! Klee loves it! I'm gonna mail it to Mom!"
"Then you'd better keep it safe," Albedo chuckled softly.
Klee nodded solemnly and tucked the photo into her backpack.
Looking at Hu Tao — whom he was meeting for the first time — Albedo gave a brief, polite introduction.
"Director Hu, I'm Albedo."
"Oh? You know me?" Hu Tao looked a little surprised.
Has the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor really become that well-known in Mondstadt?
"I've heard Jiang Bai mention you."
"Ahh… so that's how."
She felt a tiny pang of disappointment — she'd thought for a second her name had gone famous abroad…
"I'm Hu Tao. Just call me that."
After a few casual exchanges, Albedo brought Klee back to continue setting explosives.
Hu Tao snapped one more wide shot — a clean, empty photo that could serve as a proper cover image — before Jiang Bai brought her back to the camp. There, he retrieved the journal Cartis was bound to from one of the supply bags.
"Cartis."
He called out, and a translucent figure slowly began to materialize.
"What is it?"
As the head of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, Hu Tao could immediately recognize the nature of Cartis's current state.
She frowned slightly, voice turning serious. "The condition you're in… is dangerous."
Cartis had lingered in the world after death due to both his intense will and the complex leylines of this region — but even those didn't fully explain it.
Over the years, countless adventurers had perished in Dragonspine — yet only Cartis had remained as a spirit.
The real reason behind that could be summed up in a single word: luck.
Life and death followed certain natural laws. They weren't meant to be tampered with lightly.
But now that things had reached this point, as the guardian of the balance between yin and yang, she had a duty to guide him across the boundary.
That was her role.
"Your mind and memories are still intact because you only died recently. But your obsession is too strong — that makes you extremely vulnerable to corruption. If that happens, you'll become a malevolent spirit. You've felt it, haven't you?"
"…Yes." Cartis gave a wry smile.
It was obvious — the chaotic forces of the mountain were affecting him, blurring his memories, distorting his sense of self.
That was why he'd spent so much time asleep inside the journal.
Sleep helped slow the erosion.
His gaze drifted toward the Skyfrost Nail in the distance, full of deep, aching longing.
"But my wish hasn't been fulfilled. I can't accept leaving just yet…"
Hu Tao sighed. People with obsessions that ran that deep — they weren't easy to send off unless those final wishes were resolved.
That's why, in most cases, she chose to help fulfill those wishes first.
It was, after all, their last remaining tie to the world of the living.
She didn't blame Jiang Bai for agreeing to help Cartis — if it had been her in his place, she would've done the same.
Even if the wish was difficult. Even if it was a hassle. As long as there was the will to act, there would always be a way.
"Once your wish is fulfilled, I'll help you move on."
"Thank you — for agreeing to such a selfish request."
Cartis smiled, genuine and deeply moved.
"Signing that contract with the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor might've been the best decision I made in my whole life."
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T/N: big sister hu tao almost turned into big brotherbecause i was so used to typing out big brother :sob: