Tartaglia led Lumine and Paimon to their private room.
Seeing Zhongli and Fu Ning chatting casually, he greeted them nonchalantly, "Hey."
Behind him, Lumine and Paimon were admiring the grand interior of the Liuli Pavilion. When they noticed Fu Ning, they paused in surprise but refrained from speaking rashly.
After all, they were just guests—it wouldn't be right to steal the spotlight.
Zhongli noticed their arrival. "Ah, please, have a seat."
The three took their seats one after another.
Tartaglia spoke first. "Let me introduce you. This friend here is Fu Ning, Fontaine's top guard."
"And this is Mr. Zhongli, a guest consultant of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor and a Taoist priest in appearance."
Fu Ning and Zhongli both nodded to Lumine and Paimon.
Lumine already recognized Fu Ning, so she turned to Zhongli and asked, "In appearance…?"
Tartaglia nodded. "Well, in Liyue, a business like the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor inevitably has to interact with the… darker side of things."
"And we Fatui have always had a certain fondness for dealing with these… ha, friends who walk in the shadows."
Paimon rested her chin on her hand, puzzled. "Walking in the shadows…?"
Zhongli nodded. "Pleased to meet you both. I've heard of your deeds in Mondstadt."
Paimon's confusion grew, and even a little fear crept into her voice. "People of the underworld… shadows… sending people to the afterlife… Waaah! Don't tell me the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor is really…!"
Zhongli looked calmly at them. "Yes, just as you're thinking."
"AHHH—!" Paimon screamed.
But Zhongli's soothing voice quickly followed. "The Wangsheng Funeral Parlor is an organization that handles funeral rites. Its purpose is to help souls pass on peacefully."
"Eh?" Paimon blinked, stunned.
Tartaglia chuckled. "Haha, did you think Mr. Zhongli was some kind of assassin?"
"There are indeed many assassins among the Fatui's associates, but the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor is not in that line of work—at least, not openly."
"On the surface…" Lumine muttered.
Tartaglia smiled. "He's still part of the underworld, after all. Can't go into too much detail."
He turned back to Fu Ning. "This friend here comes from faraway Fontaine—the highest guard of the Court of Fontaine, Fu Ning."
Fu Ning nodded politely. "It's good to see you both again."
Paimon let out a relieved sigh. "Ah, we know this guy! Hello, Fu Ning! I didn't expect you to know Zhongli and Childe too."
"Come to think of it, you're not from Liyue or the Fatui… So how are you involved in the matter of the Qixing hiding the body of the Geo Archon?"
Fu Ning blinked. "Hm?"
He turned to Zhongli with a confused look. "Now that you mention it, I don't think Mr. Zhongli ever explained that to me."
Fu Ning thought for a moment. "But I suppose, based on what you're saying, Mr. Zhongli and Tartaglia were drawn to me because of my strength and my identity… as a demon god?"
Paimon's jaw dropped. "Wait—what?! Fu Ning, what are you saying? You're a demon god?!"
Lumine's eyes also widened in surprise.
Fu Ning, Tartaglia, and Zhongli exchanged glances.
Fu Ning finally broke the silence. "Ah… is that so? I thought you'd already guessed I was a demon god back when I compared myself to the Hydro Archon."
"Well, allow me to reintroduce myself."
"I am the strongest fighter in Fontaine, a loyal follower of Lady Furina, the dark demon god, and Fontaine's highest guard—Fu Ning. These aren't secrets. Anyone with access to the right sources can find this out."
Tartaglia nodded. "Indeed. Mr. Fu Ning holds a noble status. Every time I think about how I got lucky enough to befriend him, it gets my blood pumping!"
Paimon and Lumine exchanged shocked glances. "We really didn't expect this… Fu Ning, we thought you were just a normal human…"
Fu Ning chuckled. "Haha…My title as Fontaine's Number One Fighter—'Fontaine' includes the Hydro Archon and Chief Justice Neuvillette!"
"But enough of that," he turned to Zhongli and Tartaglia. "Go ahead and continue."
Zhongli took over the conversation. "Because I know a way for you to see the immortal body of the Geo Archon."
Fu Ning almost couldn't hold in a snarky comment.
But he restrained himself.
Paimon gasped. "What?!"
Tartaglia smiled. "Haha, don't be so surprised. While the Geo Archon's body is currently hidden under the tight control of Ningguang, the Tianquan of the Liyue Qixing… well, let's hear what Mr. Zhongli has to say."
Fu Ning kept sizing up Zhongli with narrowed eyes, making the consultant clearly uncomfortable.
Zhongli faced Fu Ning's gaze calmly. "Though Morax is the ancestor of all Liyue's adepti, he was still an immortal. And as with all immortals… they eventually depart."
"Look back at Liyue's thousands of years of history. The adepti have faded, one after another. It is an inevitable trend."
Fu Ning looked at Zhongli with an increasingly strange expression.
Fortunately, the others were all focused on Zhongli and didn't notice.
Zhongli continued, "Times have changed. You've seen this in Jueyun Karst."
Lumine nodded. "It's true—the adepti are withdrawing from Liyue."
Zhongli nodded solemnly. "As you can see, the era of the adepti is ending. The age of mortals is gradually becoming reality."
Fu Ning's brows furrowed. He sensed that Zhongli's views might begin to diverge from his own.
Zhongli tilted his head. "In years past, whenever an adeptus passed, there was always a grand memorial. That was Liyue's tradition. But this time, not even the Qixing managed to uphold it… A shame."
Lumine was silent for a moment. "It was the murder of a god, after all."
Paimon nodded. "Yeah… and the real culprit still hasn't been found!"
Zhongli closed his eyes. "The Wangsheng Funeral Parlor doesn't concern itself with crime. What it cares about is the ceremony of farewell. The Rite of Descension was so grand… so who will perform the Rite of Parting?"
"Traveler, I've heard about you from Childe. Since you're on friendly terms with the Anemo Archon… would you consider helping me prepare a proper farewell for the Geo Archon?"
Lumine looked at Tartaglia, exasperated. "Childe, you talk too much."
Tartaglia raised his eyebrows, grinning. "Oh? In the underworld, that phrase means silencing a witness. Very interesting. Draw your blade! Let's—"
"Haha, kidding! Let's get back on track."
"Ningguang, the Tianquan, is preventing anyone from approaching the body of the Geo Archon. So if you want to continue your journey to meet the Seven Archons, this may be your only remaining path."
"And Mr. Fu Ning will use his power and status to apply pressure on the Qixing so we can carry this out more smoothly."
Zhongli nodded. "Indeed. Only by participating in the farewell ceremony can you lay eyes on the body of the Geo Archon."
Lumine considered it for a moment and nodded. "It seems like there's no other choice."
Zhongli rose. "Then if you agree, come with me. We can discuss the details on the way."