The first life, a contract

Liyue Harbor, early morning, light rain.

A man strolled through the harbor.

Ships of all sizes lay moored along the docks, where plenty of workers had already begun their morning tasks.

The man seemed to enjoy these quiet, leisurely moments, stopping now and then as he wandered at ease.

Then he heard a merchant praise a subordinate. "You have fulfilled your duties. Now, go and rest."

The words gave the man pause, and he stood there for a long time.

He remained until the sparsely populated harbor had become a bustling sea of traffic and people.

Only then did he come back to his senses, but the ship had long since sailed.

Throughout that time, he kept asking himself a question.

Have I... fulfilled my duties as well?

At that moment.

A white-haired man wearing a Primordial Hexagonal Hat approached.

"Good morning, Geo Lord," he said slowly, with a faint smile.

Startled, the man turned and discovered that the speaker was none other than Hu Xiu Yuan, the director of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.

"Hello, my name is Zhongli. The Geo Lord you just mentioned is..."

"Rex Lapis, Zhongli."

Without haste, Xiu Yuan laid his identity bare.

Zhongli was truly taken aback. With him inhabiting this mortal body, no one should have known that he was Rex Lapis.

His eyes filled with bewilderment. He had no idea how this fellow had discovered his identity.

"I think... I know what you're thinking..."

"You want to... step down as a god and finally take some time to relax, don't you?"

Xiu Yuan made a point of visiting the harbor every morning.

His purpose was to catch Zhongli here.

He knew that Zhongli had first considered stepping down after hearing a merchant praise his subordinate at the harbor one day.

Naturally, Xiu Yuan had come to find him to make arrangements for after his departure.

Hu Tao was ten now and had already learned practically all the knowledge and procedures she needed.

"You..."

"Let's talk somewhere else."

Zhongli stared at Xiu Yuan in shock, but before he could say anything more, Xiu Yuan interrupted him. Zhongli then glanced at the surrounding crowd and nodded solemnly.

They found a quiet tavern and chatted happily, getting along as though they were old friends.

Xiu Yuan did not reveal too much. Instead, he focused on persuading Zhongli to step down as a god.

"Liyue needs to grow up. Your presence will make it too comfortable with peace and security, until it loses its sense of danger."

"You've suffered so much Erosion over these thousands of years. It's time you enjoyed yourself."

"Stepping down doesn't necessarily mean leaving. I hope you'll watch over Liyue, this 'child of your own,' from the shadows as it grows, quietly lending a hand when it encounters setbacks. That would be enough."

"Even the most enduring stone will develop cracks beneath the wear of time's endless river."

Every word Xiu Yuan spoke struck a chord in him, and Zhongli sank into thought.

However he considered it, he found that Xiu Yuan's words made considerable sense.

His presence did indeed limit Liyue's development. It might ensure stability, but it was no lasting solution.

"Your reasoning is sound, but how do you know all this?"

Zhongli knew almost everything about Liyue, yet he had never noticed that the director of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor was such a mysterious person.

His impression of Xiu Yuan had been that he was gentle, open-minded, cheerful, and intelligent.

Now, Zhongli had another label to add to that list.

Mysterious.

This fellow was far too mysterious. He seemed to know everything, even guessing Zhongli's innermost thoughts with perfect accuracy. He was practically a monster.

"I'm sorry, but I can't reveal that. I have a contract with something beyond even the gods."

Naturally, Xiu Yuan could not tell them that this world was actually a game on Earth.

If he said that aloud, even Zhongli would probably think he was mad.

"You must have some purpose in telling me all this, don't you?"

"Of course," Xiu Yuan admitted without reservation.

"What is it?"

"Care."

"What?"

"To care for my granddaughter, Hu Tao," Xiu Yuan clarified.

"Why? Aren't you still here?" Zhongli was baffled by Xiu Yuan's strange request.

"Because of that contract, I can't stay with her as she grows up. Before long, I will leave. When that happens, I'd like you to become a guest consultant at the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor and take my place as an adviser, staying by Hu Tao's side as she grows."

Xiu Yuan spoke unhurriedly, without the slightest change in tone. It was as though he had known this would happen long ago and had already worked through his emotions alone.

Even so, Zhongli saw something familiar in his eyes.

Erosion...

It was a look that appeared only after each bout of Erosion.

It seems...

He's telling the truth.

With that thought, Zhongli slowly asked, "What do you need me to do?"

"My granddaughter Hu Tao loves poetry and classical literature, while you possess knowledge of both ancient and modern times. You need only meet her and chat for a while. Your talent and learning will surely draw her in."

Xiu Yuan had already worked out a plan, though he could not spell it out too clearly. Zhongli was intelligent, however, and would naturally understand.

"Very well. If that is indeed the case, I will certainly try." Zhongli rarely met anyone who interested him so much, so he accepted without hesitation.

"This is what I offer in return. I hope you like it."

As he spoke, Xiu Yuan took out an exquisitely crafted square box. Made from fine wood, it bore patterns resembling cherry blossoms and was quite charming.

He liked little trinkets like this and had originally bought it for himself. Then he had remembered that Zhongli liked such things too and decided to give it to him as payment.

"What an exquisite wooden box."

Zhongli fell in love with it at first sight. He immediately took it and examined it closely.

"Once you accept this, our contract is sealed. Gods don't break their contracts, do they?" Xiu Yuan asked with a faint smile.

At those words, Zhongli stopped turning the box in his hands and looked at Xiu Yuan.

"Hu Tao...? I remember her little rhymes. They're quite amusing."

"You taught her, didn't you?" Zhongli asked with a slight smile, taking a small sip of warm wine.

He seemed to enjoy talking with Xiu Yuan, for this was the first time he had met someone so unusual.

"Yes. She loves poetry, but the little rhymes she comes up with are all rather strange."

Xiu Yuan also took a small sip of warm wine.

"How strange. This is clearly our first meeting, yet it feels as though we met long ago."

Zhongli looked straight into Xiu Yuan's eyes, as though hoping to uncover something else.

"Does it? Perhaps we simply share the same interests." Xiu Yuan, however, let his gaze fall on the little wooden box.

"You like things like this too?"

"Yes. I've always loved exquisite little objects like these."

"You're very much like someone I know."

"What a coincidence."

"It's getting late. I'll head back now and come find you again when I have time."

With that, Zhongli slowly rose and left.

Watching the wooden box in his hand, Xiu Yuan gave a faint smile.

"Contract sealed."

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