The Weapon Master Shall Never Die Bare-Handed in Genshin Impact [381]

Hu Tao gave Jia Changjiang and Lumine plenty of time.

Enough for them to linger here for a long while.

The two, along with Paimon, spoke with the wandering spirits, listening to their stories of the afterlife.

But… not a single soul among them asked Jia Changjiang or Lumine—both still among the living—for anything related to the mortal world.

That was the rule.

The rule of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor: the living should keep their distance from the boundary, and in turn, the dead must not interfere with the world of the living.

This was the balance between life and death.

One’s lingering regrets… could only be put to rest by oneself. Only then could they truly depart.

The living have their path to walk, just as the dead have theirs to follow.

And when the living pass away, Wangsheng Funeral Parlor inscribes the final stroke on the scroll of their lives. Funerary rites serve as the boundary between life and death, offering mortals their final dignity.

After conversing with the spirits, Lumine and Paimon gained a deeper understanding of Hu Tao, the 77th Director of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.

As for Jia Changjiang, his interactions with the souls deepened his own perception of death.

He and Lumine even witnessed, firsthand, someone releasing their earthly attachments—then walking into the depths beyond.

When they went to find Hu Tao and Old Meng, they spotted faint illusions of children in the distance, engaged in conversation.

"Shh..."

Hu Tao gestured to Jia Changjiang and Lumine. "Those are memories of Wolfie and Old Meng from the past..."

"After borrowing those mementos, these memories also surfaced here..."

Hearing this, Jia Changjiang and Lumine fell silent, watching the scene unfold before them.

The children, still young, were talking about their dreams on the eve of the Lantern Rite.

Even though they had no Xiao Lanterns of their own, that did not stop them from envisioning the future.

They spoke of their hopes, their aspirations—what they wished to become.

Xiao Wu dreamed of opening a grand restaurant, where there would be endless delicacies to enjoy.

Mu Mu wanted to earn money, start a business, amass a great fortune, and... buy boxes upon boxes of toys.

Cong Zi longed to learn the craft of making Mingxiao Lanterns, to one day become the finest lantern artisan.

And in the end, they all achieved their dreams.

But when the illusions reached the part about Old Meng and Wolfie, the scene suddenly vanished.

"Gone?!" Paimon exclaimed in shock.

"This was... the last time the five of us celebrated the Lantern Rite together, wasn’t it?" Old Meng reminisced. "Feels like a lifetime ago..."

"We’ve all grown up now..." Wolfie murmured, visibly affected. "Did everyone truly fulfill their wishes?"

"They did." Lumine brought out the mementos. "Their dreams all came true."

A Mingxiao Lantern, a dish of food, and a toy chest.

Each one representing the childhood dreams of Wolfie’s former companions.

Jia Changjiang gazed at the youthful visage of Wolfie.

All his childhood friends had realized their dreams, yet Wolfie... remained forever frozen in that moment.

Just the thought of it left a lingering sense of regret.

"Well... why don’t we set the Xiao Lantern afloat first?" Old Meng suggested to Wolfie.

Meanwhile, Hu Tao tugged Jia Changjiang and Lumine away. "Alright, let’s not be insensitive. Let’s give them their moment to reminisce."

Watching Wolfie and Old Meng immersed in memories, Lumine spoke. "Wangsheng Funeral Parlor… it’s not what I expected."

"Of course not," Hu Tao responded as if it were obvious. "What exactly did you think it would be like?"

"As long as we achieve our goal, the methods we use are just details, aren’t they?"

Hu Tao continued, "Of course, when it comes to funeral rites, everything must be conducted with proper decorum."

"I’ve mentioned this before—Wangsheng Funeral Parlor started out performing a role much like that of a doctor." Hu Tao tapped her Staff of Homa against the ground as she recounted, "During the Archon War, corpses littered the land, life was ravaged, plagues ran rampant—death was swallowing the world of the living."

"Back then, Wangsheng Funeral Parlor—despite being nothing more than mere mortals—spent countless years driving death back."

She knocked the Staff of Homa against the ground once more, allowing Jia Changjiang and Lumine a clearer view of this relic passed down from the era of the Archon War.

"And later, as Liyue Harbor flourished, people became obsessed with fame and Mora. But in the end, someone mad with ambition disturbed the remnants of death."

Hu Tao’s voice carried a solemn weight. "The remnants of the gods ran amok in the mortal world—an act of self-destruction at the peak of life, and a backlash at the very end of death."

"For a long, long time after that, balance was gradually restored. Only then did Liyue, Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, and even I come to exist as you see them now."

"You can tell stories like this?" Lumine perked up. "Want me to tell you some stories next time?"

"This is a tale passed down through generations at Wangsheng Funeral Parlor." Hu Tao clapped her hands together. "Nowadays, we simply handle funerary matters. But the fact that life and death can coexist in peace today—well, that’s not something to be taken for granted."

"The remnants of the gods..."

Jia Changjiang recalled Osial, as well as the traces of other fallen deities he had encountered across Liyue. "Are dead gods... more terrifying than the living ones?"

"That, I can’t say for sure. But peace is a good thing." Hu Tao slung the Staff of Homa over her back. "As for the rest—I'd rather you not understand. Or at the very least, pretend you don’t."

"Alright, our reminiscing time is up. Let’s take Old Meng and the others back to the Place of Beginnings and Rest."

"The what now?" Paimon asked, puzzled.

"The place where we first met," Hu Tao answered matter-of-factly. "Nice name, huh? And don’t ask me to explain everything—I can’t be bothered!"

"Fine..." Paimon grumbled.

"One last question?"

Jia Changjiang lifted his gaze, taking in this liminal space between life and death.

"Sure, but if it’s something you shouldn’t know, I won’t tell you," Hu Tao folded her arms.

"Guess I can’t ask anything too complicated then..." Jia Changjiang adjusted his crutch under his arm, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "If a life… doesn’t belong to this world…"

"When they die… would they come here?"

"Oh? Now that’s an interesting question…" Hu Tao pondered for a moment. "You’d probably have to ask one of those fortune-telling folks."

"But… if they perished in this world, then in the end, they would likely arrive here all the same."

She blinked at Jia Changjiang and Lumine. "Instead of dwelling on death, why not focus on living? Understand the value of death…"

"Recognize it, respect it—then truly comprehend the value of life."

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T/N: hehe reminds me of the OG song made by Will Stetson about Hu Tao! go check it out heheh

This is a fan translation of 武器大师在原神绝不死于徒手 by 徐人双 All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!