How very human to assign characteristics like that to a simple item like a hat - there were rarely any items truly imbued with energies and properties that Hu Tao mentioned, but the superstitious part of humanity was greatly amusing to Zhongli. A few simple tales sprinkled into the past could conjure up tales of a legendary dagger and shield that had never existed if the proper creative mind gained that knowledge. âIs that so?â Was all that he commented at that, continued hint of a smile in his voice as his fingers continued to rifle through tall grass.Â
Funny how a personâs footsteps could sound ominous before but sound so soft in a different moment, Zhongli only lifting his head a bit from his search to regard Hu Taoâs place by his side.Â
Ah, the 75th directorâs hat. Zhongli remembered a time when the old man in Hu Taoâs memory was young and spry; though he remained musclebound and large in size into his old age, mortal bodies gained aches and sprains over the years. Old Hu hadnât always been the old fashioned man that Hu Tao was talking about and Zhongli had seen bits and pieces of the knowledge he had gained over the years. The funeral rites he had provided were truly befitting those of the man who formerly held the title of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. Clearly while his spirit had passed on into the skies of heaven, his lessons and knowledge continued to live on in Hu Tao.Â
âI shall take that as a compliment then. He did indeed sound like a great man, you carry on his legacy well.âÂ
Ah, she was sounding more like herself. How reassuring and⊠troublesome.Â
âAh, ahem - I suppose before the conversation of overtime compensation continues, we should redirect our effects to this hat of yours, correct? Look.â Taking a handful of dry leaves, he let the flakes scatter to the winds blowing through the area.Â
âThe wind has been blowing in to the west since early morning, it seems that no change in direction has occurred. Perhaps your hat had landed in this location early on, however if it had been snagged on a tree, the wind would have undoubtedly pulled it further west. I suggest we examine some of the lower parts of this cliff face for that reason.âÂ
âAww, are you complimenting me now? Thank you!~ As your boss, I gotta say though, that youâre also doing a great job!â She patted his back in an approving way. âYouâre ways of doing our work is a little... well, last decade, but thatâs not a bad thing! Well, depends on the client, of course!âÂ
Even though she was joking around like that again, Zhongli did gain her whole attention, once he spoke his guess about where her hat could have ended up to. He really was observant, and she knew if she was alone right now, she wouldnât be able to stay as calm as she did now... It was the right call to ask him for help!
âYeah, I had that guess already too. Well, what are we waiting for then? Down we gooo!~â
While they both were climbing down, Hu Tao did make sure to avoid enemies that did wander around these cliffs. Mostly Hilichurls or Abyss Mages. While of course they wouldnât stand any chance against her, (especially now where she was in mighty company as well), she didnât want to make it possible for the hat to get damaged, if it really should be around here somewhere.
Fortunately, they didnât have to wander all the way down, for her to finally witness something far away, that possibly could be what she was looking for. Seems like Mr. Zhongli was right, it did get stuck on a tree. Never mind that this tree was close to a few Abyss mages though, she surely could sneak her way around it! But before anything else would happen, she needed to be fast about this!
For that reason, she quickly turned to her newly found âfriendâ and hugged his arm to get his attention quickly.
âHey, hey! Mr. Zhongli! Look there! I think I spy something way up this big tree. Mind helping me out here with one of your tall pillars, pretty please?â
