After a while, Kael saw Zhongli arrive at Wanmin.
"Zhongli!" Hu Tao waved from beside the coffin. "Come take a look. Is there any way to remove the black mist from Kael's body?"
Zhongli approached and was immediately taken aback.
He had seen Karma before—even stronger, denser accumulations of it.
But he had never seen Karma as sinister and terrifying as this.
Unlike Xiao, whose Karma was born from slaying demons and absorbing their hatred and grudges, the Karma on Kael's body seemed to be a concentration of the hatred of countless monsters.
Thousands of hatreds had merged into something even more chaotic, heavy, and evil.
This level of Karma could only be accumulated through the inhumane slaughter and torment of an immense number of monsters.
But Kael was just a chef. How could he have done such things?
Someone must have transferred this Karma onto him.
Who would use such a vile and terrifying method?
Thinking of Keqing's recent frenzied retaliation against the Fatui, Zhongli had his answer.
"Zhongli, what do you think? Can we remove the black mist from Kael's body?"
"This Karma can't be removed. The only option is to find a sorcerer to cast an illusion and conceal the decayed parts."
"Is that so?" Hu Tao stroked her chin, thinking. "If even you say it can't be removed, then it must truly be impossible. But where can we find a sorcerer?"
"I know where to find one. I'll handle this."
Ningguang walked into Wanmin.
Seeing her appearance, Zhongli frowned slightly.
Ningguang's eyes were bloodshot, and no amount of powder could hide the dark circles under her eyes.
Her once radiant face now looked visibly haggard.
Zhongli knew Ningguang was a regular at Wanmin and had interacted with Kael frequently.
But he hadn't expected Kael's death to hit her so hard.
He asked with concern, "Lady Ningguang, are you alright?"
"Yes."
Ningguang quietly gazed at Kael lying in the coffin, then whispered as if to herself, "I'm fine. I'm okay."
But her slightly trembling lips betrayed her true feelings.
After a few seconds, she couldn't bear it anymore and closed her eyes.
"I'll find a sorcerer to help restore Kael's appearance. Someone as kind as him shouldn't have to say goodbye in this state."
"Everyone, I'm sorry, but I have matters to attend to. I must leave now."
After saying this, she quickly left Wanmin, as if fleeing from something.
"Huh?" Hu Tao felt puzzled. "Lady Ningguang wasn't here to pay her respects? Why did she leave so quickly?"
Zhongli sighed. "The word 'love'—no one knows when it begins, but it wounds the deepest."
Kael also sighed.
Seeing Ningguang like this confirmed his earlier suspicions.
He had always thought that Ningguang saw him in this Life Simulation as just a younger brother.
After all, when they first met, he was too young for there to be any hint of romance.
He wondered when Ningguang's feelings for him had changed.
With two Genshin Impact characters falling for him, the score for this Life Simulation should be quite high.
-----
Ningguang found a renowned wandering exorcist in Liyue to cast an illusion over Kael's body.
While this illusion had no effect on beings like Zhongli, it was more than enough to deceive ordinary people.
Kael's face was restored to its former handsome appearance, and he lay in the coffin looking peaceful.
Hu Tao praised, "As expected of Ningguang, the Tianquan of the Liyue Qixing. She's so reliable, even finding such an enlightened master. I wonder if I can get her contact information. If we ever encounter a corpse our morticians can't handle, we can call this master to cast the spell."
Kael, standing nearby, interrupted Hu Tao's monologue. "You haven't done what you promised yet. You said you'd tell my dad and Xiangling that I was only experimented on after I died. Why haven't you done it?"
"I've been busy preparing for the ceremony these past two days. Chef Mao requested the highest-level funeral, so there's a lot to prepare." Hu Tao grinned. "You're my top-tier client! I'll definitely keep my promise. I'll go talk to Chef Mao and Xiangling right now."
Kael watched as Hu Tao skipped over to Chef Mao and Xiangling, who were sitting by the fire, burning paper money for him.
"Chef Mao, Xiangling, there's something I need to tell you."
"Please go ahead, Director Hu."
Chef Mao had been touched by Hu Tao's dedication these past few days, so he spoke with respect.
"Kael's body was taken for experimentation only after he died. He didn't suffer much before his death."
"Is that true?!" Hearing this, Chef Mao was overcome with emotion, clutching the paper money tightly in his hands.
"Of course." Hu Tao lied effortlessly. "You know I've been in this line of work for years. I've seen countless corpses. Those who die in pain usually have thick resentment surrounding their bodies."
"Kael only has a faint trace of resentment, which means he died with some regret but didn't suffer much."
"That's wonderful! That's wonderful!" Tears streamed down Chef Mao's face. "This is really wonderful! My good boy, Kael, shouldn't have died in torment. Director Hu, thank you for telling us this. You don't know how much this means to us."
"No problem. You know, spirits can sense their loved ones' emotions." Hu Tao continued spinning her tale. "If Kael sees how sad you are, he might not want to leave the mortal world. He could become a wandering spirit, and that's just pitiful."
Hearing this, Chef Mao and Xiangling quickly wiped their tears.
"Yes, yes, we won't cry anymore. Director Hu, please take good care of Kael's funeral and let him leave in peace."
"Don't worry, I've got this."
Hu Tao, having completed her task, returned to Kael with a proud expression.
"How was that? Did you see how persuasive I can be?"
Kael, however, wasn't entirely satisfied. "Why did you have to mention wandering spirits? Now my dad and Xiangling will be worried about it."
Hearing Kael's words, Hu Tao's mischievous expression faded, replaced by seriousness. "What I said is true. Spirits shouldn't linger in the mortal world."
"If you stay, you'll not only become a wandering spirit but may even turn into an evil spirit that harms the living. Over time, you'll forget who you were and why you didn't want to leave."
"Kael, you're a good person. I don't want to see you end up like that. We made a deal. I've done what you asked, so you must keep your promise."
"After the funeral tomorrow, you must leave and go where you belong."
Seeing Hu Tao's earnest gaze, Kael nodded. "Don't worry, I won't break my word."
Tomorrow was the funeral, and also the day of his resurrection.
Once he was resurrected, he wouldn't appear as a spirit in front of Hu Tao anymore.
This counted as keeping his promise, right?
----
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