Feiyun Slope itself is a bustling area; only the entrance of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor stays quiet.
So they hadn't walked far before crowds surged the moment they left Wangsheng's vicinity.
Shops of every kind lined the road, vendors hawking their wares, the place teeming with life.
"Over there's Mingxing Jewellery—dunno if you've been; the prices are sky-high." Hu Tao pointed to a shop.
"But if you've got something good, selling here should fetch a nice price."
"I see—shame I don't have anything valuable." Star nodded, committing it to memory anyway.
Truthfully she had plenty of nice things—just not much she could sell.
Like her bat or phone—unless she were destitute, those were off the table.
As for alchemy materials, a jewellery shop wouldn't take them anyway.
If she ever loots something worthwhile on an adventure, she'll come back… "Up there's Northland Bank—told you before, it's a Snezhnayan money-house in Liyue." Hu Tao pointed upstairs.
The Fatui's reputation in Mondstadt is poor; it's much the same in Liyue.
Part of it is their usual arrogance, but this Northland Bank is another reason.
It's the only bank in Liyue not native to the city, claiming to offer the best loan rates and deposit interest for customers in the harbor.
For now, Northland Bank wasn't bluffing; its arrival was squeezing so many local Liyue money-shops that they could barely stay afloat.
"Shall we go up and have a look around?" Hu Tao asked.
"Hm? To deposit money?" Stelle tilted her head in puzzlement.
"Of course not. There's more than one Northland Bank upstairs. How about we grab some tea and listen to a story?"
After wandering for so long, Hu Tao felt it was time for a break.
"Sure." Stelle nodded; she had no reason to refuse. Besides, when it came to story-telling, she'd only ever heard one session—she still craved more.
The two of them headed up to the second floor.
Just as Hu Tao had said, the upper level held plenty of businesses; Northland Bank seemed to occupy the third floor, while the second was filled with tea stalls and eateries.
Much like the place Stelle had passed earlier, a small round platform stood in front of the tea stall, a storyteller atop it.
"Two cups of tea." Hu Tao pulled Stelle to a table and called out casually.
Most patrons came for the stories; few cared what tea they drank, so they, like Hu Tao, simply shouted an order.
Of course, some were particular—for instance, the consultant from Hu Tao's own place, who always named a specific brew and paid the higher price.
"Quite a crowd," Stelle remarked, glancing around.
Nearly every seat in the tiny stall was taken; they'd struggled for ages before finally snagging a spot.
"Mm. Listening to ping-shu is Liyue folk's favorite pastime," Hu Tao said, nodding.
Truth be told, she herself wasn't especially into ping-shu.
But since she was showing Stelle life in Liyue Harbor, this stop was essential.
Today's tale was of the Crux Fleet; the crowd listened raptly—the story clearly popular.
"They say the Crux's Da Jie Tou is named Beidou, towering thirty feet tall, ten girths round, clad in blazing red, her lone eye flashing like lightning!"
At that description, Stelle pictured a hulking giant with a single crimson eye.
Liyue Harbor actually has someone that scary…? "A-hem—Stelle, that's just dramatic exaggeration. Big Sis Beidou's nowhere near that wild," Hu Tao quickly explained.
Beidou is tall, but not thirty feet; as for ten girths—utter nonsense.
"Eh? Hu Tao, you know this Crux Fleet Da Jie Tou?" Stelle asked curiously.
"Of course. Big Sis Beidou's a celebrity in Liyue Harbor; I know her… though she doesn't know me." Hu Tao sighed, chin in her hands.
"I'd love to be friends with her~"
"Good folk, think about it—could she be an ordinary soul? Certainly not! Enough idle chatter—let me tell of her epic clash with the sea-demon Haishan…" The storyteller pressed on.
The tale was simple: Beidou's fleet had sailed out, met the monster Haishan at sea, and a great battle ensued.
The raconteur spoke with fiery passion; the audience cheered, shouting "Bravo!" at every turn.
Yet when Stelle thought it over, the plot felt flimsy—especially Beidou's portrayal.
For some reason, it seemed headed toward a giant-of-light direction.
Of course, stories are usually embellished; no one seemed to mind.
At last came "To be continued next time," and the session ended.
That cliff-hanger technique was a classic ploy to keep patrons coming back.
The suspense left everyone itching for more.
"Zhongli may never miss a session, yet whenever I go with him it's some old worn-out tale. See? These fresh stories are way more exciting." Hu Tao sipped her tea, watching the storyteller leave.
"To me every story feels fresh, but I'd really like to meet this Beidou," Stelle said with a smile.
The earlier tale of Rex Lapis had been decent, but now Beidou had hooked her curiosity.
No matter how exaggerated, a story needs some real basis.
So Beidou's battle with Haishan might not have been that epic, yet it probably wasn't pure fiction.
"Big Sis Beidou… I'd love to meet her too, but she's at sea most of the year. Oh—lots of fleets have returned lately; let's ask around about the Crux later," Hu Tao suggested.
Someone like Beidou was worth knowing, and experience told her deep-sea fleets made top-tier clients.
"All right, let's go—more places to explore."
"Mm, sure."
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