Chapter 221

On the table lay a bright red fruit. 

This was the [Spirit-Brewed Fruit] Xia Zhi had just purchased from the [Shop] for 25 points. 

The fruit had no extraordinary effects apart from a strong aftereffect—it didn't seem like much at first, but after eating it, one could easily get drunk, and it was particularly effective on ghostly or divine beings. 

Chi Yu looked curiously at the red fruit on the table. 

"Boss, is this the fruit you said had just matured today?" 

"Yeah." 

"Can it really bring me back to life?" 

"I don't know." 

"Huh?" 

"I cultivated it based on an ancient text I picked up somewhere—I don't even remember where. The text says it should work." 

"Where's the text?" 

"I didn't bring it with me." 

"…" 

"If you're too scared to eat it, just forget it." 

"No! I want to try!" 

"Then go ahead." 

Chi Yu picked up the fruit, brought it to her lips, and took a gentle bite. 

It was crisp in texture, sweet in flavor, and full of juicy richness—a delightful taste. 

Even better, there was no pit. 

Chi Yu's eyes lit up. "Boss! It's delicious!" 

"Good. Take your time eating it. No rush." 

"But apart from being tasty, I don't feel anything special… Can it really bring me back to life?" 

"Maybe it takes a while for the effects to kick in. Finish it, and let's see." 

"Oh, okay." 

Chi Yu carefully cradled the [Spirit-Brewed Fruit] and continued to eat it, savoring every bite. She wouldn't let even a tiny bit go to waste. 

Halfway through the fruit, a rosy hue appeared on her cheeks, giving her an alluring glow. Her eyes shimmered with a watery brightness. 

"Boss." 

"Yeah?" 

"You're really handsome." 

"…" 

She was probably drunk already. 

Xia Zhi remained silent for a moment. 

"Thanks. You're pretty too." 

"Liar!" 

"?" 

"You can't even see what I look like!" 

"I heard it from Zhu Zi." 

"Oh… I see…" 

"What's wrong?" 

Chi Yu bit into the fruit again, a trace of melancholy in her gaze. 

"Being a ghost isn't as great as I made it sound." 

"Really?" 

"I was the master of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. Every generation of its masters lived and died with dignity, guiding souls to rest. But in the end, I became a ghost myself. Isn't that ironic?" 

"Hmm… So how did you become a ghost in the first place?" 

"I died and turned into a ghost." 

"How did you die?" 

"Boss, you don't know—Liyue was in chaos back then. Demons ran rampant, malevolent spirits were everywhere. People died every day, everywhere. The Wangsheng Funeral Parlor was overwhelmed. On one of my trips out, I was ambushed by an evil spirit. I couldn't fight it off, and I died." 

"…" 

Once drunk, Chi Yu became quite talkative. These were words she'd suppressed for years, finally spilling out in her intoxicated state. 

"When someone dies with unfulfilled desires, their soul lingers in the boundary between worlds. One of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's duties was to fulfill these lingering wishes and send souls peacefully on their way. At that time, I had strong regrets—I worried about my younger brother and the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. I was unwilling to die. But unlike other ghosts, I became a ghost directly after death…" 

"Oh?" 

"Boss, do you know why I'm called Chi Yu?" 

"No idea." 

"Back then, there was a terrifying god in Liyue. It could control your mind and body as long as it knew your true name. To avoid being affected by its power, we used a secret method to forget our true names and adopt new ones instead." 

"That god was that powerful?" 

"Yes. Even mighty Yakshas and divine beasts fell under its control, becoming corrupted and committing atrocities… It was utter chaos." 

"Do you remember your true name?" 

"I don't, but it doesn't matter anymore." 

"So why did you choose the name Chi Yu?" 

"At the time, it was just random. I happened to have a red feather I'd found in the mountains, so I used that as inspiration." 

"A red feather?" 

"Yes, a very beautiful one. I don't know which bird it came from… When I died, that red feather turned into a ball of light and merged into my body. I felt like it was trying to revive me, but its power seemed insufficient. So, I ended up as a ghost instead." 

"Revived, but not fully…" 

"Exactly! Stuck in this state of neither life nor death. It's all that feather's fault…" 

"That sounds like a phoenix's rebirth. A red feather… Could it have been from a phoenix?" 

"Phoenixes are just myths, right? But I've heard Sumeru has a divine bird called [Simurgh]." 

"Maybe a phoenix from another world passed through Teyvat." 

"Could be…" 

Despite being drunk, Chi Yu still carefully finished eating the fruit. 

She licked her lips, her gaze becoming even hazier. 

"Boss, I finished it." 

"How do you feel?" 

"My head's spinning, and I feel kind of floaty…" 

"Maybe it's working." 

"I want to sleep…" 

"Lie down on my bed for a bit." 

"That's not proper, is it? I'll just go back to my room—it's right next door…" 

"It's fine. I'll give you a massage to help the effects take hold." 

"Oh, okay." 

Chi Yu nodded groggily, wobbling as she walked to his bed. She collapsed onto it, burying her face in the pillow. 

The boss's scent… 

Xia Zhi walked over, adjusted her posture to make her comfortable, and began to massage her gently. 

"So nice… So comfortable…" 

Chi Yu closed her eyes, succumbing fully to the intoxication, her consciousness fading. 

Only then did Xia Zhi stop massaging. 

He raised his hand and began casting the fifth-tier spell, [Resurrection]. 

Every fifth-tier spell was considered divine magic, requiring not only immense mana but also godly power. 

A golden light radiated from Xia Zhi's hand, filled with an indescribable divine force. 

Placing his hand on Chi Yu, the golden light flowed into her body. 

Since Chi Yu was just a spirit with no physical form, her body had to be reconstructed, which made the spell's cost significantly higher. 

If she had only recently died, the process would have been much simpler. 

Before long, there was a beautiful, unclothed young woman lying on his bed. 

Xia Zhi retracted his hand and pulled the blanket over her. 

It was strange, though. 

Chi Yu had lived a hard life with poor conditions, yet her figure was exceptionally well-proportioned—much better than Hu Tao's, even though they shared the same family lineage… 

Xia Zhi turned away without lingering, walking to his desk to continue with his daily tasks.

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