"Liyue Friends" Lore Explained! Hu Tao, Chongyun, Xingqiu, and Xiangling to see how they are connected

So Hu Tao is finally coming soon and I am quite excited. But one thing that piqued my interest is the selection of featured four stars on her banner. Chongyun makes sense, since the last time he was featured was 5 banners ago on Zhongli’s. But this banner also featured Xiangling and Xingqiu, who were both featured 3 banners ago on Ganyu’s. 

This means they’ve skipped Fischl and Sucrose, who were featured 4 banners ago on Albedo’s. Now this is fine, it’s not like there is a set order for featuring 4 stars, but historically they’ve been on a pretty regular rotation. However, the strange thing is that this means Razor will be the first ever character to not be featured for 5 banners straight. 84 days of no Razor! 

Razor could have easily been on Hu Tao’s banner, especially because Xiangling makes this the first time a featured four star has a matching element with the five star. As for why MiHoYo decided to do this, my theory is that at least for this banner, they chose to scrap their previous pattern in favor of adding lore related characters. And after doing some digging, I’ve found that these four have a surprising amount of connections considering they are not all a part of the same organization like others. So I’ve aptly named the group, the “Liyue Friends.” 

Also, I know Hu Tao is more closely connected to Zhongli and Qiqi, but obviously they can’t be featured on the banner because they are both five stars.So pretty much all of the information regarding how these characters relate to each other is from their voice lines section. At friendship level 4 you unlock the voicelines where the character will talk about other playable characters, even if they’re not available yet. I want to start off with the bro friendship between Chongyun and Xingqiu. “I do admire Xingqiu for his devotion to chivalry and his martial arts proficiency. 

However, I must warn you that he definitely has a mean side too. If you find that you fall foul of any of his antics, come to me and we'll form a "Victims of Xingqiu" alliance. There is strength in numbers.” I just think this is really funny because Chongyun is saying he is tired of Xingqiu’s, but we don’t really get to know that much about their relationship from this. “Ah, dear Chongyun. Though he understands me quite well, one has to exercise caution when teaming up with him to go on a quest. 

He is making good progress in the martial arts, but I would say he hasn't quite internalized the chivalric code yet... He needs more practice. Especially at eating spicy food.” So at first it would just seem like the two have mutual respect for each other and not much more, but the last line about spicy food hints us towards what’s next. Adding Xiangling to the equation, Chongyun says “Xiangling's cooking is universally praised, but I personally don't touch any of her spicy dishes. 

Why? Oh, you know... just, uh.... personal preference, that's all. I mean, come on, Mushroom Slime Stew... Does that sound appetizing to you?” Not much there, just reinforcement that Chongyun can’t handle spice. Xingqiu’s on the other hand: “When you first spot Xiangling out and about, the first thing you should do is check the look on her face. Especially when she's just coming back from collecting new ingredients — the more excited she looks, the more dangerous it is to approach. 

Because if she sees you, she'll force you to taste-test her latest concoction... I usually get Chongyun to handle these situations, hehe…” That makes it seem like they’re a little closer because it means the two hang out together, but this line from Xiangling seals it: “Chongyun? I always see him on his way to eat at Wanmin Restaurant with Xingqiu... Ah... or perhaps I should say I see him being dragged there by Xingqiu? Chongyun doesn't eat hot food. Every time the hot food arrives, Xingqiu politely apologizes and proceeds to try every dish. I just wanna dig in with him! 

The look on Chongyun's face is priceless. They're quite interesting, those two.” The two guys definitely have a strange friendship going on, but a friendship nonetheless. And also, they interact with Xiangling enough to kind of be friends with her too. So where does Hu Tao fit in? Well, her leaked voice lines are much shorter than the ones we've just heard, and they don’t really tell anything lore wise. Xingqiu’s line about her is also quite vague: “Ah yes, the young lady who is now the master of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. If you're asking what I think about her as a person... 

Well, there are all sorts of rumors about the way she works. But I think if you really want to understand someone, you need to find out what they are really after.” Chongyun and Xiangling’s lines about her however, are a bit more telling about their relationships. “The Wangsheng Funeral Parlor is a reputable institution that acts with integrity. But whenever I see that cheeky smile that says, "It's nothing you exorcists need to worry about," it just makes my blood boil... 

Whoa, deep breaths Chongyun. Stay calm.” “Is Hu Tao picking on you too? Ugh, that prankster always waits till I least expect it, creeps up on me from behind and then... Boo! ...then laughs herself silly. Hmph. But I can handle it, and she does bring me fermented plum blossoms once in a while so I can make flower cakes... so I don't hold a grudge.” So Hu Tao likes to mess with them both, but she also has a bit of a friendship with Xiangling. Thankfully, Hu Tao’s story 5 gives us the rest information we need, and also happens to be super funny. “Hu Tao is not, in fact, best known for her role as funeral Director, but for her other great accomplishment: the creation of poetry. 

She dubs herself the “versemonger of the darkest alleys,” and free verse flows forth untamed from her mouth whenever she has free time to be out on the streets. The “Hillitune” is Hu Tao’s most famous work, well loved not only by the people of the harbor but ever on the lips of children as far as Qingce Village as well. Hobbyists and critics alike were greatly surprised by the simple but profound originality of the “Hilitune” and its creation, and went to Wanwen Bookhouse in Droves to search for the works of this great poet. Unfortunately, Hu Tao’s anthologies, named “Fiddlesticks” and “Of Common Lives” respectively, have yet to be published. 

Xinqiu, ever immersed in books, also wanted to meet this strange person, and so chose an auspicious date to visit, bringing a gift with him. The two hit it off immediately, and they exchanged pointers and impromptu poetry in Wangsheng’s main hall — and when faced with the poetry of Xingqiu’s traditional, artistic bent, Hu Tao could always return in kind with some strange and marvelous verse. And there was meaning in the chaos, indeed, a rhythm to the bizarre that anyone could perceive, and it was catchy too.

 Thus did she “beat the old master with untrained fists,” leaving Xingqiu at a loss for words. At length, the poetic spar ended amiably, and they have been friends ever since, reading and composing poetry with one another when they have the time to meet. Over time, Chongyun, too, was pulled in to serve as an umpire, their laughter filling the streets. The poems born from these sessions would also be recorded by bystanders. If you should hear a pair of matched versus, one strict and the other playful, you are most likely to have heard one created jointly by Hu Tao and Xingqiu.” 

They canonically have rap battles. Guys, is this not just like, the best thing ever? And so inspired by one of my all time favorite manga, here’s the final version of the relationship chart to visually represent all of the connections. So that’s pretty much it for the video, but before you click away, I want to announce that I will be streaming for the first time later today to play Hu Tao on release. Right here on YouTube at 6PM EST. I have a ton of materials pre farmed for her, and she will actually be my first level 90 character. And you already know I will be running the Liyue Friends team.