Episode 172: "Little friend Qiqi is staring at you.
『 As Paimon was still immersed in her small joy, Zhongli's subsequent words were like a basin of cold water, instantly extinguishing her happiness. Her mood took a nosedive, plunging into the abyss of gloom.
Looking at Paimon, who had a bewildered expression and clearly misunderstood, Zhongli, after a moment of helpless silence, finally patiently began to explain:
"Haha, you've misunderstood. Although kites are children's playthings, in various ceremonies in Liyue, they carry an extraordinary significance."
"I'll tell you all about it later, but for now, let's go get the kite I ordered."
Although Paimon was still confused and didn't understand, out of trust in Zhongli, she reluctantly nodded:
"Alright, alright, even though I'm still completely in the dark." 』
『 .....』
〜Dimensional livestream, Chat Room〜
[ March 7th (Honkai: Star Rail): "This, are we going to fly kites?" ]
[ Dan Heng (Honkai: Star Rail): "There should be other reasons, right?" ]
[ .....]
『 The scene shifts,
A few people arrived at a small stall in the city.
"Oh, it's the two of you! The seven kites you ordered are all made. Do you want to take them now?"
"Please package them for me. Thank you for your trouble."
While packaging, Granny Shan, the toy stall owner, was filled with emotion, feeling that such kites were rarely sought after anymore.
Paimon, meanwhile, praised Zhongli for his extensive knowledge and insightful views, and Lumine echoed her.
Finally, Zhongli, holding seven kites, explained the profound meaning behind each one. It turned out that these seven kites in theRite of Partingeach represented an Archon, totaling seven elemental gods.
The color representing the God of Freedom, the Anemo God, was even deliberately painted outside the lines.
The Geo God's kite was meticulously drawn according to the color of contracts, featuring an ancient pattern that could be seen specifically in the Golden House.
The pattern representing the God of Eternity, the Electro Archon.
The pattern representing the God of Wisdom, the Dendro Archon.
The pattern representing the God of Justice, the Hydro Archon.
The pattern representing the God of War, the Pyro Archon.
The pattern representing the... Cryo Archon.
The beliefs of the Seven Nations of Teyvat appeared before everyone's eyes at this moment.
During this time, there was a small interlude where Paimon almost blurted out what was inside the Golden House, but fortunately, Lumine quickly stopped her. 』
『 .....』
〜Dimensional livestream, Chat Room〜
[ March 7th (Honkai: Star Rail): "The Seven, each Archon has their own belief." ]
[ Jing Yuan (Honkai: Star Rail): "The Geo Archon, Rex Lapis, God of Contracts, very good." ]
[ Chtholly Nota Seniorious (WorldEnd): "The gods of that world seem pretty good." ]
[ Chtholly Nota Seniorious (WorldEnd): "If only our world had such gods," ]
[ Yuri Nakamura (Angel Beats): "Gods, why are the gods of other worlds so good?" ]
[ Tanya von Degurechaff (Youjo Senki) "Existence X..." ]
[ Tartaglia (Genshin Impact): "Why isn't it explained when it comes to our Cryo Archon? So unfair." ]
[ Paimon (Genshin Impact): "Is it possible that they don't know what it represents yet?" ]
[ Tartaglia (Genshin Impact): "It can be like that?" ]
[ .....]
『 In short, Zhongli meticulously described every tiny detail.
Even Granny Shan from the roadside toy stall couldn't help but give Zhongli a thumbs-up.
But when it came to paying, the embarrassing scene replayed—Zhongli realized he had forgotten his wallet again.
His gaze involuntarily drifted towards Lumine.
And Lumine, already prepared, tightly clutched her small wallet, wearing an expression that said, "I'm in deep water myself." 』
『 .....』
〜Dimensional livestream, Chat Room〜
[ Paimon (Genshin Impact): "Didn't bring money again..." ]
[ Tartaglia (Genshin Impact): "Hahaha, this is the Zhongli I know." ]
[ Hu Tao (Genshin Impact): "Sigh, I can't persuade him." ]
[ Zhongli (Genshin Impact): "I will pay attention." ]
[ .....]
『 Just as the atmosphere became subtly icy, a voice like heavenly music rang out behind them: "I'll take care of the remaining bill."
Look! He's here, he's really here! He came striding with a bulging wallet and glorious steps!
Liyue's foremost "walking wallet"—Tartaglia- made a dazzling entrance!
Confident and imposing, he strode towards everyone.
Alright, the madness ends.
Cough, cough.
At this moment, Tartaglia, one of the Fatui Harbingers, appeared out of nowhere, holding a wallet, and quickly approached everyone.
Under Lumine and Zhongli's expectant gazes, Tartaglia walked up to the group, elegantly pulled out his wallet, and deftly paid for the kites.
(This scene could be described as: the pioneer of mobile payments?)
Seeing the ATM... oh no, the Harbinger, Lumine blinked, asking with a hint of caution: "Childe, what are you doing here?"
"Did you two arrange this beforehand, or were you secretly ambushing us?"
His timing was too perfect—they were short on cash, and Tartaglia appeared right on cue.
Facing Lumine and Paimon's vigilance, Tartaglia quickly waved his hand and chuckled:
"Haha, how could that be? I just happened to be passing by."
"Mr. Zhongli is, as always, never looking at the price when paying, nor checking his wallet."
"But he doesn't understand the meaning of money; he deeply knows the hardships of the world, it's just that he perhaps cannot imagine poverty ever befalling him."
"He can't even imagine himself without money."
After hearing this explanation, Paimon's eyes widened in surprise as she looked to the side. "That's incredible. How has a person like this not starved to death yet?" 』
『 .....』
〜Dimensional livestream, Chat Room〜
[ Zhongli (Genshin Impact): "Uh, I just forgot to bring money. I'm not broke." ]
[ Zhongli (Genshin Impact): "I am, after all, a consultant for the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, and my monthly remuneration is quite substantial." ]
[ Hu Tao (Genshin Impact): "Yes, yes, the salary I give you is substantial, but you spend it quickly." ]
[ Hu Tao (Genshin Impact): "If it weren't for you, would I be working so hard every day?" ]
[ Hu Tao (Genshin Impact): "Fortunately, you have a new target recently, and our finances can ease up a bit." ]
[ Tartaglia (Genshin Impact): "Hmm? (A certain "ATM" seemed to sense something amiss?)." ]
[ Miyuki Shirogane (Love Is War): "He doesn't look like someone without money." ]
[ Hu Tao (Genshin Impact): "What? He just doesn't carry money; he likes to keep accounts, and his bills are always so long!" ]
[ .....]
『 Zhongli did not refute Paimon's teasing, as the words, though blunt, held truth.
After a moment of contemplation, he turned to the instigator, Tartaglia, and chuckled softly:
"Heh heh, Tartaglia is still so fond of jokes. Since the kites have been successfully acquired, let's not delay and proceed to the next step."
"The Rite of Parting not only requires materials, but manpower is also crucial."
"We should be able to recruit some good helpers at the wharf."
Although Zhongli didn't mention the word "money," Tartaglia understood.
"Understood," Tartaglia said, handing Lumine a heavy pouch of Mora and cautioning, "Traveler, you take this money. I don't need to say more, do I? Some things still need to be done personally, especially at a time like this. Don't let Zhongli interfere, okay?"
Lumine took the Mora and pulled Zhongli away without hesitation.
Watching their retreating figures, Tartaglia put his hands on his hips and chuckled helplessly:
"Hmph hmph hmph, I arrived too late. I feel like I missed some good show." Tartaglia smiled to himself, muttering:
"Never mind, I'll find the right time to appear next time."
Truly worthy of being the character (responsible one) in the Fatui.
The group left and soon arrived near the wharf. After some searching, they found a few suitable helpers.
After a round of intense bargaining, they finally settled on three affordable and capable laborers.
Their task list included: Catching five sparkling Crystalflies, helping with miscellaneous tasks at the bustling Yujing Terrace for a day, and the last person needing to chop fifty branches and twenty bundles of hardwood.
All of this was handled by Lumine's eloquent tongue, without Zhongli getting involved in the slightest.
Therefore, after completing this mission, they still had a rather substantial sum of money left.
Adhering to the principle of thriftiness, Lumine, after bidding farewell to Zhongli, went straight back to Tartaglia, who was still waiting at the original spot.
Lumine explained the situation to Tartaglia, then generously tossed the remaining money to him.
"Yo-hoo! You guys finished so quickly?" Tartaglia confirmed it was correct, then gently pushed the money back into Lumine's hand:
"Haha, don't bother returning the rest. We Fatui wouldn't let our friends who help us suffer a loss."
"Hmph! Such a petty trick of charity! Do you think you can buy us off with some loose change? No way!" Paimon's tone suddenly changed, and she stared at Tartaglia expectantly, "Paimon demands to know when the next payment is coming!" 』
『 .....』
〜Dimensional livestream, Chat Room〜
[ Lumine (Genshin Impact): "You're the best, my good guide…" ]
[ Paimon (Genshin Impact): "Hehehe." ]
[ .....]
『 Tartaglia was amused by Paimon's innocence and slowly enticed her, "Heh heh, it's simple. As long as you tell me a small piece of information, in return, the Northland Bank's vault will be open for you for half an hour."
At this sudden temptation of the Northland Bank vault, Paimon's eyes lit up, clearly not yet recovered. "What information? Let me think if I know it!"
Lumine, knowing full well, quickly stopped Paimon from asking further. "Paimon, you can't!"
Paimon turned to Lumine with a puzzled expression. "Huh? Do you know what information they want, Traveler?"
Facing Paimon's complete forgetfulness of earlier events, Lumine was exasperated and could only remind her again, "What else could those Fatui people be plotting? Have you forgotten what happened in Mondstadt?"
"Ah! You mean Signora, we met from the Fatui back in Mondstadt!" Paimon recalled, startled, and floated back with a whoosh.
Seeing this, Tartaglia's smile instantly vanished, and his eyes glinted.
A sense of oppression suddenly surged in the air, but then dissipated without a trace.
"Alright, alright, honestly, Traveler, what are you talking about?" Tartaglia resumed his smile, teasing, "The atmosphere just now was so strange it gave me goosebumps.~"
Seeing Tartaglia's unusual demeanor, the two remained silent, and the atmosphere became somewhat awkward.
"..."
Just at this delicate moment, Zhongli, who had finished his preparations, also strolled over. As soon as he arrived, he sensed the unusual aura.
He couldn't help but ask: "What are you discussing?"
Seeing Zhongli return, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
"Mr. Zhongli, you're back!"
"Mr. Zhongli." Tartaglia greeted Zhongli, a smile equally plastered on his face.
"Mmm, next, we still need to purchase Everlasting Incense. That stuff is sold at Bubu Pharmacy, after all, it's Liyue's most renowned pharmacy." As he spoke, Zhongli seemed to notice the uneasy atmosphere between the two.
"By the way, what were you talking about earlier? You haven't told me yet."
Hearing this, Tartaglia explained with a smile: "Oh, it's nothing, I just casually mentioned that you don't need to return the remaining money to me." Tartaglia said lightly, then turned to Lumine and Paimon.
"If you have something to do, we'll take our leave first." With that, Tartaglia nodded to Zhongli and turned to depart.
As he passed Zhongli, his steps paused slightly, then he quickened his pace and left.
It wasn't until Tartaglia's figure completely disappeared that Paimon let out a sigh of relief, as if freed.
"Just, just now, Paimon felt a super terrifying killing intent! It scared me so much!" 』
『 .....』
〜Dimensional livestream, Chat Room〜
[ Paimon (Genshin Impact): "The Fatui are still the Fatui. Smiling, they're still so scary." ]
[ Chika Fujiwara (Love Is War): "So scary." ]
[ Hook (Honkai: Star Rail) "Bad guy, definitely a bad guy!" ]
[ Takanashi Hina (PapaKiki): "Bad guy!" ]
[ Klee (Genshin Impact): "Bad guy!" ]
[ .....]
『 After this small disturbance, Zhongli led the group to a pharmacy to continue their journey.
Strangely, the place was empty; not a single soul was in sight.
"Huh, there's no one here. And Paimon just feels like there's something inexplicably strange about this place." Paimon glanced around, confirmed no one was there, and then mustered her courage to shout, "Is anyone here? Is the boss around?"
After she called out, it remained quiet, with no response.
Just as they were about to turn back,
Suddenly, in the empty pharmacy, a tender and somewhat cute voice rang out.
"Wel...come... To Bubu Pharmacy." 』
『 .....』
〜Dimensional livestream, Chat Room〜
[ Paimon (Genshin Impact): "Where did that voice come from?" ]
[ Hu Tao (Genshin Impact): "I know! It's Qiqi!" ]
[ Mai Sakurajima (Bunny Girl Senpai): "Qiqi? Is she invisible?" ]
[ .....]
『 This sudden sound made Paimon quickly hide behind Lumine.
"Did, did you guys also hear a sound coming from over there just now?"
"The sound seemed to be coming from the counter." Paimon gestured with her eyes, gently nudging Lumine.
"How about, Traveler, you go check over there?"
Finally, these two anxious companions slowly moved towards the source of the sound.
As they got closer, a small blue hat came into view.
Seeing the little girl standing behind the counter, Paimon sighed in relief and patted her chest.
"Haha, so you were hiding here! You're so small, no wonder I didn't see you just now. You're not even as tall as the counter."
Paimon had been scared out of her wits, thinking the unmanned pharmacy was haunted.
It turned out to be a little girl who wasn't even as tall as the counter.
However, Lumine looked at the little girl, then at Paimon floating beside her, and couldn't help but compare them.
"Speaking of which, Paimon, you seem even tinier."
Upon hearing this, Paimon immediately became displeased.
"Joke's on you — Paimon floats, so height is no restriction." For Paimon, whwas o floating through the air, height was simply not an issue.
At least not right now.
Despite the teasing, Paimon noticed something unusual about the little girl.
"Hey, speaking of which, isn't this child a bit strange? Look, she has a talisman stuck on her forehead?"
"Could it be, she's a little zombie?"
As she finished speaking, the little girl seemed to just react.
She waved cheerfully at Lumine and Paimon, introducing herself:
"Welcome to Bubu Pharmacy, my name is Qiqi." Saying this, Qiqi gently tapped her small mouth and slowly explained:
"Once upon a time, Qiqi died. Then, Qiqi was saved by the adepti. Now, Qiqi is a zombie."
Seeing this scene, Lumine couldn't help but marvel that Liyue truly was a place blessed by deities, with an endless array of strange and wonderful things. There were not only adepti residing there but also immortal zombies.
Even more astonishing was that the zombie herself could so calmly discuss her identity.
Even Paimon felt that if this were in Mondstadt, it would be an incredible existence.
Amidst their exclamations, Zhongli stepped forward and gently asked:
"This, uh... child."
"Do you sell Everlasting Incense here?"
However, Qiqi insisted on seeing a prescription before dispensing medicine, which puzzled Zhongli. Everlasting Incense was clearly not for treating illnesses, and shouldn't be related to a prescription.
But Qiqi insisted on having a prescription because it was a rule, an "edict."
Hearing this, Zhongli explained the meaning of an edict to the confused duo.
He himself wondered why Qiqi would issue such an "edict" to him.
Then, Zhongli tentatively asked if he could help find Everlasting Incense, and this time, Qiqi actually agreed.
This completely stumped Paimon.
To Paimon's confusion, Qiqi earnestly explained: "Although I can help with this, please also do Qiqi a small favor, that way it's fair."
Paimon was completely bewildered by Qiqi's request.
"But isn't it natural for a shop assistant to help customers? Why are there conditions now?"
Logically, it should be a given for Qiqi, as a shop assistant, to provide help. Now, there was even a "bargaining" segment, which left Paimon utterly perplexed. 』
『 .....』