Regarding Childe's remark, Zhongli replied with a smile: "Ah? Mr. Childe still enjoys joking as always. Well, procuring the kites went smoothly. There's no need to rest before the next preparation. The Rite of Parting requires both materials and personnel. Near the harbor, we can hire some good help."
Childe directly handed Lumine a money pouch: "I'll entrust this pouch to you. I don't need to say it, you understand, right? Bargaining is up to you. Whatever you do, don't let Zhongli get involved."
[Furina: 'Whatever you do, don't let Zhongli get involved.' That line sounds so serious, yet it's also so funny, hahaha!]
[Paimon: If it were Zhongli, he'd definitely say 'Shopkeeper, I'll take it all.' ]
[Childe: And without haggling at all. It's really quite frustrating.]
[Furina: Of course Zhongli doesn't need to haggle, because the one paying is you, Mr. Childe!]
[Childe: Well, fortunately, the Northland Bank is quite robust...]
After Zhongli and the others left, Childe remained alone, muttering to himself: "Hmm, I arrived a step too late. Seems I missed some useful information. Next time, I'll try to appear at a more opportune moment."
That evening, having recruited suitable helpers, Lumine once again encountered Childe at Yujing Terrace.
"The matter is settled? You can keep the remaining money. Consider it yours. Those who work for the Fatui never come out short."
Paimon planted her hands on her hips: "Hmph! Do you think such charity can win me over? When will you provide the next batch of funds?"
Childe laughed heartily: "There's a piece of information. If you can tell me, I'll grant you access to the Northland Bank's vault for half an hour."
Paimon's eyes lit up, and she asked excitedly: "What information?"
Lumine immediately interjected: "We can't say."
Paimon didn't quite understand: "Do you know what he wants?"
Lumine: "What else could the Fatui possibly want?"
Paimon: "The Gnosis!"
Childe, sensing the shift in atmosphere, quickly tried to ease the tension: "Alright, alright, really now, what are you talking about, Lumine?"
"What's happening to us? The mood just now felt so strange."
[Childe: The Fatui's pursuit of the Gnosis is something all the upper echelons of every nation are fully aware of, right?]
[Zhongli: Hmm, I am also privy to quite a bit regarding the Cryo Archon's intentions.]
[Paimon: What is it, what is it?]
[Furina: What is it, what is it?]
[Zhongli: It concerns the contract between the Cryo Archon and myself. It would be best for you to seek the answer to this question on your own journey.]
[Furina: Aaah, these cryptic people are so infuriating!]
[Paimon: Aaah, these cryptic people are so infuriating!]
Zhongli, having finished his preparations, walked over: "Next, for the Eternal Incense, we need to visit Bubu Pharmacy. It is the most famous pharmacy in Liyue. Hmm? What's the matter with you all?"
Childe waved his hand: "Ah, it's nothing. I was just telling them they could keep the leftover money. Well then, I shall take my leave."
Only after Childe left did Paimon whisper: "Paimon definitely sensed a very terrifying killing intent just now."
[Paimon: Having watched the Fontaine storyline first, I initially thought Childe was a good guy. Who knew he was such a villain!]
[Lumine: Probably because in Fontaine, our interests didn't directly conflict with Childe's.]
[Childe: Hey, hey, I genuinely wanted to be friends with you all. But as for using you... there was some of that too. It was part of my job, after all.]
[Zhongli: Hmm, generally speaking, a Childe who can serve as a wallet is indeed a good person.]
Without hesitation, Lumine and Zhongli set off for Bubu Pharmacy, but found no one inside.
Paimon: "Huh? There's no one at the counter. The atmosphere feels a bit eerie too. Excuse me, is the proprietor here?"
A chilly voice slowly echoed out: "Welcome."
Paimon, startled by the voice coming from nowhere in particular: "Did any of you notice where that voice came from just now?"
Zhongli: "It seemed to be from the counter area."
Paimon looked at the Traveler: "Lumine, why don't you go check first?"
Before Lumine could move, a small, purple-haired head wearing a hat emerged from behind the counter.
Paimon: "So you were here all along, and you're shorter than the counter!"
Lumine whispered a retort: "Actually, in terms of height, Paimon seems even shorter..."
Paimon: "Hey! I'm flying, so height doesn't matter! Anyway, she looks a bit strange, doesn't she? With a talisman on her forehead? Could she be... a zombie?"
The little purple 'potato' wearing a hat introduced herself: "Welcome to Bubu Pharmacy. I am Qiqi. Qiqi has already died once. Later, an adeptus saved me. So I am a zombie."
[Zhongli: Qiqi once accidentally wandered into an adeptus-demon battlefield and was grievously wounded by the crossfire. On the brink of death, Qiqi's extreme yearning for life awakened a Vision. The adepti present could not bear to see a child perish in such a way and infused Qiqi's body with their adeptal energy. This energy could sustain her life, but it was also more than a child's body could handle, causing Qiqi to fall into a frenzied state. The Mountain Shaper had no choice but to seal Qiqi within amber. Centuries later, when Qiqi awoke, she had become as she is now.]
[Furina: What a pitiful child.]
Lumine remarked in admiration: "She states such an incredible thing so matter-of-factly. Truly befitting of a land of gods."
Paimon chimed in: "Such a thing would be utterly unimaginable in Mondstadt."
Zhongli steered the conversation back to business: "Little one, does this pharmacy sell Eternal Incense?"
Qiqi looked at Zhongli and slowly said: "May I ask, do you have a prescription?"
Zhongli gestured dismissively: "For purchasing Eternal Incense, a prescription shouldn't be necessary. It has nothing to do with curing illness."
Qiqi: "If you have a prescription, Qiqi can help fill it. This is a self-given decree for Qiqi."
Lumine: "What's a decree?"
Zhongli explained: "Zombies require decrees to act. But for some reason, this little one is in a state of giving decrees to herself."
After explaining to Lumine, Zhongli looked back at Qiqi: "Little Qiqi, we don't have a prescription. But we were hoping you could help us obtain some Eternal Incense."
Qiqi nodded: "That is acceptable."
Paimon was puzzled: "How did it become acceptable all of a sudden?"
Qiqi then said: "But you must also help Qiqi. That would be fair."
Paimon threw up her hands: "So the shop assistant helping a customer is considered unfair?"
Zhongli didn't mind: "It's fine. This kind of relationship is also good. In Liyue, the art of transaction involves considering things from the other's perspective."
Having received Zhongli's agreement, Qiqi made her request: "Please go to Mt. Tianheng and use the Guizhong Ballista to hunt a Cocogoat for me."
Lumine and Paimon were confused.
Zhongli, however, was quite knowledgeable: "I have heard of the Guizhong Ballista. It is a type of ballista-cannon erected by ancient adepti upon Mt. Tianheng. It belongs to the category of mechanical devices. It can automatically engage colossal monsters and guard against threats from the outside."
Paimon exclaimed in admiration: "Mr. Zhongli really knows Liyue like the back of his hand, doesn't he?"
Zhongli gestured modestly: "Not entirely. For instance, I have never heard of this 'Cocogoat.'"
[Venti: Fancy that, there's something in Liyue that Mr. Zhongli doesn't know about.]
[Zhongli: For millennia, I have walked the lands of Liyue. I know much of its people and affairs, but I have indeed never heard of a 'Cocogoat.' Perhaps it is because I rarely venture into the mountains.]
[Ningguang: I have never heard of a 'Cocogoat' either.]
Qiqi explained: "Cocogoat. A legendary half-adeptal beast. What does it look like? Don't know. Where are they most numerous? Don't know. What is their origin? Don't know."
Lumine: "This is going to be difficult."
Zhongli thought for a moment and replied: "Let's go take a look at the Guizhong Ballista first. Perhaps we'll find clues once we're there."
Paimon still didn't understand: "What kind of creature is a Cocogoat, anyway?"
---
Mt. Tianheng
On Mt. Tianheng, Paimon marveled at the enormous ballista. Zhongli explained regretfully: "The Guizhong Ballista is damaged and difficult to fire. Having endured a thousand years of weathering, even adeptal machinery struggles to remain intact."
Paimon asked urgently: "Then what should we do? Mr. Zhongli, quickly use your boundless upper-class knowledge to think of a way!"
Zhongli: Hmm, you make me sound like a pampered aristocrat who does nothing but listen to opera and walk birds?
Zhongli: "Let me think... Actually, when the Guizhong Ballista was first constructed, spare materials were prepared for situations like battle damage. If I'm not mistaken, within these city walls, we should be able to find the old wartime supply chamber. With the materials stored there, and knowing the operating principles of the Guizhong Ballista, repairing it should not be overly difficult."
Paimon: "So you're saying Mr. Zhongli knows the principles?"
Zhongli nodded: "I know a thing or two. If we can gather sufficient materials, we can give it a try."
Finding the materials wasn't difficult, and Zhongli repaired the Guizhong Ballista with ease.
[Venti: Hmm, 'knowing a thing or two' equals 'easily repaired.']
[Zhongli: From the video, the damage to the key components did not seem severe. The Guizhong Ballista was created by my old friend Guizhong. In the past, Guizhong and Cloud Retainer each brought their own blueprints for me to critique and compare. It was then that I saw the blueprints for the Guizhong Ballista.]
[Paimon: So that's how it is. How come we never saw Guizhong in Jueyun Karst?]
[Zhongli: Guizhong was the God of Dust, Haagentus. I recall she had a lively personality and loved inventing things. In the old days, Guizhong and Cloud Retainer would often argue over mechanics, bringing their blueprints for me to judge. After careful observation and analysis, I believed Guizhong's mechanical arts were superior. She was very happy then. Guizhong believed that while mechanics could not fully replace human composition, their creations could rival simple artistic works. The Streetward Rambler believed music was the resonance of the soul, something born of genuine feeling, and could absolutely not be spontaneously generated by machinery. The two argued incessantly. To resolve the dispute, I took the bell, using it for various rites and ceremonies. The two also formed a deep friendship because of this. But the good times did not last. Later, during the Archon War, conflict erupted repeatedly in the Guili Assembly. Guizhong was no match for the attacker and perished in battle. By the time I arrived, only the remnants of my old friend remained. Afterwards, at the Streetward Rambler's request, I entrusted the bell to her for safekeeping.]
[Paimon: That bell is the Cleansing Bell, right?]
[Zhongli: Correct.]
[Furina: I didn't expect the emotional gut-punch to come so suddenly...]
Zhongli finished his inspection: "Hmm, complete. The structure of the Guizhong Ballista is even more intricate than I anticipated."
Paimon: "Then how do we get it to work?"
Zhongli explained: "Quite simple. Just like this. See, adeptal machinery even comes with a telescopic viewing function."
After searching, they found no trace of a Cocogoat.
However, a group of Treasure Hoarders approached to cause trouble.
"You guys fixed up this big ballista? What are you messing with it for?"
Zhongli asked sternly: "This is not merely a 'ballista,' but the Guizhong Ballista. Furthermore, before posing questions, one should first introduce oneself. That is etiquette."
The Treasure Hoarder leader snorted: "Can't you tell? We're big shots from the Treasure Hoarders! Legend says this area is buried with all sorts of treasures. This big ballista, even though it's a machine, seems to act as the guardian of this place, and it's a real pain. Last time we came into the mountains, one of our brothers almost got skewered by this thing."
"Later, we risked our lives to break this thing. And now, in the blink of an eye, you've gone and fixed it! Seems like I really need to teach you all a lesson today."
Hmph! Zhongli rebuked: "Defiling the wisdom of predecessors for your own selfish desires? It is you who deserve a lesson."
[Paimon: Now that I know the origins of the Guizhong Ballista, I suddenly understand why Zhongli got so angry.]
Lumine took action, quickly driving off the fleeing Treasure Hoarders.
Paimon: "Hmph! A bunch of ignorant fools."
Zhongli: "It is not worth letting such people disturb one's state of mind. Let us return to the matter of our contract with Qiqi."
Paimon responded: "Right, the contract. We repaired the Guizhong Ballista, but where is the Cocogoat we're supposed to hunt?"
Zhongli recalled: "From the search results of the Guizhong Ballista just now, apart from some common wildlife, there doesn't seem to be anything of note in the vicinity."
"Moreover, if it were a half-adeptal beast, adeptal machinery should have no trouble detecting it. Merely standing here pondering won't solve the problem. Perhaps we should return first, admit we couldn't find the Cocogoat, and then decide our next steps."
Paimon also wanted to go back: "Yeah, as they say in Liyue, we've done our best."
Returning to Bubu Pharmacy, Zhongli apologized to Qiqi: "Our apologies. We must admit we failed to fulfill the contract. We truly have no leads on the half-adeptal beast known as the Cocogoat."
Qiqi touched her head: "Ah... very disappointing. It's okay, but very disappointing."
Paimon rubbed her head miserably: Ugh, seeing Qiqi like this, why do I suddenly feel an overwhelming sense of guilt?
[Furina: It feels as heartbreaking as seeing a kitten abandoned by its owner.]
[Paimon: Furina knows how to make an analogy.]
Lumine inquired: "Qiqi, do you have any other clues? Like, what do you need the Cocogoat for?"
Qiqi answered haltingly: "Cocogoat milk. Tasty. Better than regular goat milk. So they must be half-adeptal beasts. Sorry, my memory is not good. So I wrote down the name. Let me look..."
"This is it. Tasty milk... called coconut milk."
It was all a big misunderstanding!
Zhongli also apologized: "My apologies, Lumine, Paimon. Earlier, during the fair dialogue with Qiqi, I agreed too readily without sufficient thought."
Paimon, acting as the mouthpiece, replied for Lumine: "It's alright, Zhongli. As they say in Liyue, the ways of the world are unpredictable; joy and sorrow are hard to foresee. Who could have guessed the ending would be so absurd?"
Qiqi, not understanding, asked with a puzzled look: "Huh? Did Qiqi say something wrong?"
Not wanting to be the one to shatter a child's fantasy, Paimon passed the task to the Traveler.
Lumine didn't refuse: "Qiqi, coconut milk doesn't come from a goat. Coconut milk comes from coconut trees."