[Location: Liyue Harbor – Yujing Terrace]
[Time: 10:00 AM]
"Why..." Paimon huffed, floating lazily while the rest of us climbed. "Are there... so many... stairs?"
"It builds character," I said, though even my enhanced dragon calves were feeling the burn. "And apparently, the best pharmacy in Liyue likes to make its patients work for their cure. If you survive the climb, you're healthy enough not to need medicine. It's a scam."
Zhongli chuckled, walking perfectly upright without a single bead of sweat. "Bubu Pharmacy is renowned for its specific remedies. Dr. Baizhu is... an eccentric character."
We reached the top. The smell of medicinal herbs—mist flower, qingxin, violetgrass—was overwhelming.
Behind the high counter stood a very small girl.
She wore a purple talisman on her forehead. Her skin was pale as death.
"Welcome..." she droned, her voice flat and devoid of intonation. "To Bubu Pharmacy."
"Hello," I leaned on the counter, towering over her. "We need Everlasting Incense."
The girl blinked slowly. "Prescription?"
"We don't have one," Aether explained. "We want to buy it."
"Have... prescription?" she repeated.
"No," Paimon stomped her foot in the air. "Listen! We need the incense!"
The girl tilted her head. "I am Qiqi. Qiqi... cannot give medicine without prescription. Or... Qiqi will forget."
[Great Sage]
Status: Under orders. Memory fragmentation detected. Rigor Mortis suppressed by Adeptal Arts, but joints are stiff.>
My heart clenched.
She was dead. She was a child, and she was dead.
Just like Akari almost was.
The "Big Brother" instinct flared up, hot and demanding. I didn't see a shopkeeper; I saw a little sister who was lost in the dark.
"Hey," I softened my voice, crouching down so I was at eye level with her. "Qiqi, right?"
She looked at me. "You... represent... heat."
"I'm Raiden." I reached out. "Can I check your pulse? I'm a doctor. Sort of."
Qiqi hesitated, then extended her small, cold hand.
It was freezing. No heartbeat. Just a faint, stagnant flow of Cryo energy keeping her moving. Her joints clicked softly when she moved. It must be uncomfortable to move like that constantly.
"Active Skill: [Kiss of Love] (Mode: Gentle Warmth)."
I didn't use the full power. I just let a trickle of my overflowing life force seep into her cold wrist. I visualized oiling a rusty machine, warming up the cold gears.
Qiqi's eyes widened slightly.
"Warm..." she whispered. She flexed her fingers. "Shoulders... not heavy. Knees... do not click."
She looked at me with a spark of genuine curiosity. "You make... the pain stop."
"I can do it anytime," I smiled sadly. "Now, about that incense?"
"Oh. Incense." She blinked. "Baizhu... is the boss. Ask Baizhu."
"Did someone call for me?"
A man walked out from the back. Green hair, snake eyes, and a white snake draped around his neck.
Baizhu.
[Great Sage]
Condition: Chronic Illness detected. Life force is weak.
Detection: The Snake (Changsheng) is a symbiotic entity draining his vitality in exchange for power.>
I narrowed my eyes. My dragon instincts hated him immediately. He smelled like sickness and desperation. He smelled like someone who would do anything to live—the darker reflection of my own desire to survive.
"Welcome," Baizhu smiled, his eyes scanning us. They lingered on me. "Oh? A Dragon among men? How fascinating. Changsheng, do you smell that?"
"Potent," the snake hissed. "Very potent."
"We need Everlasting Incense," Zhongli cut in, his voice firm.
"Ah, yes. Three million Mora," Baizhu said without batting an eye.
"Three million?!" Paimon shrieked. "That's robbery!"
"Supply and demand," Baizhu shrugged. "However... perhaps we can make a deal. Qiqi here has been asking for a specific... ingredient. If you can fetch it, I might lower the price."
"What is it?" Aether asked.
Qiqi looked up. "Cocogoat. The legendary... Adeptibeast. Coconut Milk... comes from it."
Paimon looked confused. "Cocogoat?"
"Yes," Qiqi nodded earnestly. "Tastes good. Must be... a goat."
I stifled a laugh. "She thinks Coconut Milk comes from a goat? That's adorable."
"We will find this Cocogoat," Zhongli accepted the contract immediately, completely missing the joke because he hasn't looked at a grocery list in 6,000 years. "Where shall we look?"
"Near the Guizhong Ballista," Baizhu suggested smoothly. "Sightings have been reported there."
We turned to leave.
I paused, looking back at Qiqi. She was staring at her own hand, flexing the fingers that I had warmed up.
"Hey, Dr. Baizhu," I said, my voice dropping an octave. The air temperature in the pharmacy rose by five degrees.
Baizhu stopped. "Yes, Mr. Raiden?"
"She's a child," I said, my pupils slitting into vertical dragon eyes. "If I find out you're overworking her... or using her for experiments... I won't need a prescription to fix you. I'll just eat the snake."
The white snake hissed in fear and tightened around Baizhu's neck.
Baizhu's smile didn't falter, but a bead of sweat rolled down his temple.
"I assure you, Qiqi is precious to us. Take care on your journey."
We walked out.
"That guy gives me the creeps," Paimon shivered.
"He's dying," I said bluntly. "And he's terrified of it. But don't worry about Qiqi. I'm keeping an eye on her."
"Cocogoat hunt!" Paimon cheered to distract us. "Let's go fix the giant crossbow!"
[Location: Mt. Tianheng – Guizhong Ballista]
[Time: 1:00 PM]
We arrived at the ancient ruin. The massive ballista sat broken, surrounded by Treasure Hoarders.
"More trash to take out," I cracked my knuckles.
"Wait," Zhongli stopped me. "This device is an engineering marvel constructed by the Adeptus Cloud Retainer. We should treat it with respect. Aether, perhaps you can scavenge for parts? Raiden, you handle the... structural alignment."
"You mean lift the heavy stuff?"
"Precisely."
We cleared out the hoarders easily. I didn't even use magic; I just grabbed a Hoarder by the ankle and threw him into his friends. [Steel Strength] made me physically overpowering.
As Aether repaired the mechanism, Zhongli looked at me.
"You care for the zombie child."
"She reminds me of my sister," I admitted, looking at the horizon. "Small. Fragile. I couldn't save my sister. But I can make sure Qiqi doesn't rust away."
Zhongli nodded. "Erosion is a cruel mistress. Whether it is of stone, or of the mind. Your ability to restore 'Vitality'... it is a power that even the Archons would envy."
"Is that why you're watching me, old man?"
"I am merely a consultant," Zhongli smiled enigmatically. "But... should the day come where you wish to understand the weight of 'Eternity,' perhaps you should speak to the Electro Archon. Though I suspect you two might... clash."
Suddenly, a loud mechanical CLANK echoed. The Ballista hummed to life.
And then, a haughty, bird-like voice echoed from the sky.
"WHO DARES TOUCH MY TOY?!"
We looked up.
Floating down was not a Cocogoat.
It was a woman? No, it was a crane? No, it was...
Wait, it was Ganyu's Mom.
"Great Sage," I whispered. "Is that Cloud Retainer?"
[Great Sage]