Chapter 58: Entrepreneurship, pioneering... The beginning of all things is difficult
"Yes, Qiqi, you have family too. You are not alone," Keqing said earnestly, looking at Qiqi.
"Although I don't understand your words, I can feel a familiar aura from you," she continued.
"Qiqi, I'm willing to go with you," Keqing said with a joyful expression as Qiqi agreed.
She approached Qiqi, observing the childlike body that still remained despite having lived for thousands of years. The thought of Qiqi's experiences made her deeply saddened.
"Qiqi, don't worry. When you come to my home, we will take good care of you," she reassured.
"Mr. Bai, I will take Qiqi with me," Keqing informed, and Baizhu sighed upon hearing her words.
At this point, what else could he do? Perhaps, this was his destiny.
"Qiqi, go with Lord Yuheng and come back to Bubu Pharmacy anytime you want," Mr. Bai said.
"Goodbye, Mr. Bai," Keqing bid farewell as she left with Qiqi.
"Oh, Qiqi, before we go back, let's thank someone first. Without him, I wouldn't have known about your connection to my ancestors," Keqing said, feeling delighted about what Takarou had told her.
In her heart, Keqing was happy. Their ancestors had passed away, but Qiqi remained. She was still alive in this world. Therefore, their family had to take good care of Qiqi.
Qiqi was puzzled by Keqing's words but obediently followed her as they headed towards the New Century Comic Store.
Before long, they arrived together at the New Century Comic Store.
"Mr. Owner, I'm here again," Keqing greeted Takarou as she entered the store.
For Qiqi, it was her first time visiting the New Century Comic Store, and she was curious about everything inside.
"Pika~" Suddenly, Pikachu jumped out from the inside and landed on the front desk.
Qiqi found Pikachu incredibly cute upon seeing it and couldn't help but let go of Keqing's hand to approach Pikachu.
"Hello, I'm Qiqi, a zombie," she introduced herself.
"Pika~" In fact, Pikachu could speak, but it rarely did so under normal circumstances.
"Qiqi, its name is Pikachu, my partner," Takarou explained.
"Pikachu?" Qiqi didn't understand the word.
In fact, Pikachu came from a comic book called Pokémon. If Qiqi was interested, she could read this comic too.
"Read comic?" Qiqi asked.
"Yes, and maybe you can find a way to regain your memories from the comic," Takarou smiled slightly.
Takarou had liked Qiqi since they played the Genshin Impact game. Qiqi was a child with a tragic background, and perhaps her loss of memories led to her forgetting her past, making her cheerful.
But Takarou also wished for Qiqi's lifelong happiness. That's why he chose to tell Keqing about the connection between Qiqi and her ancestors. This way, Keqing's family could also take care of Qiqi.
"Look, comics!" Keqing said, though Qiqi didn't fully understand, she did want to regain her memories and looked towards Keqing.
"Qiqi, do you want to read comics? No problem," Keqing smiled and took out 10,000 Mora.
"Mr. Owner, this is for Qiqi," she handed the money to Takarou.
"Alright," Takarou acknowledged.
"Qiqi, the comics are over there. Let Keqing know what you want to read, and she will help you get it."
"I want to read Pokémon," Qiqi said.
"No problem, Qiqi. I'll help you get it," Keqing replied.
Keqing fetched the Pokémon comic book for Qiqi and handed it to her.
Qiqi took the comic book and found a seat, obediently engrossed in reading Pokémon.
Keqing glanced at Takarou and said, "Mr. Owner, on behalf of my family, I want to express our gratitude for everything concerning Qiqi. If there's anything our family can do for you, please don't hesitate to ask."
"These are all trivial matters. Qiqi became a zombie because of an undeserved calamity she suffered. This child has had a difficult life," Takarou responded.
"Furthermore, Qiqi actually has another identity. She is an adepti being."
"An adepti being?" Keqing was shocked.
From the books, she had only read about a little girl named Qiqi from her family who went into the mountains to collect medicinal herbs and then disappeared without a trace. But she never imagined that Qiqi would turn out to be an adepti being!
"Yes, Qiqi's adepti name is "Fortune Preserver" (Savior of Suffering and Deliverance from Calamity)," Takarou explained.
"And Qiqi is also one of the Three-Eyed Five-Manifestation adepti ," he added.
Keqing was astonished to hear this. She never expected that Qiqi, who was connected to her ancestors, would be an immortal being. But regardless of whether she was an adepti being or not, Qiqi was still their ancestor.
After a while, Qiqi finally finished reading the Pokémon comic book. Keqing approached Qiqi and said, "Qiqi, now that you've finished reading the comic, give me the book. I'll put it back on the shelf, and then we can go and collect the reward from Mr. Owner."
"Okay," Qiqi replied.
After Keqing returned the comic book to the shelf, Qiqi followed her to Takarou's side.
"[Customer Qiqi, after reading 'Pokémon' comic book, you have earned a reward: Rowlet]," the system announced.
"Oh, I didn't expect it to be that one," Takarou said with a slight smile.
Rowlet's appearance was somewhat similar to Tuanyao (a bird-like Pokémon in the Genshin Impact game) and Qiqi had always wanted to have one.
But due to her poor memory, she couldn't keep one as a pet.
However, things were different now, as Rowlet was the Pokémon Qiqi obtained from reading the comic book.
Wherever Qiqi went, Rowlet would be by her side.
As a bright light flashed, Rowlet appeared before everyone.
As soon as Rowlet appeared, it chirped and landed on Qiqi's shoulder.
Qiqi looked at the little creature and felt a sudden joy in her heart.
She didn't understand why she was so happy, but the moment she saw Rowlet, she felt a surge of joy. This puzzled Qiqi.
"Mr. Owner, what is the name of this bird?" she asked.
"Its name is Rowlet, but it's quite vigilant. It stores energy through photosynthesis during the day and becomes active at night. It silently glides toward its enemies, launching powerful kicks before they even notice. It can attack with sharp, blade-like feathers and shouldn't be underestimated in terms of its kicking power. It remains calm in narrow, dark spaces and sometimes uses a trainer's embrace or bag as a substitute for its nest. It can fly while silently shooting sharp, blade-like feathers. When close, it delivers powerful kicks. It stores energy through photosynthesis during the day and silently flies through the air at night, seeking its prey. It silently glides through the air with its supple wings. It has the ability to skillfully launch its feather blades with the sharpness of knives," Takarou explained to Keqing.
After listening to Takarou's explanation, Keqing nodded slightly, gaining some understanding of Rowlet's abilities.
______
"Qiqi, let's go," Keqing said as she approached Qiqi.
Qiqi looked at the New Century Comic Store, then at Takarou, and finally at Rowlet.
Then, Qiqi suddenly took out a book and picked up a pen, recording something in the book.
Keqing leaned closer to take a look and discovered that Qiqi was writing on the book.
"New Century Comic Store, read comics, costs 10,000 Mora. Reading comics might help restore memories. Qiqi's partner: Rowlet," the writings said.
Keqing smiled slightly as she looked at what Qiqi had recorded. It seemed that Qiqi had noted the activity of reading comics in her diary and had recorded all the Pokémon she obtained.
Keqing pursed her lips and couldn't help but smile. After finishing the recording, Qiqi looked at Keqing.
"Qiqi has written in the diary, so I won't forget," she said.
"Well done, Qiqi. You're amazing," Keqing praised.
"Mr. Owner, I'll take Qiqi home now and introduce her to my parents and the rest of the family," Keqing said.
"Alright," Takarou responded.
Keqing left with Qiqi.
"Boss, I didn't expect there to be a zombie in Liyue," Noelle exclaimed as she watched Keqing and Qiqi leave.
"Liyue has quite a few immortals. Haven't you already seen a few of them? Besides, I've told you about Qiqi's past, so it's not surprising," Takarou explained.
"It's one thing to hear it from you, but seeing it with my own eyes is another thing," Noelle replied.
"Liyue is different from Mondstadt. There are quite a few immortals here," Takarou remarked.
In Mondstadt, there is the Knights of Favonius led by Jean. Jean has also received a report regarding the Lawrence Clan, a noble family involved with the Fool's Accord.
Eula was the one who discovered this matter. Subsequently, Eula, along with the Knights of Favonius, captured all the members of the Lawrence Clan involved in the conspiracy with the Fool's Accord.
With the covert assistance of the Knights of Favonius, Eula began taking over the Lawrence Clan.
After this matter was resolved, there were no other nobles obstructing the construction of the railway. Therefore, the railway project could now proceed without hindrance.
However, this also made Jean even more burdened with her responsibilities. The railway construction was progressing smoothly.
It extended from outside Mondstadt all the way to the bottom of Dragonspine, covering Windrise, Springvale, Dawn Winery, and Starfell Lake.
There was also another railway that led to Liyue. After all, the railway in Mondstadt needed to connect to Liyue. And Stone Gate marked the border between Mondstadt and Liyue.
As for whether to extend the railway to Liyue, Jean had not made a decision yet. Because she knew that Liyue would be restless in the near future.
If she wanted to contact Ningguang regarding the railway project, she would have to wait until Ningguang was finished with her tasks and had resolved matters in Liyue Harbor. Only then could they sit down and discuss it calmly.
With no obstacles, the construction of the railway progressed swiftly. It could be said that Jean had put in a lot of effort to build this railway, and she had the Knights of Favonius strictly monitor the process to prevent any shortcuts or shoddy work.
On the other hand, Lumine and Paimon also arrived at Zhongli place and found Zhongli.
"Hi, Zhongli, we're here," Lumine greeted.
Zhongli nodded and replied, "You're right on time. I just arrived not long ago."
"Is the Jade chamber fun?" Lumine hadn't spoken yet, but Paimon exclaimed, "Super... huge! Super magnificent, super expensive! It's the most luxurious building I've ever seen!"
"Indeed, if Jade chamber is considered second, then no one dares claim the first place in Liyue. Have you met Ningguang? How was your conversation?"
"She's so wealthy and generous, a very kind person!"
Lumine took over the conversation and said, "But 'kindness' is also a merchant's weapon."
"Yeah, Lumine and I have different opinions about Ningguang. Lumine believes that Ningguang is always a merchant, after all, merchants pursue profits."
"Indeed, merchants pursue profits, and sometimes 'kindness' can be a merchant's tactic."
"Although she is kind, you can't be certain if she's 100% sincere."
"Ningguang is not only a strategic person but also an ambitious one."
"Yes, she was able to reach her current position purely through her own efforts. Such a person must be extraordinary."
"I heard that the continuous expansion of the Jade chamber is a manifestation of her ambition. It is the second most important thing in her life. Even if she were to give up the throne, she would not give up Jade chamber."
After listening to Zhongli's words, Paimon looked puzzled and asked, "Jade chamber is the second most important thing, then what is the first?"
Zhongli calmly glanced at Paimon and said, "Of course, it's Mora."
Lumine nodded and said, "That makes sense. I'm not surprised. After all, without Mora, Ningguang wouldn't be able to create such a magnificent floating Jade chamber."
"By the way, the thing Ningguang talked to us about the most was 'the Fool's Accord.' She said that ever since the Archon's assassination, the Fool's Accord has been causing trouble in Liyue and creating chaos."
"The Fool's Accord has always been like this. I'm not surprised at all."
"And they are currently trying to replicate the 'Tapestry of Golden Flames.'"
...
"Regardless of what the Fool's Accord is plotting, just be cautious when dealing with them."
"Speaking of which, does the Narukami Island have anything needed for the 'Rite of Descension'?"
"Yes, what we're looking for today are wild Glazed Lilies."
"Glazed Lilies? Why come here to find them? I heard there are many in the gardens of the Palace in Yujing Terrace. I also heard there are some at the Serpent's Court."
"Oh right, when we met Madame Ping, she was looking at flowers. Why not just ask her for them?"
Zhongli directly rejected Paimon's suggestion, "No... those are all artificially cultivated ones and won't do. Glass Lilies used to grow abundantly in the Dihua Marsh. They are joyful flowers that listen to people's songs. Before the Archon War, the Dihua Marsh was still a land, but the war caused a landslide, flooding the area and turning it into a wetland, almost causing the Glazed Lilies to go extinct. Now, only a few artificially cultivated varieties remain in the city, but only a few know that wild Glazed Lilies are not completely extinct. These Glazed Lilies have a strong fragrance, and when ground into powder and placed in an eternal incense burner, it is the complete 'Rite of Descension' tradition. However, I'll need your help to gather these flowers."
Seeing Zhongli looking at her, Lumine asked uncertainly, "Do you need me to labor? Or do you need me... to sing?"
"Yes, your singing voice will surely elevate the fragrance of the flowers to the extreme."
Upon hearing Zhongli's words, Paimon looked a bit worried and looked at Lumine, "Hmm... Lumine, how good are you at singing?"
Lumine, seeing Paimon's disbelief, responded directly, "I'm super good!"
"Is that so? I have my doubts..."
"You'll see how it goes when we try it."
"Let's go then. We'll search for the wild Glass Lilies together."
Lumine and Paimon nodded and followed Zhongli as they set off, walking and searching along the way.
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CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
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