At Wangshu Inn, below the stage, the audience listened to Li Mo's storytelling while watching the projections above.
They saw the old man and Qiqi arrive at the coast, build themselves a thatched hut, gather herbs from the cliffs, and catch plenty of fish from the sea. No more going hungry.
Seeing such a peaceful story, the audience felt comforted.
"The storyteller is finally being kind—no tragedy for once…"
"If the old man and Qiqi could live here forever, that would be wonderful. At least they wouldn't have to worry about demons invading."
"The key is, that old geezer doesn't seem like a bad person…"
"I'm worried he'll hurt Qiqi. She's just a little girl. How could he do something like that?"
"This old man can use forbidden commands and talismans. Qiqi turning into a zombie must have something to do with him."
Most of the audience were locals of Liyue Harbor, so they naturally felt protective of Qiqi.
When they saw the demon trying to harm Qiqi, they wanted to charge into the projections and fight it themselves.
When they saw Qiqi go hungry, they wanted to find her some coconut goat milk.
Still, seeing Qiqi finally reach the Liyue coast and escape the demons brought them joy.
On stage, Li Mo barely paused. After a short rest, he continued his story.
As he spoke, the Electro energy above the inn once again coalesced into vivid projections.
In the images…
The old man, now white-haired, knew he did not have long to live. He devoted all his remaining time to teaching Qiqi.
He taught Qiqi how to create and use talismans—a mysterious power akin to adeptal arts.
He taught Qiqi how to create forbidden commands, using them to control other living beings… and he taught her to cherish life.
He taught Qiqi to identify herbs, noting the properties of each, and used the herbs they gathered to give Qiqi medicinal baths, helping her cultivate.
Qiqi was an intelligent child with exceptional talent.
No matter what she learned, she grasped it quickly.
In a month, Qiqi learned to draw talismans—and drew them even better than her master.
In twenty days, Qiqi learned to create forbidden commands. As soon as she learned, she could control birds in the sky and fish in the sea.
In half a month, Qiqi learned to scale cliffs. She would climb the high cliffs alone to pick Qixing Flowers for her master.
From then on, Qiqi would bring a basket full of Qixing Flowers to her master every day, saying happily, "Look, Master! With these Qixing Flowers, you'll get younger and younger!"
Each time, her master would smile and correct her. "Silly child. Qixing Flowers can only replenish life energy and slow aging. They can't make me young."
During this time, Qiqi was happy.
She had enough to eat every day, learned from her master, and always had a smile on her face.
As the weather grew cold, to prepare for the long winter, she would help her master catch many fish, storing them in the snow or hanging them on the walls of their thatched hut.
On cold winter nights, her master would tell her the story of "The Little Matchstick Girl." Qiqi listened with rapt attention, forgetting the chill.
When spring came and the snow melted, the Liyue coast grew warm again.
Qiqi looked at her master with anticipation. "Master, Master, can you teach me adeptus arts now?"
Her master replied, "Soon."
As time passed, the old man taught Qiqi everything he knew, completing his mission for this lifetime.
His body grew weaker, his life force fading.
He knew he would not live much longer.
Finally, one day, the old man called Qiqi to his side. "Qiqi, the most important thing I have studied in my life is this adeptus art."
"Now, I am going to teach it to you."
Qiqi was overjoyed. "Master, what is this adeptus art called?"
A kind expression appeared on the old man's face. "It is called—Preservation: Adeptal Art of Opening."
Qiqi was thrilled. "Now I know adeptus arts too!"
But strangely, no matter what method Qiqi tried, she could not use this art.
She began to doubt herself. "Is it because I haven't trained hard enough?"
So Qiqi trained diligently.
Time passed quickly.
A few months went by.
For humans, a few months were a long time, but for adepti and demons, it was merely the span of a single battle.
Just as the old man's life was fading, his strength waning, the war between the adepti and the demons finally reached the Liyue coast.
Using powerful adeptal arts, the adepti drove the demons down the cliffs, engaging in their final battle on this open land.
All living things nearby were caught in the crossfire.
Including the old man and Qiqi.
They felt the terrifying power of the battle, heard its thunderous roar.
The old man held the frightened Qiqi as they hid in their thatched hut, hoping the war would end soon.
But then, a wounded demon slipped out of the battlefield. On the coast, it discovered their humble home.
With one claw, it destroyed the place where they had found warmth.
Facing the terrifying demon, its mouth dripping with blood…
The timid Qiqi once again mustered her courage and stood before her master.
"Please…"
"If you must eat someone, eat me. Don't eat my master…"
In her panic, Qiqi even forgot the forbidden commands her master had taught her.
But no matter how much the kind-hearted Qiqi begged, the demon advanced step by step.
It raised its claws toward the old man and Qiqi.
The next moment, facing the demon's attack, Qiqi covered her head with her hands and stood in front of her master.
Just as the demon was about to strike Qiqi, the old man used what little life force he had left to activate a forbidden command once more.
"Lin, Bing, Dou, Zhe, Jie, Zhen, Lie, Qian, Xing—"
"Forbidden Command!"
Blood sprayed from his mouth as he forcibly halted the demon's attack.
But the dying old man's strength was far too weak.
Even controlling the demon, he could only hold it for a moment.
After only two or three seconds, the frozen demon once again opened its bloodied maw and lunged at Qiqi.
Qiqi was terrified.
She wished her master could use his adeptus art to drive away this demon, to drive away all the demons in Liyue.
The old man screamed at Qiqi, "Get out of the way!"
Using his last strength, he pushed Qiqi aside.
With his white-haired, frail body, he took the demon's blow.
The demon's claw pierced through the old man's chest.
But…
Gritting his teeth, he sacrificed the last of his life force. As a mere human, he forcibly used the adeptus art:
"Preservation: Adeptal Art of Opening!"
Instantly, adeptal energy filled the air.
Endless cold radiated from the old man, enveloping the demon before him.
The demon's body was consumed by frost, disappearing before their eyes…
The old man's shattered chest healed, mending before their eyes…
This was a true adeptus art.
The art the old man had studied his entire life.
In the moment before his death, the old man who had bragged his whole life finally succeeded in using it.
Under the art's healing, the wound in his chest closed completely.
But within his body, the life force he had used to perform the art was almost entirely spent.
He would die soon.
Opening his eyes, the old man took Qiqi's hand and said, "I'm sorry. I can't protect you anymore."
"You must take care of yourself. Leave the coast. Stay away from the demons."
How he wished he could protect Qiqi forever, watch her grow up.
But this body of his was too worn out.
He would not live to see that day.
Qiqi held her master's hand. Feeling his life force slipping away, she panicked.
"Master, I don't want you to leave!"
"Oh… Qixing Flowers! Qixing Flowers restore life energy. Master, eat them! They'll cure you!"
Qiqi quickly pulled a Qixing Flower from her pocket and pressed it to her master's lips.
It was sweet.
One Qixing Flower restored a tiny amount of life force to the old man.
But that small amount was barely enough to sustain a man on the verge of death.
Qiqi did not give up.
She pulled flower after flower from her pocket, feeding them to her master.
"Master… eat Qixing Flowers… get better…"
The many flowers barely slowed the old man's death.
Naively, Qiqi believed that with enough Qixing Flowers, she could save her master's life.
She kept feeding them to him.
But when she reached into her pocket again, her small hand found nothing.
She had used all the Qixing Flowers she had gathered.
"Master, wait for me…"
"I'll climb the cliff and get you more Qixing Flowers."
Ignoring her master's protests, Qiqi grabbed a basket woven from branches and ran with all her might toward the cliff, her little legs carrying her as fast as they could.
At the bottom of the cliff was the battlefield where adepti and demons fought.
Powerful adepti were locked in their final battle with the demons.
Qiqi had never witnessed such carnage. The sight of the demons made her want to turn and flee.
But she stopped.
No. She could not run away.
If she ran, her master would die.
"Pick Qixing Flowers…"
"Pick Qixing Flowers for Master… cure him… make him better…"
"Let Master play with Qiqi…"
Qiqi murmured to herself.
She still naively believed that with enough Qixing Flowers, she could save her master from death.
Carefully, Qiqi picked Qixing Flowers.
She dared not look at the demons below the cliff. Clenching her eyes shut, she groped along the cliffside, gathering herbs.
But she was just a little girl. Terrified, she trembled uncontrollably.
Suddenly, her foot slipped.
Qiqi's small body tumbled down the rocky cliff.
It hurt.
It was painful.
Qiqi curled up, clutching her head, gritting her teeth to keep silent.
No matter how much it hurt, she did not let go of the Qixing Flowers.
She would bring them back to her master, cure him, save him.
But when Qiqi opened her eyes after falling, the sight of the battlefield terrified her.
Demons tore at adepti…
The blood of demons and adepti mingled, splattering onto Qiqi's face…
Terrified, Qiqi turned to flee.
But as soon as she stood, before she could take a single step, she fell again.
Her legs were swollen from the fall.
Qiqi thought of her master.
Biting back tears, she used her bleeding hands to drag her small body.
Slowly, she made her way back to the foot of the steep cliff.
If she had been healthy, she could have easily climbed it, gathering every herb along the way.
But now, her small body was bruised and battered.
She could not even stand.
How could she climb this steep cliff?
How could she go home and bring the Qixing Flowers to her master?
Just then, the mangled corpse of a demon fell beside her. More demons noticed Qiqi.
Baring their fangs, they charged at her.
Qiqi was terrified.
Using her delicate, bloodied hands, she dragged her injured body into a small cave.
A demon's arm reached in after her, trying to grab her.
Qiqi crawled deeper.
Can you imagine how terrified a young girl, mortal as she was, would be in such a moment?
But perhaps more than fear, Qiqi was worried.
Clutching the Qixing Flowers in her small hands, she crawled deeper into the cave, evading the demon's grasp, murmuring to herself about her master.
"Master… wait for Qiqi at home… promise me you won't die."
"Qiqi is crawling forward…"
"Qiqi will avoid the demons and bring the Qixing Flowers home to cure you."
Qiqi's delicate hands scraped against the sharp stones inside the cave.
Wounds opened.
It hurt.
An agonizing pain…