Liyue.
After leaving Tianheng Mountain yesterday, Qingge had been traveling in hiding, eventually reaching the outskirts of a village.
As a living dead, Qingge's presence was extremely faint. With her deliberate concealment, she was nearly undetectable unless someone ran directly into her.
Her movements were stiff but surprisingly swift.
Qingge's consciousness remained hazy, like the feeling of being half-asleep. She struggled to control her body, arriving here solely through instinct.
This place carried a scent she craved.
On a narrow path several hundred meters from the village, two hunters labored under the weight of a wild boar slung between them, grunting and wheezing as they hurried back.
The boar they carried weighed at least two hundred catties (over 240 pounds). They had been ambushing the beast for days, and its sheer heft, combined with their delayed return, had left them racing against the encroaching darkness.
Dusk had long fallen. Tonight's moon hung exceptionally bright and full, illuminating the path so clearly they didn't need torches.
As they passed through a bamboo grove, they heard a creak... creak... from within, as if something was clawing at the bamboo.
"Old Li, what's that noise?"
"Could another boar have wandered in here?"
Exchanging a knowing glance, the two hunters silently set down the wild boar and prepared to sneak closer to investigate.
If it's just some clueless boar that wandered in here, even better—another kill for us.
Following the direction of the sound, the hunters ventured deeper into the bamboo forest.
Suddenly, the younger hunter stepped on a fallen leaf. The dry, brittle leaf cracked loudly under his foot, the sound piercing the stillness.
The distant rustling abruptly ceased.
The younger hunter felt a pang of guilt. Just as he was about to ask the older hunter whether they should continue, the older hunter suddenly raised his hand.
In the next instant, a figure lunged from the side, a right hand clamping down on the younger hunter's throat.
The younger hunter gasped, his throat seized. Without a moment's hesitation, the older hunter drew his bow and shot an arrow at the figure's back.
The arrow struck as if it had hit a steel plate, ricocheting off without effect.
Startled by the attack, the figure whirled around. Its eyes burned crimson, its face deathly pale—a terrifying sight.
The older hunter froze in terror, then bellowed:
"A zombie!"
Abandoning all concern for the younger hunter, the older man scrambled away on all fours, fleeing as fast as he could.
The figure was indeed Qingge. She turned to meet the terrified gaze of the young hunter whose throat she was gripping. He thrashed wildly, clawing at her with all four limbs.
Qingge opened her mouth, her sharp fangs glinting coldly in the moonlight.
The young hunter's soul nearly left his body. His pupils dilated, and he screamed, "Save me! Save me! Aaaah!"
Hearing the young hunter's desperate cries, the old hunter fled even faster.
Just as Qingge's fangs were about to pierce the young man's neck, a flicker of consciousness returned. She abruptly recoiled, pulling her head back.
But this sliver of rationality was fleeting. Qingge lost consciousness again and lunged at the young hunter once more.
Just before her teeth broke his skin, another flicker of rationality returned. Then...
Loss of consciousness... Return of reason... Loss of consciousness... Return of reason...
The young hunter finally fainted from sheer terror.
Seeing the young hunter unconscious, Qingge gently laid him down in a comfortable position before swiftly vanishing into the night.
Her "moments of regained consciousness"? Pure theater. Her acting had long since reached perfection.
-
The next day, Liyue Harbor.
"Zombies?"
A Junior Commander of the Millelith frowned, double-checking the report from his subordinates.
"Yes, sir. That's what the two hunters who filed the report claimed."
"Where are they? I'll go see for myself."
The Junior Commander had only taken a few steps when a cat-eared girl in black stockings entered.
"Did I just hear you say... zombies?"
"Greetings, Lady Keqing!"
"Where are these hunters you mentioned? Take me to them."
With no Rookie yet chosen for the Kaiyang, everyone was deliberately avoiding the issue.
Currently, Feng Yan oversees Kaiyang affairs. His abilities are formidable, and Keqing occasionally assists.
Zombies... This type of monster, which only exists in Liyue's legends—actual blood-sucking zombies?
The Millelith soldier led Keqing to the two hunters.
"Lady Keqing! It's Lady Keqing! You must help us seek justice!" the old hunter immediately cried out upon seeing her.
Keqing raised a hand to stop his wailing and instructed him to recount the entire incident in detail.
The old hunter's eyes filled with terror as he recalled the events of the previous night.
"Lady Keqing, it was like this... back then..."
The old hunter recounted everything that had happened the previous night to Keqing. After listening intently, Keqing turned her gaze to the young hunter, whose demeanor was clearly disturbed.
The old hunter explained, "When I returned to the village and gathered a group to revisit the bamboo forest, we found him lying on the ground. I thought he had been killed at first, but upon closer inspection, he was unharmed. Still, he's been dazed and confused since yesterday—he must have been so frightened that his soul fled his body!"
Keqing pondered for a moment before saying, "Very well. Take him to Bubu Pharmacy first. As for the zombies you mentioned, I'll lead a team to deal with them later."
"Thank you, Lady Keqing! Thank you, Lady Keqing!"
After the old hunter left, Keqing turned to the Junior Commander beside her and said, "Leave this matter to me. Just focus on your own duties."
"Yes, Lady Keqing!"
-
Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
Lumine and Paimon had just handed over the items Greater Lord Rukkhadevata had entrusted to them to Zhongli and were about to leave when they ran into Keqing at the entrance.
"Traveler, Paimon! When did you two get back?"
Lumine: "We just got back ourselves. We had some business with Zhongli. What brings you here, Keqing?"
"A village west of Liyue Harbor reported encountering zombies. I came to consult Director Hu Tao about the matter."
Lumine was a trusted friend of Liyue, and there were no secrets between them.
"Z-zombies?!" Paimon shuddered, immediately hiding behind Lumine.
Demons, ghosts, and monsters were her greatest fears, and the mere mention of zombies, legendary creatures from Liyue folklore, filled Paimon with terror.
"So zombies actually exist?" Lumine exclaimed, equally surprised.
Keqing: "The two hunters didn't seem to be lying, but it's possible they mistook something else for zombies, or perhaps someone's impersonating them."
Keqing entered Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, and Lumine and Paimon followed close behind, their curiosity piqued.
-
Player World.
[Zombie?!]
[Hiss, is the game leaning into horror now?]
[Liyue, zombies, hmm, that makes sense.]
[This quest is called "The Kaiyang's Last Words." If it's Qingge's storyline, could it be...?]
[Are there any really scary parts? Is it good to play at night?]