After completing her spear routine, Qingxu's gaze swept toward the spot where Qingge was hiding.
Gripping her spear tightly, she approached slowly, step by step, her senses on high alert.
Has she been discovered?
Not bad.
Qingge abandoned her hiding place and emerged into the open.
Clang—
The spear fell from Qingxu's hand as she stared fixedly at the figure before her. In that moment, the world seemed to freeze. She stood there, stunned, her surroundings blurring into a haze, leaving only the overwhelming shock and fear in her heart crystal clear.
"Sister?!"
Qingge's eyes glowed crimson. Tilting her head, she paused briefly to think before reaching out toward Qingxu.
But halfway through the gesture, she froze, retracting her hand.
"Sister... is that really you? How did you... how did you become like this?"
Qingxu stumbled backward several steps, tears streaming down her face.
She could see that her sister's condition was terribly wrong. Qingge didn't seem like a living person, more like the zombies described in storybooks—the two bloodstained fangs protruding from her mouth serving as chilling proof.
Qingxu had dreamed of seeing her sister again, but not like this.
"Sister, what's wrong? You still recognize me, right?"
Qingxu moved closer to Qingge. Even if her sister had transformed into this creature, she refused to believe Qingge would harm her. After all, Qingge hadn't hurt her just now, had she?
The zombie others feared was the sister Qingge had longed for day and night. She wanted to ask what had happened to her sister to turn her into this creature.
Not even death can grant her peace? That's so unfair to my sister!
Qingge's expression twisted into a grimace, as if she were on the verge of losing control of her primal instincts. She glared fiercely at Qingxu, yet Qingxu continued to approach her.
With a violent flick of her right hand, Qingge shoved Qingxu away.
"...Go..."
Her voice was low, hoarse, and raspy.
After shoving Qingxu aside, Qingge turned to flee, but just then, a cyan figure materialized in her path.
It was Xiao, his aura ragged, clearly having exerted himself greatly to arrive.
Qingge whirled around, attempting to escape in another direction, but Lumine and Paimon stepped forward, encircling her.
Then came Keqing, Hu Tao, and Zhongli, standing behind the group with his hands clasped behind his back, his expression complex.
Surrounded by so many, the zombie Qingge grew increasingly agitated. She frantically scanned her surroundings, searching for a weakness in their formation, a way to break free.
As per her established character, Qingge's mind was muddled, trapped in a perpetual daze. It was only natural that she would desperately seek an escape route, even in Zhongli's presence.
Xianyun arrived as well, gently restraining Qingxu, who was about to rush forward.
Zhongli watched the figure surrounded by the group, snarling and threatening like a wild beast. A sharp pang of anguish pierced his heart.
Unable to bear the sight, he turned his head away, exhaling heavily.
"Qingge..."
Paimon's lips trembled, fragments of memories with Qingge flashing through her mind.
Xiao's eyes were red-rimmed, his jaw clenched tight.
Lumine sheathed her sword. She couldn't bring herself to raise a blade against her friend.
Suddenly, Qingge lunged at Xiao, claws extended, attempting to strike him.
Xiao gently raised his hand, using a gentle gust of Anemo to push Qingge back without harming her.
Even in her current state, Xiao refused to hurt her.
Hu Tao stepped forward, pulling out her Compass.
The Compass needle spun wildly before locking onto Qingge.
"Consultant..."
Hu Tao hesitated. If it were anyone else who had become a zombie, she would have eliminated them without a second thought. But this was Qingge—one of the Liyue Qixing, the Kaiyang, her dear friend, the great hero who had saved Liyue!
She... couldn't bring herself to make this Judgment.
"Sigh~"
Zhongli sighed. If he could avoid it, he wouldn't want to make this decision either.
Seeing everyone's distress, Qingxu, who had been held by her master, grew restless. She broke free and darted forward, planting herself in front of Qingge.
"No, everyone, don't hurt her! My sister is still conscious! She recognizes me! She wouldn't hurt me!"
"Qingxu, be careful!"
Xianyun was alarmed. It was true that Qingge would never harm her own sister, but the Qingge standing before them now was no longer the same person. Qingxu's recklessness could provoke Qingge into suddenly lashing out...
Lumine, however, remained calm. Hadn't they noticed that Zhongli showed no reaction?
As if in response to Qingxu's words, Qingge, who had been restless moments before, suddenly fell silent, staring blankly at Qingxu's back.
"You've all seen it! My sister is still conscious! She hasn't completely fallen to darkness yet! Please, don't hurt her!"
Qingxu shielded her sister behind her, just as her sister had always shielded her in the past.
Venti, who had been observing from a distance, now approached.
"Old Man, did you see it?"
Zhongli nodded slowly.
Qingge's situation differed from Rola of Mondstadt. Rola had been forcibly exhumed, while Qingge had crawled out of her grave on her own.
Zhongli couldn't help but compare Qingge's fate to Rola's, ultimately discerning a crucial difference between the two.
He had long suspected that this entire affair was more complex than it seemed.
Yet, it was undeniable that the Abyss was at the heart of it all.
Now, after seeing Qingge with his own eyes, Zhongli's conviction grew stronger.
His Kaiyang still retained consciousness, albeit a faint but undeniable spark.
When the Abyss had devoured Qingge's soul, it had likely absorbed a fragment of her emotional consciousness as well. This explained why her emotional reserves had failed to sustain her existence for even a single day in the mortal realm.
The Qingge who now stood before him likely preserved that residual emotional core.
This would also explain why the zombified Qingge harmed only animals, never humans.
For this was Liyue, the nation she had once sworn to protect—her homeland, her true home.
As these thoughts churned within him, Zhongli's grief deepened.
If she had been completely devoid of emotion, merely a mindless, fallen zombie, though his heart would still ache, at least he wouldn't feel this crippling hesitation.
How could he bear to face Qingge before him?
Surrounded by the crowd, Qingge suddenly turned to look at Zhongli. The crimson savagery in her eyes seemed to diminish for a moment.
She appeared to understand her current predicament, waiting for the crowd's judgment.
Everyone turned to Zhongli. Apart from Keqing, everyone present knew his true identity.
Keqing would find out after this incident, but for now, she couldn't quite grasp why everyone was looking at Zhongli, including the Conqueror of Demons and Cloud Retainer.
"Venti," Zhongli said, giving him a meaningful look.
As lifelong friends, Venti immediately understood Zhongli's intention.
Silently, he produced the Holy Lyre der Himmel.
Looking at Qingge, Venti felt a pang of sorrow. She and Rola were of the same kind. Qingge's current state reminded him vividly of Rola. At least Qingge still had a body; Rola, on the other hand...