Teyvat.
Liyue, Qingce Village.
This village was located in the northernmost part of Liyue, nestled between hills and bamboo groves.
White clouds drifted through the mountains, and neat terraced fields surrounded a body of clear, blue water. When the mountain breeze swept past, rolling waves of wheat could be seen.
It was as beautiful as a utopia.
Yet, compared to bustling Liyue Harbor, this place was far too desolate.
Consequently, once the young people of Qingce Village grew up, they all chose to go to Liyue Harbor to find work.
In time, only the elderly and children remained in Qingce Village, living lonely and peaceful lives amidst this scenery of Liyue that seemed forgotten by the world.
Tap, tap!
Wearing a straw hat and simple adventurer's attire, a young man wiped the sweat from his brow and gazed ahead.
"Phew! So this is Qingce Village... I've finally made it!"
The youth looked to be around sixteen or seventeen years old, with dark hair and dark eyes, sword-like brows and starry eyes, and delicate features like those of a girl, radiating boundless youthful energy.
A gentle mountain breeze swept across the mid-slope, and the boy's eyes reflected the white clouds, green mountains, and clear waters, instantly filling his heart with profound tranquility.
"Ah! The feng shui converges here. Just as Mr. Zhongli said, it's truly a blessed land of auspicious energy."
The youth muttered to himself as he retrieved a bamboo tube filled with water from his adventurer's pack and took several large gulps.
He had crafted it on the fly by cutting down a thick stalk of bamboo while passing through the bamboo grove.
The leftover scraps had not gone to waste either.
Using wild grass from the roadside, he had fashioned the straw hat on his head, as well as the bamboo frame on his back used to secure his pack.
One could truly say he made full use of everything.
Before leaving, the youth had also searched the bamboo grove and, just as he expected, dug up a few fresh bamboo shoots—the kind so tender they practically dripped with water.
Combined with some raspberries and Sweet Flowers gathered along the roadside, along with fowl he had hunted, today's lunch was sorted!
He had perfectly embodied the finest qualities of an adventurer: never letting a single gatherable material go to waste!
"Gurgle, gurgle~"
Large gulps of fresh water flowed into his stomach, driving away the burning heat within him.
Even every pore on his body seemed to relax in relief.
"Phew—"
The youth couldn't help letting out a sigh of satisfaction.
"Nothing beats the sweetness of unpolluted water!"
Wiping his mouth and looking back at the picturesque landscape before him, his spirits lifted even further.
"This is the place where my new life begins!"
As if delivering a grand declaration, the youth opened his arms and shouted toward the mountains and rivers.
His voice echoed through the mountain gorges.
…………
The youth was named Fengluo, an adventurer who had traveled thousands of li from Liyue Harbor.
At the same time, he was also a transmigrator.
He had crossed over from a place called Blue Star into this world.
He himself had no idea how it had happened.
After falling peacefully asleep one night, he woke up to find himself lying in an unfamiliar alleyway.
Fengluo had been completely bewildered at the time.
It was an unnamed alleyway in the streets of Liyue Harbor, smelling of sewage and moss.
He had also transformed from a middle-aged man into a youth in the prime of his youth.
He was wearing ordinary linen garments, and all his past memories were gone.
The back of his head still throbbed faintly, leading Fengluo to suspect that this young man had been ambushed and knocked unconscious, leaving him stripped of everything he owned.
As for the youth's original identity, Fengluo didn't dwell on it too much.
Judging by his destitute appearance, he could guess there was no influential family background to rely on.
No matter!
"I'm a transmigrator, after all! The glory of my predecessors shines upon me!"
With grand ambitions, Fengluo secretly resolved to make a name for himself in this world.
However, his soaring ambitions soon collided with the harsh reality of the world.
Because he hadn't played games in his past life, he had no idea what kind of world this was.
He hadn't even read any Genshin Impact fan fiction!
As a result, Fengluo hit wall after wall in Liyue Harbor. Merchants saw his youthful face and mysterious origins, and not only dared they not hire him, but they repeatedly urged him to leave.
Thus, Fengluo wandered the streets of Liyue Harbor for an entire day.
By the end, he was nearly starving to death on the street.
Though the bustling Liyue Harbor was filled with delicious food and kind people, as long as Fengluo had been willing to beg for food, he surely could have managed a meal in the end.
Yet, Fengluo refused to do so.
I'm a transmigrator, for crying out loud!
Who transmigrates to another world just to beg for food?
Wouldn't that bring shame to the entire army of transmigrators?
Clinging to this pride, Fengluo walked and walked along the streets.
Only when his consciousness began to blur did he start to feel regret.
Could he really become the first unlucky bastard in history to transmigrate and starve to death on the street?
How humiliating!
Fortunately, just as Fengluo was about to pass out from hunger by the roadside, a kind little girl happened to pass by.
She was an exquisitely carved, exceptionally cute little girl.
She had pale purple gradient short hair, with a yellow paper Talisman stuck to her forehead, and skin of an unusual whiteness, bordering on pale.
"Hello... My name is Qiqi..."
The little girl blinked her beautiful, innocent, light-red eyes, looking curiously at Fengluo, who was leaning against the wall in agony, clutching his stomach.
"Um... Are you feeling unwell?"
She spoke slowly and softly, seeming somewhat dim-witted.
Fengluo opened his mouth, but no words came out.
He was already too weak from hunger to speak.
"I'll help you take a look..."
Seeing Fengluo leaning against the roadside wall looking half-dead, Qiqi stepped closer and placed her cold little hand on his pulse, playing at taking his pulse like a professional.
"Qi and blood are weak... Heartbeat is slow... Um... What did Dr. Baizhu say again..."
Qiqi tilted her little head and thought for a long time before remembering.
"Ah... Qiqi remembers... It's hunger..."
Having confirmed that it was caused by starvation, Qiqi pulled out a medicinal-scented pastry, along with a cute little cup filled with her favorite coconut milk, and clumsily fed them to Fengluo.
With his consciousness fading, Fengluo instinctively swallowed as he sensed food.
He truly exerted every ounce of strength he had left...
Once the pastry and coconut milk were down his stomach, Fengluo regained a bit of strength and realized he had been saved by this little girl.
"Little Qiqi... Thank you so much! Your great kindness is something I will never forget in this lifetime..."
Fengluo grabbed Qiqi's hand and said with a choked voice.
Another second, just one more second, and his life would have had to reset!
That close brush with death made him vow never to be careless again.
"N... No need to thank me... Saving lives... makes Qiqi happy..."
Qiqi replied in her intermittent, soft voice.
Her face seemed incapable of expressing any emotion.
Fengluo simply assumed that this little sister Qiqi was born with facial paralysis.
"Um... Though it might be a bit forward, kind little sister Qiqi, can I go work at your place?"
Fengluo asked with some awkwardness. Having experienced the distress of nearly starving to death, he no longer dared to be reckless.
Though it felt a bit like pushing his luck... threatened by starvation, Fengluo couldn't afford to care about that anymore.
"Um... Qiqi has to ask Dr. Baizhu..."
Qiqi scratched her head.
"Dr. Baizhu? Is he little sister Qiqi's family member?"
"Family... Qiqi doesn't know."
"Eh? Why? Don't Qiqi and that Dr. Baizhu live together?"
"We live together... But..."
Just as Qiqi was earnestly answering Fengluo's questions,
"Gotcha—!"
A spirited voice suddenly rang out from nearby, giving both of them a massive fright!
Almost simultaneously, a vigorous girl wielding claws and fangs leaped out from the bushes nearby. With agile movements, she grabbed Qiqi, who was still standing there in a daze.
"Ah... I was caught..."
Qiqi looked utterly bewildered.
"Hehe! Finally caught you, haven't I? Today, I, Hu Tao, the seventy-seventh director of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, am going to take you in!"
The girl wore rather dignified, dark Chinese-style clothing, with a blood-red plum blossom attached to her hat, yet her tone and manner of speaking carried a rather absurd and unrestrained air.
As if performing magic, she whipped out a large burlap sack and instantly stuffed Qiqi inside it!
"Hey! Hold on a second!"
At first, Fengluo thought it was just friends playing around.
However, Hu Tao's movements were crisp and efficient, her hands fluttering like butterflies as she tied a knot at the mouth of the sack, completely packing Qiqi away. Only then did he realize something was terribly wrong.
What... what kind of dark world was this?!
People just went around packaging children in broad daylight?!
"Ehe~ Mission accomplished, time to go!"
Hu Tao executed the entire sequence of actions with utmost crispness and speed.
Without paying any attention to Fengluo, she hoisted the sack over her shoulder and quickly scurried away!
"Hey! Stop right there! Let that girl go!"
Fengluo shouted at the top of his lungs and bolted in pursuit!
That was his savior and potential long-term meal ticket—he absolutely had to rescue her!