Kapitel 5: I Wonder if That Guy Zhongli Knows
"Crack—"
"Crack—"
"Crack—"
As the unusual sounds continued to resonate, several noticeable cracks appeared on the surface of the already peculiar and hard eggshell.
At first glance, it seemed as if the life within this giant egg would break free at any moment.
However, just when Hu Tao was filled with curiosity and anticipation, waiting for the moment of hatching,
this rather strange egg remained motionless!
After waiting for several full minutes,
there was still no sign of movement.
If it weren't for having witnessed the earlier struggles with her own eyes,
Hu Tao might have suspected that this egg had become a non-hatching dead egg!
At this moment, inside the giant egg—
"Damn! What is this eggshell made of? It's harder than steel!"
Lin Yuan gritted his teeth and spoke fiercely into the darkness in front of him,
while pitifully raising his hand to rub his head.
He had been accumulating strength for over half an hour,
hoping to take advantage of the moment to break free from this eggshell's constraints!
However, the hardness of this bizarre eggshell far exceeded Lin Yuan's expectations.
It was as if this eggshell was made from some kind of super alloy.
No matter how hard he tried or what methods he used to impact and collide within this confined space,
he couldn't cause any significant damage to the eggshell.
To put it seriously, despite exerting all his strength,
he still couldn't escape from this damned eggshell!
Just when Lin Yuan had exhausted every bit of energy to continue his great endeavor of escaping the eggshell,
he suddenly heard Hu Tao's clever voice from outside the eggshell:
"Oh dear, it seems like it's not dead... So I guess there's no need to bury it."
With a look of curiosity and doubt, Hu Tao observed the strange giant egg for quite some time,
before finally deciding to put away the shovel she had set aside,
thus sparing Lin Yuan from his impending burial!
After all, while the current head of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, Hu Tao, might act quite erratically,
she still adhered to certain principles,
especially regarding life and death, which she took quite seriously.
Even for a certain unnamed herbalist in the wilderness,
after learning about QiQi's strong desire to survive,
she didn't have the same intense desire to "bury QiQi" as before!
Initially, Hu Tao had suspected that this strange giant egg appearing in the wilderness,
likely without anyone to care for it, might be a dead egg,
and planned to bury it right there, as a good deed to accumulate merit;
However, it seemed that the little creature inside this magical giant egg had a strong will to survive,
so she couldn't really bury it!
"But this egg is just too strange... whether in size, shape, or appearance. I wonder if Zhongli knows about it..."
Although she had decided not to bury the giant egg in front of her,
Hu Tao was still very curious about it.
After all, just from its appearance, it was clear that
this was no ordinary object.
Hu Tao considered herself quite knowledgeable,
but she truly had no idea about this giant egg.
In her understanding, if she couldn't find any clue,
she likely wouldn't get answers from anyone else.
So the only answer she could think of was that
fellow who often lounged around the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, racking up an expensive tab—
Mr. Zhongli!
After all, Zhongli had spent so much money at the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor,
asking him about this peculiar egg didn't seem out of place at all!
With that thought in mind, Hu Tao made a decision, stretching out her hands
to embrace the giant egg.
Before Lin Yuan inside the eggshell could react,
Hu Tao cheerfully chattered away, humming a "Qiqi's Song" as she walked down the mountain.
——
A few hours later——
"Ah... that Hu Tao, can she really sing without provoking the Hilichurls...?"
Initially shocked by being suddenly whisked away by Hu Tao,
Lin Yuan quickly accepted it.
Although Hu Tao had almost buried him,
it was clear that being left in that grim place of Wuwang Hill would only make him more miserable.
If he were to crawl out from this solid eggshell before being turned into food by passing Hilichurls, he would really be in trouble!
At least by staying close to Hu Tao, he could ensure his safety, or rather, the safety of his egg self!
However, while he had no objections to being taken away by Hu Tao,
he truly couldn't stand her enchanting songs!
In the game, hearing a couple of "Hilichurl Songs" felt cute,
but now, Hu Tao's series of dark, alleyway limericks
could go on endlessly for several hours!
And Hu Tao's singing skills were hardly commendable; after several hours of this,
Lin Yuan felt as if he had suffered an indelible psychological trauma!
Just when Lin Yuan thought he would have to endure Hu Tao's singing all the way to the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor,
he suddenly sensed that Hu Tao's originally lively pace had come to a halt!
The next moment, he heard Hu Tao's energetic question:
"Good morning, Keqing! Long time no see!"
In a rush to return to Liyue Harbor, Hu Tao stopped her steps,
and actively greeted the approaching figure.
In Liyue Harbor, there were not many people who could make the famous Hu Tao take the initiative to greet them,
but the person before her was undoubtedly one of them!
After all, this person was well-known throughout Liyue,
as one of the esteemed Liyue Seven Stars, the Yuheng Star, Keqing, who was also one of the hardest-working individuals in the entire Liyue Harbor.
As one of the high-ranking Liyue Seven Stars, she didn't stay long at Yujing Terrace,
but frequently went out on duty,
which is why she was often seen in the wilderness of Liyue!
Keqing had clearly noticed the Hu Tao who approached her,
and although she wasn't very familiar with this renowned head of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor,
she still politely responded.
However, when her gaze shifted to the large, egg-shaped object that was clearly different from a normal bird's egg that Hu Tao was cradling,
she instinctively asked:
"Hu Tao, what is that you're holding...?"
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A/N:
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