In his second life, when Li Mo was still Qiqi's master, he would hold Qiqi's small body as they slept each night to protect her from the harsh winter cold, keeping her small hands and face from freezing.
Now, looking at the adorable little zombie in his arms, Li Mo found himself recalling the sweet memories of that lifetime again.
Sigh.
He couldn't keep thinking like this—if he did, he wouldn't be able to tell today's story.
But seeing Qiqi sleeping so peacefully, Li Mo knew that this poor little zombie probably hadn't had a single restful night since escaping from the amber.
Even he himself couldn't bear to wake her.
What a mess.
It was all that damned system's fault. In the past ninety-nine lifetimes, it had given him nothing but tragic missions.
Cutting him down, over and over again.
Fortunately, Li Mo was strong-willed and determined, enduring from his first life all the way to his last.
Now, in this crucial hundredth life, the blasted system had made him a storyteller, forcing him to relive all ninety-nine of his past lives again.
Damn it all.
What a disaster.
Li Mo couldn't help but mutter, "System, are you trying to kill me or what?"
[Ding! The system has never targeted the host. If the host finds the mission unsuitable, you may abandon it at any time!]
[Abandon mission now?]
Li Mo: "Screw that. I'm not abandoning it."
According to the system's rules, abandoning this mission would clear all progress from his previous missions.
That meant he would have to start over from his first life.
Li Mo had no intention of resetting everything like a fool.
Just as Li Mo was racking his brain, unsure of what to do with the little zombie in his arms, a voice came from outside the room.
"Qiqi… Qiqi… where did you go?"
It was Keqing.
At that moment, Keqing, Hu Tao, and Shenhe were all searching for Qiqi.
Last night, the four of them had only managed to secure one room and had shared it together.
But this morning, they had woken up to find Qiqi gone and had immediately come out to look for her.
Hearing the voices outside, Qiqi, who had been lying in Li Mo's arms, yawned and slowly opened her eyes.
Their gazes met.
Qiqi was startled and about to cry out when she suddenly wrinkled her nose.
She sniffed at Li Mo.
Her usually vacant expression lit up with surprise. "It's Master's scent… Why do you smell like Qiqi's master?"
Li Mo: "…"
This was awkward.
He had just merged with his second incarnation's body yesterday. Wasn't it perfectly normal for him to carry the scent of Qiqi's master?
Just as Li Mo was trying to figure out how to talk his way out of this, Qiqi spoke again.
"Do you know Qiqi's master?"
"Can you tell Qiqi—how many times has he been reincarnated? Where is he now?"
"Qiqi misses him—"
Since Qiqi's zombie body had been transformed into that of an adeptus, tears began to well in her eyes as she spoke of her master.
Li Mo could only respond awkwardly.
"You're right. I do know your master. The stories I told about you two came from him."
"He misses you very much too."
His expression was strained as he forced himself to stay composed.
He did not dare reveal his identity.
If his identity were exposed, he could no longer continue his storytelling, and his mission in this lifetime would fail.
Qiqi looked at him with hopeful eyes. "Can you tell Qiqi where Master is now?"
Li Mo forced a smile. "Your master is currently doing something very important."
"I promise you—he will return soon."
Hearing that her master would soon return, Qiqi was overjoyed. "Then Qiqi will definitely wait for him!"
Though they were strangers in this life, the scent from his past life instantly bridged the distance between them.
With that, Qiqi did a zombie roll and hopped off the bed.
Just as she was about to open the door and leave, Hu Tao's voice sounded from outside the room.
"Qiqi, where are you hiding?"
"I see you! Stop hiding and come out!"
The moment she heard Hu Tao's voice, Qiqi reacted like a mouse spotting a cat. She scrambled back onto Li Mo's bed and dove under the covers.
She whispered, "Storyteller brother, please don't tell that Hu Tao that Qiqi is hiding here."
Li Mo: "…"
The next moment, the door opened.
Hu Tao poked her head inside. When she saw Li Mo, her expression flickered with surprise.
"Oh, it's you, storyteller—"
"Have you seen Qiqi? The little zombie from your story? She's gone missing."
As she spoke, Hu Tao looked around the room, searching for any sign of Qiqi.
Li Mo said calmly, "I haven't seen her."
Hu Tao looked disappointed. "Fine. I'll look elsewhere."
With that, she closed the door without hesitation and continued searching other rooms in the inn.
Once Hu Tao had left, Qiqi's little head emerged from under the covers again. "Storyteller brother, is that Hu Tao gone?"
Li Mo: "She should be…"
...
Half an hour later, as the sun fully rose, Wangshu Inn began to stir.
By now, the story of Qiqi that Li Mo had told had spread across Liyue.
Almost everyone in Liyue now knew that this adorable little zombie had a tragic past.
Tears had been shed for her.
More and more people were becoming interested in the storyteller himself and came to Wangshu Inn to listen.
But the inn was only so big, with a limited capacity.
Those who arrived late had to squat outside the entrance or climb onto the roof to listen.
The next moment, Li Mo appeared on stage, a bamboo hat on his head, a cup of tea in hand.
A cheer erupted from the crowd.
"After all that waiting, here he comes—bamboo hat shading half his face—"
"Storyteller, today you should tell the story of Barbatos! I know Mondstadt is a barren land, but it's still a story about an archon. I'm looking forward to it!"
"How dare you—you told stories about the Electro Archon, and now you're going to tell one about the Anemo Archon? When will you tell one about the Geo Archon?"
"Lord Rex Lapis asked me to pass on a message: if you don't tell his great deeds soon, he'll curse you to lose all your Mora and never earn another Mora in your life—"
When he had first started telling stories at the inn, many had opposed him.
Now, everyone was his fan.
The moment Li Mo appeared, Electro energy gathered above the inn, coalescing into a dense cluster.
As soon as he began to speak, these elements would form vivid projections of his tales.
Soon, Li Mo's voice rang out.
"Approximately 2,700 years ago…"
"At that time, the Twin Electro Archons of Inazuma had already honed their martial skill to its peak, unmatched across the land… Rex Lapis of Liyue had emerged as a formidable force, suppressing demons with his overwhelming power."
"But Mondstadt at that time was still a frozen wasteland."
"The living conditions were harsh."
"Fortunately, there were few powerful gods in Mondstadt—only Andrius, the Wolf of the North, and Decarabian, the God of Storms, the Lord of the Tower."
"These two powerful gods were locked in endless conflict, vying to become the sole Anemo Archon."
"Unfortunately, the god who ruled Old Mondstadt at the time, Decarabian, was a brutal tyrant."
"To control the humans on this land, Decarabian built towering walls around Old Mondstadt and summoned fierce storms, blocking all paths of escape."
"Not even a bird could cross those storm-battered walls to see the world beyond."
...
As Li Mo spoke, the Electro energy above the inn transformed, projecting the story he told into vivid images.
A frozen wasteland.
Towering walls.
Howling storms.
With just one look, the audience could feel the despair of Mondstadt's people in that era.
But when the listeners heard the names Andrius, the Wolf of the North, and Decarabian, the God of Storms, yet did not hear the name Barbatos, they grew confused.
"Storyteller, are you sure you didn't make a mistake?"
"Shouldn't the most powerful one have been Barbatos?"
"If Barbatos wasn't strong, how did he become the Anemo Archon?"
"Andrius and Decarabian were fighting for the position of Anemo Archon—where was Barbatos?"
"Are you sure this is a story about Barbatos?"
"Is it possible the two powerful gods wounded each other and Barbatos swooped in at the end?"
...