Changsheng opened with a thunderbolt.
"Including their Master, all my successive contractors have met short-lived ends—"
Paimon panicked; she had even thought about being Changsheng's contractor for a couple days.
And wasn't it supposed to extend life?
Changsheng gazed at the bright moon on the horizon. "This is a very long, very long story..."
Players entered the animated short.
In the scene, people lay scattered on the ground in twos and threes.
The village's tragic state was as if a plague was ravaging.
'At that time, there was a pestilence poisoning all beings. A pharmacist made a grand vow to eradicate all suffering in the world.'
Amid this tragedy, a young pharmacist did not fear contagion.
He still moved among the patients.
Brewing and feeding them medicine.
But alas...
'Mortals, even with benevolent hearts and wondrous arts, cannot withstand the ravages of natural disasters.'
The pharmacist practiced medicine for years, yet failed to completely eradicate this epidemic.
Instead, his family, who had always followed him around treating patients, contracted the disease.
At the moment of parting, the pharmacist heard that deep in the mountains of Chenyu Vale lived a Yaojun who could cure all illnesses.
For the people, for his family.
The pharmacist went alone to the mountain to pay respects, but did not meet the so-called 'Yaojun'.
He only found in the mountains a white snake exhausted of strength, with faint breath.
[This must be Changsheng]
[Exhausted of strength, it happened after that battle in Chenyu Vale]
[Shouldn't there only be a head? How is it a complete snake?]
'User Only Drinks AD Calcium Milk banned by streamer for 365 days'
[Good good good, directly fork him out!]
[Little Gui, you did great]
The white snake possessed intelligence, using its last strength to say a few words. "Sign a contract... coexist with me."
"I can then teach you the secret art of saving people, but do not forget this art will ultimately harm yourself."
The pharmacist agreed.
From then on, he used means beyond mortals to reverse life and death, exchanging for miracles.
But partings still came unexpectedly.
Only the one passing away... became the pharmacist depleted of vitality.
Before dying, the pharmacist passed the contract to his last patient.
That was his most favored disciple.
That disciple decided to use his own life to save more lives.
One generation so, generations likewise.
The scene switched to an ancient residence, a man writing at his desk.
What he wrote was exactly the story just told.
'...Since inheriting the contract, I have unwavering faith in the path chosen by successive ancestral masters'
'And the path I myself am about to take.'
'Until I used this method to treat... a junior's closest kin.'
The crowd then learned that the narrator of this story was Baizhu's Master.
The junior's closest kin he mentioned was precisely Jialiang.
'She begged me not to damage my own vitality further, saying this was a wicked art of quenching thirst with poison, saying this was a poisonous technique against heaven's order.'
'Saying he did not wish to exchange one closest kin's sacrifice for another's life.'
The two had a big argument, and Jiangli from then on left Chenyu Vale, choosing seclusion.
'...Only then did I recall, at the time of my master's passing, the pain in my heart, and that of the family by the sickbed—what difference was there?'
'Those lives ended early because of the contract, are they not also worth saving?'
The physician stopped his pen, gently sending out the window a moth about to plunge into the candle flame.
Letting it fly toward the full moon on the horizon.
'My remaining days are insufficient to find the answer.'
'I entrust this question, along with Changsheng, to you. I only hope you can find the prescription to resolve this dilemma.'
[Very simple, I'll just ascend to godhood]
[Don't say it, isn't that exactly what Baizhu is doing?]
[No wonder he researches immortality, using infinite vitality to save people right]
[Damn, he really deserves to be called Mr. Baizhu]
[This lineage is truly all ruthless people, respect]
In the scene, Master had already become a tombstone.
Baizhu came to sweep and pay respects.
Changsheng was helpless. "Time and again, no matter how I remind them. Regulate for them, I cannot change this outcome."
In the scene, flashes passed.
The physicians of this lineage, regardless of gender, regardless of age.
After hearing Master's dying words, all chose to accept Changsheng's contract.
Continuing to use their own vitality to heal and save people.
"And you, do you have an answer?"
Young Baizhu countered, "If I abandon the contract, with no one to coexist, what will happen to you?"
"Mm mm... probably use the last bit of time to go back to Yaojun Mountain for a good sleep."
"Then I can go see my old friends, and your ancestral masters."
[Changsheng after going below: Holy, where's Mu Yang? Lingyuan? Fujin?]
[Where are my old friends? I don't see them!]
[Damn, ruining the atmosphere here]
[I was almost tearing up, you made me laugh]
Baizhu crossed his arms. "Then no need to consider further—"
"Since there's a life worth saving right in front of me, and I know the method to save it, what reason is there not to save?"
"Sigh, the same answer again." Changsheng sighed, yet not surprised at all.
"Fine, close your eyes. Who knows how many more people this contract will pass to?"
When Baizhu opened his eyes again, they had become snake pupils.
"I will become... the last contractor."
——————
Guinaifen's livestream room.
She wasn't affected by the final funny comments.
Because seeing Baizhu's Master part, she was already a bit moved.
After slowly calming down later.
She then shifted the topic to Mu Yang.
"Thinking back to that battle years ago, Changsheng probably thought everyone died."
"Just seeing Mu Yang and them fall in battle, that's why saying after death can see old friends?"
[Not necessarily, after all Changsheng herself doesn't remember much]
[I feel it's mostly that, probably out of survival instinct used the contract method, otherwise might really have followed Mu Yang and them]
[Itchy heart, really want to know what happened back then]
[Mu Yang Legend Quest, please]
[I think he hasn't opened one yet]
Guinaifen opened miHoYo wiki map, looking left and right.
Analyzing with stream friends, "Shouldn't be long now right?"
"I see Liyue has few places left, just Chenyu Vale missing."
[Bold prediction, next version opens]
[Layered Rock 2.7, Chenyu Vale 3.7 very reasonable]
"Folks, listen to my breakdown."
"I feel, Genshin has been years, Mu Yang hasn't participated in Lantern Rite even once."
"So this might be foreshadowing, probably next Lantern Rite will recycle it."
[I think Little Gui makes sense, otherwise no need for so much foreshadowing]
[Hope next year's Lantern Rite can pull Mu Yang]
'Thanks Mu Yang for the highlighted message': Then everyone get an early New Year greeting? (10000 yuan)
Mu Yang while Lumine chatting outside.
Hid in the room slacking (crossed out), pretending aloof.
Seeing Guinaifen so good at hyping, added some more heat.
You all guess away.
This popularity value I'll accept.