In Genshin Impact, why are all the characters I play NPCs?

Page 242

The journey was relatively peaceful, with only a few treasure-hunting groups and Hilichurls around. For Hu Tao, who was experienced in wilderness survival, these things were a piece of cake.

However, she encountered a problem just before she arrived.

It's raining.

One autumn rain brings a chill, and the fine drizzle took away the warmth from her body.

Hu Tao sneezed a few times and looked unwell, so she had no choice but to hurriedly seek refuge in an abandoned house.

After she went inside, she realized something: she didn't seem to have seen what was in the backpack the guy had given her.

With that in mind, she decided to go and take a look.

You wouldn't believe it when you looked, and what you found shocked you.

There was a flint, an umbrella, and dry food—she should have remembered to go sooner.

I feel a little regretful, but it's not too late.

After gathering some rotten firewood, Walnut lit it to keep warm and dry his clothes.

As time passed, the rain actually intensified.

Just as Hu Tao was about to eat something, she suddenly smelled a very unpleasant odor.

It felt like something had rotted.

Pat pat, is someone coming?

Hu Tao didn't take it seriously at first, but then she remembered what the guy had said earlier that day. After a moment of silence, she picked up her weapon.

Reasoning should be explained to those who can understand it. If the other party really can't understand, then she has plenty of energy and methods to deal with it.

ka ka ka-

The wooden door was pushed open, and the old bolt made a hoarse sound.

"That's great, I thought no one was here. Would you mind if I stayed here for a while, young friend over there?"

An extremely unpleasant old man's voice.

It wasn't just normally unpleasant to hear; it was more like a mixture of phlegm, sand, and shards of glass being poured down the other person's throat.

Just hearing it makes one feel physically uncomfortable.

However, seeing that the other party was walking unsteadily, and knowing that Hu Tao was kind-hearted, she could only nod in agreement.

The old man was given permission to come in, and once he entered, the pungent smell became even more pronounced.

Hu Tao frowned and subtly moved further away.

The old man seemed oblivious, continuing to say to himself, "It's really strange today. How did a young man like you end up in this place?"

Hu Tao said somewhat awkwardly, "I'm here to bid farewell to an elderly person. I work at the funeral parlor."

The old man was somewhat stunned, then nodded and replied, "Good, very good, what a pity..."

Hu Tao merely frowned at the other person's incoherent words, but didn't sense anything particularly wrong.

What's a pity?

The old man didn't continue speaking, but simply sat by the fire. After warming himself for a while, he started coughing violently.

“Uh… cough cough cough…”

Judging from the noise, it sounded like he was about to cough up his lungs. Hu Tao looked at the other person with some concern.

The old man noticed her movements and chuckled, "It's nothing, just an old ailment, little one. Who knows when this rain will stop? Why don't you go back first and come back when the weather is better in a few days?"

Hu Tao shook her head: "No, if that person delays any longer, it will be past the seventh day after death, which is not good for the deceased."

The old man squinted and clicked his tongue a few times: "Fine, fine, go ahead."

Then he left, leaning on his cane.

Hu Tao wanted to give the other person her umbrella, but as soon as she rushed out, she found that the other person had already disappeared.

She was a little confused.

"Strange, what about people?"

However, she didn't care much, because she was very good at dealing with strange things.

Summoning the little ghost from his pocket, Walnut asked with a serious expression, "I say, is there something wrong with this place?"

The little ghost pouted.

The abnormality is written all over his face, how could anyone not notice? Asking this question is pointless.

But it still nodded.

When Hu Tao saw that the little ghost said the same thing, her heart sank, but she was unwilling to leave.

Sending off the deceased is the mission of her funeral hall; how could she stop under such circumstances?

What about the dead?

What if they can't find the passage to that world?

Taking a deep breath, Hu Tao looked at her clothes, which were almost dry, packed her things, and set off again.

The rain didn't let up, but she had an umbrella, so she didn't get completely soaked. Unfortunately, her shoes were full of water, and her socks were soaked through.

We've arrived. Let's dry them first.

As Hu Tao pondered this, she followed the map to the customer's home.

Standing outside the door, the girl paused for a moment.

Because the house was so desolate, much of the red paint on the gate had peeled off, and if it weren't for the two white lanterns hanging there, she really wouldn't have been sure.

"This place is so strange."

Chapter 341: I'd Rather Face the Abyss

There was no trace of human presence.

If it weren't for the commission, she really wouldn't want to go in at all.

Just as I was about to knock on the door, a hoarse cough came from inside.

"Ahem... I apologize for not welcoming you properly. Please come in. My name is Chen Yang. I'm the one who asked you to see my father off on his final journey."

The voice that spoke was clearly that of a middle-aged man, but it lacked strength, as if... he had been starving for a long time.

Hu Tao squinted, slowly walked in, and then gasped.

The courtyard was in a mess, with weeds taking up a considerable area of ​​the land.

It looks like no one has lived here for a long time.

Chen Yang explained awkwardly, "My father used to live in this old house alone. We were all away, and he was too lazy to take care of it. We also couldn't stay for more than a few days, so it just ended up like this."

Hu Tao nodded, acknowledging the statement, but her unease grew stronger.

The place felt less like a house and more like a cemetery to her.

The deathly aura was so strong that even the little guy in her pocket couldn't stand it.

After comforting the little guy for a while, Hu Tao chuckled and walked in with light steps.

Who cares? She'll deal with whatever comes her way; she's never been afraid.

The old man once said that you should never be afraid when facing scary things, because those things are just paper tigers that are easy to defeat. Courage is always the hymn of mankind.

Following the other person into the mourning hall, Hu Tao raised an eyebrow.

Can you believe it? This is actually the most vibrant and lived-in part of this old house.

This whole situation was so complicated that even she found it hard to accept.

She had seen strange requests before, but this was the first time she had ever encountered one this bizarre.

That's good; it broadened my horizons.

Hu Tao thought optimistically, then saw that the guy named Chen Yang brought out a cup of hot tea from somewhere and said, "Master Hu, it's just gotten colder. Why don't you have a cup of hot tea and then make your plans?"

Looking at the other person's enthusiastic expression and then at the steaming teacup, Hu Tao puffed out her cheeks and laughed in exasperation: "What, do you think I'm stupid?"

Chen Yang's expression changed, but he pretended not to understand: "Hall Master Hu... what do you mean?"

Hu Tao rolled her eyes: "I don't want to waste time. There wasn't a single smoke in this house just now. Where did you get this tea from?"

Chen Yang wiped his sweat: "I used a magic energy heating device that I brought back from the city, so naturally there is no smoke."

Hu Tao chuckled and said, "Alright, even so, the stench of death in this teacup is a bit too strong. You don't think I, someone who deals with corpses all year round, can't smell it, do you?"

Chen Yang narrowed his eyes: "Master Hu, you've really misunderstood me. I just wanted to treat you well..."

Hu Tao drew her weapon and stared coldly at her opponent.

"Stop, or I'll take action."

Chen Yang stopped and sighed softly, "Why do this? If you had just behaved, you wouldn't have had to suffer. I was genuinely thinking of you, otherwise the flesh that's been soaked by the rain would have had a strange taste."

Hu Tao frowned.

Meat that's been rained on, what does that mean?

Is it what she thinks?

Oh dear, things seem to be getting a bit serious.

This guy won't eat people, will he?

Chen Yang shook his head and smiled, "Now that things have gotten this bad, it's really difficult for me. Dad, hurry up and get started, my stomach is rumbling with hunger."

Upon hearing this, Hu Tao didn't hesitate at all and turned around to launch a counterattack.

Although Wangshengtang is in the funeral industry, some customers have deep-seated obsessions. In order to make them understand the reasons, the abbots of the hall have learned some highly practical methods.

For example... this move!

"Reassure the soul!"

The ghost that had been in the pocket flew out, its body wrapped in countless butterfly-shaped flames.

But here's the problem: not every head of the Hall of Rebirth has the Eye of God. So what should be done for those who don't have the Eye of God but are being haunted by the souls of the dead?

This is the answer.

Call ~

Flames swept through.

The old man in the coffin behind him had just sat up when he was photographed again.

Its painful wails.

But if you look closely, you'll discover the disgusting green hair on the other person's body.

Having landed a successful blow, Hu Tao immediately turned around, intending to subdue the middle-aged man first.

Because the other party still retains some rationality, they are clearly not easy to deal with.

But as she moved, more sounds came from within.

"We've fallen for their trap!"

Chen Yang moved, his figure darting forward like a ghost.

"That old bastard is still thinking about something! The dead should just die peacefully. I'm his own son! I was sick and in so much pain! And he wouldn't even save me!"

A series of sounds lingered in his ears, and messy black lines rushed towards Walnut.

As a veteran who had worked with multiple departments of Liyue, she quickly realized what it was.

"The corruption of the abyss..."

In an instant, many things became clear.

This old man probably has some kind of item related to the Abyss. Anyone with a little common sense knows that the Abyss is the most likely to arouse people's inner desires.

It can even fulfill the wishes of the parties involved in certain situations.

However, those were all distorted.

For example, if you want to live forever, the abyss will turn you into a mindless monster, so that as long as you don't encounter any accidents, you can live forever.